Laney Carrigan, freelance writer, seeks her forever mother after having been adopted by Gisela & Tom Carrigan, arriving on their doorstep wrapped in a quilt with an intricate design. Her mother has passed and her father is encouraging Laney to find her ancestral roots. Posting a photo of the quilt has brought almost instant results from her long lost Auntie Teah. Encouraged to meet her forever family, Laney arrives in Hawaii.

The last thing Laney expects is to be met by a tall, dark, Caucasian cowboy. Kai Barnes, her aunt's foster son, is a former army pilot riddled with PTSD following his stent in Afghanistan. Revealing their stubbornness and with heckles up, they bunt heads from the get go. Kai, believing she is a money grabber and Laney is unwilling to befriend a bitter grouch. Laney begins to see things through new eyes as she meets the family and helps with Grandma Mily who was a part in making her quilt. Learning the story of her mother's death, Laney faces many hidden secrets concerning heritage, her mother and her future. A future which she would like to spend with Kai, who, because of his PTSD, will never commit to any woman in a forever life, even one he desperately loves.

I was completely caught up in the Hawaiian heritage and customs throughout this story. The vivid descriptions of the beautiful island gave me a feeling of being there. Having traveled to Hawaii made this story especially exciting for me. I have not had the pleasure of reading any of Lisa Carter's work before, but I am completely impressed with her ability to relate to the reader and give them a complete experience of heartfelt nostalgia and to feel the loneliness of two lost people.

Book Summary

When Laney Carrigan sets out to find her birth family, her only clue is the Hawaiian quilt—a red rose snowflake appliquéd on a white background—in which she was found wrapped as an infant.

Centering her search on the Big Island and battling fears of rejection, Laney begins a painstaking journey toward her true heritage. Kai Barnes, however, is determined to protect the people he’s come to regard as family.

He thinks Laney is nothing more than a gold digger and blocks every move she makes toward her Hawaiian family. As their conflict escalates, it puts at risk the one thing that Kai and Laney both want most—a family.