Thank you to Netgalley and Shari J. Ryan for this ARC.

4.5⭐️

What a heartbreakingly beautiful story. This book kept me on tether hooks from start to finish. I got serious goose bumps during parts of this book and I also wanted to sob my heart out in other part. A truly wonderful book.

This sounded like such a good story. Unfortunately, it failed to resonate with me. The characters didn’t grab my attention (her father’s controlling attitude was annoying) and I could put the book down with no eagerness to get back to it.

When I requested this book I thought it was a new book, but once I started reading it, I realized it is the same book I read last year and LOVED so I am copying that review here for you. The second read was just as good for me only, I didn't have a slow period at the beginning.

This one started out just a tad slow for me, but then I turned the page and I was hooked. I believe the turning point was Pearl Harbor. The story of the bombings was told in graphic detail so much so that you could imagine you were there. You felt the worry the residents were experiencing, the fear and the terror. Then I was snapped up by a story about coming home and what that meant.

You will navigate from the events of WWII to a modern-day timeline where you again experience the anguish of a different sort.

Ms. Ryan has told a wonderful story from a little different perspective than most WWII historical fiction novels.

Shari Ryan transported me back to the 1940s in her recent historical fiction novel, “The Lieutenant’s Girl.” Elizabeth Salzberg is a Jewish nursing student who has an overwhelming urge to prove her strength at a time in history when equality was more important than ever. Overprotected, being the only daughter of the naval commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Oahu, Hawaii, Elizabeth is out to prove that she’s just as good as her brothers and can follow her dreams of joining the Army Nurse Corps. Her father, a widow, wants to control every aspect of her life and Elizabeth pushes the line every chance she gets. Nothing tests the boundaries more than a new pilot on the base, a Hollywood actor, who catches Elizabeth’s attention. When Pearl Harbour is bombed on December 7, 1941, keeping her forbidden romance a secret is the least of her worries.

Ryan is an auto-read author for me. She writes like I love to read and always engages me in a moment in time where I can learn from her meticulous research. In choosing the perspective for this historical novel, Ryan chose the first-person point of view. I love this perspective for historical fiction novels as it allows me to place myself inside the character as I read. I agree with Ryan – it is more authentic. In addition to the POV, the language used allowed me to slip back to the 1940s. The “doll face” and “kitchenette set” are reflective speech of this period. The romance, the emotion that goes with it, and the way the sweethearts communicated with each other is also representative of the times. It was an eye-opener for me to see how far society has come in the past 80 years.

This 5-star book is a must-read for historical fiction lovers! Place yourself in the 1940s and see how you’d live through the experience.

I was gifted this copy by Shari J. Ryan, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Pearl Harbor meets The Notebook.

Those are vibes I got reading this book by Shari J Ryan. This is the story of Elizabeth Salzberg, a young Jewish girl living in Hawaii at the time of the Pearl Harbor attacks. Her dad is a lieutenant on base and very protective of his family since losing his wife. Elizabeth, wanting to make a difference, is studying to be a nurse when Pearl Harbor is attacked. She enlists shortly afterwards and is shipped overseas where her courage is tested as she witnesses horror after horror.

As a huge fan of Shari Ryan, I was surprised to find I didn’t LOVE this book. I didn’t hate it or even dislike it but I didn’t LOVE it like I’ve loved her other books.

Here’s what I really enjoyed:
• The character growth of all the characters in this story. They all were affected by the war and what they’d witnessed and were forever changed by it.
• The writing was real. Real emotions. Real scenic descriptions. Real noises. I heard and felt it all.
• We got a complete story. Beginning to end. Watching Elizabeth grow in this story reminded me very much of watching Rilla grown in LM Montgomery’s Rilla of Ingleside.

Here’s what I didn’t enjoy:
• The dual timelines. Most of the time, I enjoy it but in this story, I found it distracting. It really was a little too much like The Notebook and honestly, while I never read the book, I’m in the minority that hated that movie. (I also hated the movie Pearl Harbor.) For some reason, I had a hard time keeping the family members all straight so it really didn’t add anything to the story to have Elizabeth’s current story being told while her past was unfolding.
• The pacing of the book. It felt unsteady to me. At times, it lagged and then it was fast forward and then we were in the present for a short time and then in the past where it would lag and then fast forward. I could just be a “me” issue but it made it difficult to read.

Overall, this was a nice book and a good story. I wish a few things had been different and it didn’t seem to fit in with the storytelling I’d grown accustomed to by Ms. Ryan but it was enjoyable.

