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Romancing America
Hawaiian Dreams
Escape to the Aloha State, where three women meet their matches. After being jilted, Ashley Bancroft moves to Hawaii for her new job with author Anthony Adler. Then suddenly her ex-fiancé reappears. To whom will she give her forever kind of love? Marnie Jordan is suffering from amnesia. Will her husband Jeff find a way to regain his rightful place beside her? Kayli Akimo isn’t looking for a man, yet finds two of them vying for her affection. Who will win her love? Can God untangle these affairs of the heart?
368 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
3 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 6, 2016
Several times I wanted to stop reading but the high praise on here made me push through to the end. I was thankful that at least the last story involved Hawaiian natives rather than haoles (white foreigners) but I was hoping for more stories from actual Hawaiians.
Sometimes the characters do things that just don't make sense. The inappropriateness of Ashley getting romantically involved with her employer was never addressed nor considered.
There are several simple things the author gets wrong about Hawai'i and I wish she had sent a draft to someone more familiar with the islands. For example, jet lag from traveling to Hawai'i from the east causes a person to wake up early, not sleep in.
My other complaint is that the stories are too similar. All her men crack their knuckles when they're pensive and all the couples believe that abstinence from alcohol is integral to Christianity.
I donated my copy.
Sometimes the characters do things that just don't make sense. The inappropriateness of Ashley getting romantically involved with her employer was never addressed nor considered.
There are several simple things the author gets wrong about Hawai'i and I wish she had sent a draft to someone more familiar with the islands. For example, jet lag from traveling to Hawai'i from the east causes a person to wake up early, not sleep in.
My other complaint is that the stories are too similar. All her men crack their knuckles when they're pensive and all the couples believe that abstinence from alcohol is integral to Christianity.
I donated my copy.
September 30, 2016
I loved this book. The last story is my favorite. I love that the aunt and niece found love at the same time. I kinda figured out the Rick was a bad apple when he went crazy on her at the hospital. I had a feeling that he was going to burn something. It was a really good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2013
All three books were really good but the first and last ones were better. The girl in the middle one got kind of babyish at times but I loved the ending!! ;)
December 31, 2025
Sweet Joy of My Life was the only one I enjoyed a bit.
May 12, 2012
The lush, tropical scenery, gorgeous sunsets, and crystal blue ocean of Hawaii play a big part in this trilogy of romances. God’s hand guides the romances of three modern women in Hawaiian Dreams.
“By the Beckoning Sea” finds Ashley literally left at the altar by her fiancé, who is also her boss. When she goes on the cruise that was to be their honeymoon, she meets a famous author who hires her to work for him in Hawaii. Later, when her ex-fiancé declares he still loves her and wants to reconcile, Ashley must choose between her two suitors, her new boss or her old boss.
In “To Love a Gentle Stranger,” a young missionary student couple has been married only six months when they are involved in a serious car accident. Both Jeff and Marnie are injured, but Marnie suffers a coma and brain injury which causes memory loss. She does not remember Jeff at all, or their earlier mission trips. Jeff undertakes honoring his wedding vows to love and care for Marnie “in sickness” and to attempt to have her fall in love with him for the second time.
Kayli and the aunt who raised her are building their dream house in Hawaii. Kaylee is an artist, and she and her aunt have hired father and son architects to design and build their house. Her aunt falls in love with the father and Kayli is falling for Jay, his son. When there is an electrical fire in Kayli’s art gallery, she meets Rick, a tall, handsome firefighter who is immediately taken with Kayli. Rick is a bold adventurer, while Jay is a cautious, detail man. Will Kayli be smitten with the firefighter or the architect in “Sweet Joy of My Life?”
“By the Beckoning Sea” finds Ashley literally left at the altar by her fiancé, who is also her boss. When she goes on the cruise that was to be their honeymoon, she meets a famous author who hires her to work for him in Hawaii. Later, when her ex-fiancé declares he still loves her and wants to reconcile, Ashley must choose between her two suitors, her new boss or her old boss.
In “To Love a Gentle Stranger,” a young missionary student couple has been married only six months when they are involved in a serious car accident. Both Jeff and Marnie are injured, but Marnie suffers a coma and brain injury which causes memory loss. She does not remember Jeff at all, or their earlier mission trips. Jeff undertakes honoring his wedding vows to love and care for Marnie “in sickness” and to attempt to have her fall in love with him for the second time.
Kayli and the aunt who raised her are building their dream house in Hawaii. Kaylee is an artist, and she and her aunt have hired father and son architects to design and build their house. Her aunt falls in love with the father and Kayli is falling for Jay, his son. When there is an electrical fire in Kayli’s art gallery, she meets Rick, a tall, handsome firefighter who is immediately taken with Kayli. Rick is a bold adventurer, while Jay is a cautious, detail man. Will Kayli be smitten with the firefighter or the architect in “Sweet Joy of My Life?”
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews