I am a sucker for Alaskan set romances. I usually adore them. Unfortunately this fell flat for me. This is the second book from Barbara Dunlop I’ve tried and haven’t connected with either. . DNF

Decided to DNF this one too after not enjoying the first one very much. I appreciate the review copy but the writing was so 2D and bland and just not for me.

The premise is wild, but it works! I always enjoy the fish out of water scenario, so transporting the city girl into rugged Alaska works for me!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this title, but my reading interests have changed. I will not be finishing this book, but look forward to others in the future.

I don’t know why, but I love any books set in Alaska so when I saw this, I knew I needed to read it! Thank you for the early copy. The characters, the setting, everything was just perfect!

Deliciously witty, intensely emotional and wonderfully entertaining, Barbara Dunlop’s Finding Paradise is a terrific contemporary romance I couldn’t get enough of!

Los Angeles lawyer Marnie Anton is a city girl through and through. She loves her job and her life in a hustling and bustling metropolis and she cannot imagine what on earth possessed her friend Mia to leave it all behind to settle in Paradise, Alaska. Marnie might only date sophisticated hotshot lawyers, but she cannot help but be intrigued by her friend’s crazy idea to host a match-making event in town where single city girls will have the chance to mingle with Paradise’s most eligible bachelors. Marnie cannot help but be sceptical about this event – until she finds herself in very close proximity to a brooding Alaskan man with a snake tattoo who immediately gets her hot and bothered: Conrad ‘Cobra’ Stanford.

Cobra prefers to give city women a very wide berth. He doesn’t want to be judged and assessed and then found lacking by snooty women who look down their noses at him – just like his first love did. Cobra doesn’t plan on having anything to do with this event – until he meets Marnie Anton and finds himself unable to stop himself from thinking about her. Cobra knows that he should give Marnie a very wide berth, but that soon proves far easier said than done…

Cobra and Marnie might seem like polar opposites, but they are actually more alike than they initially thought. As the chemistry between them intensifies, so too do their feelings for one another and as they start getting closer and closer, they wonder whether they could dare hope to have a future together – until a shocking secret from the past comes to light that threatens to destroy everything.

Will Cobra and Marnie manage to triumph over all the obstacles standing in their way? Or will their differences and their insecurities end up costing them this unexpected chance at happiness?

Barbara Dunlop’s Finding Paradise is a fantastic contemporary romance that delivers delicious repartee, heartfelt emotion, red-hot chemistry and page-turning drama in an irresistible concoction that will delight and enchant readers. Cobra and Marnie are two wonderful characters readers will warm to straight away. It’s hard not to fall in love with them and cheer them on to get their much-deserved happy ending.

A scintillating contemporary romance that sizzles and sparkles, Barbara Dunlop’s Finding Paradise is an enjoyable read that warms the heart, tickles the funny bone and will have readers eagerly awaiting their next visit to Paradise, Alaska.

Marnie and Cobra do not seem like a perfect fit, or a compatible fit at all at first glance but there is something between them that keeps drawing them together in Finding Paradise written Barbara Dunlop. In Book 2 of the Paradise, Alaska series Marnie is back to coordinate getting a group of single women to the airport to head to Alaska for some fun matchmaking. At the last minute, Marnie is pressured by the women into going along for the ride and she makes it clear she is not there to get married to anyone.

Then she meets Cobra and at first, she is drawn to him because he is also out of this whole matchmaking plan. There is attraction and resistance which leads to a sizzle between the two combined with a bit of stubbornness in both of them.

I liked the first book just a bit better because I thought the character development and characters were better, but book two definitely has appeal. There are side plots and stories that come up that are intriguing along with the Alaska wilderness that I truly miss. I also liked that previous characters were in this book too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this advance review digital copy of Finding Paradise for me to read and enjoy. My opinions are my own and my reviews are voluntary.

This is the second in the Paradise, Alaska series. I enjoyed the first book Match Made in Paradise a little bit more, just because I was able to relate to those particular characters more, but this was still a really fun read.

Marnie Anton is a lawyer from LA and she’s only in small-town Paradise, Alaska, to help out with a match-making event that her friend has cooked up so that LA women can meet hard-working, decent guys (who happen to all be pretty easy on the eyes too) in Alaska, in a town where men outnumber women pretty significantly.

Enter Conrad ‘Cobra’ Stanford, who wants no part in this match-making scheme. In fact, he just wants to be left alone to get his work done and mind his business.

