Hawaiian Gothic

Jan 19, 2013 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, erotic-romance, lgbt, paranormal

Gregorio “Ori” Reyes and Kalani Lihilihi have known each other since childhood. Although they were always very close, Ori left home to serve in the Iraq war before either man had a chance to explore the strong feelings growing between them.

A vicious hate crime leaves Kalani’s body comatose in the hospital while his spirit wanders freely. Ori was dishonorably discharged from the military and served some time in prison. He returns to his home in Hawaii, disconsolate and penniless, blaming PTSD fo...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Val Kovalin rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 out of 5.0 stars

Hawaiian Gothic is an amazing read. It’s a true breath of fresh air into our m/m genre. I’ll admit that the book and I turned out to have one of those lucky almost-across-the-board matchups between a reader’s interests and a novel’s themes:

I mean, mixed martial arts? (I’m a more of a die-hard "Golden Age of Boxing" fan -- as in Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Leonard, and Duran -- but, yeah, why not? Bring it on!)

Hawaii? (One of the most beautiful places on earth.)

Filipino-American...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Simsala*is getting slow* added it

Shelves: m-m, fantasy

This was a disaster waiting to happen but silly me ignored the red flags....

My fault - and Val`s of course! Her review here...

Shiny new book, a five star review from a trusted reviewer that made it sound like Hawaiian Gothic is the book of the year (yes, why not, maybe...if you like that kind of stuff....*coughs*).....and curiosity killed the cat...!

I should have been warned - red flags the size of a high-rise!
-"Gothic"...if in literature, in a movie or in fashion usually means something dark an...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Emme rated it 5 of 5 stars

The title of Violetta Vane and Heidi Belleau 's new novel may first conjure up images of leis and scowly-faced tiki gods , but Hawaiian Gothic is not a book of kitschy pop culture design or the stereotypes that immediately come to mind when one thinks of a story with a Hawaiian backdrop. And no, I wasn't expecting a light-hearted, laid-back tale of two guys who fall in love while hanging ten-- any self-respecting English major knows that "gothic lit" means something very different than common no...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Reviewed for Joyfully Jay.

Rating: 4.5 to 5 stars

Gregorio “Ori” Reyes has just arrived home in Hawaii after doing time in Leavenworth and given a dishonorable discharge from the Army for his crime. In disgrace with his military oriented family and with dwindling funds in his pocket, Ori has come home for only one reason. Kalani, his boyhood friend, the reason he joined the Army and the only man he has ever loved. Thoughts of Kalani were his constant companions in Iraq and his images haunted Ori’s...more Reviewed for Joyfully Jay.

Rating: 4.5 to 5 stars

Gregorio “Ori” Reyes has just arrived home in Hawaii after doing time in Leavenworth and given a dishonorable discharge from the Army for his crime. In disgrace with his military oriented family and with dwindling funds in his pocket, Ori has come home for only one reason. Kalani, his boyhood friend, the reason he joined the Army and the only man he has ever loved. Thoughts of Kalani were his constant companions in Iraq and his images haunted Ori’s nights in Leavenworth. Everywhere Ori looks Kalani appears, which is crazy. Because Kalani is lying comatose in a hospital bed on Honolulu. Kalani had been attacked by a gang of men and left for dead while Ori had been in prison. And now feeling guilty and grief stricken, Ori has returned to Kalani too late to tell him how much he loves him. Or so Ori thinks.

After one of his visits to Kalani’s bedside, Ori’s visit to a gay bar ends with him taking a guy home. As things heat up, a loud noise stops the proceedings and Kalani appears. Or actually Kalani’s spirit appears although he feels so very real to Ori. While his broken body remains in the hospital, Kalani visits Ori, the man Kalani has loved even if he wasn’t ready to accept that it was romantic love. Unsure why Kalani is able to physically appear to Ori, neither man wants to question the miracle until Kalani starts getting attacked in the spirit world. Together Ori and Kalani must explore the secrets of Kalani’s past and venture forward into Hawaii’s ghost world to set Kalani free, either to return to his body or join his ancestors in the clouds. Something must be done quickly or Kalani will be condemned to everlasting pain in between.

Hawaiian Gothic is an remarkable story. From the start, authors Belleau and Vane submerge us in the Hawaiian culture beginning with the language of the islands flowing throughout the dialog. It mingles effortlessly as one would expect from a local speaker. Belleau and Vane actually created an Hawaiian Gothic glossary of Native Hawaiian and Hawaiian pidgin terms used in the story. It can be found here. And there’s the locations. The Hawaiian settings are so authentically rendered that I would think that the authors are natives themselves, right down to hidden beaches and non-touristy sites. I almost felt like I had to wipe the sand off my feet at times so complete was my immersion in the islands.

