This book was extremely enchanting. It tugged on my heartstrings in ways I can't explain. It was a wonderful story. I had trouble getting into it to start, but I fell in love!

I have been a fan of Ruth Hogan's since The Keeper of Lost Things and once again Hogan has written a book that is impossible not to love.

Hogan's writing is one that is unique but is rich with description and character development. Almost every chapter ends with a little explosion to the story. This is a book that is like an onion. Each layer is slowly peeled away to reveal an unique band of characters that are not what they appear. There are characters with many different challenges. This is a story of a mother's love, a father's love, trying to accept oneself, friendship and unconditional love.

This is a book that will stick with me for some time. Ruth Hogan has secured a spot in my must-read-author list.

Title: Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel
Author: Ruth Hogan
Genre: Contemporary romance
My rating: 4 stars

Four heartrending stars. Hogan is a new-to-me author who I felt executed the book well. The characters were rich of personality and description. This book deals with tragedy head-on and journey’s through the shift Queenie and her family takes after the surprise vanish of her dad.
It also deals with intense mental health issues, but paired with Hogan’s writing, adds a magical feel. Kinda odd, but it works. This book also has elements of romance which I loved.
My only critic is that the story (at times) had too much of a Disney feel. Too whimsical in certain areas. Other than that, a good read.

*I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This was the first Ruth Hogan book I have read, and easily one of the best books I have read in quite some time! I was hooked from the first chapter as the story narration changed from child Tilly to adult Tilda as she dealt with her mother's death and attempted to come to terms with what she had assumed was her mother's intense dislike of her. As Tilda is cleaning out her mother's house, she comes across a locked wooden box filled with diaries and letters. As Tilda begins reading the diaries, she begins to see that the hurtful and sad memories of her childhood were due to her mother's mental illness and intense, but misguided, love for her daughter. There were several plot twists that I did not anticipate which made the story more enjoyable. Young Tilly's voice reminded me of Joe David Brown's Addie Pray, and adult Tilda reminded me somewhat of Eleanor Oliphant. I did not want this story to end, and I look forward to reading more of Hogan's books.

I wish we could give 3.5 stars because that’s where I would put this. There was much to enjoy in this novel- part family mystery, part realistic fiction, and slightly gothic too. I really enjoyed the cast of characters at Queenie’s, and the unconditional love shown by the wacky guests and employees to each other. Love makes a family for sure. But the plot never fully came together for me. The author wove a really interesting character of Tilly/Tilda, but the storyline itself left me wanting a little more. If you’re stuck in the house during a pandemic, it’s an interesting read. I just wouldn’t call it a must read. #netgalley #arc

This book is about Tilly childhood and adult life and her fractured relationship with her mother Grace. I have to say I did not love or hate this book. I felt it was just ok. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I requested an ARC, and these are my honest opinions of this book.

Ruth Hogan is a new-to-me author, and the synopsis sounded intriguing, as it is not my usual genre. It took me a while to get into this book - it just did not grab my attention as I had hoped it would. When I finally sat down and forced myself to read it, I was disappointed. The character of Tilda/Tilly just seemed flat to me. She was not interesting at all, and at times I found 'Tilly' to be annoying and far too precocious. The character of her mother had great potential, but we really only got to see glimpses, even in her journals. And the whole bit at the end with the car accident....... well, I am guessing that was supposed to be the bit 'twist', but was actually rather preposterous.

On the plus side, though, is Queenie herself and her mother. These, by far, were the best characters in the book, even if they were basically a sub plot. Given the assumed time-frame of the book, I would love to know more of their back story.

I was just not impressed with this book, but it could be someone right up someone else's alley.

I’m so excited the world has another book from Ruth Hogan! She is definitely one of my auto-read authors.

This story is told from three points of view - the main character as a young child (Tilly) and as an adult (Tilda) as well as her mother Grace through her journals. Major themes are mother-daughter relationships and the presence of ghosts. While reading, I was never sure of all the facts in the plot which helped me empathize with Tilly.

I am an official fan of Ruth Hogan and her ability to create flawed yet lovable characters. Her novels aren’t fluffy and saccharine, but illustrate that even if we aren’t perfect our lives can have a happy ending.

