This story centers around Corin Dunbar who after her mother's death is sent from her New York home to a little town in the middle of nowhere - Paradox, Utah. After movies start being made in the beautiful area just outside of town everything changes. I loved how there were several references to Marilyn Monroe, Rock Hudson, Paul Newman and even newcomer Robert Redford! Corin meets Ark who was raised by missionary parents and is fascinated by stars and the universe. Their life seems perfect until a devastating accident. We learn about friendship, small town quirks, morals and doing everything for someone you love.

I really liked this one a lot. I want to describe it as satisfying, because it was, but that doesn't really do it justice. Set in 1950's Utah, the town of Paradox is a small town that has the unique distinction of being an ideal place for Hollywood to make movie westerns, but Paradox is really just the setting, the main focus is on one of its residents, Corin Dunbar.
Corin is just a young girl when she comes to live with her Aunt Jess on her cattle ranch in Paradox. She hates it at first but adjusts to life there, she grows up in town, tries her hand at the movies but in the end decides to help her aunt with the ranch.
Of course that's not all that happens to Corin you'll have to read the book to find that out, but I highly suggest you do!
The writing is great, the story is enjoyable and the sprinkling of 1950's Hollywood is fun.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In a Town Called Paradox was a pretty interesting book with some confusing bits and pieces. I'm not going to lie.. it felt like everyone was dealing or struggling with something. Whether they had the weight of the world on their shoulders.. or they just simply wanted to go away (forever). It was a lot for my brain to process, which didn't help when things went down confusing and dark alleyways.

I will say that the characters will make you think and feel things that you normally wouldn't while reading. Mostly because of all the struggles. They will also get you to laugh from time to time but you do get a lot of sadness and anger.

Towards the end, I feel like the book kind of lost track of what it was about. The reason why is because so much happened in this book. It just dove into a lot of topics and then kind of seemed rushed towards the last few chapters. I'm still trying to understand the big betrayal that happened because it just seemed odd (like most of this book).

It was an interesting read though.

There was a lot to like in this short story. The growing up and the friendship story of Dottie and Corin is adorable and I love their friendship and Dottie's marriage gift. I liked the love story between Corin and her stargazer and I enjoyed their beginning meeting and courting. I even enjoyed the story about the farm, growing up with Jessie and then, even later, as Corin became an adult and her love for the farm and her want to make it survive.

However, the story got very confusing and messy at times. There was a lot about stars and space and sperm collection of farm animals (yuck). Then the story was suddenly about social injustice and corruption in the police force and the jail (and even the city officials). It was also a story about rape, about assisted suicide and religion. There was a lot packed in the last few 100 pages, probably too much to truly tackle any topic really well. And I really hated the betrayal at the end - just to burn some papers. All in all, it was okay but I didn't love it.

I enjoyed this book which told the story of Corin, who is sent to live with an aunt in Paradox, Utah after her mother dies. Corin is thirteen, angry and heartbroken. Her story will make you laugh, cry and cheer. You will read about things you may not know. The one scene I will never forget is when Aunt Jessie and Corin are taught how to use the prize bull they bought with the last of their money to make money using the bull as a stud.
Some film companies started to use Paradox to film cowboy movies. Corin’s worldly friend is determined to make herself known in films. Paradox is a small town with all of the issues that come with small town life. I did not want the story to end!

"In a Town Called Paradox" is an excellent, compelling, full of hope and dilemma, love, nature, movie glam and small town Utah. The characters were outstanding, and the tale taking place in the 1950's, was wonderful. Told in the voice of Corin, the main character, which grew up in NY then forced to moved to Paradox, Utah, following a family tragedy, facing a complete culture shock. Eldorado, next door, is a fake Westerner town, drawing famous Hollywood films to be staged, along with famous actors and crew. Corin falls in love with an unlikely man, and without giving too much away.. all I can say is "wow"! Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

I could not get into this book. I would not object to trying this author again but this one i could not get into it!

The life of Corin Dunbar changes drastically when she is sent as a child from her home in Yonkers, NY to live with her aunt Jessie in the small desert town of Paradox, Arizona. Paradox becomes a film making mecca for Hollywood westerns of the 1950’s and’60’s.

