Paradise

Paradise #1

by Judith McNaught

Corporate raider Matthew Farrell had come a long way from the poor, scruffy kid of Indiana's steel mills. A long way from the country club where, feeling like an outsider, he had dared to fall in love with a beautiful blonde named Meredith Bancroft, and known a once-in-a-lifetime passion and betrayal that still haunted his memory...Now world leaders courted him, the media watched his every move, and he was ready to move in on the Bancroft empire.

A cool, poised executive in her family's legendary department store chain, Meredith had once defied her father for the sexually magnetic, intense Matt Farrell—and their brief, ill-fated marriage was the disastrous outcome. Now, as the Bancroft firm is threatened by a hostile takeover, Meredith is forced to confront Matt. As tensions build between them, bittersweet memories rise to the surface, leaving them suspicious, restless, and uncertain. Will they be able to believe in each other—and grasp the tender miracle that is before them?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Second Chance, Fiction, Historical Romance, Second Chance Romance

709 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

You can find Judith McNaught in facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjudith...

Judith McNaught is a #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author, with more than forty million copies of her novels in print, in over eighty countries and more than thirty languages. She was also the first female executive producer at a CBS radio station. McNaught is credited with inventing the modern Regency Historical romance subgenre.

Reviews

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good, if not better the second (or maybe it is the third) time around. #Ilovemattfarrell.

EXQUISITE
TORMENTING
MAGIC

Yes, this book had it all. It was epic. Won’t say too much about it and won’t give too many quotes as it just needs to be read and felt…. This is my first contemporary by Ms McNaught. I have read her Historicals and they have been solid, five stars for me. This book was written nearly 25 years ago. Does it seem dated? A little bit, the fact that there are no mobile phones, some of the descriptions of the dresses etc. But it does not take away from the fantastic writing and characters in the book.

Loved the two main characters, Matt and Meredith.

Matthew Farrell, the farmboy, from Indiana, with his Irish roots …




Meredith Bancroft, the Princess, living in the mansion, attending the Country Club…


They meet, the attraction is instant. But theirs is not a straightforward Happily Ever After.

It is set in Chicago, actually the last few books I have read have been set in Chicago, is this an omen that I must return to visit this wonderful city!



This is their story, it spans about 12 years, from when she is 18 until she turns 30. It is a long book but well worth it. I would highly recommend it.

I have the strangest – the uneasiest – feeling,” she admitted, lifting her head and looking at him with unguarded candor, “that something is happening, or going to happen, and it’s terrible. Whatever it is, it’s terrible.”

[Sophie ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rate: 500 million stars

“If you'll kiss me back," he whispered huskily, brushing his lips along the curve of her jaw, "I'll make it six
million. If you'll go to bed with me tonight," he continued, losing himself in the scent of her perfume and the softness of her skin, "I'll give you the world. But if you'll move in with me," he continued, dragging his mouth across her cheek to the corner of her lips, "I'll do much better than that."
Unable to turn her face farther because his arm was in the way, and unable to turn her body because his body was in the way, Meredith tried to infuse disdain in her voice and simultaneously ignore the arousing touch of his tongue against her ear. "Six million dollars and the whole world!" she said in a slightly shaky voice. "What else could you possibly give me if I move in with you?" "Paradise." Lifting his head, Matt took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced her to meet
his gaze. In an aching, solemn voice he said, "I'll give you paradise on a gold platter. Anything you want— everything you want. I come with it, of course. It's a package deal." Meredith wallowed audibly, mesmerized by the melting look in his silver eyes and the rich timbre of his deep voice. "We'll be a family," he continued, describing the paradise he was offering while he bent his head to her again. "We'll have children ... I'd like six," he teased, his lips against her temple. "But I'll settle for one. You don't have to decide now."

AHHHH! This review probably won't make sense because I have so much to say about this book and right now I am just so incredibly emotionally overwhelmed to think straight.

First, Judith McNaught is officially my author of the moment. Her writing style is perfect for me and I've already planned to read all of her books (every one I can get me hands on). Since Lisa Kleypas, I haven't read many authors I've liked but now I've finally found one!

Okay. I don't know how to say this but this book was almost the most perfect thing I've ever read - an exciting, frightening, stressful, horrible, joyful, tearful, painful and satisfying rollercoaster of a read. I was so emotionally distraught and actually on the verge of a heart attack towards the end of the book that I had to skim through to the happy ending then I forced myself to go to sleep to get some rest before going back and re-reading the last 60 pages when I was a lot calmer the next day. I'm writing this to try and let you understand what this book did to me (I know I sound like a madwoman but all of this is true).

Although this book is contemporary the beginning reminded me so much of a historical romance and it really embodied what I love about historicals - the sweetest young love followed by a destructive heartbreak that is definitely reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. This novel is divided into 3 parts - 14-year-old Meredith, 18-year-old Meredith and 29-year-old Meredith. We follow her through childhood, adolescence and adulthood which makes Paradise seem like the book version of a TV series (for those of you who don't know, this book is 700+ pages which is really long for a romance novel). The length of the book allowed us to fully appreciate and understand the development of each character.

I would compare this book to a long journey - one that really makes you feel. I'll be the first to admit a lot of my feelings during reading this book weren't positive and it is for this reason I'm describing it as "almost perfect". I don't have complaints about the length of this book but there is no way you can start this book and not finish it before you go to sleep but because of its length, you're forced to spend the whole day and night reading which sort of fatigues you and you start to lose appreciation for it towards the end. I'd love to read this book again and I know that it will be a much less intense and more enjoyable experience.

I know I'm going to disappoint a lot of you when I say this, but Paradise came SO CLOSE to becoming my all-time favorite book and I was thinking it would definitely end up being number one when I read the beginning but in the end I just can't give the book that title. Even though it was beautiful I was so frustrated by Meredith too many times in the book and her lack of complete trust in Matt throughout most of the book had me knocking off small fractions of a star in its rating. That's really my only complaint. I would have liked to see Meredith show more faith in Matt and allow me to fully believe that she deserved him. She did in the end but her doubts before that left me slightly upset.