The two of them are thrown together a bit, and things escalate pretty quickly between them and start to get steamy. I didn’t totally buy their attraction on more than a physical level though—maybe because it all happened pretty quickly and they didn’t know anything about each other. But, once I got past that it was fun being along for the ride (and there were more than a few ups and downs).

It was fun to see some of the characters from the first book, and while you could read this as a stand-alone I think the story would make a lot more sense if you read the first book before diving into this one.

If you enjoy small-town romances, especially ones set in Alaska, you’ll want to pick this one up.

Stevie‘s review of Finding Paradise (Paradise, Alaska, Book 2) by Barbara Dunlop
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 30 Nov 21

I’ve mentioned before that I have a soft spot for stories of any kind that are set in Alaska, dating back at least to when Northern Exposure was first aired in the UK. Having read Annabeth Albert’s delightful trio of gay and bisexual romances, it seemed only fair that I read a heterosexual romance with the same setting for the sake of comparison. I somehow missed the first book in this series when it was released, so I dived straight into the second. although this may not have been the best idea.


Small-town girl done good, Marnie Anton successfully won a legal battle over an inheritance, only for her client to decide that the other side was more deserving of the majority of it and then moved to Alaska to be with her new love. Now Marnie is friends with all of them and finds herself involved in a scheme to match a dozen successful, adventurous LA women with lonely Alaskan men in her former client’s new hometown. Marnie knows all about towns like Paradise and has no wish to return to her roots. However, she is persuaded to tag along at the last minute, purely as as observer, which throws her straight into the path of Conrad “Cobra” Stanford, an ex-Military aircraft engineer. Cobra is intrigued by Marnie, but has no expectation that she, or any of the other women, will stick around when they could have their high-flying careers and day-to-day luxuries back in LA.

Cobra and Marnie have both gone against the expectations of their families – hers were survivalists and criminals, while his were all conventionally successful and expected Cobra to attend a prestigious college and follow a career track similar to the one Marnie chose. On the plus side, they both know their way around an engine and excel at target shooting. Before we get to most of that, though, we spend a bunch of time with the impossibly large cast of career women and their potential beaus. I kind of suspect all will eventually get their own books, but it felt like a massive crowd of people to be introduced to, only for them to mostly disappear into the background – or back to LA – halfway through the story.

I quite liked the subplot about Marnie’s father, uncle, and brother – especially her brother – but Cobra really annoyed me with his belief that he knew what was best for Marnie and could fix any problem she might have by paying for stuff – expensive stuff at that. Unlike the Albert series, there was no acknowledgement that relationships of types other than that of the central pairings might happen: no gay bachelors in Paradise and no bisexual flirting amongst the women from LA. I was also disappointed at the solution to the logistical issue our protagonists faced. They had to jump straight into a full-on relationship, when for once I could have foregone my dislike of epilogues to be told they spent a year or more getting to know each other better before either of them made any sort of commitment to uprooting and moving in together.

All in all, not a series I plan on dipping into again, despite the enticing setting.

Grade: C

I just love to read about books set in Alaska! There’s just something about the rugged and majestic frontier that draws me in. Earlier this year I read the first book in the Paradise, Alaska series, Match Made in Paradise so I was very excited to read the next book in the series.

Finding Paradise takes us back to the small, remote town of Paradise, Alaska. It can definitely be read as a standalone, but there is a big part of the storyline that was started in the first book. I loved returning to Paradise and seeing all of the characters from the first book plus some new ones. There was much more of a focus on the Alaskan wilderness and outdoor activities which I really enjoyed, but unfortunately the romance just didn’t quite live up for me. There were quite a few tender moments and a little steam, but overall something was missing for me and it just never quite lived up to Match Made in Paradise.

Oh well, can’t win them all. Still a good series if you want a small-town Alaskan romance!

Thank you so much to Berkley Pub and Netgalley for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own.

I wasn't really into the idea at the end of Match Made In Paradise, but ultimately it turned out cute and Marnie and Cobra's story was adorable!

So, I read the first in the Paradise Alaska series so of course book #2 comes along and I am all YES PLEASE! (Can you tell I am apparently a series girl?!)

This one is cute, just like the first, and of course it also has the Alaskan setting which I like!

I liked that Marnie the attorney from LA is a flawed character, as is Cobra the brooding, quiet mechanic. I also like that we get to see a lot of Mia and Silas.

