PUB DAY REVIEW // THE PARADISE PROBLEM

4.5/5

WELLL….THIS MY FRIENDS: WAS A FOOT POPPIN’ READ IF I’VE EVER READ ONE!!

It was sexy, swoony, heartwarming and UGH! Just the perfect summertime read!!
I absolutely adored Anna!! I love how messy and unapologetically herself she was. I also saw SO much of myself in her. I related (and loved) her quirkiness and humor soooo much!!

Gimme a dual POV anyday!!! I loved having Liam’s perspective. He was so so charming and my heart broke for how awful his father treated him.

And the chemistry between Anna and Liam?! MY OH MY!!! I also love that this book had some spice!! I was not expecting it and it was very pleasant surprise!

I also really enjoyed the relationship Anna has with her dad. I loved his words of wisdom were so endearing

This book was so much fun! From the tropical setting to the banter this book was a JOY to read!!

SIMONE SAYS READ THIS IF YOU LIKE

Fake dating
Marriage of convenience
Opposites attract
Dysfunctional family dynamics
Slow burns
Tropical setting
Dual pov
Swoony and sexy beach reads

This is one of Christina Lauren's best!!! Possibly even better than The Unhoneymooners? I could not put this book down. I loved the setting and the characters. It was a perfect escape. Definitely THE beach read of the summer.

I absolutely ADORED this book and these characters. I loved that Anna was such a hot mess, but she was pursuing her dreams. Liam was so broken, but he was working on himself as well. Ray was a total POS and he deserves everything he gets! I loved the story of the romance blossoming on the island and after this I think fake marriage is one of my new favorite tropes. This story made me laugh out loud at times, feel all the feelings at times and root for Anna and Liam so hard. Their chemistry was amazing and hot. I believe this is my new favorite by two of my favorite authors! Highly recommend this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my copy of this ARC which publishes on 5/14.

4stars! TheParadise Problem, There is no other way to say it: this one made me SWOON! I laughed and was mad at some characters. What a great way to start of summer reading with such an amazing book.

Thank you to Netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Christina Lauren has done it again…not let me go to sleep because I am too invested in another masterpiece of theirs. From characters that are funny, full of emotions, complex, and life-like, to the storyline of family struggles for the rich and the poor, this book has it all! The humor, romance, and tropical setting have you wanting to crawl right into the book with these characters and experience the ride right along with them. While I have never fake-dated anyone, I loved following along with the adventures of Liam and Anna, cheering their romance on the entire time. A great read that is sure to make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with this book.
Move over True Love Experiment…this might be my new favorite title! Can I give it more than 5 stars?

This took me a little bit to get into and I felt like it was slow at the beginning but I thought Anna was so funny that it enticed me to keep reading. Once West starts getting comfortable with Anna and becoming more himself, I enjoyed his character a lot better. I loved the marriage of convenience trope that I haven’t read from Christina Lauren before and overall it was a good read. It’s not my favorite of theirs but definitely not my least favorite either.

Honestly glad to see Christina Lauren back in their romance bag again. This book reminded me a little bit of The Unhoneymooners which was my first foray into this author duo. I'd say the plot was Pretty Woman meets Succession.

Anna is a quirky and fun character who means no-nonsense. The story was interesting and the setting on this island was dreamy - as dreamy as Liam. The loopholes and plot twists made things much more interesting than I expected. I thought this book was going to end a certain way and it went differently. I liked the substance. It was a good family drama with conversations about extreme wealth its correlation to happiness.

I appreciated that The Epilogue was long and really gave detailed descriptions in the coming weeks, months, & years. It didn't leave you wanting more - you felt like it was wrapped up in a way that made sense. I liked that a lot.

This was such a fun read - definitely a happy fluffy read with a sprinkling of spice. A little bit Pretty Woman, a little bit eat the rich, this book was a feel good read.

Anna and Liam meet and marry for financial convenience as broke college students. However only one of them is truly broke. Liam is an heir to a grocery store dynasty, but he wants nothing to do with it. After their arrangement plays out, Liam and Anna go their separate ways until Liam needs to attend his sister’s wedding and is expected to bring his wife.

The characters are flawed but likable and funny, the story moves quickly without feeling rushed, and the low stakes vibe makes it a pleasure to read. 4.75⭐️

Fake marriage trope between a struggling artist and a Stanford professor who comes from a very wealthy family. Definitely one of my faves from these authors. Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Let’s face it, it’s tough to make extremely wealthy people into heroes in 2024. The writing duo of Christina Lauren, manage to find a creative way around this dilemma and give their readers a romance between financial/social unequals that feels absolutely balanced.

