Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: The War Girls of Goodwill House: The start of a gripping historical saga series by Fenella J. Miller for 2022

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From Australia

Miriam

a lovely war time story

Reviewed in Australia on 12 May 2022

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I would call this a sweet romance mixed in with life at the beginning of WW2. I wanted to slap the mother in this story many times for being so selfish and arrogant. At the end she changed a bit thank goodness. Loved the daughter. Spunky, hard working and realistic. The boyfriend was fabulous too. A great story though I wished there was more emotional reflection told about the characters. Lots of telling rather than showing of emotion. Overall a cracking good old fashioned story.

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A Delightful Read with a touch of "Downton" crossed with wartime

Reviewed in Australia on 17 January 2022

What could be better than a new wartime saga series set against the backdrop of the onset of WW2? One that has a touch of "Downton Abbey" about it with the Lady of the manor and her daughter on such good terms with their employees they treat them as friends rather than servants. It is such a breath of fresh air and a delight to read and I am thrilled that this is just the beginning of the series.

Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter Sarah are left to run the estate with less than a handful of staff and very little means to do so after Lord Harcourt spared no time in rejoining the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and going off to France to fight the Germans in a war they believed would be over by Christmas. By January 1940, in the grip of a terribly harsh winter, there was no sign of the war coming to an end and Joanna and Sarah found that the funds that Lord Harcourt had left them with were fast running out as he had expected to be home in the autumn.

Despite having an extensive estate with an enormous house, the Harcourts are facing financial ruin if they don't do something fast. Goodwill House is a mammoth house that has been in the Harcourt family for generations, with both Georgian and Victorian extensions added onto the original house respectively, making it even bigger. With a harshly cold winter and only the two of them in residence, it seems ridiculous to run such a monstrosity. And to heat it, even worse. With just a housekeeper/cook who doesn't live in and a smattering of outdoor staff with no way to continue paying them, Lady Joanne and Sarah are therefore faced with a conundrum. And so they begin to take in paying boarders to help with the running costs. The first of their guests are six WAAFs seconded to the local RAF base which have no appropriate accommodation for them so they are billeted at Goodwill House. As they are WAAFs, the RAF supply coal for heating and remuneration for food and keep.

Lady Joanna knows that her husband Lord Harcourt would be apoplectic at the thought of the family lowering their standards to take in paying guests. But if he hadn't such a tight reign on the finances and having left no further instructions or means to make ends meet, then they wouldn't be taking in guests or selling his prized horses. But needs must.

Sarah Harcourt is just seventeen but is older than her years when she steps up to take the reigns and help her mother run Goodwill House in her father's absence. Social etiquette of the upper class would preferably see her married off to a suitable husband rather than making up rooms for paying guests, doing servants' menial tasks and running around the countryside on horseback or a Hillman with a rather dashing Flight Lieutenant. What Sarah really wants to do is become a doctor, as has been her dream for so long, but in the absence of funds to pay for her tuition at Oxford she has resigned herself to helping her mother run Goodwill House until she turns 18 in September and can then become a student nurse. But still she dreams of becoming a doctor.

When RAF Flight Lieutenant Angus Trent first sets eyes on Sarah, his mistakes her for a maid as no lady of the house would answer a door. But as soon as he realises his faux pas he is certainly not endeared to this somewhat snobbish and headstrong young woman. The feeling, as it happens, is mutual. For Sarah finds him to be overconfident and arrogant. But then Sarah also has experience with men at all.

As luck would have it, given that Goodwill House is be the billet for the WAAFs soon to arrive, Angus is the point of contact between the Harcourts and the RAF much to his irritation. As circumstances places them both in regular contact, social etiquette has Sarah being as polite to Angus as necessitates but soon the pair will find themselves thrown together in ways they could not have foreseen.

