In 1942, newly engaged 21-year-old Anne Calloway sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by ...
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Feb 21, 2012
Taryn-does it have romance?
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Reviewed for Under the Covers
Isn’t it frightening to think that in the blink of an eye, your life can change so drastically? All it takes is for you to walk through door number two instead of door number one. The decisions you make in that moment can define the rest of your days.
I looked deep into his eyes. “It’s why I need to go,” I said. “I need to find out.” He looked away. My words had hurt him, and I hated that. His left arm, the band one, hung from his torso More...
22 comments
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Jan 05, 2012
Jenna
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I'll be reviewing this fully on Chronicles, but this novel set the bar high for my 2012 reading. I was definitely looking forward to it as The Violets of March was easily my favorite book of 2011, but The Bungalow was a joy beyond my expectations.
A warning: There's a surprise adoption theme in the book which isn't really discussed in any other reviews or snippets. It could be triggering for some. Look for more of that on Chronicles. More...
A warning: There's a surprise adoption theme in the book which isn't really discussed in any other reviews or snippets. It could be triggering for some. Look for more of that on Chronicles. More...
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Jan 11, 2012
Becky
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I've had this book's release date marked on my calendar for months. I loved Sarah's first novel, but I can only explain my feelings about reading this one as similar to a second date - excited, nervous, and wondering how it could possibly be better than the first.
The second date was incredible.
From the start, I was enchanted: "He was there, of course - in uniform, shyly smiling at me as the waves fell into the shore. I could hear them - their violent crash, followed More...
The second date was incredible.
From the start, I was enchanted: "He was there, of course - in uniform, shyly smiling at me as the waves fell into the shore. I could hear them - their violent crash, followed More...
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Nov 04, 2011
Bonnie
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The Bungalow was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Penguin Group (USA).
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
A sorrowful tale of war and the effect it has on each and every life involved.
The Storyline
It is 1942 and WWII is being fought. Anne Calloway is engaged to marry Gerard Godfrey and there are just a few weeks till their wedding; their marriage being planned from birth.
”Calloways would marry Godfreys. It was as natural More...
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
A sorrowful tale of war and the effect it has on each and every life involved.
The Storyline
It is 1942 and WWII is being fought. Anne Calloway is engaged to marry Gerard Godfrey and there are just a few weeks till their wedding; their marriage being planned from birth.
”Calloways would marry Godfreys. It was as natural More...
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(9 people liked it)
Jan 11, 2012
Julie
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Sarah Jio has done it again with a sweeping love story set in Bora bora and one that covers a lifetime. I instantly became enraptured with Anne and Westry.
If you are looking to be carried away, look no further.
If you are looking to be carried away, look no further.
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(2 people liked it)
Feb 02, 2012
Paperback Dolls
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Reviewed at Paperback Dolls.com
I loved how Sarah Jio wove love, mystery, past and present in her last novel The Violets of March and she has accomplished this perfect combination yet again with her latest novel The Bungalow. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her latest novel and Plume was nice enough to provide Paperback Dolls with an ARC. Jio’s latest novel begins in the present as Anne’s daughter is trying to solve a mystery about a beautiful sculpture at her college and Anne receiv More...
I loved how Sarah Jio wove love, mystery, past and present in her last novel The Violets of March and she has accomplished this perfect combination yet again with her latest novel The Bungalow. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her latest novel and Plume was nice enough to provide Paperback Dolls with an ARC. Jio’s latest novel begins in the present as Anne’s daughter is trying to solve a mystery about a beautiful sculpture at her college and Anne receiv More...
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Dec 19, 2011
Luanne
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I read Sarah Jio's debut novel The Violets of March last year - and loved it. (my review) I had no doubt that I would enjoy her latest book, The Bungalow, as much. But I was wrong - I actually enjoyed it more!
Anne Calloway is ninety when her granddaughter Jennifer brings her a letter - one that asks questions about a murder in 1943 and so Anne begins to finally tell her story...
Anne has already gone against her well to do family's expectations for her. She and her friend Kitt More...
Anne Calloway is ninety when her granddaughter Jennifer brings her a letter - one that asks questions about a murder in 1943 and so Anne begins to finally tell her story...
Anne has already gone against her well to do family's expectations for her. She and her friend Kitt More...
