Absolute winner. This book is a wonderful beach read. Delightful mmc and fmc. The plot is a fake romance but with a twist. It’s entertaining and fast paced. My only lol issue was how paper thin all the other characters in the book were made. The mmc father was so one dimensional . He wasn’t a father, he was a villain.

Okay so this is going to be one of THE beach reads of the year!

I loved this one so much and Anna may be my favorite character of the year so far.

Fun fact. @christinalauren is one of the reasons I joined bookstagram. I reached out to them to find out how I could get my hands on an early copy of the Soulmate Equation. They were so nice and pointed me towards @netgalley. So moral of the story is not only do they write amazing books but they are amazing humans too!

This book has be best setting, paradise. The best love plot with a same bed scenario that is always my favorite. There is family drama and banter and again, Anna. She also is one of the most amazing humans I have met!

This one is out May 14th and you are definitely going to want to get your hands on a copy!

Thank you @gallerybooks and @netgalley for the early copy!

5 stars

Do you have a dream vacation you have always wanted to go on? What is your idea of paradise? How was your weekend?

The Paradise Problem is another amazing book by Christina Lauren. Anna and Liam have a marriage of convenience so that they can have somewhere to live while they are in college. Anna thinks that they got divorced years ago, but Liam comes to tell her that they are still married. He needs her to come to his sister's wedding on a private island, and she has to pretend that they have been happily married for five years.

Anna and Liam are complete opposites, but she agrees to go with him. Even though they are technically married, their relationship is more like fake dating because they have to convince his family that their wedding is real. He is a professor, and she is an artist. She has pink hair and a unique style while he is rich and dresses to impress. As they spend more time together, feelings start to develop.

One thing that really bothered me about this book was that Anna referred to Liam's male anatomy as a 'Goddamn'. It gave me the ick every time I read it, and it just made me think that she was very immature.

Overall, this is a steamy, dual POV slow burn about two people who seem like opposites, but they really see each other for who they are.

This book completely took me by surprise in the best way. Going into this, I expected it to be probably a solid 4 star read as most of the romances I read are. But I knew halfway through this would be a 5 star and I am confident in this rating.

When I say the banter between the two lead characters is unmatched, it truly is. They have such a great chemistry that you can feel through the pages. I absolutely loved their dynamic and overall storyline - this was giving me a bit of Kdrama, which I personally LOVE. Without giving any spoilers, I can say that this book will have you laughing out loud and then feeling very satisfied many times. If I had to give a critique, I'd say that I wish we saw a bit of chemistry during the earlier times (before the trip happened) so we can see how there was something even slightly there earlier on.

Overall this was an incredible read and I loved every moment of it. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thanks so much to Gallery Books for this ARC! The Paradise Problem is on shelves May 14th.

I'm pleasantly surprised to report that this was a great book! It's a huge step up from The Unhoneymooners (the only other Christina Lauren book I've read, which I gave a reluctant 4 stars and in hindsight, should have given a 3) and I honestly considered giving this one 5 stars!

I was hooked immediately - excellent bait and switch in the first chapter! I felt fooled in an amazing way, and found myself reading a little closer from then on (even re-reading a few paragraphs in chapter 1 to figure out how I missed that ... good stuff).

I don't often like books about lying (or the "fake dating" trope... or really any overdone tropes at this point) but this book never once made me cringe or feel uncomfortable. The concept ensures that nobody is being lied to is undeserving or in danger of getting hurt, which made it a lot easier to buy into the importance of the lying. Solid logic. No plot holes. Well... other than sometimes easily Google-able things were lied about, which... I get it. It's a book. Suspension of disbelief. But nothing too bad.

The characters are well-developed and memorable. Aside from having depth and clear goals, I found their sense of identity and behavioral quirks held true in the many number of settings and circumstances, which is hard to do!

Pacing-wise, there was nothing that made me angry! This is, potentially, my number one pet peeve in books and something I often struggle with. I was content with the third act and felt the book did a fair enough amount of Reckoning With Consequences to exceed the average HEA book.

I also appreciate that there seemed to be a clear moral of the story. It references both White Lotus and Pretty Woman, and in a very self-aware way, is very reminiscent of those stories in the way it grapples with themes of wealth, family, and class.

I'm encouraged to give other Christina Lauren books a shot now! Any suggestions?

The Paradise Problem is so binge worthy and fun! Anna Green is down on her luck when her ex-husband Liam Weston shows up on her doorstep to inform her they’re still married and he needs her to go to his sister’s destination wedding with him to ensure he can get his inheritance. I loved these characters and how they built each other up! Anna is sharp and strong and amazing. She’s crass and witty and knows herself. Liam is more subdued and needs to find his voice, but he’s gentle and kind. This read is super steamy too! And the side characters are so intricate and while I wish there was a little more of them in the end, I was intrigued by everyone’s dynamic. The writing is witty and addicting, and I couldn’t put this down! I didn’t necessarily love the third act break up moment but I respected how it honored these characters and their journeys. The fake dating/marriage of convenience was so well developed and these two fall for each other so beautifully. I love the dual narrator too, it adds so much to have them both! The Soulmate Equation, The True Love Experiment, and The Unhoneymooners are my favorite Christina Lauren reads, but this is for sure on my top list too! It’s romantic and lovely and funny, and these characters are so great! A perfect summer read!

A marriage of convivence leads to an amazing week in paradise. Just when Anna's life is turning to shit, her husband West (Liam) shows up with an unbelievable offer. Pretend their marriage of convivence has been the real deal for the last five year, attend his sister's wedding in paradise and West will pay her a hundred thousand dollars. Things heat up on the island between Liam and his father and between Liam and Anna. Will Anna and Liam come to terms with their feelings for each other? Will Liam choose himself over his family? Anna and Liam are the real deal from the very beginning! I loved their chemistry together from the beginning.

I wanted to love this book because I typically love everything CLo writes but I am getting tired of the hapless female who doesn’t have her life together, particularly compared to the guy she was “with” in college. Maybe I’ve read too many starving artists/living with their parents/dropped out of school/fired for stupid reasons stories lately but this book did not feel like female empowerment to me. I didn’t mind that his family was rich but the dad was such a cliche. Obviously it was great that they actually fell in love and hooked up but the beginning was just too much.

Rating: 4.5
Publish Date: 5-14-24

What a fun read! I have read & loved every book by Christina Lauren and this one did not disappoint!

Anna and West entered into a marriage of convenience to solve their housing problems in college. Anna thought she had received divorce papers and that all was finished...but this wasn't the case. West shows up almost 5 years later, telling Anna that they are still married and requests a huge favor. He needs Anna to "pretend" to be his wife at his sister's luxurious, high society wedding. See, he is an heir to the Weston Food conglomerate and stands to come into his inheritance once he is happily married for 5 full years. Will Anna be able to pull off being a loving, high society wife while surrounded by West's crazy family? Will West be able to keep up appearances of this happy marriage to meet the terms of his inheritance?

The characters had amazing chemistry throughout the story! The banter was fantastic between Anna and West especially. I also enjoyed how the supporting characters were developed. Some I ended up loving (Reagan) and some I could not stand from the moment they were introduced (West's father).

I always look forward to the next book release of Christina Lauren. I encourage you to try their books if you haven't. You will not be sorry!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This starts with Anna and West saying goodbye after a divorce. Then it moves forward 3 years and we see that Anna is a starving artist and her ex, West. They have to look like the loving married couple they claim to be in order for West to get an inheritance. West convinces Anna to travel around the world to his sister's wedding. I liked the main characters and how comfortable they were with each other. I liked their interactions and I felt like the author did a great job of making them both likeable. There's a lot of witty banter back and forth and that made me like the characters more. It was a cute story.

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.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Somewhere between a 3 and 4 stars! This was an enjoyable summer rom com! I enjoyed the tropical setting and the “fake dating/marriage.” The main conflict can be classified as “rich people problems” which I didn’t entirely relate to but the main characters were overall endearing!

Ok, let me start this review by saying I am in general, I big Christina Lauren fan. I have read 8 of their books before this one and enjoyed almost all of them. But this one truly blows them out of the water! I loved the characters, the setting (um hello private island), and the plot! The specific parts about the Weston company (especially towards the end) were interesting and a unique part of this story that I enjoyed! This book stands out to me because it was so descriptive without droning on, and it painted the scene perfectly every time! I adore Liam, and even though I can’t really relate to the FMC I love her too!
Towards the end there was a quote from When Harry Met Sally (one of my favorite romcom movies of all time) and that just sealed the deal for me! This has got to my my favorite book by Christina Lauren so far, & I hope to see more of the Weston’s in books to come🤞🏻!
Also, the “third act breakup” was not the typical petty ridiculousness that tends to happen in contemporary romance these days. It was completely palatable and worked in favor of the story & the plot line! I really appreciated this!

Thoughts:
I have to start this review by saying I am a die hard Christina Lauren fan but this maybe my favorite so far.
This is a story about two young adults that start out making a plan to have a marriage of convenience to subsidized their housing at UCLA and after they graduate, they divorce great plan or so they thought.
But after a few years Liam finds he needs Anna again.
I don’t want to give away to much other then to say this is a funny lighthearted
dare I say maybe my best book by Christine Lauren.
I highly recommend it. Thank You @netgalley
It will make a perfect summer book for the pool or ocean.

Marriage of convenience
Witty Banter
Opposite attracts
Fake Dating
Funny
Rich Family
Family Drama

4.5 ⭐️ This is one of my favorite Christina Lauren books. It is such a great rom com!

Anna and Liam get married to gain access to college housing before divorcing and going their own ways. Years later, Liam shows up on Anna’s door with the shocking news that they are still married. He begs her to come to his sister’s wedding on a tropical island with him. In order to get his inheritance, he has to be married for five years. Anna agrees to help Liam when he says he’ll pay her because she needs the money for her father’s medical bills. Can they convince Liam’s family that they’re actually married in order for him to receive his billions of dollars?

The audio version was excellent. I love the banter, tension, and the spice between these characters. And the dual points of view really added to the story. The story made me smile and laugh and I didn’t want to put it down.

*Fake dating/marriage of convenience
*Slow burn
*Opposites attract
*Dual points of view
*Witty banter
*Family drama

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this advanced book!

I received an ARC from Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 Stars

This is the third book I have read by Christina Lauren. I enjoyed the storyline and the overall problem of the story. Characters were described in more detail than other books I’ve read, which I appreciated and helped in visualizing the story. My favorite CL book is still Wilder Heart, but I would recommend libraries add this to their collection as I feel many would want to read it.

Thank you to Gallery Books for the ARC of The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. All opinions are my own.

One of the things that I love about this author duo is that they write such unique stories with lovable characters. The Paradise Problem was so fun and had an amazing setting. It also had lovable main characters, a unique plot, and dealt with some hard topics.

I loved the beautiful setting, and it was so different to read about people with so much wealth and outlandish lifestyles. It was fun imagining the places described and was unlike anything else I’ve read.

Both Anna and Liam were lovable characters that had real character flaws and issues to deal with, and I was rooting for both of them the entire time. They also had amazing chemistry between them, and I loved watching them bond and form such a sweet friendship and romantic relationship.

The other characters were all pretty unlikable in this story, but that was to be expected with how toxic Liam’s family was.

This book has quite a few open door scenes, so keep that in mind if you don’t like books with a lot of spice. It was more than I prefer, but you could easily skip over those parts if you wished.

Overall, this was a great book with a fun premise and lots of family drama. I read it over a few days, and I would recommend it!

Succession and a Fake Marriage Trope=Not My Kind of Paradise

2.75 stars

The Paradise Problem is a rom-com about a fake marriage plot put in the spotlight during an island destination wedding.

Anna is a starving artist. Liam, a professor, is set to inherit a fortune on the condition that he first marries for five years. It's a good thing they married three years ago and never got divorced. This was not a romantic match; in fact, the two barely knew one another.

It just so happens that Liam's youngest sister is getting married on a remote, private island, and his family demands that he bring his wife to the wedding. Anna agrees to attend as Liam's wife for a fee, but family dynamics, close living quarters, and lots of drama create a spark between the two spouses, leading them to fall for real but to keep up the ruse of their fake marriage, they might lose out on true love.

Both Anna's and Liam's POVs are shared, which I liked. However, one of my main problems with this novel is Anna's character--she is immature and annoying. She is 25 years old and refers to the male anatomy as a "Goddamn" (I just couldn't get past this). Her character is not developed, and CL constantly refers to her pink hair as if that is what makes her artsy and edgy. She was just a mess of a character who felt forced and contrived. I liked Liam--he is vanilla and a safe character.

While the two of them have sexual chemistry, their connection lacked emotion and authenticity, which made it hard for me to buy into their relationship.

Unfortunately, the island is overrun by awful characters, most of whom are Liam's siblings and parents. His family dynamics are where the Succession vibes come into play.

Despite my issues with the characters, there were a few elements that I enjoyed. I liked the island destination; the description of the the resort was a nice escape. I found the last 20% the most enjoyable.

Once again, I find myself on outlier island, as most readers have loved this one. Sadly, this is far from my version of paradise.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.

A marriage of convenience becomes a marriage of necessity in The Paradise Problem.

Liam (West) and Anna are married but for nearly five-years they haven't seen or spoken to each other. Now, Liam needs to fulfill a family legacy in order to get what he deserves, so he enlists her help. This couple couldn't be more opposite but simply perfect together. The banter, the chemistry was palpable. This romance is a fun, fresh, slow-burn.

The Paradise Problem is Pretty Women meets Succession on the set of White Lotus!

Thank you, Gallery Books

Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. The tension between Anna and Liam is so tantalizing that I was squirming on the inside. So juicy, so good.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.