I absolutely loved this book I thought it was going to be predictable but it wasn't
It built a picture of all the characters and was well researched, and a wartime job I've not read about before so made a refreshing change
I'm looking forward to the next two books

East London, 1942:With the men at war, can the women of the East End band together to defend their loved ones, their city and their country? Be prepared to put your life on hold! Taut and tense from the first page to the closing paragraphs……loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love books by Jean Fullerton and this new saga doesn't disappoint.
Based in London in 1942 Effie Weston joins up to the Women's Auxiliary Air Force . Follow her and her friends Alice, Nell and George as they face war together.

The East End Girls by Jean Fullerton

Another heartwarming book by this author . I love how she writes so eloquently about the era and it's the perfect way to chill out by reading her novels.
We are introduced to Effie Weston and the other characters Alice , Nell and George who have,all joined the WAAF .
We follow their story as they do their bit for the war and help others during the blitz in London.
Highly recommend .

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. Although I really enjoy wartime sagas, I have only read one of Fullerton's books previously. I was keen to get my teeth into a new series, and this exceeded my expectations. I was invested in Effie and Nathan's story throughout; Fullerton created real care for the characters, and the racism they experienced was written sensitively. I also enjoyed the focus on barrage balloon girls, which I have not seen explored in this type of series before. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

A well written storyline with wonderful characters.
A flew through this book and look forward to the follow ups.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

The East End Girls by Jean Fullerton is a heartwarming story set against the backdrop of wartime London. From the very first pages, I was swept into the world of Corporal Effie Weston and her fellow WAAF members—Alice, Nell, and George—who band together to protect their community and each other during the Blitz. Fullerton captures the gritty determination of East End women with authenticity and affection, highlighting not just their strength, but also their warmth and wit.

Wow what a great story. I’m totally into WW2:fiction and this didn’t disappoint, I can’t wait for the next instalment in the series. This is the story of Effie and her new friends in the WAAF as they train to be ‘Balloon Girls’. This was so well written, life was tough during the war, particularly for women who were trained to do the men’s heavy manual work. This was a very emotional book, huge highs and deep lows. This book was so hard to put down, it really flowed beautifully. Jean Fullerton has written a cracking first instalment in this new series.

Thank you to netgalley and Bookouture for this brilliant ARC.

I was looking for a new wartime series to get stuck into after I wrapped up a few others and boy did this fit the bill! It was perfect.

I quickly warmed to the characters, loved getting to know our new gang of ‘Balloon girls’ and quickly became invested in their stories, relationships and friendships. It was so heartwarming to read!

We follow Effie as she begins her war work with the WAAFs, wrangling hydrogen balloons helping to protect her country. She crosses paths with a certain charismatic and handsome Flight Officer and finds herself pulled in two different directions. Stay with her current fiancé or follow the man who makes her heart race?

It was written really well, doing the era justice whilst weaving a compelling story. I found it easy to fly through chunks of chapters at a time as I was enjoying the story and it was so hard to stop! I think I consumed the book in a matter of days and was left rapidly researching if there was going to be a second book in what promises to be a great series.