The Girls of Pearl Harbor was my first book by Soraya M Lane, but I am certain it will not be my last. I have read numerous books set during the Second World War but this was the first focused on Pearl Harbor and its aftermath. Sisters April and Grace, together with their best friend Poppy are working as nurses at Pearl Harbor, where the meet Eve, a fellow nurse stationed on one of the ships. In the early part of the book, they often discuss what will happen if America enters the war, but it seems like an unlikely prospect, and instead they are enjoying their freedom on Hawaii, dressing up for dances , and going for horse rides on the beach. One fateful day everything changes , the Japanese attack with devastating consequences and our brave crew of nurses must deal with horrific injuries and losses. Soon they find themselves working almost on the front lines, and challenged in ways they never expected. 
While I am not a romance fan, this historical romance was surprisingly enjoyable, largely due to the skill shown by the author in crafting her characters. They are interesting and believable and I enjoyed seeing them grow over the course of the book to become stronger and more independent women, while maintaining the relationships that bind them together.  The author also does not shy away from describing the brutality of war, from gory injuries and amputations to shocking deaths.  
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is a story of four nurses who faced the attack on Pearl Harbor and their deployment to Northern Africa afterwards  These women faced horrific situations, taking care of the wounded, and yet having the courage and bravery to endure.  It was definitely an emotional read.  This is the first book I have read by Ms. Lane, but look forward to reading others.  My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a well written book that holds your attention. It has action, adventure and romance and will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. Thank you Amazon Publishing UK via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have mixed feelings on this book. On the one hand I liked reading about four girl friends who became nurses during WWII and the attack on Pearl Harbor. On the other hand I didn't really like the romance aspect, but at the same time it wasn't to overdone. It was an entertaining light read. 

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Naturally enough, when a book is about Pearl Harbor and the events surrounding the attacks there, it is confronting. 

The author did a great job of describing how life was for the people stationed there, before the attacks, and I felt like I was right there in the 40's, with Poppy, April, Grace and Eva, who were enjoying their time in Hawaii as young, single women. I enjoyed the scenes that the author set, and part of me wanted to go back and live in that time period myself, when people got dressed up to go to dances and things were a little more innocent. However, there were some aspects of that time that I am glad we have left far behind us as well. Women didn't have much of a say nor did they have as many options as the young women of today, and I am glad about that. Good manners could make a comeback though, any time they like!

Then, of course, came the attacks and the horror of that day was described very well, as were the aftereffects which were horrifying also. Grace was a bit squeamish about blood so that was interesting, considering she was a nurse! I think nursing was a slightly different kind of profession back in those days, although I had a friend who fainted the first time she saw an operation being done, so girls not being entirely suited to their profession isn't an entirely new thing. 

This book was an excellent snapshot in time in so many ways.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

I had read a previous work of Soraya Lane before, and thought it was a good read without being too light and fluffy. The Girls of Pearl Harbor also falls into this category. It's a well thought out, interesting read about nurses during World War II. Not only does it cover areas of death and sadness, it also covers what it means to literally pull oneself up by one's own boot straps and grow and learn. 

I had a general idea of what army nurses went through during war thanks to shows like M*A*S*H and China Beach, but this book, I felt, had a deeper understanding than the latter with all the joy and humor of the former. You had a strong willed, intelligent woman, a girl coming into her own and growing up, and the woman who needed to escape, all forming a strong, family like bond like the military can give. The best part, though, is that it wasn't too twee or cute. Yes, there are relationships and marriages, but it's dealt with in a mature, not cutesy, manner.

Very good story about young nurses planning to have fun with handsome soldiers at Pearl Harbor. All that changes December 7th, with the bombing.  Being trained as a nurse has not prepared them for the heartbreak and horror they will experience.  It is a very well written historical fiction novel.  the writing is vivid and powerful, giving the reader a vast array of emotions. It is the first book I have read by this author but certainly not the last.

My review is mixed on this one. I believe this is simply a matter of reader-novel mismatch occurring at the wrong time. When I requested The Girls of Pearl Harbor from Net Galley, I had two goals in mind: to learn the details of the events at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and to get more insight into the working lives of brave nurses during World War II. I really wasn’t satisfied on either count.

This novel is primarily a romance novel with World War II as the backdrop. There were several things I did like about the book. First of all, if you are looking for a light romance with some suspenseful nonromantic scenes, this book is for you. As a romance, it is fine, though a bit predictable. The three women protagonists are likeable and easy to root for. With the backdrop of the war, there are several well done intense scenes involving the women out in the field, which were the best parts of the book for me. I also really liked the scenes of the nurses tending to emergencies in the hospital. The fact that part of the book was set in North Africa was another plus—I had not read much about that arena of the war. 

On the other hand, the facts of the attack on Pearl Harbor was given very little airtime in this book. This disappointed me as I was eager to read about this milestone event in American history. I wanted more detail about what went on in North Africa as well, but again, the focus is on the lives of the three protagonists. And this may sound picky, but there is way too much handholding and too many tears in this story for me. I did however enjoy seeing the women get through some difficult times and grow in character. And I never felt the urge to give up on the book. It was good entertainment.

I just want to add if one is interested in the struggles of a dedicated nurse and a young doctor learning on the job during wartime, I highly recommend The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason, set in Carpathian Mountains during World War I. For a wartime romance with more depth, I suggest Last Christmas in Paris, a wonderfully heartfelt epistolary (written in letters) novel by Helen Gaynor and Heather Webb. 

So a mixed bag for me. I recommend this novel to those looking for a lighter historical fiction romance tale with a wartime backdrop. Most readers have given this book 5 stars, so there is clearly a great audience for this one. I will say that despite my so-so rating, I am open to reading more from Ms. Lane. I will just make sure I am in the mood for something lighter. 

I wish to thank Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing/Amazon Publishing UK, and Ms. Soraya Lane for an ARC of this novel. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

The Girls of Pearl Harbor alternates perspectives between four friends who are stationed as Nurses in Hawaii on the Day of Infamy. It can be classified as chick-lit and is a piece of historical fiction that will appeal to women. The story begins so care-free as all the young service men and women stationed in Hawaii mingle and enjoy the paradise around them. It quickly turns to embody all the terror and frantic moments that occurred on December 7th, 1941 as the island suddenly came under attack. This was such a pivotal moment in American History and I felt emotional reading it. One thing I was puzzled by was why the nurses were so focused on Tetanus shots rather than tourniquets. This baffled me as I assumed the men would have received those vaccines prior to going into service and emergency medicine would call for stopping the bleeding, not administering shots. Anyway, if you enjoyed the movie, Pearl Harbor, and want a new twist on it in book form then it’s worth picking up!

Such a great story of friends/nurses at Pearl Harbor and WWII. The great writing made me feel the tragedy of Pearl Harbor and the battlefields of WWII in a personal way.  Such horrendous loss and suffering.  3 friends, 1 not even sure that they wanted to be a nurse, stationed in beautiful Hawaii, enjoying "the life" until that fateful day. We continue to follow them through the war and more loss, more tragedy along with professional growth and maturing.  They find love and learn to pick up the pieces.  Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Sisters Grace and April team up with friends Poppy and Eva in Hawaii after being stationed at Pearl Harbor. They luxuriate in the paradise spending their days by the water and their nights dancing with handsome soldiers, convinced war is far removed from their current situation. Until the infamous attack of December 7th, 1941.

I was surprised by how little the story covered the events of Pearl Harbor. There was little build up to really get a sense of the characters before the attack to feel invested, and the recounting of the event from the perspective of these nurses felt generic and uninspired. It seemed the answers to all medical intervention was morphine and tetanus shot or amputation of a limb. The time period language and views seemed stereotypical.

After the attack, the girls are transferred to North Africa. At this point I felt the story finally unravel and the characters seemed to become more well rounded. 

The ending was wrapped up a little too pretty for my tastes. It just wasn't for me.

Even though this particular story wasn't my cup of tea, it was an interesting romance in the backdrop of WW2

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Grace, Eva, Poppy, and Alice are nurses recently stationed at Pearl Harbor. They thought it would be a great time and felt lucky they were there. Then the shooting began and their lives changed forever. They were thrust into the war and the only choice was to survive.

I have read many WWII stories and am very interested in this time in history. When I started reading the book it reminded me of the movie, Pearl Harbor, and I was a little disappointed because I had heard this story before. As I kept reading the nurse’s stories continue to the aftermath of the war. They are sent overseas while still dealing with the horror and immense loss of Pearl Harbor. I loved reading about the female view of WWII from the battlefield. I also loved reading about the characters as they grew both personally and in their jobs. I was fascinated by the book and highly recommend it.

