Charlotte Grey is lying comatose in a hospital bed after being involved in a serious car accident, following a break-up fight with James Kane, her boyfriend of five years, after he admitted to being in love with Sophie Kelly, a second-rate actress.
James is a producer and half owner of the production company, Meridius Movies. Blessed with good looks and charm, James easily snagged Charlotte.
Though Charlotte can’t see him for what he truly is, her friends and family can—and they hate him.
While visiting Charlotte in the hospital James continues making excuses to her prone body (although she can hear him), then rudely takes a call from Sophie—first lying to her about where he is and then he begins talking dirty to her. As if to announce James’ treachery, alarms go off and nurses pour into the room. Charlotte feels a few jolts from the paddles, hears fading voices and then finds herself in silent whiteness.
Moments later Charlotte is with her deceased father in a place he describes as an “assessment area”. After a few days, Charlotte is given paperwork to fill out for the AWE: Angelic Work Experience. After a short course of training Charlotte is sent back to Earth, as a guardian angel—to James Kane.
No stranger to writing humorous fiction: Remind Me Again Why I Need a Man, I Didn’t Fancy Him Anyway and others, Claudia Carroll’s cheeky writing style is addictively entertaining and undeniably funny. Penning yet another home-run, If This Is Paradise, I Want My Money Back is a special blend of chick-lit that is a fast-paced joy ride with a complete cast of endearing characters who never fail to amuse; and, that even includes the incorrigible James Kane.
Charlotte is especially charming, relatable and quite human—especially in her role as “guardian angel”. Despite her new position, she maintains her human flaws, though her intentions are good. Like a loveable klutz, most of what Charlotte does to “fix” things actually ends up making them worse.
Despite being just under 500 pages, the story seems to go by in a flash. By the end of the book, you are so invested in the characters and their plights that you’ll wish for another 100 pages—and pray for a sequel.
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Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (October 18, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0062045157