This book found me via an ARC program, and I chose it because I was in need of something light and sweet — and this ticked those boxes for me!

The Premise

Andrea — “Andie” — sees her life slipping out from under her, after she loses a promotion she was counting on — one for which she’d sacrificed her relationship to a good man, Nick. In need of a fundamental change, she travels to Hawaii to help run a coffee shop owned by her friend Apikelia — “Api”. She soon meets Warren Yates, an attractive stranger who enters the shop looking for Api, and finds Andie instead. As she and Warren get closer, he dedicates himself to making sure she enjoys her time in Hawaii through creating “moments” as they tour the islands. Meanwhile, Andie soon realises her work is cut out for her with the coffee shop — there is barely any traffic and no marketing plan. It is the perfect opportunity to throw herself into, and she soon makes moves to turn the business around. As she pours her heart and soul into the project, she is unaware that Warren is not who he appears to be — and when she finds out just how he is tied to her efforts, she may never forgive him. Is there a chance for these two lovers to connect, and have their own “moment”?

The Pros

This was a very sweet, clean romance, and I loved the imagery that poured through every page. The blurb described it as an “atmospheric romance”, and it was indeed — it felt like you were in Hawaii, and it was clear that the authors had taken their time to build all of this descriptive beauty into the tale. There was a lot of history and culture as the story developed and the couple had their outings to different locations, and I enjoyed this aspect of the narrative. I also liked the budding female friendships as Andie got to know her coworkers, her longstanding friendship with Api, and the beaming pride you could feel in the workers at the coffee plantation — all of this was so beautifully done.

The Cons

While I enjoyed the overall feel of the novel, the romance was tepid for me, rather than scorching hot. Also, the POV jumped suddenly from Andie to Warren — after we’d been having Andie’s first person narrative for 80% of the book. I would have preferred the POVs be interlaced rather than that sudden shift, because by then Warren seemed to be an entirely different person than who he was through Andie’s eyes. It also felt like some of the action happened “offstage” — Warren’s chasing her to make amends, and the time shift after she left Hawaii. I wanted to feel more of that tension and emotion first-hand, rather than via a recap.

Conclusion

Though the novel didn’t have me hanging on the edge of my seat, I did enjoy it throughout. It was nicely developed, and would be a great book to read on a vacation or on the beach — or if you feel you need to go to one of those! The description whisks you away to another world entirely, and you fall in love with the islands along with Andie. Though lacking that extra “oomph” for me personally, it was beautifully written, and I would highly recommend to anyone who would enjoy a sweet, clean romance in an exotic location.

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