Paradise

This is probably my all-time favorite romance novel. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you groan in frustration and smile with joy- and when you get to the last page, you feel that you are parting from very dear friends. You can feel the chemistry immediately when Matt and Meredith meet. Did you ever meet someone and after that first long conversation, you feel that you've lost a long lost friend? That's how Judith makes us feel when we read of the night they met. They have been separated ten years when they meet again under rather amazing circumstances. I don't want to give any plot away, but Judith is so stinkin clever with the twist she came up with to bring them together again, and even more clever in how she keeps them together. Vague, huh?! Sorry about that but I don't want to give it away! I've never seen an author so cleverly weave such a crazy but completely believable set of events. Meredith is strong, kind, and forgiving. Her father is autocratic and domineering, belittling her no matter how much she excels but she still manages to blossom into a caring adult. Matt is tough and confident and encourages her to be more assertive. He's not only a perfect mate for her but also the perfect partner. Matt. Oh my. Where to start! He is one of my most favorite heros ever. He begins as a steel worker but builds a massive financial empire a la Trump. He's classy and smooth but a bit reserved and afraid to let many people get close to him. He's brutal with his payback when he's been wronged but will stop at nothing to win what he thinks he deserves, including getting back the woman he loves once he realizes she loves him back. Good, old fashioned ethics and a strong opinion of wrong and right. He's a knight in shining armor, whether she wants him riding to her rescue or not!

Paradise is a contemporary novel and the fourth book of Judith Mcnaught that I have read. After reading the glowing reviews here, not to mention my delight with A Kingdom of Dreams, Something Wonderful and Once & Always, I was eager to read more of her work and find out why this book is the highest rated of all her novels, and now I understand why... Meredith Bancroft was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. As the daughter of Phillip Bancroft, the president of the most exclusive department store in Chicago, she has everything that a girl could want, at least everything that money could buy - for Meredith is insecure with her looks, hardly has any friends and lives a pretty sheltered life under the watchful eye of her manipulative and overbearing father. But four years later and the 'ugly duckling' turn into a swan. Those who have treated her as if she were invisible are now eager to befriend her. Yet, her father still expects her to do his bidding and follow his orders. But everything will change when she finally defies him. Matthew Farrell comes from the lower class town of Edmunton, Indiana. He works in a steel mill five days a week, as a mechanic for the remaining two, and lives with his sister and alcoholic father. But Matthew has a burning ambition to succeed. Thus, after accepting a job in Venezuela that will see him with a large sum of money after two years, he finds himself at a party in Chicago one night where he meets Meredith, and where he dared to reach for the moon. And so begins a romance that will result in a decade of hate, deceit, doubts and misunderstandings. When that chance meeting see them married a few weeks later, they make a pact to get to know each other and make their marriage work. Yet Phillip Bancroft never gave them the chance, for as soon as Matt left for Venezuela, he did everything in his power to drive them apart and so their ill-fated marriage ended up in divorce. Fast forward to eleven years and Matt is now an industrial tycoon, with women throwing themselves at his feet, while Meredith is an executive at Bancroft and Company and engaged to Parker Reynolds, the man she adored as a child. When their paths cross once again, they find themselves dealing with suppressed pains caused by each other's 'betrayal'. If there ever was a couple that you would most like to find everlasting happiness - Matt and Meredith would be them. Theirs is a story that's guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings. You can truly feel the love they have for each other and the agony that they have gone through during the years they've been apart. There are so many twists and turns in the story, that just when you think that things are finally working out, another obstacle will drive them apart. The author's talents shine in this book. She brings life to the characters that they almost jump out of the page. I laughed and cried, and in the end, I didn't want the story to end at all. Don't let the length of the novel put you o

A second chance at love is worth fighting for as Matthew Farrell and Meredith Bancroft prove in this blissful book by Judith McNaught. This book will keep you riveted from the first! You'll experience so many emotions and such intense feelings -- love, hate, grief, joy, sadness, anger and frustration -- that when you're finished you'll feel like you've just stepped off an emotional roller coaster that left you wanting more. Remember to have a box of Kleenex handy when you begin -- you'll need them! Matthew and Meredith are some of the very best characters I've ever had the privilege to read about. They're true-to-life, three dimensional and so real that their emotions jump from the pages and weave themselves around you making the story come to life vividly. Matthew is the absolute definition of a romantic hero. Though hurt long ago by his true love he realizes he still wants her and does everything in his power to prove to her that they belong together. The way he stoically stands by his resolve to have Meredith for his own is beautiful. Though she feels betrayed by Matt, something inexplicably draws Meredith to him every time they meet. Watching Meredith burst free from the confines of her life that say she should not be with Matt is wonderful. The love between these two is explosive and oh-so-passionate! They have a deep and abiding love that even time and sordid lies could not kill. Ms. McNaught has a keen talent to make you experience her work and feel as if you've stepped into the story. Her secondary characters are just as fleshed out as her main characters and become quite real themselves. Meredith's father is a hard, bitter and selfish man who makes everyone's life miserable. I actually wanted to climb into the book and choke a fictional character! I really loved the way that Ms. McNaught showed the growth of her characters. Each character reshapes and expands throughout the book giving the reader a deeper insight into their personalities while keeping the characters genuine. By the end of the book Meredith's father even changes into someone half-way likable. I appreciated the look at Meredith's youth that gave insight into the things that shaped her as a woman and I also adored the look into the future of our couple. The plot was also outstanding -- I became engrossed in the business world that Ms. McNaught so realistically created. I can't say enough good things about this book! My first by Judith McNaught that left me wanting to rush to the nearest bookstore and snatch up all her work. Don't be daunted by the length, this book will fly by and before you know it you'll be at the end. Don't forget to search up _Perfect_ by Ms. McNaught, I hear Meredith and Matt are mentioned in that book as well. Please don't hesitate to buy this book it's one of the best I've ever read.

I have to admit. I was skeptical about this book in the beginning. The description at the back sounded boring and the length didn't help either but I told myself ' What the heck, just give it a try ' In the end I was totally captivated by the very true and everlasting love that was experienced between Matt and Meredith. Their story touched my heart and made me yearn for a love like theirs. If I had only 1 wish in the world, I will wish to be Meredith Bancroft. I guess the same goes out to many of you too, right? Anyway, I've read all of JM's books and my favorites are Paradise, Whitney my Love and Once and Always. I think that these 3 books have truly captured the essence of true love. I'm desperately awaiting the release of Water's Edge. I can't wait ! I've tried other romance authors but I feel that JM's still the best! Keep up the good work and keep on writing good books......=)