I really enjoyed Queen Malone's Paradise Hotel! A story about a mother and daughter, about making peace with the past and finally finding a way to accept yourself- Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel is one of those stories that will break your heart a little...showing you how easy it is to make mistakes even under the best of intentions and how those mistakes can reverberate through the years. Tilda as an adult is weighed down by her past, the things she doesn't understand and the losses she feels time and time again, without any closure. Reading the chapters for Tilly (Tilda as a young girl) trying to navigate and understand an adult world were some of my favorite. I enjoyed her perspective, it was written so honestly for a young child. Throw in the fact that Tilly/Tilda can see dead people- well thats just one of the reasons why I loved this quirky, slightly awkward character! This was such an enjoyable read, with a perfectly imperfect ending befitting the most imperfect of characters!

This review is also posted on Goodreads. The description of the book made me think that it would be a zany whirlwind of kooky characters and a delightful childhood story. The author cleverly concealed Queenie and the Paradise Hotel until the second part of the book. The book is about Tilly's childhood and her relationship with her mother, Grace. Mental health and the ability to see ghosts are major themes throughout the book. Tilly is a bright perceptive child, but children misinterpret some things that adults say; an excellent example is the hilarious grocery store scene. Love and acceptance are evident when Grace and Tilly live at the Paradise Hotel, but it is not until after Grace's death, when the adult Tilda reads her mother's diaries, that she really understands her mother's love.
The past and present see-saw back and forth throughout the book and, with Tilly, the reader slowly comes to understand Grace's motivations. This book has many possible discussion points for groups interested in exploring mother daughter relationships, childhood perceptions, quirky characters, and the overall theme of love. Highly recommended!

This was the first book I’d read by this author. It was an enjoyable read with a lot of colorful characters throughout. We meet Tilda shortly after her mom has passed away. She’s trying to figure out why her mom sent her away as a young child. There were points in the story where I was confused, but everything became clear eventually. I would recommend this to others looking for a light, interesting read.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had really high hopes for this book. I loved The Keeper of Lost Things and this title and description sounded right up my alley. Instead I was massively dissapointed and wish I hadn't even finished this book. First, the person. Who wrote the description should be fired. This book actually spends so little time at the paradise hotel (it's not even introduced until 50% in!) and the cast of characters as described are so confusing. There are so many characters that are barely introduced and then surprise! they might change names on you. Most of the time I had no idea what was going on. Tilly and her moth both clearly has issues that were barely explained and the somewhat supernatural component seemed like a big part of the story but really wasn't? People just accept that she sees ghosts?

Overall, this book was a very confusing, convoluted letdown.

This is a wonderful coming-of-age story. Ruth Hogan has given us a wonderful cast of characters to care about, some quirky but all caring in their ways. Tilly grows up alone with her difficult mother after her beloved father disappears. Tilly's mother moves herself and Tilly into Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel which proves to be a refuge for both. But just when Tilly is finally happy, her mother sends her off to boarding school with no warning and little explanation. As an adult, Tilly returns to the Paradise Hotel to try to unravel some of her mother's actions and finds out her mother wasn't the person she thought she knew. This would be a good book for book club discussions. Excellent! I loved it! Thank you to Harper Collins for the ARC at PLA-Nashville!

This was not for me. The writing was muddled while the story was predictable and messy. The jacket blurb made this sound like something I would like to read but even the name of the book is poorly thought out.

The story surrounds the character of Tilda/Tilly from her perspective as an adult and as a child. Child Tilly seems to have way more sensibility than adult Tilda who is just exasperatingly dense. The supporting characters were painful to read about.

Really thoughtful writing - it just wasn’t for me! I loved the back and forth storylines between adult and child.

2.5

If you are prone to depression or anxiety I might stay away from this book. I realize I didn't love this book as much as others did, but when I sign up for an ARC I promise to give my opinion...and let's say it won't be as rosy as some of the reviews I have seen. I am not as enamored of this book as maybe I should have been -I see nothing uplifting or enjoyable about near mental abuse, confusing timelines, OCD, mental health issues, child abuse, fuzzy plotlines and pages and pages of inner angst. I didn't even find the characters at Queenies amusing, but I can see why they are essential to the story.


I don't think we ever did find out why Tilly's Dad Stevie, was so horrible that Tilly had to be protected---or did I miss that part? And this issue was pretty much the basis of the entire book.

