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Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

Contemporary fiction

Winter in Paradise

by Elin Hilderbrand

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Quick take

An inspiring story about a woman who finds hope in trying times on a small Caribbean island.

Good to know

  • Illustrated icon, Romance

    Romance

  • Illustrated icon, Light_Read

    Light read

  • Illustrated icon, Family_Drama

    Family drama

  • Illustrated icon, First_in_Series

    First in series

Synopsis

Irene Steele’s idyllic life—house, husband, family—is shattered when she is woken up by a late-night phone call. Her beloved husband has been found dead, but before Irene can process this tragic news, she must confront the perplexing details of her husband’s death. He was found on St. John island, a tropical paradise far removed from their suburban life. Leaving the cold winter behind, Irene flies down to the beautiful Caribbean beaches of St. John only to make another shocking discovery: her husband had a secret second family. As Irene investigates the mysterious circumstances of her husband’s death, she is plunged into a web of intrigue and deceit belied by the pristine white sand beaches of St. John’s. This exciting first book in the Paradise series will transport readers to a new beach locale—another world that Elin knows as well as her beloved Nantucket—and have them longing for winter.

Free sample

Get an early look from the first pages of Elin Hilderbrand's Winter in Paradise.

Winter in Paradise

Irene: Iowa City

It’s the first night of the new year.

Irene Steele has spent the day in a state of focused productivity. From nine to one, she led away every piece of paperwork relating to the complete moth-to-butterfly renovation of her 1892 Queen Anne–style home on Church Street. From one to two, she ate a thick sandwich, chicken salad on pumpernickel (she has always been naturally slender, luckily, so no New Year’s diets for her), and then she took a short nap on the velvet fainting couch in front of the fire in the parlor. From two fifteen to three-thirty, she composed an email response to her boss, Joseph Feeney, the publisher of Heartland Home & Style magazine, who two days earlier had informed her that she was being “promoted” from editor in chief of the magazine to executive editor, a newly created position that reduces both Irene’s hours and responsibilities by half and comes with a 30 percent pay cut.

At a quarter of four, she tried calling her husband, Russ, who was away on business. The phone rang six times and went to voicemail. Irene didn’t leave a message. Russ never listened to them, anyway.

She tried Russ again at four thirty and was shuttled straight to voicemail. She paused, then hung up. Russ was on his phone night and day. Irene wondered if he was intentionally avoiding her call.

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Why I love it

As an author, it’s not a stretch to say that books are the one true love of my life. Though there’s magic in all of them, I am most captivated by plot-driven stories that deal with the mysteries of everyday life—stories that pose the question: What if everything you know is a lie?

Irene seems to have the perfect life as a wife, mother, and magazine editor. But when her husband dies in a mysterious helicopter crash in the Caribbean, she’s left to wonder: Was everything really as perfect as it seemed? Leaving the suburbs behind, Irene journeys to the Caribbean in search of answers not only about her husband, but also about herself—about the woman she wants to be and the life she wants to lead.

I was drawn from the start to this vivid story of heartbreak, betrayal, and the life-altering effects of being blindsided by love. Hilderbrand writes with such detail and clarity that I felt like I was on vacation in St. John right beside Irene and her family. Winter in Paradise is as well-crafted as it is compelling, and while—fair warning—this story ends with a cliffhanger, I can’t wait to read the sequel and find out what happens next to the Steele family.

Member ratings (10,458)

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Contemporary fiction
View all
The Last Love Note
What Does It Feel Like?
Anita de Monte Laughs Last
The Wedding People
Honey
The Leftover Woman
The Same Bright Stars
Bye, Baby
Definitely Better Now
Swan Song
The Days I Loved You Most
The Connellys of County Down
Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life
Jackpot Summer
Adelaide
I Might Be in Trouble
The Collected Regrets of Clover
Again and Again
Evil Eye
Black Cake
Maame
Romantic Comedy
Someone Else’s Shoes
Once There Were Wolves
We Are the Brennans
The Bad Muslim Discount
What Comes After
Olga Dies Dreaming
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel
Monster in the Middle
Nine Perfect Strangers
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
Honey Girl
In Every Mirror She's Black
Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?
Sankofa
The Unsinkable Greta James
The Love of My Life
The Five-Star Weekend
A Home for the Holidays
The Wishing Game
Behold the Dreamers
The Mothers
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
Little Fires Everywhere
The Music Shop
Where’d You Go, Bernadette
The Reckless Oath We Made
When We Were Vikings
The Girl with the Louding Voice
A Good Neighborhood
Big Summer
All Adults Here
Happy & You Know It
Friends and Strangers
The Comeback
True Story
The Last Story of Mina Lee
Troubles in Paradise
White Ivy
This Close to Okay
The Chicken Sisters
The Prophets
In a Book Club Far Away
The Other Black Girl
Apples Never Fall
A Quiet Life
We Are the Light
The Most Likely Club
The Fortunes of Jaded Women
When We Were Bright and Beautiful
The Hotel Nantucket