Rowena’s review of Maui Rekindled (Maui stories, Book 2) by Ari Thatcher.

Hero: Gabe
Heroine: Maggie

“I’ll call you.” That’s the last thing Gabe said fifteen years ago as Maggie prepared to fly home from a summer in paradise. When he didn’t call, she packed away the memories of their sexual romp and relegated him to vacation fling status.

Now, as the ink on her divorce papers dries, Maggie returns to that Maui resort hoping to find the carefree woman she once was. When Gabe walks out of the waves on her first afternoon at the beach, she isn’t sure whether to laugh or run away. Hot, crazy vacation sex with no strings attached would be the perfect remedy for her bloody divorce.

Gabe thinks of Maggie as the one that got away, and he’s not about to let it happen again. The passion between them is as fiery as ever, but is it hot enough to rekindle the romance he knows they could share? He’s got one week to prove to her it is.

This is the book that follows Maui Heat by Ari Thatcher. In Maui Heat, Gabe and Maggie work together at a hotel resort over the summer. They become close, best friend close and feelings develop but nothing comes of the flirtation until the last night of summer, before Maggie returns home. Maggie makes her move and Gabe gives her the night of her life with a promise to call and make their island romance official…only he never calls and then fifteen years later, Maggie returns to the same island from that summer and runs into none other than Gabe.

So Gabe and Maggie’s story continues fifteen years later and they’re both grown adults. Maggie just got out of a bad marriage and Gabe is now living in Hawaii. Maggie is back on the island for a little vacation and is surprised as shit to find Gabe again after all these years. You could tell that Gabe is one happy humper at the sight of Maggie again. He’s missed her all these years and the only reason he didn’t call was because he lost her phone number and multiple tries to get her phone numbers came to nothing so he finally had to admit defeat and move on.

When they’re reunited, Maggie is under the impression that Gabe never wanted to see her again so she’s very casual. After he finds out that she’s single, he sets about planting himself in every activity Maggie has planned for her vacation and while Maggie is okay with it, I thought it was kind of creepy.

I say creepy because he keeps showing up all over town to be with Maggie and when she’s all for a happy hook up, he rejects her, telling her that they’re going to do this right this time?

Huh?

But as they get to know each other all over again, their romance blossoms back up and they fall for each other again and the only thing that kept popping up in my head is, cheese. This story is super short so it won’t take you any time at all to read it and while it’s entertaining enough, the story is totally cheesy and when they’re getting it on and Gabe just keeps thinking his thoughts and talking like there’s no tomorrow, I wanted to tell him to shut up and just bang.

I didn’t know that I like my men to be quiet during sex until I read this book. While it’s not the worst book that I’ve ever read, it’s not the best either. If you’re looking for something quick and steamy then give this story a whirl, you won’t need to read the first story either. I didn’t and I got the jist just fine.

Grade: 3 out of 5

This book is available from Ellora’s Cave. You can buy it here in e-format.