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The Trouble with Paradise
From the New York Times bestselling author of Rumor Has It, Rescue My Heart, and the Lucky Harbor novels...
Statistically speaking, these years are supposed to be the sexual highlight of Dorie Anderson’s life. So where are the highlights already?
One phone call has turned Dorie’s dead-end life into an adventure: she’s won a trip on a singles cruise to Fiji. With her cutest outfits packed and the Love Boat theme in her head, Dorie boards—and soon meets two irresistible men: a pro baseball player with an irresistible Texas drawl, and the ship’s dark and mysterious French doctor, Dr. Christian Montague. She’s sure to fall head-over-heels in no time. She just never expected to do it so quickly, or so literally, tripping over her luggage.
With her foot twisted and her ego deflated, Dorie’s dream vacation is about to take the biggest detour yet. A violent storm has wrecked the ship and cast everyone ashore. A deserted island would be the perfect setting for a steamy romance, if something sinister wasn’t lurking. Whose alluring arms will Dorie run to? Being stuck never felt so…liberating.
Statistically speaking, these years are supposed to be the sexual highlight of Dorie Anderson’s life. So where are the highlights already?
One phone call has turned Dorie’s dead-end life into an adventure: she’s won a trip on a singles cruise to Fiji. With her cutest outfits packed and the Love Boat theme in her head, Dorie boards—and soon meets two irresistible men: a pro baseball player with an irresistible Texas drawl, and the ship’s dark and mysterious French doctor, Dr. Christian Montague. She’s sure to fall head-over-heels in no time. She just never expected to do it so quickly, or so literally, tripping over her luggage.
With her foot twisted and her ego deflated, Dorie’s dream vacation is about to take the biggest detour yet. A violent storm has wrecked the ship and cast everyone ashore. A deserted island would be the perfect setting for a steamy romance, if something sinister wasn’t lurking. Whose alluring arms will Dorie run to? Being stuck never felt so…liberating.
295 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
80 people are currently reading
1207 people want to read
About the author
Jill Shalvis
385 books13.8k followersJill Shalvis is a NYT, USA Today, and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of small-town romance and romcoms, known for big feels, found family, and plenty of shenanigans.
If you love small-town chaos, meddling friends and neighbors, sizzling chemistry, and heroes who fall hard for the one woman they absolutely did not plan on, you’re in the right place. Jill’s books blend laugh-out-loud moments with emotional gut punches, slow-burn tension, and deeply earned happily ever afters.
She writes the stories she loves to read: small-town romance and romantic comedies packed with heart, heat, second chances, grumpy/sunshine sparks, and the kind of found-family vibes that make you want to move right into the pages. Many of her series are perfect for binge-reading, and a number of her books are available in Kindle Unlimited and at major retailers.
When she’s not writing, she’s probably plotting new ways to torture her characters, avoiding laundry, or daydreaming about fictional men and the strong, complicated women who bring them to their knees—and then making them work for it.
You can follow Jill here on Goodreads to keep up with new releases, add her books to your shelves, and discover which small town you want to get lost in next.
If you love small-town chaos, meddling friends and neighbors, sizzling chemistry, and heroes who fall hard for the one woman they absolutely did not plan on, you’re in the right place. Jill’s books blend laugh-out-loud moments with emotional gut punches, slow-burn tension, and deeply earned happily ever afters.
She writes the stories she loves to read: small-town romance and romantic comedies packed with heart, heat, second chances, grumpy/sunshine sparks, and the kind of found-family vibes that make you want to move right into the pages. Many of her series are perfect for binge-reading, and a number of her books are available in Kindle Unlimited and at major retailers.
When she’s not writing, she’s probably plotting new ways to torture her characters, avoiding laundry, or daydreaming about fictional men and the strong, complicated women who bring them to their knees—and then making them work for it.
You can follow Jill here on Goodreads to keep up with new releases, add her books to your shelves, and discover which small town you want to get lost in next.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
May 3, 2010
^^ FROM PARADISE TO HELL!^^
The trouble with paradise is that the ship you are on might get caught up in a storm and you feel you might die. Also a crew member could go missing and a whole lot of blood is found in his room and the suspects are the people that are stuck on a deserted island with you. That’s the trouble with paradise and Dorie Anderson is finding that out for herself.
So before the trip that changed her life Dorie was just your regular everyday girl. She worked at a Shop Mart a department store which is similar to Wal-Mart, she has a boss from hell and a degree in fashion that she has no idea what to do with. So this sounds like a woman in need of some serious R/R and this comes in a contest that she wins. An all inclusive cruise around the country of Fiji, talk about lucky. Things don’t exactly go smooth for Dorie on her first day on deck.
While fumbling with her luggage she ends up with a sprained ankle and an equally splintered bum, talk about sea legs. Not to mention the crew is sex on beach and around gorgeous men her tongue seems to get heavy and the clumsy and equally stupid Dorie comes out to play. Plus the doctor on board is gorgeous and she finding it hard to ignore him seems the trip might not be a complete bust.
Things get interesting with weird voices and missing crew members and hot deserted island sex. The female lead is a gem, she is hilarious and I can so see myself in her shoes. It’s a laugh out loud book filled with some serious sexual tension. Its great chick lit and i wasn’t disappointed at all, plus it’s a deal book at only 4.99, I can’t complain. A fun little read.
The trouble with paradise is that the ship you are on might get caught up in a storm and you feel you might die. Also a crew member could go missing and a whole lot of blood is found in his room and the suspects are the people that are stuck on a deserted island with you. That’s the trouble with paradise and Dorie Anderson is finding that out for herself.
So before the trip that changed her life Dorie was just your regular everyday girl. She worked at a Shop Mart a department store which is similar to Wal-Mart, she has a boss from hell and a degree in fashion that she has no idea what to do with. So this sounds like a woman in need of some serious R/R and this comes in a contest that she wins. An all inclusive cruise around the country of Fiji, talk about lucky. Things don’t exactly go smooth for Dorie on her first day on deck.
