I greatly enjoy reading historical fiction books centered around World War 2. Pearl Harbor was a new topic for me, so this was a real treat!

I love historical fiction based around Ww2. I've never read one based around the Pearl harbour situation. It was really interesting to read just how much woman stepped up! San Francisco needed people. They needed woman. And those brave ladies worked so hard. I'm always in awe every time I read of the war efforts. What people did from the brave soldiers, to the woman at home. Or the families who were just living their lives, in their communities trying to keep sane or safe or both.
This story was a great read. I liked how it was written and the different genre tropes were just enough that it managed to sprinkle light and shade and romance perfectly.

December 1941: Faye Baxter lives in Evanston, Chicago with her parents and she’s engaged to her high school sweetheart Steve Connor when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbour and he enlists. Faye and her friend Midge follow their beaus to San Francisco, California, and all the troops leaving America after basic training embark from the Bay Area and just before Steve ships out they get married.

Faye's employed as an executive secretary for Gregor Corporation Engineering Plant and Midge a shipyard welder and she loves it and they stay with her aunt. Faye moves into an apartment at Fella Place with two girls from work, a married Faye makes it clear she’s taken and how can she refuse to dance with a soldier or sailor who’s about to be fight in a war and she’s sure Steve would understand.

Faye is recruited to serve as a courier for a government intelligence agency by her boss Mr. Dalton, using his car she drops off papers and at times she feels likes she’s being followed. Faye checks supply and delivery paperwork at work and she notices some discrepancies in the invoices, she has to trust the little voice in her head that’s telling her that something isn’t right, and Faye has no idea what she’s going to uncover and it will put her and a friend in danger.

I received a copy of Unexpected Detour by Lynn Marie Jackson from NetGalley and Acorn Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The author creates a historical fiction story based on real events and describes what it was like to live in America during the Second World War and I found it really interesting.

The population of San Francisco increased by over ninety five thousand, mainly women who wanted to help the war effort, they filled the gaps in the job market left vacant by men and also helped build things that were needed to win the war, like ships and jeeps, boots and uniforms.

Faye had a map of the world, she kept track of where the fighting was, she spent many sleepless nights worrying about her husband and dreaded getting a telegram and the reader really gets an inside look what it was like for mothers, wives and girlfriends of men serving overseas and how they helped each other to keep going and during the good and hard times.

Five stars from me, an inspirational and moving narrative about women and how their roles changed during and after the Second World War and I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lynn Marie Jackson, and the publisher for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

3.5 stars

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I thought it was interesting and it kept me engaged. Faye was such a strong and smart FMC. I adored the female friendships represented. There were a few things that felt repetitive and unrealistic dialogue. But they didn’t take me out of the story.

This was a great novel about Pearl Harbor and enjoyed the overall concept going through this. It had that historical element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this plot. I enjoyed the way Lynn Marie Jackson wrote this and was glad I got to read this. It felt like it belonged in this world and was glad I got to go on this journey with the characters.