Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of A Map of Paradise by Susan Meissner.

A Map to Paradise is set in 1956 Malibu in the middle of the McCarthy era and how 3 women and the secrets they keep come together.

This was more character driven then I usually prefer in historical fiction -- while it was well written and I enjoyed the story, it was slow for me.
I did like seeing how it all came together.

I love everything this author writes. The way the 3 main characters’ lives intertwine is wonderful to read as we
Watch their friendships develop. The historical backdrop was really interesting to me as well. There is also mystery and intrigue scattered throughout story which kept the pages turning. Highly recommend !

"1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her next-door neighbor, Elwood, but the screenwriter's agoraphobia allows for just short chats through open windows. He's her sole confidante, though, as she and her housekeeper, Eva, an immigrant from war-torn Europe, rarely make conversation.

Then one early morning Melanie and Eva spot Elwood's sister-in-law and caretaker, June, digging in his beloved rose garden. After that they don't see Elwood at all anymore. Where could a man who never leaves the house possibly have gone?

As they try to find out if something has happened to him, unexpected secrets are revealed among all three women, leading to an alliance that seems the only way for any of them to hold on to what they can still call their own. But it's a fragile pact and one little spark could send it all up in smoke..."

A little Rear Window vibe.

There seems to be something about books about the McCarthy Era that are tough for me to connect to. I love love love Messimer's works, but this wasn't my favorite. Maybe it is this time period, maybe it is my mood... still, the quality of the writing remains solid, so I've rated it as a 4 to try and separate my personal opinion from the quality of the book.

Thank you so much to Berkley for the gifted book!

I don't know what it is about Susan Meissner's writing, but it resonates so well with me every time. She truly makes reading fun and exciting for me and I just overall feel like she is one of the best storytellers out there!

The story itself was so interesting! It revolves around blacklisted Hollywood starlight, Melanie Cole and her agoraphobic neighbor, Elwood, who never comes out of his house. It's set in Malibu, California in the 1950s. I DO NOT think you should read the synopsis since it gives away a little too much (in my opinion), and I would have liked for some of that to be a surprise!

I loved literally everything about this book. The characters were multi-faceted, the setting was fascinating, the background was intriguing, and the story was full of the best kind of drama!

The writing isn't super fast paced, but it really worked for me and helped me slow down and really get to know these characters! There is so much depth to each and every one of them!

If you're reading this and you haven't yet read ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL by Susan Meissner, I BEG you to read it! One of my favorite books of all time!

This story, which takes place mainly in December of 1956, tells the story of three women who though outwardly very different find that they have a lot in common.

Melanie Cole is hiding out in a house supplied by her lover after both were blacklisted in Hollywood having been accused of being Communists. Melanie had just had her first success as a movie actress and received rave reviews for her performance. Now, she is distraught that her career has ended and that she has been wrongly accused of being a Communist.

Eva is a housemaid and a refugee from Europe after the second World War. She is claiming to be Polish but is actually a Volga German. Her family for some generations has kept their German language and culture while living in Russia. Eva was almost sixteen when her father, older brother, and sweetheart were arrested and sent to a gulag. She flees with her sweetheart's mother and sister to Germany and spends some years in camps for displaced persons until she finds a sponsor to help her emigrate to the United States.

June Blankenship lives next to Melanie's house where she cares for her agoraphobic brother-in-law who makes his living writing film scripts. Unknown to most, June has been her brother-in-law Elwood's script doctor for years while Elwood shuts himself in dwelling on the car accident that severely injured him and killed the woman he had fallen in love with.

When Elwood commits suicide, June panics at the thought of losing her only home and source of income and buries him in his beloved rose garden. Melanie, who has been using Elwood as a sounding board for her troubles, gets suspicious when he stops communicating with her. She sends her maid Eva to find out what is going on in the Blankenship home.

The three women agree to work together once they understand each other's needs. All of them are displaced in one way or another and all of them are looking for a home filled with love and security.

This was engaging historical fiction and was a great story of women's friendships.

Full review will be live here on March 19: https://novelpastimes.com/2025/03/19/book-review-a-map-to-paradise-by-susan-meissner/

Susan Meissner's new book explores secrets, friendship bonds, and the consequences of our choices all while whisking readers off to the 1950s in Southern California. It was a time when women were still limited in their choices to make a living, a time when the fear of communism was spreading, and a time when people still knew their neighbors no matter how odd or reclusive they may have been.

A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner

This is my third book by Susan Meissner and it's another good one for me. The story starts on Paradise Circle in Malibu and it's the mid 1950s, and up and coming actress, Melanie Cole, has been caught up in McCarthy's hunt for communists among the movers and shakers of Hollywood. Melanie is on the radar because of her role in a movie with a suspected communist famous actor. She and the actor have been fake dating (and real life hooking up) to add more interest in the movie. Once the actor is blacklisted, so is Melanie, and she's lost everything she'd worked so hard for, including a future movie role. The actor sets her up in a house, all expenses paid, on Paradise Circle. He even pays for a maid to come in six days a week and that maid, Eva, becomes one of the only links Melanie has to the rest of the world. She's cut off and alone and lonely and getting more disgruntled by the day.