While fumbling with her luggage she ends up with a sprained ankle and an equally splintered bum, talk about sea legs. Not to mention the crew is sex on beach and around gorgeous men her tongue seems to get heavy and the clumsy and equally stupid Dorie comes out to play. Plus the doctor on board is gorgeous and she finding it hard to ignore him seems the trip might not be a complete bust.
Things get interesting with weird voices and missing crew members and hot deserted island sex. The female lead is a gem, she is hilarious and I can so see myself in her shoes. It’s a laugh out loud book filled with some serious sexual tension. Its great chick lit and i wasn’t disappointed at all, plus it’s a deal book at only 4.99, I can’t complain. A fun little read.
May 28, 2011
The Trouble with Paradise was one of those crazy books, but nice.
Dorie Anderson has a crappy boss and job, she trained as a designer but is working in mart, her hair is all out of control, her mother constantly nags her to marry a doctor like a sister and she is clumsy in front of cute men(her tongue swells up), so when she wins a free cruise she jumps.
Well, there she is clumsy again when she runs into cute baseball guy Andy.
Christian is a doctor on-board and is not happy about it. He is paying off his father's debt and only wants to go back to practice ER medicine in France.
Then there is a whole crazy bunch of people on-board, Brandy the Vegas dancer, Cadence the painter etc..first there is a murder, then they get ship-wrecked(kind of) and get stranded on an island. A funny survivor?
Christian and Dorie keep getting thrown together, make-out and then Christian says Andy is better for you. The book is pretty crazy, Dorie and Christian kind of fall for each other, there is a crazy boat-chase as well.
Decent read.
Dorie Anderson has a crappy boss and job, she trained as a designer but is working in mart, her hair is all out of control, her mother constantly nags her to marry a doctor like a sister and she is clumsy in front of cute men(her tongue swells up), so when she wins a free cruise she jumps.
Well, there she is clumsy again when she runs into cute baseball guy Andy.
Christian is a doctor on-board and is not happy about it. He is paying off his father's debt and only wants to go back to practice ER medicine in France.
Then there is a whole crazy bunch of people on-board, Brandy the Vegas dancer, Cadence the painter etc..first there is a murder, then they get ship-wrecked(kind of) and get stranded on an island. A funny survivor?
Christian and Dorie keep getting thrown together, make-out and then Christian says Andy is better for you. The book is pretty crazy, Dorie and Christian kind of fall for each other, there is a crazy boat-chase as well.
Decent read.
September 10, 2025
This is genuinely one of the worst written books I’ve ever read. And so many things just simply don’t make sense. A free cruise across the world because you filled in something at the gym and agree to maybe sit in a seminar? Sure. A singles cruise with 1 man and 3 women? Plus 4 super hot male staff members. Right, of course. An annoying mother who insists her daughter meet and marry a doctor, just for her to meet a doctor and fall in love in 3 days? I mean, obviously.
I honestly can’t say a single good thing about this. I could say a lot of bad things, but that seems rude. Oh, but one thing that does need be mentioned as a heads up for any potential readers - the love interest literally implies to the FMC that he could sexually assault her if she tells him things like being a lightweight, or scared, so she shouldn’t say things like that to him.
I honestly can’t say a single good thing about this. I could say a lot of bad things, but that seems rude. Oh, but one thing that does need be mentioned as a heads up for any potential readers - the love interest literally implies to the FMC that he could sexually assault her if she tells him things like being a lightweight, or scared, so she shouldn’t say things like that to him.
June 17, 2019
Dorie has a degree in fashion, works full-time at the Shop-Mart (think Wal-Mart), and has an evil boss. So, when she wins a cruise to the South Pacific, she takes it. Things happen.
So, this has several funny moments and several eye-roll moments. I couldn't believe Dorie was so clumsy. I did like the interaction with the other women- Brandy and Cadence. The romance was so-so. I admit I didn't "get" Christian's (and Andy's) attraction to Dorie. But, this was still (overall) a fun (beach) read.
For Ripped Bodice Bingo: a beach on the cover
So, this has several funny moments and several eye-roll moments. I couldn't believe Dorie was so clumsy. I did like the interaction with the other women- Brandy and Cadence. The romance was so-so. I admit I didn't "get" Christian's (and Andy's) attraction to Dorie. But, this was still (overall) a fun (beach) read.
For Ripped Bodice Bingo: a beach on the cover
March 14, 2021
Aspiring designer Dorie is stuck in a dead end sales job, so when she wins a cruise to the South Pacific, she jumps at the chance to leave her old life behind (temporarily). Instead, she ends up stranded on a deserted island with her fellow passengers when the boat sinks. But at least her love life is looking up, with gorgeous baseball player Andy and sexy French doctor Christian both showing interest in her.
The Trouble With Paradise is a good beach read. It's mostly light, entertaining, but not too deep. The characters are interesting, if not overly compelling, and the plot is paced well, even if it's not terribly unique. I do like how Shalvis also emphasizes the friendships the female castaways make with each other. That's a great addition to the book. Otherwise, it's a good romance novel.
The Trouble With Paradise is a good beach read. It's mostly light, entertaining, but not too deep. The characters are interesting, if not overly compelling, and the plot is paced well, even if it's not terribly unique. I do like how Shalvis also emphasizes the friendships the female castaways make with each other. That's a great addition to the book. Otherwise, it's a good romance novel.
April 11, 2011
Everyone who knows me knows I am a huge Jill Shalvis fan. Her books are not only fun, humorous, and romantic, but they have a special quality about them that can make you feel every emotion and take you to that wonderful place she has created. A few books ago, I decided to conquer her back list and I have to say I am not even close to done. Which if you ask is definitely a very good thing.
