Wow. I was hooked on this right away. I had some suspicions of what would unfold in this story, but I had to keep reading to see what would happen next and how it would work out. This book is heartbreaking and hopeful. It is told primarily from Marin’s perspective but I loved Sadie’s short chapters and they kept me turning the pages, trying to piece together the why of the story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes contemporary books with themes of sisterhood and self growth. It is sad at times with some triggers of illness and loss of a loved one.

*Huge thanks to Berkley/PRH International and NetGalley for my free e-arc. This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.
*trigger warning: anxiety, death of family member, terminal cancer, grief

After losing their mother at a young age, Marin is left to take care of her younger sister Sadie. She has forgotten to go out, have fun, and take risks. She also worries a lot about Sadie since she is her total opposite. Sadie is an adrenaline junkie free-spirit photographer who never stays put. When Sadie returns from her latest assignment abroad, she suggests that she and Marin have a sisters' weekend on the tropical island of Saba. But Sadie misses their flight and Marin ends up sitting in an airplane beside a handsome stranger. This is where Marin's life-changing journey starts.

Don't be fooled by the beautiful and vibrant cover. I didn't read the blurb but I figured out quite early that this was not a lighthearted romcom story I was expecting. I still end up loving it so it's okay but I want to set your expectation. This book is more of women's fiction than romance.

I liked how the story is told through alternating POVs between Marin and Sadie. It was fun seeing Marin doing things for the first time. I genuinely felt excited and happy for her. I thought her character development is well-done. Sadie is a force to be reckoned with. I loved that there were no boring moments with her. Lucas is very generous and kind but I felt like I didn't get to know more about him. Also, he's too perfect in my opinion. The secondary characters are astounding. I'm really hoping for a Ken and Elisabet spin-off.

I liked the slow-burn romance between Marin and Lucas. Their meet-cute is definitely fun and memorable. The island setting was perfect and the author made me feel like I was there. My most favorite in this book was the strong bond between the sisters and their unconditional love for each other. The sacrifices and things we do for our family and loved ones. I was pretty much aware of what's going to happen but I still ended up bawling my eyes out. It's just heart-breaking. Overall, this was a very hopeful and captivating story that will stay with me for quite some time.

Thank you to Berkley for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Don't be fooled by the cover. If you are expecting something like the Unhoneymooners by CLo, you are going to be disappointed. This is a love story ... a love story between siblings. It's heartbreaking and gut wrenching. But the story is also about self discovery, seizing the moment and living each day as if it's your last. There's romance, but it's almost secondary. I liked that Lucas was written as an asian character and that mandarin was included in the dialogue. Libby's writing was captivating and made me want to visit Saba Island for sure!

Sandwich this one between two feel good reads and it will be perfect.

HJ Recommended Read!

If fantasizing about future paradise travel destinations is one of those things that have helped you get through these past 12 months, then this is definitely the book for you. And then layer on a neat mixture of earthy warmth, unbreakable sister bonds, and an adventure packed romance, and you’ve landed a wonderful combo that will break and make your heart in a beat.

Set on the gorgeous Caribbean Island of Saba, we begin with a slightly cliched plane ride wherein Marin, our discover thyself Diva, is forced to face her flying anxiety head on as the plane ventures into a dangerous storm and thus, some terrifying turbulence. Landing literally in the lap of broody Lucas Tsai, Marin is somewhat relieved to discover he is all action and style, and by all accounts a prominent business owner who happens to own a huge boat to get them to the island. This is particularly important after Marin realises that she has been stood up by her sister Sadie who had suggested and planned their Sister-bonding tropical retreat, and thus, Marin faces the reality of proceeding solo.

What’s clearly a set-up from the beginning, morphs into a wild adventure whereby Sadie holds Marin’s passport ransom in a selfless betrayal to force Marin out of her comfort zone and indeed, force her to live presently and deeply in the here and now.

Naturally, gut wrenching tragedy strikes, and whilst it was foreshadowed through some of the early motivations, it managed to suck the wind out of all sails and challenge any cynical reader to remain dry-eyed. Before long, the slightly unrealistic and clichéd beginning transforms into a powerful love letter to sisters everywhere – for their shared loyalty, their implicit comfort and endless unconditional love that will speak to any woman who is lucky enough to have a female sibling. Somehow, in spite of the devastating tragedy that unfolds, there were moments throughout that were incredibly uplifting and inspired, and times when tears of sadness rapidly turned into tears of joy. For the most part, this was due to Sadie’s characterisation, and in many ways, I wish we knew her better prior to Saba.

The dialogue, banter and chemistry that existed between Sadie and pretty much every other character worked a treat and it served to contrast against Marin who was relatively wooden and at times two dimensional. Thematically however, this duality mostly worked as it was able to pay homage to sibling differences and similarities, and that despite this, true sisterhood is an unbreakable force.

Overall, Meet Me in Paradise will find a way to pluck everyone’s heart strings. And whilst the tragedy throughout maybe triggering for some who have lost their sisters far too young, it will also empower all women to ensure their individual identity is intact and that family complexity and dynamics are viewed as enriching – for our lives would be dull and loveless without them.

Thank you Berkley Romance for the gifted copy of this book.

Wow - this book has everything I love in a story. It's more than a romance, it has family, friendship, sadness, grief, self discovery, personal growth...a little bit of everything. I absolutely loved it.

Marin and Sadie are sisters but very opposite. Since the death of their mother, Marin plays it safe, doesn't travel or take risks and worries endlessly about her sister. Sadie travels the world and is the risky one out of the two sisters. After Sadie comes home, she plans a sisters trip to Saba, but plans get messed up and Marin ends up going alone. Little does she know that there's more to it than she initially thought. Sadie has a plan for Marin that includes her stepping way out of her comfort zone to discover her true self - but when you find out why, get the tissues ready. You will need them, your heart will break, but by the end of the book, it will be patched back together.

3.5 stars, rounded up. I think it's important for readers to know going into this that while there is a romance in this book, I would put it as much less central to the story than the relationship between Marin and Sadie, and Marin coming to terms with her life and who she is outside of being Sadie's sister. This was a super emotional book, and readers should expect some real heartbreak. But watching Marin truly come to life as she explored Saba and got to know Lucas was very warm and inspiring.

Review of MEET ME IN PARADISE by Libby Hubscher
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Thank you to the publisher for a free netgalley!
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Y’all this is not your typical rom com. This is sad. This is hard. This is beautiful. Said to be a romance, this is a tad misleading as it is not the main part of the book!

I loved the development of Marin. I loved the island where she found herself duped. I loved how Sadie’s character, though wild, took care of her sister on every single page of that book! The sub characters all had a part and were written perfectly. I did not find any of them to be unnecessary! Well done by Hubscher!

I will not put the major trigger here, as it spoiled a bit of the book for me, but you can DM if you want!
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Meet Me in Paradise is an emotional getaway read with a heartfelt story at its core filled with adventure, discovery, and romance.

I loved the tropical island setting and the sense of journey this book took. Marin deals with some heavy emotions and to see her work through those and find herself along the way was an amazing ride. I also liked that while there was romance in this book, it was more of a sentimental story about sisters.

Overall, the story was deep, emotional, and very bittersweet. I felt at times the plot was a little impractical, and the pacing was on the slower side, but the themes of family, finding your own path in life, and community kept me intrigued and wanting to jet off on an island vacation ASAP!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I’m not certain why I’ve been picking up all of the books that break my heart lately, but here’s another gorgeous, rip your heart to pieces, then put it back together book for ya. 💕

Hubscher does a wonderful job of moving back and forth between sisters and time periods to really set the scene and keep you turning pages. I stayed up waaaayyy too late because I needed answers!!! So, I do think this is a book you should go into a bit blind, but here’s a few of the things I loved:

🏝The sister’s relationship with each other was gorgeous. Marin’s selflessness and Sadie’s deep knowledge of exactly what her sister needed.
🏝Lucas - hot, sweet hotel mogul with the most caring heart?!? Yesssss please.
🏝Marin’s personal growth. Her journey just hit home for me. And the end - it was perfection.
🏝The setting and people of the Caribbean island of Saba! Wow. So descriptive. I’m ready to pack the bags!

