A Taste of Paradise

by Melissa Hill

Escape to St Lucia in the perfect summer read from the No. 1 Irish Times bestselling author of The Summer Villa.

Praise for Melissa

'Delightfully, deliciously enjoyable' Patricia Scanlan

'All the ingredients for an irresistible tale’ Roisin Meaney

'The perfect escapist romance' That's Life

***

Welcome to paradise on the island of St Lucia.

Erin Howard has just joined The Palms Hotel as guest relations manager. She is determined to make her mark, and a deal with Daniel MacKenzie, the enigmatic CEO of the hottest new ecotourist agency, could be just the way to do that.

Meanwhile, events coordinator Lily Carter, is drawn to Shay Brady, a heartbroken groom seeking solace in the island’s tranquility after his fiancée leaves him. As their bond deepens, Lily starts to question her own desires for the life she’s built.

Naomi Sparks, a vibrant social media influencer, has just arrived to celebrate her milestone birthday with family and friends. As she begins to see the cracks in her relationship with her boyfriend Greg, new and unexpected connections form, leading her to question what true love really means.

Against this stunning backdrop, the lives of staff and guests intertwine. But when a threat to The Palms emerges, it becomes clear that trusting the wrong person could put the survival of the beloved resort in jeopardy…

***

Perfect for fans

🏖️ Beach reads

❤️ Romance

🔍 Light mystery

***

Praise for Melissa

‘I was completely gripped’ Sarah Morgan

‘Addictive!’ Grazia

‘Another great read from the bestselling Irish author’ Hello!

‘Thoroughly enjoyable…sparkling with glamour, romance and suspense’ Anna McPartlin

‘This emotive story will touch your heart’ My Weekly

‘Blissfully escapist’ Marie Claire

‘Will keep you turning the pages until the very end’ Woman

‘Gripping!’ Bella

‘An absorbing tale … Hill doesn’t disappoint’ Irish Independent

‘Emotional and cleverly crafted with well-drawn characters’ People

‘If you need some escapism, this lovely read … is the ideal pick’ Good Housekeeping

‘Its beautiful descriptions of the gorgeous settings make this novel the escapism we all need now’ Woman’s Weekly

‘[A] blissful getaway’ Sunday Post

‘Evocative’

352 pages, ebook

First published July 2, 2026

About the author

Melissa Hill is a USA Today bestselling author living in Ireland’s beautiful County Wicklow. Her page-turning contemporary novels of family, friendship and romance are published worldwide and have been translated into twenty-six languages.

A Hollywood adaptation of her international bestseller Something from Tiffany's, by Reese Witherspoon's production company Hello Sunshine and Amazon Studios, was released worldwide in Dec 2022.

Other novels including A Gift to Remember and The Charm Bracelet have been adapted for screen by Hallmark Channel USA, with multiple other titles currently also in development for film and TV.

For more info, visit her website at www.melissahill.info

Facebook: facebook.com/melissahillbooks

Instagram: @melissahillbooks

Melissa also co-writes forensic thrillers with her husband under the pseudonym Casey Hill. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

Reviews

[Sarah]

Not only readers are taken to the beautiful island St Lucia, we are also in for a bit of a mystery. Who exactly is trying to sabotage The Palms Hotel? There are plenty of guests focussed on in the book, giving ample reasons why they might have an ulterior motive. This made the book more enjoyable, taking it from a summer chick lit to a read with some investigating required.

I think the writer completely brings the setting alive, making it a relaxing beach-themed read. You could literally taste the sun cream and holiday vibes as the novel progressed! I liked how this book isn’t just set within the hotel because it meant readers are able to explore the island with some of the guests. The end result? It’s a location on my ever-expanding bucket list (that’s looking alarmingly similar to be TBR – long and always growing!).