Dorie Anderson is looking for some excitement in her life. She not only has a boring and predictable job, but it has sucked the life right outta her. Literally. Her luck is about to change. Dorie gets a call informing her that she’s won an all-expense paid cruise in the South Pacific. Finally getting ready to get her boring life back on track she decides to go on this cruise. The only problem is Dorie has some issues around cute men. Her tongue literally gets stuck in her mouth when she tries to have a conversation. However, that all changes when she meets the sexy doctor on the yacht. That isn't the only thing that will change on this trip to the South Pacific?
Christian Montague is trying to work off some family debt and paying his dues on this South Pacific yacht. This Doctor is tired of not having a life and just wants to hurry up and finish off this damn debt already. Christian in no way wants to be interested in Dorie, but he can’t seem to stay away from her. Their is just something about this woman that is keeping him so interested. Running into some trouble on the seas is just one problem. Finding out who the killer is another problem.
The Trouble with Paradise has it all. It’s funny, sexy and it’s also got suspense which I loved. Shalvis can sure make you crack up. The humor was the best part. The way she can make it all flow together, you can't help but fall in love with all these wonderful characters. From the beginning of the book I new I was going to just love Dorie and I did.
Not only does Dorie have her pick between two men *jealous* but both are interested in her its just one shows it more. The french Doctor *swoons* okay so he is complicated and all down for business. Hell, I was attracted to him. The secondary characters were just as fun as the main ones. I would have loved to see what they are doing after everything that happened.
The Trouble with Paradise is not only a good read but you will fly through the pages. I devoured it in just one day. I really loved the suspense in this book. It kept you guessing. Normally I go to Jill Shalvis when I am in the mood for a hot Alpha male, the banter and the tension (yes, she gives the right amount to make you drool and want), but now I go to her for her suspense and the desirable romance she can bring to every book. Her books will keep you guessing until the very end and then you are always left satisfied and a the biggest grin left on your face.
Dorie Anderson is looking for some excitement in her life. She not only has a boring and predictable job, but it has sucked the life right outta her. Literally. Her luck is about to change. Dorie gets a call informing her that she’s won an all-expense paid cruise in the South Pacific. Finally getting ready to get her boring life back on track she decides to go on this cruise. The only problem is Dorie has some issues around cute men. Her tongue literally gets stuck in her mouth when she tries to have a conversation. However, that all changes when she meets the sexy doctor on the yacht. That isn't the only thing that will change on this trip to the South Pacific?
Christian Montague is trying to work off some family debt and paying his dues on this South Pacific yacht. This Doctor is tired of not having a life and just wants to hurry up and finish off this damn debt already. Christian in no way wants to be interested in Dorie, but he can’t seem to stay away from her. Their is just something about this woman that is keeping him so interested. Running into some trouble on the seas is just one problem. Finding out who the killer is another problem.
The Trouble with Paradise has it all. It’s funny, sexy and it’s also got suspense which I loved. Shalvis can sure make you crack up. The humor was the best part. The way she can make it all flow together, you can't help but fall in love with all these wonderful characters. From the beginning of the book I new I was going to just love Dorie and I did.
Not only does Dorie have her pick between two men *jealous* but both are interested in her its just one shows it more. The french Doctor *swoons* okay so he is complicated and all down for business. Hell, I was attracted to him. The secondary characters were just as fun as the main ones. I would have loved to see what they are doing after everything that happened.
The Trouble with Paradise is not only a good read but you will fly through the pages. I devoured it in just one day. I really loved the suspense in this book. It kept you guessing. Normally I go to Jill Shalvis when I am in the mood for a hot Alpha male, the banter and the tension (yes, she gives the right amount to make you drool and want), but now I go to her for her suspense and the desirable romance she can bring to every book. Her books will keep you guessing until the very end and then you are always left satisfied and a the biggest grin left on your face.
January 3, 2012
deserted island + sexy frenchman = sign me up!
This book was great fun to read! I love the sexy male characters that Jill Shalvis writes up, and Christian the sexy doctor with a French accent is no exception. Dorie was a great female lead too -the chemistry was great!
The little suspenseful plot twist was interesting, and I could not figure out who "did it" until the big reveal, which was great.
My only complaint is that Jill Shalvis always makes one of the love interests a commitment phobe, and there's always this "time limit" on their relationship before one of them wanders off for one reason or another. I really wish she'd get off that wanderer/nomatic/commitment phobe theme, but other than that, this was a really enjoyable read!
This book was great fun to read! I love the sexy male characters that Jill Shalvis writes up, and Christian the sexy doctor with a French accent is no exception. Dorie was a great female lead too -the chemistry was great!
The little suspenseful plot twist was interesting, and I could not figure out who "did it" until the big reveal, which was great.
My only complaint is that Jill Shalvis always makes one of the love interests a commitment phobe, and there's always this "time limit" on their relationship before one of them wanders off for one reason or another. I really wish she'd get off that wanderer/nomatic/commitment phobe theme, but other than that, this was a really enjoyable read!
January 28, 2011
Gilligan's Island meets Survivor and with a little bit of who-dun-it, yeah maybe. Jill Shalvis is one of my favorite authors and The Trouble with Paradise was a quick, easy, funny, enjoyable, sexy read. I thought the the H and h were sizzling together, the supporting characters were lively, a bit neurotic and I really didn't know who did it until the last 40 pages- kept you guessing. Yet in keeping it hidden so long without any clues, everybody was a good guy so when the killer was revealed it all worked out to quickly and easily in the end. BUT, I didn't read it for mystery, but for the romance and that it delivered.
June 16, 2012
I love Jill Shalvis. I think it is now offical. I am now reading Jills older novels. This one was a fun romp on a deserted island. Although they were only shipwrecked for three days.