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Dec 27, 2011
Heidi
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Five Big Stars! This is a poignant love story set during World War II.
Summer of 1942 finds Anne Calloway living a quiet, sheltered life in an upper class neighborhood of Seattle. She recently graduated from nursing school and is newly engaged to the wealthy and handsome Gerard, someone she has known her entire life. Parental expectations gently prodded her into the engagement. The comfortable childhood friendship between Anne and Gerard has evolved into a warm, loving relationshi More...
Summer of 1942 finds Anne Calloway living a quiet, sheltered life in an upper class neighborhood of Seattle. She recently graduated from nursing school and is newly engaged to the wealthy and handsome Gerard, someone she has known her entire life. Parental expectations gently prodded her into the engagement. The comfortable childhood friendship between Anne and Gerard has evolved into a warm, loving relationshi More...
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Jan 10, 2012
Jodie
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Sarah Jio does it again! What a beautifully crafted novel. You can almost smell the hibiscus flowers through the pages. The characters are well developed, and the plot moves along effortlessly. Sarah's novels are just a joy to read. I start reading them andby the time I realize I am thirsty or hungry, I am a hundred pages into the story. The entire world completely disappears while I read one of Sarah's novels. Don't miss out on this wonderful reading adventure!
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Dec 05, 2011
Cindi
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Review originally posted on my blog : http://utahmomslife.blogspot.com/2011/12...
The sun may be shining and there isn't any snow on the ground, but it is bitter cold outside. I spent every spare moment between Christmas parties and family get togethers this weekend snuggled up with the latest novel from Sarah Jio. Remember when I gushed about her first novel The Violets of March last spring? Jio's second novel The Bungalow will be released at the end of December.
Anne Callo More...
The sun may be shining and there isn't any snow on the ground, but it is bitter cold outside. I spent every spare moment between Christmas parties and family get togethers this weekend snuggled up with the latest novel from Sarah Jio. Remember when I gushed about her first novel The Violets of March last spring? Jio's second novel The Bungalow will be released at the end of December.
Anne Callo More...
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Nov 22, 2011
Jennie
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There are some stories that seem to physically move you into their setting, making you forget your surroundings and driving home the emotions of the characters. The Bungalow is that kind of book.
The story begins just when things are getting serious with the war – the men are beginning to volunteer and the women are starting to prepare for rations. Anne is on the cusp of beginning her adult life with her upcoming marriage when the war intrudes, causing her to drastically More...
The story begins just when things are getting serious with the war – the men are beginning to volunteer and the women are starting to prepare for rations. Anne is on the cusp of beginning her adult life with her upcoming marriage when the war intrudes, causing her to drastically More...
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Dec 26, 2011
Colette
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The Bungalow is one of those rare books that will sweep you back in time and become lost in the story. I loved this book to pieces. You know those books where you can tell by the first paragraph that you are just going to love it? That's how The Bungalow was for me. It's one of my favorite books of the year.
Anne Calloway is engaged to be married, but wants more out of life. When her best friend Kitty signs up to be an Army nurse, Anne risks everything and does the same. The two are s More...
Anne Calloway is engaged to be married, but wants more out of life. When her best friend Kitty signs up to be an Army nurse, Anne risks everything and does the same. The two are s More...
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Dec 06, 2011
Ti
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The Short of It:
An easy, effortless read matched with a lush, tropical setting.
The Rest Of It:
It is the summer of 1942. Anne Calloway, in her early twenties and newly engaged, makes a split decision to join the Army Nurse Corps. She loves her fiancé but questions if their relationship has the passion to make it work. That, and the deep need she feels to do something for her country sends her to Bora-Bora, where she meets Westry. At first, they are just friendl More...
An easy, effortless read matched with a lush, tropical setting.
The Rest Of It:
It is the summer of 1942. Anne Calloway, in her early twenties and newly engaged, makes a split decision to join the Army Nurse Corps. She loves her fiancé but questions if their relationship has the passion to make it work. That, and the deep need she feels to do something for her country sends her to Bora-Bora, where she meets Westry. At first, they are just friendl More...
