Faking a marriage for baby’s sake… When Lana Hale asks hotel tycoon Kal Bishop to marry her, he can’t let his best friend down! To keep her sister’s baby out of the foster-care system, Lana needs Kal to pose as her husband. Soon his luxury Hawaiian resort sets the stage for an unexpectedly passionate honeymoon… Before they know it, playing the part of lovers turns into the real thing. And … turns into the real thing. And once the need for their ruse ends, Kal faces losing a wife he didn’t even know he wanted. Will the reluctant husband take the ultimate risk and make a proposal of his own?
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Good friends to lovers story, helped along by an unexpected marriage of convenience. Kal and Lana have been best friends for three years. Lana is the choreographer and a dancer for the hula show at Kal’s Maui resort. They spend most of their free time together, except on those occasions when Kal lives up to his reputation as one of the Bishop Bachelors.
When Lana’s older sister, Mele, is arrested on drug charges, her six-month-old daughter ends up in foster care. Lana petitions for custody, but as a single woman and dancer in the tourist industry, she worries about her success. Lana turns to best friend Kal and proposes a temporary marriage for Akela’s sake.
I loved how Kal jumped right in to help. He’s a little wary, as marriage has never been in his plans, but it’s for Lana and only temporary. I liked his all-in attitude, from the traditional Hawaiian wedding to setting up the perfect nursery. Kal and Lana began the marriage as friends and determined to keep it that way. Neither wants to risk their friendship. However, between taking care of Akela and “playing house,” the marriage soon begins to feel all too real. Add in the attraction that neither can deny, and it is obvious that their hands-off vow is in trouble.
Kal was aware of his attraction to Lana early in their friendship but fought it. He has no intention of ever marrying and knows that Lana has those dreams. Kal lost his parents ten years earlier and never wants to open himself up to that kind of pain again. So he limits himself to superficial encounters. Lana is attracted to Kal, but their friendship is too important to her. Besides, a man like him would never be interested that way in a woman from a family like hers.
I loved watching Kal and Lana’s relationship grow and change. Before their marriage, Kal was a workaholic who spent more time at his office than at home. But with the arrival of Lana and Akela, suddenly, he had a reason to go home. Spending so much time together, it wasn’t long before their attraction got the better of them. Kal was all for enjoying it while it lasted, but Lana is warier. She senses that it would be very easy for her to fall in love with him. I ached for Lana as she was proved right. When it was time for Akela to go back to Mele, that signaled the end of the marriage.
I hurt for Lana, who was brave enough to tell Kal how she felt. I hurt for Kal, too, because he was oblivious to his own feelings for her. I had to laugh when his brother, Mano, showed up at the hotel. Kal’s misery rubbed off on his employees, and they called for help. It was fun to see the tables turned, as Mano gave Kal the same advice he had received a few months earlier (The Pregnancy Proposition). Once Kal saw the truth, I loved what he did with it. His big moment at the end was terrific. It’s always great to see a strong man willing to put himself out there in public, all for love.
I enjoyed the setting of Maui for this book. The descriptions of the wedding and the dances were vivid and made me feel that I was there.