I did, however, find this book intriguing enough to need to finish it to see how it all came together and how it ended for Tilly/Tilda.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

Wounded, compulsive Tilda is cleaning out her dead mother's flat. They have been distant for years. Tilda is still haunted by the loss of her much-loved father and still resents her mother for sending her away to boarding school. When Tilda finds her mother's secret diaries, she is forced to confront and reevaluate what she believed about her past.

Beautifully written and affecting, the story shifts between adult Tilda, told in the first person, and "Tilly" as a child, recounted charmingly in third-person POV. Tilly's sections are particularly compelling, capturing the innocence and misinterpretation of a child one moment, her terror and helplessness the next. The utilization of the diaries is less effective, as they are large passages of Tilda's mother telling, not showing, her side of the story.

Logan's third book might just be her best yet. Tilly/Tilda is a wonderful character that we follow as a child and as an adult . After her mother's passing, she finds her journals and begins to see her childhood from a different perspective. The times are woven beautifully and contains many twists that were unexpected as we see what Tilly lived but through a different lens. Highly recommend!!

The word that comes to mind about this book is poignant. The author creates a wonderful cast of characters and reading how Tilly interpreted or misunderstood words was hilarious. She was a bright fun child despite losing her father at a young age and not getting along with her mother. The chapters are written with Tilda as an adult and then flashbacks to Tilly growing up.
It is a fun, sad, refreshing story about growing up. Very enjoyable reading!

QUEENIE MALONE'S PARADISE HOTEL
BY: RUTH HOGAN

Her eyes they shone like
the diamonds,
You'd think she was the queen
of the land,
And her hair hung over
her shoulders
Tied up with a black
velvet band.

Mothers and daughter's sometimes have tumultuous relationships. Daughter's love their father's and father's love their daughter's right back. Sometimes when a very young girl is at her most impressionable and she believes her mother had something to do with the father leaving the home and not coming back, a rift can form between mother and daughter. This is the case with Tilly/Tilda.
But as is often in life things are not always as they appear.

My mother killed my father when I was seven years old. Now thirty-nine years later, she is dead
too, and I am an orphan.

When I initially requested this title and I am so glad that I did because I love Ruth Hogan's lyrical writing style. It wasn't until the book was on my Net Galley shelf that I had realized that I had never before read any of Ruth Hogan's novels. She has definitely made a fan out of me. Now I look forward to being able to read her two former books already published. I had mistakenly mixed up the name Ruth Hogan with Nancy Horan's novel called, "Loving Frank." I loved that book of historical fiction about the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The two Author's names are similar but distinct enough for me to make such an embarassing blunder. It turned out for the best for me because I never would have discovered how lovely and charming Ruth Hogan's prose and storytelling are. This book meant so much to me for personal reasons.

This wonderful narrative is told in two alternating voices and timelines as far as ages go. We begin with Tilda going to her mother's seaside flat to sort through her mother's things after her mother has died. Tilda's memory of her mother is that for some inexplicable reason her mother sent her away to boarding school while she was just beginning to love her life again after losing her father when she experienced her most profound grief.

Tilly's story mostly takes place when she is a young child around six years old. Tilly loves her daddy. Tilly loves going for iced cream cones. Tilly loves her Aunt Wendy and her cousin, Karen. Tilly loves going to church with Mrs. O'Flaherty whether it be watching her say her prayers with her rosary beads or participating in Christmas Eve Mass celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus. Everything in this neighborhood is bucolic and a scene out of the 1950's or 1960's. A simpler, gentler time than today. Ruth Hogan paints us a vivid scenery bursting with vibrant color schemes. Tilly also gets uprooted when one day a taxi cab drives her and her mother to the seaside town of Brighton where Tilly thinks she is going on holiday.

Tilly and her mother stay at Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel. There she finds in Queenie Malone the soap suds commercial happy version of what the mother she has always dreamed of having. Mother and daughter settle in and live there after Grace tells Tilly that they can stay on and live in the grand hotel because Queenie has offered Grace a job. The only difference is that instead of sitting and eating meals in the grand dining room for guest's, they are to instead have their meals with the cook and the rest of the band of lovable misfits that also work there to keep the hotel running smooth. They live in bliss for two years until Tilly is again uprooted and sent off to boarding school leaving the second home she loves.

