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Tradewinds #2.5
Mele Kalikimaka
Mele Kalikimaka might be the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day, but Olive Galloway is feeling less than festive. After all, this is the first year she's celebrated the holiday without her mom. Even the ringing of silver bells sounds a little blue. When an attempt to make the season bright ends in hurt feelings and a shattered heirloom, Olive's hopes for a happy holiday are dashed. A surprise visit from a less-than-jolly fellow in red only adds to the turmoil. Olive is convinced that nothing can possibly bring peace to her corner of the earth. As presents pile up beneath the tree and Christmas Day draws near, Olive realizes it will take a Christmas miracle to help her family rediscover the true magic of the holiday season.
110 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 17, 2021
[4.5 stars]
About this book:
“Mele Kalikimaka might be the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day, but Olive Galloway is feeling less than festive.
After all, this is the first year she's celebrated the holiday without her mom. Even the ringing of silver bells sounds a little blue. When an attempt to make the season bright ends in hurt feelings and a shattered heirloom, Olive's hopes for a happy holiday are dashed. A surprise visit from a less-than-jolly fellow in red only adds to the turmoil. Olive is convinced that nothing can possibly bring peace to her corner of the earth. As presents pile up beneath the tree and Christmas Day draws near, Olive realizes it will take a Christmas miracle to help her family rediscover the true magic of the holiday season.”
Series: Considered to be Book #2.5 in the “Tradewinds” series. (Best to read between Book #2 and Book #3.) Reviews of the Book #1, Here! and Book #2 Here!
Spiritual Content- Prayers & Blessings over food; Set during Christmas time & many mentions of the true reason of Christmas; Talks about God, Jesus, & Christmas; ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of churches, church going, church events, a Christmas Eve service; Sunday school classes, a church nursery; a support group, & worship; Mentions of Christian Christmas carols; Mentions of blessings & blessing others; A few mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; A few mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of nativity sets & the star of Bethlehem; A couple mentions of the Christian music industry; A mention of miracles; A mention of Olive’s father being raised Catholic;
*Note: Mentions of Santa & Mrs. Claus (Macie gets told at school that Santa is a lie and is very sad over it, but Olive tries to smooth it over).
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’, a ‘suck up’, two ‘dumb’s, and two ‘rats’; Some eye rolling; Olive is struggling & missing her mom around her favorite holiday; Olive and her dad argue (both are hurting) and while Olive says things that might be true, realizes they weren’t her place to say; Mentions of a mother being in rehab for an alcohol addiction, sobering up, & alcohol; A mention of lies; A mention of gossip;
*Note: Mentions of Christmas songs & classic singers; A couple mentions of a car brand (Porsche); A mention of Pride and Prejudice.
Sexual Content- An embrace/touch (not-detailed); A tiny bit of Noticing; Mentions of a boyfriend (a misunderstanding), dating, dates, & not-dates; A couple mentions of a father thinking that his daughter & a boy are getting physical (hugging, but the teens in question have never hugged more than a millisecond).
-Olive Galloway
1st person P.O.V. of Olive
100 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Four Stars (and a half)
This series know how to pull on my heartstrings and make me nearly cry at different moments of the story. This novella was truly so sweet and heartwarming, but it also was about the first Christmas without a loved one and it was done so well. Another excellent book from this dear author!
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
About this book:
“Mele Kalikimaka might be the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day, but Olive Galloway is feeling less than festive.
After all, this is the first year she's celebrated the holiday without her mom. Even the ringing of silver bells sounds a little blue. When an attempt to make the season bright ends in hurt feelings and a shattered heirloom, Olive's hopes for a happy holiday are dashed. A surprise visit from a less-than-jolly fellow in red only adds to the turmoil. Olive is convinced that nothing can possibly bring peace to her corner of the earth. As presents pile up beneath the tree and Christmas Day draws near, Olive realizes it will take a Christmas miracle to help her family rediscover the true magic of the holiday season.”
Series: Considered to be Book #2.5 in the “Tradewinds” series. (Best to read between Book #2 and Book #3.) Reviews of the Book #1, Here! and Book #2 Here!
Spiritual Content- Prayers & Blessings over food; Set during Christmas time & many mentions of the true reason of Christmas; Talks about God, Jesus, & Christmas; ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of churches, church going, church events, a Christmas Eve service; Sunday school classes, a church nursery; a support group, & worship; Mentions of Christian Christmas carols; Mentions of blessings & blessing others; A few mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; A few mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of nativity sets & the star of Bethlehem; A couple mentions of the Christian music industry; A mention of miracles; A mention of Olive’s father being raised Catholic;
*Note: Mentions of Santa & Mrs. Claus (Macie gets told at school that Santa is a lie and is very sad over it, but Olive tries to smooth it over).