I really enjoyed the first half of this engrossing piece of 1950’s/60’s historical fiction., I was thinking this would be at least a 4 star or possibly a 5 star rating. After the halfway point, the story took a u-turn, with too much going on in different directions and I did not care for the path the plot took. I ended up giving 3 stars on Goodreads. For me, it was a disappointment.

CW: sexual harassment, sexual assault, violence, assisted suicide

Publication date: 2/3/2021

Thank you to NetGalley and Prestwick Publishing for my e-arc in exchange for an honest review

I Got In a Town Called Paradox by Miriam Murcutt and Richard Starks, from NetGalley For A fair and honest review.


In A Town Called Paradox is a novel set in post World War 2 America, and the backdrop when westerns ruled the movie studios.

The story is mainly told through the eyes of Jess, a young girl who moves from New York state, when her mother dies and her father thinks it is better for her to live with her Aunt Corin on her ranch in Utah.

The Ranch is running a struggling farm in the struggling town Paradox, however around this time the mayor builds a film set. The fake town is called Eldorado, which allows the movie studios to film westerns there.

This allows the writers to show the glamorous side, while the novel through Jess and Corin and the other residents of Paradox are used to examine real life.

The Story is written through the eyes of Jess, with her Aunt Corin also having some chapters. In addition to this when new characters appear in the story some of them will have a chapter or so on their back story.

A town called paradox is an emotional ride of how people are affected by social convention, which means they are limited by the opportunities that are open to them.

In addition to this it shows how the actions that people take, can have a profound effect on their lives as well as those that are close to them. With their background and belief system having profound ramifications on the events outcomes.


Who should read? In A Town Called Paradox. This is a novel that is a story about romance not only for love but the idea or a dream.of a better life. In addition it also shows how everything that shines is not always golden.

If you like this kind of novel then you should Read In A Town Called Paradox

I want to thank #netgalley, the author the the publisher, not only for an ARC, but for getting me out of my reading slump. I was reading so many books, but it's been a while since I was as engrossed as I was in this book.

This book was different than anything I have read in a while. It's a slow moving adventure that's all about the journey, not the destination. I couldn't put it down. I loved all the characters and I really felt like the authors brought them to life. I was totally drawn into all of their lives. I laughed a little, I teared up, and I learned a little bit about how Western movies were made, which was really interesting.

The bad? Well, some of the characters seemed too good to be true - I had a hard time believing everyone was that rosy. But in these stressful times we are living in, it was nice to just suspend disbelief and enjoy the journey.

This is not the type of book I would usually select to read. But the #NetGalley description mentioned #marilynmonroe and #hollywood so I thought I’d give it a chance. Instead, this is a book about a small Utah town that provided a landscape for Hollywood to produce its Westerns in an authentic location. There are several plot lines to follow, but they all end up intersecting by the end. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ that features a lot of tragedy and also puts past prejudices at the forefront, which makes you realize how far we have come but still have so far to go. 📚📚📚 #netgalleyreview #netgalleyreads #bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #amazonreads #utah #inatowncalledparadox #indigenousrights

In the desert town of Paradox, Corin Dunbars life changed overnight - after the sudden death of her mother this sleepy little town transformed from nowhere to the place to be - the perfect film set for the next Western Blockbuster. Entranced by the glamour, Corin falls in love with the idea of joining the glamourous and the rich ... but everything isn't always as it seems and accidents are just waiting to happen. Everything looks better when you're in love, doesn't it?

Well-researched, witty and engaging, this story was a compelling in-depth tapestry about how our lives intertwine with others and the ripple effects each person can cause. Paradox felt so vivid and real, as did the eclectic host of residents we had the pleasure to meet along the way. A story that on the surface is about glitz and glamour but at its heart is about love, loss and life.

