Paradise: The heartwrenching new novel about love, lies and friendship from million-copy bestselling author Julie Cohen

by Julie Cohen

Katie never stops moving-constantly changing her address, her boyfriends, her life. But every June, for a month, she goes back to Maine. To the old lake house her family calls Paradise.

But one day Katie wakes up in a hospital bed in Maine, with no memory of the last eighteen months. From her current boyfriend to the global pandemic, Katie is lost. And everything at Paradise has changed, too... including her best friend in the world, Nic.

Nic puts down deep roots. She still lives in the house where she grew up. She's the memory keeper of her family. And she's been in love with her best friend Katie for almost her entire life. Now Katie's claiming not to remember the night that destroyed their friendship forever. Is her amnesia real? Or does she just want to forget?

And how can either of them move on, if only one of them remembers the truth?

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2025

About the author

Julie Cohen (also writing as Julie Mae Cohen) is an award-winning, bestselling author and a popular teacher of creative writing. She was born in Maine in the USA, and currently lives in the UK with her family and a terrier of dubious origin.

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story so much. I was caught up in Katie's drama immediately, and the more I read, the more involved I felt in Katie and Nic's worlds, wondering what would happen, if Katie would get her memory back, and what might happen if she did. Whilst it's set post-lockdown, as the world is starting to edge towards normal, it isn't a pandemic novel. It's a story about friendship, and love, and what happen when you are lying to yourself, as well as to everyone else.
I was another little girl growing up reading Harriet the Spy, and so it felt easy to imagine myself friends with these two girls, feeling envious of their detective investigations! You get to know both of them very well, and their summer lives are so colourful and engaging. The lake, and the pond, felt very real, as did the families of both girls, and I was swept up in their stories, reading the last third of the novel all in one go because I couldn't bear to put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for my copy.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written book.

Katie is in an accident and as a result loses the last 18 months of her life. She doesn't recognise her boyfriend, she can't recall a falling out with her best friend, or her father's health issues. She also can't recall a pandemic.

Admittedly many of us probably wish we could forget Covid, and I'm not sure how was the story progressed, i really enjoyed the reminders of lockdown and how bad the world was in 2020.

But other than that it was a very absorbing story, where I was fascinated by what Katie was experiencing.

I was also interested din the chapters from Nic's point of view, and just what her story entailed.

There are all manner of big scary issues dealt with in this book sensitively and i believe realistically, and with compassion.

This is a brilliant piece of writing, that totally transported me to summertime in Maine and although not the sort of ending I would perhaps prefer, it did leave me feeling hopeful.

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[A Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paradise is an emotional story about exploring feelings, innermost thoughts, family, and friendships. This is beautifully written and dives deep into the human psyche.

Katie and Nicole, friends since childhood, have hit a snag in their friendship. They both want different things for their future, leaving them and their friendship at an impasse. With the help of their family and friends, they try to navigate the bumpy path that leads them back to each other.

I really loved everything about this book. The characters and the emotions were so raw and real. You could feel both girls' pain and confusion. I loved the loyalty of both family and friends and how they were there for each other. I absolutely loved the Maine setting, and the cover of the book is so beautiful! I devoured this in one sitting and highly recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the advanced copy

[Megan Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, Cohen really sends you on an emotional rollercoaster with this book. Having finished it I feel emotionally drained but in a good way. The emotions are perfectly pitched for the story the characters have to tell, yes it is difficult and full on to read but I loved how the emotions and feelings were portrayed, this felt like a very human read.
This would have been a 5 star read but I really did not like the ending and had to drop a star. This aside, the characters are gorgeous and I warmed to them quickly. The plot is completely immersive and made me want to keep reading.
A very emotional and powerful read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends for life is how friendships begin and we all hope that is the way they will stay. Nicole and Katie discovered as they got older that things just were not going on the path their friendship was purpose to going. These two were so lucky to have the people in their lives who would help them work out the bumps in their friendship.
I was so drawn in to this story that time stood still for me while I was reading and was pulled into their lives. My emotions were all over as I read and I encourage others to read this wonderful book.
Thank you NetGalley,#juliecohen, and Orion Publishing Group for the ecopy of Paradise. This is my personal review.

[Jemma Roe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two childhood friends, two different future plans.
Beautiful story of friendship and life hurdles and overcoming them with the help of friends and family. I throughly enjoyed this book, it was a first read from this author and iv found a new favourite. I also adore the book cover 😍