Matt was the perfect hero. He is the perfect man to lead this book and much of the book's perfection is cause of him. God I loved him so much and I found myself feeling wretched and heartbroken for him repeatedly. He got his happy ending in the end but I wished he didn't have to suffer so much for such large parts of the book. I really wished that Meredith would just trust him and love him always like he deserved to be loved.

On a concluding note, I still love this book with all my heart. Paradise is a story I'll be reading again for sure and I'm forever going to be glad I decided to give it a go. I'll definitely be looking forward to keeping y'all updated with what I think of her other books.

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

No-idea-how-many Stars



3.5 maybe?

For the love of God, I can’t decide if this book is brilliant or just ridiculous. I was so excited when I finally put my hands on it because I'd heard so many great things about it. Because of that, my expectations were very high.

I can't exactly say I was disappointed because I did like the story. If you compare it to some of today's romances, this is a masterpiece. It has an interesting, engaging and charming storyline (albeit a tad ruined with too many details and unnecessary twists, ridiculous misunderstandings and mood changes, but let's not split hairs on that because it is still a very good storyline).

The characterization is well-done, although you can’t really avoid getting to know the characters and understanding their backgrounds, backstories and personalities after 700+ pages. And boy was this book long (and I’m not talking about the number of pages). I’ve read a lot of books that are even longer than this one but they didn’t feel so long and exhausting. But let's not split hairs on that either, I would choose a long book over a novella any day.

The writing is good as well, albeit with a touch of cheese here and there. Again, let's not split hairs.

However.

A few things rubbed me wrong. On that, I have to split hairs:


****** Spoilers below******

#1 The underlying message that ONLY a woman is responsible for keeping herself and her partner protected during sex? It made me angry but seeing as this book was written in 1991, I decided to turn the blind eye.

#2 Cheating like it’s nothing. Now that pissed me off. The heroine cheats on her fiancé with the hero. You won’t feel shocked or mad because, let’s be honest, it’s just Parker, her fiancé who is as attractive and exciting as a dead fish. And the author will make you feel okay with it because the heroine doesn’t really love her fiancé.

Fun Fact: Even boring, dull, uninteresting and unloved people are human beings and have feelings.

#3 Here comes the point where I have to say something about our "lovely" heroine. I didn’t like her. At all. The harder the author tried to portray her as wonderful, beautiful, modest, beautiful, kind, smart, beautiful (yes I know I’ve already mentioned it twice, but she really WAS extremely beautiful), the more I disliked her.

No, scratch that.

I liked her a lot in the beginning. Then I sympathized with her and started to love her. Then I admired her. Then, around the middle of the book, just when my love and admiration was on the verge of developing into true adoration I started to dislike her. I just couldn’t connect with her anymore. She was so prim and proper and stubborn. And indecisive. Boy did she grate on my nerves sometimes.

And geez, how much more groveling was the hero supposed to do? He basically spent the second half of the (700+ pages long) book groveling for something he was not guilty of.



And all that waiting…

For them to meet for the first time.
For them to meet eleven years after.
For them to admit their feelings for each other.
For her to stop being so stubborn.
For all the stars to align.
For them to finally get together.




And I’m not talking about the slow burn, you know that delicious anticipation, building up of tension, palpable chemistry bubbling and boiling, ready to explode. But whatevs…

This book was written a long time ago and I’m almost sure I would have rated it 5 stars if I had read it when it was first published. Putting aside all my issues (because no book is ever flawless and perfect), I still enjoyed it a lot, and I still think it is worth reading. After all, there are parts in this book that I really loved and that will stay with me forever.

So back to my rating. In my opinion, the first third of the book deserves 4 stars, the second third 5 stars and the last third 2 stars. But like I said, I'm still not sure about the rating and I may change my mind about it. I just need a day or two to to clear my head.

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother says I read only depressing books so she gave me this romance for my birthday, with sincere wishes that her daughter starts to read more normal books.
Even novel having close to 700 pages, this seemed like a quick, very light and amusing read. I usually don’t read romances but I was not mad at this book, even being a stereotypical love story between an outrageously rich, perfect, slim, blue-eyed blonde and an immensely tall and muscular dark-haired guy that starts poor but becomes even more outrageously rich. The author toying with the ancient archetype of lovers and interesting storyline made a perfect novel for summertime when your brain barely functions due to ruthless heath waves and you want to entertain a few remaining neurons with reading.

However, I have to comment on the father figure in this story. Meredith, the protagonist, is raised only by her father, who has the worst mixture of being the most controlling, narcissistic, misogynic, tyrannical and manipulative father I’ve read about in the literature, and some of the author's psychological descriptions were unexpected for the genre and I was pleasantly surprised.

“He had given her life and then tried to direct every breath she took, every day of that life. No one could ever accuse him of not caring for her, or of neglecting her, for he had hovered over her like a hawk since she was a child. He had spoiled so much for her, and yet he had acted out of love—a possessive, strangling love.”

The emotionally incestuous relationship her father has with her unables Meredith for a long time to form a quality relationship with a man and influences her self-esteem and sexuality as she struggles with a romanticized version of frigidity and other emotionally damaging consequences of that relationship.

“Now that she was eighteen, he appeared to be tightening restrictions instead of loosening them. If Meredith had a date, he personally met the young man at the door and subjected him to a lengthy cross-examination while treating him with an insulting contempt that was intended to intimidate him into never asking her out again. Then he set a ridiculously early curfew of midnight. If she spent the night at Lisa's, he invented a reason to call her and make certain she was there. If she went out for a drive in the evening, he wanted an itinerary of where she was going; when she came back home he wanted an accounting of every minute she'd been gone. ”

Much of the novel is not about the struggle in Meredith's romantic relationship but her struggle of separation from the controlling and rigid father - the psychological damage of the relationship on Meredith is immense but she remains blind and forgiving to it and the resolution of the internal conflict is maybe too shallow and predictable, but I still appreciate the author of giving a spotlight to a very prominent psychological issue for some women. Her father obviously had a very negative, bigoted perspective of women that made him irrationally jealous and paranoid about women's sexuality (both his wife’s and his daughter's) which probably reflected his own repressed sexual desires that were expressed as a form of hatred and repression towards women. I often find myself discussing with women the damaging effect their father's negative perspective on women’s sexuality had on them (growing up with their dad calling attractive women all kinds of derogatory terms) - resulting in various forms of sexual or dysfunctions in relationships with men. Also, the hostility towards the female child is still a prevalent issue and deeply rooted in the Balkans - especially in some rural parts - where is it a shame when a woman births a girl, and not a boy - and the emotional damaging effect of that internalized hatred towards women is enormous.

