Sometimes the best cure for a cold winter is a warm escape into fiction, and The Bungalow by Sarah Jio is the perfect book for the job. Set mainly in 1942, with a few glimpses into the present, it is the story of Anne Calloway, a young nurse who, after getting engaged, decides to join the army with her best friend Kitty. The two women are stationed together in Bora-Bora, but the war isn’t the only danger that threatens their happiness. Anne finds herself growing close to a handsome solider, Westry, when the two discover a hidden beach bungalow and work to restore it together. But the closer Anne becomes with Westry, the more distant Kitty seems, until Anne discovers she’s not the only one keeping secrets on this island.

Jio’s fantastic ability to create rich and real setting is once again on display in her second novel. She has just enough details to let the reader enter the strange and beautiful world of Bora-Bora without getting bogged down in description. The Bungalow really feels like a visit to another time and place. Although the novel is definitely a standalone, there’s a nice guest appearance by one of the characters from Jio’s debut The Violets of March. While I preferred the main character in Violets, The Bungalow offers a leading man charming enough that the reader can overlook the fact that Anne is already engaged to somebody else.

Strictly speaking, The Bungalow is a chick-lit novel, but Jio blends the genre in such a way that the book appeals to fans of historical fiction and mystery alike. It’s an incredible look into a part of World War II that often goes forgotten and it is written from a much-welcome female perspective.

While there are definitely a few convenient coincidences that take place, a small part of such a warm and well-written book, they didn’t bother me. However, I did wish that a few of the events had a little more detail, as several decades of Anne’s life are mostly skipped over, and a subplot involving another friend of hers didn’t quite have the closure I was hoping for. That said, there is a lot packed into less than 300 pages, and Jio does tie up the majority of the storylines quite nicely.

Overall, The Violets of March may hold a special place in my heart, but The Bungalow is a welcome follow-up with a charm all its own. A balmy dose of romance and history, The Bungalow provides further proof of Jio’s unique and wonderful talent.