This is the second, and newest book, in the Foyles Girls Trilogy, set in World War 1 London. Before I picked this one up, I hadn't read the first book, which made this one a very slow starter for me as I had to get caught up on who's who and what's what.

Once I did, the novel really picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Loved the characters and actually wish it would become a long-running series, more than just a trilogy.

Love, friendship, dealing with the war on the home front, and the wonderful characters all combine to make this a great, heartwarming read, one I'd recommend. But I'd also suggest that readers should read the first book before starting on this one. ( )

It was so nice to take a visit to London during WW1 again and meet up with Alice, Molly and Victoria, aka the Foyles Bookshop Girls. Whilst the first book in the trilogy was very much Alice's story, this second book follows Molly as she leaves the relative safety of Foyles and becomes a 'canary', working at the munitions factory. She's punishing herself for something, and putting herself into a more dangerous job is her way of making herself feel better.

This book is my favourite of the books so far and I very much enjoyed reading about Molly's change of direction. She's really feisty and independent, that new independence being something that women were only starting to have for the first time because of the war. I must admit, I didn't envy her the long journey by bicycle across London to her new place of work, let alone the yellow skin and the constant worry of working in such a dangerous profession. But I did really admire the way she stuck to her guns and got on with it.

It was lovely to catch up with other characters too. Molly's friends still play a major role, and don't worry, Foyles still plays its part in the story. What I did like most of all was the gorgeous love story (I'm not telling you who was involved, go find out for yourself!). That was the bit I couldn't wait to get back to and to see what was going to happen next and it really made my heart melt.

The Foyles Bookshop Girls at War is a delightful story of love and friendship amidst the heartbreak of war. I'm looking forward to reading book three at Christmas. ( )