This novel picks up almost immediately after the end of Match Made in Paradise, as the Match Making event is ready. Mia and her crew have gotten the event underway and the contestants easily talk Marnie into visiting Paradise with them, to kick off. The story quickly shifts to Marnie’s storyline as she arrives and Cobra’s forced to interact with the girls way more than he planned.

It is a good storyline, an easy read, and includes adventures as to be expected in Alaska. I will definitely read another book in this series!

Thanks to @berkleyromance for my #gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!

If you like those Simple Wild vibes, you should read this one, along with the first book in the series, Match Made in Paradise.

Marnie is helping Mia (the heroine from the last book) organize the matchmaking trip for Los Angeles women tired of the local dating scene to the men in Paradise, Alaska. Marnie isn’t looking for a husband and is fond of city living so she wasn’t planning on going with the group. However, last minute the women push for her to come along seeing as she helped put everything together and before you know it Marnie’s in Alaska.

Conrad “Cobra” Stanton, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer for West Slope Aviation, isn’t buying into this matchmaking business and so plans to stay far away from all the dinners and activities. However, it’s hard to stay completely away in such a small town and Marnie catches his eye at every turn. Especially when she surprises him with skills he wouldn’t attribute to an LA lawyer.

I love the thought of leaving the big city behind and moving somewhere remote and beautiful, but this didn’t appeal to Marnie so she didn’t want to get into a romance, yet she couldn’t help her attraction to Cobra. They end up drawn to each other over and over. Attraction leads to lusty kisses and more, but neither want to give up their place in life.

Even though I hate the big city I could understand why Marnie wouldn’t just want to leave after working so hard to become a successful attorney. Especially after her past and all she had to overcome is revealed. Same with Cobra, he was doing what he loved in a beautiful, pristine place. Both were relatable situations. This is a romance, though, so I knew they’d figure things out somehow. I like how they appreciated and supported each other, and I was eager for them to find a way to make their relationship permanent. Even though there were a couple of bumps in the road I enjoyed every minute!

I loved the time spent in Alaska, the activities sounded like a lot of fun and featured the best parts of being out in Alaska. At least, I think so! I’ve never been, but I’d like to go even more so after reading this story. A perfect romance for someone who craves an escape and a change of scenery!

A heartwarming small town romance where the big city lawyer falls for the grizzly and quiet airplane mechanic. This one has all the same characters I’ve grown to love and the added craziness that comes with living in “The Last Frontier.” A gem of a novel and a great series I look forward to continuing. If you’re a fan of “The Simple Wild” you should give this series a shot.

At the last minute Marnie is convinced to join the girls on their trip to Alaska and almost instantly meets Cobra, who is kicked out of his room to make way for Marnie while she’s in town. The two hit it off and find ways to hang out at every opportunity. Can the big city girl find a way to have a relationship with the small town introvert?

There’s something nostalgic and comforting about returning to the world of Paradise. The people and the setting make this an easy read, perfect during the winter months by an open fire. I enjoyed every second of Marnie and Cobra’s secret relationship and adore the way Cobra goes out of his way to make big gestures that seem so unexpected. This is a hopelessly romantic novel and one I enjoyed during the quiet moments at home.

This is such an easy series to dive into; I read this over a couple days and it was just what I was in the mood for. Finding Paradise has romance, small town dynamics, family drama, and strong bonds of friendship. I'll be picking up the next book to once again escape to Alaska for a few afternoons.

Accomplished Los Angeles lawyer Marnie Anton has always been sensible, but when her friend Mia Westberg asks for help with a ridiculous matchmaking project, she can't say no. The idea of transporting city girls into the small town of Paradise, Alaska, is so crazy it just might...work? Against her best judgment, she tags along. Having grown up in a family of intimidating men, Marnie developed a preference for the urbane lawyers and clients in her life in LA. But when she meets a mountain of a buff Alaskan man with an intriguing snake tattoo, intimidated is definitely not the first thing she feels.

I loved book one in the series, and this one was just as good! I loved that Marnie was a city girl, but also wasn’t scared to get dirty, and she fit in just as well in Alaska, l as in California! There was definitely steam, but it was more of a closed door romance. It’s perfect for those of you that want a good story without going into too much detail in that area. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Finding Paradise is the second book in the adult contemporary romance Paradise, Alaska series by Barbara Dunlop. Each of the books in the Paradise, Alaska series are set in the same town (Paradise Alaska) and follow interconnected characters, but they are each standalone stories. I have not read the first book in the series, and though I did meet the couple that came from the first book, I had more than enough information and context to be able to enjoy Finding Paradise on its' own.

