Sunday, July 3, 2016

Not Always Happenstance by Rachael Anderson



Synopsis:

Lani has lived in Hana, Hawaii for five years. She's learned to surf, fish, dive, and manage her grandmother's bed and breakfast. She's also learned to take one day at a time the way it should be taken--relaxed and unrushed, savoring every moment.

But, like a large wave on the brink of breaking, her life is about to crash out of control. A proposal of marriage, a conniving grandmother, a cryptic Asian woman, and a handsome guest, and suddenly everything calm begins to churn, everything clear becomes confused, and all that was normal segues into peculiar.

As Lani struggles against the current to hold her ground, she realizes that she can either continue to fight and eventually lose, or take a take a leap of faith, hold her breath, and ride the wave wherever it takes her.

My Review: 3.5 Stars

I'm going to start out by saying I know I am in the minority here. I really, really wanted to LOVE this book since I have LOVED all of Rachael's books I have read so far. But alas, I had a hard time getting into this book and connecting with the characters. :(

When Lani discovered that her grandmother was in need of help with her Bed & Breakfast, she gave up everything to move to Hawaii to help her. Five years later, she is still there and loving it. She can't see herself anywhere else. When her boyfriend, Derek, of 9 years proposes, she's not sure what to do. She loves him but she's not IN love with him. But he has been so patient with her and her move out to Hawaii that she feels like she owes him. She says yes knowing that she will be settling for less than she deserves. 

Easton is a world traveler. He loves going out and discovering things off the beaten path. He loves adventure and doesn't see himself settling down... ever. When he arrives at the Bed & Breakfast Lani's grandmother owns, he is immediately intrigued by the dark haired beauty who is full of spunk and sass. But Lani is quick to dismiss his flirting and his charm. She is engaged to another man after all. But Easton doesn't let that stop him. There is just something about Lani that draws him to her. Now, if he can just get her to admit that she's making the wrong choice with old what's his name. 

But when Lani finally does admit that Derek is totally wrong for her, will Easton step up to the plate to see if what they have could go anywhere? Or will he take off just like he always does when his assignments are over? 

While I loved the banter and friendship between Lani and Easton, I had a hard time believing they would have a forever happily ever after. The chemistry seemed to be lacking to me. I would have liked to see more of them together as a couple rather than the self discovery that they both needed to go through. A balance between the two was missing for me. 

This series has really taken off with a lot of my bookworm buddies and I will definitely be checking out more books. I have already purchased a couple of them.. just got to find the time to read them. ;) 

And of course I can't forget my casting! These two pretty much jumped out to me from the beginning. What do you think?! ;) 


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