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Aloha Reef #4.5
Holy Night
On the eve of her Christmas wedding in Hawaii, Leia’s younger sister goes missing. The wedding is called off and the search begins.
As Leia prepares for her upcoming Christmas Eve wedding to Bane, she discovers her younger sister Eva is missing. Leia learns she must call off the wedding or she’ll never see Eva again.
When Leia hands back Bane’s ring, he presses her for the reason. Her coldness makes him believe all she’s telling him—until he overhears her tell her parents what is really going on. He vows to help her find her sister, but assures her the wedding will stay off since she didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth in the first place.As the two of them search for Eva, Leia is frantic to find her sister, but her heart breaks at how much she’s hurt and hurting Bane. And she doesn’t know how to fix it. All the family is converging for a wedding she is beginning to believe really won’t take place. Even if they find Eva alive and well, can they ever find their way back to that holy night where they can pledge their love to one another?
As Leia prepares for her upcoming Christmas Eve wedding to Bane, she discovers her younger sister Eva is missing. Leia learns she must call off the wedding or she’ll never see Eva again.
When Leia hands back Bane’s ring, he presses her for the reason. Her coldness makes him believe all she’s telling him—until he overhears her tell her parents what is really going on. He vows to help her find her sister, but assures her the wedding will stay off since she didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth in the first place.As the two of them search for Eva, Leia is frantic to find her sister, but her heart breaks at how much she’s hurt and hurting Bane. And she doesn’t know how to fix it. All the family is converging for a wedding she is beginning to believe really won’t take place. Even if they find Eva alive and well, can they ever find their way back to that holy night where they can pledge their love to one another?
72 pages, Unknown Binding
First published November 19, 2013
59 people are currently reading
819 people want to read
About the author
Colleen Coble
147 books6,365 followersUSAToday bestselling author Colleen Coble lives with her husband, Dave, in Arizona. She is the author of dozens of novels including the Rock Harbor Series, the Aloha Reef Series, the Mercy Falls Series, the Hope Beach Series, the Lonestar Series and two Women of Faith fiction selections, Alaska Twilight and Midnight Sea. She has more than 6 million books in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
December 10, 2017
A nice little kidnapping tale for the Christmas season...yes, sounds odd, right? That's about what this story is in a nutshell. It's fast-paced as they race to save Eva from her kidnappers.
Favorite thing: that Eva is presented as an intelligent, real person, though as a Down's-syndrome young woman, she still views the world from the innocent eyes of a child.
Least favorite: the amount of heated kissing and feelings of passion between the engaged (?) couple; the pronunciation guide for Hawaiian names being at the back, so I was mispronouncing the names all through the story!
Favorite thing: that Eva is presented as an intelligent, real person, though as a Down's-syndrome young woman, she still views the world from the innocent eyes of a child.
Least favorite: the amount of heated kissing and feelings of passion between the engaged (?) couple; the pronunciation guide for Hawaiian names being at the back, so I was mispronouncing the names all through the story!
November 29, 2022
Although this is set during the Christmas season, it is not really a Christmas book. Leia Kahale and Bane Oana are set to marry at Christmas, when a felon from Bane's past kidnaps Leia's 25 year old sister, Eve, who has Down's Syndrome. Will Leia's choices put an end to her and Bane's marriage before it even starts?
This is a very short, quick read and is the last book in Coble's Aloha Reef series. My favorite part was Coble's portrayal of Eve. I have a Down's Syndrome great niece who is approximately the same age as this character, and I appreciated Coble's realistic portrayal of Eve. They are able to function at a higher level at that age than most people expect. Good conclusion to this series.
This is a very short, quick read and is the last book in Coble's Aloha Reef series. My favorite part was Coble's portrayal of Eve. I have a Down's Syndrome great niece who is approximately the same age as this character, and I appreciated Coble's realistic portrayal of Eve. They are able to function at a higher level at that age than most people expect. Good conclusion to this series.
December 19, 2018
An okay read. The mystery was interesting but I didn’t care at all for how Bane was so judgemental over the way Leila acted. Now I have to confess, I haven’t read any of the other books in this series so maybe I would feel differently if I knew more of Bane’s history but he just came across so harsh in the way acted and that bothered me. It’s a quick easy Christmas read and the mystery kept me reading to see how it would all turn out. I may or may not try the other books in this series, we will see.
December 12, 2020
Another "Christmas mystery" by Colleen Coble. It was only okay for me. Very predictable. There was very little character development.
November 9, 2013
Review on my blog: http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...
3.5 stars
I haven't read any of the previous books in Colleen Coble's Aloha Reef series, so I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. Even though I wasn't familiar with the characters, I still liked them and thought the story was good. There was some suspense thrown into Holy Night, which I loved. Overall, Holy Night was a good novella that I'm sure fans of this series will also enjoy.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
3.5 stars
I haven't read any of the previous books in Colleen Coble's Aloha Reef series, so I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. Even though I wasn't familiar with the characters, I still liked them and thought the story was good. There was some suspense thrown into Holy Night, which I loved. Overall, Holy Night was a good novella that I'm sure fans of this series will also enjoy.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
November 22, 2024
It was a nice story about love and forgiveness. It was suspenseful and really nicely written.
June 15, 2022
Leia and Bane are finally getting married when days before the wedding date Leia's sister Eva is kidnapped. The kidnapper wants nothing more than for her to call off the wedding and not tell anyone the real reason. Keeping the secret proves tough though, and when Bane finds out he feels betrayed by the woman he loves. Already having abandonment issues from when he was a child, he finds it hard to believe he can ever trust her again. Once they find her sister, he finds himself wondering if it might be best to just keep the wedding called off.
