The writing duo that is Christina Lauren does it again! They wrote another binge worthy and irresistible romcom that I adored! The fake marriage and private tropical island setting were everything. Throw in the witty banter and undeniable chemistry between Anna and West, and you get another big hit by this duo!

Anna and West had a marriage of convenience in college to get affordable housing. When the school year was over Anna, thought the divorce was final, but 5 years later, West shows up on her door needing her help as his wife. Turns out what she signed wasn’t exactly divorce papers! To get his inheritance, West must prove that he and Anna are happily married and then, after their 5 year anniversary they can get divorced. That means Anna must fly to a private island for 10 days for West’s sister’s wedding and to prove to all of the Weston’s that they are indeed married.

The characters in this book were everything! Anna was such a “messy” character, but she had the biggest heart and I loved how she would do anything to help her father. West was more of a strait-laced and put together guy. I adored his character, but what I loved the most about this book was how well these two characters complimented each other.

West’s affluent and dysfunctional family brought another dynamic to this story and helped to show just how different Anna was from them. I love books with terrible rich people, and this one was no exception! The setting of a private island and the forced proximity of West and Anna sharing a room made this book everything I want in a romcom!

If you’re looking for the perfect summer romcom, look no further. This is the book for you!

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Paradise Problem
Christina Lauren
Release Date: May 14, 2024

This was such a fun book! If you’re looking for a romance set on a tropical island than make sure to pick this one up. The in depth descriptions of the island had me wanting to book a flight so I could experience the views!

I was loving this book from the first chapter. Anna, the main character, was hilarious. Someone who didn’t come from much but enjoyed living. Add in a broody West Weston and you have the perfect combo for an amazing novel.

This was the type of book that you can’t help giggling along with and I’m sure you won’t want it to end, just like me.

I haven’t read much from Christina Lauren as of yet so I went into this one not sure what to expect. This was amazing! I had a blast.

Liam needs his soon to be divorced marriage of convenience wife to accompany him to his sister’s destination wedding on a private island. How could Anna say no to a luxury trip plus a new wardrobe to look the part, because who knew her soon to be x was heir to a billion dollar grocery empire! (Long story).

Liam’s family is about as functional as the folks on Succession, and his father’s toxicity is a large reason why he walked away from it all years ago.

I enjoyed both these characters. Anna is full of life and knows herself even though she has bad luck. Liam is so full of trauma and coping strategies he can’t see his own value and strengths. The two of them together fit so well. The 1% private beach was about as extravagant and perfect for this romance as you could imagine, but I was also happy to see the authors lean into the problems that come from this kind of wealth, not just for Liam, but the disparity we all feel these days.

I have been so happy with all of my summer romance reads so far this season. The Paradise Problem is another top notch story, perfect for a relaxing day in the sun on the beach, or at home on the couch snuggled under a blanket! Well worth the time ❤️

Thanks to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for access to an eARC for review purposes.

Even though Liam and Anna entered into a marriage of convenience in order for them to qualify for graduate family housing at UCLA, they lived together as strangers for only a year until he completed his PhD. So, it’s a surprise when Liam shows up on her doorstep, telling her they’re still married (she really should have read the documents she signed, thinking they were divorce papers) and that he needs her to accompany him to his sister’s wedding to play the devoted wife so that he doesn’t lose a substantial inheritance. She negotiates a generous payment (to help her with student loans and her father’s medical bills) since this is essentially a business arrangement. So, the feelings that grow between them during their brief time on the private Indonesian island seem unrealistically rushed. Yes, the sexual chemistry is there, but the emotional connection is slightly problematic. For Liam, it’s clear that Anna’s supportive and nurturing nature is humbling, if not a little scary, since he’s never had anyone who had his back and offered hugs and encouragement. It’s less clear what Liam offers Anna emotionally, especially after she becomes collateral damage in Liam’s efforts to protect his siblings. My guess is that she’s a natural empath and caretaker, and the damaged little boy inside Liam and his eventual willingness to share the pain his father’s evil machinations have inflicted on him are like catnip to her.

I’m a huge Christina Lauren fan and am always so excited when a new book comes out. Unfortunately, this is not one of my favorites. It seems that the authors’ inspirations for The Paradise Problem were Succession and Pretty Woman (except for the prostitution). Although there’s a decent romance, the main plot is more of an exposé on corporate greed and corruption and the lengths a narcissistic man will go to protect himself and evade responsibility, even throwing his children under the bus. I’ve still awarded this 4 stars for the Succession vibes that had me on edge the entire time, Anna’s funny banter and bonding with Liam’s niece, and the strength Anna’s emotional support gives Liam when his father’s manipulative tactics come to a head. Bottom line, the writing duo of Christina Lauren write compelling books that keep them at the top of the contemporary romance field, and this one is no exception. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

*4.5⭐️
This book was so funny! I found myself laughing out loud for like half of the books. Anna’s one liners mixed perfectly with Liam’s dry humor! Then add in his family shenanigans (which went back and forth between hilarious and aggravating) and this book was the perfect chaotic summery read!