“Lifting her chin, she added, "I used to think you loved me. I knew you wished I'd been a boy, but I never realized you didn't give a damn about me because I was merely a girl. ”

But I have to admit the end is a bit naive, in Meredith finds the perfect peace with her father that magically changes despite the fact he was psychologically and emotionally abusive his whole life, Madeline finds a fine line between attaining her own individuality, autonomy and freedom, without completely cutting out her father and hating him - a fine line that is very hard to reach in reality for most people. It is also interesting that both Matt and Meredith have absent mothers, Matt due to the mother's illness and death, and Meredith due to the parent's divorce, and they did not have a gentle, soft, maternal relationship to balance out the damaging father aspects - which is oftentimes the case in reality when there is abusive father, the mother is maybe not physically but is psychologically absent in her passivity and enablement of father behavior. Matt also has problems with his father’s alcoholism, making him for a long time the prime authority figure of the family, but even being an alcoholic, Matt's father is emotionally available, much warmer and softer than Meredith’s cold, repressive and distant father, pointing out that even parents addiction is sometimes less damaging than parents personality structure. I also appreciated that putting their physical perfection to the side, Meredith and Matt were not psychologically black and white characters, but characters with tints of complexity, with their flaws and sometimes stubborn, amoral and even manipulative behavior, having a lot of good, honorable qualities nevertheless - making them somewhat similar to real-life human beings.

Also, the book could raise a discussion about the power imbalance in romantic relationships and how it affects and plays out in the couple's dynamic. Meredith is 8 years younger than Matt, she was 18, and he was 26 when they first meet, also she is a virgin, sexually experienced, and insecure, compared to him, who had a lot of sexual partners in the past, and there is a last power imbalance, Meredith being from an upper-class, old-money, and Matt starting in a lower class, being raised on a poor farm, and later becoming the new money American dream wonder - but not being accepted in Meredith social class. The couple did not succeed when Meredith was the one having the most money but succeded later on when Matt is the one that has the upper hand in the financial department, giving a hint that the women’s wealth can influence the man’s sense of being overpowered and inferior, in psychoanalytic language - castrated, even though he had an upper hand in more than one area- of psychological maturity, sexuality and life experience. The relationship began to function when Matt had more power in every department, as they were never equal which makes me think about relationships I know dissolved when a woman began to make more money and got to a higher position than a man - a situation that will be more and more prevalent in the modern world but still may be shocking in the more traditional and conservative world of my area. Book also comments on a deeply embedded misogyny that is prevalent in the corporate world, and points to the fact that neither the world, nor the father figure finds powerful women exactly desirable nor acceptable, and a lot of women’s appeal has to come to the archetype of a fragile, naive, blushing girl that has to be protected (and dominated) by the power of masculinity, the stereotype of femininity much less endearing to power structures. Meredith is beautiful, capable, intelligent and wealthy - it would be too much of a sin that she was also sexually experienced, with high self-esteem and independence - all of that is permitted for her male companion Matt to be at the same time.

But Matt and Meredith balance each other out stereotypically, but quite nicely - Meredith makes Matt softer and more emotionally open, and Matt actually helps Meredith to become more self-assured and confident in a battle with prominent women's issue - having a gist to please everybody and make everybody happy.

“You can alter the words slightly if you think you should, but the point is that you can't live your life to suit other people. The harder you try, the more restrictions they'll put on you just for the fun of seeing you jump through their hoops.”

Being in the romance genre and being written in 1991, I appreciate this novel touching in a light-hearted way a lot of prominent issues of womanhood. If you know about more novels touching on the complex father-daughter dynamic please do recommend them in the comments.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

*For such a long ass book, I'm keeping this review short*

My first thoughts on reading a 709 page long book...WTF?


After some 'encouragement' from my buddy Effie...

I decided what the hell, I'll try it out or get chopped up.

Well it was the BEST decision ever...Epic FUCKING read!!

It starts out interesting and simple, then builds up. Then...shit seriously got real after page 80!


Then more...


It has so much unexpected surprises that got me so excited. Thinking finally its going to all work out...


Only to leave me highly emotional, experiencing palpitations, anxiety...


And an extreme urge to murder one particular motherfucker...


This book had it all, from drama, second chances, sweet love to unbearable sadness and forgiveness. Even awesome, strong willed characters. Its...beautiful. And left me wanting more! I know, crazy after 709 ages :S


People go read this book, its amazing...

[peachygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aptly titled. This was heavenly, duh.
This book has convinced me to give Judith McNaught another shot. Maybe I should have started with this one, since Matt was her only hero I didn't want to punch in the face repeatedly. His devotion to Meredith was beautiful beyond words.
10 hours splendidly spent!
I hope this feeling persists throughout my next Judith McNaught binge. Just not another Jason or Clayton please 🤞

[Didi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

I really need to read more from this author! I've enjoyed her HR's and now have been seduced by her CR's. The biggest drawback to this book and the only reason it took me so long to read it, was the length--709 pages!! That is LONG. Mind you, I was never bored but the length was daunting enough to hold me off a little.
Paradise was beautiful, enchanting, exhausting. It was an epic tale of lost opportunities and tragic occurrences. Believing something for so long only to realize it was wrong was both freeing and debilitating. But this was also about enduring love and the second chances we are lucky to receive in life. I loved Matt and Meredith so much, together and separately. The huge cast of secondary characters were wonderful. This was also a very emotional and affecting book, it had me laughing, crying and hoping for the ending I craved.

The last third and epilogue were lovely and although I felt the reentry of Meredith's mom was rushed as well as her reconciliation with Meredith's father--I felt it deserved much more than a brief paragraph of intention--I also felt the story couldn't handle yet another plot twist. I was so happy to finally see Meredith stand up for something she believed in, something her father prohibited, it was sweet destiny. Anyways, this was lovely and sweet, I really, really liked it.

