Haven

By: Jessica Jayne

Narrated by: Samantha Cook, Teddy Hamilton

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

A week to think, a lifetime to love.

When a young attorney arrives on the Big Island with the goal of moving past her broken engagement and predictable life, a brooding but sexy man is not what she expected, but is exactly what she needs. Mia wants to move beyond the years of her life wasted in pleasing everyone else, except herself. She travels to Hawaii, where she can be alone - where she knows no one and no one knows her. But instead of the solitude she craves, she meets a handsome stranger with the uncanny ability to see the person she wants to be.

Love is for other people, or so Kekoa thinks. The Hawaiian surfer is no stranger to heartbreak or sacrifice. He’s all but given up on his dreams, resigned to live the life his deceased father had planned for him. And then, a curvy and dark-haired bundle of sunshine rents a room in his family’s inn and everything changes. 

Maybe love isn’t too much to hope for after all....

©2020 Jessica Jayne (P)2021 Jessica Jayne

Sweet Romance!

Kekoa and Mia's story is sweet, sexy, beautifully written, and romantic. They are both great characters. They share an instant attraction, and a sizzling chemistry. The supporting characters are great. I love the family bonds in this story. The scenery is wonderful. Samantha Cook and Teddy Hamilton did a great job with the narration. I enjoyed it.

A Hawaiin vacation!

Should you marry a person to make your parents happy? After Mia breaks her engagement, she is off to the big island of Hawaii to re-evaluate and decide what she wants to do with her life. Meeting Kekoa was not part of her plan. Kekoa is not looking for a relationship, but when he sees Mia, all bets are off. Love is in the air, but can it stand the test of miles in between? I love these two! Instant chemistry, hesitation and then bam! You could feel it happening! Jessica Jayne pulls me into the beauty of Hawaii and love. It The family ties are strong, and it's refreshing having such wonderfully warm characters that support and love them. I enjoyed this one, it was like being on vacation!

Samantha Cook and Teddy Hamilton are such a wonderful team! The story telling is perfect! Cook always gives us amazing portrayals of her characters, and she channels into Mia giving her all the feelings we all can relate to. Hamilton as Kekoa has that warm affection oozing out of his voice, it flows right into our hearts. Loved this listen!

Exotic journey

At first, I was a little thrown off by the speed at which Mia and Kekoa fall in love with each other. But once I accepted the instalove, I really enjoyed the cultural journey on which the author took me.

I have to admit that I didn’t get particularly attached to the characters. I can’t pinpoint what kept me from relating to them, but I suppose the quick instalove was part of the reason. There’s immediate attraction, resistance to said attraction, and giving into it, but there was little seduction and discovering each other–besides the big dramas that threaten their relationship–before becoming an item.

The setting though! I travelled with Mia and visited Hawaii with her. Language, food, places, traditions… You’ll get a bit of everything to have a good sense of the haven from the title. What’s even better is that it isn’t the only culture described in the book. Both characters are of mixed heritage, so there’s some Italian and some Serbian too thrown in the mix.

The family relationships–with parents and siblings–were actually interesting and maybe more developped than the romance itself. Friendship, rivalry, support, pressure… There was a little bit of everything.

The narrators were perfect. They offered a good pace to tell the story without getting boring, while still giving time to enjoy the exotic journey. The energy was good. I really enjoyed this book.