BOOK REVIEW

I enjoyed the prologue. It was the perfect way to begin a story. This was an enemies to lovers, forced proximity story and the miscommunication trope was perfectly executed.

The setting was gorgeous (who wouldn’t want to work on a Caribbean island?) I enjoyed the dual POV and in this case I couldn’t take a side as both characters were justified in their respective feelings and positions.

But that is where it ends for me. I kept waiting for a wow moment to occur. Something to break the slow pace mundane but nothing happened until almost at the end.

All that said this is a light read and if you don’t mind the slow pace then you will enjoy the book.

This is a fun, easy, forced proximity beach read! The characters were likable, the story was cute, and there was plenty of sweet and spice! This is a great beach read, until a hurricane comes at the end! With so many people affected by our recent hurricanes,I do feel like there should be a trigger warning! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this book. I mean I haven't read a book by Laura Carter that I haven't loved in all fairness so I kinda already knew that I was more than likely going to love this one too. As always the author's writing style is fantastic, it's able to draw you into the story so easily that you'll probably, like me, not want to put it down and easily finish it in a day. I really loved our two MC's Luke and Carrie they really lept off the page for me and I found myself getting so invested in them clearing up the misunderstanding that happened at the end of the relationship the first time and being able to start again, they were so clearly right for each other! Laura Carter has this brilliant ability to create such fantastic side characters that capture you, even if they don't appear in the book too often, like Callum. I loved Calllum and his friendship with Carrie, he was there for her no questions asked no matter the time and he's the kind of friend we all hope to have in our lives.
I really enjoyed the forced proximity aspect of this second-chance romance, I mean who wouldn't want to be on such a beautiful island! And I liked the added bit of peril that was added in order to make the characters realise what they had in front of them and what they could lose if they didn't take a chance.
Generally, I just loved this book and I can't wait to get my hands on Laura Carter's next book, whatever and whoever it's about.

Wow, I have read Laura Carter books that I loved, but this one was not it. Both main characters were so immature and honestly just jerks. The trope, I assume, is supposed to be enemies to lovers but it’s more like enemies until the final 5% of the book. There is so much back and worth with the “I love you” and then “you’re the worst person ever”. I also felt like somehow so much was happening but yet nothing happened at all.


Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the eARC

If there were a lover-enemy-lover book this would be it. The hatred these two felt for each other was dripping off the page!!! Gosh, Carter wrote this well!

In my opinion, both were as bad as each other. Carrie, lived in the past, with her hurt and understandably so! She didn't know the entire story as Luke never told her. Then when their paths crossed, boy was it explosive! With a hurricane also threatening, you knew how this story was going to play out, with one small minor twist, which I quite enjoyed.

I blitzed this on audio but I just didn't enjoy the narrators (sorry), I could hear every breath that Craig took and at first, it was off-putting but when I sped up the speed of the book, I didn't notice it. Aside from that it was another book by Ms Carter which I enjoyed.

It was the perfect book for every woman who has been scorned, never got closure but got a chance for a second chance. I mean the setting in the story most definitely helped, I do want Carrie's job!!! I mean a private island in the Caribbean - yes please there is no way you couldn't fall in love! I did love Henry's little interjections, they made me chuckle. And despite the hatred Luke and Carrie had for each other, ignoring their sizzle, I loved the banter. I have to say, I would love a Joe in my life!

A fantastic novel! Although reading it I wanted to bang Luke and Carries heads together! The connection between them both was clear from the start! The writing during the storm really made me feel like if I looked outside I would be looking at a storm! Fantastic writing

We meet Carrie Biggs, a tax accountant who is up for a big promotion at work as partner.
Carrie is soon jetting off to a private island for a week to do some work for a billionaire client, Joe Hettich.
Enter Luke Chalmers, Luke is Carrie’s ex and one true love that broke her heart 7 years ago when he left her.
It turns out Luke is Joe’s best friend and also the CEO of the Joe’s company.
All Carrie wants to do is get on the next plane home but with a hurricane on the way she is going nowhere.
As the couple are once again thrown together, can Carrie keep things professional or will old feelings resurface and start to cause problems!?.
I did enjoy the split POV aspect as it gave us more of an idea of the back story and the reasons why they both felt the way they did. And how they dealt with their feelings.
Although we are in autumn now, it was refreshing to escape to a sun drenched tropical location after the horrible so called summer we had.
Laura Carter certainly gives us that with the idyllic descriptions and beautiful surroundings of the Caribbean. Oh that front cover!.
A light hearted, romantic and fun read, that is about giving second chances.
Looking forward to more soon from Laura Carter.

