Review: Real characters with real problems set against the beautiful backdrop of contemporary Maui
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 30, 2013
Mix a bunch of real characters with real problems set against the beautiful backdrop of contemporary Maui. Then season with modern technology and shake. Yes, this is a romance. Boy meets girl, attractions, complications and then the big HEA (happy ever after). But even though we know the outcome, getting there is what holds the interest. And it does. Although this is a feel-good book, the plot lurches from one crisis to another, as complications in Zoe's and Adam 's lives impact on their behaviour, and their relationship. I found myself quite often wondering how s/he was going to get past the last setback. Did I mention Adam isn't the only eligible bachelor Zoe meets online? Oh, and Adam's employer is a predatory cougar type, right down to her red fingernails.These are real people with the messed up lives and anxieties of real people. They're not larger than life, two dimensional super heroes. If any proof is needed, they are both attending therapy sessions – Adam to confront his anger management, and Zoe to learn to cope with her loneliness and sense of loss. As it happens, they share the same counsellor – who does not, I hasten to add, discuss their case with the other party, even when she begins to realise Adam and Zoe are linked.The book is written with the point of view switching between Zoe and Adam. We also get a regular look into their minds in their counseling sessions with Doctor Suzuki. Toby Neal is a therapist when she isn't writing and this book oozes authenticity in the best traditions of 'write what you know' as the pressures build on our two MCs. I really enjoyed seeing their dilemmas from a clinician's point of view. It's also an interesting commentary on internet dating, which has now become a perfectly normal enterprise in our online lives.Even if you're like me and not much into traditional romance, this book is well worth your time. Recommended.