5 tropical + adventure filled + heartwrenching + sincere stars to this stunning debut by Libby Hubscher. What I thought would be a straight forward romance novel, ended up being a beautifully written, poignant story on the power of hope, the bonds of family and community, the healing qualities of nature, and the joys of unexpected adventures.. Marin Cole, an advertising executive, thrives on having control and stability; her younger sister, Sadie, a travel photojournalist, does not. Marin agrees to a sister's getaway trip on an exclusive island resort as a way to connect more with her little sister. However, the trip doesn't go as planned and Marin is forced to step outside her comfort zone in so many ways. Told from perspectives of both sisters, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel- the breathtaking descriptions of the gorgeous island and the dynamic, engaging characters. This book had me in tears, laughing out loud and all the feelings in between.

Don't miss this story! Pub day is March 23rd. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkeley Books for the advanced reader copy in return for an honest review.

While this book is in the genre of romance (rightfully so there is a delicious romance storyline in it that deserves applause) I found myself finding this story to be more of love story between two sisters. Marin and her younger sister, Sadie, are always there for one another, they are all they have since the untimely death of their mother. So when Sadie comes home for a work assignment looking a little worse for wear she convinces Marin (the one who never does anything spontaneously or adventurous EVER) to head to an island in the Caribbean for a week...a girl's trip if you will to reconnect with each other.
When Sadie doesn't make the flight on time, Marin is introduced to Lucas...her new seatmate and the man who happens to own the resort that Marin is staying at. Each day that goes by without Sadie, Marin is pushed further and further out of her comfort zone and each day Marin begins to see just what the world has to offer and how much Marin has been hiding from everything.
Hubscher has written a gorgeous book, about love sure, but about the strength it takes to leave your comfort zone and really start living. I cried in this book (not something I was expecting at all) it had all the feels.

This is a wonderful warm hearted read about sisters who are complete opposites but love one another fiercely. I would love to see this as a movie adaptation. Marin is so relatable in her fear of traveling and trying new things but she grows so much by the end that I just love her character so much! The pages are filled with unexpected surprises in a good ways and not so good ways. Sadie's fearlessness is jaw dropping but incredibly encouraging to try new adventures, food, learn about other cultures. I loved this one! I just read Hubscher's bio and we live in the same state! I'd love to go back and read Hubscher's other books.

*Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my gifted copy.

This book gave me ALL the feelings! This was definitely a read that sucked me right in and was much more than I expected. It was layered, emotionally complex, and extremely well written. I loved the story of sisterhood and family, the romantic sub-story, and the underlying message of finding yourself. The details were so vivid that almost felt like I was in this tropical paradise, which was perfect for reading in January.

While sisters, Sadie and Marin, led the way as main characters, I loved the smaller character additions, specifically those they meet on the island who offer their kindness with no expectations in return. The emotional and heartbreaking ending was powerful and I know this book will stick with me for a long time.

My full review will be posted on my website, genthebookworm.com, closer to the publication date.

This was such a great book! As everyone else already said, it's definitely not a frothy, fun escape. The destination is gorgeous, and you totally feel like you're there, but it's much deeper than that. This story will break your heart... in the best possible way.

Marin and Sadie are sisters as different as night and day. Marin, a cautious realist, and Sadie a free spirit always looking for adventure. What is pegged as a romance the love story that stood out to me wasn’t between Marin and hunky hotel proprietor Lucas Tsai , it was the love story between sisters- more on that in a minute.

The romance in this story was incredibly sweet and endearing. There was a bit of a love triangle aspect to further add turmoil to Marin's predicament. I appreciated the importance of this old flame coming back into her life to help paint the picture of the choices Marin needs to make in her life. Does she take chances and live with a little more abandon or does she revert back to what’s familiar and comfortable? It was a common theme in this book that was reflected with her ex, her new flame, and also with her sister.

Sadie and Marin, as I mentioned, are complete opposites. I loved how the author made me feel their unshakable love and support for each other that really came to fruition after the passing of their mother. This hit me personally, having lost my mother which further strengthened my relationship with my sister. The story’s dual POV switched between Marin and Sadie and it wasn’t revealed until halfway through, the importance of Sadie’s POV. I flew through the back half the book and love how the story unfolded.

Meet Me in Paradise was the perfect book to get lost in. The story was touching, raw, and hopeful. I absolutely loved this one. Have your tissues ready, Meet Me in Paradise drops March 23!

Libby Hubscher hits it out of the park with this beautifully written, multi-layered story. Her characters are crafted with a keen eye and will leave you thinking about them long after you read the last page. Despite its rom-com-like cover, this is a story that, while it has its moments of humor, deals with some weighty issues.

