4.5 ⭐️ rounded up. This book reminded me so much of The Unhoneymooners. The Unhoneymooners was my first CLo book and is still one of my favorites. This one gave me the same summer vibes, set on a private island that sounds like absolute paradise. This was such a fun read. There were so many laugh out loud moments and I loved the characters. Anna and West were so cute together. Even though they are opposites, they fit together so well. They had amazing chemistry and banter throughout the book. I highly recommend adding this one to your summer TBR!

Read if you enjoy:
🌸Marriage of convenience/fake relationship
🌿One bed
🌸Witty banter
🌿Opposites attract
🌸Dual POV

Thank you Gallery Books for the eARC!

It might have been a fake marriage but there wasn't a divorce and now Liam plans to take advantage in order to get his inheritance. Wait - that sounds bad and it's not. Anna and Liam married to get access to the much nicer family housing at their university but they were never in love and happily went their separate ways at graduation. They are opposites- she's an artist, he's a professor and heir to a grocery store fortune. Now they're at his sister's destination wedding and hoping that they can make the timeline of a five year marriage so Liam gets the millions. This has so many trope-s but it's also funny and there's just the right amount of steam. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good popcorn sort of read.

The books by Christina Lauren never disappoint! This one might be my new favorite to date. The characters work so well and are easy to route for. Anna is easy to relate to being so out of place in a family of tremendous money. Liam often feels out of place with his extravagant family but shows up for them and is a good brother when he needs to be. Liam and Anna work well together and their relationship is one you want to see work out in the end. This book had a good mix of spice, happily ever after, a fake relationship, and a slow burn. I couldn’t put this one down!

Christina Lauren are the queens of rom-coms and this book is just amazing! I was laughing out loud throughout! I love a good fake dating plot and the twist with a vacation was so good. This was such a fun read that was easy to get wrapped up in!

Christina Lauren books are auto-buys for me. I’ve rarely been disappointed by this writing duo. The Paradise Problem might be one of my all-time favs, Anna and Liam marry for student housing and agree to divorce at graduation. Three years later, Liam calls in a favor for Anna to be his plus one at a family wedding. They travel to paradise and with a blend of humor and spice, a fun story comes to life! Loved, loved this book

The Paradise Problem
By: Christina Lauren
Gallery Books
General Fiction (Adult), Romance, Women's Fiction
Pub Date: May 14, 2024

Main characters Anna Green and Liam "West" Weston deliver drama and comedy in all sorts of forms from romantic to family dynamics. They try to fake a relationship in order to receive a large inheritance.

This romance writing team, Christina Lauren, has written another book will delight lovers of their writing and new fans. The book is sure to be included in beach bags of many in Spring and Summer of 2024.

I received an advance reader's copy from Net Galley and Gallery Books. My review is my own.

Anna and Liam “West” were legally married as an arrangement to be able to stay in family housing at university. Once their educations were complete, so was the marriage - or so Anna thought. Three years later, Anna is doing her best to pay her bills until one random evening when West shows up asking for a favor. He informs Anna they are still married and are expected at his sister’s wedding on a private island. The marriage is still in tact due to inheritance clauses and more family drama that he’s not ready to share yet. He offers to pay Anna for her time, but who would expect they would catch feelings along the way? (Maybe everyone cause this is a romance novel after all! 😉)

I love love LOVED this! Christina Lauren can take some really tricky tropes and execute them effortlessly. At first, Anna was almost too out there for me, but I fell in love with her sarcasm and connections with others. I appreciated how they navigated tough feeling and emotions that came up for both of them, due to their past. I almost wish they dived into this more for Anna’s sake, but it didn’t bother me enough to give this anything but 5 stars!

3.5⭐️

Remember when you’d have a school project that you put off too long then rushed to complete and turn in? Like, it passes. It’s ok. But it feels lackluster and not fully developed. Like it could have been more? That’s how I felt about The Paradise Problem.

The premise of the book (fake dating/marriage, exorbitant wealth, private tropical island) was so fun, and the characters were well developed (Ray 🤢), but it just fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Paradise Problem.

Gripping, romantic, dramatic, and fun! The writing duo of Christina Lauren have delivered yet again! I loved this hard to put down book and was rooting for the two main characters the entire time! It's all about the journey in romance books for me and The Paradise Problem was a wonderful, tense, fun, dramatic, and entertaining journey! The Paradise Problem makes for wonderful summer reading!

Anna Green married Liam “West” Weston in college to get subsidized family housing in college. She thought he was marrying her for the same reason. She also thought that when they graduated, the papers he asked her to sign were divorce papers....

