Experience the spiritual and physical beauty of the enchanted Hawaiian Islands in this modern-day Romeo and Juliet. Readers’ hearts will melt as Maele tries to find the courage to ride the waves after a horrific accident while Adam struggles with substance abuse and his own inner demons. Where the Sun Rises is a wonderful book about family, love, promise, hope, and perseverance. Be ready to laugh, cry, and cheer.

Star-crossed lovers face fears and follow dreams in Hawaii. This story will delight as much as it’s predecessor. Well-paced from the first page, Where the Sun Rises makes us cheer for Maele and Adam as they learn what this beautiful world has to offer if we trust our dreams and believe.

The second book in the popular From Kona with Love series has all the makings of a page-turning love story—desire, regret, passion, and fear—all set in picture-perfect Hawaii. The chemistry between Maele and Adam is palpable, and even familiar, but it’s the twists and turns of this modern romance that will leave readers wanting more.

Where the Sun Rises (From Kona with Love) is the story of an unlikely romance between spoiled rich boy Adam Yates and upcoming Hawaiian surfer extraordinaire Maele Moana. Were it not for their pairing at a wedding event, these worlds might never have come together. But they do, for a time—until Adam’s draw to fame leads him to Los Angeles while Maele struggles to reclaim her life in Hawaii after a surfing accident. Set against the backdrop of Oahu, their stormy relationship evolves as they come together and then move apart in seemingly impossibly disparate directions. Maele’s heart is broken when she realizes that Adam’s drive to success leads him on a path she won’t follow. Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha capture the flawed character of Adam and the reasons for the unlikely attraction between the two. But, to their credit, the story doesn’t center on recovery so much as independent growth experienced by the two characters as each struggles to overcome their inner fears. Readers who look for clean romances steeped in the atmosphere and culture of Hawaii will be attracted to Where the Sun Rises. The focus on self-discovery over recovery is of particular note as the novel progresses, as is the strong character of Maele, who harbors her own goals in life apart from any possibility that a “bad boy” might divert her from her achievements and inner strengths. The result is a gentle leisure read that draws with flawed individuals who cultivate their own strengths both separately and as a couple, and whose time apart proves as interesting as their attraction and time together. Libraries seeking easy reads, clean romances, and strong female characters will find Where the Sun Rises interesting for its Hawaiian backdrop and incorporation of not just love, but the process of catch and release.