Lori’s review of Paradise Rules by Beth Kery.
To most people, Hawaii’s crystal blue shores are an inviting opportunity to escape reality. But for Lana Rodriguez, who grew up there, the picture-perfect vacation getaway disguises the bitter truths she escaped years ago, and not without some emotional scars. Now a successful blues singer, Lana’s returning to Waikiki to control her own destiny, with a bold defiance when it comes to men, romance, and sex.
A local celebrity, businessman, and island god, Jason Koa is every woman’s dream-but for Lana, it’s not love at first sight. Though their start is rocky, they can’t deny the passions they arouse in each other. Jason decides it’s time to show Lana who makes the rules on this island-and in the bedroom. But will Jason’s attempt at breaking Lana’s shell reveal secrets that neither are prepared to face, or will they allow themselves to get swept away by a tidal wave of desire?
I read and loved Wicked Burn and Daring Time by Kery. I was hopeful that I would also love Paradise Rules. While I didn’t love it, there is much to recommend it. Kery is masterful at writing dominant males and strong females who submit in the bedroom. This book is no exception.
Right off the bat, I should mention that I didn’t find either Jason or Lana to be terribly likable. I believe that this was in part intentional on Kery’s part. They were both brash and unapologetic for their behaviors and attitudes. However, Kery made it work for me by getting into their heads and letting me see why they were so unlikable. In doing so, I found myself nodding in understanding at their actions.
Lana’s story as eventually told is heartbreaking, and Jason has to really work to discover the real woman underneath. More than that, he makes Lana realize who she is underneath all her bravado. Although he comes off as a bit of an ass for much of the book, he won me over in the end with his obvious care for Lana.
I didn’t care for their first sexual encounter all that much. Kery excels at the highly emotionally charged sex, and I wasn’t prepared for it at the beginning any more than Lana and Jason were. Most of the emotional revelations come during sex. This is the perfect example of how a book can contain a ton of sex, but each and every encounter serves to forward the emotional bonds between the characters and move the story ahead.
While it isn’t quite as raw and naked as Wicked Burn, it packs a good punch. I didn’t find it as intriguing as Daring Time either, but this is a strong, emotional contemporary that I would recommend.
Grade: 4 out of 5
You can read more from Lori by visiting, I Just Finished Reading and Living in the House of Testosterone.
This book is available from Berkley Trade. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
Oh! I’ve been meaning to get back to this. I started it a while back, and while it seemed good, hadn’t really connected with the characters, mostly for the reasons you mentioned.
Thanks for your review, Lori! I love Beth Kery’s writing, and your review is giving me incentive to pick it back up.