P.S. Trying to write an eloquent review while sick isn't always the smartest thing to do, but I had to ;)

[Lady Raven RAVE! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story: GREAT
Intimacy Level: NICE/GOOD
Enjoyment: GREAT
Length: 708 pages
Style: Contemporary Romance ( Re Read)

TRUE STORY!!! I had this sitting on my book shelf for 3 years since 2002 and never read it until 2004, not because I didn't have the time, but because I thought it didn't sound interesting and wondered what can a romance author write within a 708 page book, like come on seriously. I had read a couple books prior by the author, but they were historical. But then I wanted something to read, so.... I was desperate and decided, why not read the Big BOOK as I called it. And to my surprise O.M.G.! the book was really good couldn't put it down; I wanted to finish it so bad just to find out what happen. From the start of the book it feels like your growing up with the characters together getting to know them and going through their highs and lows. I found it so true what people say in their reviews, its like you just don't want it to end, I actually was at the end of the book and felt a little disappointed because I was getting ready to turn the page and it was the end...GET IT...READ IT...TREASURE IT. It's one of those books that's a keeper and I am sorry it took me so long to read it, but it was worth the read.

If you do decide to get this book I hope you enjoy it as I did, I know its 708pages but I think its worth a read.

Re-Read update 2012: I originally read this book in 2004 and I still felt the way I did the first time I read this book. I love it and plan on a re read again once in a while.

[Feminista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2 out of 5.

I was pretty disappointed with this book.

The characters and the plot were similar to many of the other books that I have read.

Virgin heroine meets a guy who sleeps around, they fall in love, misunderstandings happen, they break up and then meet again years later. In these years, the hero becomes very successful and sleeps around with dozens of other women. The heroine, however, only sleeps with one other guy, which she doesn't find very satisfying. Misunderstandings are resolved. And then...

The end...

And one more thing, I did not appreciate how "becoming pregnant" was "stupid" of the heroine. It was the hero's responsibility also to have ensured otherwise. I am not sure how birth control was back then, but even now, men who just assume that birth control is being taken, by women they only met hours previous, are the stupid ones. I also didn't like how the heroine accepted the blame and responsibility... I have said this before and I'll say this again, it takes two to tango... Why do people forget that?

[NMmomof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Overall Opinion: Phew! I honestly can't believe I finished this one tbh. It was listed as 882 pages in my Scribd app, and I skimmed a good bit. I think a lot could've been edited out and we wouldn't have lost anything. I also think that after all that, the ending was way too abrupt and unsatisfactory. I felt ripped off! Why couldn't we have some more of their HEA (or "paradise") on page?! Even though I did like both of the characters, I never got all that emotional or invested in their story either. I think it might be because their was too much other stuff thrown in and it was distracting.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Meredith and Matt's story, but it starts when Meredith is a young teen and follows her into adulthood. We see her as a child and her tough upbringing being a high society heiress to a famous clothing store. She meets Matt when she is almost at her wits end and they connect instantly. She ends up connected to him forever when they end up married. Some events happen and they are separated for about 11 years, and when they are reunited some big secrets get revealed. There are some dramatic moments, some funny moments, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.

POV: This alternated between focusing mainly on Meredith and Matt in 3rd person narrative, but it also focused on some outside characters as well.

Overall Pace of Story: Not so great. It felt slow at times, and I definitely skimmed a good bit (especially the parts that were primarily focused on their business dealings that I felt weren't necessary). The ending was also too abrupt with not enough closure for me.

Instalove: Kind of. When they first met they had an instant connection and feelings grew quickly.

H rating: 4 stars. Matt. I liked him. I appreciated how much he cared for the H.

h rating: 4 stars. Meredith. I liked her. I appreciated how she remained sweet and so caring even after all she went through.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes They both push away (h more so) and pursue the relationship (H more so) at times.

Heat level: Mild. They have some mild tension, chemistry, and scenes.

Descriptive sex: Not really. Very vague mentions and not descriptive.

OW/OM drama: Yes The h is engaged to OM when reunited with the H.

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: Yes The h was engaged to another man when reunited with the H. She kisses the H and sleeps with him multiple times while still engaged to OM.

Separation: Yes They are separated for about eleven years. They both had other partners during this time (H more so).

Possible Triggers: Yes Blackmail/White collar crimes/murder (off page), the h was a virgin, unexpected pregnancy (on page), loss of a baby (on page), cheating (on page), and botched divorce (on page).

Closure: This had way too an abrupt ending for my liking! I had read almost 900 flippin' pages! I wanted some good closure and some time experiencing their HEA!! I would still reluctantly call it a HEA, but I am definitely not satisfied with it!

Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences.

- Does have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have both the h and H pushing away
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse
- Does have a HEA ending

[♥ℳelody · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

Ugh. This was painful for me.

When you are feeling like this while reading:

It's not so fun.

*sigh* I was expecting something really great for Matt and Meredith after reading Perfect. But the emotional pay off in this was close to zilch for me. When you spend 650 out of 700 pages of the book keeping the hero and heroine apart, despising and disparaging each other, thinking the worst and having the wife insistent on marrying someone else and doesn't love the hero at all 90% into the story??....

WHAT EXACTLY AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS?

You keep pounding it in the readers (and the characters) heads over and over again how much of a mistake the marriage was and how little they know each other and the heroine is ‘in love’ with someone else, Matt is 100% wrong wrong WRONG! for Meredith, blah blah blah....then you can’t help but be forced to go along with it. Anyone who knows me and my reading tastes knows that I am a big fan of romantic angst. Like HUGE. Here it was like sitting through a never-ending forced therapy session with a lovesick hero and a belligerent heroine talking about their entire relationship from conception all the way to a very rushed floundering reunion that seemed 200 pages too late. I felt the overall tension, misunderstandings, grudges, miscommunication outweighed the reconciliation and light happy moments for these two. This was incredibly unbalanced where the uphill battle outweighed the much anticipated climatic reunion twofold. JM keeps putting her readers in this uneasy shaky mindset through a good portion of the story:

And I'm not sure if I enjoyed this kind of mind game. I started to feel really manipulated by it. If you are not sure if the h/hr will end up together or even love each other still with 30 pages left of the book? It's a problem. I kept having to tell myself to be patient, the end result will be worth it. Was it? Not really. Just barely. That was the biggest problem for me which I couldn't overlook. You need to convince me, show me these two truly love each other. I know they did, but I didn't see enough of it. The actual reconciling is maybe 20 pages tops combined with another exhausting misunderstanding shoved in there at the last minute because the 11 years of estrangement & bitterness wasn’t enough right? I love tension just as much as the next person but seriously just...



