Cheney Duvall travels to Hawaii to help Shiloh Irons, who believes the Winslows might be his long-lost family, despite their refusal to have anything to do with him.
Because mine was "I could do [insert endless list of boring, soul crushing, responsible tasks, including writing another bleeping parent concern letter to try and humanize and justify the inherent worth of my disabled kid within a system that doesn't give a bleep" -- OR -- I could reread the series that consumed my teenage years which now, as an adult, is STUNNINGLY problematic and moderately soul crushing but in a fun way.
Probably the most adventure packed in the whole series, this one doesn't seem to have a boring moment. Shiloh makes lots of progress in his search for his family history - which had been barely moving at a trickle through previous books, so this is quite satisfying.
As Cheney and Shiloh's adventures continue, this one is a real page-turner! From halfway to the very end, they're affronted by just about every possible hazard known to man! They're in Hawaii, searching for Shiloh's roots and the volcano erupts. Everyone scurries in different directions in their attempt to survive. Shiloh attempts to keep the day light by saying things like, you know it's a bad day when an erupting volcano is the least of your worries.
Many questions are answered, but many more remain: will Cheney marry Shiloh?
I read this entire series, even the three that come after this series. I loved the unstoppable Cheney Duvall. She loved the Lord, she loved the people in her life, and after a time of struggle between them, she loved Shiloh too!
This is probably my favorite book of the series and not just because it is set in Hawaii. I love how the author incorporates the local culture into the story. This one is action packed. It’s got it all secrets, sharks, treachery and a volcano. So so good.
On my second reading of this series I was again taken in by the characters and plot. I kept wondering how much the duo would endure and how they would make it out of the dangerous situations in which they were placed. The characters still caught my imagination and elicited emotional reactions from me.
I absolutely loved this book! I think I realized how much I liked it when I saw that Shiloh and Cheney were finally open about how much they liked each other. I was like, "Finally! It took them long enough!" (Though I suppose Shiloh had been showing it since book one, so... I suppose it was mostly Cheney that needed to see clearly. ;) Lol.) But I think I also just like it because it was a cute romance, and though I often don't want to admit it to myself, I do like a good romance every now and then, and this is a really cute one.
And Shiloh was also his usual awesome self, which is a big plus. ;) Anyway, loved this book, and so far it's my favourite in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is by far my favorite of all the books. There is so much going on that it really does take several reads to get everything and comprehend ALL that is happening. Set in Hawaii, mainly in Maui, amidst the beauty and lushness, there is also danger, anger and the finding of oneself and above all, LOVE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Re-read (because I SO needed something familiar that I loved!) May 27, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Re-read July 2, 2013
I was so craving reading this book and since mine is in storage, I got this out of the library. Still a great read and very soothing to me. LOVE the storyline in this one!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Re-read October 30 - November 1, 2015
I was in desperate need of a comfort book - Owen Meany had become such a chore that I needed something familiar. I LOVE this book and I found a copy cheap [because mine is still in storage] and was so excited to come home from vacation to find this waiting for me. It was JUST what I needed.
One of the very best I have read by the Morris team. Very interesting, good background information about Hawaii, culture, volcanoes, sea animals, poisons, all related to the story at hand. Shiloh continued on his journey as an orphan to see if he is related to the family who first settled this part of Hawaii. The Mistress of the plantation (Denise Winslow) is not friendly or interested in him being around, although her daughter seems to understand something is not right with the way her mother is acting. Mr.Logan Winslow is never home, and one has to wonder why. Cheney Duvall, MD and Walker Baird, MD are both close friends and have traveled to Hawaii by ship to check on Shiloh and his investigation. Perils of all sorts take place after they arrive which lead to the conclusion of the biggest mystery in the family. Personality development is great and I like this series very much. I will continue to read books by this father and daughter team, as well as separately.
By far my most favorite book of the series. I think it has something to do with it is a disaster book. I love a good disaster story! Hawaii is a beautiful setting and of course you have to have a volcano erupt! Cheney and Shiloh are at their best! They are getting along, they are helping people in a disaster and they help each other remain strong. Shiloh finds out who his family is and whew, they are not very nice people. At least some of them. Cheney finally admits to herself that she loves Shiloh, but there is no way she could act on that love because Shiloh is not a believer. The exploration of human behavior in the story was interesting to me. It made me think about how I would act in a disaster. Would I be a leader, or the hysterical shrew who demands that all my needs be met before anyone else's. Eeep! I would hope not, but who knows what fear will bring out in people and boy do Shiloh and Cheney see that in the people that they help. One more book in the series(then 3 books after Cheney and Shiloh marry). I've enjoyed reading this series again.
This is my favorite book of the series, and cements my love of Shiloh Irons. It's much faster-paced than the previous books in the series, with less emphasis on historical details, focusing instead on near non-stop action/adventure. Through it all, the inimitable Shiloh Irons serves as a "knight in shining armor" to Cheney and everyone else on the island. I'm a sucker for this trope, that is being done away with in these days of third wave feminism. I'm also a sucker for slow-burn romance, and it doesn't get much slower than 8 books worth! I can't help but love Shiloh as much as Cheney does, which makes the ending so very bittersweet. I love that the Morrises tackled it, though, and portrayed Cheney as obedient to Christ even when it's extremely hard.
"'I had no idea you were such a horticulturist,' Cheney teased. 'You shouldn't call people names,' Shiloh said with mock indignation. 'After all, I am trying to quit'"(p. 42).
"'Shiloh, dear,' she said with finality, 'one of the things I've always liked about you is that you're alive. Stay that way, would you?'"(p. 123).
I couldn't quite follow everything that happened, I think I'll have to re-read a couple of times in order to get it. I really find it interesting how Shiloh can always read her thoughts.. in all the books he does and I find it amusing! :) in this book Cheney finally realized she loved him, but there was a hitch.. looking forward to finding out how things turn out for them!
I used to like this series a lot. It does have some funny moments/characters and interesting plot points, but it is also rather on the feminist and romantic side--I think there was more romance in this particular book in the series, too.
This is the longest drawn out romance series that I think I've ever read; maybe there will be a resolution in the next book????? Taking place in the 'Sandwich Islands', Pele adds herself to the struggles of deceit and family problems!
Very suspenceful! I could not put this book down! Cheney and Shiloh are in Hawaii and get fought in the middle of a hurricane and volcano at the same time. In this book, Cheney realizes she in love with Shiloh.
This one in the series was interesting but since it was written about being in Hawaii, I was lost on some of the Hawaiian words and what they meant. But Cheney and Shiloh saga is good and I can't wait to read the final book of the series.
Still a 5 star for me. This is my favorite book in the Cheney Duvall series. I love the time period and most of my historical fiction falls in the same time, but this one is set in Hawaii which is unique. This book is also action packed! It's very fast paced and so so interesting.
Like the Hawaii setting and learning more about Shiloh's background but there were parts that got a bit too preachy for me. None of the earlier books had this problem.