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’, a ‘suck up’, two ‘dumb’s, and two ‘rats’; Some eye rolling; Olive is struggling & missing her mom around her favorite holiday; Olive and her dad argue (both are hurting) and while Olive says things that might be true, realizes they weren’t her place to say; Mentions of a mother being in rehab for an alcohol addiction, sobering up, & alcohol; A mention of lies; A mention of gossip;
*Note: Mentions of Christmas songs & classic singers; A couple mentions of a car brand (Porsche); A mention of Pride and Prejudice.
Sexual Content- An embrace/touch (not-detailed); A tiny bit of Noticing; Mentions of a boyfriend (a misunderstanding), dating, dates, & not-dates; A couple mentions of a father thinking that his daughter & a boy are getting physical (hugging, but the teens in question have never hugged more than a millisecond).
-Olive Galloway
1st person P.O.V. of Olive
100 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Four Stars (and a half)
This series know how to pull on my heartstrings and make me nearly cry at different moments of the story. This novella was truly so sweet and heartwarming, but it also was about the first Christmas without a loved one and it was done so well. Another excellent book from this dear author!
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
October 22, 2019
I loved this sweet little story so much!! When I heard Taylor was releasing a Christmas novella, I knew I needed to read it because Christmas stories are the BEST. I've absolutely love the Tradewinds series so far, and this was no exception.
The true meaning of Christmas in Jesus shines through, but it's also a story of friendship and family that brings all the warm fuzzies you want in a holiday book. Perfect to get into the Christmas spirit, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Five stars from me!
**I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review**
The true meaning of Christmas in Jesus shines through, but it's also a story of friendship and family that brings all the warm fuzzies you want in a holiday book. Perfect to get into the Christmas spirit, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Five stars from me!
**I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review**
June 3, 2021
This series has my whole heart. <3
I loved this so much. It truly portrays what Christmas is all about—Jesus. As Taylor put it: "This season, this holiday, this LIFE is all because of Him." Amen!
I loved this so much. It truly portrays what Christmas is all about—Jesus. As Taylor put it: "This season, this holiday, this LIFE is all because of Him." Amen!
November 1, 2019
Mele Kalikimaka is a Tradewinds series novella that begins around the time that Sand Castle Dreams ends. After the Thanksgiving festivities of Sand Castle Dreams, the Christmas season comes in full swing in Lahaina, Hawaii. Olive Galloway, the protagonist of the Tradewinds series, is feeling anything but merry this Christmas season. But when she tries to make the Christmas season merry and bright, things don’t exactly go as she planned. Will Olive learn the true meaning of Christmas this year?
“Must be Christmas magic.” I shrug and take another sip of cocoa.
Magic.
And maybe it really is.
Not the Santa-and-sleigh-bells kind of magic, but the kind Jazz is always
talking about. The magic of a Savior come to earth as a baby to redeem
the world.
-Mele Kalikimaka by Taylor Bennett
This novella is packed with Christmas, and I absolutely love that! Christmas is everywhere, from traditions to decorations to treats to music to the plot itself. And of course, all of the amazingness from the Tradewinds novels has found itself in this novella. From Grandma Bonnie’s treats to Jazz’s upbeat and sunny self to the sweet message of the true reason for the Christmas season, Mele Kalikimaka is sure to become a Christmas favorite!
If you’re a fan of the Tradewinds series, a lover of YA Christian fiction, or someone who loves Christmas books, be sure to grab a copy of this sweet little novella!
NOTE: I received a free copy of this novella in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
“Must be Christmas magic.” I shrug and take another sip of cocoa.
Magic.
And maybe it really is.
Not the Santa-and-sleigh-bells kind of magic, but the kind Jazz is always
talking about. The magic of a Savior come to earth as a baby to redeem
the world.
-Mele Kalikimaka by Taylor Bennett
This novella is packed with Christmas, and I absolutely love that! Christmas is everywhere, from traditions to decorations to treats to music to the plot itself. And of course, all of the amazingness from the Tradewinds novels has found itself in this novella. From Grandma Bonnie’s treats to Jazz’s upbeat and sunny self to the sweet message of the true reason for the Christmas season, Mele Kalikimaka is sure to become a Christmas favorite!