Reasons I loved Trouble with Paradise:
1. Heroine is a ubber klutz (she sprains an ankle and gets two splinters in her but with int the first 30 pages!
2. Hightened emotional setting. (SURVIVAL) causes characters to act in fast forward seize the day way.
3. Funny secondary characters
Reasons I loved Trouble with Paradise:
1. Heroine is a ubber klutz (she sprains an ankle and gets two splinters in her but with int the first 30 pages!
2. Hightened emotional setting. (SURVIVAL) causes characters to act in fast forward seize the day way.
3. Funny secondary characters
November 13, 2010
This might be my favorite Shalvis book. It was silly and fun. The plot wasn't anything new, but the dialogue was great and the banter kept me invested. I also enjoyed the relationship that the women made with each other in addition to the romance.
Overall, a great, fun read. I loved trying to keep Christian's accent going in my head. :)
Overall, a great, fun read. I loved trying to keep Christian's accent going in my head. :)
December 6, 2017
Somewhat earlier Jill Shalvis so it takes the whole book to get to the point -
But here's the great thing. It's not so graphic! How refreshing! And it doesn't matter if it isn't up to current JS par - it's JS! Everything she writes is entertaining and fun. I am never disappointed.
But here's the great thing. It's not so graphic! How refreshing! And it doesn't matter if it isn't up to current JS par - it's JS! Everything she writes is entertaining and fun. I am never disappointed.
April 24, 2018
This one started off a bit slowly for me, but once Dorie goes on her trip things pick up quickly. Although I wasn’t quite sure of her fellow passengers at first, most of them endeared themselves to me by midway through the story.
By far, Christian was my favorite character from the moment he came on the scene. This book was one of those that the reader can see many things that the heroine, in this case Dorie, cannot. She was too emotionally invested to see what (who) was right and what (who) was wrong. I fully understood her thought process. Who wouldn’t think the All-American guy was the perfect hook up? I’ve always had a thing for the brooding “bad” boys though.
There was a lot going on this book. I had fun reading it for sure, but it did get a bit convoluted toward the end. Not that I lost track of what was going on…I didn’t. It just seemed like some strange overkill on the twists.
https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.c...
By far, Christian was my favorite character from the moment he came on the scene. This book was one of those that the reader can see many things that the heroine, in this case Dorie, cannot. She was too emotionally invested to see what (who) was right and what (who) was wrong. I fully understood her thought process. Who wouldn’t think the All-American guy was the perfect hook up? I’ve always had a thing for the brooding “bad” boys though.
There was a lot going on this book. I had fun reading it for sure, but it did get a bit convoluted toward the end. Not that I lost track of what was going on…I didn’t. It just seemed like some strange overkill on the twists.
https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.c...
May 25, 2017
really enjoyed this book. first by this author that i have read. have some others that i got a used book sale so looking forward to reading them.
June 4, 2016
Dorie Anderson's life is in a rut. Her designer degree is going to waste while she is stuck in her dead end job at Shop-Mart (think Walmart) working under her complete douche of a boss. Unexpectedly she wins a week long trip on a yacht sailing around the islands of Fiji. After a brief internal struggle she says yes.
When she arrives on the yacht she manages to hurt her ankle and get TWO splinters in her butt before even getting on the boat. She also meets cute Professional Baseball player Andy Hutchinson who is interested and "Gorgeous Grumpy Doctor" Christian Montague who doesn't want to be interested.
She pretty much instantly makes best friends with Las Vegas Dancer Brandy Bradelyne and struggling Artist Cadence Powers. The rest of the crew consists of Captain Denny McDonald, Chef Ethan Erle, and Crew Hand Bobby. When a hurricane hits they struggle to keep the boat afloat but they are fighting a losing battle. 7 out of 8 of them manage to make it to a deserted island. The person who didn't make it didn't die from the storm either. One of them is a murderer.
Now that they are on the island let the sexy time jungle frolicking start.
There was never a dull moment, romance, hot sex, murder mystery, friendship, adventure, and lots of humor. I had a great time reading this book!
When she arrives on the yacht she manages to hurt her ankle and get TWO splinters in her butt before even getting on the boat. She also meets cute Professional Baseball player Andy Hutchinson who is interested and "Gorgeous Grumpy Doctor" Christian Montague who doesn't want to be interested.
She pretty much instantly makes best friends with Las Vegas Dancer Brandy Bradelyne and struggling Artist Cadence Powers. The rest of the crew consists of Captain Denny McDonald, Chef Ethan Erle, and Crew Hand Bobby. When a hurricane hits they struggle to keep the boat afloat but they are fighting a losing battle. 7 out of 8 of them manage to make it to a deserted island. The person who didn't make it didn't die from the storm either. One of them is a murderer.
Now that they are on the island let the sexy time jungle frolicking start.
There was never a dull moment, romance, hot sex, murder mystery, friendship, adventure, and lots of humor. I had a great time reading this book!
July 30, 2022
3.75
Dorie Anderson dreams of being a designer while working at a Shop Mart's Junior Fashion department. When she wins a trip on a cruise to Fiji, the last thing she expected was to end up stranded on an island with the crew and to meet two men showing interest in her. Will she chose the French doctor or the Texan baseball player?
I read it the first time in 2014 (gave it a 3 stars) and I'm surprised I liked it better the second time. Still not a fan of love triangle but Dorie's choice is obvious from the start and you can trust this author to not make her heroines play on both sides of the field. Some of the action is a bit kooky but pretty entertaining anyway. Dorie also makes friends during the cruise and I enjoyed this part too.
Dorie Anderson dreams of being a designer while working at a Shop Mart's Junior Fashion department. When she wins a trip on a cruise to Fiji, the last thing she expected was to end up stranded on an island with the crew and to meet two men showing interest in her. Will she chose the French doctor or the Texan baseball player?
I read it the first time in 2014 (gave it a 3 stars) and I'm surprised I liked it better the second time. Still not a fan of love triangle but Dorie's choice is obvious from the start and you can trust this author to not make her heroines play on both sides of the field. Some of the action is a bit kooky but pretty entertaining anyway. Dorie also makes friends during the cruise and I enjoyed this part too.
