Resurrection

Masters of Paradise #3

by Poppy Flynn

Love on the rocks. Can it survive?

High school sweethearts, Sam and Sophie had weathered everything life could throw at them.
It always seemed like nothing could affect the unshakeable foundation their marriage was built on... Until they decided to start a family and their dreams started to crumble around them.
Their marriage is hanging by a thread when a Christmas gift of an all expenses paid trip to a tropical island paradise offers them the chance to reconnect away from the pressures of everyday life. And it includes an all access pass to the kink club, Iniquity, to spice things up a little.
But after all the disappointment and the downward spiral into bitterness and blame resurrecting their ailing relationship is going to be tough.
And without a buffer, the close confines might just be the thing that snaps the thread.

Genres: BDSM, Contemporary, Smut, Romance

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 27, 2021

Reviews

[Rhonda Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Resurrection' is book two of Poppy Flynn's "Masters of Paradise" series and, as much as I hate to admit this, I could totally relate to Sam, Sophie, and their dilemma. It just seems like once a relationship, of any kind, is on a downhill trajectory, it's increasingly hard to know what to do and how to stop it, much less the inevitable second-guessing of every decision made. ~sigh~ This couple has already walked over the coals of hell personally and as a couple. They thought they had finally become so in-tune and secure within the relationship and themselves they wanted a baby. The ultimate reward for any couple, right? Except none of that worked out in their favor. All their attempts did was put additional pressure and heartache. That is why they received their unexpected gift from Ash and Lucy for Christmas. For me, the storyline was truly relatable although, I wish I had an Elysian Island to go to in order to work things through and bring the magic back. ;) I thoroughly enjoyed their story and I think most will too. We all want that happily ever after, especially if it comes with a bit of BDSM

[Rose Howse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Chance To Renew Their Love

When Sophie and Sam are given a gift of an all expenses paid trip to Elysium, a tropical paradise, Sophie's sister Lucy hopes it will help the couple reconnect and strengthen their marriage. Sophie and Sam have been trying very hard for far too long to get pregnant. There was one pregnancy that terminated early and they were both feeling the pain of that failure and haven't had success with their clinical approach to get get pregnant. With both suffering with their own inadequacies, their love for each other is overshadowed by their failure to concieve. Sam is feeling like a failure as he's expected to perform and Sophie is feeling Sam doesn't desire her anymore. My heart hurt for this couple that lost
sight of their relationship as they concentrated on procreating. Hoping the trip will help with their problems, they both go about it differently and on their own on the island. Without really talking out their feelings and not really listening when they do try to communicate, it takes a lot before they finally try out some new techniques to connect. Hurt feelings, jumping to the wrong conclusions and just doing things individually make for a poor substitute for a relationship of trust and love. It was a frustrating situation as I read each scenario wanting to knock some sense into this couple.
I was happy to finally get to the end where there is a HEA that they worked so hard for.

[Amy Reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie and Sam have been together for years. After 10 years of marriage, though, they've hit a rough patch. Sophie's sister Lucy and her fiance Ash give them a two week vacation to Elysium for Christmas, and they are off the same day. Sophie and Sam each blame themselves for their problems, and their communication has devolved. Misunderstanding follows misunderstanding, until each is devastated, but sure it is over. It is going to take more than two weeks in paradise to learn to love again.
This is a powerful story about a marriage in trouble. Their HEA is very hard won, but so well worth it. Adding some kink to their marriage helped, but saving it took work. This book is a very good read, and is, I think, the best so far in the series.

I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/26/2022)! 🎁

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because it focuses on a married couple and their struggles. I don't think we get enough of that in romance. This was okay as a standalone as I didn't read the first two books and it was self contained.

TW: Trouble conceiving, low libido, anxiety about getting aroused, miscarriage

Sophie and Sam are in a bad place where they don't sleep in the same rooms and sex is nonexistent. Sam is insecure because he can't keep an erection and feels like Sophie just wants to have sex with him get pregnant. Sophie has repressed alot and feels hurt that Sam pushes her away.

Her sister and her partner offer them an all expenses paid trip to an island with a BDSM club, hoping they can finally sort out their issues.

They don't. For majority of the book, the lack of communication, not allowing the other person to explain and assumptions made was sad and frustrating to see. Both want to sort things out but they don't connect and it gets awkward real fast. This coming from childhood friends and high school sweet hearts baffled me. I felt that they could have benefited from seeing a therapist along with the BDSM since it seemed to have a breakthrough.