I enjoyed the lovey dovey moments while they lasted but I wanted more. Waaaaaaay more. I don’t want crumbs. I felt really resentful and manipulated as the misunderstandings kept stacking up. What made it worse was how far Matt was willing to go to sweep Meredith off her feet and win her back but she was having none of it. I hated that the most. Heroes chasing after obstinate uninterested shrewish heroines is my least favorite kind of trope. I fucking HATE IT. Meredith kept acting like Matt was the fire-breathing villain in this even after the truth came out and it made me want to just smack her even more. I felt this couple’s potential was completely wasted here.

And I’m sorry but Meredith’s sneering snobby ‘nothing but a dirty steelworker’ cut downs to Matt whenever she was angry with him I found contradictory to her characterization and hypocritical. She is presented as this self-embodied perfect poised independent business woman who doesn’t have a hateful bone in her body, but JM took it too far and morphed her into a brittle selfish haughty snob who acted like she was better than Matt when they meet again 11 years later. A snob is a snob. End of. Stop trying to throw glitter and fairy dust on it to make readers buy into a false package. I found her character very inconsistent at times. She acts betrayed, hurt and offended by Matt at every turn. Yet her perfect angel of a fiance (who she constantly puts on a pedestal) belittles her best friend Chloe and she just shrugs it off and acts confused by it. Really? Where is your spine woman? Oh and it gets even more ridiculous. Not even a full day--try mere hours-- after ending her engagement with said fiance, her best friend Chloe (who's secretly been in love with the fiance) sleeps with him and doesn't seem to care about the repercussions.

Excuse me IN WHAT UNIVERSE IS THIS CONSIDERED FORGIVABLE?! Earth to McNaught: NO woman should do that to another woman. Ever. Especially someone who you've grown up with and is considered a sister, family to you. And not having the decency to even feel guilty about it is insupportable. Of course Meredith forgives them both (because she's just that perfect RME) and doesn't give them the burn of a cold shoulder. Her non-reaction to the whole thing is what burned my ass the most given the shit she gave Matt. Ugh. Just UGH.

I literally wanted to do this every time Meredith flung cruel barbs at Matt:

The brutal set downs I found grossly unfair because they hit below the belt given how far Matt came and the struggles he dealt with. The emotional and verbal abuse and misery compounds everything that I wanted to see happen. This was literally like sitting through a couple's never-ending therapy session.

And this was in serious need of editing. Oh boy did it ever. A big chunk of this was weighed down by the repetitive never-ending-20-pages-too-long business meetings, business strategizing and corporate talk and endless background fodder. At times this didn't feel like a romance story at all, Meredith and Matt are drowned out by all the corporate politics and filler nonsense about secondary characters who play minor roles. McNaught is a big fan of meticulous details and thorough backstories which is something I generally look for in my readings. But here I felt she got too bogged down in the details of things that honestly added nothing to the story. Do I really need to know the history of the 2 old security guards working at the Bancroft department store? Or how long a board executive has worked with Matthew and what each person wears and their entire educational background? REALLY? No thank you. It just became a chore to read through all this unnecessary tiring filler. Maybe it was more of my personal taste that bled into this, but the corporate info dumping added absolutely nothing to the foreground of the story. I love love LOVED all the details and background information in Perfect, it worked marvelously with the Hollywood backdrop, but here it was suffocating with all the mundane repetitive business talk and stiff bigoted socialites who I cared nothing about.

Meredith kept saying her ‘baby’ and love is Bancroft & Company and you really feel that through most of this which I found depressing at times. And her stifling socialite twittering friends & acquaintances didn't help and her bigoted controlling manipulative father I wanted to pummel through the ground. Her constant enabling of that man was disgusting and unbearable to sit through. Your father is your family I get it, but sometimes you gotta take the bull by the horns & make sure those who did wrong are held accountable. Phillip Bancroft got a measly slap on the wrist for the outrageous scheming & gross stunts he pulled in here and that pissed me off to no end. He ruined Meredith and Matt’s life, I totally understood Matt’s hatred of the man and was annoyed that Meredith tried to get him to play nice.

While I think this had a ton of strong potential (the 'early' years of the hero and heroine and how they meet was brilliantly set up) I did not get the satisfaction I was looking for. I loved the potential they had but I wanted more. The anxiety this book gave me is unparalleled with anything else I've read so far. While I see what JM was trying to do here, she focused too much of her attention on parts that were irrelevant and got carried away with the small minutiae details that should have been edited out. Perfect was much more successful in pacing and plot and flawless in it’s execution of the romantic arc. Loved that to pieces <3. This in comparison, fell short and wasn’t a winner for me unfortunately. JM loves her tortured couples, I just pray her HR couples don’t have the same endless misery with no end and verbally abusive drag-down fights.

[bookaddict lass (kate) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated it that they both were not celibate during separation 🙃

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I ever read for fun, and I read it when I was 14 years old. Me and my group of girlfriends all shared the same book. I think I was the second girl to read it, and from there it took off. I remember thinking the sex scenes were so risqué, and I would blush just reading them.

Now 15 years later, this book doesn't seem risqué at all. One thing that hasn't changed though is the excitement I felt reading it. I could remember bits and pieces of the story, and I was dying to finish it to see how things ended.

Matt Farrell...swoon...he is the perfect male character. He is a self made man, he is determined, strong willed, compassionate, loving, and forgiving.

"What else could you possibly give if I move in with you?" "Paradise"

I love this book and Judith McNaught, they introduced me to this world of fiction and my love for reading.

Present time I am still reading with my girlfriends, we just don't have to share a book now. MWAH Ladies I love reading with you!!

[Izzie (semi-hiatus) McFussy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride! Now, that’s a book! ❤️

So, it started slow and resembled women’s fiction, starting with Meredith at 14, but I was liking the pace. It felt like a cozy read as she made friends with a new girl from school, Lisa. Unlike the usual me, I wasn’t impatient. Suddenly, I knew why. This was written during the Judith Krantz era (an all-time favorite author) and when TV series like Dallas, Dynasty, and Falcon Crest ruled the airwaves. While JR, Alexis, and Angela appeared human (albeit there was a lot of Big Hair), they were actually direct descendants from the gods who lived on Mt. Olympus. Their motto was, “Nothing succeeds like excess.”

One excess was the length, over 720 pages, but it was put to good use. There was enough plot to fill 2-1/2 books. A side effect I had forgotten about was how deep the stories went, allowing characters to seep into your conscience, taking on lives of their own. I’m pretty sure the next two books I read suffered from fictional rebound. It was like comparing cartoons to IMAX.

The story focused on the chemistry between the FMC, a poor little rich girl who transformed from a caterpillar into butterfly. And Matt, a brilliant, self-made millionaire (in today’s economy, a billionaire). The duo clashed and jumped to wrong conclusions, but get this—they were rational human beings who could stop, think, and come to the right conclusions. So refreshing!

There were many interesting and lovable secondary characters that I wish had a little more page time (Yes! Even at 700+).

So, the inevitable question… was it perfect? No, but I’ll sweep my quibbles under the rug because of the overall juicy drama factor. I do feel the need to warn about the third act. McNaught did her homework on retail, law, and big business, presenting enough facts to be logical and convincing without needing an MBA or JD to get the gist. But then around 94% it was as if everyone was sprayed with TSTL gas so the story could switch gears and chug to a HEA. By that point, the feels had won me over. It wasn’t a dealbreaker.

My thanks to Izzah for the rec. 💐

Read for the Bingo Challenge,
"Trope/Genre 500 page book"
“Trope/Genre Book Recommended By A Friend.” Izzah!

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【⭕️】【12】 【🎰】 【14】【⭕】
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【21】 【22】 【23】 【⭕️】【25】

[Pepito · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must have been the only one here who had not read this book yet. My only real excuse is that I was saving it for one of those days you just need to read a book you'll completely adore. Based on the reviews I read I just knew I would love it. This is a longer read than most, specially in the romance genre, probably twice as long. I was afraid It would be slow-paced or too repetitive because of it, but it wasn't, every page was one less to get to that HEA you start craving right after starting the book.

While usually romance books are fast and easy reads, this one was a bit more complex than that. The plot might have been a bit shallow and unreal (rich, silly girl hooks up with much older poor boy and ends up pregnant), but the romance, the feelings and all the impediments to get their HEA were way too real. I loved that about this book, how the author was able to get down to Earth such an unreachable reality. For some reason though, I thought this read would be about a more serious topic, involving darker and deeper feelings. Not that I'm complaining, I still had an amazing time reading it, I loved this read so much that I skipped work a day because I couldn't put the book down. I adored the author's writing skills too. She just has a way with words and will make you unable to stop reading.What I will treasure the most about this read was the length of it, because it made possible for me as a reader to get to know the characters in a way that most reads never allow me. We see the main characters grow up, see how they think, their believes, dreams and hopes in different times of their lives. We see how life gets in their way and between them, how love is not always enough. As weird as it seems, Iloved that.

What better way to describe this amazing romance than with a quote form it:

"Lisa, have you ever met anyone and then known within minutes that he's the most special person you're ever going to meet in your life?"

The strong emotions from the Hero were what truly did it for me, though. I just adore the quiet and strong-willed Heroes, those who don't let anybody see their true feelings and when they actually express them is in a burst so strong that will leave you breathless:

I came looking for you to give you the glad news, and you did the noble thing—you married a girl you didn't want." "Didn't want?" he exploded, his harsh voice in complete opposition to the poignancy of his words. "I've wanted you every day of my godforsaken life."

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judith McNaught made me realise or think, for the first time, that perhaps I could play in another team.
God help me!
I am in love... with Meredith.

[María Ángeles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los primeros capítulos no consiguieron engancharme.Empecé a preguntarme si realmente me iba a gustar el libro. Más tarde he comprendido que la autora quiere que conozcamos de primera mano la personalidad de Meredith. Pero entonces llegó la salvación!!! Un mini capítulo en el que aparece por primera vez Matt y que le da vidilla al asunto.
A mí el libro me ha encantado!!!!!! Es cierto que a veces es lento y demasiado detallado, pero para mí, no ha restado emoción.
Los dos protagonistas, Matt y Meredith , son personajes fuertes, redondos, y con una alta personalidad. Me ha enamorado su forma de actuar frente a los problemas: siempre hacia adelante, solución frente a "echar culpas". La historia de amor entre ellos me parece preciosa y la conversación que tienen cuando descubren la verdad me ha tocado el alma: lagrimitas...!
El mundo laboral de los dos protagonistas es un temamuy presente en el libro. Es verdad que la autora ha escrito muchas páginas sobre bolsa, socios, OPAS hostiles, créditos... Y lo valoro. Porque aunque prácticamente no tengo idea del tema, me voy con la impresión de saber más de él. Y eso me gusta de un libro!. También he valorado muchísimo la forma en que la autora nos presenta dos formas de trabajo distintas: lo autoritario y sin cuestionamientos frente a lo motivador y novedoso. Totalmente de acuerdo con lo que la autora deja ver.
La decepción. Para mí ha sido Lisa, esperaba mucho más de ella y de sus apariciones. Su "final"... totalmente inesperado.
Es verdad, tal vez le sobren páginas a este libro, pero yo lo volvería a leer encantada.

Reseña en Blog: http://unablogueraeventual.com/parais...

[Floripiquita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que me ha desaparecido la crítica!!! Arggg. A ver si me acuerdo de lo que puse.

