Read to the 36% mark and couldn't continue on.

That backstory on the characters is fine but I couldn't help feeling the material should have been given in flashbacks or folded into the dialogue. In short, there was so much that I was bored before we got to Pearl.

The dialogue felt too wooden and the characters too perfect. Charlie having a hunch about the impending attack only emphasized this banality (its a cliche that is grossly over used in Pearl Harbor fiction).

There is no natural link between the US and NZ for me (and I'd assume most US readers), something that is mirrored in the text as it takes so long to get the leads together.

I know it's a romance, but three sexually driven scenes before the 24% mark is over kill. If it ain't between the leads or doesn't further the plot at the point, it doesn't need to be explicit (the train car scene literally had me questioning why I should care).

Long story short, this book and I didn't suit and I'd have a hard time recommending it forward.

The Rigel Affair by L M Hedrick was not what I expected from the beginning. It is a story of growing up and finding yourself and falling in love in the midst of a war. I am a fan of historical fiction so this one hit the right spot. Our main characters Charlie and Mattie come from two different worlds but meet one another and fall in love in a short time. Charlie is in the US Navy and Mattie is a hairdresser in Auckland, New Zealand. Mattie and Charlie were smitten with one another from the beginning but they did not know how long Charlie would be in Auckland. Her family did not approve of her relationship with Charlie.

Charlie lead a life that would not have been possible if he had not escaped from his sad upbringing. He had a lot of success in his career and all he really wanted to do was get back to Mattie. He was on a lot of secret missions during his time with the Navy and his thoughts were of getting back to Mattie. Their letters kept them connected even with how sporadic they were. There were a few losses in the book and other memorable characters such as a girl from Charlie’s hometown, Roxy, who was in love with him and Vic from the navy.

Hedrick was able to pull together a well crafted love story with bits of truth to it. World War 2 was the backdrop for the story and I am a sucker for stories about this war. I was drawn to reading the book until the end. It took me longer than I expected because of other life commitments but I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I received an egalley or this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

A very solid book that delves into the history. I really enjoyed the novel and the characters.

I think that given time I could come to enjoy historical fiction even more than I already do.

A truly gifted author.

This is the most well written book about the the second world war that I have ever read. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this book really does it pround.
Charlie who has had a hard scrabble life as a youngster decided to leave Mississippi via freight train. He eventually joins the Navy and trains to be a diver.. He is stationed in Pearl Harbor and soon is attacked by the Japanese and the USA is now involved in world war two.
Eventually Charlie is sent to New Zealand where he meets a beautiful hairdresser names Mattie. They fall deeply in love and enjoy time together while the United States builds hospitals and other things to protect the people of this country. Once this work is done and Charlie has to leave he and Mattie don't see each other for over four years. The continue to write for a very long time before they see each other in person.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about true relationships and very well researched stories.
Absolutely 5 stars for this great book.