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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Duty Calls at Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller is an engaging historical novel. It is the third book in the Goodwill House series. I recommend reading this delightful series in order as it will allow you to get to know the characters (and follow them from the beginning). I like Fenella J. Miller’s writing style. I was drawn into the story and just wanted to keep reading. It is like visiting with old friends. I love Joanna and the gang at Goodwill House. Joanna has come a long way since the beginning. She is a woman with a big heart. It is great seeing Liza and Joe blossom. Elizabeth still likes some things done a certain way, but she is becoming less formal and more congenial. We get to catch up with Millie, Ted, Di, and Freddie as well. I find the characters to be realistic and relatable. The author captures what the war was like for civilians, WAAF, and RAF. The members of Goodwill House and the local village live near an airbase. They can hear the planes coming and going. Unfortunately, it means the airbase is a target which means frequent air raid warnings. It is an emotional novel. We see what it is like to worry about a loved one who is in the air battling the Germans. You never knew if an RAF pilot would make it back to base. Measles hits the village affecting adults and children. Joanna and Elizabeth are worried about paying off the debt to the bank. The new Lord Harcourt is up to no good and the ladies are worried he will try to take Goodwill House. I like that we get to see what the day-to-day life was like for the characters. It must have been difficult trying to cloth and feed a family with rationing. With the war ongoing, it will be a while before things are tickety boo. I am eager for the next installment of Goodwill House. Duty Calls at Goodwill House is a gas with air raids, a measles epidemic, exploding eggs, pilots on a toot, a kite plight, cab happy WAAF, a cozy cottage, bank bothers, and war rationing.
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
5.0
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First off, I completely missed it when requesting this book to read that it was part of a series. And at the beginning, that definitely made a difference for me when reading Duty Calls at Goodwill House. Because it’s the third book in a series, the reader is dropped into events and introduced to so many people at once that it took me until about 20% into the book before I felt I had a handle on who everyone was and how they fit into the story. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad book, but the backstory is in the previous books, The War Girls of Goodwill House and New Recruits at Goodwill House, which I hadn’t read.
That being said, Duty Calls at Goodwill House checks off so many boxes for me for an historical fiction book. World War II, the English countryside, women and men working for the war effort, the air raid drills, the rationing, everything one has read about regarding the war is brought to life. I really felt the sense of patriotism the characters felt, and how no sacrifice was too much.
I enjoyed the focus on the women of the war effort, who until recently, were forgotten. I also appreciated the dialogue, to a point. There were some phrases used repeatedly, like tickety-boo, or “going for a Burton” that were a little annoying. Not EVERYONE uses the same slang so that got on my nerves a little, but it’s a minor complaint.
Overall, I appreciated this look into the life of an English village and its inhabitants during World War II. I thought I was getting tired of all the World War II books that seem to have glutted the market the past few years, but I’m certainly glad I picked up this book. I’ll definitely be picking up the first two volumes in the series, and hope there are more to come.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review.
First off, I completely missed it when requesting this book to read that it was part of a series. And at the beginning, that definitely made a difference for me when reading Duty Calls at Goodwill House. Because it’s the third book in a series, the reader is dropped into events and introduced to so many people at once that it took me until about 20% into the book before I felt I had a handle on who everyone was and how they fit into the story. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad book, but the backstory is in the previous books, The War Girls of Goodwill House and New Recruits at Goodwill House, which I hadn’t read.
That being said, Duty Calls at Goodwill House checks off so many boxes for me for an historical fiction book. World War II, the English countryside, women and men working for the war effort, the air raid drills, the rationing, everything one has read about regarding the war is brought to life. I really felt the sense of patriotism the characters felt, and how no sacrifice was too much.
I enjoyed the focus on the women of the war effort, who until recently, were forgotten. I also appreciated the dialogue, to a point. There were some phrases used repeatedly, like tickety-boo, or “going for a Burton” that were a little annoying. Not EVERYONE uses the same slang so that got on my nerves a little, but it’s a minor complaint.
Overall, I appreciated this look into the life of an English village and its inhabitants during World War II. I thought I was getting tired of all the World War II books that seem to have glutted the market the past few years, but I’m certainly glad I picked up this book. I’ll definitely be picking up the first two volumes in the series, and hope there are more to come.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review.
trudyd's review against another edition
5.0
I am learning so much from Fenella J. Miller's Goodwill House Series. Who knew that learning about WW2 could be so enjoyable? The author has brought the human side to what is usually learned in textbook with just the facts and only the boring facts.
Duty Calls at Goodwill House is the third book in the series. I will admit I have become invested with many of the characters, and was pleased to revisit them. I celebrated their happiness. I cried over their losses. I cringed over their struggles. I relished in the drama as my eyes were opened wider to life in WW2.
This story showed me more of challenges that the villagers had to deal with during the war. I can't begin to imagine dealing with all of the rationing and then have to struggle with an outbreak of measles. To make matters worse the war is coming to the area.
The bases are at risk. Planes are crashing. Villagers are dodging bullets. Things are getting real and I am understanding more and more what my mom and her family went through.
I can't wait for the next installment. There is so much going on in the series. My mind is going crazy with what might be happening on the pages of book four.
Duty Calls at Goodwill House is the third book in the series. I will admit I have become invested with many of the characters, and was pleased to revisit them. I celebrated their happiness. I cried over their losses. I cringed over their struggles. I relished in the drama as my eyes were opened wider to life in WW2.
This story showed me more of challenges that the villagers had to deal with during the war. I can't begin to imagine dealing with all of the rationing and then have to struggle with an outbreak of measles. To make matters worse the war is coming to the area.
The bases are at risk. Planes are crashing. Villagers are dodging bullets. Things are getting real and I am understanding more and more what my mom and her family went through.
I can't wait for the next installment. There is so much going on in the series. My mind is going crazy with what might be happening on the pages of book four.
nannykaren's review
5.0
Back with book 3 of the Goodwill House series, Duty Calls at Goodwill House delves into life around the RAF base at Manstonon. Meanwhile, at Goodwill House, Lady Joanna has discovered she is a strong woman who doesn't need a man to run get household. Her mother in law is still living with her, and encourages her to adopt the brother and sister, Joe and Liza, who came to live with them to help around the home and land. Back at base, Freddie and Di are good friends who are secretly dating. Will Di realise she wants more or will they fall apart? You'll need to read to find out!
arce's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Sadly, after the enjoyable second book this third one was again a disappointment, like the first book.
Couldn't get behind Di's motives, first trying to keep things casual, and then falling in love head over heals. From "I want to get married in half a year" to "Let's get married yesterday" within a day, sounded quite mentally unstable to me. (I get there's a war and it was different from today back then, with Ted and Millie I could understand it, but Freddy and Di didn't convince me.)
Also, Johanna is worrying one evening about her mother-in-law's mental health, and the next time it's her perspective the concerns are just dismissed without another explanation.
Generally, the things that bothered me with the first book bothered me again with this one.
Couldn't get behind Di's motives, first trying to keep things casual, and then falling in love head over heals. From "I want to get married in half a year" to "Let's get married yesterday" within a day, sounded quite mentally unstable to me. (I get there's a war and it was different from today back then, with Ted and Millie I could understand it, but Freddy and Di didn't convince me.)
Also, Johanna is worrying one evening about her mother-in-law's mental health, and the next time it's her perspective the concerns are just dismissed without another explanation.
Generally, the things that bothered me with the first book bothered me again with this one.
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