DNF at 41%.

I struggled with this book and it’s MC, Marin, from the very beginning. But, I kept reading in hopes that something would “click” and I could sink into paradise along with the characters. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen for me and life is too short (and my Kindle is too full!!) to read something I’m not enjoying.

It's sisters before misters for Marin. When she was just eighteen, her journalist mother died in a tragic helicopter crash. It was up to Marin to watch over her impetuous younger sister Sadie. That meant giving up some of her dreams and it was okay, right? Maybe not. More than a decade later, Marin is still planted firmly in their old house with a respectable career while Sadie jets around the world as a photographer. A girls' weekend is in order and Sadie has the perfect plan -- only it might turn out much differently than Marin expected. This is a book that will tear at your heartstrings as the sisters deal with loss, illness, and recovering lost dreams. I imagined Lucas Tsai -- Marin's meet-cute on the plane-- looking like Chris Pang. The island of Saba sounds like a dream. I think I need to add it to my travel list. This ticked a good number of boxes for me on the contemporary romance list and I am looking forward to Hubscher's next novel.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This book covered a lot of really deep topics and I felt like it did them well. I loved the sister relationship and really seeing who each other the characters are. Getting to know them personally was something I really liked. This was less of a romance and more about the sister relationship in my opinion but I really liked it overall!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my advance copy of Meet Me In Paradise by Libby Hubscher. This was ny far my favorite book that I have read so far this year and I can't wait to purchase it when it comes out on March 23rd to have a copy on my own bookshelf. 

I have a confession... I loved this book so so so much and I fear that any review that I write and share isn't going to do it justice! I really even struggled with the words to write this.

I feel like there should be a warning for all readers not to judge this book by it's cover... I would never have looked at the cover and synopsis for Meet Me In Paradise and guessed that it would make me laugh, break my heart, make me ugly cry, and then put me back together. But it did all that in spades. 

Marin Cole has ALL the fears and anxiety. She has let them control her since her mother died and she was left to take care of younger sister, Sadie. She has never even left the state of Tennessee, and there is so much that she has missed out on, what her life should have/could have been. Sadie is the polar opposite. Her life is one big adventure, she strives to live life one adventure at a time. Marin is in a constant state of worry over her while she is off traveling the world. Sadie finally convinces Marin to join her on getaway, only it turns out not to the the relaxing and sisterly bonding vacation that Marin was expecting. 

Libby Hubscher tackled so much with this book. The grief, the tender and painful moments, the blossoming romance, the island adventures. There was so much detail, it all felt so real. It all added up to magic. I was also hooked by the chapter layout with Sadie's almost cryptic chapters mixe in with Marin's! I hope that everyone one reads this amazing book and I can't wait to read Libby's future projects.

I loved the concept of Meet Me in Paradise. Unfortunately, I found it to be a bit boring at times. And it really fell flat as a romance novel. The chemistry between the two leads, Marin and Lucas, was simply not there.

The standout for this novel was the relationship between the two sisters, Marin and Sadie. In the beginning, they were both a bit annoying, but by the end you really felt the bond between these two women. The ending for Sadie was simply heartbreaking. I definitely cried.

Overall, it’s not a perfect book, but it’s definitely worth a read.

3.5 stars

CW: death of family member, cancer, anxiety, grief, marijuana use, airplane/boat turbulence

Meet Me in Paradise was not quite what I was expecting. Even though the vibrant cover screams romcom, I knew from the blurb that it would be an emotional read. I was not prepared, however, for just how heartbreaking and gut-wrenching it would turn out to be. I personally don't consider Meet Me In Paradise to be a romance. I would consider it more a beautiful and moving novel about sisterhood with romantic elements thrown in.

This book hurt my heart, but it also made me laugh and feel hopeful. I couldn't help but imagine my own sisters while reading Marin and Sadie's story. Emotions run high throughout and don't let up. I loved how the author used the past and present to weave the story together piece by piece. It did take me a bit to feel truly invested in what was happening, but once things started falling into place, I didn't want to put it down.

Some things you can expect in Meet Me in Paradise:
- A relatable and sometimes excruciatingly painful journey of self discovery. The depiction of Marin's grief and coping was so heartfelt. I was rooting for her throughout.
- Wonderfully entertaining, generous, and loving secondary characters. I loved all the residents of Saba and of course, Felix. They brought some much needed levity to the story.
- Found families. This ties back into the secondary characters, but I really was so touched by the incredible kindness displayed and how everyone pulls together in crisis.
- A slow burn romance with a grumpy but swoony bajillionaire who can whisper sweet nothings to you in 12 different languages. Lucas's generosity and thoughtfulness were unparalleled.
- A beautiful island setting, with gorgeous descriptions that made me feel like I was right there in Saba too.