Si este libro solo fuera sobre Matt le daría 5 estrellas sin dudarlo, pero no sólo de el vive "Paraíso". La historia de amor entre los dos protagonistas es muy bonita y a veces muy triste, hay un rollo ochentero de amor y lujerio que me ha hecho bastante gracia y hasta me ha parecido bien el instalust e instalove, con un hombre como Matt todo es creíble. Pero se me ha hecho un poco largo y el final me ha parecido predecible y precipitado. Además, he echado en falta un cierre para la pareja secundaria y algo más de información sobre la hermana y el padre de Matt o la madre de Meredith.

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotional rollercoaster!

I loved this book!

This is one of the most virtually sizzling books I’ve read lately. Why virtually? Because nothing is openly described, but it was sizzling all the same. The powerful pull was there all through the book.

I loved the story, I loved the characters, I love the tone of voice and the way the story is told.

It was interesting, It was compelling! I couldn’t stop reading it!

Yes, it is long, but I found myself wishing it was longer, just to be able to linger there a little bit more!

Everything has already been told about this book, so I wouldn’t be adding nothing new, but I couldn’t, just couldn’t not say that it is a wonderful book!

Thanks, Mona, for recommending this book to me!

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read: February 2016
Loved it even more this second time around. Looking for a book that I could connect with the characters and decided to revisit this one after seven years. Love...

Originally read: September 2009
Paradise, by Judith McNaught, is a great contemporary novel that’s filled with love, corporate intrigue, humor, deception and friendship. The main characters, Matt Farrell and Meredith Bancroft, are immediately weaved into the novel with plenty of back story to give you a full picture of their journey when they meet, go their separate ways, and later reunite. I thought the book was captivating and for the most part fast paced and intriguing.

The story is about two strong willed people, Meredith Bancroft and Matt Farrell, who fall in love at a young age and get married. After a brief time together, they find themselves separated by a devastating event, which was exacerbated by lies and deceit on the part of Meredith’s father who stopped at nothing to keep them apart. Eleven years later, they encounter each other and realize their hostility for one another was unwarranted and based on a series of misunderstandings, thus giving them a second chance at love, but not without a fair share of forces determined to keep them apart.

I am taking one star away for a couple of reasons. First, the novel is filled with quite a bit of overwhelming detail on places, events, and people. I did skim over some of the deep dive on the descriptions and corporate happenings, which by the way were very well researched, but there just seemed to be an overabundance of detail that wasn’t really necessary for the storyline. Second, there were two secondary characters I didn’t care for at all, which included Phillip, Meredith’s father, and Lisa, her best friend. I was bothered by how Meredith allowed her father to get away with his lies and deceit which affected her relationship with Matt. It just felt like he was able to easily walk right over her. In addition, I couldn’t believe that Meredith easily accepted her best friend moving in on her ex-fiancé. That was just odd and unrealistic.

Regardless of those minor flaws, this is a great novel that will keep you engaged and rooting for the main characters the whole way through. I enjoyed the journey and will definitely read other novels by this author. Great read!

[Beanbag Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just reread this book now that it's available in digital form and, while I'll keep it at 5 stars for the nostalgia factor, there's quite a bit about it that's just wrong.

In fact, it has a lot of the same problems that Whitney My Love has for me (and that one I either didn't rate or rated very low). The two leads jump to the worst conclusions about each other. They believe people who very clearly shouldn't be trusted on the subject of their love interest.

I have (and always had) a huge problem with Meredith forgiving her father so readily for all his misdeeds. He deserved to die alone. His ex-wife!!! After all he did to her even took him back! It's pretty appalling. Maybe I'm just more of a grudge-holder, but that bridge would be burned for me.

It's a very circuitous route these two take to get back together, and some of it is downright tedious -- as well as dated. But it must be said that Judith McNaught writes romantic reconciliations like nobody's business. She gets me every time.

So, having read this more than once in the past, I skimmed a lot. It had been a while so I couldn't just skip to my favorite parts, but it was enjoyable. I spent a lot of the day yesterday reading this book and I was happy to be doing it.

If you've never read this one before, it's worth a look. But just be forewarned that this was first published in 2001 and it reads like it was written in the early 90's since there doesn't seem to be any internet available and few people have cell phones. It's amazing we've come so far since then, but we have, so be ready for some very dated material (and attitudes).

Matt and Meredith are made for each other, though. And once they finally figure it out, they're a very sweet, loving couple. I just wish they'd kicked Daddy to the curb.

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first contemporary by Judith McNaught gave me some of her fun emotional connection and a good amount of eye glazing department and corporate talk. Our leads had an instant connection when they met and I really enjoyed their back and forth tinged with sexual chemistry and sass. Unfortunately, Matt and Meredith don't spend a lot of time together. Their first go at it has them together for a whirlwind six days and then its not until the 60% mark that they get to spend any real time together.

There was way too much corporate world talk for me and caused me to put off grabbing this back up to read. For having a bit older of a publishing date, this still held up pretty well. There was some high drama, with a lot of it coming from Meredith when she was upset, she was portrayed a pretty dramatic; it seemed to be feeding into this time period's love of overstating the thought that women are high strung emotional beings.

I would have liked the corporate talk 80% slashed, Matt and Meredith spending more time together, and less of a rushed ending.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the wildest ride!! Honestly one of the best reading experiences I've had in a long time, despite some things being very "of its time" for a book published in 1991. It's an epic romance that is soap opera levels of juicy and twisty. It's over 700 pages long and I could not put it down. Yes, there are sensitive issues, not all of them handled perfectly. But compared to a lot of books from this time period it's handled reasonably well. And did I say I was up till 1am reading this because I was absolutely riveted???

[Alkyoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

A week ago, I sent a message to my friend Fani – the romance guru- asking for a recommendation on contemporary romance. My requests were simple: I wanted a hero who wasn’t tormented and a heroine who didn’t cry every 10 pages. This was her first recommendation, so I ordered it.


When it was delivered, I almost chocked. The thing is huge; it can easily be used as a presse- papier during a tornado with excellent results. Given the fact that I’m not really a fan of plain romance without some suspense or adventure, I estimated that it would take me at least two weeks to finish it.

Yeah, took me a day and a half. The funny thing is, even though I can’t say that it’s one of my favorite books ever, I was reading it with such ease, such delight, never feeling bored, and the amazing thing that has never-ever happened to me when reading something like it, was that I didn’t roll my eyes. Not even once.

