Wartime Arrivals at Harbour House

Harbour House #1

by Fenella J. Miller

A BRAND NEW historical saga from Fenella J Miller full of courage and bravery. Perfect for fans of Lizzie Lane and Rosie Clarke!

London July 1939

Elizabeth Roby lives a content and privileged life in London with husband Jonathon and children, Emily and George. But with the outbreak of war, everything changes.

Jonathon informs his family that they have to move from their smart London home to the riverside town of Wivenhoe and their new home Harbour House, where Jonathon will do his duty for his country as part of the Admiralty at the shipyards.

But Elizabeth is devastated. How will she start a new life in a place she hardly knows, surrounded by strangers? And how will her children cope allowed to run wild in the countryside with urchins? Elizabeth is sure it will be a disaster!

But with the threat of German bombs hanging over London, she knows they must follow Jonathan and start a new life. Even if it means disaster for them as family.

Will the Roby family survive this turmoil? Or will Harbour House provide them with a second chance to start again?

A gripping and authentic tale of courage, duty and bravery!

Praise for Fenella J

'Yet again, Fenella Miller has thrilled me with another of her historical stories. She brings alive a variety of emotions and weaves in facts relating to the era, all of which keep me reading into the small hours.' Glynis Peters

'Curl up in a chair with Fenella J Miller's characters and lose yourself in another time and another place.' Lizzie Lane

'Engaging characters and setting which whisks you back to the home front of wartime Britain. A fabulous series!' Jean Fullerton

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Historical

250 pages, Hardcover

Published November 29, 2024

About the author

Fenella Jane Miller was born in the Isle of Man. Her father was a Yorkshire man and her mother the daughter of a Rajah. She has worked as a nanny, cleaner, field worker, hotelier, chef, secondary and primary teacher and is now a full time writer.

She has over twenty five Regency romantic adventures published plus one Jane Austen re-telling and one YA romantic fantasy.

see also Fenella-Jane Miller

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I’ve found a great historical fiction series to dive into!
“Wartime Arrivals” is the first book in the “Harbour House series”, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
At the onset of WW2, a family moves from their rather posh home in London to a much older, smaller house in the country. The wife has led a pampered life, used to maids, cooks, and nannies to run her household and care for her two children, so her first weeks without her usual servants are fraught with anxiety. The addition of two evacuated children to the household is the key to her realization of just how lucky her family has been all along, and a new beginning for the whole family in helping those less fortunate.

[Carol (Reading Ladies) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In July of 1939, Jonathan and Elizabeth and their two children relocate to the English countryside to escape a potential London bombing. They will be trading out their comfortable and privileged life for the safety of the unknown. Jonathan will start a new job as part of the Admiralty at the shipyards. Elizabeth is the most apprehensive of all. How will their lives change?

Wartime Arrivals at Harbour House is the first installment in a new series by popular author, Fenella Miller. Although I have only read two installments of the Good Will House series, I assume this will be similar: solid research, engaging plot, thoughtful themes, closed-door romance, and no profanity.

We are introduced to Elizabeth, Jonathan, and their two children as Elizabeth struggles to accept her husband’s arbitrary decision to relocate to the country. Theirs is a family of privilege and WWII will require some difficult adjustments. I had difficulty warming up to Elizabeth. She’s spoiled, whiney, and petulant. Her long-suffering, patient, and kind husband is sympathetic but firm. They must move. Well…he took a new position…so now, in addition to wartime worries, they actually have no choice. I admire Jonathan. He’s a strong leader, decisive, forward-thinking and supportive. He goes above and beyond what we would expect a man to do in this era to assist his wife and humor her moods. He’s modern in many ways.

As book one in a series, New Arrivals at Harbour House is not heavy on plot. It’s a solid introduction to the characters, their relocation, and their change in status. Toward the story’s end, we gain glimpses into how this move might affect Elizabeth’s character and behaviors. A change for the better, I hope!

Fans of the author will be enthusiastic about this new series. You will appreciate this warm-hearted story if you love stories of life on the English home front during WWII.

Thanks #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #NewArrivalsAtHarbourHouse upon my request. All opinions are my own.

For more reviews visit www.ReadingLadies.com where this review was first published.

