Hawaiian Heartbreak Series #1 and #2 - Libby Cole

Doesn't a holiday in the warm tropics of Hawaii sound nice? I know it isn't Christmas themed, but these books made me wish my Christmas was being spent there! Many thanks to Libby Cole for sending me complimentary ebooks in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Released: September 2015

Kayla is taking her first ever vacation, she's setting out on her own to Hawaii after a break-up with her long term boyfriend. She plans to tour, catch some sun, and enjoy the alone time, all while avoiding the overzealous honeymooners. Fate has other plans, when tour guide Jay takes a seat next to her on the bus for some light banter neither expected the draw they had for one another. What starts as harmless flirting and some sight seeing together turns into so much more when Jay announces his feelings for Kayla after just a few days.

It is hard to summarize this novella without giving too much away, it is a short, short read that I completed within an hour and a half. It's a fun, light summer book that I think I would've enjoyed during my Hawaii trip this summer. The characters, although a little immature and sometimes hard to follow, were fun to read about, their quickie relationship brings plenty of entertainment, and their pun-filled banter makes for a lot of laughter. I really liked Kayla, a lot, I less liked Jay because he seemed so cool and would have really random alpha moments. However, the sex scenes are swoon worthy! The concept is a great one, but the execution is a bit of a let down, as the story comes up for a great twist and just ends, on a cliffhanger no less. There are also several characters who make brief appearances, but are never seen again. I'm sort of wondering what happened to them. While the grammar itself is great, the writing could use some more depth. Ideally, I would have liked to see this book combined with book #2 to form one complete book. If you like short, steamy romances, this is absolutely for you. Plus, book two is out now so you can read it in one sitting!

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Released: November 2015

Picking up where Hawaiian Heartbreak left of, we find Kayla trying to figure out her adventure plan forward without Jay by her side. Fortunately, the minor conflict just won't keep them apart and he has some surprises in store for the visiting beauty. After a romantic trip in paradise, the two must decide if their opposite worlds and long-distance, plus very short relationship, is more than just a short, tropical fling.

Leaving off where Hawaiian Heartbreak left off was not what I expected, at all. I was disappointed to find this was just a continuation novella instead of a separate book. However, Libby Cole did a great job weaving the two novellas together and separating the hesitant relationship of Hawaiian Heartbreak from the lively one of Hawaiian Healing. She does an amazing job of describing Hawaii and the many adventures Kayla and Jay take. Once again, the smut scenes are fantastic, for a short novella this sure packs the heat. Unfortunately, conflicts are easily brushed under the rug and it seems all so easy to move on from. That said, by the end of the book I found myself wanting another book to see how their relationship continues to progress and change. The characters faced more challenges in Hawaiian Healing and I really felt like we were getting to know them as separate people and together. There's more puns, more drama, and as I said, more smut. I could easily see these two novellas leading to a full length novel, one can only hope.