This causes a life long estrangement between Tilly/Tilda and her mother. When she goes to her mother's home to sort out what inherited items she wishes to keep she eventually finds her mother's diaries. This book explores many themes such as family bonds, mental illness, and whether telling lies are ever right or wrong. Personally, I don't think lying can ever be justified when dealing with family issues. It really can complicate matters in a family and if Tilly was told the truth in the first place then this would be an entirely different novel. Brighton is brought alive by the fabulous Ruth Hogan. It is a beautifully, touching, sad but ultimately uplifting story. This is another all time favorite for me and I am so grateful for discovering the superbly talented Ruth Hogan.

Thank you to Net Galley, Ruth Hogan and HarperCollins Publishing for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. The pleasure was all mine.

Publication Date: April 14, 2020

#QueenieMalone'sParadiseHotel #RuthHogan #HarperCollinsPublishing #NetGalley
QUEENIE MALONE'S PARADISE HOTEL
BY: RUTH HOGAN

Her eyes they shone like
the diamonds,
You'd think she was the queen
of the land,
And her hair hung over
her shoulders
Tied up with a black
velvet band.

Mothers and daughter's sometimes have tumultuous relationships. Daughter's love their father's and father's love their daughter's right back. Sometimes when a very young girl is at her most impressionable and she believes her mother had something to do with the father leaving the home and not coming back, a rift can form between mother and daughter. This is the case with Tilly/Tilda.
But as is often in life things are not always as they appear.

My mother killed my father when I was seven years old. Now thirty-nine years later, she is dead
too, and I am an orphan.

When I initially requested this title and I am so glad that I did because I love Ruth Hogan's lyrical writing style. It wasn't until the book was on my Net Galley shelf that I had realized that I had never before read any of Ruth Hogan's novels. She has definitely made a fan out of me. Now I look forward to being able to read her two former books already published. I had mistakenly mixed up the name Ruth Hogan with Nancy Horan's novel called, "Loving Frank." I loved that book of historical fiction about the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The two Author's names are similar but distinct enough for me to make such an embarassing blunder. It turned out for the best for me because I never would have discovered how lovely and charming Ruth Hogan's prose and storytelling are. This book meant so much to me for personal reasons.

This wonderful narrative is told in two alternating voices and timelines as far as ages go. We begin with Tilda going to her mother's seaside flat to sort through her mother's things after her mother has died. Tilda's memory of her mother is that for some inexplicable reason her mother sent her away to boarding school while she was just beginning to love her life again after losing her father when she experienced her most profound grief.

Tilly's story mostly takes place when she is a young child around six years old. Tilly loves her daddy. Tilly loves going for iced cream cones. Tilly loves her Aunt Wendy and her cousin, Karen. Tilly loves going to church with Mrs. O'Flaherty whether it be watching her say her prayers with her rosary beads or participating in Christmas Eve Mass celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus. Everything in this neighborhood is bucolic and a scene out of the 1950's or 1960's. A simpler, gentler time than today. Ruth Hogan paints us a vivid scenery bursting with vibrant color schemes. Tilly also gets uprooted when one day a taxi cab drives her and her mother to the seaside town of Brighton where Tilly thinks she is going on holiday.

Tilly and her mother stay at Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel. There she finds in Queenie Malone the soap suds commercial happy version of what the mother she has always dreamed of having. Mother and daughter settle in and live there after Grace tells Tilly that they can stay on and live in the grand hotel because Queenie has offered Grace a job. The only difference is that instead of sitting and eating meals in the grand dining room for guest's, they are to instead have their meals with the cook and the rest of the band of lovable misfits that also work there to keep the hotel running smooth. They live in bliss for two years until Tilly is again uprooted and sent off to boarding school leaving the second home she loves.

This causes a life long estrangement between Tilly/Tilda and her mother. When she goes to her mother's home to sort out what inherited items she wishes to keep she eventually finds her mother's diaries. This book explores many themes such as family bonds, mental illness, and whether telling lies are ever right or wrong. Personally, I don't think lying can ever be justified when dealing with family issues. It really can complicate matters in a family and if Tilly was told the truth in the first place then this would be an entirely different novel. Brighton is brought alive by the fabulous Ruth Hogan. It is a beautifully, touching, sad but ultimately uplifting story. This is another all time favorite for me and I am so grateful for discovering the superbly talented Ruth Hogan.

