All her life, Allie Miller has been told by her mother that she is plain, and she will do anything to gain her mother's approval, even marrying a man she doesn't love. She begins to change though, and want more for herself, after meeting Lt. Walter Novak at her best friend's wedding, when their love of music draws them together. The two begin exchanging letters in the summer of 1942, and the correspondence will change both of their lives. As their friendship grows though, secrets, commitments and the expectations of others threaten to keep them apart.I really enjoyed this novel; it's my first time reading this author, but it won't be my last. I could really relate to the character of Allie, having always felt like an "ugly duckling" myself. I also liked how the story focused on Allie's relationships with her friends and family, and not just on the romance. The author really did a great job of using historical events and pop culture references of the World War II area to really give the story an authentic atmosphere. I have to admit I wasn't able to make it more than about 30% through this book. It started out entertaining and kind of cute, but I got frustrated in the middle. I found the heroine's plans to marry a man she doesn't like simply because she doesn't feel very pretty was unconvincing--she seemed rather smug in what I read of the book. She didn't really seem insecure. Maybe it gets better later, but I lost curiosity.
