Hawaiian Crosswinds

Hawaiian Crosswinds Linda Lee Chaikin Moody Publishers June 2011 It's 1892 ,Hawaii. And the winds of change are blowing. Groups rooting for annexation crowd into secret meeting places, discussing plans to overthrow the Hawaiian hierarchy. Rafe Easton is among them, but he has more than the nations problems troubling him. The man who killed his father is on the move again, threatening to harm those closest to him. And the woman he is engaged to, Eden Derrington, is choosing to put her dreams over their relationship. Molokai is the island where all Hawaii's lepers are sent. And it also the very island Eden has set her sights on visiting, in hopes of finding the mother she always believed to be dead. After following her fathers footsteps in the medical field, it only seems natural to now follow him to the leper community with the cure he thinks he has found for his wife. With families intertwined and steeped in secrets, it seems Hawaii's tropical paradise is only a hiding place for the dangers that lurk beyond every corner. Will Rafe be able to convince Eden a more timely marriage is what's best for them? Will Eden have to choose between her fathers life long dreams and the man she loves? And will all the families secrets come to the surface, exposing things that have long been buried? I usually love this author's books, but I have to be honest and say, I had to make myself finish this one. Though she is a historical christian fiction author, I have never felt her books to be religious, I cannot say the same for this book. When I read this genre, I always hope it will be appealing to my christian and non-christian friends alike. And while usually her stories feel like page turners to me, I felt this one was very slow. However, true to form, she did a wonderful job with her historical research, I just felt the story left much to be desired. This would not keep me from reading anymore series she came out with, but I am not very eager to read the third installment of this series.