Eva is a young Polish immigrant, a displaced person who has major secrets that could have her sent out of the US and back into a life she has fled. The life she had with her family has long been destroyed, there is nothing left for her where she came from and hopefully her hard work and trustworthiness can keep her off everyone's radar. The thing is that she is a danger to Melanie because of her secrets and Melanie is a danger to Eva because of the blacklisting. Each one can destroy the other just by the two women being connected in any way. But for now, Eva will stay where she is, especially now that she has gotten to know the next door neighbor, June.

June is the SIL of the next door home owner, Elwood. Something very strange is going on next door, El is missing in action, which is very odd since El never goes anywhere, not even leaving the house. Why was June pulling up El's beloved rose bushes? Now Melanie is allowing Eva to spend half her workday with June, supposedly to do housework. Instead, June becomes a great ally to Eva, as they share their darkest secrets with each other.

I adore all three women, each so very different but also each with so much to lose if their secrets are found out. As they work more and more together, with Melanie being the most reluctant of the three, I was rooting for them all the way. I love the way the story plays out, there is almost a fairy tale quality to the story, which fits in with how Hollywood can make or break dreams. I was able to read this book with DeAnn, check out her insightful thoughts on it in her review.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

Set in 1956 Malibu, California, A Map to Paradise tells the intertwined stories of three women whose lives are shaped by fear, loss, and the search for belonging.

Melanie Cole is an up-and-coming movie star whose career takes a devastating turn when she’s blacklisted as a communist — not because of her own actions, but due to her association with a co-star. Forced into isolation, Melanie lives in a rented house paid for by the very man who caused her downfall. Estranged from her family and haunted by the long-time disappearance of her only brother, she feels trapped and adrift.

Eva, Melanie’s maid, is a displaced person who came to America under false pretenses after losing her entire family and her fiancé in World War II. Living in constant fear of deportation back to her communist homeland, Eva struggles to build a life. She also lives with a painful secret that might one day be uncovered..

June lives next door with her brother-in-law, Elwood, a screenwriter who has developed severe agoraphobia. June injures her back during the middle of the night while digging up rose bushes. Melanie becomes increasingly worried when she no longer sees Elwood in his yard.  When June refuses to let Melanie speak to Elwood, Melanie sends Eva to work part-time for June and Elwood.

As their lives intersect, these three women forge a tentative bond and begin to confront the fears that have kept them isolated. Through their growing friendship and shared resilience, they each search for a sense of home and safety in a world that feels hostile and uncertain.

The novel beautifully captures the importance of home — not just as a physical space but as a sense of belonging and security. Each woman’s longing for stability reflects the scars of their personal histories and the hope for a better future.

One lingering question remains, however: the epilogue leaves the mystery of Melanie’s brother’s second disappearance unresolved. A fuller exploration of his fate would have provided a more satisfying closure to this otherwise compelling story. I also found some parts of June's cover-up to be unbelievable.

4 Malibu Stars

Where is paradise? Do you have a map? You might find it in the mid-1950s on Paradise Circle in Malibu.

I really enjoyed this throwback to old-time Hollywood. It was hard to hear about the paranoia and fear that gripped Hollywood (and the country) in those days, though. Just the hint of being connected to communism and you were blacklisted, and no one would hire you.

Melanie Cole had it all: a hit movie, a gorgeous co-star she was dating, glamorous parties, and a new movie set to start filming. Then, another Hollywood star named her co-star as a party member, she was guilty by association. Her film was called off, and she had to hide out.

She’s renting a nice house in Malibu on Paradise Circle, paid for by the co-star, who might feel guilty about the end of her career dreams. She befriends her neighbor, Elwood, who is a screenplay writer. He’s the only one she can talk to as she bides her time. Elwood is afraid to leave his house. Melanie is a bit worried because it’s been a few days since she heard from him.

Eva has been hired to cook and clean for Melanie a few days a week. We learn Eva’s backstory and some of the secrets she is hiding. She’s a displaced person from war-torn Europe who has been sponsored and is now living in the U.S. I really enjoyed her character.

Elwood is being cared for by his sister-in-law, June. She’s a widow now since her husband (Elwood’s brother) died. Eva begins spending a bit of time over at their house, too.

The secrets all pile up, and then a fire threatens Malibu.

I enjoyed all three of these women’s stories, and this one really worked for me. I especially enjoyed the ending and how the stories wrapped up for each character.

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and PRH Audio for the arc/alc.

When I tell you I loved this book, I think it might be an understatement. I seriously adored this book. This book was so mesmerizing (and I was honestly hoping it would be based on that gorgeous cover!!!) This book is most certainly going on my list of favorite historical fiction novels of 2025! Susan Meissner knows how to keep an audience's attention. I think what I loved most about this book is the backdrop of the story, set in Cold War Era Malibu, CA. It was just dazzling. I wish I could rate this more than 5 stars.

