"Match Made in Paradise" was a funny, sweet opposites attract romance between fashion model Mia Westberg and Alaskan bush pilot Silas Burke. Needing an escape from the unrelenting media attention in the wake of her much older husband's death, Mia decided to visit her cousin Raven in rural Alaska. She hoped that her stay would be a short one and she would soon be able to return home to Los Angeles to take control of her late husband's fashion empire, which had been left to her in his will. Her husband's children had contested the will, however, leaving Mia at loose ends until the matter was decided through the courts.
Culture shock started to set in for Mia before she had even arrived in the small town of Paradise, when she met Silas, the pilot for the final leg of her journey. Neither of them made a good first impression on the other, but there was an undeniable spark of attraction between them that only grew as Mia started to make herself at home in Alaska. She wasn't successful at everything she tried, but she was hardworking, persistent, and much more intelligent than most people credited. She and Silas weren't an obvious pairing, but by the end it was apparent that they truly brought out the best in each other.
I really enjoyed the book's small town Alaska setting as well as the quirky, interesting secondary characters. My favorites were Mia's cousin Raven and Silas's boss Brodie; I hope they will become a couple in a future book. However, I had mixed feelings about the end of the book, particularly Mia and Raven's plan to "import" women from California and play matchmaker with the single men of Paradise. What exactly are the women supposed to do if they end up moving to Paradise? There doesn't seem to be much work for them, and there's not really any housing, either. Frankly, the whole thing felt kind of forced as a setup for future books, though I enjoyed this book enough to give it a chance.
Despite my misgivings near the end of the book, I enjoyed "Match Made in Paradise" and would recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I plan to continue with the series.
I really enjoyed the book's small town Alaska setting as well as the quirky, interesting secondary characters. My favorites were Mia's cousin Raven and Silas's boss Brodie; I hope they will become a couple in a future book. However, I had mixed feelings about the end of the book, particularly Mia and Raven's plan to "import" women from California and play matchmaker with the single men of Paradise. What exactly are the women supposed to do if they end up moving to Paradise? There doesn't seem to be much work for them, and there's not really any housing, either. Frankly, the whole thing felt kind of forced as a setup for future books, though I enjoyed this book enough to give it a chance.
Despite my misgivings near the end of the book, I enjoyed "Match Made in Paradise" and would recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I plan to continue with the series.
*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Match Made in Paradise"
The first in an enchanting new contemporary romance series featuring rugged Alaskan pilots who are about to meet their match from New York Times bestselling author Barbara Dunlop.
Supermodel Mia Westberg finds herself on the run from the paparazzi after the death of her much older husband. In order to stay out of the public eye until the fate of her late husband’s fashion house is decided, Mia leaves behind her lavish Los Angeles lifestyle for the wilderness of Alaska—a place where no reporter would follow. It’s immediately clear that Mia isn’t ready for everything Paradise, Alaska has in store for her: the wild animals, insanely harsh weather, and a gorgeous no-nonsense bush pilot who is immune to her charms.
When pilot Silas Burke flies a beautiful blonde into town, he thinks he has her all figured out from the jump. She’s a city girl who has no business in the rough Alaskan terrain. Silas decides against his better judgment to help Mia acclimate to life in Paradise after seeing her struggle. But he’s an impatient teacher and she’s a frustrated pupil—and nothing gets them more fired up than each other. Can these two polar opposites find common ground and let their hearts soar?
Read an Excerpt from "Match Made in Paradise"
Magnificent was the first word that came to Mia’s mind. If she was casting a model for a rugged, outdoors spread to attract women from far and wide, inspiring them to buy something for their own man from a new Lafayette wilderness clothing line, this would be her guy. There was a hint of irony in his half-smile, a hint of mischief in his blue eyes. He was fit and tall and confident enough to take on the wild. They’d make a fortune.
He looked her over from head to toe. Then he moved his attention to her luggage.
The five men rolled to their feet.
“Hey, Silas,” one of them said.
“Ricardo,” the man, obviously a pilot, and apparently named Silas, said in return.
“How’s it going?” another of the men asked Silas.
“Welcome back to the grind,” Silas said.
The other man grinned and nodded.
They all hoisted their backpacks and lifted their compact duffle bags to head for the door.
Silas, the pilot, stepped to one side, out of their way, while Mia sat down to wait.
“I take it you’re Mia,” Silas said.
She looked up, met his bright blue eyes and felt her chest tighten and her toes tingle in recognition of his sex appeal.
Yeah, she was a woman and she was alive, and he was a perfect specimen of a man.
Then it hit her. He knew her name.
“You’re here for me?” she asked. She’d thought he was here for those men.
“I’m from Paradise.”
“But?” She looked through the glass to where the five men trooped to a small airplane parked on the tarmac.
He waited.
“What about them?” she asked.
“We’re dropping them off.” He moved toward her, nodding at her luggage. “Raven didn’t tell you to pack light?”
Mia looked at her things. “This is light.”
“Lady, we’re getting into a Navajo PA-31 with five other passengers who, as you can see, are heavier than the average weight.” He picked her bags up one at a time, seeming to test them for weight. “They’re my paying cargo. You’re a ride-along.”
“I’m going with them?” Mia was still getting past that information.
Silas pulled her biggest roller-bag to one side. “You have to leave this behind.”
“What?” Was he insane?
“Becky?” he called over his shoulder. “Can you store this bag?”
“Sure,” the woman named Becky said.
“No!” Mia cried out.
Silas gave her a glare of impatience. “Okay, then these two.” He pointed to her garment bag and her carry-on.
“No way.” She shook her head. She could not leave her carry-on behind. “I’ll put this one on my lap.”
“It’s a weight issue, not space.”
“But . . .”
“Those two?” He pointed to her smaller roller-bag and the garment bag.
That was a bit better but still not doable.
Becky joined them, obviously waiting to see which bags she’d be storing in the FBO.
“There must be some other way?” Mia tried her ice-princess look, the one that usually got her what she expected. When that didn’t seem to move Silas, she changed her expression, hoping to appeal to his compassion. “Maybe one of those guys could . . .”
“Those guys are heading to a drilling camp for three weeks. They took exactly what they needed.”
Mia didn’t have an answer for that.
Silas folded his arms over his chest, his expression implacable. “I am not crashing the airplane so you can bring your makeup and evening gowns.”
“My . . .” She started to be affronted but then dialed it back. Okay, she had brought one dress that could be considered an evening gown. It was a gown, and she could wear it in the evening, not to a super-formal event, but surely to anything that happened in Alaska.
“You coming or not?” He looked fully prepared to leave her behind.
“Fine. But I have to rearrange a few things.”
Silas muttered something under her breath.
Before he could tell her no, Mia quickly crouched and unzipped her smaller roller-bag. She pulled out the essentials: panties, bras and nighties. It figured he’d have to get a look at her underwear. But that was the kind of day she was having.
***
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