Spend the coldest days of winter on a Caribbean beach with New York Times Bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. Join New York Times Bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand on the stunning beaches of St. John for the beginning of her thrilling new winter series-The Paradise. Winter in Paradise, the first book in the Paradise series, has everything that readers have come to know and love about an Elin Hilderbrand novel, plus a healthy dose of intrigue. Irene Steele's idyllic life-house, husband, family-is shattered when she is woken up by a late-night phone call. Her beloved husband has been found dead, but before Irene can process this tragic news, she must confront the perplexing details of her husband's death. He was found on St. John island, a tropical paradise far removed from their suburban life. Leaving the cold winter behind, Irene flies down to the beautiful Caribbean beaches of St. John only to make another shocking discovery: her husband had a secret second family. As Irene investigates the mysterious circumstances of her husband's death, she is plunged into a web of intrigue and deceit belied by the pristine white sand beaches of St. John's. This exciting first book in the Paradise series will transport readers to a new beach locale-another world that Elin knows as well as her beloved Nantucket-and have them longing for winter.
Audiobook
Published November 9th 2018 by Hachette Audio
Source: Library![]()
Three and half stars: Another addictive, messy family drama that you can’t put down.
Irene Steele is ringing the New Year with her best friend. This year, Irene is feeling melancholy as she has been recently been demoted from her job as magazine editor. She is being replaced by someone younger and peppier. As a fifty year old woman, Irene feels invisible. It doesn’t help that her two grown sons hardly come home and her husband is always away on business. Still she leads a good life, she is wealthy and doesn’t want for much. Irene’s world is shattered when she receives a phone call informing that her husband has died in a helicopter crash in the Virgin Islands. Reeling, Irene and her sons travel to St. John Island to discover a world of sun drenched beaches, wealth and some intriguing secrets, including the secret life that her husband led. Who was Russel Steele really?
What I Liked:
- What is it about a book by Elin Hilderbrand that is so captivating? Her stories are messy, full of flawed characters and lots of drama, secrets and betrayals, but despite the angst, I couldn’t put the book down. That is the case with Winter in Paradise. Once again, Hilderbrand delivers a captivating family drama with some startling secrets. This is a page turner.
- I am not going to lie, the majority of the characters are a bit unlikable in this one, yet I liked that they are so flawed. The characters are relatable because they make many mistakes, they are only human and it is easy to put yourself in some of their shoes. I may not have liked most of the characters, but they were fascinating.
- If you are not a fan of drama and angst, this is not a novel for you. There are lots of messy secrets and lots of family squabbles, some of it downright ugly at times. I am usually not a fan of drama, but I enjoy Hilderbrand’s brand of family drama because it is captivating. I don’t know how to describe it, but she always manages to hook me. This time around, I was drawn in by the secret life led by Russel Steele. Neither his wife of over thirty years or his sons suspected anything. There is something fascinating about someone who can lead a double life.
- The setting is amazing. I loved that this was set in the Caribbean during the winter months. I was sucked in by the amazing descriptions. I wanted to pack my bags and head to The Virgin Islands. If you can’t get there during the winter, next best thing is to go vicariously. Hilderbrand takes you there!
- There are six different unique points of view in this book. Hilderbrand is known for her character driven, multiple points of view narratives. As I said, I didn’t like all of the characters, but I sure enjoyed being in their heads and understanding their motives, plus I liked that there was such a variance in the characters.
- I listened to the audiobook narrated by Erin Bennett. Ms. Bennett is the voice of Hilderbrand’s novels. She always does an outstanding job.
And The Not So Much:
- The book ends on a rather jarring cliffhanger. I hated that!
- I was bothered that there was so little information on Russel Steele’s secret life. I wanted to understand more of the how, why and so forth. I was especially frustrated that there was absolutely nothing revealed on his job. There was definitely something not right about his occupation, and I want to know more.
- At first, I liked the hint of romance, but then it moved at lightning speed and got all yucky. I was not a fan of it in the end.
- This book is full of drama and secrets, so if you aren’t a fan of drama. Skip it.
Winter in Paradise is another captivating read from Elin Hilderbrand. This is a character driven novel with lots of secrets, betrayals and family drama. Usually I am not a fan of these types of books, but Hilderbrand always writes such fascinating and relatable characters, I can’t help myself. Once again, I was quickly immersed in her story. Prepare for plenty of mystery in this one. You won’t be able to put it down.
I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Read book two: