Escape from Paradise Review

Book Review 

December 28. 2013

Escape from Paradise
(Paradise #1)

by:Gwendolyn Field

5 Stars ★★★★★

Blurb ~ When college sophomore Angela Birch sneaks from Texas to Mexico for Spring Break, she believes the worst that can happen is her parents finding out.

Wrong.

The worst is falling for the ruse of handsome, alluring Fernando. One spontaneous choice whisks Angela across the world to the pseudo paradise of Spain’s Mediterranean Riviera where she has another choice to make: live cooperatively as one of billionaire Marco Ruiz’s slaves, or die.
* * *
Colin Douglas’s future was seized and choked when deliberate tragedy struck his Scottish family at the age of sixteen. He spent his remaining youthful years infiltrating the U.K.’s crime world, seeking power, control, and revenge, all leading to a position as an undercover agent. With nothing to lose, Colin accepts the seemingly impossible job of rescuing America’s famous missing girl, Angela Birch. Colin knows that to enter a snake lair, one must become a snake. It turns out to be a mission which will put his desire for control to the ultimate test, and make him wish for things he never knew he wanted.

My Review 

Wow…. Escape from Paradise is certainly worth 5++++Mind Blowing Stars. Trust me the blurb barely covers what a MindF*ck this really is. For me this was one of the best dark romance/kidnapping reads I have read because it seemed the most realistic. 

Most books in this genre that I have read, somehow manage to have a heroine who is seemingly saved from this life, when or during her captivity and her virginity or short captivity keep them safe. Angel does not have this luxury. In fact she’s in captivity for years before the meat of the story really begins.

Angela is typically a reliable and responsible college student. However, this Spring Break she wants some fun in the sun with her sorority sisters. After her parents tell her ‘NO,’ that they do not want her to go, she figures what they won’t know won’t hurt them so she heads off to Mexico with some of her pals. Finding a hot guy to hook up with may be the number one goal of her friends, but Angela really wants to relax, sit on the beach and read a good book. On the last night of their trip, Angela meets an alluring foreigner, and for some reason Angela can’t resist the attraction. Unbeknownst to her, this little attraction will alter her life for years to come. 

So even though there are warnings all over this book you should know there are multiple rape scenes, beatings and a bunch of other often taboo subjects that arise. Angela’s mystery man, is beyond a big mistake and just by smiling at him and agreeing to meet as his club she forfeits a piece of herself she never realized was so important. I can take a lot, but sometimes reading the suffering and mind-torture Angela was going through, it’s hard to swallow. 

Angela has an insane will to live. She is truly inspiring because in her position, I can tell I would have begged for death. But for years Angela lives in this Hell. What other choice does she have? I freakin LOVED this book. Seriously, it was utterly disgusting, terrific and my mind has still not recovered. I loved the realness and the rawness of it all. You can feel this book in your bones like a creepy episode of Dateline. You can’t help but hope for the best while knowing the awfulness still lurks right outside your door. My emotions were all over the place, and I still am suffering a massive hangover. This book needs to be experienced, it will creep into your veins like an invisible bug, slowly creeping along your body, making you shiver, gasp and scream. 

Angela is not the only ‘Special’ or Main Character in the book. Sure this is her story but Colin plays a big role in not only her impossible rescue but fighting his own demons from the same HELL. I thought there was an amazing introduction to Colin, who we meet when he is a young child and his own brother is kidnapped into a life similar to the one Angela will eventually join. These characters need and deserve redemption. Will they get it? How can you achieve the impossible? Sometimes you have to become a monster to understand them yourself. 

Boy what a ride. I went into this book expecting to be thrown around and ultimately shocked by the harsh storyline. Well, I certainly was shocked but never did I expect to be so invested in this book. Angela’s character goes through so many phases and changes to survive that her very story became my need to breathe. I needed to see how she handled her new life, and heaven forbid if she would ever be rescued. None of us never know how we will react in a situation such as this, surely Angela never thought she’d be a slave, kidnapped, threatened and left to rely only on her ‘Master.’ Ugh, just writing this gave me goosebumps. Prepare to have your emotions so far inflicted in this story that stopping will seem like the end of the world. I LOVE LOVE LOVED this book and cannot wait for Josef’s story. Literally I will take the day off of work when that book is released.

HAPPY READING!!!