Paradise Girls was one of those stories an older generation would enjoy. I am a mom, but this grandma was a mess, very chaotic and while it was charming, I found the story lacking an actual plot. Sure, families have issues but with Mary, her slapstick clumsiness was getting old and I could not picture Daniel falling in love with such a weird lady. I loved the Holly character, she might have magical abilities, but I loved how she would never give up on her hotel. She appreciated her guests and struggled to find ways to talk to Alan, but overall I found those two characters lovelier than the main ones.

I empathized more with Daniel and the loss of his son Timmy. Timmy's dog Tripod was just the cutest and I loved how Larkin always named him "Try hard". Overall, not a lot happened in this story and I know that this one trip was all about Mary thinking about Ron, her recent ex and boss, but I did not like how she kept thinking about him even after meeting Daniel. This book could have been shortened up a bit to get Mary to figure out what she really wanted in life and who she was in life by ten chapters shorter.

That being said, I still laughed and enjoyed the side characters, the writing just could have gotten to the point a lot sooner. Thank you to Sandy Gingras, Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

I will start off by saying, not all women’s fiction is for me. I try it occasionally, and sometimes it surprises me. Mary breaks up with her fiancé and boss, Ron and quits her job at the same time. Mary decides to go to Florida with her daughter, CC and granddaughter, Larkin to spend the holidays. CC ends up backing out and the vacation becomes just Mary and Larkin. From looking at the title and the cover, I wasn’t expecting a Christmas read, but more of a summer setting. This was a slow burn at the beginning and was a bit hard to get into. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and founds parts of this story boring. This was a book about finding things that make you happy and changing parts of your life to enjoy it more.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian audio for an advanced audio copy of Paradise Girls.

I requested this book primarily for the cover and the summer vibes it was giving. The book actually takes place during the Christmas season but doesn't really focus a bunch on that element of the story. This story really revolves around the idea of grief, loss, family dysfunction, and finding love and friendship. I didn't find this to be a light beach read. It definitely had sad and painful moments, but I did find myself wanting to know what happens next. We follow the lives of 3 broken individuals as they navigate their way out of being stuck in their current sad chapters of life. There's a lovable little granddaughter plus a 3 legged dog that both play big parts in the story too. This is the type of book that warms your heart like a Hallmark movie.

Mary Valley is done with her fiancé’s fear of commitment, constantly delaying their wedding plans and always putting his daughter and ex-wife above her and her needs. She leaves him and plans a trip to reconnect with her daughter CC and granddaughter Larkin in Florida for Christmas. CC agrees to let Larkin go but has her own plans with her boyfriend. Nothing goes as planned on her trip, but yet maybe that is actually what Mary needs.

Paradise Girls is a self discovery journey for Mary and the cast of quirky, lovable characters she meets at the Low Key Inn. The story had so much potential and I wanted to love it, but I just thought it was okay.

***4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account***

Paradise Girls by Sandy Gingras is a surprising joyous audiobook about how it's never too late to find your bliss and that eventually, "It will all become clear."

After years of her boss/fiance putting off their wedding, Mary has enough and quits both her job and the fiance. She takes her young granddaughter on a Christmas island holiday. After literally hooking a man, Daniel, while fishing, she befriends him and his cute 3 leg dog Tripod. Daniel is resistant; so deep in his depression from his son's death, eventual divorce and his ex coming to take Tripod from him.

Narrators Elizabeth Wiley and Stephen Mendel opened their hearts to make me feel the pain, the hurt and the need for love. This writer took the saying, "hurt people hurt people," and made it, "hurt people can heal one another." You will laugh, cry and cheer during this very funny, poignant audiobook of never being too old to have a coming of age story.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

4.5⭐️
Paradise Girls by Sandy Gingras was my first novel by her and I ended up really enjoying it. If I had to give it a one word description it would be “contemplation”.
The focus was mainly on 3 people who have lived an already full life. All three of them are contemplating everything about their life is and what will they do now. I loved hearing about their past. Some of it sad and painful. They all end up at the same physical place and find themselves in the process. I highly recommend it if you like stories about older people. Grandparents ages. It had an adorable three legged dog and a precious granddaughter who I couldn’t get enough of. Any I liked it a lot.
I chose to listen to some of this on audio while I had to work and I’m going to be honest and say it took awhile for me to warm up to Mary’s voice. I thought Daniel’s voice was good. The narrators were Elizabeth Wiley and Stephen Mendel.
Thanks Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

Paradise Girls, by Sandy Gingras, is the story of how a dismal Christmas holiday may just be the beginning of a brand new life. Mary Valley had been very excited to be spending the holidays with her fiancé boss Ron, until he informs her that he will be spending the time with his ex-wife and daughter instead. Mary is fed up with coming in second, let’s him know in no uncertain terms, breaks the engagement and quits her job.

