Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Two Roads to Paradise Book Review & Book Tour Giveaway

This morning, I have an adult fiction novel with a dystopian/science fiction style theme in our book review spotlight!  Check out Two Roads to Paradise from the Be Careful What you Wish For series, learn about the book & authors Gordon Jensen with  Cara Highsmith & Gordon Thomas, read my thoughts on the book & be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post!  Also, if you missed it, you can check out my review of The Way Out--Book One from this series too!


​Book TitleTwo Roads to Paradise (Book 2: Be Careful What You Wish for Series) by Gordon Jensen with Cara Highsmith and Gordon Thomas
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  324 pages
GenreSci-Fi
Publisher:  Highsmith Creative Services
Release date:  May 2022
Content Rating:  PG-13 +M. The language is pretty tame, but there are a few swear words. The bigger issue is some of the topics addressed in it. 
 

About the Book


Although the reappearance of the Alpha Centauri I crew was miraculous, it was not the celebratory homecoming they expected. Their return to a world reeling from a pandemic that wiped out more than half the population thrust them right into the center of controversy and conflict. Now, three years later, though the tide has turned and the survival of the human race seems to be secure, the survival of human relations is far less certain. The cure should have been the injection of hope the world needed to restore balance and end the chaos of the last four decades. Instead, the complex implications for personal rights and freedom have fractured the North American territory in such a way that the division may never be repaired. As the crew dispersed to find their place in this new landscape, Hunter Young found himself embedded in the Marshall administration as an agent for the mysterious K Group. What had been a relatively uneventful assignment suddenly becomes a whirlwind of adventure as he is called to a rendezvous that requires a long and circuitous journey.

 

My Review

 

Readers should read the series in order. While you could read the first book without needing to continue the series--you should read that first book first to help ease into this second book. Two Roads to Paradise introduces some new characters and follows different roads and political perspectives as the world continues with the changes and developments from book one. 

 

Two Roads to Paradise continues the series' political storyline. While the premise of the novel and the series holds science fiction and dystopian elements as the characters move through their journeys in the post-pandemic aftermath, it is even far more political and social in theme than the first book. Red and Blue (Republican and Democrat) views and ideas serve as the focus--but the writing style did lend to the presentation of both viewpoints from different characters and encounter perspectives. 

 

Would I Recommend Two Roads to Paradise?   If you enjoy political novels developed via a fantasy world that mirrors current reality--this novel may suit you well. I found this novel a bit slower-paced than the first--and more political than I had realized it would be. Having said that, I did find the presentation of different political views interesting, and the dystopian novel fan in me enjoyed watching the characters rebuild lives and regroup amid the changes.


 

Buy the Book
 
 
Check out the Series


​Book TitleThe Way Out (Book 1: Be Careful What You Wish for Series) by Gordon Jensen with Cara Highsmith and Gordon Thomas
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  240 pages
GenreSci-Fi
Publisher:  Highsmith Creative Services
Release date:  September 2020
Content Rating:  PG-13 +M. The language is pretty tame, but there are a few swear words. The bigger issue is some of the topics addressed in it. 
 

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About the Book


When the Alpha Centauri crew returns to earth after a failed mission to explore a distant planet, they quickly learn the world is not how they left it.

Under new global leadership, the planet has managed to go decades without conflict, except for one major problem. Thanks to a pandemic caused by a mutation in a new strain of GMO corn, the world’s population plummeted to 2.6 billion, wiping out a disproportionate amount of men and leaving the globe run almost entirely by women. The mutation altered the human DNA, making it impossible to produce male babies and increasing Y-chromosome related diseases.

Because of their lack of exposure, the Alpha Centauri crew, especially the men on board, now find themselves in high demand. The Powers that Be think they are the solution, but with that solution comes the inevitable hunger for power and control. As greed, self-interest, and corruption rear their ugly heads, a planet that had found its way to peace is thrust into turmoil once again.

So, the question becomes: Are they really the answer to a seemingly unsolvable problem? The world may soon come to understand that sometimes getting what you wish for isn't the gift you think it will be.

The Way Out is at once a brilliant and relatable work of post-apocalyptic fiction. Think The Handmaid’s Tale mixed with Netflix’s The Wilds, and a touch of Interstellar, the movie. It’s a uniquely told story that will have you waiting as impatiently as the crew to understand the New World Order of the near future.

 

 
Buy the Book
 
 

 Check out the Series

​Book TitleTwo Roads to Paradise (Book 2: Be Careful What You Wish for Series) by Gordon Jensen with Cara Highsmith and Gordon Thomas
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  324 pages
GenreSci-Fi
Publisher:  Highsmith Creative Services
Release date:  May 2022
Content Rating:  PG-13 +M. The language is pretty tame, but there are a few swear words. The bigger issue is some of the topics addressed in it. 
 

About the Book


Although the reappearance of the Alpha Centauri I crew was miraculous, it was not the celebratory homecoming they expected. Their return to a world reeling from a pandemic that wiped out more than half the population thrust them right into the center of controversy and conflict. Now, three years later, though the tide has turned and the survival of the human race seems to be secure, the survival of human relations is far less certain. The cure should have been the injection of hope the world needed to restore balance and end the chaos of the last four decades. Instead, the complex implications for personal rights and freedom have fractured the North American territory in such a way that the division may never be repaired. As the crew dispersed to find their place in this new landscape, Hunter Young found himself embedded in the Marshall administration as an agent for the mysterious K Group. What had been a relatively uneventful assignment suddenly becomes a whirlwind of adventure as he is called to a rendezvous that requires a long and circuitous journey.

Buy the Book
 
 
 
Meet the Authors
 

Gordon Jensen holds an MBA from University of Rochester, New York, Simon School of Business and a bachelor's degree from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. After working in finance In New York for several years, Jensen went back to Minnesota to run the family business. He retired after selling the the business and is now fulfilling a number of life-long dreams, including writing a novel series.
 

Cara Highsmith has always been drawn to the world of books and has found herself working in this industry in one capacity or another for the majority of her adult life. She holds a Master of Arts in English from Belmont University and did work toward a PhD at Middle Tennessee State University. Cara was on the editorial team at Hachette Book Group USA, working with several New York Times bestselling authors, for nearly four years. After leaving Hachette in 2008, she began freelancing, developing proposals and manuscripts for agents, editing and ghostwriting for authors, and assisting clients in preparing projects for self-publishing. Cara is a master of being a jack of all trades, but currently spends her free time working on several personal writing projects and enjoying life on a beautiful northern California mountain.

connect with authors: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
 

Enter the Giveaway

 

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISHED FOR Book Tour Giveaway

 


 

1 comment:

  1. In my experience, the best dystopian/speculative fiction novels have had political themes as a prominent--if not main--element.

    ReplyDelete