The next outstanding elements in the book are the Hawaiian creationist myths and beliefs that swirled and rolled like the waves of the ocean around all the characters of the story, especially the main ones of Ori and Kalani. Here the Hawaiian myths rise up and become real, able to rip one apart like the flashing teeth of a shark or the mandibles of a caterpillar or sooth like the lomilomi. Before I started this book I was only familiar with one of the Hawaiian creation myths. By the end, I was seeking out more resources so fantastic, so addictive did the Hawaiian gods and stories become. Great job by the authors in seamlessly fusing mythic and contemporary worlds so that both stood on equal footing with the reader as far as realism and tone. The authors almost did too good a job with their descriptions so frightening were the keuwas, Hawaiian dead hungry souls, that the very thought of them lingered on into my nightmares that night.

Belleau and Vane give us great characters to inhabit a great story. Ori is especially believable. He is a former Army Ranger and MMA fighter (that’s mixed martial arts for those of you unfamiliar with the MMA) who has completed two tours of duty in Iraq. He is a victim of PTSD, ashamed of his discharge, isolated from his family. He feels he has little future and helpless, especially with Kalani comotose. He hid his love for Kalani and ran from him rather than force Kalani to face it for what it was -romantic love. It was so easy to empathize with Ori and I became invested in his character early on. Kalani is a little more of a mystery as the book starts and then the reader becomes more familiar with him as Ori’s memories of their shared past surface and you come to love him as much as Ori does. All the secondary characters are as fully realized as Ori and Kalani, giving the story the depth it needs with all its complicated layers of flashbacks, memories and spirit worlds.

So why not give this story 5 stars? Well, it certainly came close and I am still debating the rating even now. But I am still quibbling over two things. One concern is an m/f/m element here that was required for the exposition of a plot point. But for me its extended narrative went on too long and removed us from the main storyline unnecessarily. Plus I know that for some readers any m/m/f or combination thereof is not something they want to see in their m/m fiction. And usually I would agree with them. But I absolutely understood its inclusion by the authors here. My second quibble involves the numerous flashbacks used by the authors to highlight certain elements of their story. Did it work well in most instances? Yes. Most of the time it was a satisfactory method to better understand the main characters pov and history. But then its continued use and varied time frames (1988, 2004, 2010, 2009, etc) started to become a little irritating and less effective, distracting rather than contributing to a captivating and addictive storyline. And trust me, this is such a great story that nothing should ever divert the reader away from the saga at hand.

So pick up Hawaiian Gothic and visit the islands. Whether you be Malahini or Kama’aina, this story will have you ohana in no time. Make no mistake Hawaiian Gothic is da kine or the best in every way. Aloha!

Cover. I love this cover by artist April Martinez. Its beautiful from its model to Hawaiian cloth. Perfect for the story.
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Sep 19, 2012 Gwen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: alphabet-soup, the-light-and-dark-fantastic

Rather surreal, but that may have been from all of the time jumping and my unfamiliarity with Hawaiian legend. Felt more like watching a movie than reading a book, although I don't think I'd call it cinematic. It's still a good story, and I probably would have enjoyed it even more if the POV hadn't been so limited. I liked the characters, even if Ori comes across as a bit whiny for my tastes. Kalani's a treat though, and I like his strength. And of course I liked the ending, and I actually would...more

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May 27, 2013 Elisa Ramblings added it

This novel reminded me of a very nice movie, Undertow, with a tragic ending, and so I was reading it teetering on the edge of fear, wanting to like these characters but afraid of what would be of them. Lucky for me, this is a romance, and of course, although non-conventional and not even totally rounded, there was a some sort of happily ever after for them.

Ori is finally coming back home, but unfortunately his childhood friend, and unrequited love, Kalani, is not waiting for him, or at least, no...more This novel reminded me of a very nice movie, Undertow, with a tragic ending, and so I was reading it teetering on the edge of fear, wanting to like these characters but afraid of what would be of them. Lucky for me, this is a romance, and of course, although non-conventional and not even totally rounded, there was a some sort of happily ever after for them.

Ori is finally coming back home, but unfortunately his childhood friend, and unrequited love, Kalani, is not waiting for him, or at least, not in a way Ori is happy to acknowledge. Kalani is in coma, according to the doctors it’s irreversible, and Kalani’s foster mother is asking Ori’s consent to detach the machines maintaining his body alive. When Kalani was attacked, Ori tried to come back home as soon as possible, but instead he ended up doing 1 year of prison for attacking his superior officer. Now one year later, Kalani’s situation didn’t change, and basically they are waiting only for Ori to have the chance to say goodbye. But the same night, Kalani’s spirit appears to Ori, and he is very much alive. Both Kalani than Ori know Kalani’s body is dying, and basically Kalani is asking Ori to let it go, but Ori thinks that, if he will be able to solve a mystery in Kalani’s past, that will allow his spirit to find peace. But finding peace will mean that Kalani will really go forever, in a place where Ori and him will not have the chance to be finally together, unless Ori doesn’t follow him there too.

