This was an easy read and a sweet story! All of the characters were likable and I was rooting for a happy ending for everybody.

Heartwarming and endearing.

After Mary breaks up with her fiancé, her best friend suggests a vacation. Mary and her granddaughter head to the Florida where she stays at a quaint resort called the Low-Key Inn, where it seems amazing things happen to the guests. Some find love, some find adventure and some discover a whole new life. Mary takes her life in a whole new direction; new friends a new fun-loving attitude, and most importantly, Daniel, the captain of the boat who took Mary and her granddaughter out fishing.

The Low-key Inn is also a place where life-long friendships are made. And in the center of it all is Ollie, the resort owner. But Ollie is struggling to keep the place afloat and doesn’t know what her future will look like until she meets Al. Al just might be who Ollie needed in her life at the time.

I had a hard time putting this book down. The characters grew on me and I couldn’t wait to see how their stories would turn out. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book.

Such a sad, heart wrenching book. I found myself in tears several times while reading. This is a deeply depressing story in places, yet the promise of better times and light shines in and out in slivers and steady by the end. The hope and possibilities of an HEA for these endearing and emotionally damaged characters is the best of this story.

Mary is planning a Christmas that centers around her boyfriend Ron, but Ron tells her this Christmas will just be him and his daughter. She books a room at Low Key Inn in Florida and takes her granddaughter, Larkin. Ollie’s hotel is run down but seems to be full of love. The birds, the sea, the sand, and the guests that come back each year make it special. Ollie needs to think about selling and has a buyer. She just hopes it can stay like it is. Daniel lives on a houseboat with his dog, Tripod who was with Daniel’s son in Afghanistan where Tripod lost his leg to a bomb. Daniel suffers from PTSD due to his experiences in Vietnam and losing his son. Mary, Ollie, and Daniel group together to have an amazing Christmas.
I loved this story, full of love and loss, and hopes and dreams. The characters were so real, and you wanted to be a part of the guests at Low Key Inn. Mary’s granddaughter and Tripod offered lots of laughs and the relationship between Mary and Larkin was special. Great book! I

I really loved Paradise Girls! This is an absolutely charming and delightful novel. Highly-recommended for fans of feel-good fiction (and don't we all need more of that, especially these days?)

The characters, especially Mary and Daniel, have really stuck with me. They seem so real and I desperately wanted things to work out for them. I also adored Tripod (Daniel's dog) and Larkin, Mary's granddaughter.

Ollie's perspective was nice, but I'm not 100% sure it was needed. The plight of the inn provided some tension, but was easily resolved.

The writing flows extremely well. There were a few too many instances of the word "jaunty" for my tastes, but perhaps that will be addressed. (It's a great word; we just don't need it quite so often.)

Overall, I found the author's rendering of the story world to be top notch. Thanks to the magnificent descriptions, I could picture the Low-Key Inn and surrounding areas, including the "igloos" and Daniel's boat. Gingras keeps the reader grounded in scene while making sure we understand the characters and their motivations and desires.

I also loved Mary's wisdom and world view. I wanted to be her friend. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this feel-good story inspired me!

The ending provides a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to more from this author. These characters will find their way into your heart.

I picked this up many times and kept temporarily DNFing for a long time. Just putting it out there, there were no reviews out when I first got this book.

I think the concept is quite interesting with the MC being a grandmother at such a young age, but I never could figure out the age gaps.

Also, the first few chapters made Mary seem like a regular forty year old instead of a young mother or grandmother.

These were two things that made me apprehensive about reading the rest, but it was worth it.

Mary is in her early forties. She got pregnant young, and so did her daughter, so she is now a grandmother. But her daughter, CC, is prickly and unhappy, and this spills over to Larkin, the 5 yo granddaughter, So, one story line is that of three generations bumping against each other. Also, it's about Mary having to decide whether she's tired of her relationship, of an elderly woman trying to save her cute little resort, and of a man dealing with grief over the death of his adult son. There's a lot going on in this book, and parts of it were heartbreaking. The descriptions are rich, and the family struggles are relatable. A bit predictable but very enjoyable.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Mary Valley has had better days. Her job, writing about décor for home magazines, no longer inspires her. She’d rather find a way to repair her relationship with her daughter, CC. She hardly ever saw her daughter, Larkin, and her relationship with her boss is going nowhere.