This heartbreaking tale tells the story of 4 nurses. This book has educated me a lot on the events of pearl harbour. 
I highly recommend this for all fans of historical fiction

Thank Net Gallery to read this book of the nurses who fought this war among all the other women and men and suffered their personal losses these three friends did. So many different stories but here we have nurses,and war and hospitals anywhere there was someonehurt. Great history to this well researched book I so much enjoyed reading and did some crying! You need to read this book!🙈

If i could give more than 5 stars, i would.  Absolutely enjoyed this book and couldn't turn the pages quick enough.  Loved the characters and the bond that was formed between the girls.  There were parts that i found myself reaching for a tissue.  So happy how things turned out at the end.  I am not going to write what the story is about, as i prefer one to read the book for themselves, but i do highly recommend.  I shall be looking out for more books by this author.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy.  This is my honest review, freely given.

This well-researched (Soraya Lane writes that she was inspired by real-life experiences.) historical romance opens with the horrific bombing of Pearl Harbour in 1941. Through flashbacks we gradually discover the back stories of the four main characters: sisters Grace and April, their childhood friend, Poppy and new companion, Eva. All four nurses are enjoying the idyllic setting of Hawaii when they experience first-hand the brutal bombing of 1941 which brings America into the Second World War - with traumatic consequences for each of the girls.

Each chapter switches between the four girls and is told from their individual  perspective. Through this is revealed their distinct personalities, and motivations for signing up. 

Much of the story focuses on the trio’s subsequent posting to Africa and details their wartime nursing experiences, dealing with heartache, bereavement, shattered relationships and their attempts to heal and find new meaning and love in peacetime. I would recommend this book as a holiday or ‘light’ read. It is enjoyable, interesting (from a historical perspective) and undemanding. Thank you for the ARC.

The Girls of Pearl Harbour by Soraya M Lane is a beautifully written story about four nurses facing the bombing of Pearl harbour. Sisters Grace and April and their best friend Poppy and new friend Eva. 
When they first arrive at Pearl Harbour, they think that they are all on a long holiday and that America will not go to war and they will be just fixing cuts and bruises. They spend their downtime on the beach and chatting up the GI’s. But they couldn’t be more wrong when Sunday came and Grace April and Poppy walking in the sunshine hears a rumble. Suddenly they realise the planes flying towards them are not American but Japanese. The planes are so close they can see the evil smiles of the pilots when the planes are flying by. They realise they are at war.  They lose a lot of people that day, even people close to them and they realise that their lives are going to be different from now on.
This is the first book from the author that I have read, and it won’t be my last. This is a moving story of four nurses in WW2 at Pearl harbour and then moving to Africa. The story showed not only what the nurses had to go through but also the atrocities that the soldiers had to go through in the war and who died and who lived. It was quite heart breaking. This had a great story line and very likeable characters. I loved it. I will definitely be looking out for more books from this author.

The Girls of Pearl Harbor follows sisters Grace and April and their friends as they work as nurses during WWII. I wanted to read this book, as I am always interested in reading about women's experiences during the war. Unfortunately I found this book mostly disappointing. The writing was a bit too twee for my tastes, the constant mentions of, "oh, nothing bad will ever happen in Hawaii in 1941!" at the beginning of the book were so obvious and heavy handed, and a character mentioned that she felt "like a hot mess" at one point, which was really strange. I don't think women would have referred to themselves in those terms in 1941. The ending wrapped things up way too nicely and happily, which felt unrealistic, given the fact that the book was set during a war. However, it was a mostly entertaining read, and would be good for those interested in nursing and romance.

This was a very enjoyable read. I found it fascinating and informative. We see the story of 4 WW2 nurses and their journey. It is a little disjointed at times but it was very good. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

The Girls of Pearl Harbor
By Soraya M. Lane
I enjoyed this book but felt the ending was a little rushed. I enjoy reading historical fiction because although I know the story is not real, I imagine it was perhaps close to someone’s life. Reading about someone’s life and how they react to situations is always interesting too. I prefer Christian books in general because I appreciate and learn from the character's choices. Although this is not in the Christian fiction genre it was clean enough for me. 
I enjoyed being a fly on the wall as the story of Grace, April and Poppy joined the US Army Nurse Corps and experienced WWII. The characters were spunky and developed well throughout the book. From fun to grief and finally to the future this story developed and allowed the reader to experience the emotions of what war looked like beginning to end. 
I was provided with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. For more book reviews visit my blog: https://simplyannehere.wordpress.com