Hawaiian Islands, 1779

As the second daughter of a royal chief, Maile will be permitted to marry for love. Her fiancé is the best navigator in Hawaiʻi, and he taught her everything he knows—how to feel the ocean, observe the winds, read the stars, and how to love.

But when sailors from a strange place called England arrive on her island, a misunderstanding ends in battle, and Maile is suddenly widowed before she is wed.

Finding herself in the middle of the battle and fearing for her life, Maile takes John Harbottle, the wounded man who killed her fiancé, prisoner, and though originally intending to let him die, she reluctantly heals him. And in the process, she discovers the man she thought was her enemy might be her ally instead.

John has been Captain James Cook’s translator for three voyages across the Pacific. He is kind and clearly fascinated with her homeland and her people—and Maile herself. But guilt continues to drive a wedge between them: John’s guilt over the death he caused, and Maile’s guilt over the truth about what triggered the deadly battle—a secret she’s kept hidden from everyone on the island.

When Maile is tasked with teaching John how to navigate using the stars so he can sail back to England, they must also navigate the challenges of being from very different cultures. In doing so, they might also find the peace that comes when two hearts become one.

What a fun, unexpected discovery!

I’ve been reading a lot in my preferred genre (contemporary rom-com/dramedy), so I wanted to try something new. To cleanse my palate, if you will. I can’t tel you what made me borrow this book from the library–I just decided it was different enough that it would work.

I wasn’t expecting it to be such a good book! It predictable in the way all good romance novels are predictable, but there’s so much more to the story than just will they/won’t they get together that it absolutely captivates. Honestly, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this time period, but I’m a HUGE fan of the trope, so that helped too.

One of the best surprises of the year, hand’s down. SO glad I picked this up.

Rated PG for some violence. Get your copy here!

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