Red Sky Over Hawaii

This book is definitely a light historical fiction. I gave it 3⭐️. I just felt like nothing really happened, which is totally fine, sometimes it’s nice to have a chill book. ⁣ I found this one to be a nice break between all the fantasy I read this month. Something I didn’t need to think about too much. ⁣ The premise of this book was new to me, I haven’t read a lot of American/Hawaiian based historical fiction. It’s 1941 and there has been an attack on Pearl Harbour. Lana arrived home just before the attack and suddenly finds herself in charge of two German girls as their parents get pulled in for questioning. Along with an old friend who is Japanese, the crew heads up in the mountains to hide from officials arresting citizens for their ethnicity. ⁣ This book touches on the terrible internment camps that were established by the American government for German, Italian and Japanese citizens during WWII. ⁣ It was a good book but probably not something I will be thinking about a month from now.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own. Book: Red Sky Over Hawaii Author: Sara Ackerman Book Series: Standalone Rating: 3.5/5 Recommended For...: Romance, WW2 Publication Date: June 9, 2020 Publisher: MIRA Pages: 400 Recommended Age: 17+ (romance, war, violence, detainment camps) Synopsis: The attack on Pearl Harbor changes everything for Lana Hitchcock. Arriving home on the Big Island too late to reconcile with her estranged father, she is left alone to untangle the clues of his legacy, which lead to a secret property tucked away in the remote rain forest of Kilauea volcano. When the government starts taking away her neighbors as suspected sympathizers, Lana shelters two young German girls, a Japanese fisherman and his son. As tensions escalate, they are forced into hiding—only to discover the hideaway house is not what they expected. When a detainment camp is established nearby, Lana struggles to keep the secrets of those in her care. Trust could have dangerous consequences. As their lives weave together, Lana begins to understand the true meaning of family and how the bonds of love carry us through the worst times. Review: I really enjoyed this one! I loved the historical look at Hawaii during WW2. The world building was great, the character development is amazing, and I enjoyed the romance as well. The book was sweet. However, I did wish there was more history in this book. The book focused a lot on the romance and while that can be ok, I wished for more in this novel. Verdict: A solid read.

*I received a copy of this via the publisher in exchange for an honest review* Lana Hitchcock's life has been turned upside down in a matter of days. First, she arrived back home too late to reconcile with her estranged father, and then an attack at Pearl Harbor leaves her stranded. Once her neighbors start being taken by the government as suspected sympathizers, Lana takes it upon herself to shelter two young German girls, a Japanese fisherman and his son. Lana discovers a secret property her father had tucked away, and the group hides away hoping for everything to blow over. They soon learn that this hideaway is more than meets the eye. When a detainment camp sets up shop right near their secret house, Lana finds it increasingly difficult to keep those in her care safe. Especially when she strikes up a flirtation with one of the soldiers. As the days go by, Lana begins to understand a new meaning to the word family, and how trust and love will get you through even the darkest of times. I love historical fiction, especially when it's inspired by true events, so I was hoping to really enjoy this. Overall, while I did like it, I felt like it was missing something. I did enjoy Ackerman's lush writing and all the imagery which really captures the wild beauty of the island. The found family aspect was lovely and heartwarming. That being said, I did find the beginning to be a little confusing with jumping between days, and I felt for the length of the book, not a lot happened. If it focused more on the actual history of Pearl Harbor and less on the romance, which didn't feel very real to me, I may have liked it a bit more. While I didn't love this, I'd still recommend if you're a fan of the genre.