What would you do if you found out that your husband had a secret life with another woman and their child, and that he was just killed in a helicopter accident along with his mistress on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands? This is exactly what Irene Steele and her two grown sons, Baker and Cash, are faced with in Elin Hilderbrand’s conclusion to her Paradise trilogy, TROUBLES IN PARADISE.

When Irene, Baker and Cash learn about the tragic crash, they take a trip to the Caribbean. It’s a whirlwind of nonstop craziness and confusion trying to put the pieces together as they’re blindsided. Rosie and Russ have a child, Maia, who is a bright 12-year-old, and they lived in a $15 million villa on the island. How in the world did Irene, Baker and Cash not know what was going on for so many years? How do you deal with the hurt and humiliation? How do you keep it all together? Where do you even begin?

"When you blend Irene, Baker and Cash with Huck, Ayers and Maia, you get a wonderful mix of dysfunction, drama and love, and this is where Hilderbrand’s signature storytelling and style come to life."

Irene, a former editor-in-chief of a magazine, lived with Russ in their recently renovated 1892 Queen Anne-style house that she has planned, overseen and executed for the past six years in Iowa. It is now a showpiece, and she is so proud of herself. Baker is a day trader and stay-at-home dad raising his four-year-old-son in Houston and soon will be divorcing his wife. Cash lives in Denver, owning and operating his two outdoor supply stores before the businesses go under.

Living on St. John are Huck, Rosie’s stepfather and the captain of his fishing boat, The Mississippi; Ayers, Rosie’s BFF; and Maia. How could Ayers not know all the details about Rosie’s relationship with Russ, also known as “the invisible man”? Maia is a pretty cool kid who now lives with Huck, and she and Ayers are great friends.

When you blend Irene, Baker and Cash with Huck, Ayers and Maia, you get a wonderful mix of dysfunction, drama and love, and this is where Hilderbrand’s signature storytelling and style come to life. It definitely wouldn’t be an Elin Hilderbrand novel without all the deliciousness, and she certainly knows how to rope in her readers. This is why I love her books so much.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series. After reading the opening volume, I waited impatiently for the second and third installments. I’ve been reviewing Hilderbrand’s books since 2014, and I look forward to every October and June when her work is published. Her novels are always entertaining. Every character and scene, not to mention the venues and delicious food, are described in vivid detail. She has made so many of her readers want to visit Nantucket, and she has done the same with St. John.

Do you recall the old Sara Lee commercial with the jingle, “Everybody doesn’t like something, but nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee”? Well, the same applies here: “Everybody doesn’t like something, but nobody doesn’t like an Elin Hilderbrand novel.” I guarantee that!