Match Made in Paradise by Barbara Dunlop is a contemporary romance featuring enemies to lovers in a beautiful Alaska. I was drawn to this story because of the setting: Alaska! Yes! I just went to Alaska a couple years ago for our honeymoon and fell in love with the people and the gorgeous land! I was also supposed to be on a cruise this past month, but the cruise (like most travel) was postponed.

Set in a remote town, Mia moves in with her cousin to escape the media and the heat of the battle over her late husband's will and business. She meets Silas, the pilot that takes her to her cousin, Raven's house in the middle of the woods. The premise for the beginning revolves around a lot of pre-judgements and misunderstandings, as Mia and Silas get to know each other. Mia has her work cut out for her: not only does she need to overcome the media's portrayal of her, but she also needs to learn how to handle herself in the rustic woods of Alaska.

Very cute enemies to lovers romance novel, love the setting...described so well that I could just imagine every scene! There are many many side characters that have their own stories to tell, which is good since this is the beginning of a new series. Can't wait to read their stories!! Well done, Barbara Dunlop!!

Miss husband Alastair has died from heart problems. She's two years older then his children Henry and Hannah which I didn't care for. She is viewed as the ice princess for not being visibually upset enough. I spympized and have been critiqued for not being upset enough before. I liked Silas and the switch between characters

"Match Made in Paradise" by Barbara Dunlop was a funny, sweet opposites attract romance between fashion model Mia Westberg and Alaskan bush pilot Silas Burke. Needing an escape from the unrelenting media attention in the wake of her much older husband's death, Mia decided to visit her cousin Raven in rural Alaska. She hoped that her stay would be a short one and she would soon be able to return home to Los Angeles to take control of her late husband's fashion empire, which had been left to her in his will. Her husband's children had contested the will, however, leaving Mia at loose ends until the matter was decided through the courts.

Culture shock started to set in for Mia before she had even arrived in the small town of Paradise, when she met Silas, the pilot for the final leg of her journey. Neither of them made a good first impression on the other, but there was an undeniable spark of attraction between them that only grew as Mia started to make herself at home in Alaska. She wasn't successful at everything she tried, but she was hardworking, persistent, and much more intelligent than most people credited. She and Silas weren't an obvious pairing, but by the end it was apparent that they truly brought out the best in each other.

I really enjoyed the book's small town Alaska setting as well as the quirky, interesting secondary characters. My favorites were Mia's cousin Raven and Silas's boss Brodie; I hope they will become a couple in a future book. However, I had mixed feelings about the end of the book, particularly Mia and Raven's plan to "import" women from California and play matchmaker with the single men of Paradise. What exactly are the women supposed to do if they end up moving to Paradise? There doesn't seem to be much work for them, and there's not really any housing, either. Frankly, the whole thing felt kind of forced as a setup for future books, though I enjoyed this book enough to give it a chance.

Despite my misgivings near the end of the book, I enjoyed "Match Made in Paradise" and would recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I plan to continue with the series.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

What could have been better?
The male lead and every character besides Mia. I found Silas, along with most of the people (minus Raven) in Paradise, to be rude and judgemental with a very small redemption arc, which made the story hard to get through, especially the romance, as Silas was a jerk most of the time and even to the end doubted her.

Also, personally, I'm not a fan of slow burns.

What I enjoyed?
I do like books with small-town vibes and a woman defying the odds, so that was cool. Also, the ending was very sweet.

Now, while I didn't particularly enjoy this novel, I could see how some people would. I would recommend this book to people who like slow-burn, closed-door, one-sided enemies to lovers novels, and don't mind unlikable characters.

Mia just lost her husband to a long-time illness and is being made the gold-digger villain in the press by her step-kids and the ex-wife. The media is stalking her and she’s getting death threats, but even worse her step-kids and the ex are contesting the will and trying to take over the company Mia has had a big part in making successful. While the lawyers battle it out, she decides to lay low until it blows over by escaping to her cousin Raven’s cottage in the Alaskan wilderness. Mia has a bit of culture shock being out in the middle of nowhere, and clashes with the hot bush pilot sent to pick her up in Anchorage.

Silas can’t believe Mia is Raven’s cousin. Yes, she’s gorgeous but she comes off as a snob and a half whereas Raven is down-to-earth and capable. Paradise is a small town and Silas’ job is intertwined with Raven’s so Mia and Silas can’t help but run into each other.

Match Made in Paradise gave me The Simple Wild vibe, but with adult characters, not new-adultish. Mia made me cringe and roll my eyes at first, but she made great positive strides. She wasn’t a bad person, just out of touch with how the real-world works. There was even more of a contrast here because not only was Paradise an extremely small town; it was very remote. Not many creature comforts, shopping, or restaurants to be had, but Mia was a good person, and it wasn’t long before she adjusted.

I love the setting of Alaska as it’s somewhere I’d love to visit. I love the idea of a town out in the middle of a beautiful, almost untouched wilderness, rustic with small-town charm.

While Mia recently lost her husband, they were more good friends than romantic partners, so the romance wasn't odd. It was something I was wondering about at first, so I thought I'd mention that. The romance was a hate-to-love romance, one of my favorite troupes. Mia and Silas didn’t exactly hate each other, but they didn’t really like the person they thought they saw. Getting to know each other both Mia and Silas start to discover they may have made snap judgements, and that immediate physical attraction blooms into more despite their misgivings. Their romance was both sweet and sexy and a pleasure to experience!

I can’t wait to dive into the next book, Finding Paradise, with Marnie, Mia’s lawyer and Conrad, the strong, silent airplane pilot!

I found it impossible not to compare this one to The Simple Wild, the synopsis is just really similar to me. Because of that I struggled to get into this storyline, it just didn't grab me. The cover is really cute though, and I'm hoping I'll have better luck with the next in the series!

I went into Match Made in Paradise with high hopes. The teaser had my full attention, and I could not wait to pick up the book. If I'm being completely honest, this book had potential to be fantastic. Instead, it was just middle of the road. I found myself skimming through the filler, and only truly paid attention when it was about the relationship, the side stories, or the big scene at the air strip. I mean I get it, a world needs to be built, we need the background, especially since this is the start of a new series. But there was some that could have been cut. Maybe that's just me though as I don't care about fashion, yet at the same time I can understand why it was put in as Mia is about to be the head of a fashion empire. Also, the description says that this is a rom-com. I didn't get that from the book. For me it was really more of a standard contemporary.

Now I say all that about the book, but there were parts that I liked. I loved how the relationship between Silas and Mia developed. I enjoyed how Mia took charge at the radio during the air strip scene. I was curious about the dating app Mia was going to implement (with help of course). And I was curious about what was going on with the side characters. It is all of this that will have me continuing with the series. After all there are a few who I want to see get their HEAs, and how their partners will fit into Paradise, Alaska.

Let's talk about my star rating. As you know on every site, you only have the option to leave full ratings, there are no half stars. So on Goodreads, I marked this as 3 stars, but then wrote in my review that it was a 3.5 star. I stand by that. I don't feel like it was a 4 star, and I really think it deserves higher than a 3 star. So 3.5 it is.

It is a cold and rainy Memorial Day weekend here in Northern VA and we are having some quiet time at home. I am using it as an excuse to stay curled up reading. I just finished Match Made in Paradise (available now) it was just what I needed! Thank you so much to @berkleyromance @netgalley #partner for the gifted copy and for having me on the tour!

Match Made in Paradise is the first book in a new series set in the small town of Paradise, Alaska. A wealthy model and widow goes to Alaska to hide from the media and falls in love with the town of Paradise and a ruggedly handsome bush pilot. This is an opposites attract/forbidden romance with minimal steam, but plenty of chemistry!

What I loved:
The Simple Wild vibes
Small Alaskan town
A big-city girl in a rugged environment
Amazing secondary characters

What was just OK:
Age gap trope of Mia’s first marriage
A lot of technical information in the beginning
A lot of build up and then became closed door for romance scenes

Steam: 1 flame

If you are a Simple Wild and small-town Alaska fan, this is a great book to check out!

This book gave me major Simple Wild feels with the Alaskan setting, rugged men, and opposites attract romance. [swipe for synopsis]

I really loved Mia’s character and her strength and smarts. I was drawn in from the beginning with her story and appreciated her honesty with the dynamic in the relationship with her late husband. Her and Silas’ romance was fun to watch unfold from serious dislike to willing to do whatever it takes for each other.

A couple things I didn’t love was Brodie and his disdain for her right off the bat, and the last half was a bit rushed and the ending unfinished, but it was a quick read that made me wonder when the next book is coming out!

This was a cute book! Not a whole lot of depth but I enjoyed the characters and the settings. I really liked how this set up the series to be continued with the rest of the Bush pilots. All in all, cute and easy read to satisfy the romance lovers. Not steamy at all for those who don’t like graphic scenes.

Match Made in Paradise by Barbara Dunlop is a sweet contemporary romance that answers the question—what happens when you drop a supermodel off in the wilds of Alaska? When Mia is in a bit of trouble, her cousin offers a getaway to her home in rural Alaska. Reads will fall in love the scenery, the story, and all of the characters in the novel. It’s pure delight watching as Mia tries to find her place in Paradise with the help of the handsome bush pilot, Silas. Match Made in Paradise by Barbara Dunlop is such a fun read and will have readers eagerly waiting on other love stories to come out of Paradise, Alaska.

2.5/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I i'll be honest and say this book was just okay. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. I didn't really feel connected to the characters in any way, I romance fell just a little flat for me, I would've like to see just a little bit more tension. I also didn't care much for the lack of emotion from the Mia regarding her husband. I know it's referenced but she still felt a little cold for someone who just lost their spouse and all of a sudden falls for a new guy. As i stated this book was just okay, it was quick and easy to read. I was able to read it in one sitting.

This novel hit the ground running with action, and I was hooked from the opening scene!

Mia is struggling under the crush of social media, and escapes to Paradise, Alaska to stay with her cousin, Raven.

What ensues is loaded with #thesimplewild vibes. I am beginning to think the “Alaskan genre” is something I am game for reading!

Silas is a bush pilot who has crafted his own opinions of Mia from the get-go, most of them following trends and assumptions.

As Silas and Mia interact over the course of a few weeks, it becomes clear and evident that Mia is going to rock his assumptions. Go girl!

It looks like this will be a series, and I will definitely read book # 2 whenever it comes out.

If you are looking for a light-hearted, opposites-attract, Alaskan-based, summer read, GO FOR THIS ONE ASAP.
You’re welcome. ;)

I wasn't the biggest fan of this book just because it felt very similar to a lot of other romances I've read recently. However, I did enjoy that it was a quick and satisfying read.

MATCH MADE IN PARADISE is the first book in the PARADISE, ALASKA series and I can't wait for more especially since the preview in the back of the book for then next book in the series, FINDING PARADISE, left me wanting more. I'm a sucker for books set in Alaska and it's definitely on my bucket list of someplace I'd love to visit. It didn't disappoint and was reminiscent to me of books by Debbie Macomber, Susa Mallery and Janet Dailey. Mia is the most unlikely person that you would think would love living in a town of four hundred people with very few amenities. She comes from money since she's inherited a business and property in LA from her late husband who was almost twice her age and had twins just a few years younger than her with his bitter ex-wife. She needs to run away to someplace she can hide due to death threats and a legal battle and injunction over the will. She has just the place - Paradise, Alaska, where her cousin lives in worse conditions than she expected but she's a good sport and she's all in. It doesn't hurt that she's attracted to the bush pilot that picked her up after she got over her fear of him and where he was taking her.

It was wonderful to see the rich descriptions of Alaska in all its primitiveness. But the town has caring neighbors and bush pilots who work well together. The characters have a depth to them and I feel like we've only scratched the surface. I loved how Silas tries to fight his attraction and messes everything up more than once but how he was also protective of Mia and wanted her to take care and know what living in the wild would mean. Neither expected where their feelings would take them. There are heartwarming moments between them as well as a few heartbreaking ones too. Since she was a model of course she attracts the attention of almost all the men in Paradise barring a few and Silas isn't happy seeing that.

There are businesses to run, skills to learn, camaraderie, friendships, bears, moose, nature and the wrath of it, contentment, agitation, lots of food and drink, relaxation, loving, some romance and ultimately love. There are lots of deep discussions between coworkers and friends. As Mia fits in and decides to bring women to Alaska to meet the men even though she's leaving we got to see how her mind works and what a good head she has on her shoulders. There are twists and turns to the story with multiple storylines being woven nicely together. The story had a good flow and held my interest. There was a wonderful ending that left enough loose ends to take us to the next book in the series. Of course, I got my happily ever after and not how I was expecting it!

Ms. Dunlop is a new to me author. I look forward to reading more of her books and not just those in this series.

This was a pretty fast read. If I’m being honest I might have been comparing it to a certain other book set in Alaska (cough The Simple Wild cough) and obviously this book was its own thing, but I did leave a little disappointed. You’ll enjoy this more if you go into it with the right expectations. I didn't love it but I also didn't particularly hate it either. Thank you Berkley Romance for this gifted eARC.

3.5 Stars

Mia’s husband just died and left his massive fortune and company to her. She is willing to take ownership of it all since she has been helping him run the ship behind the scenes throughout his declining health. His kids and ex-wife have other plans. The media thinks she is a gold digger and to escape all the pressure and death threats she leaves to visit her cousin in Paradise, Alaska. It is the last place anyone would think to look for her at while her attorney fight for her return.

This has so much potential but somewhere it doesn’t quite hit the mark. Not to say that this isn’t a good read. I read it in one shot but I think I needed more and I’m sure to get into that in a bit. However, I’m always excited to read an Alaska romance. I like the whole premise of a remote living and finding romance in the impossible place. The woman is always for the most part escaping somewhere for a bit but find herself in love with the region and the man. This story is no different.

Mia is this head strong character that is pegged all wrong from the verry first page. It is almost until the end that everyone realizes her worth which is such a shame. I like how she didn’t really try to fight her emotions towards Silas. She kind of gave into him easily but her attraction was building throughout the novel.

Silas is this strong, solid man that is just a good guy. He likes Mia but he knows not to make a move because she is not there permanently. So why should he risk his heart on a wealthy widow who is trying to get back to her old life.

There is a major hiccup besides the slow moving parts and that there is no sex. Let me clarify that statement. There is sex but it is fade to black. Several times they have sex without any descriptions. Yes, I wanted the author to give it to us readers because the tension between Silas and Mia is thick. They are constantly skirting around touching and kissing so when they finally get to it, there is brief mention of foreplay and the author tells us they get it on. Kind of takes away from the tension.

Overall, the author does design the story in a way to set up future novels with other characters and I still want to re-visit Paradise again.

~ Samantha

I love opposites attract and this one was wonderful. I loved Mia & Silas and fell in love with the Alaskan setting. I can’t wait for more in this series.

I enjoyed this book! I knew very little about it going in, but I can’t resist a free book and it was kindly offered to me by the publisher.

I got a little impatient waiting for the two main characters’ resolve to break, but loved how well the story was set up. Mia’s dedication to being helpful was super relatable and I enjoyed watching her figure Alaskan life out. Silas felt a little flat to me, honestly. It seemed like Mia’s chapters were about a variety of things, whereas Silas’s were either about planes or Mia. I don’t feel like I knew as much about what drove him or made him.

I also wish we would’ve gotten more of what Silas loved about Mia, and vice versa - it came across a bit as insta-love. I also thought the ending was rather quick. At the same time, I enjoyed the opposites attract premise. It was clear how much research the author put in because the level of detail was impressive!

I’ll probably end up reading any further books in the series because it is set up very well and the premise of an Alaskan matchmaking retreat is just too good.

3.5 stars and will recommend as a cute, easy read with the potential for a series!

I loved this book! I loved every bit of the MC, Mia! I was cracking up when she steals you know who’s truck! I probably would have felt the same way! The author did a magnificent job describing Alaska and I could just picture everything perfectly. I needed more of a slow burn between Silas and Mia but I’ll take what I was given! I am so looking forward to book two!