I did read the series that led up to this book. Again, the book isn't connected to the previous book as Eva is kidnapped then and nothing mentioned about that here. However, you can still read this book and not need to read the others
I did read the series that led up to this book. Again, the book isn't connected to the previous book as Eva is kidnapped then and nothing mentioned about that here. However, you can still read this book and not need to read the others
July 16, 2018
Holy Night is a sequel to Dangerous Depths, book three in Colleen Coble’s Aloha Reef series. It was fun to see old characters again in this novella and see what’s going on with them. The story itself was good, although the mystery wasn’t too mysterious. But as this is a novella, that’s to be expected. The biggest problem with it is that there was way too much romance. (Seriously, we don’t need four kisses in the first three pages! And it keeps on through the whole story; it made me rather uncomfortable at some points.) It’s a nice sequel, though, and made for a pleasant mid-morning read.
June 4, 2024
Setting: Hawaii
I read this as part of my 2024 challenge to read clean fiction with settings in the 50 states. This story line was predictable, but of course you have to read it to find out the journey to the predictable ending. It was very fast paced with suspense along the way for the entire book which I liked. I also liked the Hawaiian Language Pronunciation Guide at the back of the book. I was amazed to find out that there are only 7 consonants in the Hawaiian language !! It was a novella of 72 pages and so it was easily finished in one sitting.
I read this as part of my 2024 challenge to read clean fiction with settings in the 50 states. This story line was predictable, but of course you have to read it to find out the journey to the predictable ending. It was very fast paced with suspense along the way for the entire book which I liked. I also liked the Hawaiian Language Pronunciation Guide at the back of the book. I was amazed to find out that there are only 7 consonants in the Hawaiian language !! It was a novella of 72 pages and so it was easily finished in one sitting.
October 3, 2019
2.5 Stars: it was a cute little mystery love story. However, even for a novelette, it was flat and linear. The story went in a straight line with little development. I was disappointed as I’ve only read one other of her books and it was stupendous.
Additionally, not being Hawaiian, this he constant names, words, phrases made it feel choppy as I continually had to stop, try and pronounce and figure out the meaning. That made it feel like reading “Fun with Dick and Jane” for the first time☹️
Additionally, not being Hawaiian, this he constant names, words, phrases made it feel choppy as I continually had to stop, try and pronounce and figure out the meaning. That made it feel like reading “Fun with Dick and Jane” for the first time☹️
November 4, 2017
Wedding ?
This is a shorter book than the original four. But you won't be disappointed. Bane , Leia, Mano and the rest are all together in a kidnapping with romance, murder, untrust, mystery and suspence. I would recommend it to anyone.
I only hope this series will continue as some of her others have.
This is a shorter book than the original four. But you won't be disappointed. Bane , Leia, Mano and the rest are all together in a kidnapping with romance, murder, untrust, mystery and suspence. I would recommend it to anyone.
I only hope this series will continue as some of her others have.
January 30, 2020
Romance and mystery... And lots of suspense that kept me guessing until the very end of each book. Loved how the author showed how a relationship with God can help us navigate the tragedies of life...
Enjoyed pretending to live on the islands, but all this murder and mayhem makes me question if I even want to visit there. lol
Enjoyed pretending to live on the islands, but all this murder and mayhem makes me question if I even want to visit there. lol
December 15, 2020
Bane & Leia are set to be married just before Christmas in Hawaii. They have arrived and started to finalize the arrangements when the unthinkable happens; Eva, Leia's Down' Syndrome sister, is kidnapped. My only problem with this story for me was Bane's attitude; but, thankfully, his brother was able to get through to him. Still and enjoyable read.
October 30, 2024
I just finished all the full-length novels in this series, so I had to read this short novella to complete the final book in a series that I enjoyed. Eva has been kidnapped and what should Leia do? She has been told if she doesn't cancel her wedding to Bane her sister will die. Will she follow the kidnapper's instructions?
December 26, 2018
2.5 ⭐️’s The book was a good distraction — one of the only things my eyes and mind could focus on to read right now. The story was good, but I don’t think I’m much for novellas, especially when it comes to mysteries — I wanted more (too quick to a climax).
October 1, 2024
3 1/2 I think I would have preferred to read this after Dangerous Depths as it was really just a continuation really. I did like the book but after reading the last in the series Midnight Sea which I really enjoyed - this one just wasn’t quite as good.
July 13, 2017
3.5 Stars- A quick and enjoyable read.
December 14, 2017
This one was a lot of fun-I definitely couldn't put it down until I was finished!
December 23, 2017
It's been a while since I read the Aloha Reef series, so I had a little trouble keeping all the characters straight, but the story stands on its own.
October 8, 2018
I'm glad that things worked out well. I liked to revisit it and see the characters again.
January 2, 2019
Interesting from start to finish. From planning the perfect Christmas wedding to a kidnapping that cancels it. Great story!
February 20, 2019
Short but good.
May 30, 2019
Great short story!!
December 30, 2019
This book was fine, a little predictable but a very fast read.
January 3, 2020
Listened to the Audio version.
June 8, 2020
Leah was not likeable at all, very annoying!
February 21, 2021
Short and sweet story of commitment
December 19, 2022
A Christmas Eve wedding is put on hold when the bride's sister goes missing. This is a pretty simple and straightforward read. 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐
September 4, 2023
Great book
I loved it but I wanted more - I know novellas are supposed to be short! Guess I will look for more in this series!
I loved it but I wanted more - I know novellas are supposed to be short! Guess I will look for more in this series!
November 20, 2023
Okay story, but nothing really that makes it a great read...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews