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The Dover Cafe #3
The Dover Cafe Under Fire
Dover, 1940
As firebombs fall on Dover, Edie Castle's life is thrown into turmoil when the garage where she lives and works is damaged and her beloved boss is arrested.
With no job and nowhere else to go, Edie returns to Castle's Café and her formidable mother, Nellie. Living with her mother is never easy, but tensions reach boiling point when an old friend of Nellie's arrives looking for a place to stay.
Meanwhile, desperate to clear her boss's name, Edie turns to his nephew for help. But when the café is engulfed in scandal, a shocking tragedy brings long-buried memories to the surface, and Edie realises she can't trust anyone - not even her own mother . . .
As firebombs fall on Dover, Edie Castle's life is thrown into turmoil when the garage where she lives and works is damaged and her beloved boss is arrested.
With no job and nowhere else to go, Edie returns to Castle's Café and her formidable mother, Nellie. Living with her mother is never easy, but tensions reach boiling point when an old friend of Nellie's arrives looking for a place to stay.
Meanwhile, desperate to clear her boss's name, Edie turns to his nephew for help. But when the café is engulfed in scandal, a shocking tragedy brings long-buried memories to the surface, and Edie realises she can't trust anyone - not even her own mother . . .
- GenresHistorical Fiction
484 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 7, 2022
Dover Cafe Series Book 3
Dover, 1940: As firebombs fall on Dover, Edie Castle's life id thrown into turmoil when the garage where she lives, and works is damaged, and her beloved boss is arrested. with no job and nowhere else to go, Edie returns to Castle's cafe and her formidable mother, Nellie. Living with her mother is never easy, but tensions reach boiling point when an old friend of Nellie's arrives looking for a place to stay. Meanwhile, desperate to clear her boss's name, Edie turns to his nephew for help.
This is quite an enjoyable and easy book to read. Set during WWII, we learn of the Castle girl's trials and tribulations. The characters have been well fleshed out. You can tell the author has done her research of the era this book is written in. The storyline is easy to follow. It's also quite an emotional story as we learn of how horrendous lives could be during the war. Secrets are exposed. I seem to have missed out on reading the second book in this series, but I will rectify that soon.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BonnierBooksUK and the author #GinnyBell for my ARC of #TheDoverCafeUnderFire in exchange for an honest review.
Dover, 1940: As firebombs fall on Dover, Edie Castle's life id thrown into turmoil when the garage where she lives, and works is damaged, and her beloved boss is arrested. with no job and nowhere else to go, Edie returns to Castle's cafe and her formidable mother, Nellie. Living with her mother is never easy, but tensions reach boiling point when an old friend of Nellie's arrives looking for a place to stay. Meanwhile, desperate to clear her boss's name, Edie turns to his nephew for help.
This is quite an enjoyable and easy book to read. Set during WWII, we learn of the Castle girl's trials and tribulations. The characters have been well fleshed out. You can tell the author has done her research of the era this book is written in. The storyline is easy to follow. It's also quite an emotional story as we learn of how horrendous lives could be during the war. Secrets are exposed. I seem to have missed out on reading the second book in this series, but I will rectify that soon.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BonnierBooksUK and the author #GinnyBell for my ARC of #TheDoverCafeUnderFire in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2026
Terrific read.
August 24, 2022
Five stars!!! This is definitely the most complex of the series so far, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Edie and Nellie have always had a rocky relationship and we never really understand why, this book centres very much around this aswell as some unexplained events within the town including targeted bombings.
We see Hester return after her cameo in Book 1, why has she turned up on Nellies doorstep all of a sudden and how does she seem to know the mysterious Walter.
Ginny Bell researches her books so well, interweaving some true events and people into her fictional stories.
Thank you to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the digital arc of this book, which I highly recommend!
Edie and Nellie have always had a rocky relationship and we never really understand why, this book centres very much around this aswell as some unexplained events within the town including targeted bombings.
We see Hester return after her cameo in Book 1, why has she turned up on Nellies doorstep all of a sudden and how does she seem to know the mysterious Walter.
Ginny Bell researches her books so well, interweaving some true events and people into her fictional stories.