February 15, 2014
A weak 4 stars.
Although I love Jill Shalvis, this is one of her earlier writing attempts and not as refined as her Animal Magnetism or Lucky Harbor or even her older series books.
It's a good thing she didn't go into Mystery and Suspense!
Although I love Jill Shalvis, this is one of her earlier writing attempts and not as refined as her Animal Magnetism or Lucky Harbor or even her older series books.
It's a good thing she didn't go into Mystery and Suspense!
August 25, 2013
Not my favorite of Jill Shalvis's, but still a fun, cute read :)
January 2, 2016
This is Jill Shalvis trying to imitate a writing style that was really popular at the time. But, no, it's just not her, not up to par for her other books.
April 1, 2015
Two-haiku review:
She has awful job
Wins sailing cruise in Fiji
Big storm, hot doctor
Cute, funny story
Love Jill's ditzy heroines
And guy who changed spots
She has awful job
Wins sailing cruise in Fiji
Big storm, hot doctor
Cute, funny story
Love Jill's ditzy heroines
And guy who changed spots
April 14, 2022
If you ask her, Dorie Anderson is a fashion designer in LA, but in reality, she works at Shop-Mart, being verbally abused by her horrible boss and wishing she had some excitement in her life. But for Dorie, excitement came in the form of her winning a prize: a cruise to Fiji (along with a few other places, but I forgot)
She packs her bags and her purse that has everything a girl could possibly need. . . Including a flashlight, a sewing kit, Aspirin, and a gigantic box of condoms.
What? It’s a vacation, so she might as well enjoy herself!
Between a southern baseball player with impeccable charm and a hot French doctor - Christian- she’s living the life. Except that she hurt herself before she even stepped foot on the boat, and that she’s the clumsiest person alive, which isn’t ideal while being on a rocking ship for a solid week.
But she’s dealing with it, until an unexpected hurricane comes and ruins everything, leaving them stranded on an island.
Yippie.
The experience gives Dorie insight on. . . Basically everything. She realizes that she could have died, and she would have died. . . Unhappy. She comes to the conclusion that instead of just existing, she needs to be living. Well, if they can get off the island in one piece.
*****
Let me start out by saying this book was absolutely hilarious.
This is maybe my 7th or 8th Jill Shalvis book, and I have to say that this is one of my favorites.
I laughed out loud so many freaking times, and let me tell you, Dorie Anderson is a trip! She’s such a lovable character, and I really did care about her. The emotional attachment to her was real, only proving that Shalvis can write amazing characters- which we already knew.
************SPOILER⬇️⬇️
I knew it was Ethan. Don’t ask me why, but I guessed who I thought did it out of all of them, and he was calling out to me. He was just a little. . . Creepy. Then again, I thought Denny was too, but I didn’t suspect him.
Damn, Denny. I wanted Cadence to be able to let loose a little, but she told us earlier on that she had horrible taste in men. . . I guess she was right.
Anyway, there were a few unrealistic things in this book, but it wasn’t enough for me to be like, “what the heck?” Well, scratch that. I was a little. . . Shocked at how distracted Dorie and Christian for while there was practically a hurricane outside and that one of the members on the boat was missing. . . They were making out.
NOT THE TIME! KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS!
Hell, I was nervous for them, and I know Dorie was, but damn. . . She needed to sort out her priorities.
*********SPOILER OVER **********
This book was really well written. I really liked the diversity of the characters and how they each had their little quirks- Ahem, Dorie, Cadence, and Brandy.
Based off of the epilogue, I don’t know if they remain friends, but I really hope they did. It’s nothing like almost dying together to really create a long-lasting bond.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
She packs her bags and her purse that has everything a girl could possibly need. . . Including a flashlight, a sewing kit, Aspirin, and a gigantic box of condoms.
What? It’s a vacation, so she might as well enjoy herself!
Between a southern baseball player with impeccable charm and a hot French doctor - Christian- she’s living the life. Except that she hurt herself before she even stepped foot on the boat, and that she’s the clumsiest person alive, which isn’t ideal while being on a rocking ship for a solid week.
But she’s dealing with it, until an unexpected hurricane comes and ruins everything, leaving them stranded on an island.
Yippie.
The experience gives Dorie insight on. . . Basically everything. She realizes that she could have died, and she would have died. . . Unhappy. She comes to the conclusion that instead of just existing, she needs to be living. Well, if they can get off the island in one piece.
*****
Let me start out by saying this book was absolutely hilarious.
This is maybe my 7th or 8th Jill Shalvis book, and I have to say that this is one of my favorites.
I laughed out loud so many freaking times, and let me tell you, Dorie Anderson is a trip! She’s such a lovable character, and I really did care about her. The emotional attachment to her was real, only proving that Shalvis can write amazing characters- which we already knew.
************SPOILER⬇️⬇️
I knew it was Ethan. Don’t ask me why, but I guessed who I thought did it out of all of them, and he was calling out to me. He was just a little. . . Creepy. Then again, I thought Denny was too, but I didn’t suspect him.
Damn, Denny. I wanted Cadence to be able to let loose a little, but she told us earlier on that she had horrible taste in men. . . I guess she was right.
Anyway, there were a few unrealistic things in this book, but it wasn’t enough for me to be like, “what the heck?” Well, scratch that. I was a little. . . Shocked at how distracted Dorie and Christian for while there was practically a hurricane outside and that one of the members on the boat was missing. . . They were making out.
NOT THE TIME! KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS!
Hell, I was nervous for them, and I know Dorie was, but damn. . . She needed to sort out her priorities.
*********SPOILER OVER **********
This book was really well written. I really liked the diversity of the characters and how they each had their little quirks- Ahem, Dorie, Cadence, and Brandy.
Based off of the epilogue, I don’t know if they remain friends, but I really hope they did. It’s nothing like almost dying together to really create a long-lasting bond.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2025
**MINOR SPOILERS**
This book is a stand alone.