Some things that didn't quite work for me (possible spoilers):

- Deception plots just aren't my favorite. The secrets dragged on for too long. I understand Lucas was keeping his promise, but he really should have said something once things started to shift between him and Marin.
- Lucas's wealth and ability to fulfill any request felt a little over the top at times. It was too convenient to answer any issue with a "Lucas took care of it" fix.
- Ted. He helped drive home how far Marin had come and changed, but I don't think his reappearance was really needed and he added unnecessary drama to an already heavy story. I'm glad that things worked out the way they did, but it felt so anticlimactic considering how long he hung around in the story.
- The ending felt a bit rushed. So much of the book focused on implementing Sadie's plan and Marin's journey, but we didn't really get to see Marin in all her new found glory. It's a hopeful closure for sure, but I think I wanted to see her thriving on her own a bit more.
- As much as I liked the story, it was extremely sad. I enjoyed the writing a great deal, but I'm not sure my heart can ever take a reread.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Thank you Berkeley for an advance copy of this book. Unfortunately this was one will have to be a DNF for me, not due to writing but due to some personal triggers. I have heard this book is beautiful but it is just too much for me in this current point in my life. Thanks again!

While I think the cover lends to a more light-hearted, fluffy rom-com read, I think the character driven story to be perfectly suited to my current reading mood. This closed door romance has a lot to offer with a heavy focus on familial relationships and bonds, the MC's character growth overhaul, and cultural experiences.
Marin is in a self-contained bubble. She's not living out her dreams of childhood. She has kept her boundaries to a safe job in the Tennessee world she grew up in out of fear and the need for stability. When her wild and crazy sister proposes and pressures her into going on a "sister-only" adventure, she capitulates in order to convince Sadie to downsize her life. But Sadie is a no show and what can she do when her luggage and passport go missing and she's stranded in paradise?
I greatly enjoyed Marin's mishaps and the supporting cast she meets along the way. Pretty early on, I anticipated some forthcoming tears and heartache. The way that Libby deals with Marin's past, present, and hopes for the future is exactly what I want out of a novel.
I'm pretty convinced that Libby will be an auto-buy author for me and I'm looking forward to reading her forthcoming work!
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I'll start by saying this is NOT a typical rom-com... and certainly not the lighthearted read that the cover suggests. I honestly felt like I was reading two different plot lines - one fluffy, rom-com the first half of the book, and then a heart-wrenching tearjerker through the second half. There were some hints at what was coming through the first parts of the book, but I didn't feel like I had enough information at the time to really understand. Looking back it all made sense, but in the moment I was still searching for answers.

All that to say, this was a really great book - BUT - if you're looking for an accidental meet-cute in paradise filled with hijinks and romantic tropes, this is not it. Meet Me in Paradise is a story of one woman's grief journey and the ways that she learns to live and love again. There is a love story, so not a completely false advertisement here, but I felt like the romance took a backseat to the other storylines - which, for me, resulted in a lack of chemistry between the two MCs. A good read that had me sobbing at some points and laughing at others, but mostly left me feeling a bit confused as to what I had signed up for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This wasn’t what I was expecting but then again it wasn’t a disappointment. I knew this would be a sister story with some romance thrown in, but it was so much more than the “quick read” I thought it would be based on the cover.

Let me start this review with a little heads up, this is not your typical rom com! It is so much more than romance. This book grabbed a hold of my heart and has not let it go. I finished this book last night and I am still an emotional mess.

This story follows two sisters who could not be more different, they are truly polar opposites. Marin has never left Tennessee and is a constant worrier. She likes to plan and be in control of everything that happens in her life. On the flip side, her younger sister, Sadie, is a free spirit. She lives life spontaneously, traveling the world as a photographer.

When Sadie convinces her control freak of a sister to go on a sisters retreat to paradise, Marin reluctantly agrees. However, there is a hitch, Sadie misses the flight and Marin must fend for herself.

On the plane Marin meets the handsome, yet arrogant, Lucas Tsai. From there Marin has to learn how to let go and enjoy herself. Learn how to live life without control and a planner. Go on adventures, have fun, smile a little.