[Trudy Dowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have become a big fan of Fenella J. Miller's books. She brings World War Two England to life with her characters, locations and the situations that occur. I love reading her stories and being able to picture the places. I have walked some of the roads. I have ridden on the trains. I have visited some of the locations. To think of them in two different time periods always has me wanting to know more, searching for more.

Wartime Arrivals at Harbour House is unique to me because although I have heard of Wivenhoe, I have not been there. I have really missed out. The author makes the town during WW2 sound fascinating. How exciting would it be to be near the shipyards building minesweepers? Jonathan Roby is transferred to the shipyard to oversee the construction giving the reader little peaks into the inner workings.

Jonathan moves his family from London to Wivenhoe in hopes of a better marriage. It is an eye opening experience for the family. The adjustments they have to make had me roaring with laughter. His wife, Elizabeth, was born with a silverspoon and now has to deal with just one WC and it is downstairs.

The story is riddled with drama and conflict. They are now living in a lower class area. The house maybe large but it is outdated. No longer will there be live in help. Nannies are a thing of the past. The children will be seen and heard. It gets very loud as the children learn about life in WW2 England and soon have evaccuees living with them.

I wasn't sure how Elizabeth would adapt to her new surroundings. At times she blew my mind. At otehr times, I was completely disgusted. The author's words were so believable. I never doubted. I never questioned. I just turned page after page in anticipation to see what would happen next.

There is so much going on in this story Grab a cuppa tea. Snag yourself some biscuits or scones. Get comfortable and escape into the pages.

[The Bookish Pilgrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wartime arrivals at Harbour House by Fenella Miller is set in Britain that's just a few days away from World War-II.

A sweet, tender novel of a marriage strained to almost breaking point, and a family estranged by life choices, upbringing, and outside influences, but who are still very much in love with each other.

A hotly contested move from London to Wivenhoe in the country by Mrs. Elizabeth Roby sets the stage for the family dynamics to play out.

Once at Wivenhoe - her husband Jonathan Roby is involved with his job as the senior Admiralty officer in charge of the Colne River shipyard. A pregnant Elizabeth has to handle her two children, something she's left to nannies until now.

She also has to deal with two boys - Pete and Sammy, recently evacuated from London who are to be staying with the Roby family. Coming from a working class background, the children, especially Pete are a shock to her gentler sensibilities.

Through the ups and downs the little family face, the author has created characters who evolve and change with the situation. The challenges each member faces and overcomes - especially Elizabeth and her young daughter Emily make up a large part of the story arc and give room for character development.

The final denouement is unexpected and a little shocking but in the end there is a happy ending after all. However, knowing the hell about to break loose over Britain in the war years, makes me hope there will be sequels to this novel, following the adventures of the Roby family during the war.

A sweet, refreshing, clean romance within the context of marriage and family and everyday life in pre-war England.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @Boldwood Books, I was given this charming novel to read as an advanced copy without expecting a review. All opinions are mine alone.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this and other bookish content, visit my blog, www.bargain-sleuth.com

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is the start of a new series by author Fenella J. Miller, whom I’ve featured before with her wonderful Goodwill House series. I was afraid that this book series would be too similar to the other one because they’re both about WWII on the home front in England, but I couldn’t have been more wrong!

There’s a big setup to the family’s move to Wivenhoe and their new home, Harbour House. The dad and husband, Jonathan, just makes the decision for the family without discussing it with his wife, Elizabeth. Their relationship is complicated enough without having this fact thrown in. Elizabeth is from high society and a different way of life and is very formal with their two children. When Jonathan not only tells her they are moving to Wivenhoe and will have to do without some of her servants, but she is also ticked, in an upper-class lady way, of course.

Fenella J. Miller has a way about bringing the WWII experiences to the reader that makes them thoroughly enjoyable and sobering at the same time. The country is on the cusp of war with Germany, and this snapshot into how one family uproots themselves to move to a safer place really comes home to me. I could not imagine what these families went through, and I am thoroughly engrossed in how they adapted because of the situation at hand.