It was interesting to see how new they were to the world and both taking some time to learn more about it. Sam was a jerk at times to her new friends and in his assumptions on BDSM and what it entails. Sophie was immature and aggressive. For adults who have been together for thirteen years, who are thirty-one and twenty-eight, they didn't feel like their age.

I did like how the author brings awareness that not all men get aroused all the time and easily. The romance stereotype is that men lead, they are always turned on and can remain that way indefinitely, or at least most of the time. That can be unhealthy for impressions on how men really are: they can struggle with insecurity, anxiety and health issues.

Tropes: Marriage in trouble

[Krissy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an ARC and leaving my honest review. Standalone in the Masters of Paradise series. This one is on Sophie and Sam whose once solid relationship and marriage is going through shaky turbulent times because of feelings of guilt, inadequency, frustrations and misunderstandings on top of misunderstandings as they try and fail to procreate. And most importantly because both are not making the effort to communicate but rather choose to lash out and hurt the other first to protect their own vulnerability and insecurities.

It's unfortunately sad but true that this does happen in reality. Counselling could/would probably help but for the purpose of the story to weave in Elysium and the BDSM lifestyle, this wasn't done till the end (which led to their finally resolving or managing their issues), so I'm happy the author did keep it real that counselling is needed and not just introducing kink into their life to resolve issues cos it doesn't work that way since BDSM is about trust and communication and if the relationship is already rocky and communication isn't happening, then it's a bad idea.

That said, I enjoyed how the story brought to life both Sam's and Sophie's feelings, thoughts, views (both justified and real) and how it was brought home that communication in any relationship is key. The BDSM part was actually very "tame" (but hot) and wasn't the focus, rather their relationship was and it was heart wrenching to see them struggle to find a common ground and heart warming when they both finally got what they always wanted, a child and being able to work with each other to fight for their love and relationship.

[Silke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the tropical-island-paradise setting with touches of Christmas and New Year's celebrations, this is not your typical, easy to read romance novel. Instead, it deals with issues that might trigger some people - loss, depression, failed pregnancy tries as well as something I've never read about in a romance novel before: the hero's problem to 'perform'. Yet that is what sets Poppy's books apart and what I love about them: They deal with issues that come up in real life and her couples have to struggle and fight their way through before they do get their happy end. I wanted to alternately strangle Sophie and Sam or tell tem to JUST TALK to each other. And I was ready to rip my hair out when it finally seemed like they broke through their impasse - in a very steaming scene complete with spanking and other BDSM elements - only for their struggle to continue on. The happy-for-new ending came rather abruptly. I would have wished for the peak into their future to be further down the road and to include a happy ending in all respects. But since this is a part of an ongoing series we may get to see more of them in future releases. I look forward to the next book!

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good story that will make you take a hard look into your own relationship, and maybe can help make it better.
Sophie and Sam'm marrige is in deep trouble. Even though they both still love one another, they can't seem to stop causing irrepressible damage to their marriage. In order to try and help, Lucy & Ash (Sophie's sister and brother in law whom we met in "Temptation") decide to send them to the island of Elysium, for a tropical vacation during Christmas time, in hopes it would help to bring Sophie and Sam back together. While on the island Sophie and Sam experiment with kink, and for a minute their relationship seems to be going back on track, when a misunderstanding makes everything fall apart...
But then somthing they wanted for so long is suddenly within reach and helps to bring them back together.
While reading this book, I couldn't stop thinking how much honest and open communication is important for a good relationship. And sometimes when you can't do that on your own there is no shame seeking professional help. Finding their way back to each other wasn't easy, but at the end, love conquers all.

[Isabel Nicholson]

This is a wonderful addition to the series and after Ash and Lucy’s story where the readers met Sam and Sophie. The dynamics of their marriage were being tested in the first book and the problems have clearly gone deeper by the start of the second book. It’s really lovely to see more of their story and continue their journey after the events in Temptation. The return to Elysium is less about the wonders of the island this time round and more about the Christmas delights on offer.

The gift from Ash and Lucy is supposed to reignite the romance in their marriage and while this book does have some scorching hot moments the story is focused much more on the relationship itself. The story takes Sam and Sophie on journeys of self-discovery. Real and lasting relationships take work and I was pleased it was clear it had taken more than just a holiday away to repair the damage in their trust and relationship.
The book will put you on an emotional rollercoaster but it is worth reading.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I need to point out that there are triggers for some within these pages. Difficulty becoming pregnant, marital problems and bdsm scenes.