This is a great beach read or one of those books for when you need to be taken away. Following Erin as she starts her new job at The Palms Hotel, the workplace dramas means there is no quiet time at all. Sympathising with Erin as she handles one crisis to the next, I had my suspicions regarding who might be behind some of these punishing problems. Indeed, I wished the writer had expanded on this a bit more, especially when answers were revealed, because I think this would have added to the plot development.

As Erin gets to grips with the hotel, I enjoyed following some of the guests that are staying. They are a colourful bunch! From a honeymoon couple that appear fixated on work and WiFi, to a potential proposal combined with birthday celebrations, Hill has included a variety of characters that add to the hotel’s mystery. The opening letter suggests that developers are keen to get hold of the property and its land; there are enough characters that behave quite shady that made me suspect they were behind Erin’s increasing workload. Consequently, whilst we have sun, sea, sand and romance, I enjoyed the little mystery about the future of the hotel.

This was a relaxing read and I enjoyed this offering from Hill. I think the setting was the most appealing aspect of the story, although I liked being able to suspect most of the guests! The happy ending was completely satisfying and left me feeling that actually I had had my little taste of paradise after all – even if I hadn’t left the comfort of my own sofa.

With thanks to HQ for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jodi]

3.5⭐️

[Chloë]

A perfect Summer escape for readers who enjoy -
🌴Beach reads
🌴Romance with a side of mystery
🌴Unexpected sparks & second chances
🌴Twists & turns paired with glitz & glamour

⭑ Publication Date: 2nd July 2026
⭑ Available In: Audiobook, eBook & Paperback


~ review ~

A Taste of Paradise is THE perfect Summer escape. It delivers the heat by giving you not only romance and chemistry but intrigue and mystery too. There’s second chances, workplace drama, a lot of different character arcs and the setting? Perfection! If you weren’t already craving a holiday, you definitely will be after reading this book!

Set in and around The Palms Hotel on the idyllic island of St. Lucia, the book is centred around a large, mixed cast of fun, relatable, engaging characters.
You have hotel staff including Erin, the new Guest Relations Manager whose workload seems to be never-ending and Lily, the Events Coordinator who finds herself caught up in an unexpected connection.
There’s also hotel guests including influencer Naomi, a character I was quite unsure about at first, her work obsessed boyfriend Greg and Shay, a jilted groom in dire need of a pick me up!
It’s safe to say that when it comes to the saboteur who seems set on taking down The Palms, you have yourself quite the mystery! Thanks to the large number of suspects, there’s a lot of fun, suspicion, speculation and guessing which certainly kept me dialled in!

My favourite part of this book however, was the setting. Melissa Hill’s vibrant, immersive writing allows you to place yourself right in the middle of things. It appeals to all of your senses so although I was sat wrapped in a blanket in rainy England, in my mind I was sunbathing, cocktail in hand, taking in everything the beautiful island/hotel had to offer!
Prior to reading I was slightly concerned because island settings can sometimes feel a bit isolated but there’s so much going on and so many different perspectives that I needn’t have worried!


~ final thoughts ~

I’m not too sure how I haven’t read Melissa Hill’s work before now but it’s something I’ll be correcting very soon! This was a fun, refreshing, entertaining, easy-going read and I really enjoyed all of the different character dynamics. The pacing was great and although there were a few instances where things slowed down, there was never anything that majorly affected my overall reading experience. I’m also a sucker for a happy ending and that’s exactly what we’re gifted here so that’s another plus!
If you need some sunshine in your life then add this book to your TBR. It whisks you away to paradise without the early AM airport run, endless security lines and annoying child kicking the back of your seat for 6 hours 😒🤩

Thank you to so much to HQ for the beautiful gifted proof copy I received. This is my honest opinion and I’m sharing it voluntarily❣️

[Emma Ashley]

