A review by belle13
Goodbye Paradise by Sarina Bowen

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Tropes/Themes: Queer Romance, Deconstructing Faith, Inexperienced MCs, Friends to Lovers, Found Family             
Amount of spice: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I find it hard to believe this is one of Sarina’s first books because her writing is just as great as it is now. Sarina’s writing always seems to have this addictive quality to it and I find myself staying up so late just to finish them and this was one was no exception. Josh and Caleb were both immediately lovable and it was also immediately heart breaking. This was a really beautiful journey of experiencing love for the first time, healing from religious trauma, friends who become family and learning to experience the world in a whole new way. 

It was incredibly sweet and I adored all of the supporting characters and the way they formed their own little family. It was wholesome but also very smutty (we love us some smut). I rated it half a star lower because there were some annoying inconsistencies and I did find it a little unbelievable that they were so anti-religion and wanted to leave their cult having spent their entire lives there, known nothing else and they had been so indoctrinated. But also I know nothing about cults so I could be entirely off base. 

I recommend Goodbye Paradise if you’re looking for something wholesome, sweet, a little emotional and packed full of spice.
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