This is one of my favorite author combos and they never let me down! I was so invested in this story. Is this trope somewhat over done? Maybe, but that didn’t make this story any less interesting! I loved it.

I think this takes the cake for my favorite Christina Lauren book!

They did a great job of taking what could have been a predictable trope and adding tons of fun storylines. I was really drawn to both main characters- Anna is a hot mess and West is a mostly down to earth rich guy, and I rooted for their fake marriage to turn into something real the whole time. There were spicy moments, heartfelt ones, and some that made me so pissed at West’s family; the last fifth of the book was a whirlwind with constant twists and turns that I was not expecting.

This was a quick read that would be perfect for the beach.

This book was amazing! Christina Lauren hit it out of the park with this one.

The novel effortlessly weaves between the past and present, unraveling the complexities of Anna and Liam's relationship. As a fan of the fake dating/marriage trope, I found myself thoroughly immersed in the delightful dance of emotions and rediscovery. Christina Lauren, known as the reigning queens of romance, once again showcase their unparalleled ability to craft engaging narratives with characters that feel both authentic and relatable.

My love for this book stems from its seamless blend of humor, heart, and the exploration of the consequences of wealth on genuine connections. Anna's feisty, paint-splattered persona and Liam's inner conflict between family expectations and true love create a dynamic that kept me turning the pages.
'The Paradise Problem' checks all the boxes for a perfect romance read – a well-executed trope, engaging characters, and the signature wit of Christina Lauren.

Christina Lauren is my favorite author (s)!! I jumped for joy when I received this ARC and it did not disappoint! Thought this was a perfect spring/summer read and fell in love with the characters. Thanks NetGalley!!!

There's not many Christina Lauren titles that I don't enjoy, and this is no different. To preface, marriage of convenience is my least favorite trope because I feel it's just too farcical and extreme, but this one had me bought in and hooked at the beginning. I was CACKLING, especially at Anna and Liam's banter in the beginning.

The last 35% was a miss, though. I felt it was too rushed and the epilogue was too long for an epilogue...I get that they wanted to tie up all the loose ends, but I wish it instead did a flash forward for a few chapters and then the epilogue. I was confused why the epilogue was like the longest chapter of the entire book.

I also feel like Anna's character diverted from her original self, and not really in a developmental way. She lost some of her fire during her time on the island and I feel their banter and chemistry just lacked after having such wittiness in the first 1/4 of the book.

I was also confused by Liam's money situation...he put all his current inheritance into a foundation, but he was still able to pay Anna 100K plus an undisclosed amount for a crapton of designer clothes and spa treatments...how? Not on an academia paycheck.

I think I would've liked a little more into Anna and Liam's relationship while they were "roommates" -- like maybe some more interaction just so their relationship didn't dive into LOVE after one whole week on a secluded island, and this would give them more of a backstory to make the banter more genuine. I get it...gotta drive the plot without dragging it out, but they literally didn't know each other even though they roomed for a couple years, but then they're in love? A couple flashback chapters or more references to their time in college would've been nice for their relationship development.

I do like how they touched on toxic family members and how you don't owe them anything just because they are "family." I liked the banter between Anna and Liam. I loved Anna's relationship with her dad and her perspective on life. In all, it was still a great romance read, and I was pleasantly surprised I didn't hate the marriage of convenience like I normally do!

Rating: 4/5
Spice Level: 2-3/5 (in comparison to their other books)

I loved the immediate banter that starts right at the beginning of the book to the end. There is a blend of humor, heart, and discovering one's true self that can get lost in wealth and allow one to lose genuine connections in life and to those around them. The contrast between Anna's feisty, heart full, and living as if no one had a say to Liam's inner conflict with family expectations and self-love had me loving the duo even more. The way Anna was able to help Liam navigate finding himself while allowing him to come out of his shell was so precious.

Synopsis: Anna Green is a starving artist and college student who agrees to marry grocery store heir Liam "West" Weston to secure subsidized housing at UCLA. After graduation, Anna believes that divorce papers are signed, and they both are going their separate ways. However, three years later, after a disaster of a day for Anna, Liam shows up at her doorstep. He is claiming that he and Anna are still legally married. It doesn't just end there. Not only are they still legally married, but to claim his multimillion-dollar inheritance, he must be happily married for five years. Together, the two of them strike up a Pretty Women deal where Anna will travel with Liam to the private island where his sister Charlie is getting married to show his family the loving, married couple they have been for the last five years.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC! Christina Lauren are a dynamo team and this book is no different than their others in that it had me highly invested in the story of Liam and Anna. The backstory of how they met definitely added to the story and made me like Anna even better considering she didn’t know Liam’s background. The story made me laugh and cry and I highly recommend to anyone who loves Christina Lauren!

🌺 Do you love the marriage of convenience and forced proximity trope? If yes, you are going to love this book!

🌺 The banter between the two main characters (Anna and Liam) was a lot of fun. Anna is quirky and erratic and Liam is buttoned up and serious. They are the definition of opposites attract.

🌺 The bulk of the story takes place on a private tropical island at the wedding of Liam’s sister. Liam’s family is astronomically rich and there are a lot of stereotypes and cliches about “rich people” in the book. Not all wealthy people are hideous snobs… but in this book they seemed to be. Anna’s spunky personality shook things up a bit at the wedding and it was enjoyable to read.

🌺 The chemistry between Anna and Liam was great. They are stuck in a private bungalow together on a tropical island… stuff’s gonna happen, right? 😊

🌺 Of course, we have the typical third act controversy/breakup that every romance novel must have – UGH! – and sadly the one in this book felt particularly weak to me. But at least it wasn’t (entirely) about a miscommunication!!

🌺 There is more to this book than just a HEA love story. It is about family drama, money (or lack thereof), honesty, doing the right thing, helping others, understanding different views, respect, being yourself, creating your own future, and more. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you @netgalley and @GalleryBooks for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgally for the Advanced Copy of this book. I loved it from cover to cover! The characters were endearing, I really enjoyed the setting and I also loved the development of the secondary characters interwoven throughout the story. Christina Lauren is always a must-read for me and this is one I will definitely be recommending to others - you Ladies do it better each and every time!

I can always count on Christina Laura for a deliciously hot, heartwarming and funny rom com. I loved the flirty, honest connection between Anna and Liam. This book featured many of my favorite tropes: Friend’s brother, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, only one bed and more with a fantastic tropical setting. Thank you to #Netgallery and #Gallerybooks for the ARC. The opinions are all my own.

Absolutely loved this book! Who wouldn’t want to Pretty Woman their life & in such a beautifully described place. This book has moral dilemmas, family drama, love, chaos, excitement & more! I loved that one of the main characters stays true to herself & finds her voice. She doesn't shy away from the drama even though sometimes she probably wants to climb into a hole (e oh don’t we all).

If you love Romance, this is a great one to read! I always love Christina Lauren’s books! 100% recommend!

Ok, first of all.. I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It’s been quite sometime since I’ve read a book this funny. There were times I was laughing so loud I woke my infant son up! It was truly a romantic comedy at its finest!

This is only my 2nd Christina Lauren book, my first being In a Holidaze. So this was a real treat! I’m so glad I got the opportunity to do this ARC. It came at the right moment and I really needed this book more than I realized. It was so good and lighthearted.

It has a few tropes and a new to me trope, marriage of convenience! Anna and Liam are fake married/dating for college financial reasons and then are forced to put on an act for Liam’s crazy family. It was to die for! I highly recommend this book to anyone who just needs to read something to truly drift away. It was such an easy read and I will absolutely be reading more by Christina Lauren in the future. She’s got a new fan!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, gallery publishing and Christina Lauren for giving me the opportunity to do this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another excellent romance from Christina Lauren. The dialogue is witty and hilarious. I loved both Anna and Liam so much.

I always enjoy a Christina Lauren romance and this one did not disappoint. I fell in love with Anna and Liam and their love story. I could see this being adapted into a Netflix movie. The island itself was one of the characters. I could picture the lush scenery and it made the story more interesting. The fact that the entire book takes place in just a week made it more enjoyable.

I'm not going to lie, I was worried this book was going to copy The Unhoneymooners. I enjoyed the first half of the unhoneymooners a lot, but the second half was so disappointing. This book, however, had a good amount of humor without crash and burning in the second half! It seemed to be executed much better. Liam's family drove me crazy (every single one of them except reagan) and I wouldn't consider it my favorite read ever, but I enjoyed the read.

First- everyone knows I love a Christina Lauren book. Each time before I read one, I think “could this be the let down”? Well The Paradise Problem is not the one- this book was amazing. It’s funny, spicy, and just an overall fun read. I loved every second of the book from the two love interests to the materialistic in laws. I didn’t want to finish it. 5 stars.

I want to think NetGalley for the ARC and allowing me to share my opinions.

This book was perfect!! I laughed, I swooned, I smiled!! I couldn't put it down and thought of nothing else except reading it. This is possibly my favorite fake dating/marriage of convenience I've read. The stakes ($100 million dollars?!) were so high - but their chemistry was also completely undeniable. You couldn't help but root for these two.

Anna was an amazing FMC - charming, witty, sharp and wise. I loved everything about her. She knew who she was and what was important to her and she didn't falter. She was like an adorable pink haired Yoda. And WIlliam/Liam/West Weston.... we do not deserve him. He's so swoony and I loved that there was a special part of him reserved only for Anna. This will definitely be a top romance of the year!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I am happy to say that this is Christina Lauren in their best form - witty banter, great characters, and the spice (oh, the spice! 🌶🌶🌶). We love a spunky FMC and an emotionally available MMC, and Anna and West do not disappoint. This felt like classic CL, and I loved every minute of it. 4.5 stars.

Let me start by saying that I am a HUGE fan of Christina Lauren. I was so excited that they were releasing a new book in 2024 and even more excited when I was approved for the ARC on NetGalley. So many of their books, I own and SO many are 5 stars.

However, I did not enjoy this book as much as I would have liked to. I didn't really enjoy either of the main characters and it was hard for me to continue to power through the book.

I will continue to read Christina Lauren books and I am excited for their next future release.

I really loved this book. It was exactly what I was expecting from Christina Lauren. They never disappoint! Anna Green was such a great FMC and I adored her.. And the banter, chemistry and forced proximity between them was the chef’s kiss!

I would have loved a flashback scene to when they first lived together, but overall I loved it. If you love a quick, fun read with fake marriage, this book is for you.