Acquired Book By: Whilst speaking with Ms Stewart about being a guest on @SatBookChat in the New Year of 2021 (as our conversation was in late 2020) – I realised there was a whole collection of stories by her I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading! The first series which charmed my heart was Butterfly Harbour – which we happily discussed during #SatBookChat in January, 2021 and it is the series I am continuing to read throughout 2023. At the time, she mentioned to me she also writes for Harlequin’s Romantic Suspense and I was quite curious about those stories as I regularly read their Love Inspired Suspense novels. The key difference between the two is Love Inspired is their faith-based imprint and the Romantic Suspense stories are Contemporary and mainstream. I tend to be a hybrid reader of both mainstream and faith-based markets which is why I was keen on reading her Romantic Suspense releases.
I am a member of her Review Team (as you will see the badge I created at the bottom of this review) and I am thankful I have the opportunity to be clued into her new releases and series, as they become published and available to read. I will be continuing to read her Heartwarming and Contemporary Suspense releases via Harlequin as a Review Team member, too.
I received a complimentary copy of “Their Surprise Island Wedding” direct from the author Anna J. Stewart in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
NOTE: All the Press Materials for this series (Hawaiian Reunions) were provided by the author, Ms Stewart for use on my blog. 
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
You might recognise the author I am reading (ie. Anna J. Stewart) as I first became introduced to her style of storycrafting whilst reading the #BlackwellBrothers series via Harlequin Heartwarming! Whilst continuing to get to know her further through her guest appearances on @SatBookChat (the Saturday chat I’ve hosted since 2014 celebrating Romance, Women’s Fiction & Feminist Lit and of which is on sabbatical). You’ll find me reading selections from her Romantic Suspense stories for Harlequin as well as her wicked lovely series ‘Butterfly Harbour’ which is a celebration of family, community and new beginnings!
In recent years, you will have found reviews of the following novels
featured on Jorie Loves A Story:
Undercover Heat and Colton on the Run
Gone in the Night, Guarding His Midnight Witness and Recipe for Redemption
as well as: Her Island Homecoming
Settling into a Heartwarming novel felt like the right choice for me. Whenever I pick up one of these lovelies, I feel as if I can just soak into a story, relax into the lives of the characters and settle the chaos for a bit. We all need those moments to ourselves where we can just find ways to decompress and find what can relax us outside of work and life’s commitments.
One of the hardest things to reconcile about returning to Nalani for me was to emotionally put aside what happened to Hawaii IRL. As the fires in Hawaii erased an entire towne and caused so much heartache and devastation. My heart was already anchoured to Hawaii through the first novel in this series Her Island Homecoming – both through reading the story itself and through recounting my experiences with the characters, on my blog and in IRL with conversations with my Mum. Part of me couldn’t find a way to get past the news coming out of Hawaii (post-fire) and find a path back into being in the right mindset to resume reading the series. Thereby, I set the book aside and hoped I could reconcile what happened and find my joy again in reading the series which gave me such an uplift as a reader and as a blogger. Sometimes real life can affect how and what we choose to read, and, in this instance, my heart was just full of emotional anguish and grief for those people who survived the horrific whilst my sympathies were extended to those who perished.
And, of course, right when my heart and mind were re-aligning together to emerge back into a beloved series like this one, my work life became quite taxing and with the extra hours I was picking up, I found myself unable to unwind into a book, as I was genuinely too exhausted to do anything else than catch-up on some much-needed rest and sleep. Thereby, this review was meant to be read and reviewed closer to when I received it as I was so happy about the books I received around Christmas by this author – but I had to carry it over into the New Year. A lot of my absences online and on my blog were due to needing Progressive glasses which blessedly has also been resolved as I now have two pairs of glasses: a main pair of Progressives and a pair of readers, which in effect is changing my life! I spoke about this during the last couple of Sunday Posts, as well.
