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A review by mcdermottcecelia
The Ohana Cottage by Megan Reinking
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Ohana Cottage is a debut romance novel that follows Mia as she moves to Hawaii for a few weeks to reset her life after the end of a long-term relationship. Mia rents an Airbnb-type cottage from John, and the novel follows the blooming relationship between Mia and John for the remainder of the novel.
I'm feeling a little conflicted about this book. On one hand, it was a very fun, short read that I was able to finish in one sitting. I thought Mia and John were fun characters, and I loved reading about their interactions during Mia's travels to Hawaii. On the other hand, this was a very short read, and it felt as such. At about 190 pages (from what I've seen on Goodreads), it tries to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Throughout the entire book, I felt like it was missing something. It was very dialogue-heavy at times, and it even refrained from adding a "he said" or "she replied" after a long series of back and forth quotes. The book almost felt like you're in the shallow end of the pool looking toward what could've been if the author added more details to push you into the deep end. Just about every paragraph could've used a few more sentences to really set the scene and push the reader further into the story. I feel like the way John and Mia first started talking and the way in which the conflict at the end was written felt somewhat out of character for the both of them, and it made it difficult to give this book more than 3 stars. The in-between plot points were fun and easy to consume, but even those felt very repetitive with frequent lines about going to work at the coffee shop, running back to the cottage for a quick shower, or other minor plot points. With all of this being said, I still did really enjoy the story. If this book was twice as long and gave a little more elaboration throughout, I think this could've easily become at least a four-star read for me.
I received a digital ARC of The Ohana Cottage from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm feeling a little conflicted about this book. On one hand, it was a very fun, short read that I was able to finish in one sitting. I thought Mia and John were fun characters, and I loved reading about their interactions during Mia's travels to Hawaii. On the other hand, this was a very short read, and it felt as such. At about 190 pages (from what I've seen on Goodreads), it tries to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Throughout the entire book, I felt like it was missing something. It was very dialogue-heavy at times, and it even refrained from adding a "he said" or "she replied" after a long series of back and forth quotes. The book almost felt like you're in the shallow end of the pool looking toward what could've been if the author added more details to push you into the deep end. Just about every paragraph could've used a few more sentences to really set the scene and push the reader further into the story. I feel like the way John and Mia first started talking and the way in which the conflict at the end was written felt somewhat out of character for the both of them, and it made it difficult to give this book more than 3 stars. The in-between plot points were fun and easy to consume, but even those felt very repetitive with frequent lines about going to work at the coffee shop, running back to the cottage for a quick shower, or other minor plot points. With all of this being said, I still did really enjoy the story. If this book was twice as long and gave a little more elaboration throughout, I think this could've easily become at least a four-star read for me.
I received a digital ARC of The Ohana Cottage from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.