Along with being hilarious, this book was also a really sweet romance! I could really feel the love developing throughout the novel. Liam and Anna had explosive chemistry that was written really well! I loved watching them develop from strangers to tentative friends to partners in a way that felt realistic and romantic. They were so cute together and the need to see them find their HEA together had me flying through this book very quickly.

His family was…well, they sure made me feel emotions. As I mentioned above, I basically seesawed between entertained by them (especially Blaire) and wanting to (in the words of Liam) destroy them (mostly Alex and Ray). I think the family dynamics of how screwed up they were was conveyed very well and believably. I went to their book signing and Christina mentioned that they tried to demonstrate that his family took this beautiful paradise and tainted it with their wealth and problems and it was written so well. The only thing that didn’t feel that believable was the ending and how things wrapped up, but I’m not going to be upset about how it turned out because I loved what happens.

Overall, this was such a fun read that I highly recommend if you want some romance and adventure!

If you're a fan of any Christina Lauren book, but especially "The Unhoneymooners," then this book is most definitely for you. Trust me. "The Paradise Problem" has two POVs, compelling language, a quippy and witty writing style and so many indulgent tropes that had me desperate to keep reading and find out what would happen next. Tropes include fake dating, marriage of convenience, opposites attract, second chance romance, forced proximity and the classic only-one-bed. It's so fun and frothy that I could just savor page by page. And that epilogue, woo, I swear I felt my heart grew, like, two sizes from that HEA. And that ending felt earned and not rushed through, which I think is partly the reason for said swoony feelings.

CW: Parental estrangement

This was so good! It’s another hit for sure! I laughed out loud, gasped out loud, and at one point wanted to cry. Liam oh Liam - insert swoon. This has all the makings of a perfect summer romance so I definitely recommend adding it to any of your summer lists. It has the remote getaway, bungalows, fake dating (marriage), forced proximity, kinda second chance, and a low key billionaire with a heart of gold. You also have complex family dynamics! The one thing I love the most about a Christina Lauren read is that I know I’m going to get characters that feel real and that go through growth and at the end of my story I get a warm good feeling. This is that! A warm hug of a summer read and a new romance book I’ll be recommending!

“When you can afford anything, nothing is interesting anymore, and there’s something really depressing about that.”

I devoured this book! This is an annoyance when people talk to you while reading book. A stay up past your bedtime book. A spend the day on the beach and block out the world book. An addictive book. The best kind of book.

Filled with laugh out loud funny banter, hot sex, and a whole lot of family drama, this book is damn near perfection. Read it! Trust me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books, and the authors for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Bestselling writing duo Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings turn their attentions to a modern marriage of convenience in The Paradise Problem. Artist Anna agreed to marry West to secure subsidized student housing, and somehow neither realized realize they never got divorced. Now, if they make it to the five year mark, West stands to inherit $100,000 million from his family’s supermarket chain–but before they make it four more months to the deadline, they have to not only survive his sister’s tropical island wedding at an exclusive private resort in Singapore with–wait for it–just one bed–they have to convince the family they are HAPPILY married.

West doesn’t necessarily want to take charge of the family business, and in fact he has a lot of ideas about corporate greed and making an honest living with an honest product. Opposites attract, and Anna’s scruffy demeanor, careful budgeting and off the cuff unfiltered world view conflicted nicely with both quieter West and his rich , dysfunctional, Silicon Valley relatives.

CLo excel at slow burn, bantery banter, and humor around complex family dynamics, beautiful settings, and sexy scenes. This was by no means a disappointment, but I’m having trouble putting my finger on and articulating why it didn’t warrant five stars for the reigning queens of romance, except maybe too much reliance on tropes and stereotypes.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #TheParadiseProblem via #NetGalley, courtesy of Gallery.

The Paradise Problem was the perfect start of summer read! The tension between the two main characters was DELICIOUS, and I could not put the book down! Definitely will be rereading this one in the future.

Anna Green 🤩

I love Christina Lauren’s books because their female main characters are strong, smart, funny and powerful. She is pure magic.

The books was the epitome of a rom com. Happy ending. No cheating. No weird tension or betrayal between the main character.

It is just a happy and easy summer read 💚

Christina and Lauren have done it again! The Paradise Problem is such a fun and quirky fake dating romance that had me turning every page excited to see what happens next. This book had me wishing I was poolside with a hunky rich professor. Though the main setting of the book takes place at a wedding in Singapore, the rich family Anna Green unknowingly wed into was in Silicon Valley, where I grew up and currently live in! Christina and Lauren perfectly encapsulated the culture of rich folk from Palo Alto and it was so fun seeing the foil between their upper class and Anna's lower class economic cultures. Liam is such a lovable character, and I can only dream of one day fake (or real) marrying someone like him. A+ writing and such a fun read!

