We Live and Breathe Books: Isn't It Romantic?

The Maui Effect by Sara Ackerman
Published by MIRA on November 19, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
four-stars

Goodreads

Taylor Jenkins Reid meets 100 Foot Wave in this dazzling new romance by USA TODAY bestselling author Sara Ackerman.

'Iwa Young’s life is high in the Maui rainforest. As a field biologist, she’s happiest in company with trees and birds and waterfalls. When a developer arrives with plans for a so-called "eco resort" in the middle of a forest full of endangered species, 'Iwa puts all her energy into the fight to protect it. But a chance encounter threatens to distract her. His name is Dane Parsons, and he’s a big-wave surfer from California. 'Iwa has a few unbreakable rules, and at the top of her list: never date a surfer.

Dane Parsons is part of an underground group of big-wave riders, and his connection to the ocean runs deep. When he meets 'Iwa, he can’t get her out of his mind. But 'Iwa wants nothing to do with Dane until he offers to help protect her beloved forest and waterfall. Always on the hunt for the ultimate ride, Dane suddenly glimpses something even greater, but just out of reach.

In this thunderous love story, we travel deep into the Maui rainforest and hop across the globe from Hawai'i to California to Portugal, chasing waves the size of nine-story buildings—where the unthinkable is always just one breath away.

'Iwa had two rules when it came to men - no surfers and no mainlanders, yet when Dane entered her orbit she could not resist his pull.

I had finished this book this morning, but I can still *feel* that ending. The book was very much a romance, and 'Iwa and Dane had a great dynamic. They had an ease with each other that had been missing from their other relationships, and they fit together so well. They also both had so much passion for the things that were important to them. Dane had a HUGE love for the ocean and surfing while 'Iwa was devoted to her island home and preserving the undeveloped pieces of it. I enjoyed the romance very much, but there was a lot more packed into this story that piqued my interest.

Ackerman did an incredible job transporting me to each and every location and immersing me in its beauty and danger. I think my heart beat faster during the big-wave scenes, but I also let out contented sighs just envisioning these amazing locals. The author's love and knowledge of Hawai'i really showed, and it was a pleasure to get to "visit".

I found myself deep in the big-wave surfing world. All of Dane's trips were captivating. Ackerman's descriptions had me feeling those drops and seeing those gigantic waves. The surf sequences were very exciting, and there were some nail-biters too.

But enough about Dane and his trips, 'Iwa was also very interesting. She worked in conservation and spent a good part of the book trying to keep a developer out of her rainforest. We made frequent trips to these lush environments where I got to observe the flora and the fauna, and again, it was all really intriguing and informative.

There were a lot of great things that happened in both 'Iwa and Dane's lives that hit me emotionally. And like I said, that ending had me feeling my feels and shedding some tears. I was just really happy and touched by it. This may have been a romance, but there was also the love stories between the characters and nature, the ocean, and Hawai'i which made this a wonderful reading experience for me.

Puck and Prejudice by Lia Riley
Published by Avon on November 12, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Time Travel, Romance
four-stars

Goodreads

From the author of Mister Hockey comes a sizzling marriage of convenience romance between a pro hockey player who accidentally travels back in time to Regency Era England and the brazen contemporary of Jane Austen he just can’t help but fall for…

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a modern single man in possession of a hockey jersey may be exactly what a Regency woman needs to avoid the shackles of marriage...

Goalie for the Austin Regals, Tucker Taylor is benched due to health issues. So he decides to visit his sister in England. But an accidental plunge into an icy pond thrusts him back to 1812 where he comes face to face with a captivating blue-eyed woman who regards him as if he’s grown two heads.

Lizzy Wooddash dreams of a life surrounded by books, engaging conversation, the presence of literary icons like Jane Austen, and... nary a husband in sight. But in Regency England, only widows like her cousin Georgie enjoy freedom and solitary pursuits, unencumbered by expectations. The only way to quickly become a widow is by marrying a dying man or killing a perfectly healthy one, neither of which Lizzy desires.

A visitor from the future might just be the husband of her dreams. Once married, they can figure out how to return Tucker to his proper time, and his absence—aka death—will make Lizzy the widow she always dreamed of becoming. Yet as sparks ignite, they soon realize that matters of the heart rarely adhere to carefully laid plans. Can their love stand the test of time, or will Lizzy get exactly what she wanted...as well as a broken heart?

After plunging into a pond, Tucker Tyler finds himself in the year 1812. Discovered by Lizzie Wooddash, the two quickly bond and decide that a marriage of connivence could benefit them both. This marriage would buy time for Tuck to figure out how to get back to his life in the future, while it would allow Lizzie to gain her freedom as a widow once Tuck left. But would these two be able to pull this off without revealing Tucker's origins or falling in love?

First and foremost, this was NOT a P&P retelling. In fact, it was a time travel romance where Jane Austen was actually one of the characters. Tuck traveled to the past early, and most of the story played out in 1812, so it's heavy on the regency romance. Though I am not a regency romance reader, I found it to be quite amusing. Fish-out-of-water Tuck had some difficulties acclimating to his new surroundings giving us comedy gold, and he was happy enough to try for Lizzie's sake.

Though the entire concept of this book may seem a bit out there, I had no problem suspending disbelief and enjoying the ride because it was a fun one. Near the end, the whys and the hows of Tuck's time travel were revealed, and he and Lizzie were faced with some big decisions. The choices made were a bit surprising. Overall, I had a good time with Lizzie and Tucker as they searched for answers and fell in love.

*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER