Markinson and MacLeod are solid authors with a huge number of books to their credit. So you can be assured that their books are mostly fine — 'mostly' and 'fine' are the key words.
This one is a one-night-stand-to-forever story. While helping her to shift, still-closeted Savannah Strauss becomes an involuntary and unwilling witness to an especially cruel break-up engineered by her cousin. At that same time, she also finds a flyer to a lesbian gig and quietly attends. She has an unforgettable one-night-stand — with a woman who turns out to be the one her cousin broke up with — Brooklyn Mathers.
Seven years thence, Savannah is a school teacher. Brooklyn is a management consultant trying to land a client who is her hope for keeping her fledgling company alive. For reasons (best read in the book itself) Brooklyn seeks Savannah out for help. Savannah agrees and the charade spirals and takes shape of something far more complicated.
The main leads are likeable enough, chemistry's good, the conversations are fine, the island backdrop gives the story an escapist glow. On the other hand, The Paradise Charade doesn’t always rise above its predictability. The fake-dating premise, though fun, unfolds along a path that feels easy to anticipate, leaving little surprise in how events develop. The story entertains but rarely challenges or complicates the tropes it plays with. There is some real vulnerability, ensuring the relationship develops beyond surface-level attraction and long-held idealization.
What I liked the most is that it steered clear of the forced misunderstanding/break-up third act. It wasn't necessary in this and thankfully, the authors left it out too.
This book succeeds as a cheerful distraction. While it doesn’t reinvent the genre, the novel delivers exactly what it promises: a feel-good romance with with steady pacing.
Standout part of this book: Emoji texts from Savannah's mom. They truly shone.
⭐⭐⭐
