Review - Mrs Porter Calling by AJ Pearce

Mrs Porter Calling by AJ Pearce
Publisher: Pan Macmillan 
Release date: 25 May 2023

Back cover blurb: Emmy Lake is the much-loved agony aunt at Woman’s Friend magazine, relied upon by readers across the country as they face the challenges of life on the Home Front. With the problem page thriving and a team of fantastic women behind her, Emmy finally feels she is Doing Her Bit. But when a glamorous new owner arrives, everything changes. As the Honourable Mrs Porter tries to charm her way around the rest of the team, Emmy realises that she plans to destroy everything readers love about the magazine. With happiness quickly turning to heartbreak, and war still raging in Europe, will Emmy and her friends find the inner strength they need to keep keeping on - and save the magazine they love?

Mrs Porter Calling is the third book in the Emmy Lake series, and it's a really lovely book. You can read it as a standalone, but if you're read the others that may be a bonus as you'll already have been introduced to some of the wonderful characters.

Emmy Lake is a columnist at 'Woman's Friend', working almost as an agony aunt on the popular magazine that is doing it's best to keep up women's spirits on the home front during WW2. 

Following a death in the family, the Honourable Mrs Cressida Porter is appointed the new owner of Woman's Friend. At first, she is charm personified, detailing to the team how determined she is to keep the magazine just as it is.

It soon becomes apparent she wants to do the exact opposite, and destroy everything its loyal readers love about it. Determined that the magazine continue to be a success, the team work 'with' Mrs Porter to make the changes that she desires, whilst secretly keeping bits that she's asked to be removed, and adding bits that they know readers will appreciate.

At first Mrs Porter, wanting to get them all on side, takes no real interest in the publication. But when she finds out that they've been editing the magazine behind her back, she drops the façade immediately. What she says goes and make no mistake about it!!

 As they begin to implement changes bit by bit, it's clear to Emmy and the team that the magazine is going to lose some of its most loyal readers. But Mrs Porter couldn't care less. It's clearly her way or the high way.

And then the worst thing imaginable happens, putting everything in to perspective and making individuals questions where their loyalties should lie. 

Mrs Porter Calling is a lovely novel, and I really hope there is another in the series so we learn the fate of our favourite characters as the war draws to an end. 

Mrs Porter Calling is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.