I received this as an ARC through Netgalley. While this was a work of fiction, I learned so much about the women who tracked radar readings through Betty, Fluff, Daisy and Lei. No matter how much historical fiction and non-fiction I read on.WWII. I am constantly amazed to continue to learn new things. Radar Girls weaves together friendship, romance, and forgiveness

Radar Girls
Author: Sara Ackerman

In stark contrast to the lush, seaside setting of tropical Hawaii, this beautiful novel opens with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Until this moment, Daisy's life involved swimming in the Pacific and working in a stable, caring for the beloved horses that she loved to ride on the beach.
Daisy, who had dropped out of school to care for her mother, lacked confidence. She did, though, love Amelia Earhart, had strong math skills, and proudly wore practical pants instead of stylish dresses and lipstick. Her new world of protecting the wartime flyboys began when she obtained a challenging job with the Women's Air Defense Raid. She quickly learned the value of recognizing friends versus foes in both her friendships, love, and her wartime job. Believing that there was beauty in numbers, she memorized codes, learned radar, and studied plotting. Daisy purposely vowed that no boys would be lost during her watch over the Pacific Ocean.
As World War II continued, Daisy became more vulnerable and let people into what had once been her solitary life. She found that her easy interaction skills with horses helped in her communication with people as she refined her job skills and opened herself to finding love.
Although set during a time of air raids, sirens, shelters, and gas masks, Ackerman's story is beautiful and uplifting, with themes of bravery, friendship, and romance. Her writing captures the beauty of Hawaii and the courage of women and men who weren't afraid to put their own lives in jeopardy for a purpose.
Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin - Trade Publishing for the advance reader's copy of Radar Girls and the opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#RadarGirls #NetGalley

Review posted on July 27, 2021 to Net Galley, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, My Instagram at https://instagram.com/jennifer_pagejourneys,
Friends and Fiction Facebook group, Friends and Fiction Official Book Club Facebook Group, My Facebook Group Page Journeys

Hawaii and the aftermath of Pearl Harbor is the setting. So interesting. Women stepping up to help their country. The unique positions of importance they were put in. Daisy, a young woman, who worked with horses, while trying to keep the roof over her and her Mother's head. Falling in love, worrying about the men fighting in the war and trying to do their part.

Daisy Wilder lives on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu (the spelling the author uses and is correct). She lives in an oceanfront shack with her mother, who is suffering a deep, deep depression. Daisy works on a nearby ranch to support them, and she loves working with the horses. Other than the people she works with, she has no other social life.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Daisy has “borrowed” one of the ranch’s finest stallions, Moon, for a run on the beach. He is coal black with a gently fierce heart. As the Japanese planes roar overheard, headed to Pearl Harbor, Moon bolts and runs away.

Terrified for the animal, Daisy looks for him, but to no avail. She needs to get back to the shack to be with her mother. Her mother is oblivious, but Daisy is terrified. Will there be a land invasion? There have been rumors. What about Moon? What will the Japanese do to him if they find? What about her mom?

As the day progresses, Daisy’s anxieties dim, but never go away (and they will stay with her for the next four years). She tries, in vain, to find Moon. There is talk of relocating all civilians to the Mainland. She knows she has to get her mother to California to be with a relative, but Daisy plans on staying on the island.

After searching for Moon, who seems to have just disappeared, Daisy must tell the ranch’s owner what has happened. Hal Montgomery is beside himself, accusing Daisy of stealing and fires her. She is devastated.
Mr. Montgomery’s son, Walker, comes home before the bombs fall to heal from a severe concussion.. He is a navy pilot, but now it’s all hands on desk. He is stationed aboard the USS Enterprise. And we all know what happens when boy meets girl.

Wanting to do her part for the war effort, and since she is out of a job, Daisy signs up for the Women’s Air Raid Defense. The military is looking for twenty intelligent women to help provide air defense for Hawaii. Daisy passes all the tests and is made part of the team. There she finds something she has never had before, female friendship. She must learn to navigate these are much as she learns to navigate the radar system.
Throughout the entire war, Daisy never loses hope of finding Moon and is always on the lookout.

The details about those early days in radar were fascinating and author Ackerman does a wonderful job balancing too much information and teaching me something new.

Thanks to Ackerman’s vivid descriptions of the Hawaiian Islands, the ocean, the fish, the salty air, reading “Radar Girls” is like taking a beach vacation without getting sand in your underwear. It’s also a boy-meets-girl-loses-boy-gets-girl story set against the beauty of Hawaii and the fears and the uncertainties of World War II. Therefore, “Radar Girls” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

I've read quite a few WWII historical fictions but never one about the affects of WWII on Hawaii & its inhabitants. Radar Girls was a truly unique and captivating story about this time and the women who stepped up to guide & identify planes both friend and foe during WWII. The main character (Daisy) was easy to like and her tone throughout the book was refreshing. Even though it was easy to see it coming, I did enjoy the love story was thrown into this book.

My only criticisms were that there was some fluff in this story that didn't necessarily add to the overall plot plus I thought the ending was wrapped up a little too nicely for a war time story.

What an incredible story about the strength and power of the “radar girls” in Hawaii during WWII. A story that we do not hear enough about - the young women who were a part of the Women’s Air Raid Defense. Their job was to guide US pilots into blacked-out airstrips and track unidentified planes across Pacific skies, keeping Hawaii safe from attack after Pearl Harbor.

This historical fiction book follows the young women who are recruited as the Radar Girls. Ackerman does an amazing job of describing what it was like living in Honolulu after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The relationship between the women is incredible. Their friendship, strength and resilience during a time of utter fear and difficulty is astounding. There is a love story in the book, however it does not overpower the story line or the strength of the characters.

I found that the book was not only well written, but well researched. Characters were strong, well thought out and their relationships felt natural and not forced. It was amazing the way that Ackerman was able to very clearly capture the emotions of the time.

Daisy is grieving over the loss of her father and her mother. Her father died in a tragic accident and her mother has slipped into a deep depression. Daisy has had to take over earning a living and keeping them afloat. She is a horse trainer on the Hawaiian islands. When Pearl Harbor is attacked, it sends her life into a spin! Daisy is offered a wonderful opportunity to become a WARD for the army.

Daisy is a character I fell in love with. Her situation pulls at your heartstrings. She is very strong and smart. But, she has no idea she is all of those things, this is what makes her so endearing.

The setting of Hawaii and WWII make this story almost irresistible. Add in all the wonderful women and their interactions and you will not want to stop reading. The only reason I gave this 4 stars….it is just so neat and tidy. As a reader, you know how it is going to turn out.

Need a good WWII thriller with a wonderful setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

This is why I love reading historical fiction! Not only am I transported to a different place in time but I also tend to learn about an unbeknownst-to-me piece of history. I truly appreciate authors like Sara who put in the extensive research time to share these unique stories with the rest of us.

I was thoroughly fascinated by the formation of the Women's Air Raid Defense in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. I adored our main heroine, Daisy Wilder, who is recruited from a local Hawaiian ranch to work at WARD. She's spunky, hardworking and has a street sense about her that makes her invaluable to her team and the war effort.

While the focus of this story is the women and their experiences at WARD, we do get a side of love story. And I must say that it was one of the sweetest romances I've read this year.

I really enjoyed Red Sky Over Hawaii by Ackerman but Radar Girls is even better in my opinion.

Radar Girls starts on December 7, 1943 - the same day as the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the day Daisy loses her job at the ranch with the horses she loves. Daisy doesn't have much, she lives in a beachside shack in Hawaii with her mom, who has been a shell of herself since Daisy's dad died when she was a kid. When the opportunity comes to serve the military and protect her beloved Hawaii, Daisy sends her mom to stay with a relative on the mainland and jumps right in to her new job. Daisy becomes a member of WARD, the Women's Air Raid Defense, their occupation is top secret and their responsibility is to read the radar in order to assist in identifying and navigating aircrafts. Daisy was never much for school, but she takes to her new job right away. Soon, the once self-proclaimed loner, has a solid group of girlfriends as well as a pilot love interest. But a war is on, a prize horse is missing, and there are still mysteries surrounding Daisy's dad's death, so drama is bound to unfold.

While reading this book, I felt like I was in 1940's Hawaii - Ackerman's description of place is second to none, I wasn't surprised to learn she lives in Hawaii. This was a solid story with just enough mystery and drama to keep the pages turning. The romance is very sweet, but do not expect any steam from this book, it's very wholesome, which fits the story. Ackerman isn't afraid to get into the nitty gritty technicalities of WARD's responsibilities, I learned a lot about radar and military jargon while reading, it's obvious she did a lot of research. The female friendships in Radar Girls made me so happy, it's really true to the title in focusing on the girls, specifically Daisy and her three best friends, Fluff, Betty, and Lei. If you're looking for a well-research badass lady historical book with a sweet romance, Radar Girls is for you.