Mary didn’t think things could get worse, but they did. Her boss, Ron, told her of his plans to spend Christmas with his ex-wife, Alexandra, and their daughter, Joanna. So, no Christmas together with her supposed-to-be fiancé for Mary.

Hurt and angry, Mary books a trip to the Everglades for herself and her family to stay at The Loy Key Inn. But things don’t go smoothly with that plan, either, as CC decides to go on an adults-only cruise with her uptight boyfriend, James-Walter, and leaves an unhappy Larkin with Mary.

Mary arranges a fishing charter for herself and Larkin. The charter boat owner, Daniel, brings this three-legged dog, Tripod, on the boat with them. He’s a man barely holding on, adrift since the death of his son, Timmy, in Afghanistan. He lives on a houseboat; arranging fishing charters is his livelihood.

What does life have in store for damaged, lost people who need nothing more than understanding and a bit of guidance to find their way home again?

=========

“Paradise Girls,” a story about starting over, about second chances, is both heartfelt and emotional. With believable, well-defined characters [one or two of which readers are sure to deem completely unlikable], the unfolding story pulls the reader in with its strong sense of place and its

This is a story of love, of loss; of grief, of vulnerability. It’s a magical, promise-filled tour-de-force filled with family, friends, and possibilities. This is a book that belongs on every reader’s must-read list. Don’t miss it.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley
#ParadiseGirls #NetGalley

The Paradise Girls is a sweet story about new beginnings. Right before Christmas Mary breaks up with longtime boyfriend/fiancé, quits her and job and flees to Florida where she meets people who will have tremendous impact on her life, and she on theirs. The characters Ms. Gingras has created are very believable with foibles, fears and background stories that draw readers’ emotions and interest as each gets tested by life and circumstance. It’s a wonderful read. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
I couldn't put this book down...It was so cute and fun and having it set in a beautiful location didn't hurt either.
This books follows 3 characters who are all over the age of 40 and trying to figure out the 2nd part of their lives. Throw in a cute kid and a 3 legged dog and you've got a fun, Christmas on the Beach read.
I would love to see this one become a trilogy so we can follow the characters and their plans and their new relationships.

A feel good story of the trials of life. Love, loss, grief. A small hotel in Florida during Christmas brings some magic into the lives of people struggling with daily life.

Forty something Mary finds herself no longer engaged and heads to Florida with her granddaughter. Mary is searching for herself and in the process, meets some interesting people. She also has issues to work out with her daughter. I enjoyed this book as it is mostly set in an older motel on the beach, which I have always thought it would be a great life, to own a motel on the beach. I was rooting for Mary and several others in this sweet book.

This book had me intrigued right from the start. Paradise Girls by S. Gingras, published by St. Martin's Press is a beautiful slow burn that tells Mary and her family's story, as well as Ollie and Daniel's. Every charater gets his own story, his own voice in the storyline, beautiful, just heartwarmingly beautiful.

This delightful book weaves the lives of three characters together in a sleepy beach town in Florida. Mary, Daniel, and Ollie all are broken in some way but they have a creative core that shines through and is the essence of who they are. You really come to care about the characters and want to know what will happen next. Instead of wrapping up everything with a neat bow in the end, the author leaves things to possibility and your imagination which is fabulous.

Wow!! What a lovely, heartwarming and enjoyable book. It has great characters and a nice storyline that just flows so smoothly along. The whole book made me smile and feel happy for the characters (with the exception of some sad parts). It is a quick read and perfect for curling up with a blanket in an evening or stretched out on the beach.

Part love story, part coming of age and part beautiful relationships. It has a dog in it and that just makes it extra special. A must read for when you need to feel good about life.

I fell in love with “Paradise Girls” from the very first page and it is one of the best books I have read this year! I laughed out loud, became teary-eyed and wished that I was on vacation with Mary and Larkin. The minute Mary arrived in Florida with her grand-daughter Larkin she knew right away that her life was about to change, and she was very excited. Mary shed her corporate attire and let her hair down as she gazed at the peaceful ocean and bright blue sky. She did wish that her daughter CC had accompanied them but perhaps she would join them later.

