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A Year in Paradise #9
September Lessons
Welcome to Paradise Valley, where the locals thrive on the rural landscape, the quirky Oregonian living, and the history of the lesbian commune that founded it.
Mixing small town attitudes with lesbian dating? Sounds like another day in Paradise.
On the first day of senior year in a new school, Alabaman transplant Carrie Sage meets the girl of her lesbian dreams.
Too bad the mayor’s daughter is a bit too straight to go for a troublemaking Southerner like Carrie.
Enter Leigh-Ann Hardy, the only girl in Clark High School who knows a thing or two about the girl Carrie crushes after like it’s Valentine’s Day. After all, Leigh-Ann and the mayor’s daughter used to be best friends!
While Carrie navigates life in a brand-new place that automatically labels her more trouble than she’s worth, Leigh-Ann faces a truth she’s been suppressing her whole life in Paradise Valley.
She might be a little bit gay. It only took the new girl to make her see that!
Mixing small town attitudes with lesbian dating? Sounds like another day in Paradise.
On the first day of senior year in a new school, Alabaman transplant Carrie Sage meets the girl of her lesbian dreams.
Too bad the mayor’s daughter is a bit too straight to go for a troublemaking Southerner like Carrie.
Enter Leigh-Ann Hardy, the only girl in Clark High School who knows a thing or two about the girl Carrie crushes after like it’s Valentine’s Day. After all, Leigh-Ann and the mayor’s daughter used to be best friends!
While Carrie navigates life in a brand-new place that automatically labels her more trouble than she’s worth, Leigh-Ann faces a truth she’s been suppressing her whole life in Paradise Valley.
She might be a little bit gay. It only took the new girl to make her see that!
- GenresLesbianLesbian Fiction
129 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2019
About the author
Hildred Billings
153 books322 followersHildred Billings is a Japanese and Religious Studies graduate who has spent her entire life knowing she would write for a living someday. She has lived in Japan multiple times in multiple locations, from the heights of the Japanese alps to the hectic Tokyo suburbs, with a life in Shikoku somewhere in there too.
Currently, Hildred lives in Oregon with her partner and two cats. When she's not commandeering the corner of the neighborhood coffee shop on hours on end (it's okay, she's on a first-name basis with the baristas) she's probably parked on the couch watching Bob's Burgers or screaming at a Zelda game. (Seriously, Link, why don't you move right?)
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Twitter: @hildred
Currently, Hildred lives in Oregon with her partner and two cats. When she's not commandeering the corner of the neighborhood coffee shop on hours on end (it's okay, she's on a first-name basis with the baristas) she's probably parked on the couch watching Bob's Burgers or screaming at a Zelda game. (Seriously, Link, why don't you move right?)
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/3rgEzLz
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3c7Lcf4
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3vPLpvd
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/3lDutn5
Twitter: @hildred
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 4, 2025
It was an okay read. I'm still enjoying my time in Paradise Valley and getting to meet different characters, while spotting the occasional character I'm familiar from the series.
January 15, 2021
It was a nice change to hear about Paradise Valley from a teenager’s point of view. Leigh-Ann is struggling with losing her best friend and coming to terms with her sexuality. Carrie is trying to finish high school and stay out of trouble. Unfortunately trouble finds them both but brings them closer together. I am really excited to listen to the next story. The narrator did a very good job.
September 14, 2019
After being expelled during her senior year in high school for having an affair with the principal's married daughter, Carrie travels from Alabama to her aunt and uncle's home in rural Oregon (Paradise Valley, the setting for this monthly series) to start her senior year over at age 19. Although she's attracted to the pretty girl who's also the mayor's daughter, Carrie befriends Leigh-Ann, a loner who had a mysterious falling out with the pretty girl their sophomore year. Leigh-Ann says she's straight and so is the pretty girl, so Carrie decides to buckle down on school work, focus on her job at the local pizza place and get her diploma.
But as the new girl in town, Carrie is the prime suspect in a rash of barn fires being set. And she's determined to find the real culprit.
This is Hildred Billings' first go at a YA novel. It's not bad, but it's not terribly good either, especially since it's so short and the ending is a bit rushed. It was hard to get engaged with either MC and because this is the first book in the series I've read, I'm not sure where this sits with respect to the 8 that precede it. In any case, it's not great.
But as the new girl in town, Carrie is the prime suspect in a rash of barn fires being set. And she's determined to find the real culprit.
This is Hildred Billings' first go at a YA novel. It's not bad, but it's not terribly good either, especially since it's so short and the ending is a bit rushed. It was hard to get engaged with either MC and because this is the first book in the series I've read, I'm not sure where this sits with respect to the 8 that precede it. In any case, it's not great.
September 16, 2024
This book was okay it was nice to read about how being in high school and dealing with your sexuality was portrayed and how easy “friendships” can crumble on a miscommunication.
I felt like not being American and knowing enough about the states though really hindered me as a lot of the story was emphasing being from the south and the difference with Oregon like every reader can understand that
I felt like not being American and knowing enough about the states though really hindered me as a lot of the story was emphasing being from the south and the difference with Oregon like every reader can understand that
September 17, 2020
Wonderful!
