I am usually a HUGE fan of Anna's but Moments Like This just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. I'm sorry I can't provide a review.

DNF @ multiple percentages.

Rating 1 star because NetGalley makes us leave a rating, this is not a reflection on the book itself.

Moments Like This, the first book in the From Kona with Love series by Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha, takes readers on a captivating journey through love, loss, redemption, and family in the picturesque islands of Hawaii. While part of a series, this book can be enjoyed as a standalone, offering a heartfelt and engaging story that will leave readers longing for more.

Andrea "Andie" Matthews finds herself at a crossroads after prioritizing her career over a marriage proposal and facing a setback in her professional life. Eager for a change of scenery, she seizes the opportunity to help run a friend's coffee shop in Hawaii, seeking solace and a fresh start.

In the idyllic setting of the Hawaiian islands, Andie forms a bond with the coffee shop staff and becomes determined to revitalize the struggling business. It is during this time that she encounters the enigmatic Warren Yates on Christmas Eve. Their initial meeting sparks a connection that unfolds over numerous encounters, revealing shared moments and a growing attraction.

Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha skillfully craft the romantic tension between Andie and Warren, drawing readers into their emotional journey. The authors explore themes of trust, self-discovery, and the complexities of relationships, as Andie grapples with her feelings for Warren amidst the revelations of his true identity and hidden motives.

The authors' vivid descriptions bring the beauty of Hawaii to life, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the lush landscapes and vibrant culture of the islands. The setting serves as an enchanting backdrop for the blossoming romance, adding an extra layer of charm to the story.

The characters in Moments Like This are well-developed and relatable, each with their own hopes, dreams, and emotional baggage. Andie's journey of self-reflection and growth resonates with readers, while Warren's mysterious allure adds an element of intrigue. The supporting cast of characters, including the coffee shop staff and Andie's friends, enriches the narrative, providing depth and warmth to the overall story.

The pacing of the book is well-balanced, allowing for a gradual exploration of the central relationship while maintaining a sense of intrigue and anticipation. The authors' writing style is engaging and flows smoothly, making Moments Like This an easy and enjoyable read.

While the romance takes center stage, Moments Like This also explores themes of forgiveness, second chances, and the importance of following one's heart. The emotional depth and genuine connections portrayed throughout the story will resonate with readers who appreciate heartfelt and multicultural romances.

In conclusion, Moments Like This is a delightful and heartwarming multicultural romance set against the breathtaking backdrop of Hawaii. Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha skillfully blend love, loss, and redemption into a captivating narrative that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment in the From Kona with Love series.

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If you're looking to take a trip to paradise that includes finding love and a new career with purpose, this book is for you.

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

Moments Like This takes you away to the paradise we call Hawaii! It's the first book in a series. I can't wait to hear more about Andie and Warren. The character development was great and the location never gets old. Highly recommend!

I love a story about what happens when life just crashes and the heroine has to totally reset. This is a fun concept told in a well written up beat way. I can see a story like this on a romance channel as a holiday movie or something similar!

Warren and Andie meet in Hawaii by chance on a Christmas Eve, as he walks into the coffee shop she is working in. She is a driven and ambitious high power executive from Chicago, there to mend after a nervous breakdown due to over-stress and over-work. He is an equally driven and rich businessman, traumatized after his mother's death.
They feel this strong attraction towards one another but neither is ready for a relationship. They struck a deal to not discuss about their pasts and just live in the moment as friends.
The book is structured in three parts, the first and last ones from Andie's POV and the second one from Warren's POV.
Warren helps Andie discover the hidden beauty of Hawaii so if you're looking for a travel guide, this book could do the trick for you.
Other than that, I didn't feel this was a romance but rather a book about 2 people working on solving their issues while living in Hawaii and exploring the island once a week together. The slow burn was incredibly slow and turned boring after 60%, I felt no real connection between the characters and the writing was episodic and took away from the flow of the story.

Andie Matthews is a woman who had it all: family, health, a good job, and a fiancé who adored her. Until she became obsessed with getting a promotion at her job and in the process, she lost almost everything. Her friend Api invites her to Hawaii in order to distract herself working in her coffee shop. On the island she meets many people with a very different lifestyle than she was used to and as the days go by she adapts with the help of Api and the locals who are very kind to her. One day she meets Warren, a very handsome man, surfer guy, with a charming, outgoing personality and very direct. Both share a moment and the chemistry settles. It is he who gives Andie little moments that reminds her how beautiful life is. In the time she spent with him, they both develop feelings for each other but they know that Andie's stay has an expiration date...

I quite enjoyed this book. As I was reading it, I could imagine each of the narrated landscapes. I loved the way and the fluidity with which the authors were involving us with the Hawaiian culture, the warmth of the people and their customs and traditions. It was the magic of the island that helped Andie reconnect and rediscover herself. Warren is a character that I really liked, he is a being of light and has a heart of gold.

Moments like This is a book that reminds us that life is fleeting and it is constantly changing. So we must try to enjoy every moment, good or bad. Learn from our mistakes, accept them and overcomes the past. Value the people around us and take advantage of the time we have with them.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I really enjoyed this lighthearted read. I read this book in one sitting. It reminded me of Lifetime or Hallmark movies that I love to watch.

Andie sacrificed everything for her career - her health, her sanity, and her relationship with her fiance (now ex-fiance). None of those sacrifices got her partner at her job, and Andie feels like her world is crashing down. To disconnect from her heartbreak, she takes the opportunity to leave Chicago and watch her friend's cafe and coffee farm in O'ahu, Hawaii. Andie hopes the change of place will help her find what she truly wants in her life and heal the damage she has done to herself. When a mysterious man named Warren captures her attention and steals a kiss on New Years' Day, she discovers that Hawaii's opportunities are more significant than she anticipated. Author Christine Bree, writing under her real name Anna Gomez, and actor Kristoffer Polaha co-write this sweet, closed-door romance that focuses on Andie's budding relationship with Warren and her friendships with her longtime friend Api and her coworkers at the coffee shop. Andie's struggle to balance her intense drive and desire to be vulnerable is something that will resonate with readers.

Loved this read! Couldn't put it down and decided to read it all in one sitting, definatly did not disapoint! Thankyou author!

Overall rating- 3.9/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
It was a good read. I liked the blurb and I was pretty excited when I received my e-copy; I am not disappointed. The female protagonist was relatable. Losing your career and love life and forced to start again is not an easy thing. But this is what to the ground work of the story and the starting part was beautiful. The chemistry is good and I read it almost without taking a break. Plus the Hawaiian scenery described is beautiful and adds an soothing vibe to the story. If you are looking for a beach read then this one is a good choice.

Hawaii is somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit so I couldn’t turn down an opportunity to read a book set there. Before we even really get to the rest of the story, the setting was pretty perfect and absolutely magical. I have to say, this book only made me want to visit Hawaii more than I already do.

Andie, a workaholic, finds herself needing some time off from her regular job and takes up the chance to help a friend out with her coffee shop in Hawaii. I really enjoyed the friendship with Andie and Api and was glad to see that this was something continued throughout the whole book.

Warren was also a really fun character. For a lot of the book you realise that he has a secret but it’s not right until the end that you get to find out what that is. Andie and Warren get to spend a lot of time together over the course of the story so I really felt like they had the right amount of time to develop their relationship.

There’s also a cute reference to Life Unexpected, the show co-author Kristoffer Polaha starred in.

3.5 STARS

"Really think about what you want your life to be made of..."

If you are looking for a "clean" romance with a lovely, unhurried pace, then you will love 'Moments Like This'. I had been looking forward to reading this one because I was very intrigued not only by the writing duo of Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha, but also by the beautiful cover. And the inside is formatted beautifully as well! I appreciate those small details.

I loved the setting of the story. I have never visited Hawaii but it sounds absolutely magical in this book. The diving scenes are wonderfully vivid and very realistic. I have not been diving in many years and this book transported me back to a much simpler time in my life.

Andie is a workaholic businesswoman who is passed over for a well-deserved promotion. She has also recently ended a relationship that was just not right for her. An opportunity presents itself for her to travel to Hawaii, and take a "breather" from work and from her fast-paced life in Chicago.

Life moves at a slower pace in Hawaii, and Andie learns to adjust her thinking to the pace on the island. She meets Warren early on and he is determined to show her the "real" Hawaii.

This book is the result of a wonderful writing collaboration and I loved reading the viewpoints of both Andie and Warren. And yes, I can imagine Kris Polaha perfectly in the role of Warren! This sweet yet adult romance definitely falls under the Hallmark movie category but there is nothing wrong with that. I really enjoyed the multicultural aspect of the story and characters and appreciated the low angst of the story.

Andie learns to value what is really important in life. And of course since this is a romance, there is a guaranteed happy ending. If you are a fan of clean and wholesome romance with believable adult characters, you will love this one. I am looking forward to more stories from this new writing team!

