Only In Paradise (Kimani Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

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Product Description

La Isla del Azur is a piece of heaven, laced with miles of white-sand beaches lapped by crystal clear turquoise water. For teacher Athena Crawford, the lush Caribbean island offers the career opportunity of a lifetime. But there's trouble in paradise: Collin Winslow, the education project's difficult, drop-dead-gorgeous administrator. When they're not locking horns over teaching methods, they're sharing mind-blowing kisses that leave her confused—and craving more.

Collin was ready to dismiss Athena as an empty-headed beauty. Instead he discovers that she's smart, sexy and dedicated to helping his people. Passion erupts as the island works its sultry magic, but can their delicate relationship weather the storms about to break?

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Athena Crawford fastened her gaze on her hands, which rested in her lap. Thinking about her loss hurt too much. While she grieved, Mother Nature showed no mercy with the cloudless, blue sky and unusually warm September sun streaming its bright beam over the group as if it was a normal day.

There was nothing normal about losing her grandmother.

Behind her dark glasses, Athena only wanted to remember her grandmother's warm, gentle nature. Childhood memories of wonderful summers at her house nestled softly in her heart.

Today, here at the cemetery for the burial, she constantly fought the choking swell of emotion. Her heart ached. She'd willingly plead for more time to spend with her grandma. She didn't care how selfish that was.

Grandma had impacted her teaching career with lasting positive changes. In a different time, she'd kicked open doors that were shut tight.

IwonderifIhave that same courage, Athena thought.

Sitting on the little metal folding chair, she had to focus on her hands, her fingers, anything, rather than the dark, cold space that swallowed her grandmother's casket in its cavernous mouth.

Even her sorority, Xi Theta Sigma, earned the benefits of Grandma's wisdom when she pledged at its first chapter in Kansas in 1963. From there, she helped start several local chapters throughout the state, also sharing the principles of the founders, who were all teachers. Always the person to think about giving back to the community, her grandma created a task force of volunteer teachers to go into low-income communities on the weekends to supplement children's regular education.

This week had been laden with various memorials honoring her grandmother's contributions. Now the final home-going service had come too soon.

Athena had also lost her favorite listener. No more would she smell the light floral scent of her grandmother's favorite cologne. Nor would she hear the raspy chortle that conveyed her grandmother's dry sense of humor. Always the lady, her grandmother never stepped outdoors without a stylish hat. Hats were just her thing.

Yet what stood as fact and not only opinion, and reiterated by those in attendance at the funeral service, was her grandmother's astute ability to zero in on a person's need and provide the appropriate wisdom. Gift and skill, Grandma respected that ability and readily dispensed her knowledge, especially to Athena and her twin sister, Asia.

A soft breeze blew in, stroking Athena's cheek like a warm breath. She smoothed a few wayward tendrils of hair behind her ear. Grandma used to fix her stubborn hair while imparting her latest round of advice. Their most pivotal career conversation occurred a couple years before, though it was as easy to recall as yesterday.

"Athena, sweetheart, you can't go through life without passion." Her grandmother drummed her polished nails on the glass dining table, while her gaze locked onto her granddaughter's face.

"I don't have a choice," Athena whined. "This finance job pays the bills." She cleared her throat to get rid of the tears that fought their way to the surface.

"What is this really about? You're not the weepy sort. Is it the job? Relationship with a boyfriend that's gone astray?"

"Grandma!" Athena's cheeks burned. She didn't have a boyfriend, but she didn't expect to talk about her love life with her grandmother. "The problem is that I feel like those pet hamsters that have nothing else to do but run in the wheel. I'm not going anywhere in this job. I don't feel as if I'm learning anything new." Athena took a deep breath. "How did you stay focused? By my age, you'd done so much more than I could ever think to do."

"I grew up in very different times, honey. I didn't want my children to suffer. In my heart I believed that education was the step stone to a better life. And so I wanted to teach."

Athena smiled. "I think that's what I want to do, too." Excitement welled. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table.

"I appreciate you wanting to follow in my footsteps. I'm flattered and my heart couldn't be happier. But you have to tap into your own special gift."

Athena nodded. "I have something to show you." Athena went to her pocketbook and pulled out the folded paper. She paused before handing it over.

Her grandmother read the contents. Her hand shook slightly. Then her other hand partially covered her mouth. "You got accepted to grad school in education. You're going to be a teacher." Her brown eyes sparkled, accentuated by the ready, wide smile.

"Why not? I had a good life teacher in you." Athena hugged her grandmother, feeling as if her frail arms transmitted the wisdom and strength of their mutual female ancestors.

