ARC Review: Heat Wave by Karina Halle

Book Title: Heat Wave
Author: Karina Halle
Series: Standalone
Release Date: November 16th, 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance

They say when life closes one door, another one opens.

This door happens to lead to paradise.

And a man I can never, ever have.

~~~

Still grieving the loss of her sister who died two years ago, the last thing Veronica "Ronnie" Locke needed was to lose her job at one of Chicago’s finest restaurants and have to move back in with her parents. So when a window of opportunity opens for her – running a kitchen at a small Hawaiian hotel – she’d be crazy not to take it.

The only problem is, the man running the hotel drives her crazy:

Logan Shephard.

It doesn’t matter that he’s got dark brown eyes, a tall, muscular build that’s sculpted from daily surfing sessions, and a deep Australian accent that makes your toes curl.

What does matter is that he’s a grump.

Kind of an asshole, too.

And gets under Ronnie’s skin like no one else.

But the more time Ronnie spends on the island of Kauai, falling in love with the lush land and its carefree lifestyle, the closer she gets to Logan. And the closer she gets to Logan, the more she realizes she may have pegged him all wrong. Maybe it’s the hot, steamy jungles or the invigorating ocean air, but soon their relationship becomes utterly intoxicating.

There’s just one major catch.

The two of them together would incite a scandal neither Ronnie, nor her family, would ever recover from.

Forbidden, Illicit, off-limits – sometimes the heat is worth surrendering to, even if you get burned.

Note: this is a standalone novel, unrelated to any previous books. It does NOT contain cheating of any kind.

Wow! I've found myself a new favorite Karina Halle book! Heat Wave takes place on the lovely garden isle of Kauai and reliving all there is to the Hawaiian islands was a cherry on top!

Veronica (Ronny, Ron, Freckles) is an unemployed professional chef. Losing her last job in a not-so-professional way, her resume is dismal. So her parents push her to take a bit of a sabbatical in Kauai at the Moonwater Inn they co-own with her brother-in-law. After her sister died in a tragic car accident two years ago, she worries moving into such close quarters to him, a young widower, may be difficult for both of them. Especially because she hates him...

Logan is a rather grumpy Australian chap- running the resort and living day to day in the aftermath of Juliet's untimely death. He loved her but their marriage was anything but perfect. When his sister-in-law offers to jazz up their menu by cooking for his restaurant, he can't pass it up but is surely leery how co-habitating on such a small island will bode for them.

Heat Wave will surely hit the spot for fans of grouchy heros, or that angsty tug of war between a natural physical chemistry and true deep-seated hatred. Ronny has such hard feelings against the kind of husband Logan was yet everything she see's in front of her screams the opposite...her body screams the opposite.

Nestled in the garden island of Kauai, Karina Halle captured the Hawaiian life perfectly. In fact, she apparently wrote the book while basking in all its beauty. There's a true spirit to the Hawaiian islands and I loved revisiting all those things... luaus, leis, Mai Tais, poi, Hawaiian endearments, you name it. These details just further heightened my love of this book. It's more than a trope about "you can't choose who you love" it's about friends, family (ohana), loving the land and living in the spirit of the islands.

The romantic element of the book was a slow burn, perfectly paced. Both characters having scars, false impressions of each other- and it just takes time to break down those barriers. And what better place than learning how to surf or hiking in the deep forest. This story was a true experience for both the characters and the readers following along for the journey towards happiness after tragedy.

Heat Wave is a full-length standalone novel. I hope this isn't the last we hear from this crew...

Advanced review copy received by the author in exchange for my honest review.

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible.Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU.

Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.

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