Pretending had always been so easy for Shane…until Janelle moved in next door. Janelle was excited to be starting a brand new chapter in her life. But her eagerness quickly plummeted when her new neighbor stormed over with his arrogance and attitude. And now, just the sight of him made her blood boil. Just as she thought she knew exactly what kind of man Shane Anderson was, he blindsided her … he blindsided her and left her speechless.
Turns out, she didn’t know him at all…
She quickly realized that the man he pretended to be was nothing more than a Paradox
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This book moved me. There were parts that infuriated me because you need that for character build up. There were parts that were absolutely hilarious. The banter between Janelle and her sisters is realistic, and did I mention funny…Janie is a freaking nut and I can’t wait to see how her character develops. Jackie is the strong, mature sister and I’m excited for her journey too.
Shane and Janelle have an instant connection that is HOT. There is a quote that I love that Janelle says to Shane:
“We all have a choice Shane…We can learn to live with the challenges of our lifes or we can let them conquer and destroy us.”
Shane is definitely a multi-layer character and I loved seeing him open up and accept the help and support Janelle gave freely. This is such a beautiful story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Shane is living a life that is slowing killing him. Being solely responsible for the care of a loved one, is starting to take it’s toll. Janelle moving in next door throws a wrench at his carefully built walls. Shane being a complete jerk to her during their first couple of meetings does not help the situation. Slowly they move from the friend zone to much more. But when Shane’s responsibilities become too much, will Janelle be there for him? Or will he finally push her away one too many times?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Favorite Quotes:
She gets a little more aggressive when she has a few drinks in her. The mention of castration, disembowelment, and roasting his nuts over an open flame made us laugh during dinner, yes, but now I am honestly a little afraid for the guy.
“Do you think he’s gay?” My smile falters. “Who knows?” It is hard to distinguish between the two voices. “What I do know is no matter if he prefers the bratwurst or the bun, he needs to get laid.”
“I have an entire list of things that would inflict great pain on any man that I am dying to try if the need should arise.”… She can’t be more than one hundred pounds soaking wet, but something tells me she means every word.
I used to think Mom dropped you on your head as a child and that I couldn’t be mean to you because that was not your fault. But now I can’t blame Mom. You became this warped and confused version of yourself all on your own.
Did she honestly try to pull a bone and bolt on you?
My Review:
This tragic and heart-squeezing tale was poignantly penned while well-balanced in tone with amusing and provocative wit, sizzling sensuality, and vibrant characters. Ms. Harm’s emotive writing captivated my interest, tapped all the feels, tugged at the heartstrings, and sent her flawed and struggling characters straight to the heart where they burrow deeply into my coronary muscle. I adored each quirky primary and secondary character and am eagerly looking forward to more Pearson adventures.
You have to read this book!!!!!
Paradox, /ˈparədɒks/, noun
“A seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true. A person or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities.”
Laughter and sadness … loyalty and betrayal … forgiveness or resentment, and, the keeping of vows versus the abandonment of them. These very human emotions are at the heart of this book, so ask yourself, what would you do in Shane’s parent’s situation, what would your significant other do???
I can easily say that I adored Shane, even as his grumpy arse made me cringe at times, and even though he deserved somewhat of a tong up, Janelle and her sisters were a tag team of rabid animals, much to my delight! Simply put, I loved every one of the main and lead characters in this book. Shane and Janelle together were steamy and electric, when he wasn’t stuffing things up, and, I’m looking forward to this entire series!!!!
CA harms mixes the two extremes of emotion, balancing them out into the perfect formula for another fantastic book; an enemies to lovers story, and when authors like CA do the job, it’s easy to see why readers become addicted to this trope.
I believe that Ms. Harms has the gift to bring out any emotion she chooses in her readers, be it ugly crying or howling with laughter. In Paradox, I did both, and she bought the two emotions together in a perfect reflection of the title, a perfect reflection of Shane. The utter despair that his life has been for the last few years, in a juxtaposition against some of the hilarious situations that have been penned within the pages of this book. Again, she has written everything that defines a great Romance story.
This book deserves every one of it’s 5 Stars, and I am so looking forward to more, especially Janie. That younger sister of Janelle’s is going to give some poor guy a run for his money!!!!
Another 5 star read by C. A. Harms!! Wow!! I was hooked from the very first chapter!
I fell for Shane, and I totally got where he was coming from. Then there’s Janelle, who was just the funniest when she was with her sisters!
I couldn’t put it down I had to know what was going to happen. Then as it was ending I didn’t want it to end.
If you want an angst filled read the you must read Paradox, I laughed so hard then I cried.
The flashback scenes with Shane and his mother were just beautiful and Mrs. Harms got what it’s like taking care of someone that cannot take care of themselves. She brought the emotional reaction and feelings of regret and guilt perfectly.
Then balanced it perfectly with Janelle’s clumsy reaction to their date. I laughed a little to hard with that one! I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the other two sisters books!
This first book in this exciting new series was really good it was full of heartache, sacrifice, love for family, and happiness. Super excited to read the next book in the Pearson sisters series.
3.5 Stars
Shane is totally stressed in life. His lively and beautiful mother was hit by a drunk driver, and is now almost catatonic. Shane works two jobs to keep her in a facility that is both caring and wonderful. He also visits her daily and gives up a lot of sleep and a good chunk of his life to care for her. He’s angry because his dad left when things got tough, and left Shane with the total burden for her care. Janelle Pearson moves into the house next door to Shane. It’s been empty for a while, and Shane treasures the quiet. Needless to say, loud stereo music and the sounds of hammering nails at 7 am do not go over well for Shane and Janelle’s first meeting.
There are beautiful things about this story. The family relationship with the Pearson sisters and even with their parents is fun and amazing. There are also angry times and misunderstandings. Shane and Janelle each jump to erroneous conclusions a time or two, and have to find their way back to each other. Their motivations are clearly delineated, but pride and stubbornness definitely get in the way at times. The pacing is good, but there were a couple of slower sections that dragged slightly. It was also difficult to figure out the timeline. His mother has been in the home for 3 years for most of the story, and then suddenly it’s been 5 years…yet his father has only been visiting for months, and he started slightly before the 3-year mark. It just didn’t add up for me.
Other than those minor issues, it was an engaging read and it was obvious that the book has been proofread, as there weren’t noticeable errors in grammar or syntax.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Reading Progress
I devoured this book! I am so in love with Janelle and Shane’s story! Paradox is the perfect blend of Rom-Com and slight angsty! I laughed and cried a lot, but I completely fell in love with CA Harm’s newest book! I cannot wait for more from this series!
*4.5 stars*
Hilarious and heart-breaking…
I know. How can it be funny and sad. Janelle and Shane’s story had it all, including the highs and lows, the fun and fury, of family and life…
Feuding neighbours. Loving sisters. Family and friends. Janelle and Shane were at the center yet were surrounded by characters that made their story richer, funnier and even more bittersweet. It may have started with arguing – and it was quite epic actually – but what followed was all you could hope for in a romance. Shane was drowning. In futility, in hopelessness. And lack of sleep and everything else. Janelle seemed to be the opposite. A career just taking off, loving and supportive family. Her outgoing personality made her shine but her empathy, her heart, was the polish…
Shane was gruff, with a crusty exterior, but as she peeled the layers, Janelle struck gold…
Janelle’s sisters could have easily stole the show – and they did, quite often – yet it always came back to a love that was willing to bend under the harshest of challenges…
I laughed and I teared up, making this an easy, new favourite by this author.
*I happily reviewed this story