I thought these characters were relatable and found their way into my heart. I fell in love with them and the story of sisters moving on in separate ways after the death of their mother. This book has romance in it, but it is also about family, sisterly love, grieving, and finding yourself.

One warning I will give you if you decide to read this book, have tissues nearby! I have not ugly cried to a book in a while and this one definitely had me full blown sobbing. I cannot recommend this book enough, just know going into it, that it is not a warm and cuddly rom com. To be fair, life is not generally warm and cuddly.

So all that to say, you should run, not walk to the bookstore on March 23rd to pick up your copy!

I suspect my feelings on this book would be more positive if I'd known what I was getting into when I cracked open the virtual spine.

See, here's the thing. Suggesting a "heart-wrenching truth" in a synopsis that also mentions rom-com like hijinks such as a missed flight, mixed up luggage, and landing in a hot guy's lap isn't enough to tell me as a reader that this book is actually a full-on tear-jerker.

This isn't the author's fault, but I'm left feeling angry that the book I felt I was promised is not the book I read. If I'd wanted a tear-jerker, I would have picked one up. This sort-of misleading marketing is frustrating at best, and I really wish publishers would stop trying to trick me into reading a book that isn't actually a rom-com.

So I'll add the disclosure that I don't actually like tear-jerkers. I am very rarely in the mood for them, and I'm especially not in the mood for them after a year of living in a pandemic, raising twin babies without any help outside our household, and missing my friends and family. So once I realized (over 50% of the way in) that this book was NOT going to be a fun, fluffy romp through paradise, I got angry.

That said, I was already struggling to connect with the supposed romance in this book. We know so little about Lucas Tsai, and I never felt any real chemistry between him and Marin. A good hero should make ME fall in love with him just like the heroine does, and while I didn't dislike Lucas, I never felt connected or attached to him in anyway. The romance aspect of this book just felt sort of forced, and I didn't really buy into it.

If you don't care about the romance, this book is really more about one woman finding herself, facing grief (both old and new), and about the bond between sisters. The synopsis from the publisher isn't the best snapshot of what to expect; but if sad stories about family is your cup of tea, maybe this book will work for you. It didn't work for me.

Wow, I was expecting a cute beach rom-com but I got so much more. This book is so beautiful and heartfelt. It was an absolute joy to read. The relationship between Marin and Sadie was so realistic and beautiful. I loved that we got to hear the story from different perspectives. I loved the different settings in the story, it really added to the story. Meet Me in Paradise is a wonderful story about love, family and finding yourself. I couldn't have loved this story anymore.

This was not a bad book, but I unfortunately lost interest in it about halfway through. It is not really a romance, although there is a romance in it, which I didn't think was very well developed. No chemistry between the characters and the whole thing with Ted was just too much. The relationship between the sisters was better developed although I thought what Sadie did to her sister, while well meant, was kind of cruel, even under the circumstances. Overall, this was a bit too depressing for me but I think a lot of people will enjoy it.

GOOD GOD MY HEART!!!! THIS BOOK!!!! IT SHATTERED IT!!! AND THEN PIECED IT BACK TOGETHER!!! Okay okay okay. Wow. Where to start. First and foremost, this is a story of the love of sisters. True, unfettered, and unrestrained love between two women who went through the worst together and came out of it stronger. The bond that is created between Sadie and Marin is evident from page 1, and it’s the type of love that tugs at your heart and floods your brain. I’m trying not to give anything away, but just know this book will have you grabbing for the tissues but also laughing through your tears. And the prose. Holy hell the prose. Each page feels bubbly and special and makes you feel like you’re right there with Sadie and Marin.

I am just so on the fence about this book. The writing was good and the author seemed to have a great handle on her characters... I just didn’t really like the full situation.

Marin is an overbearing and boring older sister to a younger and more free Sadie. After the death of their mother, Marin felt she had no other choice but to become the sole protector of her little sister. The woman goes so far as to live not even half a life in order to secure the safety of her sister, which makes absolutely no sense to me... Marin declines to make big important steps in her own life in order to stay close to her sister, who ends up living a carefree and wild life anyway.

And all of this culminated in the beginning of our story where Marin waits dotingly for Sadie to return home from yet another incredible adventure only for Sadie to act uncharacteristically strange up until the day they decide to board a plane for a sisters’ vacation... where Sadie just doesn’t show up. No, instead Sadie has a secret and instead of informing her sister who has given up her life for her, she cons her into taking a trip completely out of her comfort zone ALONE (unbeknownst to Marin).