Books set in WWII have become a popular genre of novels in recent years. Many of them center on how people faired through the war years in England and France. Sara Ackerman's Radar Girls takes us to the island of Hawaii just after the attack on Pearl Harbor to tell a lesser-known story of the women who went to work for the military learning how to read radar to aid the pilots returning from bombing runs.

Daisy is 23 year-old woman who loves working with the horses on the estate of a local wealthy landowner. Horses are her lifeblood. She cares for her mother, who hasn't gotten over the accidental shooting death of her husband. Daisy is the sole financial and emotional support for her mother.

When the Japanese bombs devastate Pearl Harbor, everything changes on the islands. Similar to what happened in England during the war, the men went off to fight in the war, leaving the women behind to do the jobs the men previously did. In England, many women were recruited to try to break the German coded communications in Bletchley Park.

In Radar Girls, Kate is recruited with other island women to join the Women's Air Raid Defense (WARD) to learn how to read radar signals. Kate surprises herself by scoring high on the test, and she and the other women painstakingly learn all about the new technology of radar. They pinpoint planes in the air, both friendly and enemy planes, and help guide the pilots back home.

They undergo intensive training, including learning how to shoot and fight fires. They are doing top-secret work, and must hide their real job from family and friends. It is a stressful occupation, and as in England, the women are housed on the base. Daisy bunks with Betty, whose husband is a pilot, and Fluff, an innocent young woman who catches the eye of one of her superior officers.

Daisy becomes friendly with Walker, the son of the owner of the horse stables where she worked and a hero pilot. All the women have eyes for Walker, including one woman who believes herself to be his fianceé, but Walker begins to spend more and more time with Daisy.

I didn't know anything about WARD, and the women who learned a new technology to read radar. I found that part of the story most fascinating. The story is told from Daisy's perspective, so we really only see the other women from through Daisy's eyes. Hawaii has such a diverse population- Japanese, Chinese, Philippino- it was interesting to see how they were treated differently than the Japanese-Americans in California, for example.

If you read and enjoyed Kate Quinn's The Rose Code about the women in Bletchley Park, pick up Radar Girls.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Summer 2021 Historical Fiction tour.

5*

What a delightful Hawaiian plunge into the wartime lives of women recruited into the Women’s Air Raid Defense (WARD) during WWII. This uplifting historical novel opens in 1941 right as the Japanese dramatically strafe the island in a surprise attack Pearl Harbor. The men have all been called off into active military duty. For the first time, the military needs to enlist women in the war zone for positions vacated by male soldiers.

An Airforce Commander runs into Daisy, a 23-year-old horse trainer, sea diver, and school drop-put who lives in a ramshackle beachside shack with her emotionally checked out grieving mother. Daisy has had a job for the Montgomery’s, a rich elite and condescending Island family. Daisy worked in their stable in a horse trainer position priorly held by her deceased Dad. Daisy, who’s taken without permission one of the thoroughbreds on a beach joy ride just as the Japanese attack, spooking the horse into galloping away, has just been fired from her job. The Commander’s interest is peaked in Daisy’s bravado, athleticism and self-reliance. After securing Mom passage on a ship to the Mainland, Daisy shows up for duty unsure she’s even up to the task.

Daisy joins the top-secret WARD program, which trained women to guide pilots into safe landings on lights-out airstrips, as well as to track potential enemy planes in the Pacific skies. Not only does she need to prove her worth to herself, but as a group the women have to overcome sexism and skepticism as to whether they’re up to the job. From a lone and self-reliant tomboy, Daisy suddenly finds herself top in her class thanks to her math skills as well as immersed in a circle of tight friends who in addition to saving pilots get into adventures and mischief on the side.

What would the untold tale of heroines saving the day in wartime be without a dollop of heart-thudding romance. For Daisy, this presents in the form on the wealthy son of the Montgomery’s, a dashing pilot who Daisy sees way beyond her reach. Meanwhile, Daisy’s new friends embark on island treks to search for the missing Montgomery thoroughbred as well as picturesque picnics.

