Blog Tour: A Song for the Stars by Ilima Todd

A Song for the Stars by Ilima Todd

Book Description:

Hawaiian Islands, 1779

As the second daughter of a royal chief, Maile will be permitted to marry for love. Her fiancé is the best navigator in Hawaii, and he taught her everything he knows how to feel the ocean, observe the winds, read the stars, and how to love.

But when sailors from a strange place called England arrive on her island, a misunderstanding ends in battle, and Maile is suddenly widowed before she is wed.

Finding herself in the middle of the battle and fearing for her life, Maile takes John Harbottle, the wounded man who killed her fiancé, prisoner, and though originally intending to let him die, she reluctantly heals him. And in the process, she discovers the man she thought was her enemy might be her ally instead.

John has been Captain James Cook's translator for three voyages across the Pacific. He is kind and clearly fascinated with her homeland and her people and Maile herself. But guilt continues to drive a wedge between them: John's guilt over the death he caused, and Maile's guilt over the truth about what triggered the deadly battle a secret she's kept hidden from everyone on the island.

When Maile is tasked with teaching John how to navigate using the stars so he can sail back to England, they must also navigate the challenges of being from very different cultures. In doing so, they might also find the peace that comes when two hearts become one.

Rorie's Review:

What an enjoyable story. I have visited Hawaii several times, and absolutely love it there. I have heard a bit about the story of Captain James Cook, and I think I learned about the story of the battle on the cliffs as well (unless there was more than one battle that ended that way...) and this story helped humanize and bring to life these events. This is one reason why I enjoy reading historic fiction so much.

I really enjoyed riding along while the relationship between Maile and John developed. She was such a strong woman, and I can't even imagine how hard it was for her to heal and care for the very person that killed her fiance, but she was able to (eventually) look past the horror of that battle and get to know the real John Harbottle.

This was one of those stories that I had a hard time putting down. I have read a few of Ilima's other books, and she definitely has a talent for telling a story and bringing the characters to life. I highly recommend this book - especially to my friend, who shares the same name as the main character. :)

Andrea's Review:

A Song for the Stars is an excellent addition to the Proper Romance line from Shadow Mountain. It is quite different from the other books in the line, but a wonderfully written account that kept me intrigued. I loved that the main characters were the author's fourth-great-grandparents.

I don't recall having known about how Captain James Cook was killed. The author does note that she adjusted some things for the sake of the story, but much of what was shared (both about Cook and the history of the people) was eye opening and makes me want to learn more.

This is very different from Todd's dystopian novels, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I couldn't help but think of Moana and Pocahontas (the Disney versions) while I was reading the book. I loved the strong female lead, and the sweet romance that developed (against the odds). I'm looking forward to reading this again.

Tarah's Review:

I have never read a story set in the Hawaiian Islands, let alone where the main character is Hawaiian. I loved it. I loved delving into the culture (why couldn't the women eat bananas? I'm going to have to google that...I don't think it ever said why). My favorite thing about this story though, was how Maile and John were both able to look past their selves and see the why of the other culture. How great is it that even though one culture does something horrifying, after a moment of feeling that horror, John was able to ask the reason behind it and find out the love and respect that comes from the gesture instead of the first impression. Maile does the same thing, even when she doesn't agree with what's going on. She jumps onboard and makes it work by seeing others and how things could be. I just loved those moments in the story (and there were many).

I will admit that I struggled with the point of view for the first quarter of the book. I'm not sure why. It seemed a little choppy way to tell the story, although normally I don't mind a story like that. It's quite possible I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for it, but after a little bit I got into story and forgot about the point of view.

This was a beautiful story, set in a beautiful setting, and I can't wait to read more from this author, and I can't wait to read this particular story again.

Title: A Song for the Stars

Author: Ilima Todd
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: April 2019
ISBN:1629725285
Source: We received copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book