At the urging of her best friend Joelle, Mary books a holiday trip to an out of the way inn on the edge of the Everglades. But at the last minute CC, her daughter, begs off the trip to accompany her boyfriend on a singles cruise while sending her daughter Larkin along with Mary so the two can be reacquainted. Of course CC expects Mary to adhere to her rigid child rearing rules which soon go by the wayside.

Their first day of vacation Mary takes Larkin on a fishing trip where they meet Daniel Dayes and his dog Tripod. When the trip ends with a hooked skipper and an urgent care trip it seems a disaster. But the finding and returning of Mary’s wallet opens up a different dialog.

This is a lovely story of disillusioned people crossing paths at the right time. While Mary and Daniel are the main focus, there are also well plotted sub stories of the inn’s owner Ollie and Mary’s daughter as they each also find new pathways. I completely enjoyed this book and I do wholeheartedly recommend it!

I listned to the audio version of this book.

When I stop and think about it, there was a lot going on in this story, but the basic theme seems to be that most of the characters are somewhat lost and they find their way during the story. Mary is the main character. She breaks off a relationship when it becomes apparent that she will never come before his ex-wife and child. She decides to take a trip and ends up in a small, somewhat rundown hotel in Florida over Christmas with her granddaughter. They meet some interesting people, who have stories and problems of their own.

I really loved the relationship between Mary and Daniel and how it started out so badly (she cost him a trip to the Emergency Room) and how they slowly became to treasure each other. Daniel's dog, Tripod, also played a pivotal part in the story as he became a focal point for Mary's troubled granddaughter and helps Daniel heal after the loss of his son.

The story had it's slow moments, but overall I really enjoyed it. It turned out better than I hoped at the beginning. The dual narration by Elizabeth Wiley and Stephen Mendel was very good.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the gifted copy of this audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Paradise Girls is the story of finding friendship and discovering who you truly are.

Mary has just left her fiance just days before Christmas. Her friend suggestions she travel to the Everglades with daughter, CC, and granddaughter, Larkin. This fast turns into a journey with just Mary and Larkin.

Daniel is a man living on a houseboat since his sons death in Afghanistan. His life is about to change with Mary in the distance.

Then there's Ollie, The Low Key Inn's owner who refuses to sell her inn to any chain. Daniel believes Ollie is someone to steer clear of... Mary is just trying to make Larkin happy. .

Paradise Girls was a fun women's contemporary listen about how these lives interconnect. Elizabeth Wiley and Stephen Mendel take on the characters so you feel like you are on a Florida journey with them. I recommend this listen for fans of Elin Hildebrand and Mary Kay Andrews.

Paradise Girls is all about new beginnings. I thought that the book was beautifully written. At times I found it a bit slow-moving in some parts. I enjoyed the mother-daughter-grandmother relationship and they're finding their way back to each other.

I relaxed and listened as narrators Wiley and Mendel read this beautiful book to me. Wiley's voice is unique and very emotional as she captures Gringas' female characters' personalities and feelings. She brings a rich depth of audio portrayal that adds so much to the character development. Mendel brought out the poignancy of Daniel's life and transported me within his world.

Paradise Girls is a redeeming story of reconciliation and fresh starts amid the breezes and waters of the south Florida Everglades. Author Gringas shines with the creation of a setting that evokes images of the ocean and a seventies beach motel. Each facing change and turning points in their lives, three main characters, Mary, Daniel, and Ollie are drawn together in paradise to discover what matters most in life.

Heartaches and pain can bring people together. Mary vacations to the Everglades with her granddaughter after the loss of love and her home magazine writing career. The hurt of losing his son has sent Daniel into a solitary life on his houseboat. The endearing Ollie owns the dated Low-Key Inn and needs help.

This book slowly built up for me as it progressed, until it had me happily absorbed into the lives of Mary, Daniel, and Ollie. Meeting Mary's granddaughter Larkin and Daniel's dog Tripod were a joy. I thought a lot about home and possessions with the book's theme of what we need to be happy and what we can let go of. The importance of finding our place and our people amid life's turmoil is prominent in Gringas's writing. I loved the inclusion of nature's components such as sand, plants, water, and sky in the overall atmosphere of the plot. Enjoy this appealing book in any season, and it is especially good for those who enjoy Christmas in July reading like I do.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listener's copy audiobook. I am providing my unbiased review.