The Blurb :
It’s hard to stay professional when you’re stuck on a tiny island… with your ex
Carrie Briggs is on the cusp of a career breakthrough. About to be made partner at her accountancy firm, she’s been given one more hoop to jump through before it can be made official.
And she could think of worse clients to work with – because world-renowned billionaire Joe Hettich is flying her out to his private island in the Caribbean.
But her hopes of career highs (and relaxing in the gorgeous sun in her spare time, of course!) are dashed when she meets the CFO of Joe’s company: Luke Chalmers, the man who broke her heart seven years ago when he chose his ex over her.
With a storm brewing in paradise – both in her heart and literally, on the island – she’s going to have to put her big girl pants on and get through this, before all those feelings have a chance to resurface…


My Thoughts :
We meet Carrie Biggs, a tax accountant who is up for a big promotion at work as partner.
Carrie is soon jetting off to a private island for a week to do some work for a billionaire client, Joe Hettich.
Enter Luke Chalmers, Luke is Carrie’s ex and one true love that broke her heart 7 years ago when he left her.
It turns out Luke is Joe’s best friend and also the CEO of the Joe’s company.
All Carrie wants to do is get on the next plane home but with a hurricane on the way she is going nowhere.
As the couple are once again thrown together, can Carrie keep things professional or will old feelings resurface and start to cause problems!?.
I did enjoy the split POV aspect as it gave us more of an idea of the back story and the reasons why they both felt the way they did. And how they dealt with their feelings.
Although we are in autumn now, it was refreshing to escape to a sun drenched tropical location after the horrible so called summer we had.
Laura Carter certainly gives us that with the idyllic descriptions and beautiful surroundings of the Caribbean. Oh that front cover!.
A light hearted, romantic and fun read, that is about giving second chances.
Looking forward to more soon from Laura Carter.

Wow I love Laura’s stories after first reading one of her books a couple of months ago. This is a beautiful story set on the most idyllic island that sounds nice paradise. The way the island is described in the book just makes you wish you was there. I love now this story not only tells the tale from the perspective of two different characters but also how two people can see something that happened in a completely different way. The hurricane that threatens the island and brings people together is heartwarming. Highly recommend this book and any of Laura’s other books. You won’t be disappointed!

I loved the idea of this book, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, second chance romance, workplace romance, all the good stuff, but it was really just the longest, most dragged out book of miscommunication that I didn't even understand.

The FMC was the worst because she was being unreasonable about the fact that the man she was hooking up with was MARRIED and having a CHILD but somehow she felt entitled to have him to herself? Like get over yourself. And the MMC should have tried harder if he was actually in love with the FMC. Also what decent man falls in love with another woman while still married? I was not a fan.

I will say that I did like the author's writing and the way that wrote about the characters actually having thoughts and feelings besides just lust for each other. The plot just was not interesting enough for me to want to care.

Stuck in Paradise with You by Laura Carter

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

It’s hard to stay professional when you’re stuck on a tiny island… with your ex

Carrie Briggs is on the cusp of a career breakthrough. About to be made partner at her accountancy firm, she’s been given one more hoop to jump through before it can be made official.

And she could think of worse clients to work with – because world-renowned billionaire Joe Hettich is flying her out to his private island in the Caribbean.

But her hopes of career highs (and relaxing in the gorgeous sun in her spare time, of course!) are dashed when she meets the CFO of Joe’s company: Luke Chalmers, the man who broke her heart seven years ago when he chose his ex over her.

With a storm brewing in paradise – both in her heart and literally, on the island – she’s going to have to put her big girl pants on and get through this, before all those feelings have a chance to resurface…

My Opinion

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this book - I am a fan of Laura Carter but I had seen some mixed reviews and the blurb didn’t really grab me. However, this was a pleasant and quick read. Carrie and Luke are forced together without much warning. I enjoyed the way that this book had been cleverly written. Laura Carter has written a light, easy read. Set on a private island with nice writing this would make for a great holiday read.

