Review: Aloha Love by Susan Murphy

What a delight is this novel about finding yourself ... and love in the most unexpected of ways. Jennifer Bell is a wedding celebrant whose fortieth birthday is fast approaching. Much of her adult life has been shaped by the most shattering of betrayals by the man who was supposed to love her the most. Reluctantly, she follows her newly-single best friend Anna to Hawaii so that she can be the celebrant at the wedding of one of Anna's relatives. With Anna's sparky cousin Vinnie in tow, the pair set about enjoying their holiday, in spite of the secret that Vinnie is keeping, in spite of Anna's recent major life problems and bizarre behaviour and in spite of the fact that Jennifer suddenly finds herself booked to do several unusual weddings at the resort. Then, suddenly, Jennifer encounters her first love Jake, who is a guest at one of the weddings and she has to ask herself--can she let this man into her heart? Or is he going to be the one who got away ... twice.

This was a fantastic read. Some pages are lightweight and a lot of fun, but there are some darker moments that give the story a realistic edge. I loved that this featured a main character who was nearing her fortieth birthday, rather than a protagonist who thinks she's old and over the hill at age twenty-six. The author has a lot to say about karma, whether it be second chances or people getting exactly what they deserve.

Overall, an original, though provoking romance.

Highly recommended.

This book counts toward my reading goal for the Aussie Author Challenge 2021


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