Reviewed by Kimberley

TITLE: Hawaiian Lei

AUTHOR: Meg Amor 

PUBLISHER: Loose Id

LENGTH: 231 pages

BLURB:

Beau Toyama, a “mixed plate” Hawaiian/Japanese/Tahitian man, is a flight instructor on the Big Island of Hawai’i. He’s a lovely, gentle, shy soul from a dysfunctional island. One day his wife Mikey said, “I love you, babe, but this isn’t working. I need a good man…” She’d paused. “And so do you.”

Matt Quintal, a New Zealand painter with a Norfolk Island and Maori background, has been living the “gay scene” in LA and knows it’s a crock. Needing to escape, his Polynesian soul is drawn back to the Pacific. He visits his sister Rach in Kona on the Big Island, where his spirit connects.

When Matt’s heart is drawn to the sound of a biplane’s radial engines flying overhead, his life is about to change. There’s an instant soul connection and heat between Beau and Matt. Unbeknownst to them, the spirit of Beau’s mom, Tehani, has guided Matt home to Beau.

Beau and Matt need to work together to overcome family dysfunction and abuse. Can they reveal their deep emotional vulnerabilities to find redemption and healing? What they both want is a loving relationship. But they must allow their hearts and souls to open before they can love and trust again.

REVIEW:

I can’t come up with enough words to describe how much I enjoyed this book! Meg Amour did a fantastic job of bringing these wonderful characters, in addition to the beauty of the Hawaiian islands and its people, to life. I loved her writing style and Matt and Rach’s dialect had that perfect ‘touch of the Kiwi’ that further endeared me to them.  The multicultural aspect of the book was another thing that drew me in. I’ve often said that this genre needs more ethnic diversity and this author did a really good job of producing characters with a beautiful ethnic background. Amour serves us the rich cultural history of New Zealand’s Maori, Hawaii’s Polynesian and other natives of that beautiful island and described the scenery of said islands in such rich detail, you can practically feel the sand between your toes, the sun on your face and smell the gorgeous Hawaiian sea. I also loved the relationship between Matt and his sister. Their banter reminded me a lot of me and my brother.

The cover is eye catching, the color scheme is very pretty and the model with the tribal necklace tattoo is stunning. Amour provided you with plenty of descriptions about the land, its people and its history, but did not drag the book down with wordy descriptions.  The author managed to strike the perfect balance that made this book that much more of a pleasure to read.

The sex was tastefully done, it was passionate but it in no way deviated from or overpowered the romantic aspect; quite the opposite, actually; it enhanced it. Both of these men have demons and such from their pasts that they’re struggling to overcome and the author told their story beautifully. I also found it refreshing how she didn’t vilify Beau’s ex wife and make her into this bitter woman when she realized her husband was gay. They’ve remained friends and she supports and guides him.

I also loved the spiritual aspect of this book, how the spirits guide these men to each other. Their personalities matched perfectly together. Matt’s this restless and free spirit while Beau is shy and so very sweet, I just want to hug him. The connection these men feel towards each other upon meeting was great to read. The author was spot on in conveying the emotions of both men to her readers. This is the first book I’ve read that was written by this author but believe me when I tell you that it will not be my last.  This book was such a pleasure to read and definitely worth picking up.

RATING:  

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