Review of THE SECRET WISH

Shelley Mosley

In Mahon's latest addition to her string of delightful tales about Hawaiian small-town life, Abby Mana'olana'alohi Andrews has moved back to Malino after many years on the mainland to open a beauty salon. Her matchmaking Aunty Liliuokalani thinks that the still-single and much-sought-after Kevin, who Abby had a crush on in second grade, would be the perfect husband for her niece. As the free-spirited stylist and the hunky firefighter work together to renovate the beauty shop (a team effort set up by Aunty Liliuokalani, of course), they get to know and respect each other. Abby and Kevin, as well as the other characters, including the grandmother with Alzheimer's, are so real they seem like people you know. Mahon's latest heartwarming story is perfect for anyone looking for a multicultural or gentle read.

©2006 Booklist

Romance By Kristin Ramsdell

Library Journal, February 15, 2006 Mahon, Annette. The Secret Wish. Avalon. Feb. 2006. c.250p. ISBN 0-8034-9754-7. $21.95. CONTEMPORARY/HAWAIIAN

Disillusioned with the L.A. scene, trendy beauty consultant Abby Andrews heads home to tiny Malino, HI, to set up her own salon and see if she can recover the warm sense of family and belonging ('ohana) she remembers from her childhood, never expecting she will find the man of her dreams as well. A modern, slightly offbeat heroine and a wary firefighter hero eventually discover that they really do want the same thing in a sweet, funny, culturally rich title that provides readers with an exceptionally well-realized sense of time and place. This is the fifth in Mahon's Malino series (The Secret Beau). A Hawaii native, she now lives in Paradise Valley, AZ.