This book did slow down far too much in places with some seemingly prolonged, albeit interesting info-dumps but it is still definitely worth reading through to see where Corin goes next.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the history of Hollywood studios. Great book to start the New Year out

Set in the small desert rural town of Paradox, Utah, this is the story of Corin and Ark.
Corin grew up in New York and has had to adjust to ranch life, while Ark was born to missionaries in tribal Africa. On opposite sides of the world they both lost parents and went to live with relatives in completely different environments to the ones they had grown up in. Eventually their paths cross and their story begins.
The book covers a lot of ground: loss; learning to adapt; the importance of belonging; racism; sexism and the hopelessness and helplessness that women experienced; the confining expectations and limited opportunities of living in a small community; science versus faith; and a few others. The book is mainly set in the 1950's era when attitudes to almost every facet of life were very different, and particularly so in small towns.
I'm being careful not to give away spoiler details, but I loved Corin's and Ark's story line and where it took them and the decisions that needed to be made. Yiska's story was particularly poignant. The injustices of the time were infuriating as well as heartbreaking. The subject matter covered has obviously been well researched and the book is well written.
I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Corin and Noah (Ark) start their stories on opposite sides of the world, but they live beneath the same sky and are drawn together by the same stars. We're transported to a time of Marilyn Monroe in the the wild west of America in the 50s and 60s. However, this story is not one of glitz and glamour as we follow Corin's life upturned when she is shipped over to live with her aunt Jessie in Paradox. Parallel, Ark is sent away from his missionary parents to a boarding school in England that shapes him into the physicist who will meet Corin at a Star Party.

This book discusses racial discriminisation, gender prejudice and injustice in a thoughtful way. I think this books confronts the, "American Dream" and makes the reader question how glamorous it ever really was. At times heartbreaking, the author tells us about the hardest decisions and some of the tenderest acts of love.

This books covers a lot of ground and the central story of Corin, Ark, Jessie and Yiska is intricate and thoughtful. I felt a few peripheral characters lacked depth and served mainly to progress the plot. There are certain revelations further into the book that left me asking why? It didn't add much to the story. I also felt that some information seemed to be revealed conveniently when there was little reason a person would actually reveal that much.

Whilst at points I felt some characters were a little flat on the page, I enjoyed this book. It was a thoughtful, emotive read that transported me away from rainy England and I would recommend this book to a lot of friends.


Trigger warning/ SPOILER:
This books does include a rape scene.

3.4 Stars

The book is set in a town called Paradox and deals with the lives of its people. Corin is sent from NYC to Paradox in southeast Utah after the death of her mother. She has to live with Aunt Jessie, a spinster, and a religious rancher.
As the town’s Mayor builds an entire new town, and names it Eldorado to attract the Hollywood, life chances for the townsfolk. We see Corin grow up, try a hand at acting, and get back to ranching. We see her relationship with Cal and the entry of Ark. We see Ark’s childhood and how it shaped his ideas.
Life changes when Corin and Ark get married and tragedy strikes soon after.
Yiska, a Navajo Indian, enters the town, and we get to see his past struggles.
A few more POVs are thrown in to give us more background details about different characters whose past actions have impacted others’ lives.
The book starts out very well, interesting and engaging. But from part two, it starts to have too much information, literally dumped on the readers.
Around 55%, the book picks up again, falls a bit, and gets better until it ends on a flat note. After reading almost 300 pages, I was surprised to see that the book just ended. The ending was incomplete, with some information left for the readers to assume as they seemed fit.
While the characters were etched well, the narration wasn’t as gripping. The book sure had its moments, but the overall effect was just about average. There was a lot of filler (imagine sharing two full chapters about a bull to set the stage for the coming twist). I mean, give us a gist, and we’d have still understood.
A whole lot of research has been done about Native Americans. It certainly must be applauded. But the tone of the presentation had to suit the book. It resembled non-fiction more than fiction. The book has quite a few places where it reads like non-fiction rather than fiction. That made the book dry even when it was supposed to be emotional and even passionate about the injustice faced by women and the Native Americans.
Overall, it was a decent book that taught me something new but not strong enough to make a lasting impression.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Prestwicke Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#InaTownCalledParadox #NetGalley

P.S: It’s sad that the authors couldn’t find the contribution of ancient Bharat when talking about the stars and universe in the book.

I did not finish this book. I wanted to like it, I really did but I just couldn't seem to connect with it
I would give it about 2 stars.