Feb 22, 2012
♡KarLynP♡
rated it: 
This was an enjoyable story, but it did require a lot of suspending your disbelief. I enjoyed the 1943 WWII setting in Tahiti, and was mildly intrigued by the suspense built around a murder and other odd events. But this kind of romance is not for me, and despite the possibility of a long awaited HEA I am not sure I’d even classify this book as a romance. It’s much more of a women’s fiction with a love story.
Anne Calloway is 90 years old when we first meet her. She has spent her More...
Anne Calloway is 90 years old when we first meet her. She has spent her More...
3 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Dec 29, 2011
Karen
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The Bungalow is a love story whose threads are woven through joy and heartache, love and war. Author, Sarah Jio masterfully reveals small pieces of the tapestry at a time, in the same manner that we all live our lives - never sure which ones will change our lives forever, and which will simply float into the distant memories of our past.
The setting is the beautiful, tropical island of Bora Bora. The young lovers - Anne and Westry. The backdrop - WWII. But this isn't a typical love sto More...
The setting is the beautiful, tropical island of Bora Bora. The young lovers - Anne and Westry. The backdrop - WWII. But this isn't a typical love sto More...
Jan 30, 2012
Lois
rated it:
I really liked the premise of this book. I also really liked the way the author developed the mysteries within the story. I got a great sense of the physical landscape and the beauty of the island. I felt the pull of the bungalow itself as a place to which the main characters could escape and experience their own romantic world away from the hubbub and prying eyes of their fellow GIs.
I had some problems with what I considered the lack of depth and simplicity of her characters. More...
I had some problems with what I considered the lack of depth and simplicity of her characters. More...
Feb 22, 2012
Christine
rated it:
When Anne Calloway’s grand-daughter brings her a letter enquiring about events almost 70 years ago it finally opens the door for Anne to tell her story. During WW2 Anne left her fiancée all but literally at the altar and left to travel to Bora Bora as a nurse. Of course love and heartache are both found in this tropical paradise and that is Anne’s story.
I enjoyed Ms. Jio’s Violets of March so much I was looking forward to reading this book. It did not disappoint but did follow the More...
I enjoyed Ms. Jio’s Violets of March so much I was looking forward to reading this book. It did not disappoint but did follow the More...
Jan 15, 2012
HerbieGrandma
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1942 and twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, engaged to her long time boyfriend Godfrey, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora with her impulsive best friend Kitty. Once there, Anne meets a handsome soldier named Westry and they find an abandoned bungalow on the beach. They decide to fix it up and begin leaving each other notes. Their friendship turns to love. Of course, there is a war going – and we must not forget impulsive Kitty, who brings unwanted event
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Jan 28, 2012
Kim
rated it:
From Me:
Sarah Jio is my kind of author.
I sang her praises last year when I read her first novel, Violets of March, and I tip my hat to her again today after finishing The Bungalow.
What I found between the pages of her latest offering are exactly what I was expecting from her:
Great character development
Historical setting, richly described so you feel you are there living it
Lives that intersect
Two story lines--one present, one i More...
Sarah Jio is my kind of author.
I sang her praises last year when I read her first novel, Violets of March, and I tip my hat to her again today after finishing The Bungalow.
What I found between the pages of her latest offering are exactly what I was expecting from her:
Great character development
Historical setting, richly described so you feel you are there living it
Lives that intersect
Two story lines--one present, one i More...
Jan 25, 2012
Ana
rated it:
I bought this book on a whim, seduced by the cover picture. The turquoise waters, the clear blue sky and the golden hibiscus screamed "summer escape", and I felt like I needed one (at least an imaginary one). I could almost feel the sea breeze blowing my hair and the sun rays kissing my skin…
The book wasn't precisely about a summer vacation, but about the love affair between a nurse and a soldier stationed in a military base in the South Pacific. Nevertheless, the island of B More...
The book wasn't precisely about a summer vacation, but about the love affair between a nurse and a soldier stationed in a military base in the South Pacific. Nevertheless, the island of B More...
Jan 09, 2012
Nancy
rated it: 
I was really disappointed with this book. I should have known better, as I thought The Violets of March was pretty poorly written. The Violets of March had a decent plot but was written poorly, this was the opposite. I think the writing of this novel was better; there weren't as many cheesy lines. However, the plot was sparse-seeming.
I agree with a review of the novel I saw on Amazon - the love story between Westry and Anne was seriously under-developed. They found the bungalow More...
