The American Boys | Olivia Spooner

An unforgettable WWII love story inspired by the arrival of the US troops in Wellington.

Wellington, 1942. Lorna's brothers are overseas fighting for their lives, and as war rages in the Pacific, 20,000 Marines are sent to keep New Zealand safe. The Americans find their new post strange and unwelcoming, except for the Kiwi girls.

When Lorna is dragged along on a double date, she befriends Stan, a Marine from Chicago. Handsome and kind, Stan is the golden boy of his family. When he is posted to Guadalcanal, his wayward younger brother Alfie joins the Marines in Wellington. Lorna finds Alfie inexplicably infuriating - the complete opposite of Stan.

But as he is sent off to fight, too, she can't stop thinking about him. Which brother will return, how many hearts will be broken over the course of this brutal war, and will Lorna ever feel safe again?

Olivia Spooner is the number one bestselling author of two historical novels, The Girl from London and The Songbirds of Florence. She is also the author of two contemporary novels, A Way Back to Happy and A Bumpy Year. A former bookshop owner, Olivia is a strong advocate for the importance of books and reading. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her family.