Sandy Gingras is a new to me author, so I was thrilled to try out a book with a dysfunctional family set at the beach. Sandy writes convincing characters with plausible plot and storylines. The humor and wit are entertaining. I loved the depiction of the various relationships and the different struggles they each experience. There really is truth shown in wounded people helping each other heal. I love that Mary was willing to stand up for herself and take a chance (more than one really). Her story of moving on and meeting others was entertaining, touching, and refreshing. I enjoyed the narrators and the life they brought to the characters.
I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

“‘Ugh. He was my whole future, my whole life!’ ‘No, he wasn’t.’ ‘He was my heart, then.’ ‘Your heart has lots of rooms in it. It’s like an apartment building. He was just squatting in one of the rooms.’ ‘My heart is an apartment building?’ ‘Yes. So, it’s time to open another door and see what’s inside. It’s high time you slept with someone else.’”

Mary Valley is in a funk. She is stuck in a dead end relationship with her boss, is finding no enjoyment or meaning in her job as a writer for home magazines, and is estranged from her daughter CC and granddaughter Larkin. Daniel is adrift since his son Timmy was killed in Afghanistan. When their paths cross over the Christmas holiday, Mary manages to cast a hook into Daniels head and wreck his boat. This is the story of how lost people can help each other find their way home.

Write a beach read but center it around Christmas? Oh YES! What a fresh take on the summer read!

This was the sweetest story about finding yourself, striving for what makes your heart happy, and realizing that there is happiness after heartbreak. And there is a three legged dog named Tripod that bonds with a little girl. Oh my heart. I just loved this story and (most of) these characters. Love heals all wounds man. It just does.

Love love loved the audio! The dual narrators for Mary and Daniel are fabulous and they really grab you with the emotion in their voices. I found myself listening more than reading. My only critique would be that Mary is 42 but the narrators voice was more like a woman in her 70’s, but to me it just made her seem more like the grandmother she is in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this read/listen. Mary is fed up with her job and really her life in NYC and convinces her daughter to let her take her granddaughter with her on vacation to Key West. They leave with a set of rules for Larkin which Mary leaves in her bag and promptly turns Larkin's world upside down, too. Daniel has been living on his boat with his son's three-legged dog and taking tourists out on fishing trips and barely existing since his son was killed in the war. When Mary and Larkin book a trip with him his world is suddenly shaken up too. These people really needed each other. Daniel was definitely swirling in his depression and Mary floundering trying to figure out where to go next. Who could have thought they would find each other. Add in the quaint motel Mary was staying at and it was a recipe for something special to happen at Christmas. This one doesn't need to be read at Christmas, maybe Christmas in July.

A beautifully written story about the human experience. We meet people who are all stuck and wondering how their lives have led them to where they are. Disappointing relationships, careers, grief, loss etc. Mary is yet again disappointed by the man she is dating when he ditches her during the holiday to spend it with his ex. She’s estranged from her daughter and her beloved granddaughter, is sick of her work and feels lost and alone. Things may be looking up when her daughter agrees to a vacation together until she bails leaving her alone with her granddaughter, who is not too happy. The hotel isn’t what she anticipated and she is yet again disappointed, but them meets Daniel. He is mourning the loss of this beloved son and is thinking about ending it all for what is the point. Their first meeting doesn’t go well and yet they slowly begin to trust each other and develop a real friendship and slowly learn that life has more to offer than they ever knew. Its a beautiful story of resiliance and how important connections are when you open your heart, let go of old hurts and let love in.

They say never judge a book by it’s cover, but I got extremely lucky with this one. I saw the lovely cover of a book by an author I had never heard of and I immediately requested Paradise Girls on NetGalley.
This is a story of a mother, daughter and granddaughter finding there way back to being a family. Plus you have a grieving father, a three legged dog and neglectful ex-fiancé thrown into the mix.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for allowing me to enjoy this delightful story

After a series of events, Mary and her granddaughter, Larkin, end up at the Low Key Inn in the Everglades for Christmas. Their room reservation is wrong and the end up in an igloo. Mary booked a fishing charter trip with Daniel who has a three-legged dog named Tripod. The hotel owner, Ollie, is slowly going under and can't figure out how to save the hotel. They are all able to help each other in different ways while finding themselves along the way.

Overall, it was a cute story, but not my favorite. I thought it was a little slow.

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.

Was looking forward to this one but honestly, it just dragged. Didn’t care for the characters, wasn’t rooting for them. The plot didn’t move much either

First, I'd like to mention that I listened to the audiobook. I did not enjoy the female narrator, Elizabeth Wiley. I almost DNFed the book at about 9% because I just could not stand the narration. Soon after, it switched to one of Daniel's chapters, narrated by Stephen Mendel, and it was far more tolerable. I also sped the book up to 1.5 to get it over with.

I honestly don't know how I feel about the actual book because of how I feel about the narration. The story was predictable. I know I'd have enjoyed it more had I read it instead of listened to it. But how much more? I am not sure. I do wish I had just DNFed it, but again, that is largely due to the narration. But I always feel guilty DNFing advance copies.

Basically, if it sounds appealing, opt for the print or ebook version.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.