MAHALO, MY LOVE
By Ida Hills
Beagle Bay Books - April 2002
ISBN 0967959128 - Paperback
Historical Romance - 1892, Hawaii

Reviewed by: Rachel A Hyde, MyShelf.com
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Laelani Winton is a half-Hawaiian girl who has spent the past few years in England but at last is coming home to her beloved island. Sadly for her part of the reason is that her father has just died leaving her an orphan although a wealthy one. With her is her companion red-haired Amy Hawkins, recently promoted from lady's maid and an expert seamstress. They take island society by storm and although everybody expects Laelani to marry her childhood sweetheart Keoni, she has seen Texan "water wizard" Clifton Davis who is there to drill artesian wells. Meanwhile, all is not well with the island as the Americans are trying to take over the island and soon everything will change forever.

This is a great feelgood book that immerses the reader in a lost Hawaii before they lost their native monarch and became part of America. Ida Hills conveys the lush scenery, warmhearted people and the mix of Hawaiian, English and American society most expertly although at times a little more conflict might have made a more stimulating story. In particular I felt that the momentous political events took rather too much of a backseat and more could have been made of this but on the whole it is a most enjoyable tale that transports the reader to another world. Descriptive, romantic and great to read about a place that doesn't feature much in historical fiction.