Athena pressed her feet in the grass, imagining their prints pressing a new path toward destiny. The breeze continued to wrap her shoulders with its attention. The special memory shared between her grandmother and her would always stay with her.

She was lulled out of her daydream by Asia's voice. "Here're a few more tissues."

Athena took the tissues from Asia, her twin, only just realizing that her tears had increased their flow down her cheeks. A steady blur at her periphery marked the departure of the large number of well-wishers. She wiped her runny nose, and inhaled a shuddering breath.

"Athena, sweetheart, we're going to head back for the repast," her father said. He looked over to her mother, concern etched in his lined face. "I'm planning to take your mom to the Poconos after this. We need to rest." He sighed. "We'll see you and your sister soon."

Athena nodded. She wished that she could be strong enough for him to lean on and help with her mother.

"Mr. Crawford, we'll be there to help out," offered Sara, her sorority sister.

"Thanks, ladies. You know you're like family. We're glad you could come," her father responded.

Then Sara and her other sorority sisters flanked either side of her father and headed over to talk with her mother.

Athena had to admit that she felt comforted by their presence. Their pledge line name—Ladies of Distinction—proved to be an accurate description, time and again.

After her parents drove away, her sorors returned, forming a huddle around Athena and Asia. Sara led the prayer, after which, they each shared a reassuring hug with them.

"I'm going to miss her." Athena dabbed at her nose. "I'm a teacher because of her." She sniffed loudly. "She encouraged me throughout grad school to make it happen."

Asia nodded her silent acknowledgment, wiping a tear from her cheek.

Athena continued, "Third generation in the family to be a teacher, you know."

Her sorority sisters also nodded, although they already knew her personal history.

"She was a good, special soul, soror." Sara put her arm around Athena's shoulders and provided a comforting hug. Her cheek cushioned Athena's head that rested in place.

Naomi's tall, athletic frame moved into view. "Can we continue this at Athena's place?" Naomi glanced out over the cemetery. She rubbed her arms to emphasize her discomfort with a noisy shudder. "Besides, the sun is setting." She squinted toward the horizon.

"What's your problem? Maybe Athena isn't ready," Asia stated. Her tone didn't hold back the warning to Naomi to back off from her sister.

"What's the hurry? It's off-season. And you don't have any basketball games, Miss Celebrity," Denise piped up with the tilt of her head toward Asia.

"I know you don't have a darn place to get to." Sara scowled at Naomi, waving her off.

"Enough with the attack! I'm just saying that we may want to think about leaving." Naomi threw up her hand, clearly frustrated. "Nightfall and a cemetery don't go together." Naomi paced back and forth in front of the group. "It's creepy…too quiet." She paused to look out over the cemetery. "But some might not be resting, if you catch my drift." Again she rubbed her arms a little longer than necessary, considering the moderate temperature. "We shouldn't be among…

them." She looked over her shoulder, causing Sara, Asia and Denise to crane their necks in the same direction.

Despite her teary sniffles, Athena couldn't help a small chuckle at Naomi's over-the-top fear. Even her soror's microbraids flitted around her head as if they were alive and also panicked.

"You're such a ditz," Denise finally declared. "How'd you manage to stay overnight in a cemetery when we pledged?"

"I'mready to 'fess up since you want to know. Thank goodness, I had a sensible Big Sister who didn't want me to stay in a cemetery, either. We went to the movies, went to her parents' house, slept until early in the morning. Then we sneaked back to the cemetery and waited for the rest of the sorority sisters to come." Naomi now had her pocketbook firmly in place over her shoulder. "Make fun of me if you want to, but I'll meet you back at the house." She walked away without acknowledging their calls to her. Her microbraids whipped like a pendulum from her head from her hasty exit.

Naomi's deep-rooted fear offset by her six-foot, athletic frame struck a humorous note in the midst of Athena's grief. She laughed until a loud hiccup cut it off. The laughter helped quell her growing urge to break down into a sobbing heap. But falling apart, and she was on the verge, wouldn't help. No matter what she thought or hoped for, her grandmother was gone.

"I'm ready to go." Athena took a deep breath and exhaled, having made up her mind to deal with the last social aspect of this day.

"Are you sure? Bet your parents won't mind if you didn't want to go back to the house."

Sara's concern touched her. "I'm fine," she reassured her.

Despite her declaration Athena couldn't convince her sorors to let her drive. Sara, always the one to take charge, took the wheel and headed to her parents' house.