Thank you to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the digital arc of this book, which I highly recommend!
January 20, 2023
Absolutely loved this third book in the Dove Cafe Saga. I am desperately hoping that the author is working on a forth book, as the ending didn’t seem like the end of it. It seemed too abrupt, which is a shame as it really is an excellent wartime saga.
I would definitely recommend, however you do need to read them in order.
I would definitely recommend, however you do need to read them in order.
October 20, 2022
Not as good as book 1. too many new characters introduced. list of characters list at the start of book. Everybody seemed to be arguing with each other
September 7, 2022
This is a light read, set during WW2 in Dover, an area of particular sensitivity because of the proximity to France and the Channel. Nellie Castle runs the Dover Cafe, with her huge brood of grown up children and Jasper, her friend. It is clear this is part of a series and the reader has to work a bit to establish who is whom and their relationships, as the various children are very different. There seemed really too many for the plot!
This story centres around Edie, who makes some astoundingly stupid choices in her life, but never actually takes responsibility for any. She works as a mechanic at a local garage, but her life takes a different turn when there is a fire at the garage, and the owner is injured. Enter Hester, an old 'friend' of her mother who has been bombed out and needs a home. There are plenty of clues set out and the reader soon works out what is happening, then waits for the characters to catch up.
Its an ok read, I wasn't blown away. Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story centres around Edie, who makes some astoundingly stupid choices in her life, but never actually takes responsibility for any. She works as a mechanic at a local garage, but her life takes a different turn when there is a fire at the garage, and the owner is injured. Enter Hester, an old 'friend' of her mother who has been bombed out and needs a home. There are plenty of clues set out and the reader soon works out what is happening, then waits for the characters to catch up.
Its an ok read, I wasn't blown away. Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 6, 2023
This book is the third in the series about the Dover cafe, and ideally you should read the other 2 first. That is because when you approach this book you find hat the author has provided you with a cast of (thousands) characters who will make appearances in the story.
This cast consists of:
44 characters, plus some dead, plus a parrot, and is divided up into Nellie and Donald who had 7 children plus a parrot; Jasper, Hester, The Turner's Grocery 3; The Perkins Fish 3 plus 1 dead - important person; 2 at the Bakery; 4 plus a baby at the Royal Oak; 2 plus 1 at Pearson's and then 18 others!
This cast could put you off reading, and it is true that initially I was very dubious whether or not I could keep track of them as I started reading, and it took me to over a quarter of a way through before I could decide whether to continue or to abandon. In the end I finished the book. And thruthfully, there is more than enough drama to keep the series going for a good few more books, especially as we are very early into WW2.
All the above makes this a complex book to read as a standalone, but I found my self more and more interested in the story as I read on. It is very much a story of the working people of Dover and their very difficult lives. The war complicates things of course with death and destruction, bombs falling and of course, Dover was a high priority target for the Luftwaffe due to its strategic significance. But the people of Dover do seem to have a complicated family life too. And you will find them struggling with all the same types of issues as affect families in our era. Illegitimate babies; adultery; spies and crimes and more.
It is written in a simlpe style which very much reflects the lives described and the events that surrounds them - and they are characters of high drama personality wise! So if you like a good family drama or two, then read this book. If you like your stories simple, then don't.
!
This cast consists of:
44 characters, plus some dead, plus a parrot, and is divided up into Nellie and Donald who had 7 children plus a parrot; Jasper, Hester, The Turner's Grocery 3; The Perkins Fish 3 plus 1 dead - important person; 2 at the Bakery; 4 plus a baby at the Royal Oak; 2 plus 1 at Pearson's and then 18 others!
This cast could put you off reading, and it is true that initially I was very dubious whether or not I could keep track of them as I started reading, and it took me to over a quarter of a way through before I could decide whether to continue or to abandon. In the end I finished the book. And thruthfully, there is more than enough drama to keep the series going for a good few more books, especially as we are very early into WW2.
