Love story offers the perfect escapism

Meet Me in Hawaii

Imagine having the cheek to release a book about being in Hawaii when we can barely leave our homes for a pint of milk?

Then again, being whisked away to a different country in the pages of a book is the only way many of us can travel right now, so I should be grateful for this taste of sunshine.

This week’s book comes in the shape of Made In Chelsea and I’m A Celebrity… star Georgia “Toff” Toffolo’s Meet Me in Hawaii.

The story follows Malie Pukui who flees her home, family and friends in Devon for a fresh start in, you’ve guessed it, Hawaii.

There, she takes on a job at a surf school to give back to those in need and try to get over the greatest loss in her life.

Switch to Todd Masters. He was moved around foster homes throughout his childhood but has worked hard to offer a brighter future to young disadvantaged children.

He’s worked so hard that he’s built up his own charitable foundation working with a surf school in Hawaii. He loves the job, is a millionaire, but his past is still having quite an effect on his life.

The pair meet when Malie rescues Todd from the sea after he gets caught in a riptide. It’s instant fireworks between the two wounded souls who find a common ground. But is Malie ready to open her heart to Todd? Meet Me in Hawaii is a follow on from Toff’s Meet Me in London which I haven’t read but it has received some decent online reviews so I was expecting good things from this one.

Now, I’m going to put it out there right now, it’s not going to be an earth-shattering read to most. It’s a straightforward love story and we all know these books have their ups and downs before a satisfying resolution – but it’s the journey to get there that counts the most.

What I will say is that the romance between Malie and Todd is lightning fast. There’s often a bit of to-ing and fro-ing in books like this, but this duo fall in love almost instantly which left their love story open to a lot of indecision before they finally get to where they need to be.

This at times comes down to Malie. She’s been through some tragic stuff so doesn’t see herself as worthy of love, and Todd is mighty patient at waiting for her. I was amazed how forgiving he was at times.

But all of that aside, there are some sweet moments against the backdrop of Hawaii so you’ll get your escapism one way or another. All in all, this love story is ok. It’s a little predictable but that’s never really hurt anyone in the long-term.

Prepare to cringe a little at the dialogue too. I like a bit of cheese but sometimes this one felt a little overkill. Then again, you know what you’re getting here. Perhaps a little bit of romance wouldn’t do too much harm, even if it is just on paper.