If you’re a fan of the Tradewinds series, a lover of YA Christian fiction, or someone who loves Christmas books, be sure to grab a copy of this sweet little novella!
NOTE: I received a free copy of this novella in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 12, 2019
Seriously, Taylor Bennet's books have not yet failed to make me cry. I related to Olive sooo much despite totally different circumstances, and I loved how real all of the characters were, especially the messy family parts. They grieved. They got angry with each other. They had compassion on each other. They wrestled with very real struggles. It was beautiful in a crying-on-my-Kindle kind of way. <3
I also loved how the characters also have continued to grow. Olive and her grandmother's interactions were my favorite when you consider how things were between them a few books ago.
Lastly, one thing that got slightly annoying: the song Mele Kalikimaka kept getting stuck in my head. XD
I also loved how the characters also have continued to grow. Olive and her grandmother's interactions were my favorite when you consider how things were between them a few books ago.
Lastly, one thing that got slightly annoying: the song Mele Kalikimaka kept getting stuck in my head. XD
December 14, 2021
Super cute little Christmas story! I loved 'spending the holidays' with Olive, her family, and her friends.
October 21, 2019
I enjoyed this novella about two sisters spending their first Christmas without their mother due to her untimely death. To make matters worse, they are living in Hawaii with their grandmother and didn’t even hear from their father on Thanksgiving, which is where the story picks up. We met the characters in the previous two books by Taylor Bennett. She has a talent for weaving life lessons into her stories. Her intended audience may be a lot younger but this older grandfather found pleasure reading her story. Does everything go the way Olive wants it to go? No. Her life is like almost every other human. We face ups and downs. The downs may seem much lower than they really are until we meet someone who has faced even worse circumstances than our own. Olive’s friend Jazz makes the stories livelier. She has been through so many trials and tribulations but she keeps pressing on with an ever-present positive attitude. Regardless of age, we can all learn some valuable lessons from this story. I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.
December 13, 2019
Mele Kalikimaka is a heartwarming tale perfect for the holidays. This novella gives more insight into the struggles of the girls and relationships with family members. I really liked how Olive grew so much throughout this one-hundred-page story.
If you are a fan of Taylor's previous books or if you have never read them, give this story a chance this Christmas. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 5 Stars
Content: 5 Stars
*I received a copy of this novella from the author. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.
If you are a fan of Taylor's previous books or if you have never read them, give this story a chance this Christmas. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 5 Stars
Content: 5 Stars
*I received a copy of this novella from the author. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.
September 13, 2020
Awww, this just so happens to be one of the sweetest and saddest stories I've read recently.
I really love it! Yes, there are mentions/focus on Santa, and since I'm more like Jazz in my feelings/thoughts on Christmas I didn't love that but the way Bennett showed the story made it all right.
I really love it! Yes, there are mentions/focus on Santa, and since I'm more like Jazz in my feelings/thoughts on Christmas I didn't love that but the way Bennett showed the story made it all right.
June 12, 2021
Mele Kalikimaka (“Merry Christmas” in Hawaiian) was a bittersweet Christmas tale, full of of traditions, food, family and friends, and dealing with grief. A beautiful, heartstring-tugging addition to the Tradewinds series!
Content: none
Content: none
March 21, 2020
A well written short story. I felt like the theme was repeated just a bit to much, but I still appreciated it. It had a good message and I enjoyed having a little bit of Christmas in March.
May 21, 2024
5 stars
This was so short, but sweet. I do wish that Brander was in it a LOT more, but I get him having to go because of his job. I hadn't read any of the books in this series for a few months, so a few things were unclear to me, but I did remember (mostly) everything once I started it reading again. (Is that the longest sentence ever or what haha)
CW: Mentions of drinking and rehab, (only side characters drink off the side and it's viewed negatively), some minor hints of romance. (possibly. I hope.)
WRITING STYLE
This and the perfect writing style, and is the kind of book that you can read without thinking about, if that makes sense. Surprisingly, I did not find myself correcting the writing non stop. Being a writer, I do that a lot when I read.
CHARACTERS
A great character cast, with a very realistic little sister, (did you notice that a lot of ya books has almost perfect little siblings?), a fun best friend with a prosthetic leg, (Jazz), and Brander.
This was that too short, but still good. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
This was so short, but sweet. I do wish that Brander was in it a LOT more, but I get him having to go because of his job. I hadn't read any of the books in this series for a few months, so a few things were unclear to me, but I did remember (mostly) everything once I started it reading again. (Is that the longest sentence ever or what haha)
CW: Mentions of drinking and rehab, (only side characters drink off the side and it's viewed negatively), some minor hints of romance. (possibly. I hope.)
