Rating:
4.75/5 ⭐️s

I was so excited when I saw that my request for this book was accepted in NetGalley. Christina Lauren is an auto-purchase other for me and once again fabulous book.

This book is a mix of fake dating with a sprinkle of close proximity. Yes, you know that they are going to fall in love but the journey to get there is wild.

This is the perfect read to pre-order for this summer. I would definitely have binged it poolside or at the beach.

As a huge fan of the dynamic duo that is Christina Lauren, I had high hopes from the beginning and they did not disappoint! I laughed and swooned and enjoyed every second of it!

"The Paradise Problem" follows the unconventional journey of Anna Green and Liam "West" Weston, who marry for practical reasons in college but believe they've divorced post-graduation. Three years later, Liam, an heir to a wealthy conglomerate, discovers an inheritance clause requiring five years of marriage. Pressured by his family, he turns to his unpolished ex-wife Anna, sparking a humorous and heartwarming tale of love, lies, and second chances.

I feel so lucky to have obtained an advance copy of "The Paradise Problem" on NetGalley! The experience of reading it was both enjoyable and quick. While acknowledging the plot's far-fetched and unrealistic elements, I found these aspects to be precisely what added an intriguing flavor to the narrative!

The pacing of the book was positive, maintaining a smooth flow without relying on major plot twists or overly unpredictable turns. This simplicity contributed to the book's ease of consumption.

However, my primary critique centers around the authors' incorporation of "Gen Z language." At times, it felt forced, overly intentional, and just awkward. Yet, I managed to reconcile this by attributing it to Anna's distinct personality. Along these same lines, the inclusion of real-life events, such as references to "The Barbie Movie," felt slightly awkward within the context of a fiction novel.

Despite these minor reservations, "The Paradise Problem" ultimately delivered an enjoyable and undemanding reading experience. It served as a pleasant escape. The book succeeded in providing a satisfying and light-hearted narrative.

This lived up to all the best of Christina and Lauren. It captivated me within the first 20 pages and kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through. What a fun, exciting and steamy romance.

Ok I just LOVED this! This book put such a fun spin on the marriage of convenience trope. The details of the Weston family’s rich lifestyle had me so intrigued, and I loved how authentic Anna was. The perfect amount of side-character drama while balancing the romance between the MCs. Loved!

Such a solid new read from Christina Lauren. This was engaging from the start and I was an enjoyable binge read. Will absolutely make a great beach read or anytime read to quench a travel bug. Will be rereading!

Another adorable rom com from Christina Lauren, although I would say this is spicier than the more recent books from them that I have read . The story definitely caught my interest and I was quickly swept up in Anna and West's story. For most of the book, I really didn't find Anna likable. Her redeeming quality, though, is that she loves her dad and will do anything to help him get better.

West is adorable, and I liked him right from the start. He's sweet, smart, and trying to forge his own path separate from his very toxic father. It's really not believable that he would fall for Anna, but they need each other and a very cute Pretty Woman-ish makeover helps her become the woman (or at least look like the woman) she was always meant to be.

Since this is a romance, we all know it ends in a HEA, however the epilogue might be the longest I have ever seen. It just keeps going and going. There's a lot crammed into it and it seems to wander quite a bit. It's always nice to have a picture of where the characters end up, but I think this epilogue verges on unnecessary information. Plus, compared to other CL novels, the writing felt rushed and more basic. Their other books like The Soulmate Equation and Unhoneymooners are clear 5-stars, so compared to that and considering the epilogue, I am giving this four stars.

I started and finished this in one sitting and that hasn’t happened to me in MONTHS. I adored it. I fall in love with their writing more and more with each new book, how that’s possible? I’m not sure, but if they write it—I’ll buy it.

Reading this was like taking the tropical vacation I so desperately need. Anna is my favorite CLo character so far! So. Good. I got lost in the pages so easily - such a page turner. I will read anything they write!!

People do a lot of wild things for a deal, in the case of Anna and Liam, marriage is one of those things. Anna and West (she doesn’t even know his first or last name) get married because housing and college are expensive. Little did Anna know, when graduation comes and the “divorce” papers are signed, she’s not necessarily off the hook. It turns out Liam is from a well-off family and there are stipulations to their “just for housing” marriage. Now, Liam comes back asking for her help to show his family at his sister’s tropical island wedding how happily married they’ve been over the past 5 years when they haven’t seen each other for most of that time, with, of course, a payout. Can Anna and her bubble gum pink hair pull off the love, or are they all going to be doomed?

This was my first full Christina Lauren book, and I would absolutely read them again!

Things I enjoyed about The Paradise Problem:
• The idea of marriage for convenience
• Characters – the ones you can love and the ones you hate
• Witty banter between characters
• Steamy romance on a tropical, private island
• Family drama and dynamics
• Insane wedding events

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC for a review!

