The Bungalow follows bride-to-be Anne Calloway and her childhood best friend, Kitty, from Seattle to the South Pacific, where they’ve put their cushy lives on hold to help World War II troops. As war rages on near their paradise base, the two women loosen their grip on morality and invite in life-changing experiences, thanks to their uncertain future. Naturally, the book has its fair share of wartime heartbreak, but a murder-mystery unravels that gives this story more depth than some of its historical-romance counterparts.

I’ve never been to the South Pacific, but author Sarah Jio did a marvelous job of virtually transporting me there throughout her novel. The descriptions of the idyllic beaches, tranquil villages and colorful locals in Bora Bora would have made a pleasant-enough book, but the relationship that develops between Anne and a soldier, the dreamy-in-every-way Westry Green, is what makes this a true page-turner.

Toward the end of the book, you’ll need to suspend disbelief for a couple of coincidences that tie up some loose ends. But the bulk of the story is extraordinarily real—art lovers will enjoy the Paul Gauguin connection—and obviously well researched. Beyond that, hopeless romantics will find themselves cheering for Anne and wondering if they would’ve made the same decisions.