Paradise by Judith McNaught
Series: Second Opportunities #1
Published by Pocket Books on June 1, 1992
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 709
Goodreads

“Either give me your hand,” he said, “or end it now, and put us both out of our misery.”

FINAL DECISION: Fabulous story with characters that I have remembered for almost three decades with a story that covers over a decade heartbreak, betrayal and transformative love.

THE STORY: Matthew Farrell is seen as a playboy corporate raider. A self-made man, Matt built his fortune always remembering the rich, spoiled girl he was briefly married to before they were torn apart. Now eleven years after their brief marriage, Matt and Meredith Bancroft are again in the same place. Meredith is no longer the eighteen year old girl Matt knew and she is on the precipice of finally heading her family’s department store empire. Eleven years hasn’t diminished the intense feelings between Matt and Meredith. Betrayal, heartbreak, fury, passion still swirl around the couple. Both have moved on in their lives but neither can forget all that was between them when they are face to face.

OPINION: This book reminds me of how there are only a few books that really are memorable. I might enjoy a book for a while, but this book I remember after years. I don’t think I’ve read this book 25 years, but I remember how much I loved these characters and their story. This book is my second favorite Judith McNaught book (surpassed only by PERFECT, the second book in this series).

Matt and Meredith’s story has a familiar story line. Two young people marry and then forces tear them apart. They meet again and all those second chance feelings: love, passion, fear, anger threaten any chance of a reconciliation. This is an epic book, it follows the two for fifteen years. The book takes a while to develop these characters, their situation, and their passion for one another, but by the time it ends, I was completely and utterly invested in their story.

Despite some dated references (especially to the cost of items), the relationship feels modern and fresh. Indeed, Meredith’s desire to run her family business and Matt’s unwavering support of her feels more relevant than ever.

Filled with regrets and mistakes and an intense desire to finally get things right touched my heart more now than when I was a young 20 year old reading this book for the first time.

WORTH MENTIONING: Two things in this book really transported me back to the first time I read it in the early 1990s. First, no cell phones so there are lots of plot points about not being able to contact people. Second, lots of mentions of how much things cost which is so late 1980s.

CONNECTED BOOKS: PARADISE is the first book in the loosely connected Second Opportunities series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.