Forever in Hanalei

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

This one was a quick read. The story is focused on Alex and Holly whose relationship has just begun and honestly just as quickly ended. Alex ends the relationship in an attempt to protect Holly, but will she find out before it's too late? Will he ever be able to save his relationship? Will Holly forgive him and give him another chance? This is the romance plot of the book, but in my opinion the book is less of a romance than I would have liked. The entirety of the book is focused on Alex working to protect Holly from gang related violence because of something he uncovers on his work site, and at times it feels like the romance element of the book takes a back burner to this narrative.

Nalani Titcomb creates a background for each of her characters that involves some crazy elements of trauma and violence. Yet, these background narratives hardly play into the story other than loosely connecting to a character who is mentioned only twice. At times the stories surrounding the characters seemed like they should have been separate novels so that they could be explored without feeling rushed or just randomly mentioned by Alex's character throughout the narrative as his motivation for seeking to protect Holly.

At times the characters felt a little artificial and not very relatable or likable and then you would be given this intense backstory and think more was coming but it wasn't there. I wish this book had been labeled as something other than a romance because then I think I could have given it a slightly more positive review. As it stands I spent most of the reading wondering where the romance was and confused by the extra background narratives given to the characters. It was well written but felt a little rushed at the end. However, if you like romance stories with more to them then you should check out this book.