THE LIEUTENANT’S GIRL by SHARI J RYAN is a gripping WW11 novel which follows army nurse Elizabeth Salzberg’s journey through the war, from her experiences treating the injured and dying men after the attack at Pearl Harbour in December 1941, to her deployment to Britain and the continent. She is a woman of great inner strength, purpose and commitment who unselfishly sets aside her own desires in order to make the world a better place, following in her mother’s footsteps. She says, “Whatever the case I need to make a difference somehow - some way, and that is what I’m going to do.”
The book starts with the elderly and confused Elizabeth telling her granddaughter’s husband the story of her life. We see how she grows up on an army base,with the strict base commander for a father, her twin brothers, and her best friend Audrey. We also see how she longs to see the world and often bucks authority, which is especially the case when she slips out to meet the love of her life, ex Hollywood filmstar, Lieutenant Everett Anderson. When she joins the Army Nurse Corps and he is sent overseas as a pilot, we wonder if there could possibly be a chance for them after the war…..
The Lieutenant’s Girl is a beautifully told and heart wrenching love story, told against the backdrop of the horrors of war.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Shari J Ryan has become one of my favorite historical fiction writers and this is one of the her yet best books!

The Lieutenant's Girl focuses on an American Jewish woman named Elizabeth Salzburg who is training to be a nurse, living in Hawaii. She meets Everett who is a Hollywood superstar and who has recently joined the army. While their relationship slowly develops, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changes everything. Elizabeth, feeling like a duty to serve her country enlists the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and moves to Europe, despite her Jewish background. Then Everett who is fighting in Europe goes missing and Elizabeth would do anything to find her true love.

All the World War II books I have read are based in Europe. Though towards the middle, the story then takes us to war zone Europe, it was kind of interesting to read about what really happened in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked in 1941. The author must have done loads of research and work to make the story as realistic as possible and considering that the author herself has a Jewish background, I would praise her for writing a story as realistic as possible. The story shifts back and forth between past and present, the present set in 2018 when Elizabeth was interviewed by her grandson in law. Overall, it was heartbreaking and emotional to read, though in the end, it was a happily ever after.

If you are looking for a romance set in WW II and a page turning historical fiction, then this book is one for you--worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Pearl Harbor 1941: Lizzie is finishing her nursing classes while balancing household duties after the death of her mother five years ago. While she tries to find her independence, she is up against her greatest challenge (at that time) of her commanding officer father who has eyes all over the naval base. When gossip in the grocery store mentions the presence of a good looking Hollywood star Everett Anderson being spotted, she faints. (Now, part of that was also the stomach bug that she was dealing with at work and for a nurse, she doesn’t do vomit!) Her friend, Audrey, tries to help her, but she also looks up to find the subject of the gossip lending a hand. This begins their discreet journey to live in spite of her father’s objections.

A few months after their meeting and on a morning where Everett takes her on a romantic sunrise breakfast picnic, they hear sounds that sent chills down their spines. The sound of planes with the markings of Japan. They quickly pack up and rush to the harbor to help, avoiding bombs along the way. After the traumatizing experience, Lizzie sees an ad for joining the Army Nursing Corps and feels it call to her. Audrey is worried for her because not only would she potentially be in the midst of the war, but Lizzie is also Jewish and Audrey fears it will land her on the wrong side if she is sent to Europe.

What follows is Lizzie’s journey to find her independence while helping save the lives of the wounded. Through her Army Nursing Corps training to Scotland, England, France, and Belgium, she learns her true strength while worrying where he love is as he flies into turbulent war zones. An amazing story of love and growth in a time of great conflict. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another great read by this author. I was gripped right from the first oage and I read it in one sitting, I don't think I eben took a breath until it was finished. I loved it.

I enjoyed the book. Some scenes were a bit corny then there were other scenes that made you cry your eyes out. It was a touching story and I'd recommend it to someone just starting to dip their toe into the historical fiction genre. Has just enough darkness for those who aren't accustomed to darker historical fiction novels.

“The Lieutenant’s Daughter” is a historical fiction WWII book by Shari Ryan. This is a dual-timeline book and, as is typical for me, I preferred the earlier story than the later one. War nursing is something I’m learning more about thanks to books such as this one. I did like the description of Hawaii before, during, and after the attacks Pearl Harbor - I’ve seen footage, but reading it added to what I’d already seen (if that makes any sense). I do wish that some of the secondary characters had had a bit more page time, especially toward the ending, but this was, overall, an enjoyable read.

Just loved this story so much. Elizabeth story had me in tears more than once! I became addicted to this unputdownable and devastatingly romantic tear-jerker about the heartbreaking reality of war and the power of love to overcome all. This was such an amazing book!… Had me in its claws from the very beginning… My heart and head went through so many emotions here. Recommend this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️