January 11, 2021
Gomez (The Year I Left, written as Christine Brae) and debut author Polaha kick off their From Kona, with Love series with this atmospheric romance. After Andie Matthews loses the promotion that she’s sacrificed friends, fiancé, and free time for, she heads to Hawaii to relax and help out at her friend Api’s coffee shop while Api is out of town. She’s hoping to find herself and her new path in life—instead, she meets the hunky, mysterious Warren Yates, who she believes is a surfing instructor. In reality, Warren’s company is scheming to acquire Api’s shop. He met Andie while looking for Api, failed to tell her his real reasons for visiting the coffee shop, and now his lies have piled up. Andie’s temporary stay should fit perfectly with Warren’s love-’em-and-leave-’em attitude, but her spontaneity, positivity, and intelligence soon have him thinking long-term. Gomez and Polaha’s descriptions of Hawaii are postcard worthy, but while Andie and Warren clearly have fun together, their deeper emotional connection is less convincing and the drama feels contrived. Still, the breezy pace and gorgeous setting will stoke readers’ wanderlust. Agent: Italia Gandolfo, Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary.
March 1, 2021
Andie sacrificed everything for her career--her health, her sanity, and her relationship with her now ex-fianc�. None of her actions resulted in a promotion, and Andie feels like her world is crashing down. To disconnect from her heartbreak, she takes the opportunity to leave Chicago and work at her friend's caf� and coffee farm in Oahu, Hawaii. Andie hopes that the change of place will help her find what she truly wants in her life and heal the damage she has done to herself. When a mysterious man named Warren captures her attention and steals a kiss on New Years' Day, she discovers that Hawaii's opportunities are more significant than she anticipated. Author Christine Brea, writing under her real name, Anna Gomez, and actor Kristoffer Polaha cowrote this sweet, closed-door, multicultural romance that focuses on Andie's budding relationship with Warren and her friendships with her longtime friend Api and her coworkers at the coffee shop. Andie's struggle to balance her intense drive and her desire to be vulnerable will resonate with readers.
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