I LOVE everything about this book. It's such a beautifully written story of life, love, heartache, and loss. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

This was my first Anna Gomez book, and it wasn’t quite what I expected. Andie has had a rough go of things. She was passed over for a promotion she worked years to get, she let her relationship go because she was so focused on work, she didn’t eat, didn’t sleep, just threw all she had into her job, which was all for nothing. It all comes to a head when she breaks down and ends up in the hospital. Desperate for a break, her best friend offers her an opportunity to go to Hawaii to work in her coffee shop while she decides what she wants to do with herself.
Andie begins a journey of self discovery while on the island. She falls in love with the people and the land, one man in particular won’t leave her mind. She meets Warren on Christmas Eve, and from then on she knows there’s something special about him.
Warren came to Hawaii do business, but as soon as he meets Andie he knows his life has changed. Will she still feel the same when she knows the truth?
I went into this book thinking it would be an angsty romance, but I got a light and fluffy read. It was my fault for assuming but this book really didn’t give me any sort of punch with any emotion at all, unfortunately. While it was an easy read, I just didn’t connect to the characters and it was a miss for me. If you are a fan of this author you might feel differently than me, so I urge you to try for yourself. Thank you to Rosewind Books, Netgalley and the authors for an early copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Rosewind Books for the ARC.

Moments like this is a quick, fun read. You meet main character Andie in the beginning of the book in the middle of panic attack/nervous breakdown. Her high pressure job seems to have finally taken it's toll on her or rather it is the promotion that has been given to someone else. We follow Andie as she journeys to Hawaii to help her best friend and her struggling coffee shop.
We have the opportunity to watch Andie rediscover herself as the pace of her life slows and she is able to meet and build a relationship with Warren.
Some parts of the book feel predictable, yet the author writes in a way that you aren't entirely sure you have figured it all out.
I gave this book 3.5/5 stars and would recommend this to friends.

Moments Like This is the first book in the From Kona with Love series from Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Pohala and I was hooked from the very beginning! If I hadn't known this book was written by two authors, I would have never known; it flowed so, so well.

Andie Matthews has recently had a lot going on in her life. She's broken her engagement to her fiancé and then loses out on the promotion she had been working so hard for at work. When her best friend provides her with an opportunity to escape to Hawaii to watch over her coffee shop while she is traveling, she makes the decision to go. What she doesn't realize is that it is going to be a life changing experience.

Not only do the islands seem to have a mystical and spiritual power, Andie also ends up meeting Warren Yates who catches her attention almost immediately when he stops by the coffee shop. The two have chemistry that leaps off the pages. As they start spending time together, they go on a "moments" tour every Friday in order to show her different parts of the island. These little "moments" they have continue to build up right along with their feelings. Will things left unsaid between the two of them due to an agreement they made end up derailing this relationship before it really gets off the ground?

I was so in this story from the beginning and I couldn't wait to see what happened. I felt like I was getting a personal tour of parts of Hawaii even though I wasn't actually there. It definitely makes me want to go even more! I am so looking forward to the other four books in this series. I will be reading them without a doubt! I'd highly recommend this!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Finding a male author of romance is about as rare as finding Bigfoot out in the wild, so I was excited to read this new romance from a new writing duo. Since I’m also a fan of Polaha's screen work, I jumped at the chance when this book showed up on my radar.

One of the things I love about reading is that it transports us to other locales, and with this book set in Hawaii, it felt like the ultimate exotic beach escape. The setting is beautifully painted and the sights, sounds, flavor and spirit of the islands really come alive.

While I liked Andie and Warren, I never felt the emotional connection between them that makes for an unparalleled romance. Their transition from friends to lovers lacked finesse and that heady buildup of anticipation as the relationship develops was missing. The secondary characters were likeable but would have been more memorable were they given more color or quirks to make them really stand out in the reader's mind.

As readers, we understand the need for a climatic crisis, but this one is clichéd. The opportunities are limitless, so a character’s self-sabotage or internal conflict is disappointing. It sends the message that no matter how poorly one behaves, all will be forgiven, and I’d much prefer reading about a character who triumphs over adversity rather than one who ruins a relationship with poor judgment.

Overall, I think this writing team shows promise and could be excellent with more depth and development of their characters. The setting really comes alive, some of the prose border on poetic, and there are some beautifully tender moments that shine like gems. Although this offering falls short of that epic heartfelt read that you have no choice but to tell the world about, it impressed me enough that I’m curious to see where the next book in this series goes.