Then I Met You by Deborah C. Wilding is a novel about overcoming social prejudices. In 1941, Merrylei Wentworth returns to the island of Hawaii after the death of her father. She has plans to restore and turn her family home, Makani Kai, into a guesthouse. Jamison Sumida, a second generation Japanese architect, comes into her life suddenly, interested in her mother’s paintings. The two forge an unlikely connection resulting in the development of romantic feelings towards each other. Along with the startling appearance of Mr. Sumida, Merrylei is troubled by the mysterious goings-on at the guesthouse, convinced someone is after a legend stemming from the days of Hawaiian royalty. However, as threats of a Japanese invasion loom, will the pair be able to win against growing prejudices towards intermixed relationships and overcome the social stigmas?

Miss Wilding has definitely done her research for this historical romance novel. I was very intrigued by the social class system on Hawaii prior to the war. My grandfather grew up in Hawaii and was a young boy when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The descriptions of the islands were true to form, as were the stigmas surrounding relationships between white and Asian persons. I enjoyed learning a bit about Hawaiian history, in regards to the lost crown and the tale of the ghost of the man who was convicted of stealing it. I felt parts of the book dragged at times, but I was pleased with the ending and not ashamed to admit that I cried. Then I Met You takes us to a world of racial tensions and how one couple overcame them. I highly recommend this book.

Then I Met You by Deborah C. Wilding is a romantic mystery. Merrylei Wentworth lives in an ancestral mansion that she has inherited. She wants to renovate it into a large guesthouse but keeps running into trouble with vandals – but she does not know who they are. She is also up against Jamison Sumida, a Japanese-American architect who wants to help her renovate the house in return for a painting by her late mother. He is not attracted to Ms. Wentworth though, and she is suspicious of him. What does he want with a painting from an unknown? But, for some reason, when they are together she feels odd, a real sense of déjà vu. Together they investigate the mystery that surrounds the painting, revealing clues to the whereabouts of Hawaiian royal jewels that went missing a long time ago. As they go along, family secrets come to light and they go grow together – until Pearl Harbor is attacked.

Then I Met You by Deborah C. Wilding was an intriguing story, a bit of mystery and romance combined. I must admit that I did find it difficult to put down once I got into it. I feel that Ms. Wilding has done an amazing job with this book. It is a nice story with a bit of grit to it, one that I would heartily recommend to anyone to read. The characters were well written and likeable; the plot drew me in and kept me reading and that’s all a good book requires. I hope there’s more where this came from.