The drama and conflict that arises each step of the way really pulls you into the story further. No longer living in a posh house, they’re living in Harbour House with much less help than they had before, in a lower-class town, and have to get the kids adjusted to a new way of life. There are plenty of bumps along the way, and I can’t wait to see how this series unfolds. Highly recommend!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wartime Arrivals at the Harbour House is the first title in an enthralling new wartime saga series by Fenella J Miller.

Elizabeth Roby lives a very privileged life in London with her husband Jonathan and their two children. However, everything which she has taken for granted for so long is threatened by the outbreak of war and by Jonathan’s job in the admiralty forcing them to move from the city to the riverside town of Wivenhoe. Elizabeth cannot help but feel apprehension about moving somewhere where she doesn’t know anyone. How will her children cope? Can they adapt to a life by the riverside? And will this move end up putting a strain on her marriage to Jonathan?

With the world at war and the threat of bombs hanging over London, Elizabeth knows that she has no other choice but to make the best of things and follow Jonathan to Wivenhoe. Will this move end up spelling disaster for the entire family? Or will their new home at Harbour House provide the Roby family with the fresh start they have long been desperate for?

Wartime Arrivals at Harbour House is a dramatic, uplifting and enjoyable wartime saga about fresh starts, community, love and new beginnings from Fenella J Miller that readers will be captivated by. Fenella J Miller has the storyteller’s gift and she has written a saga full of characters readers cannot help but care about and root for, believable emotional stakes and touching pathos.

A perfect book to curl up with as the nights gets colder, Wartime Arrivals at Harbour House by Fenella J Miller will go down a treat with fans of Rosie Clarke and Jean Fullerton.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wartime Arrivals at Harbour House by Fenella J Miller is a new series for this prolific author. Jonathan Roby had accepted a new position, a promotion, but in order to accept it he needed to move his family. Either things would work out, or his wife, Elizabeth would leave him. At this point either was Ok with him. It is before England entered World War II but everyone know it wouldn’t be long. Elizabeth’s parents had fled to America, which meant her mother’s influence over her was gone. She never liked the fact they had married and as she was unhappy in her marriage, she determined that Elizabeth be unhappy, too. They had two children, George and Elizabeth, who adored their father. They wanted to love their mother too, but she never responded, having been taught that children should be left to their nannies. She was not happy about the move, but went along, having nowhere else to go.

This was a bit of a departure for Miller, a good one. It is about a marriage in crisis; a family in crisis. Things were difficult for a while but Elizabeth came around after many trials. It was emotional to see these children struggle around their mother. It was heart-breaking to watch Jonathan struggle, wanting the best for everybody. Wartime, even this early, was difficult, and that is where Miller’s storytelling skills lie. Once more, she rose to the occasion and wrote an extremely interesting story.

I was invited to read Wartime Arrivals at Harbour House by Boldwood Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks #FenellaJMiller #WartimeArrivalsAtHarbourHouse

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first book in a new World War II historical fiction series by Fenella J Miller, readers join Elizabeth Roby, her husband Jonathon, and their children Emily and George in London in the weeks before World War II begins. Moving from London to the small riverside town of Wivenhoe and their new residence at Harbour House for Jonathon’s work with the Admiralty shipyards is hardly what Elizabeth wants, as she has no desire to start over in a new place full of strangers, and she has no desire for her children to run wild. However, the threat of Germany bombing London convinces Elizabeth that this is the safest place for her children, even if this transplanting might mean disaster for their family. In following the tense days of the beginning of World War II and the dangers it meant for the home front, Miller does a fantastic job bringing the Roby family to life in this detailed and emotional new title. With multiple narrators and a tight-knit family at the center of the book, readers will love the personal nature of this World War II story and the new challenges awaiting the Robys in Wivenhoe and in future books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advance copy.

[AnnMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fenella J Miller is one of my favourite authors, and books like this one are the very reason why. From the very first pages, I was hooked.

I was fascinated to discover how the somewhat spoiled main female, Elizabeth, would cope with the changes her husband, Jonathon brought when he moved the family away from London to a safer place where he had found work.

I don't want to give any spoilers but let's say that the poor woman had to deal with more than just one drama. It wasn't long before I started to like her and by the end of the book, I wouldn't have thought she was the same woman. Her character definitely developed well.

Although a work of fiction, the author does include factual information. I always learn something that I hadn't previously known about the war. This time it was the huge number of children that were evacuated to the country for safety.

The only thing that I didn't like about the book was that it ended abruptly. I know this is the first book in a series so I really hope that their story continues in the next book and onwards. I am invested in the family now and want to know how they endure throughout the war years.

[Pam Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very promising start to a new series, which shows you all classes of people were evacuated from London and how they settled to their new lives - or not. I found it hard to warm to Elizabeth for most of the story, as she seemed such a brittle character who wanted life to be always on her terms. However, as the story progressed, you glimpsed how her upbringing had shaped her and how hard she found it to open up to people. In contrast, her husband, Jonathan, seemed to have the patience of a saint with her and was determined to press on with his plans to get his children to safety and to a place where they could make friends and settle. It didn't all go as he planned.

Elizabeth and Jonathan and their family were not the only new arrivals to Wivenhoe and some newcomers turned life at Harbour House upside down. You were introduced to a variety of people, not all of them likeable and there was snobbery and superiority on show as well as a more warm, welcoming side to human nature.

Having set up the series, with the onset of the war, I look forward to what happens next on the Home Front.

In short: Major life changes for all

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This WWII saga is the first in a series, and follows the Roby family, who decide to leave London and move into Harbour House. The author brought the characters to life in a way that meant I took an interest in each character. Initially, I felt that I connected with Elizabeth more than Jonathan, but a little later on, my feelings changed. I appreciated Elizabeth's strength of character, but I felt Jonathan was more caring and compassionate. I think my favourite character was their son George; I found him endearing, and he made me smile.

I enjoyed getting to know the Roby family, and something about their story went to my heart. In some ways, I felt they represented everything that a family should be, supporting each other through difficult times. It was heartwarming to read, and I would be interested to know what happened next for the Roby family.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the Roby family story, Elizabeth, Jonathan and their two children. Elizabeth is used to being waited on and hasn’t a close relationship with her children or even her husband, at times. This is all due to her own upbringing. I did feel sorry for her at times, she was so out of her depth and hadn’t been prepared for the changes that would come in her life. Jonathan had a very different childhood and had a close relationship with his children. There are lots of changes to come for the whole family and I enjoyed how they changed their attitudes, particularly Elizabeth. This was an enjoyable read, the characters were likeable and this is just the start of changes that are to come. The story moved along at a good pace and there was plenty of action to keep my interest. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fenella J. Miller is my favourite author of this genre. So I was beyond excited when I found out about this brand new saga. It follows the story of Elizabeth who is rather privileged and her husband Johnathan and their two children Emily and George. As they make a move because of the war will it also bring Elizabeth and Jonathan together again? I didn't really like Elizabeth or Johnathan but I adore the two children and my heart tore for Emily who has grown up way too quick. The story is engaging and held my interest throughout as it weaves together different emotions. I love the opportunity to learn different factors from the era whilst reading a fictional story!

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

New series

This book starts just before the war and follows a family who relocates from London to a small village in the countryside for the father’s work. The wife is very resistant and the two children are unsure but the son is open. The remaining story is about their setting in, the war starting, taking in two evacuated children and the resulting drama.

This was a good historical fiction, but I will say that I didn’t particularly care for most of the characters and didn’t get invested in the outcome. I doubt I would read the next book in the series.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

[Michelle Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Family life in wartime - a view of citizens and the upheaval the stress and chaos on communities.

The story follows the lives of Jonathan and Elizabeth Roby and their two children relocated to a new area as war begins and the joys they discover amidst the sacrifices they must make.

The history makes this a strong choice for readers, and the writing style is engaging (though it took me a little while to get used to).

This was my first time reading the author, and I will read more of her work.


*A Kindle Unlimited read


Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the DRC

[rob muir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

There is nothing to dislike about this book. I was only sorry, when I came to the end.
The story is about a family of 4, but early in the book you can see that, Elizabeth the Mother, is unhappy. Not with her family, whom are loves, but bored. Elizabeth was brought up to be pampered, had never really known the life her husband, wanted for his children. When told that the family was moving from her comfortable house, maids, cook, Nanny etc. It didn't go down well. This story follows how she adapted and come to realise what she had missed. Hope there is a book 2, as would love to continue the ups and downs of the family.