WRITING STYLE
This and the perfect writing style, and is the kind of book that you can read without thinking about, if that makes sense. Surprisingly, I did not find myself correcting the writing non stop. Being a writer, I do that a lot when I read.
CHARACTERS
A great character cast, with a very realistic little sister, (did you notice that a lot of ya books has almost perfect little siblings?), a fun best friend with a prosthetic leg, (Jazz), and Brander.
This was that too short, but still good. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
February 25, 2020
"Mele Kalikimaka" takes places right after "Sand Castle Dreams". I think that it is best to read the books in order to get the whole picture. This was a quick read being a novella, but it still felt like a longer story. I enjoyed being back visiting with Olive and Macie, Jazz, Brander, and Gramma. The story has a nice biblical spiritual thread of what the true reason for Christmas was all about. I found the story to be well written and with a nice flow. I look forward to reading more books by Taylor Bennett.
I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.
I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.
May 31, 2023
Yes, I know it's a CHRISTMAS Novella. Yes, it is indeed the last day of May. Yes, I do not like reading, singing, or watching any type of Christmas stuff between New Years and Thanksgiving. However, I had absolutely no intention of waiting until November 24th to read this. No sir! I wish to complete this series by the end of June and I would be devastated if i had had to wait months to finish the series.
Anyway, what an cute lil' novella. I enjoyed it. An easy 4 stars. Gee wiz! I wish we had Hawiian Christmases. I absolutely despise cold weather so a Hawiian Christmas would be a dream come true.
Anyway, what an cute lil' novella. I enjoyed it. An easy 4 stars. Gee wiz! I wish we had Hawiian Christmases. I absolutely despise cold weather so a Hawiian Christmas would be a dream come true.
June 14, 2020
Memories of Christmas Traditions
Olive, while the pain in the loss of her mom is still raw, she is allowing herself to heal, to remember cherished memories, to start new traditions and memories. Author Taylor, though young, shows a maturity in her writing that will have you not wanting to put her books down. Though, her books are for Young Readers, her books are for all ages to enjoy! Bravo Taylor! Looking forward to reading book four in your Tradewinds series! 😊
Olive, while the pain in the loss of her mom is still raw, she is allowing herself to heal, to remember cherished memories, to start new traditions and memories. Author Taylor, though young, shows a maturity in her writing that will have you not wanting to put her books down. Though, her books are for Young Readers, her books are for all ages to enjoy! Bravo Taylor! Looking forward to reading book four in your Tradewinds series! 😊
December 9, 2019
A Different Christmas
Olive and her best friend, Jazz, are faced with navigating their first Christmas without their mothers. Then, their other buddy, Brander, is called away on a Christian music tour. This beautiful story, set in Hawaii, weaves their bitter emotions into a heart-warming tale of acceptance and hope. There’s even a sweet recipe at the end.
Olive and her best friend, Jazz, are faced with navigating their first Christmas without their mothers. Then, their other buddy, Brander, is called away on a Christian music tour. This beautiful story, set in Hawaii, weaves their bitter emotions into a heart-warming tale of acceptance and hope. There’s even a sweet recipe at the end.
August 16, 2024
3.5 stars
I was very disappointed with how the issue of Santa was handled with a child who got told he wasn't real and was praying for an answer. There was a little shift in this towards the end, but it really should have been handled differently by any Christian parent IRL. That alone knocked my rating well down from the rest of the series.
I was very disappointed with how the issue of Santa was handled with a child who got told he wasn't real and was praying for an answer. There was a little shift in this towards the end, but it really should have been handled differently by any Christian parent IRL. That alone knocked my rating well down from the rest of the series.
November 6, 2020
If you love Christmas and Taylor Bennett's 'Tradewinds' series, you will LOVE this heartfelt Christmas story starring the wonderful Tradewinds gang! I loved reading it, and highly recommend it!
May 29, 2022
Loved this book but I do wish it was a little longer!
March 22, 2023
Cute little addition to the series!
May 3, 2024
Love this book, however it’s my least favorite of the whole series.
