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Return to Paradise
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Return to Paradise
Unavailable
Return to Paradise
Audiobook6 hours

Return to Paradise

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

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 determined 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.

©2010 Simone Elkeles (P)2014 Dreamscape Media, LLC

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 20, 2014
ISBN9781629235578
Author

Simone Elkeles

Simone Elkeles is the author of Leaving Paradise and four other Flux novels, including How to Ruin Your Summer Vacation and How to Ruin Your Boyfriend’s Repuation. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Rules of Attraction (Walker). A popular speaker at libraries around the country, when the author is not writing she TiVos reality television and watches teen movies. She lives near Chicago with her family and two dogs.

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Reviews for Return to Paradise

Rating: 3.9166666666666665 out of 5 stars
4/5

24 ratings14 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I wasn’t as into this book as I was the first one. Caleb has gotten into trouble again, and once again; he really didn’t have anything to do with it. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, Caleb is now 18 and an adult in the eyes of the law, so instead of juvie, he would be looking at big boy jail time. He is once again saved and is “given” the option to join the RE-START Program and travel with other offenders and share his story, or go to jail. Once at the RE-START meeting place he realizes that Maggie is there and here is where we start the alternating chapters again. I still liked seeing things from both characters point of view, though things seemed a little too drawn out in this one. Maggie and Caleb were at each other’s throats more than was really necessary. But as always things got hot and heavy between them, though they both didn’t want them to. Maggie kept trying to show Caleb that she had moved on and Caleb was playing the jealous part to a T!
    I am happy to report that the incident from the first book was finally resolved in this one and things seem to be on track for everyone in the book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was disappointing after "Leaving Paradise". It started well, but began to drag a bit from the middle onwards and began to feel repetitive. Also, there was too much teenage angst in this book and I found myself rolling my eyes on more than one occasion. However, I'm still glad it ended happily for Caleb and Maggie.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A great read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Return to Paradise definitely made it onto my list of favorites. That ending!<3 I hated the ending of Leaving Paradise but this ending made up for it. I love Simone's books, and I think she'll always be one of my favorite authors with her amazing romances. :D
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This sequel was almost as good as the orginal. I was not sure how she was going to get the characters back to in the same area after the first book. I loved the relationship between Caleb and Maggie, though towards the end things seemed a little thrown together. I could not figure out why there was refresher of the first book in the ending of the second one. The characters were different then in the first one as they go on their travels with the new group of teens. Love gazabo scenes now ;)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Return to Paradise brought the events of Leaving Paradise to a satisfying conclusion. The dual perspective that the novel was written in was again an effective medium; however, I just couldn't quite seem to "get" Caleb's reasoning for his actions throughout most of the novel--it really didn't make much sense to me, even with his own words giving us his version. Still, though, it was another good read from an excellent author.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    There is this tiny bit of common sense I left behind before reading this book- if you didn't like the first book don't bother with the sequel. It will probably be shitty too. And God, I tried to like this book, I really did. 

    Here's the book in short- Maggie's an idiot, Caleb's a d-bag and Simon Elkeles can write a lot better romance (cue Perfect Chemistry) than one about two pathetic little creatures who also happen to be having some real troubles that sounded sad ONE WHOLE BOOK AGO! And oh, both of them want to get into each others' pants but are too confused because of the aforementioned problems and yet have no qualms about fooling around. Until the make-out session is over, of course. If I thought Caleb and Maggie were blowing things out of proportions in the first book, this book made me reconsider.

    The only bright point here was Lenny, and his funny wacko comments. It would have been better if the Re-START program has been given more focus and the supporting characters given more personality. I wanted to know more about Damon, Erin, Trish, Lenny, heck even Vanessa other than read Maggie and Caleb bitch about how much they love each other but will not confess, will ignore each other and bitch more about the fact that it is not working between them. And don't even get me started on Leah and Julio getting together that made me laugh for so long I even forgot what's funny. 

    This book also had the problem of Caleb and Maggie having the same voice (but they both are equally whiny I know one cannot help but be confused!). And the Happily Ever After felt so damn forced I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the book. For all the time Caleb and Maggie spent complaining about their problems it was quite easily solved. 

    And yeah, Kendra is still a bitch; though I don't understand why we wanted to be reminded of that fact again.