The love story is so sweet, and McNaught has such a great way with words that I could visualize each scene at first. Later on, she delivers such a thorough and yet not boring or overly detailed character building, that I actually felt like I knew the characters in person.

I loved the characters and it is obvious that McNaught loved them too, because both Meredith and Matt are drawn with great care.

The only reason I’m not giving it a higher rating, is because it really is a work a fiction and you don’t get to forget that fact. Matt and Meredith’s love story is very sweet and very unreal at the same time. I liked Meredith more than Matt to be honest, because even though she is rich/beautiful/smart/caring/and so on, she has worries and thoughts and insecurities that make you feel like she’s a real person. Matt is so perfect that I couldn’t get past the fact that this guy never existed and he never will. But that’s just me, I’m sure other readers are looking for just that, and I assure them that he really is something.

Anyway, this is exactly what I wanted to read and even more than I expected, so thank you Fani!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just start by saying, that I’ve been tangled in the worst book slump for weeks now- weeks I tell you! I was starting to doubt I'd ever recover. Everything I read, felt bland and lifeless, like I’ve read it a thousand times over. Well, that is, until I read this little gemstone of a book. I had no idea what to expect from this, especially having gone in completely blind. This story was breathtaking. I love Judith Mcnaughts voice. Her storytelling is so unique, while her writing style is sophisticated and elegant. She has a distinct way of completely bringing her characters to life. This book was so much more than just a love story. I don’t want to give too much away, but this book is a must read!

Brace yourself for Matthew Farrell, Ladies - he will knock your socks off!

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This goes down as one of the top 5 romances, I have ever read. This book defines the genre and is everything a reader would want in a romance novel. The author does a tremendous job in laying the foundation and framework for us to understand the heroine. And what a heroine! Meredith Baxter is one of my all time favorites. The ugly duckling that turns into the swan, and I found myself rooting all the way for her, because she was not only beautiful on the outside, but on the inside! A must read.

[Tenley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is 706 pages of TOTAL ABSURDITY!!!

This is my seventh Judith McNaught book in 30 days. And that’s saying something, because a couple of her books are over 700 pages and the others are easily in the 400s, so I wouldn’t commit to that many pages if I wasn’t a fan. Her books are packed FULL of alpha males, major OTT drama and emotional angst and there are ALWAYS multiple miscommunications and secrets leading to huge conflicts that thankfully, resolve in a HEA.

Prior to Paradise, I had only read McNaught’s historical romances. This is my first contemporary novel by her and frankly, I wished she’d stuck to historical romances. Paradise was longer than it needed it to be and was heavy on details that didn’t really matter (e.g., inordinately long passages discussing the ins and outs of running corporations, trading and purchasing stock, security protocols and fashion merchandising).🥱🥱🥱 I wish she had dedicated more energy into the moments between the MCs and rewriting the convoluted plot.

As a fan of soap operas, I am readily willing to suspend disbelief and soak in the drama but this novel was a stretch, even for me. Multiple things were just totally unbelievable and I just couldn’t wrap my head around the actions of multiple characters.

All that being said, there were many parts that I enjoyed and I found myself staying up late night after night in hopes to finish this monster of a book and I didn’t finish the book disappointed.

If you’re a fan of 1990s soap operas, then this book may appeal to you. If you’re not, then this probably won’t be your jam. Also worth noting, there are a few triggers in this book that were discussed in pretty harsh ways, specifically teen pregnancy (blaming the female for not preventing pregnancy which really angered me), miscarriage and abortion. I always appreciate reviews with TWs, so I wanted to point those out.

Despite the absurdity, I would give this 3-3.5 stars.

[Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If you're still willing to take me there," she said, swallowing almost painfully, "I thought I'd like to see paradise."



LOVED this!!!!

[Célia Loureiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorei a primeira parte, mas não consegui amar de paixão porque o livro é enorme.
Setecentas páginas de drama familiar, acções, accionistas, mercados financeiros, etc., é dose.

Meredith é rica e não sofre do snobismo que tanto lhe afecta o pai, o que a leva a apaixonar-se por um jovem ambicioso e fora do seu elemento. A ligação, como é evidente, aflige os nervos do velho Bancroft, que não se conforma em ver a sua princesa nas mãos de um zé-ninguém.

Matthew Farrell é um pobretanas que estudou a muito custo, e cuja maior ambição é construir um império . Uma vingancinha pessoal contra o velho Bancroft funciona como catalisador nessa ascensão pessoal.

Paraíso parte do mote dos mal-entendidos, depois aporta nos reencontros, passa pela desconfiança e mais mal-entendidos, e acaba de modo ... satisfatório, mas não arrebatador.

Ainda assim, li-o em dois dias (pulando, despudoradamente, por sobre a muita palha). Acho que, por fim, entendi o que significa um livro ser muito "palavroso". Este é-o, sem dúvida.

Acredito que fãs do género o acolham com entusiasmo e terminem a leitura de peito cheio. É o segundo romance contemporâneo que leio da Judith, e adorei ambos. Só desejava que tivessem 300 páginas a menos. Tanto pormenor desnecessário maça-me até ao limiar do coma distractivo.

[Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I've only read this book twice before even though it's been years since I read it because I just remember crying like a baby when I've read it. I finally picked it up since I've been doing a lot of rereads of my favorite authors from years ago. The emotions are all still there. I thought maybe since I already know the story (or vaguely remember it), it wouldn't hit me so hard, but I forget that this is Judith McNaught and she just pulls these tears out of you.

I'm just so glad that I didn't read this on the train commute to work because I would have been bawling like a baby. And I'm also glad that I read this after I read a previous book (which I rated 2 stars) because I would have been so upset going from this awesome book that that kinda blah one. I also read it while we had a power outage (yes, in Chicago during the 12+ inches of snow and coincidentally the story is also set in Chicago).

Love this book!!! If you get a chance to read it I highly recommended that you do. Unfortunately you won't be able to get this book on Kindle or an e-version so you will have to go to amazon or a local bookstore to get a paperback or hardcover version. Hopefully you can find a good used copy, but it is WELL WORTH IT!!!