Marin's been living a safe life, a small life. After losing her mother at a young age and growing up overnight to be her wild-child younger sister's stand-in parental figure, Marin's all but forgotten how to take risks, live for her happiness, and pursue her dreams.

The subplot of this story is honestly heartbreaking. As Marin realizes who she's about to lose in her life, this story's pace accelerates brilliantly, a reflection of the desperation anyone who's lost a loved one to terminal illness will recognize: as if time is sand slipping through your fingers, as if there will never be enough hours to share and say and feel everything you need to.

The romantic element of this story is gentle and reflective. There's an old flame who shows up and a new man who could be Marin's future. By the end of this story, Marin—true to this genre which is (women's) fiction first and foremost—beautifully chooses herself. And in her choice to live bravely, boldly, authentically, she finds her heart's choice revealed.

Content Warnings: grief, loss of a parent (off-page), loss of immediate family to terminal illness (cancer, end of life days on-page and in detail).

Thank you to Berkley & NetGalley for this complimentary copy! All opinions are my own.

I loved Meet Me in Paradise! It's a sister story with romance, secrets, heartbreak, and hope. The story is mainly told from Marin's point of view, with dashes of Sadie's side of the story. Marin has been the steady, responsible older sister since their mother's death when the girls were teens. Sadie's career and fearless nature take her all over the world. Marin believes she has to be Sadie's home base. On Sadie's most recent trip home to Tennessee, she plans a sister's long weekend on a tropical island for the two of them, then misses the flight and insists Marin go on without her. The story takes off from there, with Marin facing lots of her fears and not realizing Sadie was behind most of it. There are lots of moving, tearful (for me and the characters) moments as the story threads come together, and you find yourself invested in the sister's lives. A really great read!

This plot of this book is kind of wild, but get past that and I really enjoyed the characters and their growth. This book is about finding one's self and relationships with others, both of which were written about quite well. It's a lighthearted book in some ways, but there are some very intense moments and plot points. Overall I enjoyed it and couldn't put it down!

Despite the cover's beachy vibes, Meet Me in Paradise is a read with substance. Right now, we're all Marin Cole, having been stuck in our quarantine routines for what feels like forever. Beginning-of-the-book Marin would be totally okay with staying home! However, her free-spirit sister Sadie has other plans.

I so enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters. There's a (closed-door) romance, and don't get me wrong, Lucas Tsai is as smoking-hot a romantic hero as you could ask for, but for me the central relationship was between Marin and Sadie. It's funny to see Sadie drag Marin kicking and screaming out of her comfort zone, but fair warning - by the end you will just possibly have ugly cried at least twice.

If you're in the mood for swoony-but-sweet romance, fully realized side characters, and tear-jerking family scenes, all wrapped up in a book that scratches your tropical travel itch, MEET ME IN PARADISE might be your perfect staycation

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This book.

I would recommend if you're looking for

-a heck of a meet cute on a turbulent plane
-m/f frenemies to lovers
-a grumpy billionaire
-an anxiety ridden older sister who is tricked onto a vacation
-vacation romance
-elements of a small town romance
-a beautiful sister relationship that is the heart of the book
-slow burn romance
-closed door

This book. It left me at a loss for words. Laughing out loud at moments, in tears at others this is a beautiful story with two sisters at its heart. A story of sacrifice, love, grief, anxiety, and sisterhood. I felt every emotion reading this book. I loved Lucas. How he didn't force Marin out of her shell, was a grump. His story.

But the true story at the heart of this book was Marin and Sadie. Their shared grief, how they took care of each other in different ways, loved each other. A story that stays with you long after you put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Read this book is all I can say. Thank you for such a beautiful story.

Rating: 5
Steam: 1

CW: anxiety, grief, cancer, death of a loved one

Sweet, poignant, beautifully written. Read this book with comfort chocolate to eat and a box of tissues next to you. Sisters Marin and Sadie Cole lose their mother when still in school. Marin becomes the responsible homebody and Sadie the adventure thrill seeker. With the promise of a girls weekend Marin braves her fear of travel to go to Saba, a small Caribbean Island. But Sadie misses the flight setting up the a life changing adventure for Marin.

I don't want to give away specifics but this is a life affirming love story of sisters who sacrifice and give to one another. This can be categorized as women's fiction or chick lit with a side of romance. The characters are richly developed and the setting of Saba couldn't be more perfect. (I googled to make sure the location was real and now I want to go there.) I will definitely recommend this for my bookclub and friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley-Penguin Random House for the ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! And loved that the love interest, Lucas is Taiwanese, something I have never seen before. This was so important to me, as someone who is Taiwanese. The themes, about losing loved ones are sad, but handled so beautifully and funny in a heartwarming way. And there is humor and light heartedness throughout, making it a very enjoyable read. It's so much more than just about Marin and Lucas' love story. There is such emotional depth that drives the story forward and the bond between Marin and her sister Sadie is beautiful. A definite must read!

A wonderful story about sisters, grief, and making the most of every moment. When Marin and Sadie lose their mother, each reacts in a different way. Marin, the oldest, lives her life in lockstep, not even daring to leave their home state for so much as a vacation. Sadie becomes a globe-trotting adventure photographer -- total opposite. Don't want to spoil anything here, so I'll just say that Sadie tricks Marin into taking an adventurous vacation guaranteed to get her out of her comfort zone. Sadie sets things up pretty well, but she doesn't anticipate the new romance that opens up for Marin. Really enjoyed this book and look forward to recommending it to readers who enjoy Susan Mallory, Kristan Higgins, Emily Henry and Debbie Macomber.

Marian's life changed as a teenager when her mother died on assignment as a journalist. Feeling protective of her younger sister, Marian gives up her dream of going away to Columbia and stays in Tennessee. Her only serious relationship ended when she refused to travel to Tibet with him. She hasn't traveled over 20 miles from her home recently. Her sister Sadie begs her to go on vacation with her. After Sadie misses the plane, Marian is alone with her handsome seatmate Lucas. After many travel mishaps, Marian relies on Lucas's help to get to her destination and she begins to discover all the experiences in life she has been missing out. This is a good book if you don't like sappy romanced and you want a book with more substance.

Although quite a lot of suspension of disbelief was required, I quite enjoyed this book. Great for fans of Crazy Rich Asians!

Wow. Just wow.

I wish I could experience MEET ME IN PARADISE all over again from scratch. It's that good.

Marin and Sadie's mother died when they were young, so they grew up fast and very different. Sadie is an adventuring adrenaline-junky. Her older sister is reliable. Predictable. Safe. But Sadie has a plan to draw Marin out of her comfort zone, and sends her sister on an adventure on a lovely tropical island.

Within the pages of MEET ME IN PARADISE, I experienced love and heartbreak, devastation and healing. Beautifully written, it is both clever and heart wrenching, simultaneously playful and tragic. Be prepared to examine your own life while reading, and keep the Kleenex handy.


NOTE: This is *NOT* a romcom. I read a couple of reviews saying reviewers were unhappy because they were expecting a comedy or a light romance for some reason. This book is a jewel, but it's not romcom.

Received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

This book has a lot of stuff! I loved all the characters, even Ted. I wasn't sure where this story was going, but it was a great ride! Some sadness, but happiness too. Fun people that you want to know more about. An awesome story of love, loss and finding again.

I would give this book 8 out of 5 stars if I could.
It broke my heart. Read it when you need an uplifting cry. Plan on reading it in one sitting, beginning to end. You won’t want to leave Marin, Sadie, and Lucas. Trust me.
Also, the book cover is lovely, but I felt a little misled.. I was expecting 'fluff' (which I enjoy, don't get me wrong) but this book was definitely not 'fluff.'

A sweet and heartbreaking love story. Marin's anxiety, and her love for her sister, feels so real and striking! I loved the little details about Marin and Sadie's relationship, the beauty of Saba, and Marin's journey to love and a bigger view of the world. Break out the tissues!

This one hit me like a punch to the gut. It had me laughing out loud AND crying in public. There's a great romance here (kind of a pat ending) but that isn't really what this book is about. It IS a love story. I hesitate to go into too much detail because I think the not knowing makes it that much more powerful. I'll be recommending this book to so many people.

*the copy I read was an ARC provided by NetGalley

I was hoping Meet Me in Paradise would be a lighter story. This is more of a tearjerker than a destination romance, like Christina Lauren's The Unhoneymooners. I enjoyed the opening chapters, but then the story was consumed by the revelation of her sister's diagnosis.