Thursday, May 14, 2015

Blog Tour/Review: Trouble in Paradise by Karen Tuft



Trouble in Paradise, by Karen Tuft
2015, 266 p, Clean Contemporary Romance
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review



Andy Kendrick has always dreamed of bigger things than tiny Eagle Bluff, Arizona. So when the opportunity arises to shake off the dust of his hometown and move to the tropical paradise of Hawaii, he grabs it. But he never imagined that apiece of his past would follow him to his new life . . .Kimberly Briggs has lived her life on the fringes of the crowd, timid and afraid since the death of her brother, but when she learns that Andy, her lifelong crush, is moving to Hawaii, she's finally ready to step out of the shadows and take a risk.

Kimberly is the last person Andy expected or wanted to see in Hawaii. But when fate incessantly throws the pair together, there's little to be done but make the best of the situation. As the awkwardness fades and Kimberly begins to emerge from her shell, Andy realizes there's much more to her than he realized. But even as they revel in the adventures of island life, drawn together by a growing attraction, an unforeseen peril threatens Kimberly's life.

Can the once-timid young woman now draw upon the inner strength Andy has helped her discover so the two of them can build a life together? Will Andy grasp that love knows no geographical bounds?


Kimberly Briggs starts out taking a huge risk which ends up humiliating her. Andy Kendrick is the boy that Kim has always dreamed of but he has absolutely no interest in her. She's obviously followed him around and since he's been teased about her for many years, he's rude to her to make it clear to everyone that he's not interested. 

Time passes and they both end up in Hawaii. Kim has been there for a while and Andy comes to work for his brother-in-law, Ethan, who recently married his sister, Lucy. Kim and Andy meet up through Lucy and start working together. Andy gets to see a different side of Kim which pleasantly surprises him and they start to become friends. 

I liked Kim from the beginning and felt sorry for her at times. Her parents were overprotective due to a tragedy in their family years earlier. It was a huge step for her to move to Hawaii but she did it to assert some independence. I wasn't too crazy about Andy at first, though--he started out selfish, competitive and immature. It was good to see his character grow and develop and he was very likable by the end. I liked how their relationship grew over time and understood her attachment to him when she shared an experience with him from when they were young. 

I loved the setting for this story and felt like I was in Hawaii and enjoyed living there vicariously through them. There's a hint of danger throughout the book and something does happen which ends up being a major turning point for Andy. There are some mild religious elements in this book (not preachy at all) and some violence which isn't graphic. This is a book for anyone that enjoys clean, contemporary romance!


Karen Tuft was born with a healthy dose of curiosity about pretty much everything, so as a child she taught herself to read and play the piano. She studied composition at BYU then graduated from the University of Utah in music theory as a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda honor societies. In addition to being an author, Karen is a wife, mother, pianist, composer, and arranger, and has spent countless hours backstage and in orchestra pits for theater productions. She also has a 75 percent success rate when it comes to matchmaking and is a big believer in happy endings. Among her varied interests, she likes to figure out what makes people tick, wander through museums, and travel--whether by car, plane, or paperback.


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