Laney Carrigan, freelance writer, seeks her forever
mother after having been adopted by Gisela & Tom Carrigan,
arriving on their doorstep wrapped in a quilt with an
intricate design. Her mother has passed and her father is
encouraging Laney to find her ancestral roots. Posting a
photo of the quilt has brought almost instant results from
her long lost Auntie Teah. Encouraged to meet her forever
family, Laney arrives in Hawaii.
The last thing Laney expects is to be met by a tall,
dark, Caucasian cowboy. Kai Barnes, her aunt's foster son,
is a former army pilot riddled with PTSD following his stent
in Afghanistan. Revealing their stubbornness and with
heckles up, they bunt heads from the get go. Kai, believing
she is a money grabber and Laney is unwilling to befriend a
bitter grouch. Laney begins to see things through new eyes
as she meets the family and helps with Grandma Mily who was
a part in making her quilt. Learning the story of her
mother's death, Laney faces many hidden secrets concerning
heritage, her mother and her future. A future which she
would like to spend with Kai, who, because of his PTSD, will
never commit to any woman in a forever life, even one he
desperately loves.
I was completely caught up in the Hawaiian heritage and
customs throughout this story. The vivid descriptions of
the beautiful island gave me a feeling of being there.
Having traveled to Hawaii made this story especially
exciting for me. I have not had the pleasure of reading any
of Lisa Carter's work before, but I am completely impressed
with her ability to relate to the reader and give them a
complete experience of heartfelt nostalgia and to feel the
loneliness of two lost people.
When Laney Carrigan sets out to find her birth family, her
only clue is the
Hawaiian quilt—a red rose snowflake appliquéd on a white
background—in which she was found wrapped as an infant.
Centering her search on the Big Island and battling fears of
rejection, Laney begins a painstaking journey toward her
true heritage. Kai
Barnes, however, is determined to protect the people he’s
come to regard as family.
He thinks Laney is nothing more than a gold digger and
blocks every move she makes toward her Hawaiian family. As
their conflict escalates, it puts at risk the one thing that
Kai and Laney both want most—a family.