A Not-So Holiday Paradise (2022)

About the Book

Book: A Not-So Holiday Paradise

Series: Christmas Escape #5

Author: Gracie Ruth Mitchell

Release Date: November 16, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Lit

Things you bring on a desert island…

1) Sunscreen, obviously. Because these Irish freckles of mine will burn, baby, burn, and lobster red is not a great color on me.
2) An extra dose of my seizure meds, just in case.
3) A backpack full of snacks, including but not limited to a canteen of Dr. Pepper, a box of mini Christmas cookies, and granola bars—the gross crumbly kind, not the chocolate chip kind, because I’m trying to be healthy.
4) Sunglasses, so that when I inevitably wind up staring at my brother’s best friend—who I haven’t seen in years—no one will be able to tell. I’ve been in love with him forever, but it would never work out; he lives on a literal island, while I’m still in grad school. It can’t hurt to look, though, right?
5) Also bug spray.

My packing list is all well and good for a quick port excursion as part of my family’s Christmas cruise. But when the cruise ship leaves me behind, with only the contents of my bag and my brother’s best friend to keep me company? Well, I’ve got problems—especially since I’m going to run out of medicine soon. And I don’t think they make sunscreen strong enough to block the sparks that are growing between Beckett and me…

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My Thoughts

I devoured A Not-So Holiday Paradise by Gracie Ruth Mitchell in hours. This book is SO good I could not put it down. Molly is a doll. I loved everything about her character. She is so smart, so genuinely bright and bubbly, and so positive. I love how whenever Molly begins to spiral into negativity she immediately stops and forces herself to find the positive in her situation. I love that and wish I was more like her. And I really appreciate how she reads Beckett and anticipates his emotions and needs. She sees him completely, and genuinely hears what he is saying. It is clear she truly respects him. Oh my word, and then there is Beckett. He is the BEST kind of hero. He, too, sees Molly. And he allows her safe-space to talk. But the absolute best thing about him is his overprotectiveness where Molly is concerned. I enjoyed every single moment where he protects and defends Molly. It is so sweet. But he never does it condescendingly. He knows Molly is strong and capable and can take care of herself. It’s just that the protectiveness he feels towards her is innate. It’s like breathing. It takes him a minute to come to terms with this overprotectiveness since he is so anti-social, and he’s never felt it for another person before so it’s quite foreign, but once he’s onboard with his newfound feelings he is ALL about putting Molly’s needs first and making sure she is always ok. SO swoony!

There’s so much more to say about this book. For being only 242 pages, A Not-So Holiday Paradise really packs a punch. But I don’t want to risk a spoiler, so I will stop here and say, “Get your hands on a copy of this book ASAP!” If you’re a fan of well-written, highly engaging, super sweet and endearing romances then this book is definitely for you.

I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on November 17, 2022, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.