(audiobook) Books are already a great form of escapism. But if you can travel through space and time on top of that, it’s a real journey. That’s what happened with this book.
I’m not one for historical romance. But when the era is close enough that I’m more familiar with it, I don’t mind. Here, the story is set in the 60s–not a decade I’ve experienced myself, but I know about it through my parents. So I wasn’t completely lost with some of the finer details. It was still refreshing to read about characters who smoked, and not just tobacco, or mentions of free love. Not the usual context.
The other change of scenery was the setting in Hawaii. The author takes her time to describe the land, the sights, the specificities of the state. It’s exotic, sure, but you also feel the love for the place. It helped that Henry is here to guide Claudia through it, and us at the same time.
Finally, there’s a bit of a behind the scene with a TV production, and stunt direction. It wasn’t too heavy in details, but it was interesting.
All of that shows that the characters don’t live in a bubble. They exist in a place and time that define them, in a sense. They’re more than that–Claudia and her past love stories, Henry and his feeling of inadequacy and his several sisters–but it’s part of them too.
The romance itself was both heartwarming–Henry ends up being an amazing book boyfriend, despite not being handsome, nor a rich or famous man–and sizzling hot. The attraction between Claudia and Henry is huge.
The narration was exquisite. With two extremely talented narrators who convey the sensuality and the emotions of their characters perfectly, the audiobook is a must have.
Quickie
- Series: Aloha #3 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #retro romance #friends to lovers #hawaii
- Triggers: mention of a diving incident, stunts, injury
- Main couple: Claudia Montgomery & Henry Longchamp
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + delicious trip through Hawaii and the 60s
- – no need to insist that much that Henry isn’t conventionally attractive