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Lily Baker #2

The Telephone Girls

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Determined Lily Baker joins the Auxiliary Territorial Service to do her bit in World War Two. After her training, she’s thrilled to be posted to Paris as a telephonist. But when the German army march towards the city she and her friends must find a way to escape and get to the coast before the final boat leaves for home. This gripping, uplifting book follows their struggles to find safety before it’s too late.

If you enjoy books by Jean Grainger and Martha Hall Kelly, you’ll love the Lily Baker series.

Buy The Telephone Girls now for a cracking good read.

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2019

336 people are currently reading
98 people want to read

About the author

Patricia McBride

31 books39 followers

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5 stars
797 (63%)
4 stars
341 (27%)
3 stars
79 (6%)
2 stars
18 (1%)
1 star
14 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Lisa.
18 reviews2 followers
February 1, 2021
I love this story but it was far too short for my liking! 🤣 it was lovely to see Lily in a new environment, dealing with war in a different country. It was interesting to see the different personalities of the girls and how much they grew in their time in Paris. There’s heart breaking moments and the book does leave you on a bit of a cliff hanger waiting for the next.

I like how descriptive this author is and you can imagine the streets of Paris that Lily and her friends are walking through. It was interesting to read about when things got a bit close for comfort with the Germans and the British army’s evacuation from Paris and France in general.

It ended very abruptly and I felt there was still another chapter or two to come! I’ll be very interested to carry on reading and find out what Lily does next. I feel like I learn something from her every book.

Rating 3🌟/5
I enjoyed this story although it was rather short. It shows what young servicemen and women went through in the motions of war and the advance of the Nazis. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and felt this one dropped a little but I’m hoping it was needed to make the story and it’ll get gripping again. I found this very easy to read though as it wasn’t nearly as long as the first!
Profile Image for Lisa .
838 reviews49 followers
May 20, 2024
This second book in the series is more than just a feel-good story about the young British women who chose to serve in the ATS. Serious cultural and women's issues are an integral part of the story. One of Lily's new ATS friends is originally from Martinique and faces ugly racism from some of the recruits. Another friend who is hoping to rise above poverty by serving faces the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy. These telephone girls are stationed in Paris, a dream posting, but end up having to flee the Nazis. There is no sugar-coating of the panicking Parisians and refugees trying to escape. Their desperation rises from each page. Lily is no longer the naive young woman she was in the first book but I like this more mature version of her. The Telephone Girls is a quick read with a fast-paced plot and I look forward to the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Becki Basley.
816 reviews6 followers
November 30, 2025
The Telephone Girls (Lily Baker # 2) by Patricia A McBride. (Audiobook read on Hoopla app)
In this book Lily signs up for the ATS and becomes a telephone Girl. During her training, she makes a New group of friends who become her second family and together they enjoy the High moments of their experiences and endure the low moments.

Like other who have added their critiques to this book, I would have liked some of the book explained in greater detail. For example, the book is called telephone girls. At the time, the job was a top secret but it isnt now. So more of a description of what it was like to actually be a telephone Girl. I imagine it was a complicated job, it would have been interesting to learn more about it as Lily learned the job. Of course, Im going to look it up and learn more about it on My own but still seeing it from her eyes would have been interesting.
Profile Image for Ann Boytim.
2,000 reviews5 followers
October 7, 2023
4.0 This book follows the lives of young women serving in the ATA in WWII doing their service for their country. Women from all over Great Britain come together from all walks of life and form a bond while being totally out of their own elements. Lily from Oxford, Bronwyn from Wales, Amanda who has lived a life of luxury with her family, and Mavis. This foursome go through basic training together and then they are assigned some become telephone girls and Mavis is an orderly. Bronwyn and Amanda speak French and teach the other two to do the same and they are all off to serve in Paris the next step in their adventure.
Profile Image for Jules.
330 reviews8 followers
July 6, 2025
4.5 ✨
I liked this book and wish it had been a bit longer. It felt like each scene was a bit short. It was written well and I felt like I was watching the scenes take place.

The women were strong and helpful to their country and France. I was rooting for them to make it to safety and wasn’t sure how things were going to play out.

I didn’t realize this book was part of a series that was supposed to be read in order lol

Read if you like-
— WW2 history
— women strength
— mystery
— action
— powering through the difficult times
6 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2020
A piece of history

I enjoyed reading ‘The Telephone Girls’. It’s a walk through a fascinating time in history, when a disparate group of young British servicewomen face the advance of Nazi Germany into France. The characters are well crafted, and the story is compelling. A glimpse into a little-known part of WW2.
Profile Image for Thundermusic.
190 reviews
March 3, 2025
Poor Lily Baker! EVERYTHING happens to her.
Poverty, abuse, leading in political movements, fighting against the wealthy, bombing, fiance MIA, new love interest(s), abortion, capturing a spy, catching blackmarket dealing, catching looters, searching bombsites, first aid, tin hat squad, 🍆🍑 with married man, dead married man (who just happens to have a comatose wife), singing and acting in wartime shows,
But, yes, I'm going to finish the series. It's a nice piece of escapism.
51 reviews
March 9, 2021
Love this series

This is an excellent historical piece of fiction. The characters are lovable. The descriptors of locations and events are educational. The story line draws you in and makes it hard to put this book down.
Profile Image for Janice .
691 reviews8 followers
February 2, 2022
Book 2 Lily & friends go to Paris this is just before Dunkirk
They have well wouldn't call it an adventure but certainly something as they may have found a spy or not
Then they have to get out of Paris & try to get home to England
I won't say what happens but certainly worth reading
16 reviews
April 27, 2023
Grateful thanks

Such an interesting well written look of life during WW2. Service personnel, medical professionals ordinary folk played an enormous important role during the last War which brings to mind the words of Churchill and others “Lest we forget”
Worthwhile read
119 reviews
May 29, 2023
Excellent book

What an insightful story of four young women from England who served during WWII. Their backgrounds were polar opposites but they came together and stood firmly for each other. I couldn't put this book down it's that good!
Profile Image for Eirlys.
1,763 reviews16 followers
May 30, 2023
A Good read

A story about the way that civilians were dragged into the war against the enemy, and how it affected them. Lily was a normal girl, who was part of that time. I liked how the story unfolded, with the characters being fleshed out and believable.
53 reviews
June 6, 2024
Wartime saga

I absolutely loved these two books, read them back to back on the same day, can't wait for the next instalment, need to know if Lily gets her happy ending. I would recommend these to anybody with a heart.
38 reviews
April 15, 2020
Really good story couldnt put it down only fault it finished to soon x
109 reviews
February 27, 2021
2nd in the series, really evocative enjoyed it
245 reviews
March 2, 2024
WWll Women

It takes everyone to win a war.. women from all walks if life..Even by telephone..and then mix in spys.. Patricia McBride is a top WWll author
Profile Image for Gail Tavis.
203 reviews1 follower
August 5, 2025
Great

I am really enjoying this series of books. Ms. McBride is a really good writer and has an excellent way with words, she just draws you in and it is hard to put the book down. Lily Baker Series Book 2 is about the war staring in France where Lily and her friends are stationed. The book takes the reader to Cherbourg France and the last Red Cross ship out. Lily and her friends are on the ship and reach Dover England.
Profile Image for Cath.
194 reviews
February 14, 2025
Another great book by Patricia McBride. On to the next one.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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