Too much romance and not enough history. Nothing about it seemed properly evocative of time and place. The rescue at the end, in particular, was laughably inauthentic.. Disappointing.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy to review.

This was a wonderful book! And I say that as someone who typically doesn’t choose WWII era books as my go-to for historical fiction. Lottie was a wonderful character, the story and the setting were realistic and well written. Definitely worth a read if you’re a historical fiction fan!

Princess goes to war
On the night of Lottie's wedding to Eugene she leaves him a letter and leaves to join the Waves. It isn't easy for a rich pampered girl but she makes it through basic training. She has no idea how hard it will get. She is stationed in San Diego for training under a tough leader Named Woodward. After training she is stationed in Hawaii only to find out her superior officer is none other than Woodward.

After some harrowing days she finally earns respect as the only female airplane mechanic. She also learns war is for real. Her enemy in San Diego, Maggie becomes her best friend in Hawaii. She finds out Woodward's first name is Luke and fights an attraction to him.

It isn't until Woodward ships overseas to join the fight that she realizes how much he means to her. When he is missing in action it really hits home.

Her daring unauthorized rescue of some escaped sailors afloat in a tiny boat with a wounded Luke on board gets her sent home, but not before Luke proposes to her.

This story was well written it had wonderful characters and beautiful descriptions of Hawaii. The story was about a young woman that wanted to be more than a pampered wife with endless parties. Lottie wanted to make a difference, she wanted to do her part in the war effort. She learned discipline, compassion, and Love.

This was a really good read, and I recommend it.

Thanks to Candace Waters, Howard Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy for an honest review.

I did enjoy this book. My husband was a mechanic in Iraq so this resonated with me since Lottie was a mechanic during WWII.

This book felt like a grown up version of the Dear America series - which were a favorite of mine as a kid - 3 of my top 5 were about WWII (#1 was the one set in Austria, #3 set in New York, #4 set in Pearl Harbor) so this felt right in line . It’s a strong female character doing her part in the war - set in Detroit, New York, San Diego and Pearl Harbor, it follows her journey to becoming a navy mechanic and even has a fun, thrilling (though a little far fetched) rescue in the end.

During WWII, a wealthy woman leaves everything behind to become an airplane mechanic.

I was instantly interested in this book when I read the heroine was an airplane mechanic during WWII. It is one of those stories that shows what humans are capable of when facing extreme circumstances.

In times of Corona Virus and uncertainty, I've seen the same spirit shown by the heroine and her fellow soldiers, in doctors and other health workers, volunteers, and all involved in keeping essential services running. The current events enhanced the reading experience.

The story starts with the heroine, Lottie Palmer, attending one of many parties thrown to celebrate her impending wedding to Eugene. Daughter of a Detroit car manufacturer, her sheltered life kept the war being fought in Europe distant and abstract.

But deep inside, Lottie felt she needed to do something. Amidst a war, she should not be dressing up and attending parties. This feeling was overwhelming.

She ends up jilting her fiance and enlisting into the navy where she becomes an airplane mechanic.

The book tells in detail her struggle to be accepted and respected by her comrades. It takes the reader through her training and her service at Pearl Harbour.

I love the fact that the author takes the time to develop her relationship with her colleagues and superiors, and even describes in detail her many adventures fixing different kinds of engines.

There is a love story in the background that, as fits the heroine, is marked by duty, loyalty, and bravery.

A wonderful read. I highly recommend to everyone that enjoys a strong heroine in a soul searching story with a bit of romance and a happy ending.

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Lottie is a well to do girl in Detroit at the start of WWII. She’s engaged to be married to her childhood sweetheart, she’s well known in social circles...everything is going according to plan. But as the wedding draws nearer and the war starts to rage on, Lottie realizes that she wants more than the life expected of her. She wants to do her part and flees Detroit the night before her wedding to join the Navy WAVES. She has to prove herself to be more than just a spoiled rich girl and when she excels in mechanics...she proves that not only to her other WAVES but to the men she’s stationed with. Enter Captain Luke Woodward who challenges her and at times makes her question everything. And somewhere along the way...he opens up her heart.

One of the things I love the most about WWII fiction is that there are so many different perspectives! Learning of the Navy WAVES and their role in the war was incredibly interesting! Many of these women’s stories aren’t told but if a fictional story encourages readers to look up those stories, then the author did their job. Lottie is a strong woman. She’s challenged daily not only by her cremates but the challenges she places upon herself are equally as tough. She’s determined and it’s exciting to watch her growth from beginning to end!