April 7, 2025
Read this sweet story in a single sitting! Such a wonderful, heartfelt novella about family, regrets, relationships, and the true meaning of Christmas! ❤️
March 17, 2023
Number of pages: 93
Genre: Contemporary YA
Series: Tradewinds #3
Age recommendation: 15+
Summary: As the first Christmas without her mom draws nearer, Olive is finding it hard to get into the holiday spirit. Everything is so different in Hawaii, and without her mom will she even be able to enjoy Christmas once it arrives?
My thoughts: I had to save this review for December even though I read the book over the summer because it’s just so annoying to get all into the Christmas spirit and then remember it’s like four months away. This book really made me feel like curling up by a fire with a hot chocolate or something, and baking/decorating gingerbread cookies. (Just as a tip, don’t bake Christmas cookies a month before Christmas. They’ll go stale. Ahem, Brander and Olive you’re not very smart).
I have to agree with my younger sister who mentioned that Brander is really a fix-other-people kind of person. Just a piece of advice: even when it’s really not you with the problem, it helps to say things like we or us (for example this could help us as opposed to this could help you) so that people don’t feel judged, attacked, that they’re a failure or a project or whatever. Sometimes Brander is (or at least comes across as) too perfect and “above” everyone else (richer, nicer, more talented, no problems, etc. etc. etc.)
Another thing my sister pointed out that I didn’t really notice before is how Olive is never validated. It’s never really acknowledged that losing her mom was hard. She’s always just told that God has a plan, or that other people have struggles too and she should be thankful for what she does have, or she needs to get out of the past, etc. While all the things she’s being told are true, they aren’t really helpful. Acknowledging her hurt and difficulties would probably go a long way in helping her to heal.
Sometimes though, even when situations aren’t dealt with in the best way, or people say hurtful things, it is realistic and so I don’t mind so much (because in that case it is obvious to the reader that this isn’t how you should deal with things).
The book is disappointingly short. I know it’s a novella, but it’s not even 100 pages (it’s off by seven). I just wish there was a little bit more because the story is so good! Also, it kept confusing me that they were talking about Thanksgiving being so close to Christmas (in Canada Thanksgiving is in October as opposed to November in the U.S.)
Overall, I like each book in this series a little bit better than the one before it. I would definitely recommend!
My personal rating: 4/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
Genre: Contemporary YA
Series: Tradewinds #3
Age recommendation: 15+
Summary: As the first Christmas without her mom draws nearer, Olive is finding it hard to get into the holiday spirit. Everything is so different in Hawaii, and without her mom will she even be able to enjoy Christmas once it arrives?
My thoughts: I had to save this review for December even though I read the book over the summer because it’s just so annoying to get all into the Christmas spirit and then remember it’s like four months away. This book really made me feel like curling up by a fire with a hot chocolate or something, and baking/decorating gingerbread cookies. (Just as a tip, don’t bake Christmas cookies a month before Christmas. They’ll go stale. Ahem, Brander and Olive you’re not very smart).
I have to agree with my younger sister who mentioned that Brander is really a fix-other-people kind of person. Just a piece of advice: even when it’s really not you with the problem, it helps to say things like we or us (for example this could help us as opposed to this could help you) so that people don’t feel judged, attacked, that they’re a failure or a project or whatever. Sometimes Brander is (or at least comes across as) too perfect and “above” everyone else (richer, nicer, more talented, no problems, etc. etc. etc.)
Another thing my sister pointed out that I didn’t really notice before is how Olive is never validated. It’s never really acknowledged that losing her mom was hard. She’s always just told that God has a plan, or that other people have struggles too and she should be thankful for what she does have, or she needs to get out of the past, etc. While all the things she’s being told are true, they aren’t really helpful. Acknowledging her hurt and difficulties would probably go a long way in helping her to heal.
Sometimes though, even when situations aren’t dealt with in the best way, or people say hurtful things, it is realistic and so I don’t mind so much (because in that case it is obvious to the reader that this isn’t how you should deal with things).
The book is disappointingly short. I know it’s a novella, but it’s not even 100 pages (it’s off by seven). I just wish there was a little bit more because the story is so good! Also, it kept confusing me that they were talking about Thanksgiving being so close to Christmas (in Canada Thanksgiving is in October as opposed to November in the U.S.)
Overall, I like each book in this series a little bit better than the one before it. I would definitely recommend!
My personal rating: 4/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
December 17, 2019
cute and sweet and christmassy. <3 <3
December 3, 2023
short book short review it was good!
I have a paperback copy but Goodreads doesn't have it listed and with the format change I can't find how to add my edition 🤙
I have a paperback copy but Goodreads doesn't have it listed and with the format change I can't find how to add my edition 🤙
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews