Anna and Liam were passing roommates in college that barely knew each other. In fact, their pretend marriage was only so that they could get affordable housing. However, after graduation, Liam needs Anna Green to pretend she is his wife at a large family wedding on a private island. She agrees to this only because she is struggling as an artist and needs a large amount of money that Liam is promising to pay at the end of the weekend gathering.

Anna and Liam head off to what they hope is going to be a quick weekend on a secluded island. Little do they know that the family becomes suspicious of their marriage and starts trying to catch them "pretending" to love each other. Anna and Liam only try harder and eventually fall in love. Trouble brews in Liam's family and a large inheritance is at stake. Can Anna and Liam pull this off for the weekend in order to keep the family calm?

I highly recommend this book! This is going to be this summer's hot and spicy romcom!

I finished this book in a couple hours it was SO GOOD! It's filled with so many of my favorite tropes, the beaches summer setting, and some hilarious banter. Anna is a little bit of a mess, she wears her heart on her sleeve and is an open book. She is funny and relatable and yet powerful and strong. Liam is reserved, cautious, type A, and controlled. The banter is unmatched, the chemistry is steaming, you will be rooting for them the whole way through!!

Read this if you love
- Fake dating/marriage
- only one bed
- private islands
- cinnamon roll female MCs
- second chance romance
- third act heartbreak

I devoured this book! Fake marriage? Yes please! I loved Anna's quirks and Liam was hot. I thought it had good spice and fun banter. The cover is STUNNING. 5 Stars for me!

Nothing will ever come close to Love and Other Words for me from Christina Lauren. That being said, I really enjoyed this one. It took me a minute because some of the writing seemed a little.... immature? (lookin at you "Goddamn") but putting that aside the story won me over. Fake dating/fake marriage trope that had a lot of adorable and funny moments. SUPER toxic dynamic of a disgustingly rich family. All taking place on a private island.

Unpopular opinion, but I could do without the spicy parts, but if that's your thing you won't be let down in this one. I will continue to read any and every thing this duo puts out. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance in exchange for a review.

A fun, witty read, but not something that will stick with me. The billionaire family was full of hatable characters, but goofy, pink-haired Anna was totally love-able. The romance was a slow burn, but once things heated up, holy cow! Old "fuddy-dutty" that I apparently am, I skimmed those parts, but man, there was a lot to skim.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for letting me read and review this advance reader's copy.

This book was hard to put down, and I think it has a little something for everyone - dual POVs, a marriage of convenience between two people who have lived (and currently live) completely different lives, and a cast of side characters that will have you smiling one minute and wanting to throw your book across the room the next...sounds fun, right?!

Anna and Liam agree to marry each other so they can both live in subsidized family housing - Anna because she cannot afford anything, and Liam for reasons Anna should know, but doesn't because reading legal documents really isn't her thing. After graduation, they part ways, and Anna believes she and West Weston (Liam) have divorced and she will never see him again.

3 years later, unemployed, a mess, and a little high, Liam is standing in Anna's doorway asking her to be his fake wife for his sister's wedding so he can claim his inheritance. Needing the money, Anna agrees, and finds herself on a private island in paradise surrounded by a damaged and dysfunctional family she thought only existed in movies. Will they be able to keep up the facade, or will their fake relationship become more real as time goes on?...

This book was so much fun and I loved watching Liam view his family and their actions through Anna's eyes. The dual POVs allowed the full story to be told seamlessly and despite there being an underlying "scandal", the main focus still surrounded Anna and Liam and allowed everything to unfold AND unravel seamlessly.

If you are looking for a binge-worthy, summertime, feel-good contemporary romance, check this one out!

I looooved this rom-com. Christina Lauren books are always the perfect entertaining escape from reality, and this will make a perfect beach read.

Anna's character was absolutely hilarious and perfect contrast to Liam and his family. Her one-liners were chaotic and had me laughing out loud. The back and forth between her and Liam, especially on their way to the island was some of my favorite dialogue. This was a super quick read that I was dying to keep picking up for more!

Some extra thoughts:
🌺 Loved the dual POV and seeing the perspective from two vastly different upbringings
🌺 Marriage of convenience is always fun
🌺 The secondary characters helped make this whole book (I just want to give David Green a hug)
🌺 I loved the way the epilogue was written; it wrapped everything up with a nice little bow and the different flashes forward in time were short, sweet and created a nice full circle moment 🥰

This one was cute. At times I did not find myself very engaged and would have to go
Back to re-read. Overall it was a sweet rom com book, and Christina Lauren have done it again!

Rounded up from 3.5 ⭐️

This was not my favorite CL book (here’s looking at you, The Unhoneymooners and Something Wilder), but I did devour it in a day! It’s a fast read that is perfect for the beach, but was lacking depth I wanted to see between the two MCs.

The Paradise Problem follows two people who get married to live in family student housing together. They don’t know each other’s first names, what goes on in the other’s life, or any other major things about the other. So, when the time came for one of them to graduate, they divorced. Or did they? (Our FMC doesn’t read contracts).

Fast forward three years, and our FMC, Anna, is a struggling artist in LA, and our MMC is a professor at Stanford who eschewed joining the family grocery empire in favor of academia focused on ethical corporate governance. Liam’s sister is getting married, and his family really wants to meet his wife that he’s told them so little about. So, Liam finds Anna and tells her they’re really still married and he needs his wife to join him on a private tropical island so he can keep the family’s inheritance. Anna does it for money to help her dad.

Can they keep up the charade? Will sparks fly?

The Paradise Problem is My Fair Lady/Pygmalion meets Succession meets Pretty Woman. I thought the premise was interesting and featured a lot of tropes I generally like. But, the execution and pacing was off. There was kind of a slow burn, but I didn’t feel like our MCs really emotionally connected in an authentic way. It felt like they just like how hot the other was, and the nickname she had for… you know… was a little off-putting. So, not my favorite CL, but I read it quickly and think it’d make a good beach read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Paradise Problem is a rom-com paradise. It had the perfect blend of romance, comedy, drama, and humor.

Five years before the story begins, Anna Green and Liam Weston said "I do"...to subsidized housing, followed by a quick divorce. Or so they thought. In the present, Liam asks Anna for a favor, so he can fulfill a clause in his inheritance contract. Liam and Anna hop on a plane to Singapore where hilarity, romance, and drama ensue.

There was a brilliant misdirect in the first few chapters that set up the plot perfectly. While tropes like “opposites attract” and “marriage of convenience” were coded into the narrative's DNA, I felt like the authors took a refreshing approach. Even the aspirational elements of the story felt natural.

Christina Lauren's writing style keeps me on the hook and entertained. Every time I read a new book by this writing team, I add it to my list of favorites. Dialogue flows naturally, and each character in the story feels unique. Christina Lauren's writing style has a quick, even pace that kept me turning the pages. The authors keep reinventing the wheel, and I always look forward to seeing what comes next.

Anna and Liam's relationship had maturity and depth to it. Their breezy banter and believable chemistry drove the story. Their portrayal wasn't too perfect. Their flaws made sense for their character arcs. There was a necessary amount of drama to keep the plot moving without going overboard. Family dynamics were explored realistically.

Although there were serious moments, there was a lot of comedy. Anna zinged one-liners like a pro. Liam’s sister-in-law had a larger-than-life personality that had me laughing out loud whenever she entered a scene.

I enjoyed the snippets of Anna's relationship with her dad and her best friend. I appreciated how these moments showed rather than told about Anna. Anna's interactions with Liam's niece were also very sweet. I love how the authors found organic ways to weave Anna’s love of art into her relationships and ways of processing things around her.

The island paradise was a lush setting, both in backdrop and imagination. Christina Lauren’s descriptions were vivid enough to make me feel like I was on a lounge chair nearby, watching the action.

The Paradise Problem is a five-star read that will be the crown jewel in your Christina Lauren collection. You won't want to put it down once you start reading it. Not even to go surfing.

Several years ago I picked up The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren and absolutely loved it - it was one of the first books that hooked me on reading again! Since then, I’ve read countless romance books, but not many are as memorable as the Unhoneymooners. I’m thrilled to say Lauren’s new book, The Paradise Problem brought back all the things I remembered loving about the Unhoneymooners and more. The main characters were so likable (opposites attract), the setting was so appealing (on a private tropical island that I will never be able to afford) and the plot was unique too (with one of my favorite tropes of fake relationships)! This book made me laugh out loud with so many funny, ridiculous scenes but it also has a meaningful message on the value of money and how it doesn’t guarantee happiness. I didn’t want this one to end and only wish I could know what happens next for Liam & Anna and the whole Weston family. So grateful Christina Lauren brought another unforgettable story into the world. Thank you, Gallery Books for giving me an early copy!

While in college, Anna and West get married on paper to secure married housing. Anna signs some paperwork at the end of their living together thinking she is divorced, yet never reads the documents.
Fast forward almost 5 years later and West appears on her doorstep explaining they never divorced, and the paperwork was to ensure she did not marry. It seems his multi-million-dollar inheritance hinges on being married for a least five years. And he needs a favor.
Get ready for a tropical island, rich people's problems, family DRAMA, banter, tension, so much tension, and love.
Beach read? Yes, please

Thank you soooo much @gallerybooks for my free advanced reader copy of the book. The Paradise Problem is out May 14!