Another absolute knockout from Christina Lauren! Admittedly, I will obsessively read anything that C. Lo puts out into the universe, but the Paradise Problem was another standout hit that immediately transported me into the world of Anna and Liam and left me longing for a luxurious and dramatic trip to a private island! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

4.5 stars

I can always count on Christina Lauren to deliver a fun time, and this is one of my favorites of theirs that I have read in a while.

The Paradise Problem presents a marriage of convenience in a tropical setting with a lovable and quirky FMC (Anna) and a tortured yet strong MMC (Liam).

Some of the tropes to expect:
- marriage of convenience
- oops! I thought we got divorced!
- fake dating (although they are actually married)
- opposites attract
- forced proximity
- poor girl/rich guy
- NO Miscommunication!

Honestly, what makes this book special is the quirky, fun-loving fmc, Anna. I get nervous when the fmc is presented as the chaotic, can barely get herself dressed, "silly" girl because she can often present as dumb and become quickly annoying. However, Anna comes off so lovable and emotionally intelligent, and she is the perfect person to help Liam navigate his rough family dynamics. There are multiple scenes that are laugh-out-loud funny to balance the emotional seriousness, along with lovable side characters that contrast with some very hatable family members. All in all, this is another hit from Christina Lauren!

Thank you to NetGaley and the publisher for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Love, love, love! This spicy Christina Lauren is exactly what we wanted. Thank you Christina Lauren, Net Gallery, and Gallery Books for the ARC.

You’ll be hooked as soon as you read the first chapter … the plot twists start immediately! I learned to love the main character, and I thoroughly enjoyed the rich (ha ha) descriptions throughout the book. I stayed up til 12:42 am reading, which is a true testament to how good this book is. I look forward to Christina Lauren’s other books publishing this year!

I love love LOVED this book!
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced e-reader copy on NetGalley, and I devoured it in 2 days. It’s hard not to fall in love with Anna & Liam. (But especially Anna!) This is the perfect beach read. So much so that I may REREAD it when I go on vacation later this year. Don’t miss this one!

Christina Lauren can do no wrong. This was such a sweet book. It was nice to see such a strong female main character and how her bravery influences the male main character. Liam is such a sweetheart that was put in such a bad position. Having someone like Anna was exactly what he needed. The things that Anna said were hilarious. I’m so glad to see how things ended up. I’m happy for Liam and how much he was able to grow. It shows how money is nothing and how important having a loving family is.

Thank you to the publishers for the ARC! This book was HILARIOUS and perfect in every way. Pretty Woman/ Lorelei (Gilmore Girls) vibes. The story begins with an indecent proposal and ends in the most perfect way. The true stars of this book are the main characters Anna and Liam. Both complex and layered and RED HOT. This book really does take you to paradise and leaves you wanting to know what’s going to happen next. The story, while hot, also gives us amazing characters that are well developed and layered. This is a great summer read and is perfect for a visit to any beach or island!

Christina Lauren do it again with this fun destination romance that also explores family connections. I thought that the romance between Anna and Liam was well executed and I laughed out loud at some of their dialogue.

When the book starts, Anna is a mess, jobless, in debt, living in semi-squalor, during the book she grows and displays her heart of gold. Liam looks to be put together--handsome, rich, and a professor at Stanford, but during the course of the story his vulnerabilities begin to surface and his need for Anna becomes clear. In the end they learn to lean on each other and become a unit rather than two individuals. The setting is delightful, who would not like a private resort island, and the descriptions of clothes and food are swoon-worthy. This should be another hit for Christina Lauren.

Another great one from Christina Lauren. They have a way of perfecting funny banter, sex and romance. I really enjoyed this one and will continue to support their books!

This book. THIS BOOK. My first book of 2024 is a 5 star read!! To start off this year this strong has me GIDDY. And I'm already calling The Paradise Problem one of my favorite books of 2024. I giggled, I squealed... I can't believe I actually laughed out loud. I got a little misty-eyed at the end... I just loved it so much.

I don't know that I've ever been a huge fan of the fake dating trope. But a fake marriage, billionaires, a private island, and a Pretty Woman vibes? Sign me up. It was good... just so good.

Anna is hysterical. I mean, she's really funny. And not in a cringe or cheesy kind of way. Like, I thoroughly enjoyed her banter. And of course, West Weston (no, that's not his real name... but that's what she calls him and so will I from now on) is the moody, complicated, soon-to-be extreme millionaire if everything goes right with his family during an all inclusive private island wedding between two very wealthy families.

I am screaming from my couch right now "ADD THIS ONE TO YOUR LIST FOR 2024!" Seriously. Add it.

I'm so happy I was given the opportunity to read and review The Paradise Problem. Thank you so much NetGalley and Gallery Books!