This novel by Christina Lauren meets all my expectations of their previous books - an entertaining storyline, memorable characters, spicy romance, witty banter, and laughter.

The dysfunctional West family is led by narcissistic patriarch (a la “Succession”), and middle son Liam must be married for at least five years to access his trust fund. Enter Anna Green, a financially struggling student and artist, who was friends with Liam’s younger brother Jake and willing to get married to be able to live in student college housing for cheap. Anna and Liam live as married roommates for three years, and Anna assumes Liam dissolves the marriage after graduation. She has no knowledge of the trust fund stipulations, and they live their own lives independently. Liam returns to Anna almost two years later and explains that he needs his “wife” to attend his baby sister’s wedding with him on a private island off the coast of Singapore, and he’s willing to pay her to do so. Anna’s dad has medical issues and she could really use the money, so she agrees. One “Pretty Woman” makeover later, free-spirited Anna does her best to fit in and make it through a week-long wedding extravaganza while Liam is tormented by his messed up family dynamics and coerced by his dad to come back to work in the family grocery store business. Oh, and Anna and Liam have to pose as a loving married couple and keep big brother Alex from figuring out their relationship secrets. This luxurious, tropical situation is not real life, but Anna and Liam might be attracted to each other for real?!

The plot is ridiculous… ridiculously fun. And I just want to cheer for Anna; she’s so sassy and smart and delightful. This book is an entertaining escape from real life.

* Marriage of convenience, with a twist of fake dating
* Tropical setting/Beach read
* Family drama
* Opposites attract
* One bed
* Slow burn
* Dual POV

This may be my new favorite CL book - I loved it so much and could not put it down! Loved the characters and just the general story. Plus, who doesn't love a nice island plot with some dysfunctional rich people? So good and will be recommending this one. Can't wait to read what's next by these two!

Anna and Liam's story is the perfect mix of passion, drama, and humor. The characters are life-like, real, and far from perfect. As always, the plot is a rollercoaster filled with laughter. A great beach read for relaxing this summer. You will fall in love with Anna and Liam over and over again.

This was such a cute book! The characters were likable and the story was good. Honestly, something that I wish would happen to me! I mean who wouldn’t want to be fake married to a billionaire, go on a dream vacation, and earn some money. I read this book within 2 days, and I stayed up until 4am on the second day to finish this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

What a fun read! And absolutely perfect for summer. Liam’s family is absolutely insane, but that obviously just added (and made) the story. Anna was such a fun character and I love that she was such a breath of fresh air compared to typical FMC.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!
4-4.5

This was great! Anna may be one of my favorite female MCs I’ve read in a while. Some of the Succession sounding business stuff got a bit dull but I really enjoyed it overall. Finished in one afternoon and I look forward to their next!

this book was truly the perfect summer read ☀️ it was laugh out loud funny, the banter was *chefs kiss* & our two MCs were so lovable! This made me want to book a trip somewhere tropical because the setting descriptions were so well done!!

Thank you for the opportunity to review - I was a little confused at the similarity to a previous fake-dating in a paradise-setting from the same author, and found these characters less likable due to the inevitable comparisons.

Anna Green is a struggling artist, working to pay for her father's medical bills, and still married to Liam Weston? Liam Weston is heir to the Weston grocery chain, not on speaking terms with his father, and in desperate need of Anna's help. Turns out to get his $100 million inheritance Liam and Anna are going to have to fake being in love at his sister's wedding and ease his family's doubts. There a few problems with their plan but can they make it work anyway? Will their 10 days in paradise lead to deeper feelings?

I love Christina Lauren! My favorite trope is fake dating so this one hit the sweet spot! I will definitely be recommending this one to my patrons!

What I Loved:
✨Lovable MCs: Anna Green 💕 So funny, so honest, so unafraid of doing things badly. And Liam 💕 I love his grumpy demeanor, how he takes a stand against his father, how he falls in love with Anna. Swoon!
✨Surprising Depth: Anna and Liam struggle with their own family issues and secrets.
✨Witty Banter: Anna and Liam’s dialogue will have you laughing out loud!
✨Setting: Remote island for a wedding 💕 I love all the vivid descriptions. I usually cringe at wealthy excess, but with an over-the-top plot, the excess simply highlights Anna’s down-to-earth nature.
✨Narrators: The dual narrators are perfectly matched for this dual POV, seamlessly bringing the story to life. Completely entertaining!!!

