Review: Paradise Series by: Simone Elkeles
3:20 PMTitle: Leaving Paradise & Return to Paradise
Author: Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Flux
Publication date: April 1, 2007 & September 1, 2010- # Of Pages: 303 Paperback
- How I got the copies: Library
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
- My quick summary of this series:
It's one year after the accident and Caleb is just getting out of Jail. He returns home to find out that everyone has changed. His hometown, Paradise, seems exactly the opposite, more of a hell. Maggie was the victim of the accident or so she likes to think. She was the one Caleb hit with his car on that fateful night. Can she get over the fact that she will forever have a limp? And will she ever be able to forgive Caleb? As the two reunite for the first time in a year the strangest thing happens. They begin to fall for each other.Return to Paradise involves a "camping" trip for teens affected by destructive driving and a guess who both end up on this trip? Maggie and Caleb haven't spoken in a while and now they will spend the next few weeks in close quarters sharing their story of the accident with other teens. Find out what happens when the truth starts to slip out causing chaos.
My Review:
þSizzling Romance
þSerious Issues discussed
þComedy
I read both of these books in one day which is why I thought it was fitting to put them as one review, and because I am too lazy to make two separate reviews. Anyway, I LOVED this series to put it simply. The characters were feisty and filled with teenage angst. They had entertaining passion and lust. The plot was unlike anything I had read before. Usually the male lead in YA books is a cookiecutter guy next door type so it was fun to fall for the bad boy for once. I loved that there was a secret that hung in the air the whole book that only the reader and Caleb knew about which threatened to reek havoc and any moment.
The author alternates between Caleb and Maggie's point of view, but I didn't mind it. I actually felt it enhanced the story so we could see what was really going on between the two of them together and alone. The second book was just as fun. It was an original idea to send them on a camping type trip. They couldn't escape each other and actually had to deal with their problems. There were some steamy scenes in this book too, but it was kept PG 13 ish and classy. There was also some cursing in these books which doesn't bother me, but if that is something that irritates you then beware. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a hot exhilarating romance with comedy and a touch of series issues. I immediately bought a different book by this author and I'm so excited to see what else she has to offer.
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Quotes:
“I wasn't going to kiss you."'
'You weren't?' I look up look up at him.
[...]
'Nope, the next time I kiss you it'll last a long, long time. And when we're done you're going to realize being turned on is not about experience.”
― Simone Elkeles, Leaving Paradise
'You weren't?' I look up look up at him.
[...]
'Nope, the next time I kiss you it'll last a long, long time. And when we're done you're going to realize being turned on is not about experience.”
― Simone Elkeles, Leaving Paradise
“I lean back. "What the hell are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" she asks, innocently batting her eyelashes against the hot sun beaming down on us.
Is she kidding me?
"Where's you toungue?" I ask stupidly.
Her wet little eyebrows furrow. "In my mouth. Why, where's it supposed to be?”
― Simone Elkeles, Return to Paradise
"What do you mean?" she asks, innocently batting her eyelashes against the hot sun beaming down on us.
Is she kidding me?
"Where's you toungue?" I ask stupidly.
Her wet little eyebrows furrow. "In my mouth. Why, where's it supposed to be?”
― Simone Elkeles, Return to Paradise
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Have you read this series or any other book by Simone?
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