An amazing insight to the lives of women stepping up into men’s roles during wartime and having to overcome misogamy to win the hard-earned respect they deserve. I suggest you pair this reading with The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, that offers up a wondrous parallel story of women codebreakers in London during the same war time period.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reader’s copy.

Sara Ackerman has written another beautiful story set in Hawaii. This book is about the women who made up the WARDs, Women’s Air Raid Defense after the stack on Pearl Harbor. These brave, smart women were quickly trained to taken on these important jobs when the men went to war. The women were heroic and successful. A great story with characters you really cared about.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Daisy Wilder is recruited to join a top secret program for the U.S. Military, the Women’s Air Raid Defense, to replace male soldiers who are increasingly being sent into war zones. The WARDs are responsible for guiding pilots and tracking unidentified planes in the Pacific, and many think that women will not be capable of such an important job, but Daisy is determined to prove herself.

Though I have been reading a lot of WWII historical fiction lately, it was all European based, so this was the first book I read set in the South Pacific and related to Pearl Harbor. I loved learning about the WARDs and it was really interesting how in depth this story went into the work the women were doing, taking the time to explain how radar works and how pilots were guided in the blacked out zones. It’s rare to see this level of detail in historical fiction novels and I enjoyed it a lot. The setting of Hawaii was well depicted, and certainly a change of pace from the gloomier backdrop of other such novels I’ve read recently.

Daisy was a marvelous heroine. Having dropped out of school following her father’s death to support the family, she has been a bit of a loner, preferring the company of the horses she cares for working on a ranch. But in joining the radar girls, finds a group of close friends and their bond is wonderfully portrayed as they help each other through love, loss and the horrors of war. This book showed very well how the war changed these women’s lives completely and the sacrifices they had to make in this time. Despite the entire story being from Daisy’s perspective, each of the characters’ stories were very well developed and so realistic that they’re easy to relate to.

This isn’t a very long book, so I felt like the story spent a disproportionate amount of time focusing on romance subplot and the mystery surrounding the missing horse. I’ll admit these, along with the various other incidents were interesting, and they made the story more realistic, but I was hoping for more of the book to be centered around Daisy’s work and overall, just a little more exciting.

However, this was a quick and enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to checking out more books set in this era, particularly around Pearl Harbor and Hawaii. I would definitely recommend this book for historical fiction fans!

Radar Girls was a great WWII historical fiction novel! I loved the research the author put into this about the real women WARDS who were tasked with learning complicated radar systems after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Even though the characters and their stories were fictional Sara Ackerman was able to make them seem real. This book brought all the emotions with the true story of the attack that pushed the United States to join WWII. Daisy, Betty, Fluff and the other women were part of a secret group that were trained to keep the skies over Hawaii safe. Their male counterparts that were in the Navy, or also reading radar added to the cast of characters. I also loved the character of Daisy. She was not only smart, but brave, strong willed, a good friend, and hard working, She lost her father a number of years ago, and after Pearl Harbor her mom sails to the mainland to stay with her sister. Daisy was working at a horse ranch, but when a prize horse goes missing and she loses her job, becoming a WARD becomes her primary focus. With a love story in the background this book was everything I love about WWII historical fiction. Thank you Netgalley and MIRA books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Title: Radar Girls
Author: Sara Ackerman
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Daisy Wilder prefers the company of horses to people, bare feet and salt water to high heels and society parties. Then, in the dizzying aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Daisy enlists in a top secret program, replacing male soldiers in a war zone for the first time. Under fear of imminent invasion, the WARDs guide pilots into blacked-out airstrips and track unidentified planes across Pacific skies.

But not everyone thinks the women are up to the job, and the new recruits must rise above their differences and work side by side despite the resistance and heartache they meet along the way. With America’s future on the line, Daisy is determined to prove herself worthy. And with the man she’s falling for out on the front lines, she cannot fail. From radar towers on remote mountaintops to flooded bomb shelters, she’ll need her new team when the stakes are highest. Because the most important battles are fought—and won—together.

This was a pretty cool read! I loved the historical premise of the novel, of which I’d never heard the slightest bit about: Hawaiian women being trained to use radar in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The writing is solid, and the characters are unique and believable individuals. I truly enjoyed finding out what happened to these women against the backdrop of war, with the setting of Hawaii as a vibrant character in its own right. A perfect weekend read!