I honestly can’t recommend this beautiful story enough. Just be prepared with the tissues

Wow, wow, wow!!! I thought I knew what I was getting with this book: a fun meet cute, an opposites attract love story, and a beautiful paradise setting that was bound to make me laugh and soon. What I wasn’t expecting was a story about loss, a story about finding yourself, a story about family, a story about reignited passions. This book was MOVING. I absolutely loved every single second of this story- from the relatable characters to the sense of feeling too afraid to enjoy life! Beautiful. Hopeful. Heartbreaking. Tender. Highly recommend.

This book was just fine, in my opinion. I was not a huge fan of the writing style and the pacing was just... off. I would find this writing expected in a YA novel, but not for adult fiction. Everything was too simplistic and abrupt, and I did not like it and it made it a struggle to read this.

I found Lucas's behavior to be weird and suspect, and Marin not picking up on that made me think she was not as smart as she seemed to think she was. The loss/grief seemed out of place in the overall story, and while many seemed please with how everything progressed and the ending, I was more miffed than anything because this is being advertised as a romance, when it more accurately should be placed in the women's fiction category, and seems like of like a fiction rip-off of Eat, Pray, Love.

I would recommend this one to library patrons, and I do think it will check out well, but it was not for me.

I loved this story! Libby Hubscher did a great job making taking us to the island of Saba. I loved Marin and Lucas and found myself rooting for them immediately. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I was not expecting such a heart wrenching story. With such a tropical cover and title, I was hoping for a light Summer read. Instead, I found myself falling in love with a set of sisters who were each other's biggest cheerleaders. Sadie and Marin are as opposite as siblings to be but their love for each other has tethered them together since the lost of their mother. Throughout the novel, you find yourself hoping for true happiness for both girls. What unfolds is a story of dedication, growth and the ability to love behind measure.

Before I get into my thoughts on this one I feel the need to talk about some triggers. If you don’t want anything to be spoiled skip this review. I always try and keep my reviews completely spoiler free but in this case, the content is so heartbreaking I feel like it needs a big warning, especially since the cover and synopsis combination makes it seem like a light hearted rom com and it’s really not. Last warning…………..Sadie has cancer and her death plays out on page. It was brutal and I cried, I’m not a crier but this was absolutely tragic y’all. If cancer is at all a trigger for you please know that this one is heavy.

This starts off lighthearted and fun, exactly what I expected to begin with based on that adorably cheerful cover and description. I loved Marin and was excited to see how her island adventure, I agreed with Sadie that she needed to step outside her comfort zone and let loose. But then things turned dark and instead of a spicy rom com it read like women’s fiction with a secondary romantic plot line. This was fine by me, I had some friends that gave me a heads up, but I just don’t want anyone to go into this one with the wrong expectations. If you go in knowing like I did that this is more of a story about sisters and one’s journey to self discovery. It was heart wrenching, beautiful and memorable though. This review may lead you to believe that I didn’t enjoy it, but I actually liked it a lot. Between the gorgeous setting, vibrant secondary characters and a bittersweet story about Marin and Sadie, I was super invested. It’s just not necessarily the book you would think it’s being marketed as and I wanted to make that very clear. But if you don’t mind crying your eyes out for a good chunk of the book, this was such a heartfelt read! Just proceed with caution and have those tissues ready.

I loved this book. It is so much more than the cute romance cover leads you to believe. It's much deeper than you'd think.

I don't want to spoil anything so I'll keep it vague. This novel is an exploration of grief and guilt and sisterhood and I laughed and cried my way through every page. If you are looking for a swoon-worthy romantic connection, that's there too.

Just keep the tissues handy. I'm officially a fan of Libby Hubscher, can't wait to see what she writes next. Oh- and I'm now absolutely OBSESSED with visiting Saba!