[Katie Awdas]

The start of a new series from this excellent author. It was an easy read although I did struggle as I had no liking for the main character Elizabeth. I appreciate that the way she was portrayed was part of the story but at times she made me feel miserable and not relaxed which is my prime reason for reading before bed!

I hope that the second book will explore more of the impact of the war and the work of Jonathan as I feel that this would be highly interesting. I look forward to the next instalment!

[D Andres · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be an easy read and loved reading about the characters in the story and how they changed during the move their family had to make. I would say that Mrs. Roby had the biggest and most difficult changes to make. The book really didn't get into WWII stories but more of how life was pre-WWII. I enjoyed the book and would read this author again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC for my honest review.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new series from a great author. Jonathan Roby decides to move his family away from London just before the outbreak of World War Two to Wivenhoe for safety. His wife Elizabeth is very unhappy but children Emily and George are more excited. We follow the family as they settle into their new lives and the War begins. There are great characters and a lot going on making it a book you don’t want to put down. I’m looking forward to more from the Roby family in this series

[Glynis Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a new series for this author . I really enjoyed this book. She really brings the characters to life and gives an insight to what life was like for someone who has grown up in a privileged life and has to adjust to a different life when they have to all relocate away from London.

[Gill James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy to read little story. I enjoyed the setting.
However, I found most of the characters unfathomable – maybe with the exception. of Ginger the cat and George, the little boy in the family. For the most part they were inconsistent and illogical. It was never clear why they grew or why the slipped back.
The story rushes to an unconvincing conclusion with yet another sudden inexplicable change in a key character.

[Linda Helen Dunstan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cosy comforting story.

There weren't anything in this story that I disliked.Elizabet,h was quite a challenge for poor Jonathan but it was apparent that they did love each other.It obviously was difficult for Elizabeth to adjust to a very different way of living due to her upbringing but eventually she managed it and as a result the whole family were much happier!

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

almost

This book is well written, but I wish there was more about the children that came into the countryside to avoid bombings in the city. I was looking for a little more depth to the story , seemed to be over before it began. For those reading this review I intend to continue reading the series, hoping to finally get a full story give this series a try it is worth the read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest, when I started reading this book, I thought it was all fluff and no substance. For some reason I kept reading, and I am sure glad I did! This became a really warm hearted story about life in England at the very start of WWII. It was so good that I now want to continue on with the series!!

[annasbook nookk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical novel tells the story of Elizabeth Roby, a London mother whose life is upended by the outbreak of World War II.

Set in July 1939, Elizabeth's happy life in London with her husband Jonathon and their two children, Emily and George, takes an unexpected turn when Jonathon's new Admiralty duties force them to relocate to Wivenhoe, a quiet riverside town.

Elizabeth is overwhelmed as she leaves the sophistication of London, feeling out of place in this unfamiliar setting and concerned about how her children will adjust to a freer, less structured life in the countryside.

I became immersed in the emotional strain of wartime sacrifices and the tension between duty and personal desires.

Elizabeth struggle to rebuild a normalcy for her family and cope with her children’s new freedom and as Elizabeth faced the uncertainty of war, the author brought together resilience and family bonds, delivering a heartfelt story of adapting and surviving easily.

It was a great book, and I loved how Elizabeth's character changed over time.

[Georgina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to a new series by Fenella Miller. With the name of the book, I was worried it was going to be very similar to the Goodwill House books (which are brilliant), thankfully it isn't and it approaches the war from a different angle. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Kelly Cunningham · Rating 2 out of 5]

thought there was more

The backdrop was World War 2 but really did not come into play for the family. To be honest the book was boring and talked about bravery but I did not see this.

[Linda Creswell-Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A glimpse into WWII

Fenelle comes through again. We get another window into life in England as WWII begins. As this story is part of a series it will be interesting to follow the Roby family.

[Linda Friday · Rating 5 out of 5]

harbour House book 1

This is a lovely book which i found hard to put down. I’ve never read a book by this author before but I’ve bought books 2 and 3 and I’m looking forward to reading them with the hope they will be as good as this book is.

[Kacey/Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a delightful wartime story. The author truly brings alive the memories, emotions, bravery, and courage people had to go through in her stories and what could have happened in real life.