I agree with a review of the novel I saw on Amazon - the love story between Westry and Anne was seriously under-developed. They found the bungalow More...
Nov 29, 2011
Staci
rated it:
First thoughts after finishing this book: "Wow, she did it again! I loved these people and their story!"
Sarah Jio is a very talented and gifted author. All too often the sophomore debut of an author can be a letdown and not show as much promise as the dazzling debut novel. That is NOT the case here, folks. Sarah wrote another home run read for me and my experience was once again off the charts. She has the gift for writing characters that absolutely ring authentic and touch More...
Sarah Jio is a very talented and gifted author. All too often the sophomore debut of an author can be a letdown and not show as much promise as the dazzling debut novel. That is NOT the case here, folks. Sarah wrote another home run read for me and my experience was once again off the charts. She has the gift for writing characters that absolutely ring authentic and touch More...
Feb 20, 2012
Amodini
rated it:
“The Bungalow” is a romance novel set in wartime in 1942. It starts off with an elderly Anne, who waxes nostalgic to her grand-daughter Jennifer about the war and her long-lost love. Her thoughts of the past form the bulk of the book. Ms. Jio also weaves in smaller plots – one of Anne’s parents back home, and another of a murder mystery. The novel dwells on the familiar strains of female friendship where one friend is the quiet reserved one (Anne) and one a mischievous flirt (Kitty). The author
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Jan 17, 2012
Mandy
rated it:
With her latest novel, The Bungalow, Sarah Jio once again takes readers back to a bygone era. The Bungalow follows Anne Calloway from her comfortable life in the Pacific Northwest all the way to Bora-Bora. Anne is nervous about her upcoming nuptials to handsome and wealthy Gerard. Gerard is everything most girls would be dying for in a husband, but Anne is not sure he’s the one. When her friend Kitty volunteers for the war as a nurse, Anne quickly follows in her footsteps. Anne postpones her wed
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Jan 20, 2012
Stacie
rated it:
I loved Violets of March, so I was hoping this novel would be as good. It was even better! Just finished it last night (about 2am, groggy at work this morning, lol) and I am still reeling. :) Such beautifully drawn characters, great descriptions of place (tropics, etc.), I could smell the beach from my living room. I love how she (the author) gives me hints...throughout...but lets me come to my own conclusions before she spells everything out. Sometimes I'm right...sometimes I'm wrong and s
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Aug 28, 2011
Camille
rated it:
Sarah Jio has done it again! I devoured The Bungalow just as fast as I did The Violets of March. As in Violets, The Bungalow offers readers several mysteries rolled into one compelling and often heart-breaking romance—this time between Anne, a conflicted woman engaged to a man she feels ambivalent about, and Westry, the solider who steals Anne's heart when the pair discover an abandoned Bora-Bora bungalow that was once home to a famous painter (I won't say who, but art enthusiasts will love the
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Feb 20, 2012
Michelle
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I fell in love with sarah's writing in the violetds if march. I made that my favorite book. I love how her writing makes you forget your surroundings and you fall in love with the characters. I then heard about her recent novel the bungalow and only bought it since sarah had written it. I am not a fan of war stories but as i sat down one day to read this book I had to see what happened next. I did read this book in one day and it happened to be valentine's day. I had the book since it's release
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Jan 14, 2012
Mary Anne
rated it:
Well - I gave it four stars - maybe should have been three and a half. Definitely a quick, enjoyable read. It was mostly predictable and at times a little too pat. But for some reason, I really enjoyed the story. I would probably put it in the category of a pleasant, beach read. I had hoped to get more detail of the war in the South Pacific, but the war was basically a backdrop with no actual historical information included. So if you are looking for a true historical novel, I would skip t
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Jan 21, 2012
Albert
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The Bungalow is a short romance novel written during the time of World War Two on the island of Bora Bora. It follows the life of Anne Calloway, a nurse and her friend Kitty who leave their somewhat privileged lives to serve the war effort. In truth the move is more an act of running from their lives and the expectations their families have for them then trying to serve the war.
They are ill prepared for the emotional and traumatic scenes that await them and Anne is set for a rollercoaster More...
They are ill prepared for the emotional and traumatic scenes that await them and Anne is set for a rollercoaster More...