Marin and Sadie are sisters whose mother died when they were young and whose paths in life are heavily influenced by that tragic loss. Marin prefers the comfort of safe choices while Sadie lives her life with a certain zestful defiance. This is a book about sisterhood, love, loss, and the re-discovery of one's self. It's mostly set on Saba, an island in the Caribbean, hence the title Meet Me in Paradise. This is a fabulous debut novel and one that you won't want to miss!

Loved Libby Hubscher's Meet Me in Paradise so much! I wasn't expecting the story to be as heavy as it was but it turned out to be just what I needed in this moment where the world feels so unsettled. I loved the relationship between Marin and Sadie and truly was moved to tears multiple times. Just a gorgeous must-read book for those who love Women's Fiction and Romance alike.

Thanks to Net Galley and Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for honest thoughts!

I was pretty stoked when I got my hands on this beauty. Being an elder sister, I love stories about sisters, this story set in a beautiful island and a handsome rich hunk is icing on the cake. It was a bittersweet story, I found myself laughing one moment and bawling my eyes out the next moment.

Marin is uptight, dependable, doesn’t take a break from her job, doesn’t travel due to fear of flying, worrier, and has no social life. Her younger sister Sadie is a wanderlust, fun loving, daring, and she is yin to Marin’s yang. Marin had to grow up early and take over the responsibility of Sadie when their mother had died when they were teenagers.

With the intent of making Marin live life fully and experience all the things she missed out because of Sadie, she orchestrates and sends Marin on a vacation in Saba island. On the way, Marin meets dashing Lucas.

Hubscher’s beautiful descriptions transported me to paradise. The islanders were awesome. Everyone knew everyone’s business, not in the way of being nosy but warm to each other and their camaraderie was delightful.

Both sisters were wonderful and they shared a great bonding and the sacrifices they made for each other made me love them more. This has adventures, mishaps, slow burn romance, love, grief, loss, soul crushing agony, unlikely friendships, promises, and self-discovery.

I connected with Marin instantly as I am afraid of heights and adventures. When she was shedding her fears and taking on heart pounding adventures, made me wonder how easy they are once you take the first step, and gave me the courage.

Overall, it was a beautifully written, poignant and uplifting tale with well-developed characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this expecting a light holiday-in-the-sun romcom, but ended up crying openly on the subway on more than one occasion. This is a beautiful story of sisterhood, grieving, and allowing yourself to let go and enjoy life. Having already told my bookish friends to look out for it, I've added it to the list of recs I'll offer customers who are looking for thoughtful, emotional romances or women's fiction novels.

Thank you NetGalley for the free eArc in exchange for an honest review!

~ 𝟑.𝟕𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
I was expecting a cute destination romance and got so much more than that. My heart has been ripped out of my chest too many times during this book. As in, tears and snot rolling down my face type of break down. I kind of enjoyed that this wasn’t a typical romance book- it’s more about life, grief, and learning to live even with fear of dying. Don’t read this one if you’re looking for a sweet, happy romance! You won’t find that here... this one has more substance than that.

The only reason it’s not a 5 star is because I didnt care for the love triangle and the insta love, other than that it was amazing.

Oh goodness. I teared up so many times during this book! It's charming and heartbreaking and hopeful and infuriating all at the same time. This was so lovely to experience.

Make sure you have tissues when you pick this one up! Meet Me in Paradise combines a slow-burn romance with a heartbreaking sister story and the vacation of lifetime to take the reader on a tropical journey of self discovery that will have us all redoing those resolutions and bucket lists come March.

Marin has played it safe since her mother’s untimely death. She’s had to in order to take care of her adventurous younger sister Sadie. But when Sadie plans a sisters trip to a tropical paradise and then conveniently misses the flight, Marin is forced to find out who she really is and why she’s really on that island.

I loved this story. The character development is well-done and in depth. Marin had a long way to go, and each time I thought she might take the out something kept her going—sometimes Sadie, sometimes Lucas, but mostly herself, though she won’t admit that. I was rooting for her to find her way and get the guy.

I swooned, I cried, I commiserated. One thing I really enjoyed was that with the slow-burn (and Marin’s obliviousness), I really got to fall in love with both love interests; I wanted them to figure it out and see past the broken parts of them, and in the end I was not disappointed!

This book was so sweet and, as a worrier who never takes risks myself, cathartic to read. I loved seeing Marin branch out beyond her comfort zone and find joy in that. And her romance with Lucas was lovely in that it made her grow and become better as a person, which all of the best romance novels show.

Meet Me in Paradise, by Libby Hubscher, is a gorgeous book that walks/swims/boats the line between women’s fiction (or fiction, as I like to call it) and romance. For marketing ease, we tend to divide books into categories, but that means some of us miss out on treasures like this one. This is a story about loss and sisterhood, lust and love, and one woman’s struggle to wake up from a decade-long grief. The romance in MMIP is sweet, the hero is compelling, the setting is idyllic, and the secondary characters are all well drawn and memorable. The overarching story, however, of Marin and her awkward, painful journey back to where she always wanted to be is what will keep this book in your thoughts long after you’ve finished it. Pre-order now! Whatever prejudices you might have for either WF or Romance – this book will change your mind.

