A fun sweet rom-com about love and family.

Anna and Liam got married in college in order to get housing. Once they graduated, divorce papers were issued. Fast forward 5 years and it turns out that artist Anna never signed them, leaving them legally married. Liam has a family wedding to go to and a inheritance issue that requires him to be married. Liam and Anna agreed to pretend till after the wedding on a private island in the tropics. The descriptions of the island and the outrageousness of the wedding are excellent. The family members characters are spot on and the chemistry between Liam and Anna is perfect. A great escape novel.

Anna Green. Pink haired quirky struggling artist.

Liam West. Prim & proper heir to a grocery store chain fortune.

Anna and Liam get married to gain access to cheaper housing while in college. Soon after they get divorced and both go their own way. Three years later West shows back up. Not only did the divorce never get finalized but now he needs a favor. Can a broke gal look past this one tiny detail in order to gain access to some of that trust money? And can she actually convince his family that someone who more resembles a stranger is actually the love of her life? These two could not be more opposite in pretty much every aspect. But as we all know...sometimes opposites attract.

*Fake dating
*Marriage of convenience
*Complex family dynamics
*Opposites attract
*Second chance at love
*Slow burn
*Beachy read
*Funny!!

Writing duo Christina Lauren have a very specific formula. One I am very much a fan of. Paradise Problem brings the laughs, pop culture references, and witty banter that I have come to know and love. Even so this one felt a little different from their usual- in a good way. There is no instalove and it is very much a slow burn. But when the spice finally arrives it is HOT. Somewhat predictable, but hey, most Happily Ever Afters are, right? This wasn't like a deep connect with the characters type of book for me, but it's definitely the perfect beachy read. Lots of laughs, a sprinkle of spice, and a touch of heart. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Gallery Books & NetGalley for a gifted ARC with my promise of an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for the Arc of The Paradise Problem in exchange for an honest review!

I can honestly say this is the best Christina Lauren book I’ve read in a while! I devoured it in a matter of hours.

For lovers of the “fake-marriage” or “Marriage of Convenience” tropes, this one is for you! Enter this lavish island getaway where Anna and West have to convince his obnoxiously rich family their marriage is the real thing in order to secure his inheritance…. While posing as wedding dates to his sister’s wedding. The catch? They are actually married, much to Anna’s surprise after not seeing West for the last five years!

But if only it were that simple! West’s family are as vile as they are filthy rich and rival Succession with their competitive, privileged antics as they volley for positions in the conglomerate family business. Which West wants no part of, but his father is determined to have him by ANY means necessary.

While navigating the fucked up family dynamics, worry over her own father and finances, and fitting in to this world of privilege she’s never even dreamed of, Anna finds that West is the only thing that starts to make sense. So of course, their “in name only marriage” starts to feel like the real thing before you know it.

The island paradise is the perfect setting for this steamy, slow burn and I enjoyed every second of it! When Anna and West finally get going…. They do not stop! 🙌

Now, this is just a personal preference. But if I had to offer one con, it’s the significant number of pop culture references sprinkled throughout the book. For me, these instantly take me out of the story and bring me back to the real world, and I found the sheer number to be unnecessary and sometimes confusing (I didn’t always get the references). But if you can breeze past these and keep reading, it really isn’t a big deal.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I recommend it for anyone in the mood for a steamy, fake-marriage, rom-com set in a tropical paradise and a sprinkle of Succession and Pretty Woman.

I HEART CHRISTINA LAUREN

I cannot express how much joy their books bring me. This was perfect!! I’ve never read a marriage of convenience in this manner, and it was everything I could’ve asked for.

Liam and Anna got married for subsidized housing thinking they’d get divorced after college, but as it turns out they actually never got divorced. Now she has to be his fake wife for his sisters wedding… on a tropical island… what can go wrong!?

Oh so much, but the banter was everything. Their chemistry was immaculate and this story was so great. All the characters made this story what it is. Plus the one bed trope, oh that was the cherry on top!

It was angsty, emotional, fun, and so swoon worthy! I couldn’t stop smiling.

Christina Lauren never fails me, and this book confirmed it! I highly recommend!

This was a fun read, and absolutely all the quirky protagonists you come to expect from a Christina Lauren book. Loved it!

I absolutely devoured this book. Anna has to be one of the kookiest and most relatable protagonists I have encountered! I laughed out loud more than a few times while reading this one!! I can't wait to check out more from these uber talented authors. 5/5 highly recommend!!

Christina Lauren can sometimes be a hit or miss for me, I haven't truly loved a book of theirs since Love and Other Words...until The Paradise Problem! I absolutely loved it! I thought Anna was really likable and I always enjoy a fake relationship trope. I loved how protective Liam was of Anna from his family and how he liked her for who she was and didn't want to change her. The chemistry was a palpable and it was the perfect pacing for a slow burn romcom.

Maaaaaaaaan, what a book. First off, eat the rich. Good lord, those people were insufferable in this book but i assume that’s how they were meant to be written. I loved Liam though. From the start. He was absolutely perfect even with all his flaws. Anna? Well, it took me time to warm up. She very much came off as super immature in the beginning. It took about 3-4 chapters before I warmed up to her. I really loved the story, even if it was a bit unbelievable. I also say unbelievable because I literally don’t know anyone with that much money and have no idea if that’s how rich people work. It just seems like so much and such overkill. But, I digress. Book was still fun. Story was amazing and cute. I would definitely recommend this book. Also 4/5 on the spicy scale.

I love a good fake relationship romance novel and Christina Lauren doesn't disappoint with this one! Anna and Liam married and divorced while at UCLA in order to get married student housing at a discount so imagine Anna's surprise when she finds out (almost five years after getting married) they aren't divorced and Liam needs her to come to his sister's wedding on a private island so he can claim his inheritance. What ensues of course, if that once they get there, they have to share a room and as sparks start to fly they fight their attraction to one another. Is this the only paradise problem? Of course not! Along the way they have to deal with a lot of family drama, emotions misunderstood and a variety of other mishaps. A fun read that I will recommend to all!

Christina Lauren never disappoints, and this is another fine example. Both of these characters have such round, fully formed personalities it was easy to picture them together and in the situations they find themselves in. Also a perfect take on the billionaires in our society (#eattherich) and the children that have to deal with their families expectations.

I love books and shows about the uber-rich (I'm a big Bravo fan), so this really fit the bill. It gave Crazy Rich Asians vibes except it was all white people (at least, no race was specified and the way the characters were described made them sound white). I loved the drama, the Westons are a comically evil family, and their dysfunction was entertaining and also kind of sad. I loved the romance, I'm still a bit confused why West and Anna needed to get married for student housing but I was willing to go with it. I always enjoy Christina Lauren's books and this one did not disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC!

3.5⭐️
Think Crazy Rich Asians but with fake dating and lots of fun ridiculousness

Enjoyed:
-setting
-family drama
-Anna’s quirky/spunky personality
-2 POVs
-Liam’s emotions
-the humor

Other things to note:
-marriage of convenience
-even though they’ve technically been married for years, it’s still kinda instant love over the vacation week
-a bit less steamy than some of their other books
-I think I liked the first half a little more than second?
-the $$$$$$$$ is fun but honestly it was so insane to even process that amount of wealth

Love CLo books and will continue to read them forever & always🫶🏻

I just love Christina Lauren books so much! This was a fabulous story was fun, flirty, romantic and spicy mixed with some family drama! I loved the characters so much and loved the island setting! Thank you so the ARC of this book!

I was so excited for this ARC that I finished it hours after receiving it. Christina Lauren are an author I’ve read quite a few books from and they did not disappoint with this one. I love Liam and Anne so much together. They’re just so cute and fun.

I use to work in the grocery industry and I found the mention of grocery life killed me. Like when they talk about bimbo. I sent it to all my retail friends lol. Great touch there.

Overall I think this may be my favor book from them to date and I will definitely be recommending this.

Everything I've come to expect in a Christina Lauren romance - humor, spice, and little of everything naughty and nice.

They had fun with these tropes: marriage of convenience/fake relationship; one-bed; forced proximity; opposites attract; grand gesture.

However, I'd also offer a few trigger warnings, including abusive parent, toxic childhood, and sexual harassment/retaliation (brief). The way Liam's family treats Anna is appalling.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was well-written, fun, and juggled some heavier topics of money and privilege. Does have language and spicier scenes, would not recommend to those who prefer a tamer romance.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review!

Fans of Christina Lauren books will not be disappointed in the least by this one. Think: Crazy Rich Asians meets The Unhoneymooners (one of my favorites of theirs, BTW).

Fake dating and marriage of convenience is so HOT right now and this one meets all the expectations. I’m always a sucker for a good fake dating book. This one has a slight twist…a fake marriage? Legally married but in name only. I loved watching their love blossom.

I enjoyed the beautiful tropical setting for this one. It very much reminded me of The Unhoneymooners, despite being a completely different location. It’ll make for a great summer/vacation read. Where the book differs from The Unhoneymooners is the romance. It’s slightly less comedic situationally and the environment feels more tense due to the MMC’s toxic family surrounding them. (I seriously wanted someone to sucker punch the awful dad.)

I really loved the slow-burn romance for the couple in this one. I adored Liam and enjoyed Anna. I loved the two opposites and their gradual character arcs throughout the novel.

I thought the story was really well thought out with high stakes—making the story more intense—while still staying in the rom com realm.

I’m hoping there’s a book two with younger brother, Jake at some point. 🤞

🌶️ multiple open-door scenes
🙉 crude language throughout

***Thank you to Netgalley, Christina Lauren, and Gallery Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Anna Green marries Liam "West" Weston for affordable housing. She thinks they are divorced when he moves out years later only to discover not only are they still married but Liam is the son and heir to a very wealthy family. His family owns a chain of grocery stores, Weston Foods. In order for him to receive his 100 million dollar inheritance and step out of the control of his estranged father, he hatches a plan to bring Anna (his "wife") to his little sister's wedding on a private island in Indonesia. There, they have to pretend to be married in order to convince his family until the date he will receive his inheritance and they can divorce. Along the way real feelings develop between the two.
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I thought this was cute but lacked substance. I felt like the MCs had lust but were not necessarily in love? It was also a bit too predictable for me. However I enjoyed Anna. She's funny, strong, and caring. Also enjoyed the tropical vibes. This would be a great book to read on a beach vacay. However, if you want to read another Christina Lauren book set in a tropical paradise I'd suggest "The Unhoneymooners".

A huge thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I laughed out loud plenty of times, which is a huge win for me. The imagery of the vacation local actually had me looking up islands in Singapore too. One word. . . .Goddamn! IYKYK!

I loved this book. It’s a little steamy to recommend to students, but so do good. I loved Liam and Anna’s relationship from the start. I wish it were longer!

The Paradise Problem
Christina Lauren
Pub: 5/14/24
5☆

I held out and waited to read this one while on vacation and I’m SO glad I did. Only a CLo book could make an early morning flight, middle seat, between two manspreaders feel like paradise. 😂 Thank you for helping me escape.

The Duo does it again! This book was so much fun to read. I abso-freakin-loutely adored Liam and Anna! Like literally couldn’t get enough of these two. Their banter, their tension, their steam, ALL of it was pure perfection. It was everything I have come to love in a Christina Lauren romance and so much more. I was laughing, swooning, sweating (quite awkward on a plane w/strangers), and struggling to put it down. I did not want it to end and already cannot wait to reread with the audiobook!

What I loved;
🏝️ Opposites Attract
🏝️ Marriage Of Convenience
🏝️ Paradise Setting
🏝️ Forced Proximity
🏝️ Hysterical Banter
🏝️ Top Notch CLo Steam
🏝️ Strong Female Lead
🏝️ Rich People Problems

Hear me when I say you need to pre-order now because The Paradise Problem is an absolute must read. This book was utterly gorgeous inside and out. That cover! OMG it’s stunning and I can’t wait to get my hands on a finished copy.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.