This story follows Lucy's sister Sophie and her husband Sam. Sophie lives within her head to box up emotions, situations and feelings she is not ready to deal with especially what she fears most. Sam feels that he is a failure, just a sperm donor which leads to impotence in the bedroom. Each loves the other dearly but cannot bridge the widening gulf between them. Lucy and her husband Ash want to help them to that ends they send them to the island of Elysium where they met.

I found this story informative regarding the bdsm scenes, a tear jerker because I was Sophie to a point and both haunting and steamy to their happy ever after.

I voluntarily chose to read and review a complimentary copy. This is my own honest opinion written in my own words which neither can be bought therefore no compensation was involved.

[Toni L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the series but can be read and enjoyed as a standalone story with its own HEA. This is a story about a relationship in crisis. I adored this book. It's emotional and intense as the characters battle with each other and try to determine what their future will look like. This story was told from both points of view, and I have rarely seen that style used as effectively as in this book, as it provides real understanding in what is going on in the characters heads, how easily actions can be misinterpreted, especially with words left unspoken. The only thing that I didn't love was the ending. Sure, we're given an Epilogue, but it jumps forward in time a little from the end of the last chapter. I would have liked to know what went on immediately after, ie, before the Epilogue.

[Marybeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie is Lucy's (main character of book one) big sister. When their parents died, Sophie and her husband Sam took custody of her. Lucy found her partner, Ash, at Elysium. They decide to give the gift of a vacation on the island to them for Christmas in the hope that they could reconnect. The problem is that neither of them wants to talk and get things out in the open. They had decided that they were ready for a baby, but their bodies were not cooperating. Sophie was riding the waves of hormones and Sam had performance issues. When they finally try to reconcile, once again they are at cross purposes. It takes some intense talk and some therapy, but they do get their HEA.

I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[CKD! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miscommunication in a marriage

Sophie and Sam have tried everything to conceive and nothing has worked. Their marriage is in shambles and they can't seem to ever say the right thing to reach other. A tropical paradise fixes nothing. This is a real life story about couple struggle and one conversation can't fix it. Poppy carried over some parts from the first book in the series but this can be read as a standalone. There are some definite sexy times but this was mostly about finding ways to connect with reach other. 

[Katherine Horvath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reconnecting!

Resurrection: WOW! Very intense story! Great way to bring BDSM in to a marriage that was struggling. I liked that her sister and brother in law to be wanted to help them reconnect. They needed a little push and there were ups and downs while they we're away but what happen helped there marriage but they didn't realize until they we're push together to talk. Great story!

[K G Wakeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misunderstandings

I love Poppy Flynn's new Masters of Paradise series....this book, however, made me want to scream in frustration. Too many and too long in the story were the misunderstandings between Sam and Sophie. I wanted more together times. Even knowing they had problems, I wanted more happy ever after.

[Patty Mele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the character built up was very well done and it made the reader that is me like them very much. I really started to read this book and I really enjoyed the story line and thought it was really well done and it kept me reading from the beginning to the end. I receieved this book for free thru an Advanced Review Copy, ARC, with an honest review freely given.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the Masters of Paradise series, the story is well written and held my interest until the end. Sam and Sophie have things they are keeping from each other especially Sophie, to move forward they have to lay the past to rest. I enjoyed reading. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can anything be more gut wrenching than a soulmate couple losing their connection? The emotional torment they cause each other is heartbreaking (keep Kleenex handy) and their Christmas gift holiday is increasing the tension instead of helping resolve it.

[Abby Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Sam and Sophie. I love the ups and downs to their lives and relationship. This book has so much more than just a HEA and I cannot wait to read more by this author! Definitely a romance must read!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love on the rocks between a husband and wife. They want a baby. The pressure to make one is too much for hubby and giving him performance anxiety. I'm not sure if I want to read the next book.
I love the idea of this island.

[Roxanna Cross · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars
OMG this book I wanted to throw it across the room the characters were childish and couldn’t stay in the same room long enough to have civil conversation I mean at was more of the same half this book could have been cut out in my opinion.

[Royce Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok book

This book is an Ok book, if you like books where the characters spend 3/4 of the book trying not to love each other then you will like it.

[Lois Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

PF

This book brought out some of the issues that couples face when trying to get pregnant. The problems don't always solve themselves

[Debra Johnson]

December 26, 2022 Amazon purch