Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Title: Return to Paradise

Author: Simone Elkeles

Publisher: Flux

Release Date: September 1, 2010

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

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 was determined to make a new life for herself.

But now 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.

I missed Maggie and Caleb. They are just such great characters and I missed reading about them. Once again Simone Elkeles has written a wonderful story with amazing characters that you can’t help but love. I’ve loved absolutely everything I’ve read by Elkeles and it was the same thing with Return to Paradise. When I finished Leaving to Paradise, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending but now I am truly happy with how things turned out.

It’s been eight months since Caleb left Paradise and Maggie behind but once again he finds himself in trouble. And the only way to get out of that trouble is to go on a four week trip with a group of teenagers’ whose lives have been affected by reckless driving. And who else should be part of that group than Maggie Armstrong. Maggie thought she had managed to get over Caleb, or at least she had convinced herself she was over him. The next four weeks are going to prove to be longer than they should and Caleb and Maggie will have to come to terms with different parts of their past and maybe salvage their relationship.

I have said this about every single one of Simone Elkeles’s male characters that I have read about but I LOVE CALEB. As big a jerk and idiot he can be at times I still love him and would pretty much love him no matter what. There’s something about Caleb that you can’t help but love. It’s easy to see that he’s trying to become a better person and though he may not always be going about that the right way I couldn’t help but root for him. For Maggie’s sake I wanted Caleb to become a better person because she deserved to have someone like Caleb cared for her and Caleb deserved to have someone care about him regardless of his past.

Now that I’ve gotten to know her better, I pretty much love Maggie too. She’s changed a lot since the first book and the change is a good one. She was able to accept that she would always be stuck with a limp but that it didn’t necessarily have to define her. And even though he didn’t always bring out the best in her, I loved how Maggie got when she was with Caleb. For the most part, she always stood her ground and I just loved seeing her play with his mind. It was just great. I was happy Maggie became who she became and my love for her just grew as she became stronger.

I absolutely love how the alternating points of view that are always a part of Simone Elkeles’s books. The way the story is written makes it so you just have to keep on reading in order to get the full story. When I started the book I didn’t plan to sit and read it all in one night but that’s what ended up happening. The story was engrossing and I honestly wanted it to be longer...if I had it my way it would be never ending but I know that isn’t going to happen. Despite that, I was really satisfied with the ending this time and it made me really happy.

Return to Paradise was a great read but I’m sad it’s over because now there won’t be anymore Maggie and Caleb to read about. Regardless I look forward to reading all of Simone Elkeles’s books. And so far they’ve all become favorites of mine.