The Road to Paradise Review

Posted by abakersp in Contemporary / 0 Comments

I love nature. Everything about it actually. When I was younger I dreamt of going to a bunch of national parks, but alas it never happened. But….through the eyes of Margaret Lane, I feel like I visited one recently. Isn’t imagination great? Today I am happy to share my thoughts on The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett.

About the Book

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My Perspective

This book was so interesting. I loved the setting, the characters, and the plot line. But my favorite part was the character I considered to be the villain, Carmichael. He is that bad guy that you love to hate! I like reading plot lines with a villain because it brings excitement to the storyline. Is the bad guy going to win? Or will he get justice? You get so frustrated with the book because of events surrounding the villain, and while that may seem odd to some – in reality it makes you keep reading right up until the very end.

Ms. Barnett obviously has a heart for National Parks, or at least it seems that way. She brought forth lots of knowledge about the parks, but didn’t kill me with so much information that I felt bored or overwhelmed. The facts just popped up over different conversations, or casual thoughts that the characters had and it blended perfectly with the storyline.

What would a great historic novel be without a little romance? I loved the relationship between Ford and Margie. It was a little slower paced then some people might like, but I happened to enjoy it. I liked their banter. It was natural, amusing and fun. The best part of their relationship was seeing Ford’s opinions of Margie change throughout the book. She surprised him in ways I don’t think he thought were possible, and some of his reactions were priceless. I think perhaps I would like to meet this fellow!

Overall this was a wonderful read. From start to finish I enjoyed the storyline, loved the characters, and cheered on Margie for being a different kind of woman for that time period. I don’t think you have to be a historical fiction fan to like this book. I think even general fiction readers will find themselves escaping into the beautiful paradise that the park has to offer. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Karen Barnett is the award-winning author of The Golden Gate Chronicles (Out of the Ruins, Beyond the Ashes, and Through the Shadows) and Mistaken. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two kids, and three mischievous dachshunds. When she’s not writing, Karen enjoys photography, hiking, public speaking, decorating crazy birthday cakes, and dragging her family through dusty history museums. Oregon Christian Writers (OCW) honored her with the Writer of Promise Award in 2013 and a Cascade Award for her debut novel, Mistaken, in 2014. In 2016, she was named Writer of the Year by the prestigious Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Karen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Oregon Christian Writers (OCW) and has been published in Guideposts and other national magazines.

Connect with Karen at her website, www.karenbarnettbooks.com!