Corin Dunbar who is one of the main characters in this story which starts in the early to mid 1950's.
She is a New York girl from Yonkers whose life revolves around ballet and the fact that her father has to have one of the coolest jobs going in that he is a vet for the Bronx Zoo. So when Corin's friends are playing with stuff animals she gets to help with the real thing. Every thing seems to going well until at the young age of 38 her mother passes away. And for a double whammy her father as cold hearted as it seems sends her away just a month after her mother passes away, to live with her Aunt Jessie who lives on a ranch in Utah near a town called Paradox. This a little town whose coffers along with residents could all use extra money along with work for most of them. When the town mayor notices that there are other towns in the state have made money by opening their area to Hollywood to make movies. The mayor goes all by building a fake western town and it is not long and Hollywood shows up with all the big time movies stars and new up and comers to film western movies. This is a boon to the town and the people. This story revolves around these residents along with Corin and her growing up in to a women and struggles faces growing up and helping keep her aunt's ranch running. This has alot of movies stars from that era such as Marilyn Monroe, Rock Hudson, Paul Newman, and many others along with movies depending on your age of if your a movie fanatic that you will recognize. There are some moral issues that are involved in this story and a big one is about assisted suicide of one individual. This a good read and I would definitely recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and Prestwicke publishing for an ARC for a fair and honest review.

3.5/5

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It took me a few tries to fully sink my teeth into this one, it initially seemed a bit disjointed. However, when the story started unfolding, what I thought was a confusing back and forth, all seemed to come together like a tricky, but well thought out puzzle. Kudos to Miriam Murcutt and Richard Starks.

Corin has her everyday life in NYC ripped away, when her mother falls sick and dies and her father sends her to live with a long lost Aunt in Utah. Through her love of animals, instilled in her by her zoo veterinarian father, Corin and her Aunt Jessie begin to find some common ground and Corin even begins to find that ranch life agrees with her. Day to day life becomes more interesting when their small town of Paradox becomes the go to Hollywood filming site of American Westerns.

Then we meet Ark, real name Noah, who is raised in the jungles of Africa with his missionary parents. He is shipped off to boarding school in England where he is to be given a “proper education”. During this time his parents pass due to tribal unrest leaving him an orphan at only 15. Astronomy becomes his first love and he is so taken by the films filmed in Paradise, he relocates to check out the vast skies of Utah.

Then there is Yiska. Though both Ark and Corin’s lives are marked by loss and grief none seem quite so tragic as what Yiska has endured. He is displaced Navajo, turned Korean War hero, and now sadly a prison inmate.

When the three main characters lives eventually intertwine, the result is both heartbreaking and liberating.

I would have given this a 4/5 but found much of the info dry which unfortunately took away from the overall effectiveness of the plot. I do give kudos to the authors for how extensively they clearly researched all subjects presented, as A Town Called Paradox covers a lot of ground.

I would definitely recommend!

Once again I have proven the old saying wrong. They say you can't judge a book by its cover. I was drawn to this book and by the title. Anything that takes place in a town called Paradox has to be interesting!

The storyline is very complex, as are the characters. It is difficult to try to summarize the plot without spoilers. The characters are all well developed and definitely three dimensional. The writing is vividly descriptive.

The plot takes several right turns which surprised me at the time. But, as I read on everything seems to fit. It seemed like a natural progression. But, still, the reader never knows which way it is heading.

I find this book a hard one to review. I enjoyed it immensely. It covers a wide range of subjects. The writing is outstanding. There are many threads to the story. It covers hardship, resiliency, a
love story, injustice towards the indigenous, Hollywood glamour, homosexuality, police corruption, Biblical beliefs vs scientific facts. When these threads are woven together they create this wonderful saga. Some heavy subjects are covered, all within relevance to the story.

Things I learned:
1. How to get a semen sample from a grumpy bull.
2. A lot about the stars in our galaxy.
3. What it is like to take a trip down the Amazon, deep,
deep, deep into the jungle.
4. The gospel truth isn't always the gospel truth,
according to the gospels.

I was sorry to see this book end. The ending was satisfying but I still wanted more time with the characters. Paradox will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advance Readers Copy of this book.