Thank you to Net Galley, Ruth Hogan and HarperCollins Publishing for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. The pleasure was all mine.

Publication Date: April 14, 2020

#QueenieMalone'sParadiseHotel #RuthHogan #HarperCollinsPublishing #NetGalley
QUEENIE MALONE'S PARADISE HOTEL
BY: RUTH HOGAN

Her eyes they shone like
the diamonds,
You'd think she was the queen
of the land,
And her hair hung over
her shoulders
Tied up with a black
velvet band.

Mothers and daughter's sometimes have tumultuous relationships. Daughter's love their father's and father's love their daughter's right back. Sometimes when a very young girl is at her most impressionable and she believes her mother had something to do with the father leaving the home and not coming back, a rift can form between mother and daughter. This is the case with Tilly/Tilda.
But as is often in life things are not always as they appear.

My mother killed my father when I was seven years old. Now thirty-nine years later, she is dead
too, and I am an orphan.

When I initially requested this title and I am so glad that I did because I love Ruth Hogan's lyrical writing style. It wasn't until the book was on my Net Galley shelf that I had realized that I had never before read any of Ruth Hogan's novels. She has definitely made a fan out of me. Now I look forward to being able to read her two former books already published. I had mistakenly mixed up the name Ruth Hogan with Nancy Horan's novel called, "Loving Frank." I loved that book of historical fiction about the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The two Author's names are similar but distinct enough for me to make such an embarassing blunder. It turned out for the best for me because I never would have discovered how lovely and charming Ruth Hogan's prose and storytelling are. This book meant so much to me for personal reasons.

This wonderful narrative is told in two alternating voices and timelines as far as ages go. We begin with Tilda going to her mother's seaside flat to sort through her mother's things after her mother has died. Tilda's memory of her mother is that for some inexplicable reason her mother sent her away to boarding school while she was just beginning to love her life again after losing her father when she experienced her most profound grief.

Tilly's story mostly takes place when she is a young child around six years old. Tilly loves her daddy. Tilly loves going for iced cream cones. Tilly loves her Aunt Wendy and her cousin, Karen. Tilly loves going to church with Mrs. O'Flaherty whether it be watching her say her prayers with her rosary beads or participating in Christmas Eve Mass celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus. Everything in this neighborhood is bucolic and a scene out of the 1950's or 1960's. A simpler, gentler time than today. Ruth Hogan paints us a vivid scenery bursting with vibrant color schemes. Tilly also gets uprooted when one day a taxi cab drives her and her mother to the seaside town of Brighton where Tilly thinks she is going on holiday.

Tilly and her mother stay at Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel. There she finds in Queenie Malone the soap suds commercial happy version of what the mother she has always dreamed of having. Mother and daughter settle in and live there after Grace tells Tilly that they can stay on and live in the grand hotel because Queenie has offered Grace a job. The only difference is that instead of sitting and eating meals in the grand dining room for guest's, they are to instead have their meals with the cook and the rest of the band of lovable misfits that also work there to keep the hotel running smooth. They live in bliss for two years until Tilly is again uprooted and sent off to boarding school leaving the second home she loves.

This causes a life long estrangement between Tilly/Tilda and her mother. When she goes to her mother's home to sort out what inherited items she wishes to keep she eventually finds her mother's diaries. This book explores many themes such as family bonds, mental illness, and whether telling lies are ever right or wrong. Personally, I don't think lying can ever be justified when dealing with family issues. It really can complicate matters in a family and if Tilly was told the truth in the first place then this would be an entirely different novel. Brighton is brought alive by the fabulous Ruth Hogan. It is a beautifully, touching, sad but ultimately uplifting story. This is another all time favorite for me and I am so grateful for discovering the superbly talented Ruth Hogan.

Thank you to Net Galley, Ruth Hogan and HarperCollins Publishing for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. The pleasure was all mine.

Publication Date: April 14, 2020

#QueenieMalone'sParadiseHotel #RuthHogan #HarperCollinsPublishing #NetGalley