I understand the point of Sadie’s goal here. She wants her sister to begin to live life, but to more importantly understand that she has a life to live, a life that will go on, and one that deserves living it to the fullest. While I understand the logic behind Sadie’s ridiculous antics, I was still in a constant state of disbelief that it would even happen in the first place...

I didn’t like Marin’s absolute faith on the idea that she had to excuse everything in her own life to give attention to her sister. It made me mad and just felt completely implausible.

With all of my criticism aside, I enjoyed Marin’s character growth. I did, in fact, enjoy the sister bond that Sadie and Marin share. And I liked the story as a whole... but getting from the beginning to the end was a bit of a leap for me.

On this trip, Marin grows so immensely. She meets new people, must make amends with her past demons and even falls in love. I loved watching her come out of her shell and make big improvements to her own character.

I have conflicting feelings about this book. I thought it was a beautiful story about love, grief, and getting out of your comfort zone. The island itself sounded lush and vibrant. The islanders all seemed community-oriented and kind. I would have loved to spend time on that island. I loved how Marin adapted to island life. I loved how Lucas showed he cared and quietly understood her. It's a very warm story. I didn't find it particularly romantic but I think that's because Lucas and Marin were both quite subtle, many of their interactions were sweet but anything above sweet was very "blink and you'll miss it" - which is fine, it's just that kind of story.

However, despite enjoying the story itself, I did not like Marin. I did not feel like she had much of an identity outside of being a sister. Every few sentences were about her sister and I realize that's kind of the point - it's just the point I didn't enjoy. Her life revolved around her sister and she had little to nothing else going on in her life. Marin may have been the main character of the book but Sadie was the main character of Marin's life. I found myself skimming paragraphs to parts where she wasn't talking about her sister. I couldn't get a sense of what her personality was other than repressed and uptight. She wasn't funny, neither was Lucas. She didn't seem to have any real interests outside of her sister. It sometimes felt like Tennessee Marin was a statue at home that came alive when Sadie was home, and only to protect her.

I did ache for everyone involved as grief is such a tender topic and I thought it was sweet to watch Lucas and Marin bond over that shared experience. There were things about Lucas that I wanted to like but just couldn't. He seemed like a nice enough guy but not someone I connected with. He was at times just as closed off as Marin and it was clear that he just "got" her. While the romance left a lot to be desired, in my opinion, there's something to be said about the friendship built between Marin and Lucas over the course of the story. They seemed so much like kindred souls that I was actually annoyed when another character overstayed their welcome, detracting from what I think - based on their underlying connection - could have been a much deeper romantic story.

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

Marin and Sadie are as close as two sisters can be, but they are also complete opposites. Where Marin is a reserved worrier, Sadie is a spontaneous free spirit. Their relationship has always worked because they balance each other out.

When Sadie returns home from her latest exciting adventure, she seems a little different. But then she suggests her and Marin go on vacation together to a tropical paradise. Despite being afraid of travel, Marin gives in. Unbeknownst to Marin, however, this is all an elaborate gift from Sadie who wants Marin to truly experience living life before it’s too late.

Although it’s pretty obvious where this story’s journey will take you, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have your tissues handy. This is a book that focuses on the importance of living life to its fullest, but it additionally pays tribute to the special bond so many sisters share. It also made me wish for the 99th time that I had a sister of my own, but I digress.

I read this one with @lovearctually. Special thanks to @netgalley, @berkleypub, and @libbyhubscher for writing such a moving story. Definitely check this one out when it releases on March 23rd!

This was an emotional page turner of a novel. I do have to say that I prefer character driven novels so while this did go into Marin’s and everyone else’s characteristics, there was a good chunk of the novel that was focused on the activities Marin did with Lucas on the island. I felt this part dragged a bit and when it hit just over the halfway mark, it then picked up for me and I couldn’t put it down after that.

I really loved the depth of Marin’s character and it was heartbreaking when she had to say goodbye to another and her last family member. I especially loved it when she went off to Italy to find herself and it felt a bit like Eat, Pray, Love. I was right there with her when she was in Amalfi, enjoying the culture and rediscovering what she wants in life.

While I can appreciate the author's intentions and writing style, I did not enjoy this book because I was hoping for a happier story rather than the sad tone that followed through this story.