Around March/April, I felt I could finally start to resume reading, blogging, reviewing and becoming more active on #bookstagram as I had put in the groundwork towards that goal in late Autumn. However, Spring proved to be a bit more than Mum and I had expected. Our car needed repairs in March and by April we both fell horridly ill and I had to take nearly a full week off from both my jobs and resume working before I was fully recovered as I couldn’t afford to lose any more hours at either of them. I barely remember April as a result. By May, I was recovered but it was a month where my Dad had more bad days than good. It was also the month of my parents’ milestone anniversary and it just proved to be a hard ending to Spring.
This lovely review and the times in which I spent reading the book – marks my return to Jorie Loves A Story and regular posts arriving each month throughout the course of 2024! I might have had a rocky start to 2024, but I am hopeful this year provides me a new passageway back into reading but also, a joyful respite from work and a continuing adventure into seeking out the stories which are calling me to read them. I look forward to sharing my thoughts and ruminations as always as much as I look forward to aligning myself back into series by favourite authors across genres of interest and in finding my route through literature during my 11th year as a book blogger! My 10th year might not have been the best, but I have a wicked good feeling this year will be on that will be bookishly delightful in both stories and memories alike – here’s to a lovely New Year of reads for us all.
Meanwhile, I have a lot of anticipation of excitement for this series because of the lovely way in which Ms Stewart has started to set-up the background on the characters but also, the series overall – as she’s opened a few doors that can be explored later and there are plenty of characters of whom I’d love to see continued to become developed and have stories of their own! That’s the bigger blessing with stories of this nature – you get to re-find reasons why the series renews your joy and your own curiosities about what happens after you finish each installment!
Join me as I journey back into the Hawaiian Reunions series
and let’s see what we shall find together!
Their Surprise Island Wedding
Subtitle: Hawaiian Reunions : Book Two
by Ms Anna J. Stewart
Source: Author Review Team
Could her fake boyfriend be her true love?
Her sister’s Hawaiian dream wedding is a nightmare for water-phobic, workaholic Marella Benoit—especially when a breakup leaves her without a plus-one. Laid-back surfer Keane Harper is a sun-bronzed distraction. From stargazing to zip-lining to snorkeling with manta rays, Keane is showing the big-city girl how to have fun. And posing as her boyfriend for the wedding may be the adventure of a lifetime—together!
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 978-1335475466
Also by this author: Undercover Heat, Colton on the Run, Gone in the Night, Recipe for Redemption, Guarding His Midnight Witness, Her Island Homecoming, Prison Break Hostage
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming
on 26th September, 2023
Format: Larger Print (Mass Market Paperback)
Pages: 384
Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming (@HarlequinBooks) | imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
The Hawaiian Reunions series:
Her Island Homecoming (book one) | (see also Review)
*features Sydney and Theo and a cheekily scene stealing gecko!
Their Surprise Island Wedding (book two)
*features Keane, the surfer who returned to Nalani in book one!
A Surprise Second Chance (book three)
*features Daphne and Griffin!
A Hawaiian Christmas Romance (book four)
→ a forthcoming release on Christmas Eve, 2024!
*features Wyatt and Tehani!
View the list and keep tabs on this series via Fantastic Fiction!
Converse via: #ContemporaryRomance and #HawaiianReunionSeries
as well as #HarlequinHeartwarming
a note about the author’s note:
I could sympathise with the sentiments in the note Ms Stewart left for us to read in this installment. Sometimes, you find yourself in certain places which feel instinctively like a safe harbour. They have a different kind of feeling than even where you usually lay your hat and call ‘home’, too, because sometimes you travel somewhere else, and that place feels wickedly more ‘like home’ than perhaps the place you travelled from if that makes sense? I think anyone who has travelled can relate to this kind of feeling – as through travelling, you get to step outside your regular routines and hours, inhale a different slice of life and perhaps, find your truer self along the way. Travelling opens so many lovely doors and sometimes, you find yourself walking through a door that just feels wickedly comfortable and alluring.
I also love reading romantic stories where the heroine and hero aren’t necessarily a strong match in the beginning – meaning, that sometimes, it is fun to walk alongside a journey with them, seeing if they can find common ground and/or find a way towards each other that perhaps neither one could see until the end of our journey with them. Those kinds of stories are wicked fun to read because you’re a bit on your toes awaiting the connections to manifest whilst you’re also secretly rooting for them despite the differences which might seem to keep them apart. Just throwing out a few random thoughts ahead of reading this story – as when it comes to relationship-based romances, I love so many different beginnings to these stories, I simply get over the moon excited to read each new characters’ personal journey towards love and lasting romance.
Plus, this particular author has a penchant for giving me a wicked good romantic read and that is a reason to celebrate, too!
my review of their surprise island wedding:
Keane definitely shares my affinity for water and my healthy respect for the ocean. There is something quite wicked magical in the connection you can feel at the beaches and whilst swimming or playing in the ocean itself. And, yet, as said, I have a profound respect for it as well – as the ocean has a lot of power and needs our respect. I ought to know more than most as I was caught in a rip current once and it took a lot of fortitude of strength and prayer to get out of it alone. It was also an extremely exhausting experience and one that proves that when it comes to the ocean and its currents – we are not in control of anything. I was also out of the country at the time and let’s just say, I was also incredibly lost when I finally woke up on shore as nothing looked familiar. It was definitely one of those moments in life where you survive based on your instincts and the strength you have within you to carry on despite the adverse circumstances you find yourself being challenged to overcome.
Stewart kicks off the connection between Keane and Marella straight out of the gate, too! In a cleverly spun encounter at the beach, we find Keane in a unique situation wherein he’s caught in the middle of Marella ending her relationship with her boyfriend! I won’t spoilt the details but just know, Keane was pleasantly surprised by the encounter and according to Sydney, there was something else going on altogether, which of course, I agreed with myself. Marella for her sake is a fiercely strong and independent woman and to find that she was saddled with the type of bloke who not only took for her granted but felt she was the kind of woman the wool could be pulled over her eyes was insulting all round. She did the right thing by ending it but of course, life is far more complicated than stepping away from a bad relationship. Which is why when we found ourselves in the sphere of her stepsister (whose about to exchange her own vows) it felt like a whirlwind of energy of a different nature entirely! Crystal was a force of nature and part of me felt sorry for Marella, as it just felt like she wanted some time to herself rather than to be in a position of having to explain everything to a sibling who was just too curious for her own good.
Keane might not have his entire life planned out but from what I had gathered about him previously and what continues to play out about him in this story is his sincere passion for helping others. He has a very kind heart and a deep appreciation from where he came from and how he rose to the success he’s found in life. Part of that success of course was built on the kindness of others, and I think that is partially what fuells his own kind-hearted ways today. He’s the type of bloke who sees a problem and immediately knows how to solve it, too. The wicked fun part of course is watching what he chooses to do and how he wrestles his thoughts on his future against what he already knows to be true in his heart. I had a feeling that that was going to be the hardest part for him – to accept and resolve what he wants vs what he already had chosen to do.
Pippy is a pure delight! I love spunky characters and when their someone’s grandmother, all the more wicked! Although, you feel for Marella as she has everything to juggle all at once whilst finding a sane moment of peace and then, reconciling all her emotions and still keeping in-line with the wedding plans for Crystal. It just proved how strong she was as a person and how challenging life can become to make you continue to pivot and redirect and muddle through everything which is unexpectedly adverse in life. You can’t chart everything in advance, but I think, for this particular trip, Marella might have wanted a bit less drama and a bit more relaxation! Which is why when Keane found himself smitten by Marella, I echoed Mano’s warning to him – tread lightly but also with an open heart and awareness of self. Mano is good for him – to be the voice of reason Keane wasn’t entirely willing to admit himself but also, to encourage a bit of humbling truth as well.
Marella’s situation is quite a unique one – wherein, she works for her family’s company, but she also is chasing after something to distract her from living. I enjoyed watching how Stewart handled that side of her story – of unrooting the key reasons why Marella was a workaholic and why taking any sort of downtime felt like a personal insult. Marella was definitely wound tight when it came to anything outside of work. She had a hard time separating her work life from her personal life and even then, she put such strict pressures on herself I wasn’t surprised by how unprepared she was for changing her patterns both in life and in work.
The close-knit family of Marella’s was a sweet addition to the story – as her brothers and sister are at the centre of the story as much as she is herself. Their a blended family but one who looks out for each other and truly cares about each member of the family, too. They’re not without their faults and their issues, but they find ways to help each other even if they’re not seeking out the advice in the first place! Laughs. In the background of all of this going on is the lovely towne of Nalani and the lovely people who live and work in the community. Stewart consistently finds new places to introduce us too in the community as well as give us new appreciation for life in Hawaii. The scenery, the pace of life and the foods are what lull me into a bit of serenity each time I read one of this series installments. Everything has a hug of grace and love about it and is bursting with a fresh take on the world, too. Meaning, sometimes you have to remove yourself from your work and embrace the serendipitous nature of life outside of work to fully appreciate life overall. And this story truly captialised on that theme.
One of my favourite scenes was when Marella was watching Keane surf – as Stewart tapped into the close connection surfers have with the ocean and the waves and how euphoric it can be for an observer to watch surfers who are in their element. Keane’s heart was entwined with the water and seeing this come to life in the storyline was a wicked sweet moment to observe. Not to mention the return of my favourite gecko and his girlfriend. Laughs. My second favourite scene was an emotional one at the Hula Chicken restaturant which was so beautifully written by Stewart. Trust me. You might want to keep some tissues on hand for that scene!
The choices we make in our lives have an impact long after we’ve made them. Part of this story in the series is about choices and considerations of the future and the paths we’re willing to take in life to find our own happiness. It isn’t enough to have a job if you’re not completely happy outside of it and living a full life. I appreciated Stewart for exploring this aspect of Marella and Keane’s lives – of taking stock of where they were prior to being in Nalani and where they want to be post-Nalani, too. It isn’t an easy question to find an answer for either because life is full of choices. We just have to embrace the choice which suits us better in the moments we’re ready to change our own paths or to embrace the path already chosen. Again, it was a very interesting part of the novel as both Keane and Marella were on the brink of discovering not only the truer version of themselves but the more honest path they each needed to live in order to have a better chance at a more fulfilled life overall.
My heart was definitely warmed by how Keane took care of Akahi and Polunu – they were attached to the story from the beginning and played such a key role in the journey of the wedding party, too. Yet, their story was a quiet one where you could tell they were being wrapped in protection and love by those who cared about them the most. As this series has mentioned time and again, this isn’t just community, this is family – it is Ohana. I love how that central theme of connection for the series transcends through each of the stories and re-defines how family is connected. I love the found family aspects of the series, too, and the different kinds of families represented and featured. It is a beautifully knit series from that angle, and it is a treasure of joy to read.
The ending was perfect and just as wicked lovely as the journey to reach it. I didn’t want this chapter on their lives to conclude – I felt so dearly connected to Keane and Marella by the time I realised I was running out of pages; my heart fluttered a bit because I knew their part of the story was concluding. I was overjoyed of course by how Stewart rounded out all the lovely characters’ lives in this installment but more than that, I loved being in Nalani again. This towne has a heart of gold flowing through it and each time you revisit the community, the community enriches your life. It is one of those kinds of series that you simply feel better for reading and eagerly await more stories to continue your stay amongst the characters’ who have become a part of your own Ohana.
on the contemporary romantic styling of anna j. stewart:
I was enjoying the overview of how we settled back into Nalani as Stewart provided a lovely window of remembrance of why we are so happily attached to these characters and that the heart of the story is anchoured through the life Remy had lived and the connections he had made during his life to those who loved him as much as he loved them in return. That was so keenly evident in the first novel, and it carries through into the sequel as well. As Remy had a very strong influence on his friends and family alike and that is where we begin this lovely installment of the series.
As we shift forward, Remy’s legacy of influence and generosity continues to shine through – I especially enjoyed how Mano who’s at the helm of the Hibiscus Bay resort is also a continuing presence in the series. Stewart continues to write this series with a wonderful sense of continuity and continuation of fusing the characters we’ve come to love over the course of the series with new characters who enter the story at different intervals. I found it to be a wonderful balance and a joy to read and discover – as each new chapter brings new enlightenment on the community of Nalani, too.
I loved, too, how Stewart spoke a bit about the cost involved in a destination wedding – in part, because that weighed on Marella’s mind as she was footing the bill for Crystal’s wedding but also, about how sometimes people become more focused on the setting than the event, or at least, that felt partially implied. Not that there is anything wrong with a destination wedding, as long as the focus of course is on why the couple is getting married rather than ‘where’ they are married. At least that is how my own thoughts on the subject lie as well.
She was also planting the seed for Daphne to take center-stage in the next installment by revealling bits of curiosity about her past via the perspective of Keane on her behalf. I love whenever writers knit into one story a revolving arc to be explored in the next installment as it helps keep everything anchoured together. Plus, you might get a few clues about that next person’s life your about to read more about lateron, too. For me, this is one reason why I love serial fiction – you don’t have to love and let go of characters too quickly and you get to take your time with a community you’ve already fallen in love with visiting time and time again. That’s the best part really! The return visits and the renewals of joy in finding out where everyone is ‘now’ again and again. And, of course, the new characters who enter into their lives and ours – creating a rather blissful reunion each time we re-enter the community of Nalani, too.
A closing note from Jorie:
Although, by most accounts [2024] has been the best one for me as a reader, book blogger and socially bookish engager – I will say, this particular novel has been with me through all the ups and downs and in-betweens. I kept returning into the story and picking up the threads of where I was with the characters and finding myself uplifted for those sparse moments of where I could decompress back into the series and find myself just as happy for those smaller moments of joy as I would have been if I could have read it in one sitting. I am so grateful I had the chance to read this installment and I look forward to continuing the saga of where this series will take us in forthcoming stories and installments hereafter. It is one of those series which encourages you to take a bit of time for yourself and to just ‘settle’ into Nalani and let the community of Nalani be a calming influence on your everyday life.
If you haven’t already become smitten with this series,
I do encourage you to take up residence inside it as soon as you can.
You’ll thank me afterwards!
readers who gravitate towards the same stories to read.
This review is cross-posted to LibraryThing.
This lovely badge I’ve created to reflect the fact I am part of the Review Team for Anna J. Stewart. As such, per my usual disclosures when I have a connection to an author – I approach each story I read by an author with fresh eyes and give my honest impressions of how a story sits with me as a reader. I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time or continuing to read their releases as they are available. In regards to being on an author’s review or street team – each story is uniquely told in of its own and my opinions and thoughts upon those stories are reflective of each experience I have with reading the stories I am given an opportunity to read.
About Ms Anna J. Stewart
USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J. Stewart writes sweet to sexy romance for Harlequin's Heartwarming and Romantic Suspense lines as well as ARC Manor. Early obsessions with Star Wars, Star Trek, and Wonder Woman set her on the path to creating fun, funny, and family-centric romances with happily ever afters for her independent heroines and the men who love them.
A former RWA Golden Heart nominee, Anna’s books have finaled in the Daphne DuMaurier and National Reader’s Choice awards. Her sweet romance RECIPE FOR REDEMPTION was recently turned into a holiday movie for UPtv (A CHRISTMAS RECIPE FOR ROMANCE) which aired during the 2019 holiday season.
Since her first novella with Harlequin in 2014, Anna has written and published more than forty romances in multiple sub-genres. Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural and Jason Momoa addiction and two slightly nutty cats named Rosie and Sherlock. When she's not writing, you can find her cooking and baking, binge-watching classic TV and cooking shows, attending fan conventions, or heading to the movies.
You can read more about Anna, her books, and the writing workshops she offers on her website linked in this biography.
This lovely review marks my return of featuring Romances during #RomanceTuesdays which is a dedicated showcasing of romance novels on Tuesdays on Jorie Loves A Story. Be sure to visit the archives for past novels which have been featured during this showcase.
{SOURCES: Cover art for “Her Island Homecoming”, “Their Surprise Wedding”, and “A Surprise Second Chance”, book synopsis, as well as the author’s photograph and biography were all provided by Anna J. Stewart and are used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. LibraryThing banner provided by librarything.com and used with permission. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: A Romantic Summer banner, #RomanceTuesdays, Anna J. Stewart Review Team badge and the comment box badge.}
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