A review for Return to Paradise (Leaving Paradise #2) by Simone Elkeles

Posted by Donna

Published Date: September 1st, 2010

Finished Date: June 9th, 2011
Source: Brought from Amazon

Format: Kindle
Pages: 302

The Blurb from Goodreads: Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything. Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She's dermined to make a new life for herself. But then Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie's accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them. 

The Review: After finishing Leaving Paradise I was so excited to start this book…. I headed for it straight away. I was really worried that I would be disappointed with it, just because I’d hear a few negative reviews but it’s safe to say……Simone Elkeles has done it again and completely blown me away again. Wow! Just wow!

Return to Paradise starts 8 months later meeting Caleb in trouble. When he’s been arrested and faces jail time, Caleb has known one else to turn to but his former mentor Damon. Damon can get him out of trouble providing Caleb joins a Re-Start Programme for kids affected by drunk driving. The morning of the trip Caleb finds himself face to face with Maggie…..who is also taking part in the programme. Thinking everything will be fine, both Caleb and Maggie fight their attraction for one another and both wishing they could finally reveal what really happened on the night of the crash.

I honestly have to say wow again! Honestly, wow! I thought the first book was fantastic but this was a completely different read. I’ve never been more on edge while reading a book; I just couldn’t keep my excitement in. You’re thrown into the lives of Caleb and Maggie from the first page and the passion of their relationship is just completely undeniable once again.

We get to see a whole new different side to both of the characters. They’ve both grown over the 8 months they been apart but they’ve both become stronger…Maggie especially. She finally comes out of the shell she has been living in since the accident and after losing Caleb, she finally starts trying to live her life with no regrets and really try to be a different person. Now Caleb…he’s had a hard time during the 8 months apart but my god, I’ve never meet anyone more stubborn all my life. I did sometimes want to give him a good shake but I’m glad he finally came to terms with everything that had happened since the accident. He did grow as a character by the end of the book and I loved that we got to see a different side to him.

I also really enjoyed the new characters that were introduced even though they were all battling their own problems, they all came together and were funny, caring and so much fun to read about. I loved that Simone managed to bring some of them back to Paradise and created a happy ending for them as she could of.

Overall, not only has Simone managed to write a fantastic sequel but she has managed to pack this story with even more emotion, more passion and more intense scenes that will leave the reader dying to finish the book. A fantastic end to a fantastic series and one I know I will read over and over again. Highly recommended to all.