I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars because I felt it ended rather abruptly. I was hoping for a bit more or an epilogue or even sequel. I wasn’t ready for it to end!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing access to this lovely novel

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley and the author for this ARC...For Love and Country
by Candace Waters.
This was an enjoyable and quick read. It is about a wealthy, pampered young lady (Lottie) who lived a glamorous life. She is about to marry but skips out on her fiance wanting to build a life of more value. She had a small amount of experience as a mechanic working on her father's cars (he owned the company in Detroit.) This somehow translated int her quickly becoming one of the best mechanics working on AIRPLANES for the navy, HUH??? Anyway, there are other times when plots and incidents are a bit unbelievable but if you can ignore that you will like the book. You will probably like Lottie more as well. She grows up and her character builds. It was a good book.
I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys any or all three of the following Romance/woman power/historical fiction. Enjoy.

Lottie Palmer is not what you’d expect from a rich girl from one of the powerful car companies in Detroit. You’d think she’d love the glitz and glamor, parties and such that the rich life provides. But when she decides to break off her engagement the day of her wedding and join up with the Navy WAVES your not sure this ‘princess’ of privilege (even though she’s different) can hack it! Turns out having a knack for engines back home turned out to be an amazing path for Lottie. She goes through the hardships of being the woman in a mans world and definitely excels. Although, I felt like the ending (which I won’t spill) after the flight was quite rushed. There definitely could have been more to those last few pages but it just kind of dropped you suddenly. Over all a very interesting and intriguing WWII historical fiction.

A story of Lottie, who goes from a privileged life in Detroit to become a navy mechanic stationed in Pearl Harbor. Some romance, but more a historical look at the lengths that people have taken to be of service to our country. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve been loving WWII books that are centered on women in the war effort. This story follows Lottie, who decides to join the Navy WAVES program for women after being inspired by her childhood of learning how to repair cars.

While the story was fairly predictable and a borderline love story/romance, I didn’t mind it and it was just what I needed to escape this stressful week (and the weeks to come 🙅🏻‍♀️). I’d recommend if you loved books such as The Alice Network. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book! I think anyone with an interest in women's roles in the history of our military will enjoy it too. The main character Lottie is made to be very likable, but honestly I feel like she could have been a little more "flawed" to be more relatable and realistic. Her best friend Maggie was also a very interesting character and I was left wanting to know a lot more about her. The finale of the book pushes the limits of reality, so you gotta have a little suspension of disbelief to enjoy it. It's not as much of a love story as I expected which was a good thing!! I loved that this book focused on Lottie's work quite a bit and her feelings around her work and the war.

FOR LOVE AND COUNTRY by CANDACE WATERS is a most enjoyable read and one I can highly recommend for the inspirational story, courageous characters, and insight into the WAVES and Pearl Harbour.
It is a WW11 story with a difference. The author clearly brings out the difference between Lottie Palmer's life as a wealthy socialite and her life as a navy airoplane mechanic. We see how some people make huge sacrifices to do their part in the war effort, whilst others carry on their extravagant lifestyle with nothing but complaints about the inconveniences they are suffering due to rationing, etc!
The horrors of war are clearly brought out, but I like the way that there is a definite message of hope running through the story. I also like the way that Lottie calls on the Lord for help in times of distress and feelings of inadequacy.
This is a book that gives one a great deal of food for thought. It is well written and the characters are very real.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Howard Books. The opinions in this review are completely my own

I received a free copy from Netgalley for a honest review. I read this book in a day and couldn’t put it down. The story follow Lottie, a girl who seems to have it all - loving parents, riches, and weeks from marrying her childhood friend. What’s missing is a way to help the war efforts. She leaves everything behind to join the WAVES program. Knowing what she knows from her past handling car engines, she eventually becomes a mechanic on planes. Her story only begins there. She goes through some rough patches only to come out stronger than she was going in. The author has a couple different storylines throughout the book but she pulls it al together in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author does a great job of keeping the reader engaged and guessing of what will happen. I found myself not wanting the book to be finished. A great story of a badass woman being dominate in a male geared war story.

I absolutely adored this book. The characters were so real that it sucked you in and made you feel a part of the story. You didn't want it to end!

***For Love and Country is a story that kept my interest even as I rolled my eyes a bit toward the end. The new to me writer has a good command of English and a vivid imagination. While her characters were mostly superficial, they served the author’s purpose well enough. The author clearly wanted to showcase the role of women mechanics in the WAVES during WWII, however I found it odd that wherever her heroine went she was the only female mechanic. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.