Mary needed to take a step back and look at the big picture as to where life would take her now. She adored being with Larkin and she was looking forward to spoiling her and taking her on fun Florida excursions. Who would have thought that an innocent fishing trip would result in making new friends who were also searching for peace in their lives? Daniel was a lonely man, adrift on his houseboat with only his beloved dog Tripod, to keep him company. Life had dealt him many bad hands and some days he found it hard to go on. Mary was a fish out of water on his tour boat, but his dog loved Larkin and Mary’s antics made him laugh for the first time in a long time, so maybe life was worth a second chance.

I adored the quaint, kitschy 70’s motel where Mary was staying and its colorful owner, Ollie. Ms. Gingras invites us into Mary’s paradise with her vivid descriptions of the fragrant flowers, beautiful birds and the magical pastel rainbow colors of Mary's room. I could see why she fell in love with the warmth of the sun, the laid-back lifestyle and the possibilities of a new beginning. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I am thankful for this wonderful story. We all need to escape once in a while and a trip to paradise was just what I needed.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a sweet book about choosing to change your life by doing more things you want to do instead of what is expected. It was about healing, forgiveness, and moving on.

I thought all of the characters were likeable and I loved their relationships. I felt the book moved at a very laissez-faire pace.

One thing I didn't like, I felt the author didn't explain the different characters well. They were jumped into and I had no idea who she was talking about until later in the book. I would've liked a better build with that.

If you are looking for a sweet, wholesome, quick, feelgood read, this is the book for you. You might think it's a little formulaic, a little predictable, but that's the magic of it, I think. You know right away whose team you're on and root for a happy ending. There are also a few surprises along the way. I'd even go as far as saying I wouldn't mind a followup with the main characters' lives working out exactly as I wanted them to, helping the lives of some troubled visitors to that colorful, magical hotel.

The two things stopping me from giving this book at least another star is 1) How nobody realized "Kipper" was Larkin's pronunciation of "Skipper" because Daniel was the boat's captain; and 2) sometimes the language was too simple; it seemed almost childlike.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are mine and given freely.

I usually pick up a book because the book cover attracts me, I like the book blurb, or I know the author’s previous work. I do in many cases read first time authors.

In this case, the book cover is beautiful and I thought the blurb was interesting. Honestly, I did not focus on who the author was. As I am reading, I am constantly thinking why I have never read books by this person before, because I love the writing style, the wonderful characters, the setting and the plot. About one-fourth into the book, I stopped and looked up the author and found that this is her first full-length novel! I am blown away by that! (She has previously written many gift books, which look fabulous.)

I was thrilled for the author, that this is the first novel she has written and it is fantastic! I was so deeply involved in the story and was close to tears many times, and then I was laughing out loud! I think it takes a truly gifted person to bring out emotions like that in a reader.

I enjoyed so much about this book I could go on and on but I will just stop at saying that I love the characters, and I think that is what truly drives a story. You have to care about the characters to really enjoy the story.

I am so looking forward to the books that Sandy Gingras will write in the future and I predict that she will have a great career as an author of novels.

I want to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

I really enjoyed reading Paradise Girls. This Christmas, Mary is in a funk. She has helped her boss create an empire of home magazines. She longs for the days when they were just getting started and designed smaller homes. Now she has just written about a gazillion-dollar mansion with a moat. She is in a dead-end relationship with her boss who has once again cancelled their plans for Christmas. In addition, she is estranged from her daughter, CC and her granddaughter, Larkin. Mary decides to book a trip to a hotel that is on the edge of the Everglades for her and her family. CC bails on the trip and Mary is stuck with an unhappy Larkin.

The two of them book a tour on Daniel's boat. Daniel is a man that is having issues since his son was killed in Afghanistan. He is living on a houseboat with his son's 3- legged dog. He feels sad and without purpose. The Charter ends up in a disaster as Mary casts a hook into Daniel's neck and then wrecks his boat. The three of them end helping each other out and spend some time together. This story shows how wounded people can help each other to find themselves. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.