What Happens in Paradise

September 30, 2019
Hilderbrand’s captivating follow-up to 2018’s Winter in Paradise, continues the chronicle of Russell Steele’s family as they start over in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands,
after his suspicious death and the discovery of his hidden second life. After learning that Russ fathered a child with Rosie, a St. John waitress who died with him, in the first book, Russ’s widow Irene leaves her life in Iowa
and accepts an offer to work on a fishing charter with Rosie’s stepdad, Huck. Huck and Irene instantly click, despite the odd circumstances. At the same time, Irene’s younger son Cash rethinks his aimless existence after hearing from Rosie’s best friend Ayers about an opening on a boat. Cash and his brother Baker, both in their 30s, are smitten with Ayers, who has gone back to her cheating boyfriend Mick. Baker also considers St. John. The group—Irene, Cash, Baker, Huck, and Ayers—rally around 12-year-old Maia, Rosie’s daughter, as she navigates tweenhood and her loss. Ayers discovers and hides Rosie’s diaries, which detail plenty of evidence regarding Russ’s illegal dealings and a motive for his murder. The book ends on a cliffhanger, setting readers up eagerly for the next book. Those who want a sweet page-turner that’s more than just beach fare will want to take a look.

Starred review from September 1, 2019
Back to St. John with the Steele family, whose tragic loss and horrifying discovery have yielded an exciting new life. In Winter in Paradise (2018), Hilderbrand introduced Midwestern magazine editor Irene Steele and her adult sons, Baker and Cash, then swept them off to the island of St. John after paterfamilias Russell Steele was killed in a helicopter crash with his secret mistress, leaving a preteen love child and a spectacular villa. While the first volume left a lot up in the air about Russell's dubious business dealings and the manner of his death, this installment fills in many of the blanks. All three Steeles made new friends during their unexpected visit to the island in January, and now that's resulted in job offers for Irene and Cash and the promise of new love for single dad Baker. Why not move to St. John and into the empty villa? Mother, sons, and grandson do just that. Both the dead mistress's diary and a cadre of FBI agents begin to provide answers to the questions left dangling in Volume 1, and romantic prospects unfold for all three Steeles. Nevertheless, as a wise person once said, shit happens, combusting the family's prospects and leading to a cliffhanger ending. On the way, there will be luscious island atmosphere, cute sundresses, frozen drinks, "slender baguette sandwiches with duck, arugula and fig jam," lemongrass sugar cookies, and numerous bottles of both Krug and Dom P�rignon, the latter served by a wiseass who offers one of his trademark tasting notes: "This storied bubbly has notes of Canadian pennies, your dad's Members Only jacket, and...'We Are Never, Ever, Ever Getting Back Together.' " You'll be counting the days until you can return to the Virgin Islands with these characters in the concluding volume of the trilogy. Print the bumper sticker--"I'd Rather Be Living in an Elin Hilderbrand Novel."

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from September 1, 2019
After the events of Winter in Paradise (2018), everyone is back where they belong. Irene Steele is in Iowa City with her younger son, Cash; older son Baker is in Houston negotiating a custody arrangement with his soon-to-be ex-wife; and boat captain Huck, free-spirited Ayers, and 12-year-old Maia are still on St. John. But the events of the previous New Year's, when Irene discovered her husband's secret life in St. John after he and Maia's mother, Rosie, were killed in a helicopter crash, are not over, and now the FBI is involved. Irene still feels drawn to the island, so when Huck offers her a job, she jumps right in, joined by Cash and Baker, both of whom are in love with Ayers. Once again, Hilderbrand demonstrates her mastery of immersive escapism with a carefully deployed pineapple-banana smoothie or the blue tile of an outdoor shower. The cautious steadiness of Irene and Huck counterbalances the drama of the younger cast (honestly, Baker!), though there are plenty of complicated feelings to go around, especially when Ayers discovers Rosie's diary. The absolute pleasure of the reading experience combined with a cliff-hanger ending will have readers anxiously awaiting the conclusion to the trilogy.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: One bestseller in Hilderbrand's enthralling trilogy ensures another.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)