This is a story of grief and loneliness. It's told from multiple perspectives. Mary is a young grandmother, somewhat estranged from her daughter CC and granddaughter, Larkin. Daniel's son recently died in Afghanistan, and he and his wife divorced. And Ollie's husband died, leaving her with a heavily mortgaged motel.

All three end up together near Ollie's motel in Florida for Christmas. At first, I was a bit disappointed to be reading a Christmas story outside of the season. But this is definitely not your typical Christmas story. Parts were so hard to read. But I also found it tough to put down, and almost cathartic.

There's a very sweet dog and a lovely little girl. They add a lot of character to the book. This is a quiet, thoughtful read. The pacing is slow, portions are heart-wrenching, and it focuses on characters.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

TW: grief, suicidal ideation

Paradise Girls is a ok story. I didn’t connect to it like I thought I would. The first pages had me thinking this is going to be a great book. After a bit, my feelings changed.
The characters were interesting in their own way.
The setting was fun….a down on its luck beach hotel with a quirky owner.
Overall, a ok read but not a favorite for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

You think you are where you belong, great job, fiancee...but deep down you know you are in a funk. Mary Valley is a wonderful loving character who has to come to terms with her relationship status, career and most of all estranged daughter and granddaughter.
She takes off on a vacation in paradise with her granddaughter to clear her head. The people she meets and experiences she has help her to heal her wounded self and make the changes she needs.

Heartfelt story, funny, cheeky and very realistic. A real joy to read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in my review are my own. Thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley.
#ParadiseGirls #SandyGingras #StMartinsPress

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ebook ARC. I didnt want to put this book down because I resonated so much with the main character that I needed to find out what ended up happening to her. This was such a good summer read

3.5/5

This was a sweet little read about starting over and healing in the process that I liked but didn’t quite love. I enjoyed the fact Mary, Ollie and Daniel were a little older than the average main character. As cute and fun as this was it deals with some heavy emotional stuff but it handles it in a hopeful manner so it’s not all that sad. The location is ideal for a summer read and there were so many heartwarming scenes and moments but it did drag a little for me at points during the middle. But as an easy way to spend a few hours I still mostly enjoyed it and can definitely recommend the audio version as it was great.

Mary found herself, once again, stuck in a life she didn’t want. This time, she decided to make some decisions for herself. One of those decisions brought her and her granddaughter, Larkin, to The Low Key Inn where Mary found so much more than just a place to stay for the holidays.

I chose this book because I suspected it would be heartwarming, and my suspicions were correct. Stories about love, family, forgiveness, connection, and new beginnings are ones that never fail to delight me, and Paradise Girls had all those things PLUS a cast that endeared themselves to me and a three-legged dog who owned my heart.

It was about three people at critical points in their lives. Each was dealing with some major life choice, and fate brought them together to help with those decisions. I LOVED this and how their found family formed. I definitely suffered a case of the warm fuzzies as I read this book because I got to take such a beautiful journey with these characters. Perhaps things went exactly how I thought they would, but that was a plus for me.

Overall, this was a really lovely story about starting over, figuring out your next steps, and taking chances. It was wonderful that these people were all brought together to this Low-Key place where they found each other and the courage to make changes in their lives.

Loved it. Many heart-warming and heart-breaking moments. Interesting and delightful characters. Yes, the little girl and dog added much to the story. Nice to the get tale from different people. It could have gone on for much longer, but did end with happily ever afters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

This is a lovely, heartwarming story. Each character is on a journey and as their paths intersect, they have to reconcile their past experiences with the possibility of a hope-filled future. I really enjoyed the author's ability to peel back the layers and show us the characters' inner turmoil. The novel is so authentic and sometimes raw, especially when the characters grapple with their individual losses. I feel this particular writing style makes for an enjoyable reading experience. I was rooting for each character to find their way toward happiness. And as a dog person, I love when a dog is a secondary character. Tripod is the best!
Highly recommend Paradise Girls to women's fiction fans seeking an enjoyable summer read.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

🌴Deep: emotional journeys intersect in a run-down resort🐬

4.5🌟 stars
I loved the depth of the emotional odyssey of the characters in Paradise Girls. The book really made me think and feel along with the motley selection of lonely characters spending their Christmas in a Florida hotel that has seen much better days but that breathes calm, nature's balm and warmth.

My heart went out to Mary as she deals with disappointment and the uncertain direction of her life, but mostly due to her troubled relationship with her daughter and her desperate desire to connect with her young granddaughter Larkin. Larkin herself more than satisfied my predeliction for stories with children who tug on the heartstrings. And Kipper, the grief-stricken father of a casualty of war, is so heart-sick and isolated: not a character whose struggles will be easy to forget. Innkeeper Ollie was such a giving host and so attuned to the beauty of the nature around her. Author Sandy Gingras gave me a meaty cast of characters who moved me. Yes, it's just a work of fiction but their happiness really mattered to me, as did the hotel's uncertain fate.