Hawaiian’s tradition are quite complex, and they are a mix of religion and myth. What I always find in these novels is the feeling that the admixture between them is so strong that paranormal becomes almost ordinary, seeing spirits is exceptional but not extraordinaire, and to someone like Ori, after the first surprise, is natural to accept Kalani is real and in need of his help. Ori and Kalani’s relationship, before and after Kalani’s accident, is bittersweet, already marked by tragedy, even before they were born.

This is not an easy novel, the plot is complex, made even more that by the different flashback not in chronological order, and at one point we even go back before Ori and Kalani were born, to a totally different pair who perhaps share the same forbidden love. More than paranormal, Hawaiian Gothic is spiritual, new age, mystic; if you like all these you will love it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008ENPBQI/?...(less)

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Apr 10, 2013 ARe Cafe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vals-picks

Hawaiian Gothic by Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane is another strikingly original story in the gay romance genre. It may pose a challenge for traditionalists in that it does not offer a linear story structure that allows you to spend time on the evolution of the heroes’ romantic relationship. Instead, you get numerous short flashbacks interspersed through the present that illustrate our hero’s seemingly one-sided attraction to his best friend. But the shifts in time are clearly labeled and easy...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Jaya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: good, slashreaders

SlashReader: I think what struck me the most was the originality in the idea behind this story. I loved the blending of Hawaiian mythology with the modern world. I liked the fact that this ghost story was a combination of so many ideas and culture. I think for me that was the most exciting part about reading this book was to see how all the different elements would play together.

Belleau and Vane have a way of bringing the world they choose to work in directly into focus. There is a feeling of re...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Merrian rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love the voice that these authors bring to their work. It is deeply human and lyrical. Even when writing about dark things and the supernatural there is a care for Ori and Kalani as suffering people. They are not merely characters whose lives are lived for the vicarious thrill of the reader.
Hawaiian Gothic is lushly beautiful like the place and is framed by Ori’s grief and fear for Kalani; it is driven by his horror and helplessness and his memories of the Kalani he loves. The importance of me...more I love the voice that these authors bring to their work. It is deeply human and lyrical. Even when writing about dark things and the supernatural there is a care for Ori and Kalani as suffering people. They are not merely characters whose lives are lived for the vicarious thrill of the reader.
Hawaiian Gothic is lushly beautiful like the place and is framed by Ori’s grief and fear for Kalani; it is driven by his horror and helplessness and his memories of the Kalani he loves. The importance of memory is a touchstone for this story. It begins with Ori remembering and is resolved in dealing with past events from Kalani’s life. We touch on memory in the supernatural elements of the story as the Goddess notes all those who are being lost because they have no link with their own cultural beginnings.
Ori is unable to think of himself or define himself in anyway except through his relationship with his childhood friend Kalani. Over the years, for him this has become an abiding love, one he was not sure Kalani could accept. This relationship one-sided though it seems, shapes everything about Ori’s life. He left his family and Hawaii and returns with the life he had made in tatters because of this connection with Kalani. Both Ori and Kalani are broken when we first meet them, one at heart and the other in body and it is clear that it is only in coming together and owning that they love each other that this brokenness can possibly be mended. The book is the story of Ori’s heroic quest to save Kalani and the terrible tests they have to meet to find their happiness together.
Kalani doesn’t make a magical, full physical recovery despite the supernatural causes and curing of his curse. Each time Ori and Kalani make love we learn something about them as people and together as a couple. It was hot and beautiful and showed us some of the why they needed and loved each other. The MMA imagery (Ori is an MMA fighter) is skilfully used in the descriptions of them having sex and it seemed to me that Ori talks with his body and knows himself through this body of his. The MMA threads also worked for me as a sort of foreshadowing and as a basis for their future lives together. It showed us that Ori is capable of being the hero he was on the supernatural plane; that what he did wasn’t a fluke but judgement and choice and being good at what he does. Most important for me though was the way it framed Kalani’s slow and limited physical recovery from his injuries and the coma. We had the compare and contrast between Ori’s fighting fitness and Kalani’s state but as Ori says “…The thought dawned on him that Kalani was fighting now too, harder and braver than Ori ever had.” We see them both working just as hard in rehab and training so sharing their bodies in this way as well as in bed (or on the floor). Kalani’s smile may always be uneven but it is his. Kalani and Ori do have what they need in each other. I believe in them together.
There are many flashbacks to different times as Ori’s memories and research trying to understand past events are used to make sense of the awful present. I liked how the book explores the impacts of grief and rage and wrong doing over the generations of a family. I liked Ori’s complicated family who did what they could to help. This makes Hawaiian Gothic a sometimes disjointed journey for the reader, even though understanding the mystery of Kalani’s past is crucial to his survival. The authors have tried to show us rather than tell us about it which is great but left me at times wishing they had more space for the amount of story they were cramming into the pages. The many strengths of this story mean that I rate it at 4 stars. It would be higher but I did struggle with the structure.
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Jun 11, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, fantasy, glbt, legend, m-m-f, m-m-romance, menage, supernatural

There’s nothing I love more, in terms of fiction, than the surprise of a book turning out to be something so much more than I’d expected it would be when I started reading it. Sometimes it’s the characters who are a revelation. Sometimes it’s the story itself. With Hawaiian Gothic it was both, and it was terrific.

