Troubles in Paradise
Guess who just read her first Elin Hilderbrand novel??? Not only did I just pick up the first book I’ve ever read by her, but I picked up the third book in a series. How’s that for devil-may-care attitude!?!
Trouble in Paradise is the third and final book in the Winter in Paradise series and it was so so good! I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the conclusion to this series. I adored Hilderbrand’s style of writing. From the most amazing beach setting, characters you can't help but love and feel invested in, to the adventures and mystery surrounding the story.
If you are bound and determine to read this without reading the previous two, you could do it, there is a chapter that gives you a high level overview of the first two books, but I highly recommend going back and reading all three (I’m diving into the first book in this series as I write)!
After uprooting her life in the States, Irene Steele has just settled in at the villa on St. John where her husband Russ had been living a double life. But a visit from the FBI shakes her foundations, and Irene once again learns just how little she knew about the man she loved.
With help from their friends, Irene and her sons set up their lives while evidence mounts that the helicopter crash that killed Russ may not have been an accident. Meanwhile, the island watches this drama unfold -- including the driver of a Jeep with tinted windows who seems to be shadowing the Steele family.
As a storm gathers strength in the Atlantic, surprises are in store for the Steeles: help from a mysterious source, and a new beginning in the paradise that has become their home. At last all will be revealed about the secrets and lies that brought Irene and her sons to St. John -- and the truth that transformed them all.
I was swept away by the vivid and vibrant tropical setting of this story. With restricted travel options in the real world, I loved escaping to the Virgin Islands through Hilderbrand’s cinematic writing. It was so picturesque in my mind. I could could feel the warm and inviting climate (can you tell I’m ready for some beach weather?).
I was also drawn into the lives of the characters and loved them. They were real, they were flawed and they were just all around good people who make some mistakes along the way. The friendships developed among the island residents in the storyline was quite heartwarming.
On a deeper note, this story taught the value of picking oneself up after the going gets tough, and even some very devastating setbacks.
Troubles in Paradise was truly an entertaining escape full of hope. It looks like this series wrapped up in the perfect way!
