Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Preppy Book Princess.
I honestly didn't think I'd have time to post a review today, as I mentioned previously the next week and a half is a crazy busy time for us at work. However, I found myself with a few minutes to spare, and so I decided to go ahead and get this typed up and share my opinions on Under A Maui Moon with you all.
Under A Maui Moon by Robin Jones Gunn:
Source: Library
Publisher: Howard Books
Publication Date: July 6th, 2010
Synopsis:
Carissa doesn’t know who she is anymore. She and her husband, Richard, are recent empty nesters; Richard is spending more and more time at work counseling his volatile clients and less time at home with his wife; his clients are starting to show up at the house at night causing Carissa to feel scared in her own home; and to top it all off, Carissa’s boss informs her that she’s been “let go.” She wonders where God is in all of this since He doesn’t seem to be around to protect her—and she’s already stopped trusting her husband.
My Review:
I feel I should preface this review by saying that over the years I've been a huge fan of Robin's books, and I've already read The Christy Miller series, The Sierra Jensen series, Christy and Todd The College Years, The Sisterchicks series, The Glenbrooke series, The Kissing Father Christmas series, and The Katie Weldon series. I've come to really love her writing style, and I always look forward to picking up new books by her that I haven't read before. I'm currently working my way through any of the books about the Forever Friends that I hadn't read previously, and while this one doesn't directly connect, it's the first in a trilogy of books that the other two do connect, so I decided to go ahead and read it anyways. As well, when I read the synopsis and realized it's about a woman who's lost her way with God, and lost faith with her husband, it sounded different from anything I've read by Robin before, and so I decided to go ahead and give it a try.
Carissa has noticed her and her husband have been growing apart for awhile, and it all comes to the surface one night when one of the men her husband counsels as an addictions counselor shows up at their house, and she's left feeling like the man who solemnly promised to always love and protect her is no longer capable of doing so. Things only get worse when she's let go from the job that's been a huge part of her for as long as she can remember, and suddenly she has no clue just where her life is going, but she knows its not going where she wants it to. The doctor that's retiring from the clinic she managed decides she needs a break from everything, and offers her the key to his Maui vacation home for a much needed vacation. Carissa soon finds herself in Paradise, spending time with a beloved elderly couple and the amazing Hawaiian landscapes that surround them. However, she also finds herself contemplating being unfaithful to her husband for the first time ever when she meets the couple's son, and soon she and her husband are growing further and further apart with neither of them making much effort to fix the problems they've both created.
I really felt that this novel had potential, but unfortunately for me it fell short from my expectations pretty early on. I really had a hard time connecting with either Carissa or her husband Richard, and as such, I couldn't really seem to sympathize with either one of them. As well, it really felt like the middle of this book had a giant plot hole. While I was definitely happy that Carissa finds herself renewed in her relationship with her Heavenly Father, and finally able to address the childhood feelings of abandonment she's been carrying around since, it felt like all of sudden everything wrapped quickly and perfectly, without her actually going through the motions of doing so. Carissa's problems with her husband's occupation, and the way he responded to her on the night she feels her privacy were invaded, were definitely valid responses, and yet they basically get swept under the table, and never truly dealt with. One minute she's finding herself attracted to the couple's son Kai, and the next minute she decides she's ready to fix everything with her husband, and get her life back on track. I definitely appreciated that Robin didn't lead Carissa's character down the pathway of infidelity, but it just felt like we as readers didn't truly witness anything that would have pulled Carissa back onto the pathway of the straight and narrow.
Unfortunately, I only rated this book three out of five stars, and I was expecting it to be a much higher rating from me. While there were some points about it I definitely enjoyed, it's not one of my favorite Robin Jones Gunn books, and I just came away feeling like something was missing from the overall plot. However, I'm keeping it a three star rating instead of a two star because I still loved Robin's traditional writing style, I really enjoyed some of the secondary characters, and the incorporation of so much information about the island of Maui definitely added another depth to this novel, and now I'm even more anxious to get to vacation their some day.
I don't think I personally would recommend this one, but I'd definitely recommend picking up any of Robin's other amazing books. :)
I thank you guys all for reading, and I'll see you all again in my next post.
This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me and all rights to the respective owner.
I honestly didn't think I'd have time to post a review today, as I mentioned previously the next week and a half is a crazy busy time for us at work. However, I found myself with a few minutes to spare, and so I decided to go ahead and get this typed up and share my opinions on Under A Maui Moon with you all.
Under A Maui Moon by Robin Jones Gunn:
Publisher: Howard Books
Publication Date: July 6th, 2010
Synopsis:
Carissa doesn’t know who she is anymore. She and her husband, Richard, are recent empty nesters; Richard is spending more and more time at work counseling his volatile clients and less time at home with his wife; his clients are starting to show up at the house at night causing Carissa to feel scared in her own home; and to top it all off, Carissa’s boss informs her that she’s been “let go.” She wonders where God is in all of this since He doesn’t seem to be around to protect her—and she’s already stopped trusting her husband.
In the midst of her world tilting off center, she’s offered time at a hideaway on Maui. Hiding seems like the best way to respond to life’s overload, and the thought of being alone sounds like just the right balm to soothe her wounded heart.
The languid Hawaiian sun, white beaches, and warm-hearted people bring respite, but meeting handsome Kai causes Carissa to toy with the idea of being romantically involved with him. Then, under a Maui moon, she looks to God for guidance and hope for the future. That’s when she discovers His hand still is on her life, and that love is closer than she ever realized.
Synopsis taken from goodreads*****
My Review:
I feel I should preface this review by saying that over the years I've been a huge fan of Robin's books, and I've already read The Christy Miller series, The Sierra Jensen series, Christy and Todd The College Years, The Sisterchicks series, The Glenbrooke series, The Kissing Father Christmas series, and The Katie Weldon series. I've come to really love her writing style, and I always look forward to picking up new books by her that I haven't read before. I'm currently working my way through any of the books about the Forever Friends that I hadn't read previously, and while this one doesn't directly connect, it's the first in a trilogy of books that the other two do connect, so I decided to go ahead and read it anyways. As well, when I read the synopsis and realized it's about a woman who's lost her way with God, and lost faith with her husband, it sounded different from anything I've read by Robin before, and so I decided to go ahead and give it a try.
Carissa has noticed her and her husband have been growing apart for awhile, and it all comes to the surface one night when one of the men her husband counsels as an addictions counselor shows up at their house, and she's left feeling like the man who solemnly promised to always love and protect her is no longer capable of doing so. Things only get worse when she's let go from the job that's been a huge part of her for as long as she can remember, and suddenly she has no clue just where her life is going, but she knows its not going where she wants it to. The doctor that's retiring from the clinic she managed decides she needs a break from everything, and offers her the key to his Maui vacation home for a much needed vacation. Carissa soon finds herself in Paradise, spending time with a beloved elderly couple and the amazing Hawaiian landscapes that surround them. However, she also finds herself contemplating being unfaithful to her husband for the first time ever when she meets the couple's son, and soon she and her husband are growing further and further apart with neither of them making much effort to fix the problems they've both created.
I really felt that this novel had potential, but unfortunately for me it fell short from my expectations pretty early on. I really had a hard time connecting with either Carissa or her husband Richard, and as such, I couldn't really seem to sympathize with either one of them. As well, it really felt like the middle of this book had a giant plot hole. While I was definitely happy that Carissa finds herself renewed in her relationship with her Heavenly Father, and finally able to address the childhood feelings of abandonment she's been carrying around since, it felt like all of sudden everything wrapped quickly and perfectly, without her actually going through the motions of doing so. Carissa's problems with her husband's occupation, and the way he responded to her on the night she feels her privacy were invaded, were definitely valid responses, and yet they basically get swept under the table, and never truly dealt with. One minute she's finding herself attracted to the couple's son Kai, and the next minute she decides she's ready to fix everything with her husband, and get her life back on track. I definitely appreciated that Robin didn't lead Carissa's character down the pathway of infidelity, but it just felt like we as readers didn't truly witness anything that would have pulled Carissa back onto the pathway of the straight and narrow.
Unfortunately, I only rated this book three out of five stars, and I was expecting it to be a much higher rating from me. While there were some points about it I definitely enjoyed, it's not one of my favorite Robin Jones Gunn books, and I just came away feeling like something was missing from the overall plot. However, I'm keeping it a three star rating instead of a two star because I still loved Robin's traditional writing style, I really enjoyed some of the secondary characters, and the incorporation of so much information about the island of Maui definitely added another depth to this novel, and now I'm even more anxious to get to vacation their some day.
I don't think I personally would recommend this one, but I'd definitely recommend picking up any of Robin's other amazing books. :)
I thank you guys all for reading, and I'll see you all again in my next post.
This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me and all rights to the respective owner.
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