The Pregnancy Proposition

Terrific book. Paige has had a rough few weeks. Her boyfriend dumped her for her prettier sister. Then Paige found out she was pregnant with his baby. To make matters worse, her beloved grandfather died. In his will, her grandfather specified that Paige was the one he designated to take his ashes to Hawaii, to be interred with his shipmates on the Arizona. He even made the arrangements for the trip – first-class flight and luxury accommodations at a Waikiki resort. Paige was stunned to find herself in the penthouse suite at the Mau Loa hotel. It is far more than she expected, but so like her grandfather to spoil her that way. On her first night there, she runs into the hotel’s owner, Mano Bishop, an incredibly handsome and sexy man who is also blind.

Mano has been blind since an accident when he was a teenager. Despite the challenges, he has become very successful. He rarely leaves the resort property, preferring to remain where he is comfortable and confident in his surroundings. He doesn’t do relationships but indulges in flings with hotel guests once or twice a year.

I loved the first meeting between Paige and Mano. She’s flustered and embarrassed about her clumsiness and floored by her immediate attraction to him. Mano is intrigued by the woman who isn’t like any other woman he’s met. Because he can’t see, Mano depends on his other senses to learn about the people and things around him. It was fascinating to see the things that made an impression on him. Mano is determined to get to know Paige better and immediately makes arrangements to see her again.

I loved watching the relationship between Paige and Mano develop. Because of her work at a VA hospital, Mano’s blindness does not fill her with pity or the need to baby him. She tends to lean the other way, and I enjoyed watching her push him outside his comfort zone. There were so many sweet scenes of their dates where Mano introduces Paige to the beauties and fun of the island. Both agreed at the start that it would only be a one-week fling, with neither expecting their emotions to become involved.

Mano has never forgotten that his high school girlfriend broke things off because she thought he’d be a burden. That feeling has stayed with him, making him determined to avoid any kind of permanent relationship. But Paige works her way past his walls, and he wants longer than a week with her. He doesn’t recognize his feelings as love, and can’t give her the commitment she needs.

Paige has two issues to overcome. The first is her pregnancy. She can’t believe that Mano would be willing to raise another man’s child. Paige also has some serious self-esteem issues. She considers herself to be very plain and that Mano wouldn’t look twice at her if he could see. I especially loved how Mano saw Paige’s inner beauty and worked to convince her of that beauty. I liked how she gained a bit of confidence, thanks to him, and the way it came out during that fantastic pool scene!

I ached for them both when the end of the week came, and neither could admit their feelings or get past their fears. Their parting did not go well, and some hurtful words were exchanged. It was fun to see Mano’s grandmother call him out on his moping and give him the kick in the pants he needed. The ending was awesome. Mano’s big moment was sweet and romantic, and I loved the reactions all around!

One of my favorite things about the book was the setting. I was born in Honolulu, though we left when I was only a year old. I returned with my husband when he was stationed there, and we lived there for four years. So many things in this book brought back wonderful memories of our time there, from luaus to the hotels on Waikiki to the beautiful beaches of the North Shore. Paige even had my favorite flavor of shave ice – Tiger’s Blood!