Anna Green and Liam Weston got married to secure housing while they were in college together. However, it turns out they didn’t get divorced. Now, almost five years later, Liam’s sister is getting married in a luxury wedding on a private island and the family insist that it’s time for them to meet Anna. Faced with financial and family troubles of her own, Anna agrees (for a fee). The setup is part Pretty Woman and part White Lotus, but Anna and Liam both have integrity and it’s fun to watch them discover that about each other. They also bring the heat as their insane attraction to each other has to stay banked until they can escape this ten day wedding. The tension ratchets up with each level of deception, until Liam and Anna have to decide what they really want and how much will they give up to get it.

A delightful read and best taken on vacation or read by the pool. 4.5 stars

This was another great read from the duo Christina Lauren and I was so excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of The Paradise Problem. It had their usual fun, witty banter between the main characters, but it felt more serious than some of their earlier works. The characters made you feel something whether it was love or hate; you rooted for them or wanted to choke them. This book really explored the family dynamic with the added layer of extreme wealth. It was about being true to yourself even if it meant stepping away from your family.

Anna and Liam married out of convenience years ago, in order to get cheap family housing while they were in school. What Anna didn’t realize is that Liam is heir to a grocery store chain and their marriage triggered his inheritance. However, now Liam needs her to attend his sister’s wedding with him and play the part he’s painted of her to his family. This part does not match the free spirited, down on her luck, artist that Anna actually is.

What started out as a payday for Anna and a way to help pay her dad’s medical expenses turns into a trip of a lifetime in some of the best and worst ways possible.

This book was romantic and steamy and the luxury tropical location makes this a perfect read for summer!

There was SO MUCH I loved about this book!!! From the setting (literally paradise), to the plot (marriage of convenience?!!), to the complicated family drama, to the banter and humor of dreams that only Christina Lauren can pull off!!!! I squealed and kicked my feet. I laughed out LOUD. I cried happy tears. I finished the book feeling proud and hopeful and wishing Anna and Liam were real!! This book sits SO high on my CLo ranking. I loved it so much! I cannot wait for it to be out in the world so I can have more people to gush about it with!

The Paradise Problem is certainly a fun beach read! I enjoyed the tropical location as well as the laugh out loud dialogue Christina Lauren always seems to deliver. As characters Anna and Liam were both incredibly likable. And what's not fun about faking a marriage, first for college housing and then for a major inheritance. There were so much going on in this book (in a good way) that it held my attention the whole time. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Anna believes she got divorced years prior, after a short-lived marriage to get access to family housing in college. But when her husband shows up asking for her help to save his inheritance, she agrees to travel to his sister’s wedding in Indonesia…as his happily married wife of five years.

My favorite CLo so far! I typically love their books, but they’ve absolutely hit it out of the park with this one. It’s laugh out loud funny (literally—I laughed out loud, for real) and super sweet and Anna and Liam have so much chemistry. Fake relationship tropes are usually my favorite and this one hit all the right notes for me. I was up until 2am reading because I literally could not stop.

I truly don’t have any more words besides saying if you like romances you should read this one. I think it will be one of the “it” books of summer, and it absolutely should be.

CW: Emotional abuse/manipulation/gaslighting; discussion of cancer; mentions of sexual harassment

Thank you to the publisher Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. This review was published on Goodreads on 5/12/24.

I immediately felt a connection to the MFC. Her mind seems to work like mine. One of my favorite things in books is when the author describes the eye color, and hers did not disappoint! “Sunlight passing through a glass of whisky” beautiful description. I enjoyed her quick wit and banter. I’m a firm believer in opposites attract and those two could not fit that bid more. Chaos met Rich structure and it was beautiful. The only thing I’d say is this book kept giving me whip lash. It was good whiplash, but it was back and forth that they were feeling one way and then quickly the other way again. The Male main characters father reminded me of my boss, and it was giving me the ick!! I was really intrigued in the ending wondering what was going to happen, but it really tied it all together whether good or bad!

This book will be released on May 14th, 2024, and I can’t wait for more to read it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books, I was able to read an advanced copy over the weekend, and I can honestly say this is a new fav Christina Lauren novel.

THE PARADISE PROBLEM tackles some heavy social issues such as unaffordable healthcare, the wealthy 1%, emotional abuse, and toxic family dynamics. These heavy topics were perfectly balanced with humor and heat. 🥵 

I particularly liked how the millionaire trope was handled in this story. The extravagant parties and excessive spending was not normalized by the main characters, Anna and Liam. Throughout the novel, there was valuable discourse about the differences between Liam and Anna’s worlds that contributed to their individual growth as well as the themes of the novel.

Read this is you like:
marriage of convenience 💍👰‍♀️
millionaire trope 💸🤑
vacation romance 🏖☀️🌊
spice 🌶
social themes 🗣

THE PARADISE PROBLEM is available May 14th, 2024!

