This sensuous and thrilling tale is set amid the lush, steamy jungle of Hawaii. A business outing turns to terror when crime intrudes and a half-Hawaiian girl discovers hidden talents BLOOMING IN THE WILD.

A photo shoot on location for a sporting goods store brings together businesswoman Belle Moran, organiser of the trip, and Joel Girand, taking a break from his outdoor adventure reality show. Along with a photographer, models, makeup artist and trip crew, they head off on a catamaran to sail around the Big Island and camp in the jungle. Joel is pleased that in the warmth and humidity the girls find bikinis more comfortable than clothes, but his eyes keep returning to Bella and he can't understand why she seems stressed.

Bella, from Portland, Oregon, has been having strange dreams for some time, in which she falls off cliffs and controls plants, and on the island that has given her half her heritage the dreams grow stronger, making her uneasy. As the group enters the tropical jungle she seems to hear plants talking to her... not something the wahine, or woman, wants to share with the others.

The interactions between the group members and growing attraction between Joel and Bella would have been enough for most romances, but a gang of drug-runners is also scheming to use the situation to their advantage, and matters turn horribly wrong. A storm batters the island, the pontoons of the yacht are sabotaged and cell phone signal is disrupted. To save her friends Bella has to face the inner resource that helps her use the growth of the jungle.

The descriptions of the island are beautiful, between the scenery, coral reefs, volcanic caves and jungle plants. Edible plants are included - guava, mangoes, pineapple among them - and delicate blossoms assist lovemaking in delightful ways. The goddess Pele is patroness of the islands and her power is invoked in each of this series of books, called Hawaiian Heroes. Cathryn Cade knows her location and drops some very real people into the surroundings, and I for one will be looking out for her next book.