The beautiful cover art grabbed me, as did the historical setting of World War 2 Hawaii. Some lovely description of the places and culture of the Hawaiian islands transported me to a place I very much enjoy visiting in real life, and who's history has always been of interest, especially after visiting the Pearl Harbour memorial. This book used the events of 7 December 1941 as a launch point for Lana's story, and kept the attack as a minor character, rather than the key focus. The impact of the bombings were felt by the characters in other ways, such as Coco and Marie's parents and their saga, and with the characters of Mochi and Benji, who were my favourites. I liked the family that Lana created for herself, and how they helped her find some direction after her own trials and tribulations. I enjoyed their time together, and I became emotional towards the end! I liked Mochi's wisdom, and how Lana was open to the mysteries of nature, and how she was willing to embrace the magic around her. Of course, the romance with Grant was not unexpected, but was quite realistic. I found this book to be a slow burn, with some lovely elements present. Sailor and the geese were delightful too! This was a story in which kindness and compassion was at the forefront, which I fully appreciate.

This is the first book I have read that is connected to the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. I was completely engrossed in this story as it revolves around a woman named Lana Hitchcock. The story develops as Lana is rushing to see her father on the Big Island when he phones and tells her that he is ill. However, she arrived too late and he died after slipping into a coma.

However, her father was someone that made a big impression on the Big Island, and so Lana remains in order to learn more about him. Instead she discovers a secret property in the rain forest of the Kilauea volcano. To her shock, the government had been taking people away that were said to be sympathizers when it came to the war. So, Lana steps in and makes a huge move. She takes in two young German girls whose parents had been detained, a Japanese fisherman named Mochi and his son Benji.

This is no easy task for Lana. In fact, she must lie to protect everyone, keeping their secrets as best she can. There is one other person that Lana becomes involved with at this time and his name is Major Grant Bailey. Lana begins juggling matters when it comes to growing feelings for Grant all while she is trying to keep everyone safe.

What a touching story! The theme of family surfaces over and over again - whether it is due to Lana's previously fractured relationship with her father, the girls she is caring for and how much they miss their parents, and even when it comes to how her relationship with Grant grows.

Although the backdrop of this story involves the attack on Pearl Harbor, it is the characters that are the main focus. We learn much about who Lana is. We also learn a bit about how war separated families and the lasting impact that resulted. We also learned about trust and how not knowing what side to be on during the war affected relationships. This bittersweet story brought on a barrage of emotions, and was pleased to be led to a satisfying conclusion.

Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The concept is good but the execution is quite poor. In other words a very boring read.

Having visited Volcano not that long ago, I could trace Lana's journey and envision the scenery. I liked the historical fiction and the insights into Japanese and German people interned in Hawaii. I enjoyed all the female characters. As usual, I find, in a romance novel, the male love interest is too good to be believed--and speaking of not believing, all this "just have faith" stuff left me cold. But I might read another title by this author, just for her deep connection to the islands.

Really enjoyed. Very quick read. Engaging from start to finish. Makes me want to go back to Hawaii!

I was a little disappointed. A pleasant enough read, but in my personal opinion, I was hoping for more of the historical element. It was a lot of dialogue between the characters, especially the children, without really getting much development and setting building. All in all, I should have read the summary more throughly. It was a romance, and that was the main focus, as opposed to the rich culture and history surrounding this moment and this area. I also felt a lot of the side characters and back story were rushed and ended up to be more distracting than enriching.