Pretty Woman meets Succession in this deliciously playful and sexy fake relationship romance. It would make a great movie, but it was an equally entertaining read - filled with moments that made me laugh and a few that made me fan myself. I loved our slightly outrageous, pink-haired heroine, who does a fantastic job of keeping the buttoned-up hero on his toes. When they entered into a marriage of convenience in college, neither could've anticipated that they'd have to act like a happy couple while enduring a decadent yet tedious tropical wedding. As opposite as they come, I loved the fish out of water element and how our heroine keeps things grounded, providing a surprisingly steady source of support for the hero. He was also an unexpected delight, and I loved watching him reveal new sides of himself. Their banter and chemistry leapt off the page. Together, they made this a fun, fresh, and fiery read. I loved it!

The story follows Anna (25), a woman whose life is falling apart around her. Her career seems to be going nowhere and she's drowning in bills, so the surprise reappearance of her "ex-husband" is a shock to the system. Nearly five years ago, Anna married West because he needed to secure an inheritance and she needed cheap housing, so the two near-strangers made a deal that benefited them both. Anna hasn't thought of West (31) since they signed "divorce papers" three years ago, and she soon realizes that she probably should've looked at the paperwork better. Turns out, they've been married this whole time, and Anna doesn't even know the guy's actual first name. That's how little they know about each other. Even worse? Their deception is on the verge of coming out, and West - or Liam, actually - needs Anna to accompany him to a family wedding and act like they've been married this whole time.

It's such a fun premise, and I loved the idea of a marriage of convenience gone awry. Anna was (platonic) friends with Liam's brother in college, and that's really the only thing they have in common. They could not be more different, and it's clear that they never took the time to learn anything about each other... which could prove disastrous for their current situation. It's a play on Pretty Woman in that Anna is being paid to look like a woman who would be married into such a wealthy family, and it's got a Succession-like feel because of the dynamics within Liam's family. The combination of the two was insanely compelling, and this writing duo puts their own fresh spin on things. I loved the way Anna and Liam became a team, growing closer because of the forced proximity on a tropical vacation. There's also a great "there's only one bed" situation and an undercurrent of slow-building sexual tension. These two were so good together once they got past the initial hurdles, and I was engaged the whole way through. Another very solid read from this writing duo, and easily one of my new favorites from them.

Christina Lauren's The Paradise Problem whisks readers away to a billionaire wedding extravaganza set against the backdrop of a remote tropical island. Very fun setting! This novel brings a delightful escape into a world of luxury, crazy families, and romance.

The romance in is undeniably cute, filled with witty banter and sizzling chemistry between the characters. However, at times it seemed quite unrealistic. The mmc and ffc have zero romantic connection while they live together, but a few years later they do all of a sudden.. Regardless, it was still cute and fun!

The Paradise Problem" is a charming and light-hearted romance that is perfect for a relaxing afternoon read. The story flows effortlessly, drawing readers into the blossoming romance between the protagonists with its delightful blend of humor and heartfelt moments. With its easy-to-read style and uplifting storyline, "The Paradise Problem" is sure to leave you with a smile and a warm heart. Ideal for anyone seeking a feel-good escape into the world of love and happiness.

If you took Christina Lauren's The Unhoneymooners, Samantha Young's The Love Plot, and mixed in Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians series, you'd get a feel for the vibes of The Paradise Problem. In all the best ways.

Broke students Anna Green and Liam "West" Weston made the unusual choice to get married in order to make it into subsidized family housing while they were in UCLA- despite not knowing each other. They were ships passing in the night during college and Anna thought she'd signed divorce papers when West graduated. He went on to be a Stanford professor, she went on to be a starving artist trying to pay her bills (and her father's medical bills) paycheck to paycheck.

After getting fired by her sexually harassing 18 year old creeper boss, Anna finds out some surprising truths. She's still legally married to West, and he isn't as broke as she thought. He's heir to a fortune and part of a highly toxic family. Now he needs her help: his sister is getting married and he needs to show up- with his wife.

Anna is a loyal and loving person. She may be an artist and highly creative (and super fun!), but she's also practical. She loves her dad and knows that helping West will get her the money to pay her dad's bills. Plus, she likes West and he's clearly miserable and needs the help. She knows there are plenty of things that could go wrong, but agrees anyway. The more time she spends with West, the more she likes him-and feels sorry for him. The crazy excess of the wedding and West's (mostly) awful family show her money really doesn't buy happiness- or love.

West has made up plenty of reasons why his family have never met Anna and lots of lies about her to make her 'fit' an image his parents might accept. He's terrified they'll be found out and knows it is all his fault. He has lots of legitimate reasons for not wanting anything to do with his family (especially his father!) and Christina Lauren does a good job of letting us discover new ones throughout the book. You feel the weight of his troubles on him, even before you know what they all are. I loved how Anna supported him, and was so sad for West that it confused him because he'd never just had someone on his side before.

The Paradise Problem is a fast paced, fun and flirty, enjoyable, and entertaining book that I didn't want to put down. Anna and West have great chemistry that they try to ignore (and are much happier when they stop ignoring!) and they may be my new favorite Christina Lauren couple.

This is a definite must read for Christina Lauren fans and romance fans!

I received an arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review