Good riddance to my reading slump! The Paradise Problem is a sweet, laugh-out-loud, wholly addictive delight that kept me up all night.

What started out as a short term marriage of convenience between two strangers back in college turns complicated when Liam reaches out to Anna three years later. She is shocked to discover that they are still married, and he needs her help. Anna is now a starving artist, and Liam is a professor/heir to a grocery empire. With his inheritance on the line, Liam asks her to pretend to be “really” married for his family’s sake during his sister’s wedding festivities on a tropical island. After that, they can divorce and resume their separate lives.

Anna is an unfiltered riot. I relished the chapters from her point of view because her internal thoughts had me bursting into laughter. I also appreciated how genuine and kind she is. Liam is a sweetheart, the only member of his family not driven to excess.

I enjoyed every moment spent in paradise almost as if I was really there. The glamor, the peek into the lives of the super wealthy, and Liam’s funny family members drew me in, and his toxic father kept things interesting. There are plenty of tender moments as well. Liam and Anna’s progression from strangers to friends to lovers is perfectly paced. Their chemistry is ridiculously hot.

If The Paradise Problem isn’t on your beach read or vacation book list then you need to rectify that ASAP.

Recommended for fans of:
Beach reads
All-inclusive resorts
Tropical islands
Lifestyles of the wealthy

So much fun and perfect for vacation! 🌺 I’m a BIG fan of a slow burn romance with SPICE and this did not disappoint. I was invested in their fling, a huge fan of West, and adored the way she came to his rescue and reminded him to choose himself. Definitely gave off Succession vibes, not all of which I totally understood, but it was a great read. The epilogue was crazy long, which was a nice way of providing snip it’s of their follow up story, just threw me for a loop. I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley (THANK YOU) and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Paradise Problem is a super cute contemporary rom com that was heartfelt and yet kept me giggling. The story revolves around Anna Green, a free-spirited artist, and Liam “West” Weston, a reserved and polished heir of a grocery chain, who enter into a marriage of convenience in college. A few years down the road, Anna finds out that – surprise! - they’re still married and now they must convince everyone at Liam’s little sister’s tropical destination wedding that their marriage isn’t a sham in order to secure Liam’s very large inheritance. This proves to be a difficult (and rather hilarious) task considering they haven’t seen each other since college.

The way the Christina Lauren duo wrote this was so good – it had witty banter combined with heartfelt moments and snappy dialogue. I loved the blaring difference between the life the Westons lived and how Anna was brought up – it made for some funny moments, but also some serious, eye-opening moments. Anna was such a funny, quick-witted character and I LOVED her with serious, quiet Liam. This was a very well-done opposites attract romance and the moment the fake dating turned into no-so-fake dating…yes please! SO good!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
•beach setting
•marriage of convenience
•fake dating
•opposites attract
•slow burn

If you’re a fan of Christina Lauren books (especially The Unhoneymooners), get this book on your radar for this summer!

I didn't know what to expect while reading this book, but I couldn't get enough of Anna and West's sweet story.

I had never read a book from these two before but will read more after having finished this one! I needed a break from thrillers, so this was perfect. Fun and perfect romance. It reminded me of a romantic comedy movie. Feel good fun that will have me reading more from this author.

Such a great CLo read! This is like if Pretty Woman and Succession had a baby on a private island. I enjoyed every dang second of it! I was lucky enough to immersive read this (read and listen to the audio) and it was so enjoyable! The chemistry between Anna and Liam really grew and was explosive at the same time. Truly a joy to read. Such a fun one for summer!

Christina Lauren books never disappoint. It is always a great story along with humor, love, and a little spice. The Paradise Problem had a great tropical setting in Singapore. It made the reader want to travel to the fancy tropical setting. I love a good fake dating trope, but this was done to a high degree. West and Anna pretended to be married to get into married housing at UCLA. After college they went their own way, but now West has to go to his sister's wedding and bring the woman he has been claiming to be married to for almost five years. So, he has to convince Anna, who is definitely not the typical girl that West would be with to join him in paradise and act as his wife. I highly recommend this quick, engrossing, and dreamy novel!

The dynamic duo does it again! This is the perfect summer rom com for your TBR shelf! I immediately fell in love with our main characters and loved to watch them fall for each other as the story progressed. I love the wedding setting on the island in Indonesia. It just had the summer vacation feel with all the luxury. These authors never fail to make me laugh with all the banter and mishaps. Highly recommend picking this one up asap!