All the above makes this a complex book to read as a standalone, but I found my self more and more interested in the story as I read on. It is very much a story of the working people of Dover and their very difficult lives. The war complicates things of course with death and destruction, bombs falling and of course, Dover was a high priority target for the Luftwaffe due to its strategic significance. But the people of Dover do seem to have a complicated family life too. And you will find them struggling with all the same types of issues as affect families in our era. Illegitimate babies; adultery; spies and crimes and more.
It is written in a simlpe style which very much reflects the lives described and the events that surrounds them - and they are characters of high drama personality wise! So if you like a good family drama or two, then read this book. If you like your stories simple, then don't.
!
May 9, 2024
Book 17: The Dover café under fire
Another 14-hour epic adventure with the Castle family who lived in Dover during WWII.
The plot and tension is constantly being upped in this third book in the series, to the point that some of it is hard to believe but the whole story is so engaging and enjoyable! You know that no matter what, things usually work out but not necessarily in the way you would expect.
I am sad that the fourth book in this series is not available to listen to with my library, hopefully that will change! I will miss hanging out with this cast of characters and their daily adventures.
Such a great series to listen to, the narration is excellent and Ginny’s story just pours out – a great read for historical fiction and family saga lovers!
8.5/10
#bookreview #thedovercafeunderfire #historicalfiction #wwii #dover #amreading #ginnybell #gillianholmes #bonnierbooks #borrowbox #sutherlandshirelibrary #familysaga #cathkidston
Another 14-hour epic adventure with the Castle family who lived in Dover during WWII.
The plot and tension is constantly being upped in this third book in the series, to the point that some of it is hard to believe but the whole story is so engaging and enjoyable! You know that no matter what, things usually work out but not necessarily in the way you would expect.
I am sad that the fourth book in this series is not available to listen to with my library, hopefully that will change! I will miss hanging out with this cast of characters and their daily adventures.
Such a great series to listen to, the narration is excellent and Ginny’s story just pours out – a great read for historical fiction and family saga lovers!
8.5/10
#bookreview #thedovercafeunderfire #historicalfiction #wwii #dover #amreading #ginnybell #gillianholmes #bonnierbooks #borrowbox #sutherlandshirelibrary #familysaga #cathkidston
August 15, 2022
I love this series, this is book three in the Dover cafe series ww2 1941.
Edie Castle working at Pearson's garage visits her dads grave on his memory he dies in 1927 and there is a Hydrangea a single stem that means sorry who could it be? every year has been never been missed.
Her mum Nellie Castle has no good words about her father, and Edie still suffers nightmares about that fatal day. Her and her mum have never seen eye to eye and Nellie is though of in the community in Dover as war and is under fire, all around them it horrendous times for everyone.
Emotional story, with lots of heart-breaking secrets that we find as we read, that is so strongly written right to the end, this is the author's best work yet so be prepared for lots of sad chapters.
Edie Castle working at Pearson's garage visits her dads grave on his memory he dies in 1927 and there is a Hydrangea a single stem that means sorry who could it be? every year has been never been missed.
Her mum Nellie Castle has no good words about her father, and Edie still suffers nightmares about that fatal day. Her and her mum have never seen eye to eye and Nellie is though of in the community in Dover as war and is under fire, all around them it horrendous times for everyone.
Emotional story, with lots of heart-breaking secrets that we find as we read, that is so strongly written right to the end, this is the author's best work yet so be prepared for lots of sad chapters.
January 13, 2026
I enjoyed this book and the attitudes of the time which occurred and effects everybody around them. It takes place in WW2 and Edith works and lives at the garage when somebody tries to set the garage on fire and kill her boss. Edith contacts his nephew and tries to find out who did this and planted evidence in an attempt to implicate him as a traitor. Edith has to go home to live with her Mother at the cafe but her Mother takes in a homeless person she knew in the past and the plot thickens and they all get dragged into the accusations.
It is a feel good book that makes you wonder where it is going next and who is responsible. It is interesting to see how the fear was created during the war. Although you can see which way the book is going, it is a good read.
..
It is a feel good book that makes you wonder where it is going next and who is responsible. It is interesting to see how the fear was created during the war. Although you can see which way the book is going, it is a good read.
..