💛 Blurb -
Erin Howard has just joined The Palms Hotel as guest relations manager. She is determined to make her mark, and a deal with Daniel MacKenzie, the enigmatic CEO of the hottest new ecotourist agency, could be just the way to do that.
Meanwhile, events coordinator Lily Carter, is drawn to Shay Brady, a heartbroken groom seeking solace in the island’s tranquillity after his fiancée leaves him. As their bond deepens, Lily starts to question her own desires for the life she’s built.
Naomi Sparks, a vibrant social media influencer, has just arrived to celebrate her milestone birthday with family and friends. As she begins to see the cracks in her relationship with her boyfriend Greg, new and unexpected connections form, leading her to question what true love really means.
Against this stunning backdrop, the lives of staff and guests intertwine. But when a threat to The Palms emerges, it becomes clear that trusting the wrong person could put the survival of the beloved resort in jeopardy…
❤️ Review -
This was such a brilliant summer time read. It's the first book that I have read by the author and I will definitely be reading more by them. I loved the author's writing style and the pacing was just right. I loved that the story was set in a hotel setting which made for an interesting and entertaining read. There was a great cast of characters and I enjoyed following their journeys through the story. Overall a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers.
💝 Thank you to HQ Stories and the author Melissa Hill for my proof copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sara Oxton]

Whisk yourself away for some St Lucia sunshine and the promise of a good story. This story has some drama, some intrigue, and some romance, and characters you will love to hate, and some who may even surprise you. There are a lot of characters to keep on top of with this story, but the author somehow manages to do that and keep you hooked knowing and loving the drama. The depth is well done, so you have underlying stories like the search for a mystery key, that flow along, and others that are more focused like Naomi and Greg, and his workaholic ways, Naomi was someone who really won me over, I wasn’t sure I was going to like her at first, on the surface she appears one way, but then as she unfurls like a flower on holiday the real Naomi comes out and she is a pleasure to read about. There are so many amazing characters in this story, that you cant help falling in love with not only the setting of the Palms, but the people as well.

[Emma]

First of all a massive thank you to Harper Collins for sending me a proof copy of this book! 🌷

Erin, Lily and Naomi are all at The Palms Hotel for different reasons and each of them are going through turning points in their lives. When a threat occurs, will the magical island of The Palms bring everyone together?

Unfortunately this wasn’t for me, I don’t think I’m the audience for this book and although the premise is interesting, it didn’t keep my interest throughout the book. I’m not sure what I was expecting, maybe a bit more of a mystery or drama.

If you love friends hanging out together and exotic sunny beaches, maybe it will be your ideal beach read.

Once again thank you for the opportunity, I think I’ll stick to YA romance or other romance. 💕

[Hannah Symonds]

I have not read any of Melissa's books before so was Intrigued. I liked the sound of the plot centering around a hotel. Different characters really brought this book to life. At every chapter I wanted to read on. You get different peoples perspectives and I really liked that. It was a really great easy read and I look forward to reading more of Melissa's books.

[Lexy]

My yearly Melissa Hill fix complete. A great story teller and romance writer. This novel has left me wanting an exotic holiday.

All set in the Palms Hotel. Erin - Guest Services Manager appears to have her work cut out. Including dealing with High flyer Mack. Can she get him onside.

Lovely feel good book. Add this to your summer reading.

[Maja]

Many thanks to both Netgalley and also HQ for providing this ARC!

I think this was a cute one. The location together with the story makes A Taste of Paradise a perfect mystery read for the summer. Very much recommended!

[Fay Cadman]

*Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I picked this up as I'm always on the lookout for a good holiday read and the cover alone just screams summer vibes

I hadn't read anything by Melissa Hill before but she is an international bestselling author so I had high hopes going in and she definitely delivered!

The story is warm, fun and just the kind of escapism you want when you need a little sunshine in your life. The characters felt really relatable and I found myself rooting for them from pretty early on. It's the kind of book you could easily devour in a day by the pool.

The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is just a couple of moments where the pacing felt a little slow for me personally, but honestly it didn't take away from how enjoyable it was overall.

If you are looking for your next holiday read or just want something feel good and easy to get lost in, deffo give this one a go - you won't regret it!