I like the humor of this author. The dialogue is frequently fun.
At the beginning of the book, Dorie has gotten stuck in a life where she is not living her dream and is afraid to go after her goals. She is also a bit of a pushover and lacks confidence in herself and with men. When she is intimidated by a man, her tongue swells which got really old as it came up quite a bit. I think the author could have just said she got tongue tied or could not think of something to say. She wins a week long vacation in the South Pacific. When the ship is wrecked, she faces the question why have I postponed my dreams?
When the ship wrecks on an island, the men work on the boat while the women sunbathe. I thought this was a bit stereotypical as surely the women could have helped with something: making a help sign, thinking of food, trying to dry things out, etc. Eventually, they push to help as well.
Dorie also shares a mutual attraction with the ship’s doctor: Christian. He is good for her as he tends to live his life by his own standards. He grew up without a lot of care and Dorie expresses that easily and he needs that.
The story happens over a few days. When you are thrust into a life threatening/life changing experience, things can be accelerated, but there could have been a little more relationship development. What was there was good.
Dorie’s clumsiness is way over done. Spoiler…the boat that shipwrecks disappears and that is never explained.
Dorie immediately begins a friendship with two other women on the boat: Cadence and Brandy. I liked the way they interacted with each other.
The author is absolutely great at creating moments of intimacy. She will describe how the characters are standing, touching, talking and it feels quite caring. I really like that about her writing.
I will continue reading this author.
This book is a stand alone.
I like the humor of this author. The dialogue is frequently fun.
At the beginning of the book, Dorie has gotten stuck in a life where she is not living her dream and is afraid to go after her goals. She is also a bit of a pushover and lacks confidence in herself and with men. When she is intimidated by a man, her tongue swells which got really old as it came up quite a bit. I think the author could have just said she got tongue tied or could not think of something to say. She wins a week long vacation in the South Pacific. When the ship is wrecked, she faces the question why have I postponed my dreams?
When the ship wrecks on an island, the men work on the boat while the women sunbathe. I thought this was a bit stereotypical as surely the women could have helped with something: making a help sign, thinking of food, trying to dry things out, etc. Eventually, they push to help as well.
Dorie also shares a mutual attraction with the ship’s doctor: Christian. He is good for her as he tends to live his life by his own standards. He grew up without a lot of care and Dorie expresses that easily and he needs that.
The story happens over a few days. When you are thrust into a life threatening/life changing experience, things can be accelerated, but there could have been a little more relationship development. What was there was good.
Dorie’s clumsiness is way over done. Spoiler…the boat that shipwrecks disappears and that is never explained.
Dorie immediately begins a friendship with two other women on the boat: Cadence and Brandy. I liked the way they interacted with each other.
The author is absolutely great at creating moments of intimacy. She will describe how the characters are standing, touching, talking and it feels quite caring. I really like that about her writing.
I will continue reading this author.
April 5, 2011
Some Trouble With Trouble
Stuck in a dead-end job she hates, Dorie Anderson was thrilled to win an all-expense paid South Pacific cruise. This may be her one shot at the sort of adventure retail clerks at Shop-Mart only dream about. She starts to feel like she's getting a bit more than she bargained for when she first sees the plank leading up to the exquisite 80 ft sailboat, and has a bit of difficulty actually crossing it to get on board. The appearance of totally gorgeous and really quite sweet baseball player Andy Hutchinson probably would have helped...if Dorie's tongue didn't swell beyond the point of speech every time she looks at someone that good looking and nice.
So far her dream vacation is little more than a comedy of clumsiness and she hasn't even made it onto the ship yet!
Finally taking her fear of heights firmly in hand...once waving off help from the drool-worthy Andy...she manages to make it part of the way across the plank when a polite, if chilly...and very French voice from behind her does nothing to try to help and instead, insists on getting around her...as she dangles over the water way below...on a tiny little plank with little bitty chains keeping her from plunging into the ocean. Yeah. And if that's not bad enough, tall, dark, broody...and very French guy is gorgeous in a dangerous sort of way. But he surely doesn't make her tongue swell. There's nothing nice about him.
Getting on board proves to be more than half the battle, but it costs Dorie a sprained ankle and a couple of splinters in unmentionable places. A quick trip to the ship's doctor, however, puts her face to face with one darkly brooding but gorgeous...and very French Dr. Christian Montague. Who's so not nice.
He may not be nice, but Christian's got his own problems. He doesn't want to be on board and can't wait until he can get back to France and be a real doctor instead of little more than eye candy for all the bored rich women who want a piece of him. That tends to make him cranky, as he never mixes business with pleasure. Ever. Well...mostly ever, as there's something about Dorie's guileless eyes and winsome smile that he can't seem to get out of his head. But that feeling he gets when he sees the obviously interested Andy try to make a move on her isn't jealousy. No. It's...it's indigestion...or something.
Once they've set sail, though, the cruise takes a turn towards bad when the storm the captain thought he could weather turns out to be a hurricane. Blown far off course and now on a sinking ship, Dorie's not enjoying her vacation nearly as much as she thought she would, and the fact that she thinks she saw one of the crew thrown overboard in the middle of the storm doesn't help. No amount of attraction to Dr. Grumpy Gorgeous is going to be able to make her feel better about that, especially after they find themselves and the rest of the crew and passengers stranded on what seems to be a deserted island. And one of them is a killer.
The Trouble with Paradise starts out strong, with a quirky heroine and a smoldering...and very French...hero. I enjoyed Dorie's personality and was pleased by the humor and quick witted dialogue between her and Christian. The characters lacked some depth, but they were pleasant enough, and the plot seemed set to sail with a light, fun, fluffy romance. Then the storm hit and from that point on, this book didn't totally work for me.
As the hurricane was lashing the sailboat for what seemed like days on end, the plot sputtered and the pacing dragged, and instead of feeling life threatening and dangerous, that thread seemed to take far too long to evolve and lacked any sort of emotional impact. The additional plot twist of the missing crewman and potential murder seemed almost an afterthought and was given less attention than the attempts to garner chemistry and heat between Christian and Dorie. And I just never felt that there relationship had that much chemistry to begin with, unfortunately. I liked both of them well enough, but for some reason they didn't quite click for me.
Secondary and ancillary characters were very two-dimensional and not given enough development to fully escape cliche. Andy was perhaps the most well rounded of them all, but even he was little more than a foil for the budding romance between the two leads. Two female passengers, the vampy Vegas dancer Brandy, and the hyperactive Cadence, were both a bit more like stereotypes than real people, and didn't offer much to the story or to draw out more depth in Dorie's personality.
From the point that the storm finally breaks and the boat makes a shaky landing on the deserted island, the plot takes another plodding turn. The unavoidable suspicion everyone has for everyone else when the crime is discovered felt labored and forced. The potential gold mine of development as the crew and passengers realize their stranded and have to survive by wit and wile goes largely unexplored. By the time rescue came, and events started to crystallize, the crime didn't really seem to faze anyone and the answers didn't make all that much sense.
In the end, I was left feeling that everything was just a little off in the book, and while the lead characters were okay, and the overall plot arc was all right, there were a ton of missed opportunities and not a lot of depth to any of it. Still, Shalvis is a talented author and she excels at witty dialogue and quirky characters, so while I did have problems with the book, I didn't dislike it. It just didn't have much of an impact. For a stronger read by Shalvis with characters that have a lot of genuine chemistry and depth and a plot that had a few more layers, I'd recommend Simply Irresistible. Quirky, funny, and poignant, that one worked for me in ways this one didn't.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Stuck in a dead-end job she hates, Dorie Anderson was thrilled to win an all-expense paid South Pacific cruise. This may be her one shot at the sort of adventure retail clerks at Shop-Mart only dream about. She starts to feel like she's getting a bit more than she bargained for when she first sees the plank leading up to the exquisite 80 ft sailboat, and has a bit of difficulty actually crossing it to get on board. The appearance of totally gorgeous and really quite sweet baseball player Andy Hutchinson probably would have helped...if Dorie's tongue didn't swell beyond the point of speech every time she looks at someone that good looking and nice.
So far her dream vacation is little more than a comedy of clumsiness and she hasn't even made it onto the ship yet!
Finally taking her fear of heights firmly in hand...once waving off help from the drool-worthy Andy...she manages to make it part of the way across the plank when a polite, if chilly...and very French voice from behind her does nothing to try to help and instead, insists on getting around her...as she dangles over the water way below...on a tiny little plank with little bitty chains keeping her from plunging into the ocean. Yeah. And if that's not bad enough, tall, dark, broody...and very French guy is gorgeous in a dangerous sort of way. But he surely doesn't make her tongue swell. There's nothing nice about him.
Getting on board proves to be more than half the battle, but it costs Dorie a sprained ankle and a couple of splinters in unmentionable places. A quick trip to the ship's doctor, however, puts her face to face with one darkly brooding but gorgeous...and very French Dr. Christian Montague. Who's so not nice.
He may not be nice, but Christian's got his own problems. He doesn't want to be on board and can't wait until he can get back to France and be a real doctor instead of little more than eye candy for all the bored rich women who want a piece of him. That tends to make him cranky, as he never mixes business with pleasure. Ever. Well...mostly ever, as there's something about Dorie's guileless eyes and winsome smile that he can't seem to get out of his head. But that feeling he gets when he sees the obviously interested Andy try to make a move on her isn't jealousy. No. It's...it's indigestion...or something.
Once they've set sail, though, the cruise takes a turn towards bad when the storm the captain thought he could weather turns out to be a hurricane. Blown far off course and now on a sinking ship, Dorie's not enjoying her vacation nearly as much as she thought she would, and the fact that she thinks she saw one of the crew thrown overboard in the middle of the storm doesn't help. No amount of attraction to Dr. Grumpy Gorgeous is going to be able to make her feel better about that, especially after they find themselves and the rest of the crew and passengers stranded on what seems to be a deserted island. And one of them is a killer.
The Trouble with Paradise starts out strong, with a quirky heroine and a smoldering...and very French...hero. I enjoyed Dorie's personality and was pleased by the humor and quick witted dialogue between her and Christian. The characters lacked some depth, but they were pleasant enough, and the plot seemed set to sail with a light, fun, fluffy romance. Then the storm hit and from that point on, this book didn't totally work for me.
As the hurricane was lashing the sailboat for what seemed like days on end, the plot sputtered and the pacing dragged, and instead of feeling life threatening and dangerous, that thread seemed to take far too long to evolve and lacked any sort of emotional impact. The additional plot twist of the missing crewman and potential murder seemed almost an afterthought and was given less attention than the attempts to garner chemistry and heat between Christian and Dorie. And I just never felt that there relationship had that much chemistry to begin with, unfortunately. I liked both of them well enough, but for some reason they didn't quite click for me.
Secondary and ancillary characters were very two-dimensional and not given enough development to fully escape cliche. Andy was perhaps the most well rounded of them all, but even he was little more than a foil for the budding romance between the two leads. Two female passengers, the vampy Vegas dancer Brandy, and the hyperactive Cadence, were both a bit more like stereotypes than real people, and didn't offer much to the story or to draw out more depth in Dorie's personality.
From the point that the storm finally breaks and the boat makes a shaky landing on the deserted island, the plot takes another plodding turn. The unavoidable suspicion everyone has for everyone else when the crime is discovered felt labored and forced. The potential gold mine of development as the crew and passengers realize their stranded and have to survive by wit and wile goes largely unexplored. By the time rescue came, and events started to crystallize, the crime didn't really seem to faze anyone and the answers didn't make all that much sense.
