Author: Jean Fullerton
Publisher: Bookoture
Genre: Historical Fiction, Literature & Fiction, Family Saga.
Year of Release: 2026
Release Date: 29 /05/26
Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Reviewers note: Book #3 in a series can be read as a stand-alone, but some events and characters are mentioned and feature in previous novels.
Synopsis
East London, 1943: As air raid sirens wail, can the East End Girls join forces to protect their city and the people they love?
Nell Reilly’s blonde curls and piercing blue eyes might look angelic, but she is ready to fight with everything she has for a better future. Brought up in London’s tough East End, she is fiercely determined to keep the promise she made to her little sister Jo to build a new life for them one day. Until a chance meeting changes everything…
Absorbed in her work with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, the last thing Nell is looking for is love, but tall, broad-shouldered Tom Hunter stops her in her tracks. Tom is her wayward brother Frank’s new right-hand man in his black-market operations, and Nell knows from bitter experience the risks of falling for a man like that. But when she witnesses his unexpected kindness and sees how he cares for Jo, she realises that Tom has made an impression she can’t forget, no matter how hard she tries…
But Tom has a secret, one he’s finding harder and harder to keep. And when Nell finally discovers that he is undercover police officer, she also learns something that makes her heart stop: his cover is blown and he’s in terrible danger.
As London prepares for another night of air raids, Nell races through the blackout to find Tom and warn him.
Can she reach him in time to save his life? And as bombs crash down over the East End, will their love survive to fight another day?
Review
Aircraft woman Nell Reilly’s blonde curls and piercing blue eyes might give the impression that she is soft and sheltered, but beneath the surface is a young woman fighting for a better future for both herself and her younger sister, Jo. Raised in London’s East End, Nell is fiercely determined to keep the promise she made to Jo while continuing her efforts with 906 Balloon Command. But a chance meeting is about to change everything…
Absorbed in her work with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, the last thing Nell expects to find amongst the rubble of wartime London is love. Yet tall, broad-shouldered Tom Hunter stops her in her tracks and quickly becomes impossible to ignore. If only Tom was not the new right-hand man to Nell’s delinquent brother Frank and his black-market dealings. Nell’s past experiences have left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she knows all too well the risks that come with trusting a man tied to that world. But the more she witnesses Tom’s kindness and the way he cares for Jo, the more she realises he has made a lasting impression she cannot forget, no matter how hard she tries.
Tom Hunter arrives in London’s East End carrying far more than the ability to fence black-market goods. He is hiding a dangerous secret, one that becomes harder and harder to keep. When Nell discovers Tom is actually an undercover police officer, she also learns his cover has been blown and his life is now in grave danger. Can the 906 Balloon Command help keep Tom safe and protect the East End from the Luftwaffe, or will the war claim yet another victim?
I have been following The East End Girls series since the very beginning and have quickly become a huge fan of author Jean Fullerton’s storytelling. So, when I discovered Nell Reilly would take centre stage in the third instalment, I could not wait to return to wartime London once more.
But it was this storyline that truly hooked me and had me flying through the pages: a determined young woman serving with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force unexpectedly falling for the very man connected to her brother’s dangerous black-market dealings. Add in wartime secrets, undercover police operations, air raids, and the constant threat of heartbreak, and I simply could not put this book down.
For readers who love emotional wartime fiction filled with courage, romance, found family, and high stakes, A Wartime Promise is a series instalment that absolutely deserves a place on your bookshelf.
Although A Wartime Promise has become my favourite instalment in The East End Girls series so far, what I appreciated most was the opportunity to continue spending time alongside the women of the 906 Balloon Command. There is such a strong sense of familiarity and comfort in returning to these characters and their world.
At times, a few details and themes felt slightly familiar to moments explored in previous books, but this never distracted from my enjoyment of the story. Nell and Tom were wonderfully engaging characters, and their storyline brought a fresh emotional depth to the series that kept me eagerly turning the pages.
Author Jean Fullerton has gifted readers with characters they cannot help but form strong emotional connections with, and Nell Reilly has easily become my favourite heroine of the series so far. She is a strong and independent young woman with a clear sense of right and wrong. Despite the pressure and judgement, she faces from her family to involve herself in their black-market dealings, Nell refuses to take the easy path.
In the opening chapters of A Wartime Promise, and even in previous instalments including The East End Girls and Winter Wishes for the East End Girls, Nell occasionally comes across as quiet and somewhat guarded, making it difficult to fully understand her motivations and past experiences. However, this novel does a brilliant job of allowing Nell to finally step out of the shadows. Her personality, fears, hopes, and motivations become far clearer throughout the narrative, and I found myself deeply invested in both her future and Jo’s.
What drew me most towards Nell as a character was her family background and her determination to build a better life despite the circumstances surrounding her. She wants to do what is right for both her country and herself, yet the author avoids portraying her as unrealistically perfect. Nell feels genuine, resilient, and incredibly easy to root for.
A Wartime Promise was a very fast and engaging read for this reviewer. I devoured this story in only a matter of days, something that strongly contributed to my five-star rating. The pacing kept me invested from beginning to end, balancing moments of romance, suspense, family drama, and wartime danger exceptionally well.
Readers searching for an emotional yet easy-to-read historical fiction series — particularly those set in wartime England — will find themselves quickly swept up in the lives of the East End Girls. It is also a fantastic choice for readers currently experiencing a reading slump.
If I had to describe A Wartime Promise in only a few words, I would say it is a story about finding love and hope amongst the rubble of war, while celebrating the importance of female friendship, resilience, and the strength of family bonds during unimaginable times.
Subplots and tropes included in A wartime promise:
- Black market
- Crime
- Family expectations
- Female friendship
- Found family
- Lies
- Police involvement
- Potential love interest
- Secrets
- Self-discovery
- Sisters
- The big reveal
- The East End
- Underworld crime
- Wartime
A Wartime Promise left this reader wanting nothing more than to continue with both this instalment and the wider series. The closing chapters brought a genuine smile to my face, and the moment I finished the final page I immediately found myself searching for news of a fourth book.
Readers who enjoy the works of Kate Thompson and Natalie Meg Evans should absolutely consider adding Jean Fullerton and The East End Girls series to their bookshelves.
I would recommend this book to a mature audience who enjoy historical fiction set during World War II. With its combination of wartime danger, romance, emotional family dynamics, female friendship, and resilient characters, A Wartime Promise was a heartfelt and memorable addition to The East End Girls series. Readers who appreciate stories centred around strong women, community spirit, and finding hope during difficult times are sure to enjoy this instalment.
With continued thanks to author Jean Fullerton, Bookouture, and NetGalley for sending a copy of this eBook to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.