I thought the premise behind Finding Paradise was a lot of fun. The small town of Paradise Alaska, seems to be filled with families and hunky single guys only! (anyone up for a trip??) But Paradise is short on women. So to fix this problem, our main character Marnie's friend Mia decides to set up a matchmaking event in town. Mia selected several women from California who would be open to moving to Alaska for the chance at love and she planned a week long event with all kinds of mixers and games to try and spark some love connections. Marnie helped plan the event, but was never supposed to participate in the actual matchmaking events. But she gets convinced to just jump on the plane to Alaska to see the ladies off and before she knows it, she is knee deep in all of the activities that Paradise has to offer, including the strong and silent Cobra. 


I loved Cobra. Marnie tells him right off the bat that she is not here for matchmaking, which I think allows him to let his guard down around her, and allows the two of them to really connect. But what happens when two people who are not looking for a relationship find each other? Their journey was a fun ride, and I can't wait to read more books set in this world. Paradise Alaska sounds like a wonderful town!

Alaska seems to be the setting of choice for contemporary romances lately and I'm okay with that. I love the rugged country, the pioneer spirit, the wildlife, and pretty much everything else that goes along with life in our 49th state.

This was my first Barbara Dunlop book. I will definitely be reading more, beginning with book one of this series: Match Made in Paradise. You don't have to have read that book in order to enjoy Finding Paradise but Mia and Silas pulled me in and left me wanting to experience their story too.

Dunlop's characters are all well developed and intriguing. There are already several secondary characters from Finding Paradise that I'm eager to know better. As for the main couple of this book, I was intrigued with Marnie and Cobra from the get-go and thoroughly enjoyed them. Much of their journey is filled with fun, adventure, and sizzle but they also both turned out to be more complex than I had anticipated. I appreciated the depth that the past - and current - situation with Marnie's family brought to her character and how it influenced her decisions. And she wasn't the only one dealing with difficult family dynamics. In the end, both Marnie and Cobra had very satisfying growth arcs. I was in their corner all the way and happy with the conclusion to their story.

With going into spoiler territory, I will also say that I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a story featuring a person close to Marnie who - like her - deserves a chance for a happy ending.

If you enjoy small-town romance with adventure, rugged men, strong women, and hard-won happily-ever-afters, give this series a try. I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Barbara Dunlop's Paradise, Alaska.

4.5 Stars
ARC received for fair and unbiased review

When Marnie Anton’s best friend Mia comes to her with a matchmaking project, she decides to help. The plan is simple, girls from L.A. will fly to Paradise, Alaska to meet the pilots and mechanics that make up the small town, and hopefully, fall in love. Marnie is only supposed to help with the logistics from L.A., but the girls convince her to fly with them to Alaska. The men of Paradise are all excited for the event, with the exception of Conrad “Cobra” Stanford who does not approve of the matchmaking event. He plans to steer clear of the activities, that is until he meets Marnie.

I loved getting to return to Paradise, Alaska! The first book, Match Made in Paradise follows Marnie’s best friend Mia, who flees to Paradise and falls in love with a pilot, Silas. Finding Paradise focuses on Mia’s friend Marnie, her friend and lawyer, and Cobra, a mechanic who works with Silas. It alternates perspectives between Marnie and Cobra.

I highly recommend Finding Paradise to fans of books set in Alaska, especially The Simple Wild series!

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

*4.5 stars*

Loved Marnie and Cobra!

Fill a plane with city women, fly them to a small town in Alaska and wait for the sparks to fly. It sounds like a Hallmark movie, doesn’t it? I’m not going to lie, I was leery of this plotline. Reality show meets Grizzly Adams? It didn’t take me long though to figure out this was going to be a whole lotta fun! I really enjoyed the first read in this series and Marnie and Cobra – and the host of other irresistible characters – now have me wanting to move to Paradise. Permanently…

Marnie was a city lawyer but that didn’t mean she didn’t know how to take care of herself. Calm, cool under pressure, she was content with her life in LA and the career path she was on. Cobra had nothing but disdain for the matchmaking going on in the Alaskan town he called home. He was content to stay in the background, observing the goings on from the safety he found behind a quiet demeanor and less than welcoming façade. They talked, they fought, and the revelations kept coming.

Full of heart, humour and warmth, I loved every moment of their courtship. Getting to know them had me up all night, unable to put down their story even for a little bit. I found the ending too quick but I really just didn’t want their romance to end… I sure hope there is more to come for this lovely town – and more from these two for sure. Bring it on!