Paradise Lost and Found by K. Aten is a vacation journey to better self awareness and paranormal romance for a grumpy ice queen.
When the queen of grump wins a self-help vacation at a tropical resort, Jess doesn’t jump at the chance but goes anyway. She immediately dislikes Lucia the resort manager. Just. Too. Perfect. But everything at the resort is perfect, and as she thaws toward the imposed activities and helpful staff, Jess begins to experience emotions and feelings that she had thought long left behind.
The best feelings are the ones she has for Lucia. They only have four weeks together, and maybe the biggest question is how can they leave this powerful and unexpected new love after so short a time? Or maybe, that isn’t quite the biggest question.
Writing
The emotions displayed by Jess range widely from unattainable, miserable jerk to walking wounded to sweetly romantic and cautiously optimistic happy. The emotional arc is well paced, and absolutely believable. Life has treated her unfairly, from a miserable breakup to the effects of early menopause and though she really is an awful person to begin with, her internal dialogue gives a reader hope that she can navigate to a more positive place.
Jess and Lucia’s romance is super sweet and nicely paired with Jess’s healing journey, but there is a super unexpected turn that makes the story really pop.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
At times I couldn’t decide which I enjoyed more, the deep dive into how to heal someone as wounded as Jess, or the great romance that is only a part of her journey. Jess has wonderful friends that some of us can only dream about, but also issues that are very real like losing activities to aging that have been a large aspect of not only life but part of their identity. That in itself can be very damaging, but adding a harsh breakup combined with negative self-image makes Jess relatable and easy to root for, no matter how big of an ass she begins as. And then she begins therapy sessions that were probably my second favorite part of the book. A reader may or may not take anything away from those, personally, but I found them fascinating.
This philosophical study on how to recover from the slide into middle age was just fun. Nothing happens instantly, except Jess’s unwanted infatuation with the gorgeous and too upbeat Lucia. I laughed at how irritated she became over how perfect and too nice she is. Watching them fall in love while trying to ignore the ticking clock was all kinds of feel good, but then the shocker when the story takes a big turn was an enjoyable surprise.
Heads Up
Anger issues connected to terrible self-image.
The Conclusion
Jess doesn’t like her life, her co-workers or herself, and she takes it out on everyone around her. She wins a trip to Paradise Island Resort and goes despite even hating that, then dislikes the required activities and especially dislikes the all too perfect Lucia. The beautiful setting and intense therapy begin to thaw the grumpy ice queen, allowing her to follow her heart and fall in love with the enchanting resort manager. As the women inure themselves to inevitable separation, a sudden shift in the story changes everything.
This well paced story of a woman who has fallen into a pit of self-loathing and anger at the world is not only philosophical and healing, but a sweet love story between two women who never expected to find love. A sudden shift in the story creates a heightened intensity for the couple that tests their relationship and Jess’s healing.
Excerpt from Paradise Lost and Found by K. Aten
“You’ll meet a sexy lady for a little vacation boom-boom.”
Jess laughed at her phrasing. “What decade are you even from?”
She sniffed. “I’m at work and the head of HR. I have standards you know.”
“Uh huh, I’ve seen your standards showing often enough on a Saturday night at Culture. You’re a pool bully, and you don’t like to wear a lot of clothes on the dance floor.”
“And that’s why I like to keep my personal and professional life separate, thank you very much.”
Jess grabbed the belly fat she’d become hyper-fixated on the past few years. “Anyway, I’m unlikely to get any vacation boom-boom, as you put it, with this body. I know I should exercise more, I just…” She sighed.
“Do you still have your bike? I remember you riding it to work all the time.”
“I do. It’s just that some days I feel like I’m barely getting through the day. You know? Frankly, this menopause shit has hit me like a ton of bricks.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1-61929-551-3
Publisher: Flashpoint Publications
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