I can definitely see myself reading more by this author.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Cute, heartwarming story about love, loss, redemption, and learning to love and forgive ourselves. I enjoyed all the characters, including the Inn, a character all in itself. I rarely read women's fiction because it's too sappy for my taste, but this was just right.

This could have been a quick read, but I enjoyed taking my time with it and savoring the different situations as they came about. The ending did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my ARC and Macmillan Audio for my ALC!

Pub date: 7/5/22
Genre: beach read, women's fiction
In one sentence: Mary and her granddaughter Larkin escape to Florida, where they meet fishing captain Daniel and his very special dog, Tripod, for a Christmas to remember.

I requested this book solely based on the cover - it just screams summer beach read. I wasn't expecting the Christmas setting, but it actually worked quite well This book feels like a Hallmark movie done right - quirky strangers in a small town who help each other heal from trauma. Young kid Larkin brought plenty of comedy and three-legged dog Tripod brought plenty of comedy.

If you want an encouraging and heartwarming light read, this is a good pick! The audio and text are both good options - I liked that there were two narrators, one for the female characters and one for the male.

Paradise Girls was a beautiful story about 3 lost souls finding their new path in life. Mary, Daniel and Ollie were all great people who did not expect what life had given them. It felt like meeting 3 new friends. While the ending may have been predictable their journey had some surprises. I would love a sequel.

I applauded Mary’s actions at the beginning of the book. Ron is a weasel and she is well rid of him. Traveling to an island during the rushed holiday season seems ideal, but it comes with its own set of challenges.
I loved the beach setting and Mary’s developing relationship with her family. I do question her Judgment toward the end, but it turns out well.
It a nice diversion read for a day on the beach.

This was a good read for summer. The setting puts you in a vacation mode. The characters invite you into their stories & make you want to know what will happen next. Highly recommend reading this book.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Title: Paradise Girls
Author: Sandy Gingras
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Paradise Girls" by Sandy Gingras

My Assessment:

"Paradise Girls" was quite an interesting Christmas story portrayed by having so many subtopics...from sadness, heartbreaking, and depressing to an ending that finally showed some happiness. The author gives the reader something to think over as she delivers a well-written read about Mary, her daughter CC, granddaughter, Larkin, Daniel, Ollie, and Al. We find that each of these characters had something to work over to get to that certain future they all needed, giving the ready a good read.

Be ready for quite a read that will give one 'loss, grief, hopes, vulnerability, dreams, and love' self-discovery, forgiveness, and a satisfying conclusion that will leave a smile on your face. "Paradise Girls' indeed was able to show how even wounded people can help one another find themselves.

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Marin's Press, for the chance to read and review this book.

This book tells the story of three people, Mary, Daniel, and Ollie. They are all at crossroads where they need to make huge changes in their lives. I loved all three of these characters and was rooting for them right from the beginning. In some ways it was pretty obvious how everything would turn out, but the journey to get there was delightful. Larkin and Tripod were great in their supporting roles too! All in all this was a sweet, satisfying read.

DNF @ 25%. Unfortunately, this book just isn't pulling me in. I think I was expecting more drama with the broken engagement and ruined vacation in paradise, but the story was very slow-moving. I think many people will like this one, but it just wasn't for me!

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC!

So this is a classic story of the cover doesn’t fit the story!

Paradise Girls was a good book, but one I went in with a totally different expectation of. I thought it would be more summer beach read, but I was met with more self discovery and growth. Not a bad thing, I just wasn’t expecting it. I also found it to stall and drag on a bit.

Overall a nice read.

I was not familiar with Sandy Gringas or her previous work. She has written multiple children's books but it appears that Paradise Girls' is her first foray in to adult fiction. After reading Paradise Girls', I am hopeful that she continues this path.

This book started a bit slow for me. I won't lie, Mary and CC annoyed me in the beginning. I wanted to shake Mary and tell her to make some better decisions. But I am so glad that Mary came to and started making decisions for her best. This is a story with an eclectic group of characters that needle their way in to your heart.

There was a statement in this story that I think is such good life advice that I don't want to forget it even though it isn't some profound statement. " The world can really get to you with subtractions. You have to keep adding or the minuses catch up to you."

4 solid stars. This is being nit-picky but I felt like the title and the cover art could have been much better. I know I know. I warned you. But also, I think Gingras' editor could have helped tighten up some things in this story and it would have easily been a 5 star book.

I do hope that Gingras writes a second book and lets us see CC, Larkin, Mary, Daniel, Tripod, Al, and Ollie. I appreciated that the author did not wrap up the relationship with a neat bow with Mary and Daniel.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I was hoping this book would be more than what it was. I thought there would be more romance and laughter, but it was more about self discovery, family, and healing. It was a nice book and probably a great book for another reader.