Part paranormal fantasy, part legend of the islands, part love story that transcends the boundaries of the earthly plain, this is the story of military veteran Gregorio “Ori” Reyes and...more There’s nothing I love more, in terms of fiction, than the surprise of a book turning out to be something so much more than I’d expected it would be when I started reading it. Sometimes it’s the characters who are a revelation. Sometimes it’s the story itself. With Hawaiian Gothic it was both, and it was terrific.

Part paranormal fantasy, part legend of the islands, part love story that transcends the boundaries of the earthly plain, this is the story of military veteran Gregorio “Ori” Reyes and his painfully poignant relationship with his best friend Kalani Lihilihi, a connection that itself transcends the boundaries of friendship, though the bond was never spoken of nor acted upon until tragedy both separated and then reunited them in the unlikeliest of ways.

Theirs is the story of an accidental curse and the aftermath of a devastating hate crime that left Kalani lying to waste in a hospital bed and left Ori serving a stint in Leavenworth prison, dishonorably discharged for his efforts to return to Kalani’s side.

Ori’s desperate attempts to rescue Kalani from the grip of the powerful bond that tethers him somewhere between dead and alive leads them on a metaphysical journey to an incredible realm where the danger is all too real. It is ultimately a journey where sacrifice becomes the key to escaping the in between and the question becomes on which side Kalani will choose to fall—and whether Ori can let him go.

It is a journey where secrets are revealed, secrets that, for Kalani, are imperative to who he is—or who he believed himself to be. It is a journey of healing, for both Ori and Kalani and for the man who helped them find their way back to each other, a man who finally righted a wrong done to a son paying the price for the sins of the one he called father.

Action, suspense, danger, mythology, fantasy, and the ultimate love-overcoming-all-odds romance transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary in Hawaiian Gothic and placed Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane on my “authors to watch” list. I guarantee I’ll be getting to know their work better in the near future.

TNA (less)

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Jan 17, 2013 Jaimee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, book-boners

Lately, I'm beginning to find that books some folks on GR rate are ALOT lower than they should be. This book, in every way, in every facet of my mind, deserved a five.

There is mythology, yes, but most people understand that Hawaii is known for a bit of folklore (Rocket Power, anyone?). It was to be expected, personally, considering soon on in the book we find that Kalani is not quite human. I was able to immediately connect that fact with the little to no previous knowledge I had about Hawaiian...more Lately, I'm beginning to find that books some folks on GR rate are ALOT lower than they should be. This book, in every way, in every facet of my mind, deserved a five.

There is mythology, yes, but most people understand that Hawaii is known for a bit of folklore (Rocket Power, anyone?). It was to be expected, personally, considering soon on in the book we find that Kalani is not quite human. I was able to immediately connect that fact with the little to no previous knowledge I had about Hawaiian mythology. It didnt MATTER. What mattered, whether you understood it as a reader or not, was that these things were happening and were vital to the story! Our characters took things in stride--characters I couldn't possibly love more--and had TRUE feelings. Most of them being confusion or a general "fuck it" attitude. How many people do we know like that in real life?

My reviews tend to do more yelling at previous reviewers than actually reviewing the book.

All in all, it was excellent. I wish it were part of a series so I could just get more and more of Kalani and Ori, but I also feel it had a solid, believable ending. I was GLAD it ended this way. And it didn't end too fast. The commentary was entirely believable. The medical situations the same. The romance was wholehearted and broke my heart and wrecked my soul and I bawled like a baby because the MISERY in the beginning was flawless. Raw feelings. Your best friend/secret crush on his death bed and he never even knew how you felt?

My goodness. This will be the second averaged 3-rated book I've read in a week and I have rated them both with five stars. Give the authors the credit they deserve, people. This book was written with love and care, flawlessly, elegantly and interestingly. The flashbacks were placed right when things got good, but the understandable chronology had me wanting MORE of the flashback because it gave us MORE Kalani and Ori.

I loved this book. Period. No doubts, no in between, a solid five stars and no second guessing. I suppose five stars to me means differently than it does to other people. But that is the magic of having an opinion right?(less)

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Jun 18, 2012 MandyM rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

A beautifully written, complex story that combines mystery, drama, mysticism and romance. Set in Hawaii, this book tells the tale of Ori, who grew up loving his best friend Kalani. The kind of love he wants is unreturned though, and Ori goes away to war in Iraq. After serving a few years he finds out Kalani has been viciously attacked and is near death. Distraught, he strikes a superior officer and is imprisoned for a year before being given a dishonourable discharge. All this time Kalani has be...more A beautifully written, complex story that combines mystery, drama, mysticism and romance. Set in Hawaii, this book tells the tale of Ori, who grew up loving his best friend Kalani. The kind of love he wants is unreturned though, and Ori goes away to war in Iraq. After serving a few years he finds out Kalani has been viciously attacked and is near death. Distraught, he strikes a superior officer and is imprisoned for a year before being given a dishonourable discharge. All this time Kalani has been lying in a coma in a Hawaiian hospital.

The book actually starts when Ori arrives home from prison and goes to see Kalani in hospital for the first time. We learn most of the above background from flashbacks. To delay Kalani's family from turning off his life support Ori decides to investigate the dark secrets behind Kalani's parentage and is drawn into a mystery that quickly becomes a supernatural nightmare.

I love the title of the book. For me its 'Gothic-ness' is in the underlying dread and urgency which follows Ori as he sets out on his near impossible task to bring Kalani back to life. The setting of Hawaii provides a humid, ominous background and Ori's task is threatened by frequent violent flashbacks of his military life. The sex scenes are very erotic yet written with gorgeous poetical prose.

There were plenty of flashbacks which is a writing device that I'm not too fond of usually. But the authors kept these brief and they really were necessary to the illumination of Ori and Kalani's relationship and the resolution of the plot. However a couple of scenes were missing for me. (view spoiler)

The writing is definitely a cut above the usual m/m fare and it's hard to choose any particular quote but I really liked this passage:

"Kalani yelled a wordless challenge out to the open ocean - to hear his own voice above the roar, maybe. Then he let himself fall and tumble into a wave, vanishing as it dragged him outward. Ori followed. I'd follow him anywhere, he thought, as water filled his ears and wrapped him in silence.

He kicked out. Noise returned. Quiet rumbling, faint pinging, the thud of his own heart. A solid collision, though softer than stone: Kalani's forearm. They held each other again. Found their footing together in neck-deep water, dragging their feet over sand instead of stone. The mild undertow tugged at Ori's calves, trying to pull his feet out from under him, so he compensated against Kalani, and they whirled together like dancers."

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Sep 14, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica

Things I liked:
--I liked both main characters, which is a big compliment because so often I don't
--I believed in their love
--the ending before the epilogue (which was a fine epilogue) but I preferred the less than picture-perfect scene painted before

Things I was mixed on:
--the story was muddled with too much going on all at once. Part detective story, part family drama, part coming out, part military, part surfing, part wrestling, part unrequited, part childhood memories, part parents' stories,...more Things I liked:
--I liked both main characters, which is a big compliment because so often I don't
--I believed in their love
--the ending before the epilogue (which was a fine epilogue) but I preferred the less than picture-perfect scene painted before

Things I was mixed on:
--the story was muddled with too much going on all at once. Part detective story, part family drama, part coming out, part military, part surfing, part wrestling, part unrequited, part childhood memories, part parents' stories, part flashbacks, part Hawaiian, part paranormal, part ghosts, part gods and goddesses, part creation stories, part sex, part everything under the sun thrown into a big bowl and stirred liberally. The reason I'm mixed on it, though, is that for all the ingredients thrown into this pot, they didn't fail at it utterly, and that was pretty impressive. But, on the down side, I often found myself thinking, "I signed up for m/m romance/erotica with this and I feel like I'm in another realm of confusing altogether."
--the paranormal aspect. The story reminded me of the movie Dusk Til Dawn in a way. (Which isn't a bad thing, because that's one of my favorite movies, but it's not necessarily a compliment either.) The story starts out very solidly placed in a kind of angsty, hopeless reality, and then it suddenly shifts to paranormal, and the second half, (which I admit to mainly skimming because all of the endless, tangled description of this 'other reality' or 'between world' state really kind of bored me and I mainly just wanted to get to the ending) just goes full on PARANORMAL YO, and it's like that whiplash of Dusk Til Dawn where you're like, "Vampires?? WHAT?" But, like I said, I'm mixed on this. I'm not sure that's a *bad* thing, necessarily. [ETA: I should clarify that there are vampires in the movie, not in this book. Sorry if that was unclear.]

All in all there was nothing I actively disliked in the entire thing. So, I liked it. At the same time, I was eager for it to just go ahead and end. There wasn't any sense of wishing to linger and that was disappointing.

Wait, I did dislike something, but only because I didn't buy it emotionally between the characters, and that was the amount of wrestling sex they had. I got the impression that the authors had watched a lot of that wrestling porn, you know the ones where the guys wrestle and whoever wins gets to fuck the other one? Which, dude, that's hot stuff, I get it, but I also get that these characters were in a super vulnerable place and I just couldn't buy into the wrestle sex, even with all the machismo going down between them.

If I could give half stars, I'd give it 3.5. I think these two writers are talented and that this book was interested (if muddled) and I think it's worth reading for various reasons. (less)

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Jun 24, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars
This was an unusual story. One tough to categorize. It's a love story and a ghost story. It's about loyalty and sacrifice, yearning and hope. It's got mystery, mythology, emotion and sensuality. I'm not sure I've read anything quite like it.

As the story begins, Ori is on his way back home to Hawaii after spending the past three years in the army and in military prison. He's been dishonorably discharged and has no idea what he is going to do with his future. The only thing he knows for s...more 3.5 Stars
This was an unusual story. One tough to categorize. It's a love story and a ghost story. It's about loyalty and sacrifice, yearning and hope. It's got mystery, mythology, emotion and sensuality. I'm not sure I've read anything quite like it.

As the story begins, Ori is on his way back home to Hawaii after spending the past three years in the army and in military prison. He's been dishonorably discharged and has no idea what he is going to do with his future. The only thing he knows for sure is that he needs to get back to Kalani. He wasn't there when his best friend needed him most --when he was jumped and beaten into a coma. Now the doctors are ready to give up. But Ori is holding on to hope for a miracle.

Ori has been in love with Kalani almost his entire life, but never believed his feelings could be returned. It seems even more hopeless once he sees his friend's lifeless eyes and wasted body. Everything changes, though, when he is visited by Kalini's spirit. He finds out that Kalini returns his feelings and for the first time, they can express their love. Unfortunately, Kalini doesn't think he'll ever be able to return to his body. That sends Ori on a quest to find a spiritual way to help his lover return to the land of the living.

The beginning of the book is emotionally heavy. Then it grows sexy. But then it gets really wrapped up in Hawaiian mythology. It's a really important element of the book, but one of the things I liked about it the least. Maybe it's my lack familiarity with the culture, but I just didn't connect with what was happening in the spiritual plane... at least not to the great degree it was explored in the second half. There was also a lot of time jumping which I found hard to follow at some points. The flashbacks were frequent and didn't follow a strict chronology. I didn't exactly get lost, but there were times they felt disjointed, even as the past helped unravel the mysteries of the present.

What I did really like was the relationship between Ori and Kalani. The love between them was palpable. Their sex scenes were steamy, but they clearly sprang from deep and true emotions. It was worth it for me to hang on through their metaphysical journey to see how their love story would end.

Rating: C+

*Book provided by author for review(less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, romance, review-copy, queer, contemporary

Stars: 4.5/5

Overall
A wonderfully refreshing story that breaks out of the mold of standard romance while still keeping one foot in the contemporary. Although Hawaiian mythos is heavily used, the authors did an excellent job of providing the reader with the necessary information and keeping the reader comfortable--if not knowledgeable--with what is happening. A mix of a heart-breaking plot, an innovative setting and hobbies, and realistic characters makes this definitely worth a read, especially f...more Stars: 4.5/5

Overall
A wonderfully refreshing story that breaks out of the mold of standard romance while still keeping one foot in the contemporary. Although Hawaiian mythos is heavily used, the authors did an excellent job of providing the reader with the necessary information and keeping the reader comfortable--if not knowledgeable--with what is happening. A mix of a heart-breaking plot, an innovative setting and hobbies, and realistic characters makes this definitely worth a read, especially for fans of mythology.

Review
Before I rave about this story, the one "negative": a fair amount of sex. Most people probably won't be distracted (well, disheartened) by the several sex scenes, but I was--although in thinking back, I'm not sure there were actually that many sex scenes. It was just one of those instances where the story and plot were so good that I didn't want to be interrupted by delicious, tender, rough ghost sex! I wanted to know what was going to happen!

Sounds pretty ridiculous in retrospect. Anyway, I wanted The Story so badly that the necessity of the emotional and physical development of the main characters' relationship seemed almost secondary. Much of the development happens through flashbacks, providing an idea of where they come from and how they got to the point in their relationship that they are. Speaking of which, readers who get bothered by flashbacks that interrupt the flow of the story may have some issue here, but I found them interesting, even if I did want to get back to The Story (Noticing a theme?).

This is a great exploration of Hawaiian mythology as viewed by a somewhat outsider, which keeps the text from becoming too overloaded with references that the reader won't get but without treating the reader like an idiot, either. I wasn't sure what to expect from the blurb, but I was pleasantly surprised. It felt like a journey that Joseph Campbell would be happy to read as the hero faces great challenges and overcomes difficulty.

There was depth of character, a twisty plot, tough decisions, and ultimately a satisfying ending, which I won't say much about, since the ending isn't really determined until the final pages. The journey was fantastic, and I loved discovering everything along with the narrator. There are so many ways a story like this could go wrong, but it was masterfully crafted into a compelling tale of ghosts and monsters.

Received this book for review.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 G.B. Gordon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 23, 2012 Cecile rated it 4 of 5 stars

I obtained this bookfor my honest thoughts.... And this is a m/m loving book, so if this is not your cup of tea, please know you will not hurt my feelings...Just stop by to say hi!

I am having a little trouble with my review because as much as I intrigued with this story and it's characters... I had a hard time with the going back and forth of the time line. I should let you know that those kind of stories are not my favorite.... It is just not my reading preference. I do not want to scare you aw...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Madison rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really, really loved this book.

I'm not a romantic, so when this little novel popped up, promising Hawaiian Gothic... hello nurse! And hot men, and adventure? I'm sold.

HG is firmly set in urban fantasy-land while also being properly being anchored in reality, and Hawaii no less! I don't think I've ever read a book set in Hawaii and it's a state I know the bare minimum about (save from one or two eps of the new Hawaii Five-O...yeah.). It's got your less-than-dashing hero who will do his damnde...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Helyce rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: light-pnr, mm-pnr-romance, reviewed-for-smexybooks

Reviewed for Smexybooks.com

This is the story of Ori and Kalani, childhood best friends. Ori knows he’s in love with Kalani but believes that Kalani can never feel the same way about him. So he joins the Army and spends about three years away from home. In that time, he’s dishonorably discharged for punching an officer and spends a year in jail. When Ori learns that Kalani was attacked, beaten and left for dead, he decides to return to Hawaii. Coming home is not easy for Ori. He feels he’s disgra...more Reviewed for Smexybooks.com

This is the story of Ori and Kalani, childhood best friends. Ori knows he’s in love with Kalani but believes that Kalani can never feel the same way about him. So he joins the Army and spends about three years away from home. In that time, he’s dishonorably discharged for punching an officer and spends a year in jail. When Ori learns that Kalani was attacked, beaten and left for dead, he decides to return to Hawaii. Coming home is not easy for Ori. He feels he’s disgraced his family-a family with a strong military background. He feels incredible guilt for not being there for Kalani when he needed him most. When Ori first sees Kalani in the hospital he’s devastated. His beautiful Kalani, bedridden, his skin ashen, nothing like the man he remembered. He is saddened that he never had to courage to tell Kalani exactly how he felt.

Kalani’s body may be damaged and broken, but his spirit is alive and well and when he comes to Ori he finds that his spirit can take corporeal form, but only with or for Ori. Ori realizes that he has a second chance to tell Kalani how he feels and express his feelings for Kalani physically. Kalani wants Ori to discover the secrets of his family as they may explain why Kalani’s life was so cursed. Ori will need to dig into Kalani’s past to see when, who and why the curse was placed and if Ori is able to survive the journey, perhaps they will finally have the truth Kalani longs for.

I really don’t know what to make of this book. I struggled with it, but I was determined to finish it as I had to know how it ended. Initially I was drawn to the book because it takes place in Hawaii. As I grew up there and am part Hawaiian myself, I really wanted to see the author’s take on Hawaiian Mythology. Like anything, mythology is really left wide open to interpretation, and I am certainly no expert on Hawaiian Mythology just because I grew up there. I was really looking forward to it in this book; sadly, it was probably my least favorite part.

The first part of this book is really sad as Kalani’s family struggles with the decision to keep Kalani on life support or pull the plug. Ori is adamant that they wait, he’s not ready to say goodbye. When Kalani’s spirit first comes to him Ori realizes that he has a second chance to say all that he’s ever wanted to say to Kalani. As they talk and reminisce, Kalani realizes that he has so many questions that need to be answered and he tasks Ori with finding them. Ori will do anything for Kalani. As he starts digging into Kalani’s parent’s past, he realizes that there was so much more to the story than even Kalani may have known. Determined to see this through, Ori takes a journey through the ghostworld where he will learn the truth about Kalani’s parents and their deaths.

I liked Ori and Kalani together. Their scenes are beautifully done and heartbreaking at the same time. It’s a second chance love story of two people who should be together, though circumstances kept them apart. It made me wonder how different both their lives would have been if either one of them had just been honest and had admitted their feelings for each. The intense longing they have for each other comes through strongly and is well done.

I really had a hard time with the fact that the story is told primarily in flashbacks and flash-forwards. The back and forth used here to give background and history while moving the story forward was incredibly frustrating at times and made me have to work for the story. It just didn’t flow smoothly for me and I often had to look back to see if I was in the past or present.

Lastly, the whole ghost world portion of Ori’s journey to find the truth of Kalani’s parents just didn’t work for me. It felt a bit drawn out and I persevered only to learn the final truth and see if the journey Ori took would have a positive result where Kalani was concerned. I was pleased with the ending, and the fact that Kalani and Ori did get their HEA but I felt somewhat disconnected throughout the whole read. This one just was not for me.(less)

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Jun 17, 2012 Becky Mrs Condit Reads Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is not a romance but it is very erotic. Ori and Kalani take a journey into the netherworld of Hawaiian culture and mythology together and separately.
This is the tale of a nightmare that isn’t a horror story but rather a revelation. I enjoyed the story very much but because the timeline is far from linear it isn’t an easy read. Take the time to savor this book and you will be rewarded with a very satisfying epilogue. And by the way, for those who judge a book by its cover, is this not one o...more

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Sep 09, 2012 DarienMoya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, asian-buffet, best-friends-getting-dirty, interracial-love, my-m-m-lovin, otherness, release-2012, serious-stuff, tag-teaming-authors, pants-off-reviews

4.5

I am going to honestly write, that I do not have the freaking words to describe this book. I am huge fan of horror and crazy, since my mom had me watching Twilight Zone at four. The book isn’t scary in a ‘there’s a boogeyman in the closet’. The fear lies within the risks one is willing to take for the person they love, because sometimes it can be bad things, it can be good things, and it can be great things.

With Hawaiian Gothic, there is greatness in this love story. Kind of fucking unbeliev...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Bobbi Cinaede rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay, romance, bizarre

Such a beautifully strange story we have in Hawaiian Gothic - a cross-cultural, coming-out, romantic ghost-story. Weave all those threads together, and what you really have is a classic quest tale, one in which friends must brave unknown terrors and unimaginable odds in order to not only save a life, but realize a long-suppressed love.

I took this one on for a review because I was attracted to the couple at the heart of it, Ori and Kalani, a mixed martial artist (turned disgraced soldier) and his...more Such a beautifully strange story we have in Hawaiian Gothic - a cross-cultural, coming-out, romantic ghost-story. Weave all those threads together, and what you really have is a classic quest tale, one in which friends must brave unknown terrors and unimaginable odds in order to not only save a life, but realize a long-suppressed love.

I took this one on for a review because I was attracted to the couple at the heart of it, Ori and Kalani, a mixed martial artist (turned disgraced soldier) and his boyhood best friend, with the soldier actually being the one placed in peril. I was fascinated by the potential there, and the romantic possibilities presented by the spiritual element. What I did not expect was to be so engaged by the the ghost-story at its heart or the cultural elements of the tale.

The first half of the story is actually pretty straight-forward, a bittersweet tale of unrequited love and the healing power of friendship. I found myself being lulled into the rhythm and cadence of the words, almost hypnotized by the telling. The darkness was there, but more hinted at and alluded to, giving the reader time to really connect with the characters before things get crazy.

And get crazy they do!

When the story takes its dark turn, with a journey to the Hawaiian spirit world, complete with all the monsters, tests, trials, and tribulations of a proper quest . . . all wrapped up in a gloriously gothic package that manages to be both familiar and completely original . . . well, that is when the fun starts. There were aspects of the tale that truly creeped me out. It felt strange to be so unsettled by the darkness of a tale set amid the sunshine and sandy beaches of Hawaii, and it is that unexpected contrast that I think makes the story work so well. The use of flashbacks adds to the feeling of being unsettled, taking us in and out of the story, but they work well to add some structure, even as the illuminate the background story.

It takes a while before anything physical develops between Ori and Kalani, and I will not spoil the how's and why's of it (other than to say I have never been so intensely aroused by a wrestling match), but their relationships ends up being one of the most touching, sincere, and satisfying couplings I have ever encountered on the page.

For those who find themselves similarly unsettled by the strange change of pace/theme mid-way through, I urge you to stick with it. This is probably one of the more emotionally challenging romances I have read in a very long time, but once the pieces all come together and you see what Heidi and Violetta have crafted, you will be glad you stuck around for the happily-ever-after.

As published on Bending the Bookshelf(less)

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Jul 16, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Susan by: Nancy

Shelves: mm-read, z-2012

This is a story that turned out to be a lot more complex than it first appeared. We enter the story at a point where Ori has returned to Hawaii as his best friend, Kalani, lies in a coma, victim of an horrific hate crime. The story is told in the present and through a series of flashbacks and very cleverly, things in the present become clearer as important parts of the past are revealed. Ori and Kalani have always been incredibly close but have never revealed their deepest feelings to each other...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Indigo marked it as never-to-buy-or-read

1) because of a no-rating by a friend, a non-native language as I.
2) because of a review stating BDSM and horror mixed with dark/urban fantasy, that too much genre for me, I am a simple girl.
3) because to read two so far apart reviews means to hate or to adore and I am a strictly no reader of manicheism in fiction
4) I do not exclude changing my mind in the future... when I am finished reading all the book on stand-by in my virtual and physical libraries and possibly public libraries also.

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Jun 11, 2013 D. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this because it sounded ridiculous but it was way better than I thought it was going to be.

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May 12, 2012 Carolyn Gray rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gbltq-fiction

No, this book is not yet out, but yes, I have read it. I am not one of those time-traveler reviewers, I promise!

Will add more later.

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Feb 08, 2013 Snowtulip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, m-m, sports, soldiers

3.5

This was such a creative and unique story with two lovable characters. Ori and Kalani were just made for each other and I really wanted to see more of their "present" life. The flashbacks and backstory did throw me out of the story a few times. These are both new authors for me and I look forward to reading their other worksl

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May 24, 2012 Heidi Belleau added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: publications

Want a taste? Check out an excerpt!

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Jul 19, 2012 Lady*M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, m-m-romance, paranormal

4.5 stars

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Hawaiian Gothic - now available at Barnes & Noble and Fictionwise	1	2	Jul 03, 2012 05:14pm
Hawaiian Gothic Full Release - up on Amazon and ARE (plus giveaway)	1	1	Jun 28, 2012 07:10am
Hawaiian Gothic Blog Tour	3	6	Jun 25, 2012 07:44am

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