Review: Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher

Title: Meet Me in Paradise

Author: Libby Hubscher

Publisher: Berkley Books
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Paperback, 352 Pages
Published March 2021

Summary: Ever since her journalist mother died on assignment, Marin has played it safe, refusing to set foot outside the state of Tennessee. Her wild-child younger sister, Sadie, has trotted the globe as a photographer, living off of art and adrenaline. When Sadie returns from a tough assignment abroad and looks a little worse for wear, Marin reluctantly agrees to a sisters' spa weekend on the tropical island of Saba. But her lifelong fear of travel is affirmed when Sadie misses the flight, Marin's luggage gets mixed up with another passenger's, and an episode of turbulence sends her hurtling into the lap of Lucas Tsai, the handsome stranger who stole her sister's seat. For the first time in a long time, Marin has to step outside of her comfort zone as she explores the island with Lucas and learns what she's been missing out on. With each breathtaking new experience, Marin gets closer to her real self, the man she's falling for, and the heart-wrenching truth about why she's there in the first place. 

When it was my birthday a few months ago, I decided to spend the day going to the bookstore with my boyfriend and getting some new books, and MEET ME IN PARADISE was one of the first ones I picked out! I had been looking for some more contemporary romance stories to get into, and it seemed like just the type of book I'd be interested in. So without further ado, here's my review:

As the summary explains, Marin is a homebody who, after the death of her journalist mother as a teen, doesn't take any risks. She works a job she doesn't enjoy, in the town she's been in her whole life, because it's comfortable and safe and doesn't require any risks. So when her wild child younger sister, Sadie, sends her on an adventure to Saba, a tropical island in the Caribbean. Her adventure there forces her to get out of her comfort zone, to live a little bit, and also to explore with the resort's handsome owner, Lucas Tsai.

I really loved reading this book! I'm a sucker for rom-coms, and this book was a really relaxing and fun read. I tend to be someone who is more like Marin, where I am intimidated by taking risks and living boldly, so I saw where she was coming from with being afraid of those types of things. But I think the sister dynamic between Sadie & Marin was incredible above all -- including the way that Sadie convinced her to go to Saba and to break out of her shell a little bit. That takes real love and dedication to someone, and it's incredibly admirable. I tore through this book because it was so sweet and funny and even made me cry at times -- this is one emotional read, that's for sure. In many ways that I wasn't expecting but won't spoil! I'll just say that you definitely want to make sure that you have the tissues ready. I also loved reading the book set in a beachy paradise setting, since as some of you may know, my brother lives in Hawaii, and I love hearing all about the lifestyle there. Maybe one day I'll end up living somewhere like there. That's part of my dream! 

I also really loved Lucas as a character. He reminded me a lot of Rafael from Jane the Virgin (which I'm actually watching right now while I write this review!). That kind, generous, attractive and elusive man that is always going out of his way to help other people even if it doesn't serve him. Every time he was on the page and taking Marin on adventures around Saba, I was cheering him on. He was seriously so sweet and kind and generous and UGH. I shipped him and Marin so hard!!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading MEET ME IN PARADISE. It took me on a gut punch of an emotional coaster that left me feeling swoony, giddy, and also inspired to be braver and pursue my passion as a writer! If you're looking for a sweet, emotional summer read that will help you come out of your shell while having a nice poolside reading experience, then I definitely recommend picking this one up! I'll also be daydreaming about my own adventures in Saba in the future...