    Even one star is a big stretch, but it is my fault, really. I never should have read this book. 
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great sequel to the original book and ended very well. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it if you want a good ending to the story!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sweet, fun, entertaining.. I'm glad I read it!After reading "Leaving paradise" I was so disappointed that I didn't really want to read the sequel. The first book started so damn good but it was just ok by the middle (except some good parts), and then it ended in such a hurry - I understand why, but i still don't like it. I just couldn't relate to the story at all (I know a lot of people loved it, I just wasn't one of them). But today I read (and finished) "Return to paradise" and it was really good. I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about this book. Short review: nice story line, better characters and lots of funny moments.The story is really sweet after all the drama they had in the first volume and (as an improvement) the characters are stronger, making the sequel better. I like the new confident Maggie, I like the dialog between Maggie and Caleb, I like the hot-and-cold game they play and there are so many funny moments that my face hurts for so much laughing.. it's HILARIOUS! I love funny books and I love Lenny and Trish and the teasing between them (also between the main characters).. there was such a great chemistry in this book, and all the characters were so full of life! The action felt so natural page after page, I just felt I was part of the story, never getting bored, always wanting more. It's a great book. If you like sweet-funny romances then you will love it too. I know I do :)PS: This is my favorite book from Simone E. (after "perfect chemistry")
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    All I can say is Simone Elkeles writes addictive books. This was a great conclusion to Leaving Paradise. Great characters with lots of kissing and romantic tension and an addictive story. Yum!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I love Simone Elkeles and I enjoyed "Leaving Paradise," but this book fell flat. I didn't think the writing was up to par. The plot was, frankly, just too contribed. Elkeles' thrives on contrived plots, and I generally don't mind it. Her character development, capable storytelling, and excellent writing style more than makes up for it. (And who doesn't enjoy a cheesy contrived plot once in a while). This book lacked the things that makes Elkeles so good and kept her one fault. Disappointing.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Okay so confession, ever since I found out there was going to be a sequel to Leaving Paradise I had high hopes and expectations (perhaps a little too high?) for the sequel unfortunately however those expectations were not met, I was underwhelmed even though Return to Paradise has everything you’ve come to expect from a Simone Elkeles novel including a gorgeous yet tormented boy, a insecure girl and a very satisfying ending (if you like everything tied up nicely) that is just as sweet and sugary as I’ve come to expect from Ms Elkeles’ novels. It’s been eight months after Caleb just up and left Paradise, leaving Maggie behind after their brief and tumultuous relationship, Caleb hasn’t even contacted Maggie in that time, however circumstances soon conspire to place these two together again with explosive consequences. Leaving Paradise begins with a police raid on the “house” (and I use that term very lightly, it was really a drug manufacturing house) Caleb is living in and once again Caleb is caught on the wrong side of the law. However, Caleb is given a reprieve from being sent straight back to jail if he joins the Re-START program where teens whose lives have been impacted by reckless driving travel around for a month sharing their stories with other teens. Sounds simple enough for Caleb but wait for it, I think you’ll guess it, he didn’t bank on the fact that Maggie would also be in the same program *da,da,da*. It is evident from their first meeting Maggie is still mad (and rightfully so) at Caleb and just wants to try and ignore him whilst Caleb just wants to get the whole program over and done with but being Maggie and Caleb these two can’t stay away from each other. How will Maggie and Caleb cope with being together for a whole month, will they finally get their happily ever after ending, well you’ll just have to read the book to find out! First off I have to say I really wanted to love this as much as Leaving Paradise, I really did, but alas I just couldn’t there were just too many coincidences (I mean being placed together in the Re-START program, hmmm I’m not sure about that which was a problem because basically the whole story is based around this) not to mention Caleb who transformed from this gorgeous swoonworthy male in Leaving Paradise to this really angry character, okay you know what I’m just going to say it he was a bit pricky, oh Simone Elkeles why did you have to do that? Most of the interactions he had with Maggie and the other teens on the Re-START program were just mean and antagonistic which for me wasn’t Caleb at all. Whilst Caleb seemed to have regressed I’m happy to say that in Return to Paradise Maggie was a much more confident character but she still was pretty cheesed that Caleb just upped and left her without even telling her it wasn’t him that hit her that night but his sister Leah. Maggie seemed to have accepted her situation a lot better compared to what she was like in Leaving Paradise, her friendship with Leah was also slowly starting to repair, it seemed that Maggie was finally able to forgive which is an important step in healing. Once Maggie meets Caleb again she is conflicted about her feelings towards him which whilst she knew they were not completely gone, she thought she had accepted his absence from her life, but has she? Once again the book alternatives between both Caleb and Maggie’s point of view which really worked in the first book and does once again because we as readers can see what’s going on in both Caleb and Maggie’s heads. Occasionally this caused me some frustration when it was plainly obvious they both still cared for each other but they were both being so stubborn about it, argh it’s getting me annoyed again, see what I mean frustrating. Now I’m the kind of person who likes happy endings that end nicely I guess you could call them cheesy endings, I love the cheese factor, but for some people they want an ending with a bit more substance, now I’m not saying the ending didn’t have any substance but it was very cheesy then again I guess it’s not completely unexpected if you’ve read any of Simone’s other novels (I’m talking about you perfect chemistry/rules of attraction). Basically what I’m trying to say is I liked the ending, it was very sweet and we had a conclusion but I don’t believe everyone will be satisfied with it. Overall Return to Paradise was just an okay read for me, there seemed to be something missing in Return to Paradise that Leaving Paradise had. However, I did like how everything ended nicely and we did get a conclusion. Rating 3.5 out of 5
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like where this sequel would go. I didn’t want it to be all about one person chasing the other trying to prove how right they were for each other, fraught with deep emotions and heartbreak and a breathtaking reconnection, only to have that shattered by some other hardship that would continue until the final pages of the book. Yeah, there was some of that, but it wasn’t the focus. I felt that the relationship between Caleb and Maggie was allowed to progress quite naturally and didn’t have any undue drama just for the sake of inserting drama.When Caleb left Maggie, he did it with a secret weighing heavily on his shoulders. What he didn’t know was that Maggie knew his secret and has been living with it on her own. Because Caleb chose to leave her rather than open up to her, Maggie has major trust issues with him. And though she likes to pretend she’s moved beyond what they had, it’s obvious when their paths cross that there is more than just a spark between them.Maggie matured a lot after Caleb left. I appreciate the fact that, instead of falling apart when he left and being bitter about it, she continued to grow and adjust to her life post-accident. A lot of book one was her getting past the bitterness she felt toward Caleb, and though there was definitely resentment toward him over the way he left, she didn’t completely revert to who she was before their relationship. (Yes, that seems logical, but I’ve read book series where the main character seems to have forgotten everything s/he learned before and struggles with – then conquers – the same thing over and over again.)Caleb, though, never had the chance to really conquer his problems before he left, and it is apparent in the life he leads outside of Paradise. As a result, I’d say that dealing with his issues is the biggest focus of the book. Due to the various encounters in the book, there is a tremendous amount of change taking place in his life. It is because of these changes that this book blossomed into a book so much better than the one I feared.As with Leaving Paradise, I had a bit of a problem differentiating between Caleb’s voice and Maggie’s. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what it is that prevents me from determining who the “I” is in certain scenes, but for some reason there were several points when I had to read back a few lines (or flip back to the beginning of the chapter) to remind myself who was narrating.Elkeles does a great job of taking two characters with a troubled history and bringing them to a place where a relationship of any kind is not only plausible, it allows both characters to develop into better, stronger individuals.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you've been a long time follower of my blog (or reviews) you might remember my gushing one for Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles- an author who has yet to disappoint me in any way- so as you can imagine when I received the sequel to that oh-so-yummy-and-addicting novel, I was just a bit squeal-happy. Well, maybe just a lot more than just a bit, but anyhow, as I was soon to find out, Return to Paradise was definitely worth the wait. Because not only was it better than its prequel (which I didn't think could happen), it was nothing short of amazing/rock-my-socks-off fantastic!! As the reader begins Return to Paradise it's been eight months since Caleb left, taking not only Maggie's heart with him but his dark secret about what really happened the night he was arrested and Maggie was left disabled and abandoned in the middle of the street alone. And while each of them still wants and misses each other more than ever, they've moved on with their lives the best they could. Maggie finished high school and is going to Spain in a few months, and Caleb has been in Chicago trying to make enough to support himself on. Though, as it turns out, fate isn't done with them yet, as they are soon to learn when they find themselves together on summer trip with four other teens that have also been affected by drunk driving. Together again they find themselves torn between the what-ifs: what if they got back together, what if Caleb finally admit what truly happened that night, and a star crossed romance that would make almost any teen girl (or even boy) swoon. The one thing I always love about follow-up novels is seeing how the characters have grown over the time that the reader has been away from their story, and with Return to Paradise both characters have definitely grown a lot over the past eight months. For Maggie, she finally has a backbone, but don't get me wrong, she still has a big heart, especially when Caleb is involved. For Caleb, he's gotten a bit worse because of the fact he's tougher and more confrontational than ever, though it's easy to see it's just a cover for the poor lost boy he is underneath it all. The one thing I love about these characters, and all of Simone's characters in general, is that there real in a way that they make mistakes and learn from them, that they have faults and good points that help them grow, and that their lives aren't perfect even if it does appear so for some of the characters, because as anyone knows, no one's life is perfect. Anyhow, moving on, just as I did with the prequel I loved the romance between Caleb and Maggie. Because seriously those two are so sweet and caring with each other and always manage the best in each other out for the world to see. And talking about characters, I just loved the secondary characters introduced in this one. All of them are so unique, and some of them, like Lenny and Trish, bring out several laugh-out-loud moments. The plot in this was fact paced and when mixed with Simone's easy going and smooth writing, it moved in a rapid pace, one that made this the ultimate unputdownable book. I especially loved the way that while some parts of this book were predictable, Simone also had several moments that I didn't see coming from a mile away! In all, Return to Paradise (as well as its prequel if you haven't read that one yet) is a must read for this fall season. Because seriously, what's better than reading one of Simone Elkeles swoon worthy teen romances on a fall day? Grade: A+