Anna agrees to marry West for subsidized housing in college and she thinks they get divorced when they graduate. Almost 5 years later, she’s a starving artist trying to help her dad pay his medical bills and trying to live her life in LA. In walks West, with the deal of a lifetime. He is the one of the heirs to Weston Foods, and to earn his inheritance, he must be married for 5 years. And it’s almost time for his sister’s wedding!

He proposes that if Anna will go with him to the wedding, he’ll give her a cut of the inheritance and that’s a deal that Anna cannot just turn down. And it’s not like she’s busy anyway! The wedding takes place in a tropical island near Singapore. He gives her a credit card to buy a new wedding weekend wardrobe and fresh pampering services. The drawback the weekend is dealing with West’s family. His father wants him to take over the company and he has no interest in it. His older brother desperately wants the job, but their father doesn’t think he can handle the position. Will a weekend together convince him to take the job?

I really liked this book! It was a far fetched premise that really worked. It’s like a more serious version of the Unhoneymooners. West and Anna have some real life issues, but they put them aside for the week to spend some time in paradise celebrating West’s youngest sibling. Definitely a little steamy, I enjoyed all the descriptions of Anna’s new wardrobe and the ridiculously over the top setting for Charlie’s wedding.

I really liked the story and characters and was rooting for almost everyone. I read it quick and have been recommending it to people.

Although- I thought the Goddamn word/phrase was becoming gimmicky before the epilogue- and then it’s used several times in the epilogue. Just say his cock or body or even just Liam. It would be cuter if it was used about half the amount of times.

Christina Lauren is one of my favorite writing duos and I automatically read anything they release. When I got the advance reader copy for The Paradise Problem, I thought I'd save it for just the right time for me. That time was today and it was just as amazing as I thought it would be. Marriage of convenience stories are like catnip for me and The Paradise Problem is no exception. I loved Anna, the artist who thought her "marriage" had ended three years ago, and Liam, the man she married for his housing subsidy who turned out to be part of an uber-rich grocery dynasty. Christina Lauren know how to write romances with substance and keep the pages turning. I absolutely loved this one and could not put it down!

I went into The Paradise Problem not knowing too much about it, other than it is by Christina Lauren who I am a fan of. Let me tell you, this book did not disappoint!! It was fast paced and kept me wanting more with characters that you really root for!

Thanks to Gallery Books for the gifted ARC copy of this book.

Anna Green and Liam “West” Weston got married so they could live in UCLA's cheaper subsidized family housing. But Anna is a little on the whimsical, disorganized side and may not have read the fine print. Three years after they signed divorce papers and parted ways, Liam returns with a request. Oh and they're still married.

THE PARADISE PROBLEM is a fun destination read romance and a book that is totally escapist. The premise is a little ridiculous - a super wealthy family, an inheritance at stake, a fake marriage, and a destination wedding - but Christina Lauren crushed the entire storyline and made it into a fantastic book. Liam's family is just AWFUL, but I loved how it created a "she cares for him" / "she reminds him that he's worthy" trope. This is truly enjoyable read and one I'd highly recommend for a vacation or beach read!

Another adorable rom-com story from the Lauren ladies. Along the lines of the movie The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds, but instead of a healthy family in Alaska, it's a dysfunctional billionaire family on a private island. I devoured the story in less than 24 hours and will definitely be recommending to all my lighthearted romance girlies. I laughed and laughed and laughed throughout this book (like, I had tears streaming down my face. A Twilight reference?! I nearly died laughing), got those romance butterflies, felt so so happy for the characters and proud when they did The Right Thing™. Of course we know it ends in happily ever after, but the turmoil action in the climax of the story put me in enough stress to absolutely sail through the rest of the book. Adorable.

I truly loved this book and everything about it. It was such a great book by the authors Christina and Lauren. It was so cute. I always love the fake dating trope and this one lived up to all the hype

"The Paradise Problem" by Christian Lauren delivers another delightful romantic escapade that had me hooked from the first page. As a devoted fan of CL's work, I eagerly anticipated diving into this latest offering, and it did not disappoint.

The premise, centered around a marriage of convenience with a tropical island backdrop, offers a fresh twist on a beloved trope. Anna and Liam's journey, from fake spouses to navigating the complexities of Liam's opulent family wedding, is a captivating blend of humor, heart, and sizzling chemistry. Lauren's vivid descriptions transport readers to the sun-drenched paradise, immersing them in the beauty of the setting and the whirlwind of wedding shenanigans.

What truly sets this novel apart is its vibrant cast of characters, from the endearingly quirky Anna to the charmingly conflicted Liam. The banter between them crackles with wit and charm, drawing genuine laughs and heartfelt sighs in equal measure. Amidst the humor and romance, Lauren deftly explores themes of family dynamics, wealth, and authenticity, adding depth and emotional resonance to the narrative. With its irresistible blend of humor, heart, and tropical allure, "The Paradise Problem" is a must-read for fans of romantic comedy and contemporary fiction alike.