Coffee on Waihi Beach

by Enni Amanda

A product of a holiday fling, Ingrid is definitely not planning to have one.

She travels from Finland to New Zealand with one goal - to find her father, a mystery man her mother met on Waihi Beach twenty-four years ago.

But, locating a man she only knows the first name of, is no easy feat. Nor is traveling on a budget, sharing a sleeper van with a strange German girl, or scoring a job in a cafe with zero barista skills. And the hardest of all feats is resisting the charms of the gorgeous barista, Declan.

A law student from a wealthy family, Declan struggles with his 'white privilege'. Attracting women is far too easy, and nobody seems to move the needle for him. Determined to prove he's not just a pretty face, Declan sets out to help his awkward friend Kurt to win the girl for once. The cute Finnish girl with secrets, and a penchant for getting in trouble. She's intriguing. But, Declan can be a good friend. He can let this one go. Or, can he?

From the coffee culture to Kiwi-style flirting, everything In New Zealand is new and exciting. It's going to be summer, and Christmas, to remember.

A feel-good, sweet rom-com set against the dreamy, silvery backdrop of New Zealand East Coast.



Genres: Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Amazon, Romance

448 pages, ebook

First published July 15, 2020

About the author

Enni Amanda is a Finnish–New Zealand rom-com author who writes warm, funny love stories with real-life bite.

She immigrated from Finland to New Zealand in 2006 and promptly fell in love with the scenery, the people, and the strange thrill of not having to defrost a car every morning. After years spent studying filmmaking, running a film festival, and zig-zagging between two countries that really should be closer together, she discovered screenwriting, which eventually led to writing books (a slippery slope).

These days she lives in the Waikato (close to the rolling hills of the Shire), raising two energetic boys, designing things, and writing books while heroically avoiding housework.

Social: @enniauthor (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook)

Mailing list: https://enniamanda.com/newsletter/

Reviews

[Donise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ingrid is a 23 year old girl from Finland who goes to Waihi Beach, New Zealand in search of her father. All she knows is that he had ginger hair, it was a one night stand and he was called "Bryn". Ingrid's mother would rather Ingrid stay home, attend university and find a career for herself. Ingrid becomes friends with Frieda, a German girl and together they buy a van to drive and sleep in while they look for jobs. Their first night at the beach, Ingrid meets two guys, Declan and Kurt. Declan is playing the guitar and she is captivated by his playing, but Kurt is captivated by her. Ingrid eventually gets a job at the coffee shop where Declan and Kurt work, while she continues searching for her dad. Declan tries to help Kurt get the girl, but not sure the girl wants Kurt. You will have to read the book to see who, if anyone, Ingrid picks and if she locates her father or not. There are definitely a couple of surprises along the way.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of a young lady’s journey to find her father. During this journey she finds friends and learns about herself and her mother. A wonderful story and adventure. Makes me want to visit New Zealand. I received a free book and the views and opinions are my own.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this holiday romance!

I would love to go to New-Zealand one day myself, and I just loved the setting. A cute, sweet read, with some surprises. Some complications! It had a good ending, and I thought it was an entertaining and feel-good novel!

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author and gave it a try! I instantly fell in love with the whole story. Searching for a father, stubbornly trying not to love, missing home.... this is a must read for anyone looking for a lighthearted satisfying sweet story

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance on a 🔎father-finding mission at a Kiwi beachtown: good beach read🌅

💕4.5🌟stars 🎉
I thoroughly enjoyed Ingrid's story. Finnish Ingrid and her German travelling buddy Friedi are budget travellers living on a shoe string as they explore New Zealand on a working holiday. They have very different objectives but somehow make it work. I liked their initiative, their willingness to sacrifice creature comforts and hard-working attitude to life.

There's a romantic triangle and some disappointments along her way, but Ingrid never loses hope in her search for a father with just his first name and the knowledge that she was conceived on a festive New Year's Eve at a Waihi beach party and her mother returned to Finland soon after. The search interweaves nicely with the romance and the end is happy and optimistic.

Enni Amanda is a new name to me but it looks like I've found another author to follow in my search for fiction set in beautiful New Zealand😊.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Romcom Queenie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summer read. Sweet and clean with flirty moments between the characters. Couldn't put it down wanting to see how Ingrid and Declan gets together and if she finds her father. Makes me want to go on an adventure.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good fun read. I'm not normally one for romances, but I love books about New Zealand, so thought this would be good for me. But it was great! The basic idea was really good - I won't spoil it for you - and the characters were mostly pretty endearing. I was happy with the result - always good - and the reason for the visit was well explained and executed. I'm looking forward to the next book from this author!

[Sassy Beta Reading & Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice read, a little long winded, but still a nice read. The story itself could have been tightened up a bit for a smoother flow to the progression of the book. Good story concept with nice characters. Ingrid and Declan where good characters that were easy to like. I never could grow an attachment to them, but I did like them.

Written as a 3rd person, multi pov with a HEA ending.

Would I recommend this book? Sure

Would I read more from this author? Yes

Sassy Beta Reading and Review

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one has a special place in my heart

[Samantha Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, this book took me straight to the shores of Waihi Beach and made me fall head over heels for the musically talented barista, Declan.
I love reading Enni Amanda's books. As a Kiwi expat, I miss being immersed in the kinds of scenes she writes about, and she does such a great job of taking me back there.
If you want a very sweet romance on the beach, with just a whiff of mystery, totally check this book out. It'll make you feel like you're having your own holiday fling!

[Selah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a feel-good romance with an interesting plot and relatable characters. It's a great summer read that I would highly recommend for teens and adults alike!

[Patricia Solla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not knowing what direction to take in her life, Ingrid, has traveled from Finland to New Zealand to see if she can fine her father, who doesn't know she exists. Ingrid's conception is a tale in itself. Ingrid's adventure begins when she arrives in Auckland makes arrangements to get the proper credentials to travel the country and finds a way to get to the town where her mother says she had a romantic encounter with her father. With not much to go on, Ingrid finds a job in a sort of coffee shop and begins to try and find her father. While working Ingrid meets two men, friends who both seem interested in Ingrid, one a sort of playboy and the other more centered. One of the men steps aside so the other can try and get to know Ingrid. Of course, the romance works out quite differently and the search for her father is quite interesting. The cast of characters keeps the reader entertained at every turn. The story ends happily. I enjoyed reading this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Arti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by the author that I have read and I really liked it. Though it is a long book, but the way the author has written it with detailed descriptions, I enjoyed the journey with Ingrid. I loved how each chapter begins with a quote from Ingrid’s mother and tells us what would happen next.
It is a clean, slow paced romance, with detailed descriptions of characters, places and scenes. I loved the friendship between Ingrid and Friedi and also that between Declan and Kurt. I loved the bond that Declan shares with his mother. This story is all about friendship, family and love. I'm looking forward to know what happens next.
Looking forward to reading more books from this author

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been to New Zealand twice and absolutely love the country. It was fun to "revisit" many places since I had been to all but one of the places Ingrid visits. The main reason I got the book is the inclusion of Waihi in the title.

The story was cute and clean, but dragged in places for me. I would have loved to see more development in Ingrid and Friedi's friendship. Honestly, all of the characters could have used a little more development.

Maybe it shouldn't bother me, but the switching between "American English" and "British English" did bother me. Pick one and stick with it. Even if that's normal in speaking, it was distracting to me in written format.

While I didn't love this book, I'd be interested in reading the author's future books. I downloaded a free copy of this book from Story Origin in exchange for an honest review.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about keeping adherence to one´s values and beliefs and of search of origins. In the midst of it all there is love (in all its forms), unexpected friendship, discovery of inner values and self esteem and persistence to reach one´s goals.
I really enjoyed reading this book, which is easy to follow, describes beautiful places in New Zealand (makes you want to travel there!) and shows how different cultures can live together.
I downloaded a free copy of this book through Story Origin and this is my honest review.

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enni Amanda is one of my favourite authors, her books never disappoint. This is Ingrid's story as she leaves Finland for New Zealand in search of her father. She has little more than a first name and a location Waihi Beach. With her new German friend they set out for adventures. She finds unexpected love along the way. The ending is happy and the future is optimistic.
I received this book for free and am happy to leave a review

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this because I'd enjoyed a previous book by this author, Tiny House On Wheels. I didn't enjoy this one so much, mainly because the strong YA vibe didn't appeal. I think it would appeal to younger readers though. I've been to Waihi Beach many times but despite the descriptions I didn't really get a feel for it's uniqueness the way I did with Raglan in her other book.

[Lenda Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read this author before but I will look for her books now.
The plot of this book had twists that were fun to read about and made reading it very interesting.
The characters are so likable and well-written that they became my friends.
I am looking forward to more books.

[June Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this book, the characters were 2 dimensional, you couldn't get to know them properly. But it was a good story even though the proof reader should be sacked, too many she when referring to a he and vice versa.

[Margaret Shumaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming

This is set in New Zealand, which I love. The main character is from Finland who comes to N.Z. looking for her father.She ends up working as a barista at the beach.no enjoyed the characters and of course, the setting.

[Gege · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, and didn’t get past the end of the third chapter. Can’t put my finger on what was especially unreadable, maybe the dialogue and how forced/not believable it was, or the lack of likeability of any of the characters? Maybe others will see something I don’t and enjoy it, but it wasn’t for me

[Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very long-winded story with no surprises. Found myself skimming chapters to finish. That said, it had a nice backdrop on Waihi Beach, with plenty of NZ flavour coming through.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a nice story about life, friendship, & the choices we make. Loved the characters!

[Sarah Tummey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author's own experiences in Finland and New Zealand made it authentic and while the romance might have been predictable, other twists in the story weren't.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable easy read. However I have preferred other books by this author

[Donise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ingrid is a 23 year old girl from Finland who goes to Waihi Beach, New Zealand in search of her father. All she knows is that he had ginger hair, it was a one night stand and he was called "Bryn". Ingrid's mother would rather Ingrid stay home, attend university and find a career for herself. Ingrid becomes friends with Frieda, a German girl and together they buy a van to drive and sleep in while they look for jobs. Their first night at the beach, Ingrid meets two guys, Declan and Kurt. Declan is playing the guitar and she is captivated by his playing, but Kurt is captivated by her. Ingrid eventually gets a job at the coffee shop where Declan and Kurt work, while she continues searching for her dad. Declan tries to help Kurt get the girl, but not sure the girl wants Kurt. You will have to read the book to see who, if anyone, Ingrid picks and if she locates her father or not. There are definitely a couple of surprises along the way.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.