Maui Magic, contemporary romance short story (Romance in Paradise Novella Book 1)

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Open Preview See a Problem? Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. The wedding of the season. Twelve days to pull it off. What could possibly go wrong? Happily Ever After 1. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Happily Ever After , please sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Apr 29, Elle's Book Blog rated it it was amazing Shelves: Its a light and fast read only about pages , light on the dramatics, and totally adorable. I definitely recommend this one!

This is a new author for me but will definitely be picking up the second book in the series. Each book features a different BFF. How cute is that?? Jan 20, TeriLyn rated it liked it Shelves: That's what this story was for me. It was nice to just sit down and indulge in a good ol' happy love story.

The friendships and camaraderie of these characters are composed of loyalty based in vast histories and the main characters of the story are intriguing because of their friendship. Austin Noble, a playboy extraordinaire, and Everly Vaughn, neurotic wedding planner, make quite the pair in this zany friends to lovers romance.

Everly isn't convinced his ways have changed though as the two dance around their history while together working to pull off Lucky's wedding. Some hilariously outrageous laugh out loud moments happened between not only Austin and Everly but with all the girls together. It was fun to experience the friendship moments. Meyers writes to give her reader a fun story. I thoroughly enjoyed the fast pace of the story and the overall theme of friendship.

There were parts when Everly's musings and thoughts drove me crazy as Austin was doling out charm only for her and proving he was stepping up his game. Her lack of admittance of her feelings toward Austin at times felt too cliche as it drove the plot for a great portion of the book and I wanted a major break through. Overall, if you're looking for a fast and fun romance with characters who will endear themselves to you try Happily Ever After. It's the first book in a series of stand alone novels to come.

To learn a little more about the history of the two main characters check out the prequel novella, Happily Ever Now. View all 4 comments. Jan 17, Lola rated it really liked it Shelves: I received a copy in exchange for an honest review After reading the prequel novella I was really excited for book one in this series and it definitely didn't disappoint.

Happily Ever After is a cute, sweet and light hearted romance novel that deals with a few more serious topics as well, but still manages to keep a happy and light feel overall. One of my favourite things was the writing style and the inner dialogue of Ever, it felt realistic and natural and I really liked the way the story was w I received a copy in exchange for an honest review After reading the prequel novella I was really excited for book one in this series and it definitely didn't disappoint. One of my favourite things was the writing style and the inner dialogue of Ever, it felt realistic and natural and I really liked the way the story was written.

It felt like I was right alongside her as she freaked out, landed herself in another mess or was thinking what to do about the hot guy she has a crush on. I did predict the small plot twist in this book, but I didn't mind that too much. I mentioned in my review of the prequel that I wanted to get to know all the characters more and this book definitely delivered that. While the focus is on Ever as this is her story, there's also a lot we learn about the other 5 friends and I loved getting to know them better. Each of them has their own personality and it became easier to remember who was who.

They all have their own quirks and I am looking forward to read their stories! And the one's who's story I am most curious about will be the main character of the next book, so that made my day! I loved spending time with this awesome group of friends, getting a feel for everyone's personality and seeing Ever find her happily ever after at the same time.

Ever was a character I could easily relate to, she's a planner like me and while she plans weddings and I plan online blog tours, I did understand her passion for planning and seeing an event she planned come together. Ever was a great character and I really liked her. Although whew I wish she had the chance to take a break sometimes as she's really busy in this book planning the wedding for one of her best friends and falling in love next to that. I did like how she was honest, cared for her friends and worked hard. The romance was great too!

I loved Austin and Ever together. There are some really sweet and even some hot scenes and it was fun to see them spend some time together and trying to figure out how to go further after what happened a few months ago. I liked that there wasn't much if any angst and the romance felt very realistic. Their relationships had some bumps and it takes them some time to figure out what they want, but the romance moved along at a natural pace.

There's also a scene later in the book where Austin does something really thoughtful for Ever and in that moment I knew those two were great for each other. It's a friend to lovers romance, which is one of my favourite tropes and it's obvious Ever and Austin have known each other for a long time and they have a strong connection because of that. They know and understand each other and that formed a solid basis for their romance as well. This was such a fun and sweet romantic story.

The writing style was great and I had a lot of fun reading this book. The series follows a great group of friends and while this is Ever her story, we also get a feel for all her friends and their personalities and I can't wait to read their stories! I could easily relate to Ever as we're both planners. The romance was a low angst friends to lovers romance and I really liked Austin and Ever together.

I appreciated there wasn't any angst and how the romance developed felt natural and realistic. All in all I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the rest of this series! Feb 17, K. In the interests of full disclosure, I beta read this for Jen, but that doesn't change the fact that it's pretty damned great.

Contemporary romance books aren't really my thing, as I said when I reviewed the prequel, but these characters are so fun and there were so many moments that made me laugh out loud that I couldn't help but love it. Yes, it's sort of cheesy and predictable. But it's also stupidly cute and thoroughly enjoyable, and I'm pretty damned excited to get my grubby little hands on In the interests of full disclosure, I beta read this for Jen, but that doesn't change the fact that it's pretty damned great.

But it's also stupidly cute and thoroughly enjoyable, and I'm pretty damned excited to get my grubby little hands on the next book in the series, because I can't wait to read Willow's story. Feb 05, Eileen Souza rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book was like being swept away by a magical daydream! From the perspective of the hard working and successful Everly, an up and coming wedding planner, who do to circumstances she could not control, needs to plan her best friend's and major socialite wedding - the event of the year. Beaches, wealth, comedy and romance - this quick page turner book is perfect for a dreamy escape!

Nov 27, Brandee un Conventional Bookworms rated it liked it. They mourn her in their own ways.

Wanle, one of my favorites in this collection is about a young woman who raises and trains roosters for cock-fighting. She is part Chinese, Filipino and native Hawaiian. Her boyfriend, Indian, is opposed to what she does with the roosters and dissension arises in their relationship. She is determined to continue with the cock-fighting until she rights some wrongs that she thinks were committed against her dead father.

It is fascinating to see how she soothes her roosters - by humming, singing, cooing, or holding them up to her vocal cords. Despite the violent content of this story, it is beautiful and poetic. On the way, Cameron has to brake for a dog in the middle of the road. The dog is a flea-ridden stray. Their different reactions to this dog change the dynamics of their relationship irrevocably. Thirty-NIne Rules For Making a Hawaiian Funeral Into a Drinking Game is a tongue in cheek drinking guide to a funeral that is both a spoof of, and a poignant look at, the funeral of the narrator's grandmother.

The narrator has moved from Los Angeles to Honolulu one year ago and she is finding her place in her Hawaiian family. Portrait of a Good Father is a fascinating montage of a family in crisis. Sarah and her brother, John-boy, are walking home from school when John-boy gets killed in a hit and run accident. This is a family in deep despair. Not only have Sarah's mother and father lost a son but Sarah's father Keaku has been having an affair with Joon for thirteen years. The family is wrenched apart from all angles and Sarah tries to navigate her life in the wake of her brother's death and her father's disappearance.

The Old Paniolo Way is a brilliant short story. Pili returns to Hawaii as his father lies dying. He has been living as an out gay man in San Francisco and is the owner of a successful marketing firm. He left the island to attend college and except for semi-annual visits, has not returned home. He has never come out to his family and despite wanting to do so now, something holds him back.

Family dynamics become more complex as Pili and his sister both develop feelings for Albert, the hospice nurse. The stories tell the plight of the native Hawaiians as they are faced with the invasion of development and Haoles. Our families are barely affording a life here, the land is being eaten away by developers, the old sugar companies still control water rights.

Not only does paradise no longer belong to us, but we have to watch foreigners destroy it. I think that Kristiana Kahakauwila has portrayed Hawaii in the most honest way I've ever encountered. Her stories linger inside me. Jun 24, Bhargavi Balachandran rated it really liked it Shelves: Though the themes of the stories were not vastly different from one another, I quite enjoyed reading most of the stories. From the chilling 'This is Paradise' story about a young tourist who glimpses the shady and dangerous side of the Island to the complicated relationships between sibilings and their father in 'The old paniolo way' , Kristiana weaves magic with her words.

I loved the fact that Pidgin is used liberally and many non-english words weren't italicized. The con What brilliant debut! The context in which they were used made the meaning of the words easy to comprehend.

My favorite story was Wanle, which is about the bloody sport of cockfighting. Kristiana's protagonists are real and very believable. I loved her writing style in the first story , where narration is done by a bunch of people together. A lilting melancholic feeling enveloped me as I finished each story , as every story has threads of sadness woven into them.

But in a strange way the collection as a whole is rather satisfying , and one does wonder about 'what it means to belong to a place - a country or a state or a race'. Most of the protagonists wrestle with leaving Hawaii and going to live in the Mainland, but they feel like Hawaii will be home for them no matter where they live. Maybe some emotions will always be the same across nationalities and races. I had this feeling that the author has drawn heavily from her life - especially the story of '39 rules for making a Hawaiian funeral into a drinking game' which has the protagonist narrating the events at her Grandma's funeral.

Overall , a satisfying read and a brilliant debut! Thanks to Random house for sending me this book to review. Jun 22, guiltlessreader rated it it was amazing. I just reviewed this one and I loved it. Another fave book of the year! Check out the review here: May 26, Lisa rated it it was amazing. I think This is Paradise was brilliant in both style and how it handled the different themes. Although it is set in Hawaii and contains so much of that culture which is interesting in itself, the themes of the stories transcend the culture. I will not go into every story since they are each different and best experienced first hand but the story I thought I would like least because of the format, "Thirty-Nine Rules for Making a Hawaiian Funeral Into a Drinking Game" could be I think This is Paradise was brilliant in both style and how it handled the different themes.

I will not go into every story since they are each different and best experienced first hand but the story I thought I would like least because of the format, "Thirty-Nine Rules for Making a Hawaiian Funeral Into a Drinking Game" could be anyone's extended family funeral. It portrays the connection between distant family members, how they share a common bond even if they barely know each other and although they may have little in common, the genetic tie is enough to draw them together.

We all bring what we share with our families out into the world,on our own, in our different ways. To reconnect with the origin of this is deeply personal and complex and the author portrays it perfectly. Kahakauwila gains your trust in stories like these where she so succinctly describes and explores beautiful and complicated emotions you may have felt so when a story covers something you are not familiar with, you can trust how the characters are described. I can believe that someone would feel and act this way in that situation and in this way she takes you places you wouldn't otherwise go.

That is what brilliant books do and that is what This is Paradise does.

I could go on and on talking about it. I just loved it.

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Mar 15, Andrea rated it it was amazing. I would be hard pressed to choose just one favorite story, because every story in this collection is so strong and integral to the book as a whole. Sep 27, Stacey rated it liked it Shelves: Hawai'i is a tropical paradise, but that's mainly true for tourists. In this briefish collection of stories, the author explores what it means to be an island native and it's not always paradise.

The title story is harrowing and shows both the gritty reality of Hawaiian life for the locals, as well as the seedy dangers of travel. It was also my favorite, told from the alternating points of view of hotel housemaids, yuppy natives and locals. Most of the stories have a poignant or at least, not so Hawai'i is a tropical paradise, but that's mainly true for tourists.

Most of the stories have a poignant or at least, not so happy ending, but the final one, "The Old Paniolo Way", ends on an uplifting note. The best part is that in her role as storyteller, Kahakauwila creates a backdrop of those beautiful islands that reminded me of my brief time spent there, making me wish I was back on the Hana Highway again.

Jun 26, Audra Unabridged Chick rated it it was amazing Shelves: I adored this collection of six short stories set in Hawaii, covering the world of locals and tourists, the flashy veneer of hotels and beaches, the mix and clash of cultures and social classes. Kahakauwila's Hawaii is not the one we see in the tourist brochures -- it's there, a little, if you squint -- but the world she writes about is both alien and familiar.

Her characters are locals in a tourist town, some charmed by the flash and the out-of-towners, others dismissive. I loved almost all of t I adored this collection of six short stories set in Hawaii, covering the world of locals and tourists, the flashy veneer of hotels and beaches, the mix and clash of cultures and social classes. I loved almost all of the stories. The blackly comedic 'Thirty-Nine Rules for Making a Hawaiian Funeral Into a Drinking Game' had me laughing out loud, it's numbered list of hypocritical clergy and commentary on education and coming home.

This Is Paradise: Stories

With your degree in English, your aunties expect you to deliver the most grammatically correct homage to your grandmother. Take this responsibility seriously. Your copyediting skills are all you have to offer your family.

Our narrators are the young local girls who surf and disdain the tourists; the older women who are housekeepers and have maternal affection for those they see; the young professional women who returned to Hawaii to shape it's future. All three groups -- Greek choruses -- interact with a young white tourist who comes to a tragic end.

The story is poetic without being obscure; dark without being agonizing. Perhaps my favorite is 'Wanle', which I should have hated as it's about cock fighting. A young woman takes it up in honor of her father, who died mysteriously, perhaps due to a rival. Despite her lover's constant entreaties, she continues to raise roosters for fighting, and in her pursuit of revenge, her lies do more damage than she anticipates. It's a dark and bloody story, but not grotesque nor graphic for shock value.

Wanle calculates the damages her roosters can take -- perhaps the damage she thinks her lover can take, that she can take -- and seeks out happiness, success. What results shocked and surprised me and made me cry. Yeah, I got teary for someone who enjoys cockfighting! Kahakauwila's stories made me uncomfortable. I'm very often that tourist swanning about a beautiful locale, willfully or not ignoring the reality of those who live there. Her stories made me teary as she wrote about belonging, family, identity, and the yearning we all have to belong and fit in.

I inhaled this collection in a single night and probably reread each story twice since then. Sep 18, Carla rated it it was ok. I was anxiously awaiting to read this book of short stories, of life in Hawaii, written by a Native. Most are very depressing and oft times accentuate how non-natives are really not welcome and have little understanding of the "land".

These aren't "touristy" stories, unless it was to debase tourists. One or two stories held my interest, but overall, the book was just average. Sep 21, Joseph Reynolds rated it it was ok. Sep 08, Kirsty rated it really liked it. I picked this up to read because of the setting, but was pleasantly surprised by the engaging writing style and varied characters and issues in these stories.

Would recommend for own voices representation of Hawaiian culture and society. You'll really love it!

Oct 09, Tanya Taimanglo rated it it was amazing. I savored this for a long while. Each story taught me something, as well as mirrored island life. Most of us think of Hawaii as a tourist paradise of leis, luaus, and surfing lessons, but the islands Kahakauwila brings to life have a different flavor. Her Hawaii is a little bit gritty, a little bit dirty.

They write about the beauty and majesty of nature, and I understand why he loved them. Anything For A Mystery , Book 1. A Killer Plot , Book 2. Death By Baking , Book 4. Poison Bubbles , Book 6. Christmas with Stormi Nelson. Fudge-Laced Felonies , Book 1. Candy-Coated Secrets , Book 2. Chocolate-Covered Crime , Book 3.

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