Other highlights: Romance tropes (fake marriage, opposites attract, one bed, forced proximity, billionaire romance), easy to read - you’ll want to binge this in one day, interesting backstories, great side characters - I love Blaire and how she became an ally for Anna. But Blaire is also outspoken and raunchy, perfect for this buttoned-up Weston family!

Two thoughts…

-All romance epilogues should be this thorough.

-This is a great read if you miss Succession.

This book was awesome! The perfect summer read with the perfect summer atmosphere on an island. The chemistry between the main characters was off the charts. I really enjoyed the talk of all of the riches and what having money means. This book goes a lot deeper than just your basic romance. Christina Lauren knocks it out of the park again!

This, as all of Christina Lauren books are, was an absolute delight. I love the fake dating premise, I loved the characters, it was a fun read.

if you're looking for a summer-vibes rec, here is one to add to the top of your list! christina lauren books just hit the spot, & this was no different!
set on a tropical island, this book had it all!
# marriage of convenience
# rich people problems
#t spunky FMC
# one bed trope
# laugh out loud scenes!
this one might just be my new favorite from CL!

I've enjoyed every book I've read by Christina Lauren! The Paradise Problem was a fun summer read that I read/listened to in just 2 days. I loved the humor between Anna and West. I also liked the fake relationship plot and all the things they went through as they worked to keep their secrets from his family.

Patti Murin and Jon Root narrated The Paradise Problem. I usually prefer female narrators, but Jon Root did a great job!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 14 May 2024

I laughed.... a LOT! This one was sooo much fun & I never wanted to put it down, which is largely how I feel whenever I'm reading a Christina Lauren book. The Paradise Problem is just such a feel good, happy romance with a bit of drama that will keep you smiling throughout. Anna is a hoot! She's so quick with the comebacks and says the most ridiculous things that end up being so endearing ~ at least to her fake husband (but also to this reader and probably most others imo😝). Liam (West) is just so good -- like definitely someone you want on your side, but needs to be protected because he's honestly a little TOO good. Both MCs are super loyal and even when they don't really know each other they look out for each other in small ways which always makes me giddy (: Plus, the banter and their chemistry -- ooof🥵 I truly enjoyed this one; it was quick, easy to get into, funny, dramatic, spicy, allll the things I want in a romcom with a lot of my favorite tropes/themes:

🌺marriage of convenience
🏝️forced proximity
🌺fake relationship
🏝️family drama/trauma
🌺opposites attract
🏝️professor x artist
🌺jealous MMC
🏝️only one bed (;
🌺extra long epilogue --- I loved it bc I always want more and this time more was given!!!!

If you're looking for an entertaining, cute, beachy romance that will have you planning your next vacation, check this one out!

I received an eARC from Gallery Books via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This romantic duo of authors continues to HIT. This latest release delivered the perfect tropical getaway to kick off summer, and while Christina Lauren has written other tropical getaway-esque stories, these feels fresh and unique -- a feat when they've written over 30 books at this point. loved the family dynamics and the white lotus-esque island feel, and through Anna's quirky POV made it all the better. Liam was so swoony. LOVED.

This book was amazing!

I didn’t expect anything different. But I absolutely loved this story line, plot, characters and every thing in between!

The Paradise Problem is a fun summer read that entertained me. It was light and funny. There were crazy shenanigans and who wouldn't love spending an entire book on a private island?!?!

I enjoyed the Anna and Liam and definitely wanted them to end up together. Anna was quirky and snarky and said what was on her mind. Liam played his cards close to the belt and the pair could not be more opposite. But together they found their match, even if they had been married for five years and one of them had no clue that they were still married.

While this wasn't one of my favorite CL0 books, it was a solid 3.5 rounded up and had some great steam (which is always fun!). I really wanted more development between Liam and Anna. Even though they technically had been married, it felt a little insta-love to me, which isn't my favorite trope. But my biggest complaint was Liam's family. They were absolutely trash human beings and I was incredibly distracted the entire book by how horrible they were. I know that was the point of their characters, but in my opinion, it took away from the romance and they just made me so mad.

The Paradise Problem is another poolside rom-com that will keep all the girls talking this summer! The authors have created a fantasy setting with characters we love. Anna is so likeable and funny, and West/Liam sounds like our dream come true. Their journey has more ups than downs, and it is so easy to root for a happy ending for them. Readers definitely will finish the epilogue with a smile and a sigh. Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #theparadiseproblem by Christina Lauren!! It was the best start to my summer.