Judge a Book by its Cover 21 – #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Gloria

The sunshine today may have something to do with this book cover catching my eye. Wouldn’t it be lovely to head off to the beach with a summer read in your bag?

That’s the kind of vibe this book is giving me. I love the warm colours. They’re cheerful and relaxing at the same time. The title Big Island Sunrise makes me think it’s a love story with perhaps a little humour but not a rom-com.

It’s an interesting blurb. The setting is in Hawaii, which adds to the intrigue – for me anyway.

Lani King and Emma Kealoha both need a fresh start.

Emma lost her husband at thirty-six, and life without him feels impossible. A Hawaiian inheritance might be her chance to start over… but the Kealoha place is a mess. The roof leaks, the goats keep escaping, and the jungle is overtaking the orchard. It’s more than she can manage on her own.

Lani spent years trapped in a marriage that went from bad to worse. Finally, she summoned her courage and moved home to Hawai’i. Now she’s starting over with her four year old in tow.

Emma offers Lani a place to stay — and together, they work to restore Emma’s crumbling farmhouse.

Lani reconnects with a childhood friend, now a gorgeous single dad. Romance is peeking over the horizon, but how can she open up to love when her ex won’t even sign the divorce papers?

Dive into this heartwarming saga set on the Island of Hawai’i.

Big Island Sunrise is the first in a series of eight. The stories are clean and wholesome romance and with only 200 – 256 pages in each book, they’re the perfect holiday reads.

Some people prefer quick reads like these, whether they’re on holiday or not.

Here’s a few Amazon reader reviews (out of hundreds) to give you more of an idea of what to expect from Shayla Cherry’s Big Island Series.

Big Island Sunrise

LaurenBaja ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ohana means family, and family means nobody is left behind or forgotten

Shayla Cherry created this truly amazing story, with 3 more books planned. What I love is the ohana or family strength to look out for each others. Like Ted Lasso of goodness while we struggle through plans that don’t work out, others that want to harm you, so much bad news in the world that a story of family strength to overcome and make everyone’s life better is heartwarming. Not fake but the characters she created makes you want you to follow their story and find out what happens?
Set in beautiful Hawaii and expertly written of the nature, the community and the native people.
Can’t say anymore without saying too much.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I the first book, and I cannot wait for the second book.

Big Island Neighbours

Pink Coconut ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wonderful Read!

The Big Island is my favorite place on earth and I love reading these beautiful stories about life & love there!
Such sweet stories!!

Big Island Horizons

J. C. Sandoval ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hardships, finding happiness and moving forward

The entire series has been warm and full of aloha, but this volume may be my favorite. The characters are relatable: the women have their flaws and baggage, their children have their issues as they navigate their lives and challenges, and they are all just trying to make it. They are not people of privilege, but they have a full appreciation of each other. In a world where things could be better, they can also be worse. The Big Island as a backdrop makes for a colorful and tropical ambience. As the drama unfolds, the Ohana becomes more close knit.

I think if you’re looking for heart-warming, clean romantic stories, these might be right up your street. The covers are easy on the eye too!

Thank you for reading. See you soon with more from Judge a Book by its Cover!

MORE ABOUT ME, MY BOOKS AND MY CHARACTERS IN THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO!

This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase through these links.

Judge a Book by its Cover 20 – #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted on March 4, 2025 by Gloria

This is one of the most colourful and vibrant book covers I’ve ever seen. Hard to pass it! I love it. The fact that I can’t tell the genre just by the cover doesn’t matter because I’m intrigued enough to take a closer look. Judging by the title, I’m sure there’s some kind of magic at play. What kind of magic?

Continue reading →

Judge a Book by its Cover 18 – #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Gloria

Is it still okay to wish you all a Happy New Year? It’s almost February and this is my first blog post of the year. This happens to me every year and the reason why is because I usually start the year with huge intentions and working on my novel always takes priority. Then I get so engrossed in it, that everything else falls way down the list.

