Review: Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Sep 23, 2010 by shanyn

Title: Return to Paradise (Leaving Paradise #2)
Paperback, 302 pages
Author: Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: September 1, 2010
Source: Book Expo America
Buy: Amazon

---

Book Summary:
Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.

Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She’s dermined to make a new life for herself.But then Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie’s accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.

---

Review:
Compared to Leaving Paradise, Return to Paradise was an extremely disappointing read for me.

While I was excited to get back into the story from Simone’s first book, I found the story in Return to Paradise dragging on and the same relationship mistakes happening over and over again.

Once I read about someone not trusting their significant other in a book, I expect to see some sort of progress with at least one of the people involved – this is not what happened in Return to Paradise and it eventually started driving me insane. I wanted to bop one of the characters over the head – which probably means it was written very true to life, but when I read a book I expect a bit of editing (just like I don’t want to read about a character doing her homework several hours a day).

I have read mixed reviews on this book – some really love it and some don’t care for it. If you enjoyed Leaving Paradise I think that it’s worth giving Return to Paradise a try – if nothing else, it rounds out the series and shows you what happened after we were left hanging in the first book.

Buy: Amazon

Related Posts:

• Review: Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
• Fun Five: Alissa Grosso
• Review: A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler
• Review: The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon by Sara Beitia
• Cover Reveals