Marin Cole is a homebody, scared to leave her safe surroundings in Tennessee after her mom tragically died while on an adventurous work trip. Her younger sister, Sadie, on the other hand, is wild and adventurous just like their mom. When Sadie comes home from another far off work assignment, Marin agrees to a sister weekend at an island. But, when Sadie misses the plane, Marin’s trip takes a different turn - especially when she lands in the lap of her handsome airplane seat mate. Marin ends up having a few adventures of her own once on the island of Saba thanks to her new dreamy friend, Lucas. Soon she will discover the real reason for the trip.

This was so much more than I expected. It was a sweet romantic comedy but also had so much more to the story - sweet sister bond that shows the deep and never ending love of a sister. Bring your tissues you might need them at certain parts. Overall and great heartwarming story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

From the cover and even from most of the blurb, I figured this would be a nice rom-com but there was so much more packed into this beautiful book. I didn’t know how emotional it would make me but there were plenty of tears shed and they were all worth it!

The book is split into two point-of-views: Marin and Sadie. Both sisters are completely different in looks and even their personalities. Marin would rather stay in and never leave Tennessee and worries about her sister more often than not. Sadie travels the world in search of great photos for her job. I honestly enjoyed reading about both, especially the antics of Sadie. She is a wild one!

From the beginning of the trip of a lifetime, which was supposed to be with her sister, Marin is pushed into new experiences from the get-go. There are so many hilarious moments because of it and the plane ride had me dying. And of course, there is the introduction of Lucas. The hot guy who stole her sister’s seat.

When it came to the plot, I was hooked. There are magical moments on this island and Marin is finally learning what it means to be her true self. One without worry and one that takes risk. It’s amazing how our siblings know exactly what we need even when we don’t. The island is also filled with a great cast of minor characters that help Marin in whatever way they can and become friends along the way.

Even though this book is about finding oneself, there is also heartache found throughout the plot as well. As the book gets going, I had a thought in the back of my mind on how it would go and even though I had prepared myself, it still wasn’t enough. So many tears! And even though I was an emotional mess, I loved it all because there was still hope and a bright future ahead.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It’s not often I find a book that makes me emotional but I like it because it makes the book that much more special to me. The romance was sweet and had me smiling. I know I didn’t take about it but it’s fun to be surprised when you read it! I’d highly recommend adding this one to your tbr.

Ok, I seriously loved this book. It made me keep turning pages to find what happens next, it tickled me and it made me cry. All in one.

The book act as a slow intoxication and then the characters grip you out of nowhere. Literally.

The plot
Yes, it's a romance (for those who were wondering) and yes it has its HEA and a delish mix of a side romance too. Though for me this was a story of Marin and her sister Sadie. While the big sis Marin has been the perfect parent for Sadie and is rooted in the ground, the effervescent Sadie takes the world on.
And then the time comes when the little sister grows up and decides to take care of her big sister. She must. She is on a deadline. So she schemes and manipulates the timid, introverted Marin into an adventure of her life on the little paradise island Saba.
And does Marin have an adventure! Marin stumbles, literally into the lap of the gorgeous fellow traveller, Lucas Tsai, loses her bag, her passport and for the first time is alone in a place outside of her hometown but she gets to do the best romp of her life!
Lucas takes Marin through the absolute scenic tour of the Island, the beautiful close-knit culture of the people and the food. He slowly is drawn towards her, snaps her adventurous pics for her and helps with her paradise project without which Marin would be stranded on the Island forever.
But when Marin does fall for Lucas she figures all this risk-taking is not necessarily too bad. ;-)
Trying to not give away spoilers, but there would be a VIP suite, a goat, and an Island wedding full of tears.


Content warning:
Cancer, death, loss.

Steam Category: Closed doors

My take:
What worked for me: great!

The book is gorgeous from its cover to the end of the page. It's full of vibrant colors and that does set the tone of the words inside. The writing describes the place nicely, lush with the details of the hikes, the jungles, the flowers, and down to the empty coconut shells. I never knew about the Saba Island and I think I relate to Marin as someone who is even afraid of going on a Ferris wheel on the summer fair day, but I had so much fun exploring the place as well the adventures through her and Lucas.
The core of the book though is Marin and Sadie. I enjoyed reading the book from the sisters' POVs to my surprise. The worry Marin has for her little sister is heart touching (eldest of the four here!) and Sadie's growing concern over her big sister being too afraid to live is equally soulful. Again, without trying to give away spoilers, at times, you root for Marin to go and take that zip line lead and at times you are afraid for her.
Lucas is SUCH a gentleman with just enough dose of naughtiness mixed in. In the flight, he starts out as snarky as a millionaire/billionaire can sound. Then grows on you as a sweet pie. He has close bonds with people around him and it shows. he is naughty enough to surprise Marin with excursions so she'd not be able to refuse but fully the one to fish a mango out of a jungle for her to eat on the way (*sigh*)
On the side, I totally loved Sadie and Felix. I felt so bad for Felix. but they were what they would call the perfect love. (*sigh* again). I mean the man not only helps Sadie keep the secret from Marin, fully understanding why she does that. But he also has the best innuendo jokes in the book! He won my heart the moment he went to get that coconut water carton for Sadie but then when he comes, he was the cutest character for me in the book!

