Book Review: ‘Moments Like This’ by Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha

Let me start off by saying, wow! This book truly blew me away. It’s not your typical romance and honestly, it’s not your “typical” anything. It’s deeply beautiful and a book that I know I’m going to be reading again and again. If you aren’t usually a big fan of romance novels, (first of all, why not?) I’m still going to recommend you give this one a shot. And you can thank me later. After you thank Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha for teaming up and giving us this amazing story! And while I’m going to do my best to avoid spoilers, be warned that there may be a couple! So keep reading for my Moments Like This: From Kona with Love review!

Cover Judging and Deep Diving

Okay, I’m the first person to tell others not to judge a book by its cover. But I’m also the first person to totally judge a book by its cover. I know, that’s terrible. Though I always read what it’s about anyway, just know I’ve already judged it. Just a little. So looking at the cover for Moments Like This? I got excited. Seriously. I’ve never been so excited for a cover reveal before. But I was for this one. Maybe it’s partially because I’m such a big fan of Kristoffer Polaha and also of Anna Gomez. But looking at the cover of this book made me think of beautiful Hawaii along with thoughts of sand and sun. If I had any self-restraint whatsoever, I would have saved my first time reading it for the beach. But I don’t. So I didn’t. And I’m definitely not sorry.

I will admit that I got so into this book by the seventh page, that I pretty much didn’t sleep until I had finished it. I couldn’t wait for it to ship, so I read it on my Kindle the day it was released. I’m telling you. I was so excited about this that my self-restraint had gone out the window before it was even released. My connection to the main character, Andie, was created from the moment I knew what the book was about and had a description of her. It was so clear that she was going to be determined, independent, and tough. But getting into the novel had me feeling like I was experiencing everything Andie was. The writing pulled me in and had me going through all of the emotions Andie was. I hurt for her, cried with her, and laughed with her.

Letting Go and Living Life

I think throwing yourself into work while throwing other important things away, intentionally or unintentionally, is something that many of us have done. It’s certainly something I’ve done before. There’s nothing wrong with being motivated and ambitious. But I think we get caught up in it sometimes. So reading about Andie dealing with this was so relatable to me and really hit me emotionally. She sacrificed so much for her job so that she could be promoted and when she didn’t get the promotion she just felt so defeated. Like everything she had given up and how she had let her job affect her mental, physical, and emotional health was for nothing. Everyone needs a vacation sometimes. But we aren’t always willing to let ourselves have one.

That’s where Andie really inspired me. She had clung so tightly to her job and this fast-paced life she was living that she had closed and locked so many doors. And while it was done unwillingly at first, Andie opened up those doors and allowed herself to walk away from all the chaos. She truly let herself live life to the fullest. But she also opened up her heart and reading how she did that was a whole experience. When Warren entered the scene, I expected him to sweep her off her feet and for them to have this whirlwind romance. But I got so much more than that. Warren and Andie did more than fall in love, they taught each other to appreciate life. And that we all need to stop and take in the people and places around us sometimes.

Continuing On

I certainly won’t spoil the ending for anyone. But I really hope that everyone checks this book out. I read a lot of books and usually only find myself reading romance novels if they have a side of mystery or suspense. And the romance novels that usually catch my attention don’t keep me as invested as this one did. While I didn’t save the first time reading it for the beach, I’ll be reading it over and over again and will be sure to give it another read while relaxing on a beach somewhere. The partnership between Kristoffer Polaha and Anna Gomez was a beautiful union of two amazingly talented people and I’m so happy that this is only the beginning of that partnership.

Not only are we going to get four more books in this series, but there seems to be some buzz that screenplay adaptations may be following. And I can’t even tell you how excited I am about that! While I love book series, I also love that Kristoffer Polaha and Anna Gomez are making the books in this series standalone. I can’t wait for the next book in the series and the new characters that are going to be introduced. Have you checked out Moments Like This yet? Are you loving the partnership between Anna Gomez and Kristoffer Polaha as much as we are? Find and follow us on Twitter @capeandcastle to let us know all your thoughts! And be sure to check out our site for more content on all things Disney and beyond!