Sara Ackerman lives in Hawaii. Radar Girls is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 7/27.)

Sara Ackerman's RADAR GIRLS is an absorbing historical fiction narrative about young women on the island of Hawaii seen through the eyes and experiences of Daisy Wilder who enlists and helps to form the Women's Air Raid Defense (WARD) following the attack on Pearl Harbor (WARD). Daisy is a horse trainer who finds herself without a job after a favorite horse runs away when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. At her lowest ebb, she finds that the local military is recruiting women to staff the RADAR. Over the weeks and months, Daisy's confidence grows as she learns new skills and bonds with the other women in the group. Daisy finds romance as well, in a subplot that ties in with the overall story.

RADAR GIRLSihas a well-thought-out plot and subplots which rewards the reader with a brisk read and one that the reader won't want to put down.

This is an excellent addition to Sara Ackerman's works of historical fiction. Set in wartime Hawaii, it's a vivid, lush setting, and tells the story of the Women's Air Raid Defense and their role in history. It's a moving and thoughtful story, and the side plots add to the story well.

Sara Ackerman, Author of “Radar Girls” has written a captivating, intriguing, intense, and memorable novel. The Genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Fiction. The timeline for this story is set during the bombing of Pearl Harbor and World War Two. The story goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The story takes place on the islands of Hawaii. I love the way the author visually describes, the characters, the events, and the landscape. The author describes her colorful and dramatic characters as courageous, complicated, complex, and determined. There are some characters that are mean-spirited and evil. There are betrayals in relationships. There are tragic events that happen in the chaos of war.

This fictional story is inspired by the WARD, Women’s Air Raid Defense where many of the women are responsible for plotting and interpreting radar so that the men can actually fight. Many of these women became sisters and used their intelligence and skills in changing history.

Daisy Wilder takes care of the horses on a wealthy ranch. Daisy is almost a “horse whisperer” and has great results training and taking care of the horses. One day, Daisy takes the owner's prized horse out, and there is an attack by the Japanese. The horse runs off, and Daisy is blamed by the owner for its loss. She is fired from her job. As women and young families are encouraged to leave as the Japanese are fighting, Daisy joins the WARD, and learns about radar, and plotting courses to help so that the men can go and fight. Men and women are not treated equally. Daisy does become friends with other women, and they form a bond in protecting their country and each other. There are often blacked-out and difficult situations these women are responsible for.

I read this in one sitting, and I highly recommend this thought-provoking and memorable story to other readers.

I was really excited to read RADAR GIRLS when I saw it was one of the titles featured in the HTP summer blog tour, as I love historical fiction and had not yet read a book by Sara Ackerman. I was sucked right in as soon as I started reading, and read the first 60% in one sitting and the last 40% in another. The story flowed and was easy to read, and the characters were also easy to root for. I loved learning a little more about the Women’s Air Raid Defense, and how women were recruited for jobs in the military normally done by men when the men were all required to ship out for war.

At the same time, there was something missing for me, as the story felt very surface-level and not very deep. Granted, the historical fiction I am used to reading is more like that from Sharon Kay Penman, which is very in-depth and very long, so perhaps that is why I felt that way. I just would’ve liked to learn even more about the WARD, just a little more depth to the story. Also, there was one thing that was problematic for me, an action that Daisy and Betty took without the permission of their friend, and that really bothered me. And that whole event was kind of glossed over and wrapped up way too easily, more easily than I imagine it probably would have been at the time.

Overall, this was a relatively light, quick historical fiction read that I enjoyed. I am glad to have read my first Sara Ackerman book! Thanks so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing for having me on the tour.

Review: 3.5 stars!

**Disclosure: I received an e-ARC from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

I absolutely adore Sara Ackerman's WWII historical fiction books set in Hawaii. Her latest features Daisy, a horse-loving tomboy who lost her father at a young age and has had to deal with her mentally unstable mother. She dropped out of school early to help support her mom and has never really had a chance to shine before. After the attack on Pearl Harbor though life on the island changes and when the top secret Women's Air Raid Defense group is formed Daisy enlists. Daisy (who earned top marks) and the other women work to help guide the American pilots to blacked out air strips and guide them in the skies. This was a great story highlighting the amazing work women did during the war and the great bonds of friendship they formed, with a little romance thrown in too. Highly recommended, especially for fans of The rose code, The Paris secret or The light over London. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!