I finished the audiobook (reading concurrently with the e-arc) in under a day. I hope that gives you a sign just how beautiful this story is. Lisa Flanagan does an amazing job bringing these characters to life, so I definitely recommend checking out the audiobook version of this story for sure!

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and PRH Audio for the arc/alc.

3.5 ⭐s from me, rounded down.

This was my first Susan Meissner book. I thought the story line was interesting - a young, out of work actress befriends the agoraphobic next door neighbor, his eccentric sister-in-law, and the immigrant maid. My favorite character was Eva; I appreciated how her story unfolded throughout the novel, giving the reader bits of insight into her life and having a somewhat complete picture by the end. While she was not a very likable character at the start, Melanie grew on me, and by the end, I was happy for her outcome. The friendship that grew between Eva, Melanie, and June throughout the book was heartwarming.

This book was a bit of a slog for me, though. Especially at the beginning, it was S.L.O.W. There was very little plot in the first half of the novel, other than Eva going back and forth between Melanie and June's houses, trying to find out what happened to Elwood. I really was bored with the book until Melanie found out the truth and the three women started concocting stories and plans for how to solve their problems. The second half of the novel held my attention and went much more quickly than the first half. However, I think the opposite was true for the second half - there was a lot going on, some of which seemed superfluous to the story - Nicky, the wildfires, even down to the exact Christmas presents that were purchased.

Overall, I thought this was an okay book. There are other books by this author on my TBR pile, so hopefully I'll enjoy those more than this one. It wasn't bad, but probably not one that I'll revisit.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Books for an advanced copy of this novel. It's scheduled for release on March 18, 2025.

A little slow paced for my liking, but it's still a great character driven book. Besides, it's historical fiction, I can not not expect it to be a little slower. Regardless, it's an immersive novel that really drives you into the plot, timeline, and characters.

My first time reading Susan Meissner was not a disappointment at all! This was a very suspenseful and interesting book. I loved the story of the women in the book and I was excited to see how their stories would intersect.
I loved the time period, too. This is a book that I definitely enjoyed and would recommend to other readers..

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

Thrilled to read an early copy of this book. I ordered a pre-copy too, of course, because Susan is a must read for me. This book was so enjoyable. Mystery, murder, suspense. I loved every minute and only wish it was longer. I knew there was a fire in it but was surprised it wasn’t until 80% then wondering how everything would play out. I was happy with each women’s story. It gave Fried green Tomato vibes and a sprinkling or Nature of Fragile Things too.

#AMaptoParadise #NetGalley.

This was an enjoyable read with an element of mystery. I enjoyed finding out how Eva, Melanie, and June's stories came together.

A Map of Paradise by Susan Meissner is a deeply moving and beautifully written novel about love, loss, and the search for meaning. Meissner’s storytelling is as immersive as ever, weaving together past and present with rich historical detail and emotional depth. The characters are compelling, and the themes of resilience and hope linger long after the final page. Fans of her previous works will not be disappointed.

A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner is a historical fiction novel set in the 1950's. This story brings together 3 women who become unlikely friends because they share a secret that winds up bonding them. This novel brings in elements of old Hollywood, the Red Scare, and Communism as the backdrop of a strong female female story. Although I love Meissner's books, I did not connect with this one as much as I have with her other books. I found this one a bit slow at times. I did like the three female characters and found them interesting, but they did not carry the story enough to make this a wow story for me.

In 1956 Malibu, California, three unlikely women become fast friends over shared secrets. Melanie Cole is the new darling of Hollywood. She and her handsome costar, Carson Edwards, are the new “it” couple. However, all of that changes when Carson is accused of being a Communist and Melanie is guilty by association. Because they have been told to stay out of the limelight and not be seen together, Carson rents a house in Malibu for her and hires a woman named Eva to be her housekeeper. Eva is a displaced, European Jew with secrets that she is keeping from Melanie.

Melanie’s next door neighbor is Edward Blankenship, a famous screenwriter, who is now a recluse in his house because of a tragedy. His widowed sister-in-law, June, lives at the house and takes care of him. Melanie has visited with Edward in his home and has appreciated the help that he has given her with her blacklisted situation. When Melanie wakes up one evening to see June digging in Edward’s beloved rose bushes, she is suspicious. Her suspicions grow when she can’t get in touch with Edward and June says that he has taken a turn for the worse and is in his room refusing to see anyone. Has June killed Edward and buried him under the rose bushes? Melanie is determined to find out what is going on but some secrets are better left hidden.

I enjoyed this book, the Malibu setting, the information about the Red Scare and the time period. As the story progresses, with flashbacks, the reader finds out a little more about each of the women as we learn their secrets and how these secrets bring them together.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced reading copy.

This is the story of 3 women in Malibu who's choices in the late 1950's are completely their own, but also they overlap. Set in a time where women had much fewer rights, all communists were being hunted and your country of origin could seal your fate, these women's lives are filled with secrets and regrets. Watching them come together as friends and companions and remain that way through the years was quite a ride. This has the themes we want in a historical fiction with the story piece that we need. I did find it to slow down some in the middle, but that could have just been my brain this week.