Review: Steamy Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 24, 2011
When your playtime comes to an end do you give up pleasure times two gracefully or do you go out kicking and screaming? There wasn't so much kicking in Paige, Trent and Mason's story but there was plenty of screaming...the good kind!Welcome to Bandicoot Cove or if you read the smoking hot prequel, Exotic Indulgence, Welcome Back! These are four stories that are intertwined between a couple of sets of siblings and some friendships that go deeper than family.In book 2, we meet Aussie's Trent and Mason. They have been sharing a torrid fling with Canadian born pastry chef Paige Kingston. Similar to book 1, the reader is thrown head long into the middle of their relationship or in Paige's mind the end of their year long no-strings fling. The problem is one that is typical in a casual romance, emotions become involved when no one's looking. When Paige realizes she unintentionally broke the cardinal rule of flings -- falling in love -- she sees no other choice but to leave. Too bad the men have other, very specific, plans. Plans that involve a couch that isn't, a boat built for three, and a little slice of Paradise.One of the aspects of this short story I appreciated, since it begins with a bang, is the bits of backstory Ms. Arend throws in along the way. Paige and Trent both give us some flashbacks of that first intense meeting that guaranteed Paige was the adventurous and outgoing woman they craved. I also liked how no one was overly self-assured of their HEA. Doubts are real. Questions are real. Misunderstandings are real. Ms. Arend does a beautiful job of building the relationship outside the bedroom where the readers feels the chemistry that is honest and not just based on sex.It isn't necessary to have read book 1 in this series to enjoy Paradise Found but it does provide a nice setup for the other stories, so I recommend beginning with Exotic Indulgence and then find your way to Paradise and beyond. These are quick reads but you won't feel shorted on story or satisfaction.Originally posted at Whipped Cream Reviews