Book Review & Giveaway: What Happens in Paradise

Synopsis:

In the follow-up to author Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling Winter in Paradise, secret lives and new loves emerge under the bright Caribbean sky.

A year ago, Irene Steele sustained the shock of her life: Russ, her loving husband, a successful businessman and father to their two grown sons, was tragically killed in a helicopter crash. But that wasn’t the only stunning revelation. Irene was shattered when she learned he’d been leading a double life on the beautiful island of St. John. Not only was there another woman in her husband’s life. They had a child together.

Irene and her sons return to St. John, determined to learn the truth about the life — and death — of the man they thought they knew. But they’re about to learn surprising truths about their own lives, as well as their futures.

What Happens in Paradise continues the Steele family saga, as well as the story of Ayers, and provides new details about Russ’s relationship with Rosie, the other woman in his life and Ayers’s best friend.

Review:

Author Elin Hilderbrand’s vibrant, complicated, and endearing characters return in the second installment of her Paradise trilogy. (It is not necessary to read the first volume in order to enjoy What Happens in Paradise, although doing so will provide a richer experience.)

Winter in Paradise focused on exposition. Hilderbrand compassionately detailed the reactions of her characters to the untimely deaths of Russ and Rosie, and their struggles to come to terms not only with losing them, but the shocking news about their relationship. Irene found herself unable to tell any of their friends back in Iowa about her husband’s secret life with Rosie, and their sons, Cash and Baker, grappled with all the things about their father’s life they never knew as they both became acquainted with and enchanted by Avery. Rosie’s beloved stepfather, Huck, the rugged fishing boat captain, remained focused on Rosie’s daughter, Maia, putting her well-being above all else, even as he felt a strong connection to and growing affection for Irene.

The next chapter of their lives is focused on the aftermath of the deaths of Russ and Rosie, as Irene, Cash, and Baker all return to the island. Baker, in the midst of a divorce from his wife who has already moved on to a new romance, decides that his father’s lovely island estate would be an ideal place to raise his young son and works out a shared custody arrangement with the boy’s mother. But Cash’s business in Colorado has failed and there is nothing for him there or in Iowa, so he also decides to take up residence in the home. He jumps at the chance to work on a tour boat with Ayers, determined to convince her that he is the “superior Steele brother” and make her fall in love with him.

Back in Iowa, Irene now finds the showplace home she shared with Russ — which she poured so much time, planning, and money into renovating — dark, overwrought, suffocating . . . and lonely. She abandons the master bedroom in the wake of learning about Russ’s activities — she determines never to sleep there again. As she moves about the house, the recalls “the joy and pride she’d felt in refurbishing” the various rooms but now, “she can’t understand why. The Victorian style seems so heavy, so overdone, so tragic.” Just a few weeks ago, “leaving behind the house would have been unthinkable. . . . Now, of course, Irene sees how blindly devoted she was to the project, how she sweated over the details and completely ignored her marriage.” For her, love had always been “a daily act — steadfastness, loyalty, devotion.” Recognizing her own complicity in the breakdown of her marriage, she also heads back to the island and accepts an offer from Huck to serve as his first mate. To Huck’s delight she is both a highly competent assistant and good company. Irene thoroughly enjoys joining Huck on the fishing charters and interacting with his guests. Their attraction is undeniable, but they wisely proceed cautiously.

Ayers is determined to make her relationship with Nick work. After all, they have a shared history. But she is not convinced that Nick’s affair is over and her feelings for Baker complicate matters.

Ayers continues to be a supportive presence in Maia’s life and agrees to help Huck sort through and dispose of Rosie’s things. In the process, she finds more than the stylish clothing that accentuated Rosie’s natural beauty. One of her discoveries leads to questions that, perhaps, the FBI agents who have descended on the island might be able to answer. Their investigation into the helicopter crash is ongoing and one thing is clear: the crash was not an accident. The damage to the helicopter was caused not by lightning, as originally thought but, rather, by an explosive device.

Ayers also locates Rosie’s diary and takes it with her to read. Through Rosie’s first-person narrative, Hilderbrand reveals the details of her time with Russ, including how they met, what drew her to Russ and vice versa, what she knew about Russ’s business dealings, and how her affair with him impacted her relationship with her late mother. Rosie’s story is a heartbreaking tale of attraction, yearning, joy, and loneliness, particularly when she acceded to a threat issued by her mother. And because of her status as the other woman in Russ’s life. After all, Russ remained married to Irene until his death. Rosie wrote that she was Russ’s “second place, I guess. I live in second place.” Ayers is drawn to “the rawness of Rosie’s desire for Russ and her pain when he leaves,” revealed through Rosie’s journaling. “It’s the spark and the flame that intrigue Ayers. Did two good people do something they knew was wrong because there was some kind of magical chemistry involved? Or was it plain old human fallibility, weakness in the face of temptation?”

Irene works to unravel Russ’s estate. Information received from their attorney about his wishes comes to light. Unbeknownst to Irene, Russ changed his will, making her the executor. Or did she know? Did she just not listen when Russ told her about information she, at the time, would have deemed “unremarkable, even dull. Life insurance; executor. Who cared! It was all preparation for an event, Russ’s death, that was, if not exactly inconceivable, then very, very far in the future.” Russ told him attorney, “Irene is the only person I trust to do the right thing.” Did he assume that Irene would eventually find out about Rosie, Maia, and his villa on St. John? If so, did he believe that Irene would ensure that Rosie and Maia were taken care of financially? Other details about mysterious financial transactions surface. Irene never knew much about Russ’s employment by an old college friend — she wasn’t really interested. She was busy renovating their home and attending to her own career. But what she learns is unsettling and leads her to ponder whether she might somehow be implicated,

What Happens in Paradise proceeds at a fast pace as the characters’ lives move forward. They struggle to find a new sense of normalcy and design futures that differ dramatically from the lives they originally envisioned. Hilderbrand injects shocking plot developments at expertly-timed intervals, with each bombshell revelation posing a threat to the tenuous lives Irene, et al. have established on the island.

The entries in Rosie’s diary, interspersed with the present-day third-person narrative, provide context and are deeply affecting. But each of Hilderbrand’s characters is each uniquely likable and empathetic, and their struggles provide an absorbing and entertaining tale set against a stunning tropical backdrop. All of which make What Happens in Paradise, along with Winter in Paradise, ideal books to read by the pool or on the beach. Be warned, however, that Hilderbrand once again provides a jaw-dropping conclusion to her compelling story that sets up the forthcoming third and final volume, Troubles in Paradise.

Also by Elin Hilderbrand:

Paradise Series

Summer Books

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one electronic copy of What Happens in Paradise free of charge from the author via Net Galley. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. This disclosure complies with 16 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.