Meanwhile, Lady Joanna has had correspondence from her husband who strictly forbids Sarah to lower herself to that of a nurse and instructs Sarah to remain at home until he can return and find her a suitable husband. But Sarah, it seems, has other ideas. The freedom that has come from her father being in France has given both her and Lady Joanna a new lease of life as both women step out from under two decades of control...and they like it. War has changed the world and nothing is as it used to be as the women of Goodwill House give the house a new lease of life that hasn't seen laughter or happiness for decades.

I'm so glad I came in at the beginning of this series as I seem to stumble across many a couple of books in. I love wartime sagas like this one highlighting the struggles of daily life, even for the upper class who find themselves facing financial ruin. And while they aren't quite as comfortable as those in "Downton Abbey", society of the past has deemed a divide between the classes which now come together in the face of war as the world they know begins to change...and nothing is guaranteed anymore. THE WAR GIRLS OF GOODWILL HOUSE differs in that respect as most wartime sagas focus on the working class. It was a refreshing change to see it from the perspective of the upper class and how they bring change to their own lives in the face of war.

THE WAR GIRLS OF GOODWILL HOUSE is a delightful read that is enjoyable from start to finish. I was absorbed from the beginning that when I flipped the last page I was left with wanting more. I grew to love many of the characters, whilst some not so much. Lady Joanna, Sarah, Angus, Betty, Liza and Joe are all wonderful characters. But the Dowager and Lord Harcourt, who does not essentially appear except through thought and letter, are equally distasteful as well as Mrs Thomas who thankfully only fleetingly appears.

I cannot wait to see how this series develops especially as the Blitz has yet to begin and Angus being a fighter pilot whose desire is to run a squadron of Spitfires just as much as Sarah longs to become a doctor. Until we meet again...

Historical fiction and wartime saga fans will love THE WAR GIRLS OF GOODWILL HOUSE and I thoroughly recommend it.

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From other countries

Kindle Customer

Problems, Solutions and Consequences

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 April 2022

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After her aristocratic husband a reservist, rejoins the army to serve with the B.E.F. in France leaving Lady Joanna and her daughter Sarah to manage their home and estate, while without any way of finding it.

Against her husband's wishes, and at Sarah's advice, they start by billeting WAAFs and providing their meals. After the WAAFs are posted elsewhere, they are warned that Landgirrls would be arriving shortly, but plans change. Anticipating a university place to train as a doctor. Meeting Angus, one of the senior officers which will lead to romance.

Trouble starts for Joanna when her mother in law, who has been living in France, returns home to spend the rest of the war in England. She only upsets Joanna and Sarah.

Marian Read

Great easy read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 March 2022

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I really enjoyed this book. It was what I call an easy read.
The characters were believable and I enjoyed how they grew according to their own way and not the way that was expected of them.
From the description of the characters and their surroundings it was quite believable.
I am looking forward to the sequel.
.

Kindle Customer ChrisDay

The war girls of Goodwill House

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 January 2022

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This was a charming read about Sarah's life after her father had joined the BEF, and the changes to her life getting by in the family mansion. My only disappointment was the abrupt ending.

Kindle Customer

Most enjoyable read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 March 2022

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Came across this book, thought I would try it as i love reading this era of books and really enjoyed it.
I will definitely be reading more of this authors books.
Big 👍 from me

J. P. Welsh

Such a pleasant read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 March 2022

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I really enjoyed this book. The varied selection of characters and their varying ways of life was most enjoyable. I'm hoping there is a second book taking the characters into different times

Miss S E Moores

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 January 2022

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Fenella is an exceptional writer, she brings her characters to life. Story was wonderful and I cannot wait for the next installment 😃

Mrs W.

Relaxing read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2022

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Enjoyed the storyline as I was looking for something light and this book gives you this. You do get an insight into the difficult financial side the war gave to all.

wendy milledge

happy memories

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 April 2022

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I enjoyed this light read very much. Especially as We had a cottage on the edge of Manston airfield when we were first married in 1967 and the area holds very happy memories.

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The War Girls of Goodwill House: The start of a gripping historical saga series by Fenella J. Miller for 2022

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From Australia

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