Berkley gifted me with a free copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC.

CW - death of parent; cancer; death of sibling.

I went into this book thinking it was a going to be a sweet romance. That element was there. But it was also more. I did not think I would get so emotional, but I did.

This story follows Marin as she travels to Saba for a what she thinks will be a fun girls weekend with her sister. But when her sister cannot travel, she winds up spending her time with the locals, and lots of time with one, Lucas.

Without revealing too much, there is a lot to this story that is about sibling love. Ultimately the book is about taking risks, getting out of your comfort zone and exploring new places.

Definitely recommend this one but be aware of those content warnings before going in.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for an advanced copy of Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher.

Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher is an emotional book about the relationships between sisters, extending your comfort zone and living with grief. Don't let the fun and colorful cover fool you, this isn't a cute romance book. There is some romance, but that isn't the main story.

Marin has played it safe since she was in high school and her mom died on a reporting assignment. She gave up everything and helped raise her younger sister Sadie, who is a bit of a wild child and took off as a photographer traveling around the world. After reluctantly agreeing to go on a vacation with her sister, Marin finds herself in a travel nightmare. Marin needs to step outside her comfort zone to explore the island.

I know so many people absolutely loved this book and while it was good, I didn't love the relationship between the sisters and I just found Marin and some of the story a little too unbelievable.. I liked the writing and beautiful descriptions of Saba! It definitely made me want to go to paradise though!

3.5 stars

Marin Cole became responsible for herself and sister, Sadie, at a barely legal age after their mother died in helicopter crash covering a war-torn country while on a journalistic assignment. Ever since then, Marin has refused to take risks, travel, or go out of her comfort zone with narrowly defined rules. Sadie, on the other hand, is the mother like their mother as a globetrotting photographer always seeking the next adrenaline-fueled assignment no matter the risk or potential danger.

After having been gone three months on a difficult job, Sadie arrives not looking her usual sparkly, energized self. Marin very reluctantly agrees to go with her to the island of Saba for a luxury spa weekend. Marin’s worst nightmares surface when Sadie missed their flight because Marin is just about the worst flier ever. The enigmatic man who takes Sadie’s seat, Lucas Tsai, gets the full Marin freak out treatment.

Once on the island, Marin’s goal is to get home, but her clever sister thwarts that objective at every turn. Sadie demands Marin participate in some island adventures before helping her sister return home. Lucas has his own issues going on; however, he puts them aside to show Marin the glories of island life while she slowly comes out of the protective shell carefully built to avoid travel, potential hazards, and emotional pain. Marin has devoted her life to caring for her wild, antic loving sister to her detriment giving up on hopes and dreams. Lucas’s family company owns the luxury resort; he is well regarded on the island.

From the outset of this story and the title, a reader might be expecting a rom-com which is understandable because it starts out that way seemingly headed in such a direction with Marin’s experiences flying and on the island. This book, while having a romance element, is focused more on how families deal with the loss. Early on are clues about the darker elements; the latter half of the book turns to a sadder more emotional tone. Marin also seems to miss opportunities to actually spend more time with Lucas so the development of their relationship seems lacking. I think the marketing on this book is a little skewed; however, if you like a heart wrenching, baring one’s soul type of story then give it a go. The writing is good and the characters for the most part are interesting.

Okay this paradise cover was truly deceiving to the heartbreak that I experienced when reading this book. The book was so deep and well written I could not put it down even when it was tearing my heart apart.

This amazing book is a enemies to lovers closed door romance that takes place on a beautiful. I always love when authors do the switching tine periods or switch perspectives which was done in this book.

If you are looking for a relaxed romance this book is not for you, it is a very emotional book with a little bit of romance. This book made me want to call my family but also travel to a beach.

DNF at 41%.

I struggled with this book and it’s MC, Marin, from the very beginning. But, I kept reading in hopes that something would “click” and I could sink into paradise along with the characters. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen for me and life is too short (and my Kindle is too full!!) to read something I’m not enjoying.