They entered her childhood home, where family still lingered. Each room contained relatives in small huddles catching up on each other's lives. Their conversations broke off as Athena moved through each room, accepting their messages of condolences for the third or even fourth time. She almost climbed the stairs out of habit when she remembered that her ol...

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Kimani; 1 st edition (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373861079
• ISBN-13: 978-0373861071
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #694,652 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Little Piece of Heaven On Earth, April 6, 2009

By	Sharel Love "Sharel E. Gordon-Love, Author" (Plainfield, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Author Michelle Monkou takes readers to the beautiful Caribbean island of La Isla del Azur (The Blue Island) for an unexpected but beautiful story of love. Athena Crawford's journey to the beautiful island to find and fulfill her calling came about after her grandmother's passing; she is determined to make a difference in the lives of children through teaching, just like her grandmother.

Collin Winslow was surprised to find that Athena was a force to be reckoned with, in light of the fact she arrived on the very humid island in a suit and heels. Colin was the administrator at the school where Athena traveled so far to teach, and his guess was that she would not last long at all, aside from the fact that she was all beauty and no brains. Or so he thought.

Athena brought not only her teaching degree, but a love for the children there, and encouragement for them to learn far more than they ever believed before. Her innovative ideas, and methods of teaching and sharing with the children, changed the atmosphere of learning for them. It also changed the way Collin saw her, and the initial attraction between the two ignited very quickly.

The beautiful island was a place where children, especially girls, were not educated and found themselves serving the streets. But with Collin's school, things began to change, and so did his personal life once Athena showed up. Will they take their attraction and undeniable electric currents to another level, or will they continue to find ways to avoid each other and ignore their feelings?

I enjoyed Only in Paradise because of the love story weaved within a story that shares the love of education for underprivileged children. I recommend this book to everyone who loves romance stories with a story of purpose within.


Review by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
APOOO BookClub

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exciting & Sensual, April 5, 2009

By	Reviewer "www.RomanceInColor.com" - See all my reviews

Athena Crawford is a teacher with a career chance of a lifetime--to teach on an idyllic Caribbean island. But soon she and her project administrator, Collin Winslow, start locking horns--then sharing kisses. Can their delicate relationship weather the storms about to break?

Ms. Monkou enlightens us with two characters that are different as night and day, but are a good match for each other. Athena enjoys helping people, especially kids. She just recently lost her precious grandmother, but this tragedy enforced Athena's belief that she needs to do more with her life. She's an attractive, vibrant woman who goes after what she wants. Collin is nice looking, reserve, stern and sometimes overprotective at times; but that comes from growing up in an area that fail prey to drugs, violence and government payoffs. He's determined to succeed without this kind of help.

IN ONLY IN PARADISE, Athena and Collin's characters were exciting, laughable and definitely sensual. Athena, by far, is the aggressor. She taunted Collin until he had no choice but to give in. I admired her tenacity in getting the job done at the school. She caused havoc at times, but girlfriend was on a mission and she wasn't taking no for an answer. I enjoyed the love scenes, the plot and story throughout.

The secondary characters gave the story the twist it needed with the confrontations. Athena's sister, Asia, and her sorority sisters brought that unconditional love that everyone needs for a support system. Asia could actually have her on story, because she's a strong, opinionated woman that could use a good man.

Overall, Ms. Monkou did a very good job and I definitely recommend reading this.

Reviewed by Keren Childers for [...]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Only in Paradise, February 18, 2009

By	Louise L. Brown - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The rating for this book is 4.5. Michelle has done it again this is the third book in the series and in this book we get to meet Athena one of the twins.

Athena Crawford is a woman who contributed a lot to her grandmother if it wasn't for her she would have never become a teacher. A profession she love but for Athena she want more of a challenge so she took a career opportunity of a lifetime when she choose to the Caribbean Island call La Isla del Azur to teach.

Collin Winslow was the administrative director of the school and upon first site of Athena he knew he was in trouble. For Collin he wasn't looking for some one to come and knock his sock off but for some one who are willing to work hard and long hours.

For the couple the attraction was instance but Collin was determine to keep everything profession between him and Athena. With Athena around that was not possible. He realize that Athena was this level headed, sexy and a dedicated person who couldn't stay away from her.

I have to say that each book in the series get better and better and Hotter. The Waterfall, the Hallway................lets just say that when Collin & Athena are together there is nothing but fire works.

I recommend this book you will enjoyed visiting with Sara, Denise and Asia (which is Athena twin) and Naomi. Can't wait for the next book.

Enjoy..........Smooches

Louise