In the end, I was left feeling that everything was just a little off in the book, and while the lead characters were okay, and the overall plot arc was all right, there were a ton of missed opportunities and not a lot of depth to any of it. Still, Shalvis is a talented author and she excels at witty dialogue and quirky characters, so while I did have problems with the book, I didn't dislike it. It just didn't have much of an impact. For a stronger read by Shalvis with characters that have a lot of genuine chemistry and depth and a plot that had a few more layers, I'd recommend Simply Irresistible. Quirky, funny, and poignant, that one worked for me in ways this one didn't.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
September 12, 2023
Spicy✅
Romantic comedy✅
Romantic suspense✅
This is one of Jill’s older books, but it was just as amazing as all of her other books. I’m wishing I would have picked it up way sooner. I instantly fell in love with the main character, Dorie. She is so relatable and her inner dialogue is hilarious. Feeling so stuck in her life and unhappy in her career, she’s ready for some much needed rest and relaxation. I loved seeing her grow as a person and how she decides it’s time to live life to the fullest and be bold. And can we talk about Christian, the gorgeous doctor on board the boat? He’s so moody and mysterious, yet so kind and caring.
I loved the spicy scenes and how he was so intent on pleasing her! The “forbidden” romance vibes makes it even better because they just can’t stay away from each other. Sneaking off into the rain forest…
This was a bit different than Jill’s other books with the elements of suspense and mystery. It really added to the story and made me love it even more! I binged it in less than 24 hours because I couldn’t get enough.
Romantic comedy✅
Romantic suspense✅
This is one of Jill’s older books, but it was just as amazing as all of her other books. I’m wishing I would have picked it up way sooner. I instantly fell in love with the main character, Dorie. She is so relatable and her inner dialogue is hilarious. Feeling so stuck in her life and unhappy in her career, she’s ready for some much needed rest and relaxation. I loved seeing her grow as a person and how she decides it’s time to live life to the fullest and be bold. And can we talk about Christian, the gorgeous doctor on board the boat? He’s so moody and mysterious, yet so kind and caring.
I loved the spicy scenes and how he was so intent on pleasing her! The “forbidden” romance vibes makes it even better because they just can’t stay away from each other. Sneaking off into the rain forest…
This was a bit different than Jill’s other books with the elements of suspense and mystery. It really added to the story and made me love it even more! I binged it in less than 24 hours because I couldn’t get enough.
January 18, 2021
Dorie was a very annoying character to me from the beginning and never got any better. She's naive, a complete klutz, has no common sense, and absolutely no self confidence. She's also described as not a raving beauty so I'm at a loss on why any man would find her attractive or want to be around her. And the story made no sense to me, there were 4 passengers on this cruise but none were paying customers; and only 1 of the 4 could have even afforded to invest in the yacht. It just made no sense that any of the women were targeted for a free trip to listen about investing in the luxury yacht cruising operation. Dorie was just too irritating to have the character lead the story and make it really good.
May 31, 2021
This book is all over the place. It starts as a romance but then, at about half of the novel, it becomes some kind of a mystery, mixed with "Lost" vibes (they even mention it). It wants to be everything and it turns to be nothing.
The main character is ridiculous. There are high probabilities for them to sink or be shipwrecked and the only thing she thinks of is how hot the doctor abroad is and how wonderful it would be to have sex with him.
I didn't care if they died, survived, got married afterwards. At one point I only wanted to finish it and stop suffering. The one and only reason I gave this two stars and not just one is because I needed to read something light and it did the trick.
The main character is ridiculous. There are high probabilities for them to sink or be shipwrecked and the only thing she thinks of is how hot the doctor abroad is and how wonderful it would be to have sex with him.
I didn't care if they died, survived, got married afterwards. At one point I only wanted to finish it and stop suffering. The one and only reason I gave this two stars and not just one is because I needed to read something light and it did the trick.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2018
I like this book it was a fun and light reading with cringe-y moments in between with Dorie of course.
I just didn't like the part where there was already problems in the boat and all they ever think about was to... never mind.
It was like something that reality TV would have as a theme: where the shipwrecked people are dealing with their feelings, problems back home, reining emotions, sexual tension and figuring out who killed one of the characters.
I just didn't like the part where there was already problems in the boat and all they ever think about was to... never mind.
It was like something that reality TV would have as a theme: where the shipwrecked people are dealing with their feelings, problems back home, reining emotions, sexual tension and figuring out who killed one of the characters.
June 5, 2018
A sales clerk from a shop-mart wins an all expenses paid trip to Fiji and a yacht trip… on the premise they allow her to pitch a time share option. This is far beyond plausible but if you can put that away, then you have to accept a Vegas dancer, an artist and baseball player are also part of this trip. One brooding, 'I don't mix business with pleasure' hot doctor and a murder and then they all get stranded on an island. Not Jill's best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2023
Not a bad book by a long way but if you have read any of Jill's more recent books you will find this early one a bit lacking, sadly.
Not a bad story about passengers on a luxury yacht and they get marooned on a desert island, but also nothing special.
Jill really gets into her stride after she wrote this book so don't dismiss it but don't have high hopes that it will be as good as her more recent books.
Some decent characters and good plot but just lacking the wow factor.
Not a bad story about passengers on a luxury yacht and they get marooned on a desert island, but also nothing special.
Jill really gets into her stride after she wrote this book so don't dismiss it but don't have high hopes that it will be as good as her more recent books.
Some decent characters and good plot but just lacking the wow factor.
May 6, 2018
Took me a couple of chapters to get into and I almost stopped reading it. I was an ok book, doesn't seem like a Jill Shalvis book, those are quick to keep my attention. I honestly did not know who the killer was, so the mystery part was good.
February 20, 2021
sort of unremarkable for a vacation book. Nothing particularly bad or outstanding either, sort of cotton candy-level reading. I'm not complaining, especially because I was specifically looking for a vacation book to help ease my wanderlust while we continue to be stuck at home.
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