When Liam/West shows up three years later, Anna is shocked to learn that they are still married and that he needs her to come with him to his sister's destination wedding on a private island. His family has been asking about his wife and he needs to show he is happily married to gain access to the money his grandfather left in his will. Liam and Anna are polar opposites. She is a fun, quirky, pink haired starving artist. Liam is a strait-laced professor at Stanford and heir to a grocery store empire.

This was a fun read full of interesting and quirky characters. Liam has many toxic family members and he and Anna must do their best to put on a show of being happily married. I enjoyed the fake marriage/real marriage component of this book. This provided many jaws dropping, shocking, funny, and dramatic scenes in the book. I also enjoyed the family dynamics on display. Anna has a loving relationship with her father and her life resolves caring for him during his health crisis. Liam's relationships with his family members are far from loving...

I enjoyed the story, the family dynamics, tension, attraction, and connections formed in this book. Plus, there was some fun and sexy banter as well.

Well written, gripping, dramatic, fun, and hard to put down!

Anna Green and Liam "West" Weston enter a marriage of convenience, but when Liam learns he must stay married for five years to inherit his fortune, he seeks out Anna, his former spouse. As they confront his family's expectations and their complicated history, Liam must choose between securing his inheritance and rekindling his love for Anna.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this book was co-authored by two individuals. Although I usually don't enjoy books with dual authors, this collaboration was seamless and well-done. The story revolves around a fake marriage scheme aimed at securing a significant inheritance. I particularly enjoyed the humorous beginning and quickly became attached to Anna and Liam. However, the pace slowed down considerably two-thirds of the way through. I strongly disliked the father and Alex. Additionally, the epilogue felt unnecessary and rushed due to the alternating perspectives and time periods.

Overall, this book was a delightful read that lifted me out of a reading slump. I look forward to exploring more works by Christina Lauren.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review!

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙗𝙮 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙣
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★★

The duo Christina Lauren is my all time favorite author and I was overly excited for the release of The Paradise Problem! I absolutely LOVED this book and it fully lived up to the excitement and all the hype surrounding it!

Anna and Liam were such fun characters! I loved where they started and their back stories, as well as their total opposite personalities and lifestyles. What better way to kick off a book then to bring two opposites into a marriage of convenience! I seriously ate up all the banter between the two, all their fun quirks, the spice once things got going and I was obsessed with the rich guy, poor girl storyline.

Liam’s family was seriously something else but I loved the dynamic and challenge that they brought to Liam and Anna’s relationship! This was truly a genius story line that kept me hanging onto every word! I had so many great laughs and drank in all the touching moments. I couldn’t put this one down and pretty much ignored life until I was able to finish it! This is a must read and perfect for the summer months ahead!

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
Marriage of Convenience
Millionaire Romance
Opposites Attract
Tropical Setting
Fake Dating
One Bed

Christina Lauren has delivered the perfect summer read! Every time I read a book by this writing team, I am reminded how much I adore their FMCs, and Anna was charming.

Anna and Liam entered a marriage of convenience years ago for campus family housing, and Anna thought they had divorced. But Liam has shown up needing a favor. He comes from a super wealthy family and needs her to accompany him to his sister's lavish wedding on a private island and pretend they are happily married, as his inheritance is on the line.

In this dual-POV book, we get a marriage of convenience, forced proximity, opposites attract, complicated family dynamics, delicious banter, lots of humor, and spice. We also get a wonderfully quirky and endearing FMC.

Anna was raised by her single father, and even though there wasn't much money, she was deeply loved, which contrasts sharply with Liam's upbringing. She is an artist, pink-haired, free-spirited, self-confident, kind, funny, and communicative of her wants/needs. She held her own and remained true to herself, no matter what came her way. I rooted for her, and I rooted for her and Liam as a couple. They had incredible chemistry, and their romance was full of witty banter, playfulness, and a heartfelt connection.

The tropical setting was an exotic and glamorous backdrop for the unfolding drama. The writing was excellent, and I was entertained from start to finish. I laughed, I swooned, I cheered. This was pure fun, and I loved it!

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the free book! 

*4.5 rounded up

4.5 stars. LOVED. One of Christina Lauren’s best in my opinion. The fake marriage bit (and the “fake” affection) helped us see the tension and attraction building up in such an amazing way.

Slow burn/angsty buildup
Fake marriage
Forced proximity
Island setting
Normal person/wealthy person romance
ONLY ONE BEDDDDDDD
Healthy communication (!)
Villains you could robustly despise
A third act breakup that made sense
A lovely informative epilogue

From start to finish this book was a delight. So consumable, easy to read, entertaining and fun. I loved our main characters separately and together. I loved the plot and storyline. I loved the setting. SO MUCH FUN!

4.5⭐️
This is my first book by this author duo and I am wondering why it has taken me so long to read one of their books. I can’t wait to read more by them. This book follows Anna and Liam who married five years prior to take advantage of family housing. After signing divorce papers she thinks it’s all taken care of only to find out a few years later that they are still married. Liam shows up and needs her to be his wife at his sister’s wedding and other reasons. This was a fun read that had me laughing out loud on many occasions! I loved these two together and could feel their connection from the beginning. Highly recommend!

I absolutely adored this couple in the book. They were so special to me. Despite starting with a fake marriage premise, their journey was filled with genuine emotions and significant growth.

I felt deeply connected to them as I witnessed their relationship evolve. The upgrade with a deal that was initially meant to be broken turned into something beautiful, all while managing to stay within the confines of the rules.

Throughout the story, I faced numerous challenges, including family secrets, terrible decisions, and a lack of support from others. These obstacles almost tore us apart, but we managed to navigate through them with grace and resilience.

What really shone through was how well the story was crafted. Despite the potential for everything to fall apart, it was skillfully saved, leaving me feeling immensely satisfied.

I can't express enough how much I loved this book. It delivered on every level, from its compelling characters to its captivating storyline. It's a must-read for anyone looking for a deeply emotional and heartwarming journey.

As a fan of romance stories with smart characters who quickly realize they’re perfect for one another, I was a big fan of Christina Lauren’s new book! It gave strong Crazy Rich Asians vibes with the extreme wealth and luxury on a beautiful private island.

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren 💚
Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️
Adult • Romance
ARC Review
352 pages
🗓️ May 14th

💍 marriage of convenience
🏝️ strangers to friends to lovers
💍 close proximity
🏝️ one bed
💍 opposites attract
🏝️ collaborators with benefits

📌“You didn’t have to change your entire personality to do this.”
“Say that again. I wasn’t watching and I want to see if you can do it with a straight face.”

📌 “I want to deserve you.”
“You already do.”

Preorder this immediately. I’m not joking.
Subscribe to BoTM. Do what you must to get your hands on this book sooner rather than later. This right here will be one of your favorite romcoms of the year!!!!

If you thought you loved The Unhoneymooners… you’re in it for the treat of your life! 🏝️😎

I was laughing out loud. 🤣 Tears in my eyes.
I was swooning and telling them to just do it.
I was mad and yelling “why would you say that?!”
I was heartbroken and crying for my soft hearted babies.
I was swelling with pride because can she be more perfect with the kids?! 😭
I was a girl reading a book and falling in love.

Love and Other Words stole my soul but The Paradise Problem is the one holding my heart. 💚

Anna Green + West Weston. Or maybe just Liam.

{commercial break to manifest Jake’s book}

I’m not sure if I can say much more without giving the plot away but let’s just say Christina Lauren wrote a masterpiece on love, toxic family relationships and full body waxing. 😜

Thank you so much @christinalauren @netgalley and @gallerybooks for this pocket of sunshine in my life in the form of an ARC.

I received this ebook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’d like to think Gallery Books and NetGalley for this opportunity!

Christina Lauren books are always an instant buy and this one isn’t any different. Even though I’ve already read an ebook version of it, I’ll still purchase it. Yes, it really is that great of a book!

The plot had a few predictable moments, but overall it doesn’t seem “familiar” as you read it, the characters are well developed, there aren’t any holes in the story, and you will experience so many various emotions. My husband actually made fun of me at one point because I was laughing out loud!

This is the perfect book to throw into your beach tote and read while sunbathing,

While I enjoyed this book (which isn’t a surprise. I love a good CLo book!) I deducted a star bc there were some plot points that felt very rushed in favor of longer (and frequent) steamy scenes. I was genuinely into the plot of the story, so that was a tiny bit disappointing.

But overall, I don’t think I’ve loved one of their heroines this much since Hazel (with Fizzy as a close second!) Anna will charm the heck out of you!

Thank you @gallerybooks #partner and @netgalley for an advanced copy of the book!

My auto-buy authors did not disappoint! The true queens of summer romance did it again!

I adored this book, and I devoured it in just under two days. Super easy, breezy read. You'll adore both of our main characters - particularly Anna, who is one of the most relatable, everyday gals ever. West/Liam will be your new favorite book boyfriend.

Bottom line: Perfect pool read!