July 1, 2025
Well done talk about moving
Oh my goodness book 3 was as good if not better than the first two I don't know how many boxes of tissues I've went through but 5 stars are no where good enough for this epic series I can't wait to see what book 4 brings but I know that I won't be disappointed if you haven't read the dover cafe series then what are you waiting for I would highly recommend them
Oh my goodness book 3 was as good if not better than the first two I don't know how many boxes of tissues I've went through but 5 stars are no where good enough for this epic series I can't wait to see what book 4 brings but I know that I won't be disappointed if you haven't read the dover cafe series then what are you waiting for I would highly recommend them
August 3, 2022
A Brilliant 3rd book of the Castle family and their cafe during ww2 the lives and loves of the castle girls and of course their mom Nellie.A woman who is loud both vocal and colourful in every way but who will help anyone in need even if she has to struggle to do it.Thank Ginny Bell for this lovely series and i will read them again as i love the castles.5*
August 27, 2022
This is the 3rd book in the series following the Castle family - this time the daughter Edie.
I adore books like this as I find them so easy to read but they still have plenty of excitement and drama! This was a very emotional story and had L kept me gripped to know what would happen next. I would definitely recommend this book
Thanks @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I adore books like this as I find them so easy to read but they still have plenty of excitement and drama! This was a very emotional story and had L kept me gripped to know what would happen next. I would definitely recommend this book
Thanks @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
September 27, 2022
This family saga,just gets better and better.Hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next book!Having spent the first thirty years of my life in Dover,it’s interesting to read about the places I know.The family and streets are really coming to life,and I hope there are lots more of this gripping saga to come.It keeps you held,from beginning to end.
December 9, 2022
When I first got this book I hadn’t realised it was the third book in the series I decided to get the other two books and read them in order. I’m so glad that I did. I loved the characters and following their lives during World War Two. Sometimes you just wanted to shake the characters. I loved the way Ginny wrote them they were very believable and I really enjoyed all the books.
August 18, 2022
I did not realise this was the third book of a series and found it confusing at times due to not knowing the back story of the characters. I would have no doubt enjoyed it more if I had read the previous two books,
May 15, 2023
WOW lots of secrets divulged
The 3rd book of the series and what a finish. I want more! I do say, though, that it would be hard to add to this saga. Read them all in order and you won’t be disappointed.
The 3rd book of the series and what a finish. I want more! I do say, though, that it would be hard to add to this saga. Read them all in order and you won’t be disappointed.
November 14, 2023
Absolutely loved this 3rd book of The Dover Cafe series, as with the other 2 it's a real page turner, I devoured it, and didn't want it to end, I hope Ginny Bell, will write a 4th Dover Cafe book, I can't wait
April 2, 2024
This is the 3rd book in the Dover Cafe series and is still based in 1941 in thriving cafe in Dover. Follow the lives of Edie and her mother and see what troubles and secrets unfold. its a good read and I would recommend it.
April 25, 2024
A lot of death and destruction.
Although I enjoyed the story there was too many desperate people with very muddled sad lives. I like a story to have depth but this one was too much, I need a cheerful story now.
Although I enjoyed the story there was too many desperate people with very muddled sad lives. I like a story to have depth but this one was too much, I need a cheerful story now.
September 19, 2022
I love this series.
November 9, 2022
Please don't leave it like that
Need more, one of my favourite war time series. Thank you Ginny Bell
Need more, one of my favourite war time series. Thank you Ginny Bell
November 30, 2022
I truly loved the three books in this series. Christine owns this book. She put me onto this series.
January 2, 2023
Very good
This has been a very good series to read as it has left me wanting find out more about the castle family and what happens next
This has been a very good series to read as it has left me wanting find out more about the castle family and what happens next
February 19, 2023
Loved this series, shame it has ended.
June 4, 2023
I love this series so much, Nellie and her children are one of my favourite families. Each book I've read has been brilliant and I really hope book4 will be out soon x
June 14, 2023
Audiobook
July 8, 2023
Absolutely love this series; I am totally invested in the Castle family and all their relationships and drama.
October 6, 2023
Excellent
November 19, 2023
Really enjoyed the whole series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews