Marissa Price is living the high life in New York City with her husband Paul and daughter Pansy. She's grown accustomed to the ballet, theatre, fine restaurants and designer clothes and shoes. Actually, she's a bit of a condescending snob, yet still a nice and likable character. Her marriage to Paul has become lackluster in the past few years, but Marissa is determined to stick with Paul through the ups and downs.

Paul works for a resort management company and gets the opportunity to manage a property in Hawaii. He jumps at the chance. Marissa goes along reluctantly, quitting her high- powered corporate job to be a stay-at-home mom. There's an old Hawaiian saying that the island either "welcomes" newcomers or not. The island embraces Paul and Pansy upon their arrival, but not Marissa. It seems that a person's attitude has more to do with being embraced by the island, or not.

This is a breezy read, perfect for a "stay-cation" at home if you are dreaming of a Hawaiian vacation this year. King captures the atmosphere of the island beautifully. She infuses relaxing descriptions of island life -- relaxed clothes, tropical flowers, the terrain, and local cuisine -- to balance out the Price family drama. There are even some bonus Hawaiian recipes in the back of the book, perfect for cooking up your own Hawaiian experience without the travel costs!