Rating 4/5

It is an angsty, escapist rom-com set on a glamorous island with inclement weather and a couple with a turbulent history that rivals the impending hurricane. Carrie and Luke had an ill-fated workplace romance that ended badly. Miscommunication overrides communication in this romcom, and the dual viewpoints illustrate that Carrie and Luke both feel that they are the injured party, Carrie because of how their relationship ended and Luke because she has ignored him since, despite what he considers his best efforts to reach her when his circumstances changed. I like the idyllic setting and the use of the impending weather to mirror the couple's interactions. I like the enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes that the author uses to have a good effect in this story, and it ends well. It is a perfect story if you enjoy a second chance and workplace romance with lots of conflict.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I really enjoyed this one!

The setting was great and I wish I could holiday there. The MC were both likeable and I really like a dual pov. There was tension and some humour and a bit of drama too.

I was lucky enough to be able to be an ARC reader for this book. Laura Carter has done some amazing work but this is one of the best I have read of hers. She made it exciting and captivating from the start. Knowing that this story is based on a real-life experience makes it more personal and much more of a captivating read. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone to read. I loved it I'm sure you would too.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy of Stuck In Paradise With You.

Carrie and Luke have a very intense and passionate six week romance until Luke goes back to his estranged wife because she is pregnant. He breaks Carrie’s heart and she blocks him. Seven years later they are reunited on a business meeting on a private island. Can they put the past aside and work together?

My absolute least favorite trope is miscommunication. The whole book I was literally screaming in my head-just talk to each other. I did not like Carrie or Luke’s characters at all and the book was really difficult to get through.

I was into this tension for the first 1/3 of the book. Then it started feeling repetitive. The storm was coming hit it felt secondary.. and I felt like there was a lot of boring plot happening amidst this gigantic storm but we were ignoring the storm ? I’m all for the forces proximity trope. It’s usually a great time. But this fell flat and was overshadowed by the miscommunication trope which is my least favorite. It wouldn’t have been a hard conversation to have right from the beginning, so I didn’t understand why it took so long in the book for the conversation to happen.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a frustratingly addictive rom-com where a couple of hostile exes are forced to work together and confront their past while stuck on a private island preparing for a violent storm. I liked the tropical setting and the dual POV kept me intrigued, but the entire premise is driven by the most absurd miscommunication, which happens to be my least favorite trope. Surprisingly however, the story is light and playful enough that I actually enjoyed it, so while it’s definitely mindfully irritating, it’s also short and sweet, and ridiculously fun.

What happens when you end up stuck on an island with the ex who ripped your heart to shreds seven years earlier….as well as an incoming hurricane.

There were so many elements of this book to love, from the way the heartbreak of years past was portrayed, to the dual POV from Carrie and Luke.
Love, fear, bitterness, apprehension, anger and so much more keeps these two from resolving what ripped them apart, and a matchmaking boss, flirty staff and the incoming weather keep the will-they-won't-they of this couple front and foremost.

If anything, I would have adored a little more angst to this, with a bit more post-island - but that's a minor thing compared to how much I enjoyed reading this.

The story follows Carrie as she travels to a private island to meet with a client, her clients representative is none other than her ex-partner Luke. The same Luke that left her without warning to get back together with his wife and have a baby. Carrie has to try her best to be civil and work with Luke despite the pains of the past.

This is an easy read and great as a palate cleanser between heavy books or just as a general romance read. I did find the characters were annoying and self centered with little development. I felt if they had just had a conversation then the book could have been 5 chapters long.
That being said if you enjoy second chance romance this will be right up your street, also had a touch of enemies to lovers vibes.

Stuck in Paradise with You is a captivating tale about two ex-lovers who reunite after seven years for a work-related trip to a tropical paradise, sparking a second chance at love. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is skillfully woven into the narrative, with witty banter and tension that adds charm to the story. Author masterfully blends romance with just the right amount of spice, making it both satisfying and steamy in all the right places. The tropical setting adds an extra layer of escapism, creating a perfect backdrop for rekindling romance.

If you're a fan of feel-good second-chance romances with tropical backdrops and the perfect balance of spice, Stuck in Paradise with You is a must-read.

Highlights:

Contemporary romance
Second chance
Enemies to lovers
Workplace
Island setting
Forced proximity