I don’t beat myself up about it because occasional breaks from blogging and social media are good for me.

My first post for 2025 is a ‘Judge a Book by its Cover’ post. If you’re new to my blog, you can read the inspiration behind this regular digest HERE.

I went to my collection of book covers this morning and the first one to catch my eye was this little beauty.

Continue reading →

Judge a Book by its Cover 10 – #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted on August 6, 2024 by Gloria

How often do you judge a book by its cover? Is it the first thing you’re drawn to, or is the title?

My first post of ‘Judge a Book by its Cover’.

Today I’ve chosen The Edge of Summer by Bobbi Maclaren

I really love the colours on this book cover, especially the way they bleed into each other. It has a soft look giving me the impression that this is an easy read, romantic, and perfect for a holiday. Even without the word ‘summer’ in the title, this cover still gives summer vibes. I see flowers, a camera, and a postcard of the sea and a lighthouse. And even with all that, it’s not too much on the eye. Very nicely designed!

The Blurb

Delilah Delacroix is doing the best she can. Eight months after losing her parents and taking guardianship of her younger siblings, moving halfway across the country to a small island town is just what they need. Too bad this only seems to make her brother hate her more.

Fire Chief Luke Bowman can count on one hand the number of people he trusts. After what happened with his ex, he certainly isn’t going to let another woman get inside his head. But when Delilah comes to town, this proves to be difficult.

As summer burns and things between Delilah and Luke start to heat up, trouble lingers. Delilah’s brother seems to be drifting further away and she doesn’t know how to get him back. Meanwhile, Luke is trying desperately to keep history from repeating itself.

When a casual arrangement starts feeling like a whole lot more, Delilah knows she needs to walk away, but it’s easier said than done when Luke has seen all her jagged edges. Luke knows that he can’t give Delilah what she needs and letting her go is the right thing to do. So why does it feel so wrong?

Judging by the reviews, this is a big soppy love story. Dreamy fireman and hot single dad alerts!

Apoorva Sharma 5.0 out of 5 stars

What a debut!!

Read this book if you like:
🌼Small Town
🌼Fresh Start
🌼Guardian
🌼casual? is it
🌼he is a firefighter
🌼follow your dreams

Okay what a debut it is. I have been waiting for this book for so long and once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. The feels, the vibe, the aesthetic everything was set to perfection. What’s more important? The struggle of being a guardian, the constant feeling of failing and finally having someone who helps you. The whole small town drama was also perfect and I devoured the chemistry between the two of them.

Shannai 5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal debut novel!

I had the best time in Kip Island with Delilah Delacroix and the Bowman family! There’s something dreamy about the Bowden brothers *𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘴* 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘎𝘢𝘣𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘸𝘮𝘢𝘯 *𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘴* 𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘵! 🥵🤭

Bringing it back to the man of the hour, Chief Luke Bowman is one seriously hot fireman, who Delilah accidentally runs into the back of, when moving to the small town she saw on the back of a postcard.

Heartbroken by the tragic loss of her parents, eight months ago, and now the sole guardian for her younger siblings, Delilah is in need of a fresh start.

The best way I could describe Delilah and Luke is that they’re so soft for each other. They’re both at very different points in their lives and the last thing that either of them needs is a relationship. I loved how they brought the best out of each other.

Sounds like a charming little read, and 10 out of 10 from me for the cover. It gives the readers a good idea of what to expect from the book. Have a look on Goodreads for more amazing reviews for The Edge of Summer.

What do you think of the cover?

Thanks for reading.

If you’d prefer something a bit more riveting, less romantic with darker themes like tragedy and revenge, fear and regret, you might like to take a peek inside the first few pages of Secrets in the Babby House. It may just be your cup of tea!

Set in a gossipy small town in Ireland at a time when marriage is for keeps and sexuality is repressed, Secrets in the Babby House is a family saga over three decades that starts in 1956. It is a story of love, deception, and stolen diaries filled with sins and secrets.

Also available on Rakuten Kobo book.