What did not work for me, PLUS sensitivity comments?

There is one line about one must drink bottled water in China. The way it is in the book currently, sounds pretty prejudiced. Having to go through with such kind of comments over the years every time my clients had an upcoming offshore team visit, it stung pretty badly for me. Even after the read is over, it just is nagging me. At one level I understand what Marin might think like maybe she means you just have to be careful while traveling as your stomach does not get accustomed to foreign water and food immediately. but the way it is written is very.... unlikeable. It's a simple thing to fix and who knows if they do or not.

There is also a mention of the south Asian ritual of professional criers at a funeral. It is not just in China but in many Asian cultures. The saving grace is Marin at the end of the book thinks it might be a good thing. Though the first time it is called wrong, I would not want any reader from a similar culture to read it without knowing.

The last thing that kept bugging me was, how there is not enough questioning from Marin or explanation from Lucas as to why he is helping Marin so much, taking her sightseeing and all the special trips and whatnot. In the end, we know why but still throughout the book I was left wondering, why this man has all the time to do it and how Marin just is going with it?


Final conclusion!

There is sad stuff. yes. I cried. a lot. if you enjoy the elements with sadness and happiness, joy, and grief all intertwined together, this definitely is a book for you. if you enjoy seeing faraway places through books, this is a must-read! I mean, I googled the shortest runaway in the world to experience what Marin did and I am not sorry :-D . Happy reading!

This was such a beautiful, touching and humorous book! The romance was adorable and super sweet. I loved the plane meet cute! The tropical setting provided the perfect getaway that I needed in my life right now! I really felt like I was on that island. While all of this was fun, this is about so much more than just Marin and Lucas' love story. I really enjoyed the exploration of the sisterly bond. The emotional component that drives the story forward between Marin and her sister Sadie is so beautiful.
This was a sweet and heartbreaking love story about family that dives deep into some heavy topics. It's definitely not just a fluffy romcom, it packs an emotional punch.
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I’m truly emotional mess! I was expecting to read a sweet, entertaining, soft romcom takes place in exotic island but this book is so much more than that! It’s powerful, incredibly emotional sisterhood story!

Two sisters who are polar opposites: Marin is uptight, analytic, a true worrier, planner, systematic, always likes to be in control. Everything is scheduled detailedly in her including the clothes she wears, her each meals, her daily routines. She lives in her cocoon, safe, secluded life without taking risks or trying new things.

But her sweet sister Sadie she has literally raised after her mother’s tragic murder is a WILD CARD! She loves living spontaneously, dangerously, experiencing different things, taking less responsibility, crossing lines, having fun, traveling around world as photographer. It’s so adventurous lifestyle when you compare it with Marin’s boring advertising writer work and organized home life!

Now sisters plan to getaway for a week to enjoy themselves at an exotic island trip. But at the last minute Sadie ditches Marin which is not quite surprising for her character and Marin finds herself traveling with handsome, mysterious, arrogant hotel tycoon Lucas Tsai: hot Asian Adonis who is also the owner of the hotel where her sister reserved for them on Saba Island.

As Marin pushes harder to cut her travel short to go back to her home, something unexpected comes out! She finally finds herself trapped in this island but when you get trapped in paradise with an ultra sexy archangel, you get to learn the ways of having fun, experiencing new things like snorkeling, climbing rocks, trying new dishes, singing at traditional island karaoke nights (Sabaoke for islanders).

Marin realizes she is attracted at Lucas a little too much but this is only one week trip and he still deals with his father’s loss so this cannot be more than a fling, right?

Maybe you think this sounds like a classic romcom plotline but you can’t be so wrong! I’m not giving you so much details because I don’t want to ruin your reading experience. I can only warn you to stock napkins, toilet papers, any kind of tear dryer! You’re gonna need all of them! At some chapters I truly cried my eyes out and literally howled like a wolf!

This is a sweet, heartfelt, tear jerker siblings, family, sacrifices, self discovery, taking second chances story! So meaningful, bittersweet but memorable earning my four ugly tears, adrenaline rush, divine sisterhood stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.