Our December book club is always one of my favorite gatherings.  Not only do we read a great book, but we also enjoy a fantastic meal at one of my favorite restaurants, and play a rousing game of Dirty Santa.

This month our book club book was Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter in Paradise.  This is actually our seventh Elin Hilderbrand book that we’ve chosen for our book club (but I think I’ve read every one).  We read the Winter Street series for the last 4 years and loved each one. (Don’t worry…I’m not going to spoil the book for you.)

This book was very different from the Winter Street series and was set on the beautiful island of St. John.  The main character is Irene Steele, a magazine editor and Victorian home enthusiast from Iowa City. Irene thinks that she has an idyllic life until she receives news that her beloved husband, Russell died in a plane crash on New Years Day.  Irene and her sons, Baker and Cash, travel to St. John only to learn that her husband had a secret life.

The book takes us all over the sites of St. John introducing characters involved in Russell’s secret life, including his lover, Rosie. They soon discover that not only did Russ Steel have a secret life, but he also had questionable business dealings that might be responsible for his death.  This book is full of suspense and drama and it definitely leaves you wanting for more (until the next one in the series is available).

So what are you reading??