I love this series and all of the characters in Paradise. The books can all be read as stand-alones, but they really start to come together when you read multiple books in the series. If you enjoy lesfic, I recommend "visiting" Paradise!
I love this series and all of the characters in Paradise. The books can all be read as stand-alones, but they really start to come together when you read multiple books in the series. If you enjoy lesfic, I recommend "visiting" Paradise!
July 30, 2020
Great book
I liked this book cuz it had to do with what kids are going thru when they are trying to figure out about their sexuality.
I liked this book cuz it had to do with what kids are going thru when they are trying to figure out about their sexuality.
August 17, 2020
This was a better story of High School and what kids cliques do to others even in an "accepting" environment. I am seeing each of these books in the series as more of a Chapter in a longer book.
August 16, 2022
Story was nice but the lack of proofreading irritated me.
November 1, 2019
Another great installment in this series. This one was a bit more challenging read for me, at times, though that's down to my personal background and not the author's abilities: high school stories can bring back the worst memories of my days there, and I often don't want to be reminded of them.
Because of the younger age group in this book and the action centering around the high school, it also didn't feel to me like it had quite the same ability to connect with the characters I'd come to know in the previous books: several of them did make appearances, but… Hildred Billings did a good job of showing that the teen world is, in many ways, a completely different world to that of the rest of a community, despite the fact that teens and adults see each other every day.
The author also did a great job of showing the different emotions that go with being a little bit outside the social mainstream in high school. That she did this while not turning me off the book is a testament to her talents!
Because of the younger age group in this book and the action centering around the high school, it also didn't feel to me like it had quite the same ability to connect with the characters I'd come to know in the previous books: several of them did make appearances, but… Hildred Billings did a good job of showing that the teen world is, in many ways, a completely different world to that of the rest of a community, despite the fact that teens and adults see each other every day.
The author also did a great job of showing the different emotions that go with being a little bit outside the social mainstream in high school. That she did this while not turning me off the book is a testament to her talents!
September 23, 2019
Alabama Comes to Paradise Valley
Carrie Sage drove from Alabama to Oregon so she could do her senior year of high school. Then she crushes on the very straight Mayor’s daughter. Leigh Ann Hardy was the only student who would really associate with her. Leigh Ann had been best friends with Christina Rath before sophomore year happened. Now will the two misfits be open to more? A coming out coming of age story. Recommend Series.
Carrie Sage drove from Alabama to Oregon so she could do her senior year of high school. Then she crushes on the very straight Mayor’s daughter. Leigh Ann Hardy was the only student who would really associate with her. Leigh Ann had been best friends with Christina Rath before sophomore year happened. Now will the two misfits be open to more? A coming out coming of age story. Recommend Series.
September 24, 2019
The cover art is great.
You can read the “About this book” for the story line. I have over 20 books by this author, this is just not my favorite. The idea of 12 books in one year is intriguing but maybe hard to do. Some books from this series have been great, this one is just not one of them. However, I look forward to the next story in this series. Billings is a good author and I’m a fan.
You can read the “About this book” for the story line. I have over 20 books by this author, this is just not my favorite. The idea of 12 books in one year is intriguing but maybe hard to do. Some books from this series have been great, this one is just not one of them. However, I look forward to the next story in this series. Billings is a good author and I’m a fan.
January 13, 2020
A southern turns heads in a northern state.
Carrie is determined in graduating and after a bad ending in 'Bama she heads to Oregon. Native Leigh -Anne is not sure about who she wants to date. Things get complicated after a fire starts where they were talking. Interested yet? Enjoy!
Carrie is determined in graduating and after a bad ending in 'Bama she heads to Oregon. Native Leigh -Anne is not sure about who she wants to date. Things get complicated after a fire starts where they were talking. Interested yet? Enjoy!
January 18, 2020
Young happiness
Maybe the teen misfits can figure out this love & relationship thing better than their predecessors seem to have. (Ever noticed how many older singles screwed up their first time around live in Paradise Valley… IJS)
Loved getting a back story on Leigh-Ann & Christina as more than background characters in other people's stories.
Maybe the teen misfits can figure out this love & relationship thing better than their predecessors seem to have. (Ever noticed how many older singles screwed up their first time around live in Paradise Valley… IJS)
Loved getting a back story on Leigh-Ann & Christina as more than background characters in other people's stories.
October 6, 2019
September takes a look at Paradise from the YA perspective; even in Paradise the teen years can be tough for other-than-straight people. Decent story arc with a little more angst than August. Not coincidentally the barn fire issue is resolved.
December 15, 2019
This wasn't a slam unk
Having read all the other starting with January this September book did not live up to the previous books. Somewhat off in the story but good enough to convey the true storyline being told. Hop the next one is a bit better
Having read all the other starting with January this September book did not live up to the previous books. Somewhat off in the story but good enough to convey the true storyline being told. Hop the next one is a bit better
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews