I LOVED this book so much. I love that even when Anna is supposed to be acting like someone else she’s unapologetically herself. She stands up for people who can’t/won’t and doesn’t really care how that looks. She loves her family more than anything and would do anything for them.

I laughed so many times at the things Anna and Blaire said in the book.

This is such an easy summer read that will have you cackling.

I hope Ray Weston has nothing but bad days for the rest of his life and that his pillow is always hot and uncomfortable.

Read if you like:
🌻Witty Banter
🌻One Bed
🌻Fake Marriage

The writing duo that is Christina Lauren has done it once again with The Paradise Problem. This time around, and in alternating voices, we meet Anna and West; the former a (quite literally) starving artist just trying to pay her father's medical bills, the latter a supermarket heir cosplaying as a Stanford professor. Their young marriage of convenience five years ago was no more than a business deal: both needed cheap student housing allotted to married couples. Fast forward to present day where this marriage of convenience will face one last rodeo in the form of West's sister's wedding... on a private Indonesian island... with family he hasn't seen since before the marriage.

Lauren's strongest asset is their dialogue: it's sharp and witty and brings out the best in every character we meet. Every interaction between the zany characters of TPP is well-thought and had me teetering between laughing and crying. TPP is the best of Christina Lauren and everything you could ask for for a perfect summer romance.

💭 MY THOUGHTS: This book had a lot of my favorite tropes but I especially loved the fake dating vibe of this one! Anna and West are totally opposites: he’s rich and she has no money to her name, he’s type A while she’s a free spirit yet they have the sweetest chemistry and really just get one another.

The whole island vibe is an amazing backdrop to their fake dating rouse where emotions run high, sexual tension is palpable and West’s insanely rich families eccentricities run rampant.

I really loved this one and the ending!

Read for:
💖 Fake Dating
🏝️ Forced Proximity
🛌 One Bed
💵 Billionaire MMC
🌪️ Opposites Attract
🔰 Dual POV

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️/ 5

While going to UCLA, Anna Green and Liam "West" Weston married in order to be able to live in subsidized family housing. Once graduated she thought she signed divorce papers and didn't see him again until 3 years later.

Now Anna is a struggling artist, barely scraping by and West is a professor at Stanford. He is also one of 4 heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but isn't interested in working for a company that lacks empathy and heart. However, he does want to college his 100 million dollar in heritance, but there is a problem. There is a clause that his grandfather put in place that West needs to be happily married for 5 years before he can collect.

Liam has a his sister's wedding coming up and his family is pushing to meet his spouse of nearly 5 years. This leaves him with no choice, but to propose a deal to Anna, asking her to join him on an island for 10 days to attend the wedding and meet his family. Anna agrees, but Liam is nervous because Anna is everything his family is not. She's unpredictable and not accustomed to the life of the one percent. Liam does not expect her to be his safe haven during the trip, but he quickly realizes that the money might not be worth losing the love of his life.

Let me start off by saying that this is the first book I've read by Christina Lauren and it will not be my last.

Anna and West as a couple; their dynamic was amazing. Plus Anna was a total hilarious badass. Lauren's character work in The Paradise Problem was stellar. Not only did she make me love Anna and West, but she made me HATE West's family. I viscerally reacted to them every single time. Lauren did an amazing job of portraying just how screwed up having money can make a family.

This was not only a wonderful romance story, but it was also an incredible story of growth. As Liam faced his family and the pressure and manipulation his father put him through to become CEO of Weston Foods, Anna was there to keep him grounded. She was the voice of reason and the one person who was able to calm him down. It was a truly heartwarming dynamic. Watching these two come together was heartwarming and I loved every last minute of it.

All in all, if you are looking for a romance that will make you laugh, warm your heart, and will cause you to jump into the book and punch some of the characters, then I highly recommend The Paradise Problem. I can promise you that you will not be disappointed.

I did not end up finishing this book, but I absolutely adore all things Christina Lauren (the recent works especially), so this is no exception. It’s a perfect summer vibe & I was so excited when we got this in at work to sell!!

My favorite duo has done it again! I believe this is my 15th Christina Lauren book and I will continue to read anything and everything they put out.

As a purple-haired girlie, I couldn't help but fall in love with Anna and her pink hair. I ADORE the fake dating trope but this one was extra juicy with the marriage of convenience, tropical island setting, and rich family drama. Liam/West was a babe and I'm obsessed with him. It was a bit of a slow burn, but I loved their chemistry and how they complimented each other.

I seriously laughed out loud at moments and swooned at others. I couldn't have asked for anything better, to be honest.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

“I must do better than be a trash-can horn-goblin about his nakedness.”

Christina Lauren’s latest is a steamy beach read. Not quite as good as “Unhoneymooners”, but a similar vibe.

Anna and Liam (“West”) are married in name only for convenience. She agrees to attend his sister’s wedding to convince his uber wealthy family that they are married so that he and his siblings can be eligible for their inheritance. What follows is the usual line blurred relationship, a perfect “fake dating” trope (which I love). But what is also revealed is a completely dysfunctional family led by a horrid controlling narcissist. It’s uncomfortable even reading the scenes with him in them.

The chemistry between the main characters is very lusty, without an angsty buildup. She’s adorable, he’s a dull person who’s hot, broken, and always conflicted. I enjoy this author duo very much, and liked the book, although I did miss more of the comedy that they excel at. There were moments, mostly early in the book, I just wanted more.

I really struggled with the Weston family… they are SO unlikeable (except for the horny sister in law and her children). The family dynamics put a damper on the book for me as well as the general elitist attitudes of the billionaire class. It gave a bad vibe in a book where I was expecting a “good vibes vacay in paradise” kind of read. I guess this was the “problem” in paradise.

So a bit mixed but I did like it and plowed through it pretty quick. Bottom line, I love these authors, will read anything they write.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren might be the beach read of the summer. Anna is a struggling artist who marries West Weston in order to be able to live in married student housing. Almost five years later she finds out she’s still married to West, who is really named Liam. He invites her to accompany him to his sister’s wedding on a private island. The only thing is she has to pretend that they’re happily married in front of his estranged mega-rich family. What could do wrong? Plenty. You won’t be able to put this book down.

Paradise Problem was exactly what I love from Christina Lauren: hilarious banter, a top-shelf swoony love story with all the feels, an engaging story with a perfectly paced plot and super-hot spice that was also emotionally resonant. I loved it so much that I'm not quite ready to be done with the world and have been flipping to my favorite parts the last few hours.

✔️ Marriage of Convenience
✔️ Fake Dating
✔️ Opposites Attract
✔️ One Bed
✔️ Love on Vacation

I highly recommend that you go into this as blind as you can. All you need to know are the tropes above and that it's like Dharma and Greg meets Succession.

Like all CLo reads, I'm in awe with the craft on this book. There are layers upon layers with tiny reveals throughout - plot points that lead to character realizations about each other and sometimes themselves too. This kept the momentum super tight.

I loved the characters of Liam and the other Weston kids and the backstory to why they are the way they are; add to that the juxtaposition of Anna and her upbringing and how she perceives the situation; and add to that Liam watching her take it in and reacting to her reaction.

I adored Anna and Liam together and it was a treat watching them go from strangers to friends to lovers and all the confusion in the journey to a satisfying HEA. The moments when it's just the two of them wrapped up in their own little world were the loveliest - that was the paradise and not the gorgeous private beach island setting.

And one bed. My favorite trope was fun and flawless. Two words: sleep cuddle 😆

It's a 5⭐️ read - run and pick this one up. It's the perfect Summer read (though let's be real - if this came out in October, I would still tell you to it's the perfect time to read it. Any time is the right time to read a Christina Lauren book)

Steam 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

The Paradise Problem felt like a vacation in every way. The dazzling location, The swoony chemistry that was off the charts -- all of it! Christina Lauren write the best banter and this book is brimming with it. It's truly the ultimate beach read in every way!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. It was an absolute treat from cover to cover.

This was really fun! I enjoyed it and will be recommending to patrons. I wrote a staff pick review of it for my system's website.

This was fun. I really enjoyed how the FMC was unapologetic about who she was - even in the face of pompous, entitled rich folk. She did not change a single thing about herself, did not offer any explanation or justification for the choices she made in her life. I love a hot mess express. The below tropes are favorites of mine, so readers who enjoy them will probably find this book perfect:

*marriage of convenience
*fake marriage
*inheritance family drama
*opposites attract
*dual POV

I did not connect with the romantic relationship as much as I was hoping to. I had a lot of questions about the MMC's decisions and did not really like him all that much. One of his brothers, Jake, was a much better character for me. I would have liked to read more about his college friendship with FMC because he was rooting for their fake marriage the whole time. We were not given very much backstory at all - and the book jumps right into the "conflict." It was hard for me to get past the caricature nature of each person - but that is generally a good quality in a book like this. It is cute, funny, probably 1 pepper on the spice level, and easy to read.

Perfect beach read.

This is my favorite Christina Lauren book (so far)!

This book is the perfect balance of romance, humor, good story telling, steam, and great character development. I will admit it took me a bit to really get into it. I initially loved the concept and was intrigued immediately, but it took me some time to really accumulate myself. Eventually I started to really love the characters and become emotionally invested in what was happening. And boy did my emotions really run the gamut with this one!

The island setting was so pleasing and described in a way that I actually felt relaxed just hearing about how beautiful it was. I loved the chemistry between Anna and Liam. The side characters were also all so well developed and interesting. The story itself was just complicated enough to be interesting without being confusing or, conversely, boring. Sometimes with these types of stories the ending ends up being a bit too fairy tale and unrealistic, but this ending for this one I thought was just right and spot on for these characters and their personalities.

I only wish I could spend more time with these characters! Thank you to Net Galley/ Gallery Books for the ARC!

I loved this book so much that I simply couldn't put it down (so I didn’t, really). 📚 Eight hours of reading in one sitting—that’s the level of obsession, and it’s totally worth it! This was my third @christinalauren book, and I’m starting to see a formula that I’m a total fan of and hope to keep enjoying. “The Paradise Problem” is loaded with witty banter, laughs, and a slow burn romance, but when the spice decides to enter the room, it’s HOT. 🌶️🔥

Of course, we also get a good dose of toxic family dynamics, completely different from the family life of our FMC (and myself). Rich, toxic, and with a wedding around the corner. Pretty shocking to see what a narcissistic parent can do. 😲👀

A highly recommended read.

I N S H O R T:
💍 Marriage of convenience
🛏️ Only one bed
🏝️Tropical location
😂 Funny
👥 Dual POV

Thank you to @leoprny for sending me this copy!

While a student at UCLA Anna agreed to marry West on paper only so they could qualify for subsidized housing. Four years later, Anna thought they were divorced when West shows up needing her help. It turns out he is Liam Weston, one of the heirs to Weston Foods, and while he has no intention of entering the family business, he would still like his inheritance. However, due to a clause in his grandfather’s will, he won’t see the majority of the money until he’s been happily married for 5 years - so he never actually divorced Anna. Now that his little sister is getting married, he needs Anna to attend and play the part of the wonderful wife he’s been describing for years.

This might be one of my top Christina Lauren books - it has all the humor, heart, and chemistry that made me fall in love with their writing when I picked up my first book from them (The Unhoneymooners, which is still an all-time favorite btw). I flew through this book because it was truly so much fun. The private island setting made for the perfect backdrop to a summer read, and the family antics led to so much drama and hilarious moments. I loved Liam and Anna together and thought this was one of the best marriage of convenience storylines I’ve read, even though it was so far-fetched and wacky. Overall, a fun read that you should definitely add to your summer reading list.

Thank you to Leo PR, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The writing duo that is Christina Lauren does it again! They wrote another binge worthy and irresistible romcom that I adored! The fake marriage and private tropical island setting were everything. Throw in the witty banter and undeniable chemistry between Anna and West, and you get another big hit by this duo!

Anna and West had a marriage of convenience in college to get affordable housing. When the school year was over Anna, thought the divorce was final, but 5 years later, West shows up on her door needing her help as his wife. Turns out what she signed wasn’t exactly divorce papers! To get his inheritance, West must prove that he and Anna are happily married and then, after their 5 year anniversary they can get divorced. That means Anna must fly to a private island for 10 days for West’s sister’s wedding and to prove to all of the Weston’s that they are indeed married.

The characters in this book were everything! Anna was such a “messy” character, but she had the biggest heart and I loved how she would do anything to help her father. West was more of a strait-laced and put together guy. I adored his character, but what I loved the most about this book was how well these two characters complimented each other.

West’s affluent and dysfunctional family brought another dynamic to this story and helped to show just how different Anna was from them. I love books with terrible rich people, and this one was no exception! The setting of a private island and the forced proximity of West and Anna sharing a room made this book everything I want in a romcom!

If you’re looking for the perfect summer romcom, look no further. This is the book for you!

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Paradise Problem
Christina Lauren
Release Date: May 14, 2024

This was such a fun book! If you’re looking for a romance set on a tropical island than make sure to pick this one up. The in depth descriptions of the island had me wanting to book a flight so I could experience the views!

I was loving this book from the first chapter. Anna, the main character, was hilarious. Someone who didn’t come from much but enjoyed living. Add in a broody West Weston and you have the perfect combo for an amazing novel.

This was the type of book that you can’t help giggling along with and I’m sure you won’t want it to end, just like me.

I haven’t read much from Christina Lauren as of yet so I went into this one not sure what to expect. This was amazing! I had a blast.

Liam needs his soon to be divorced marriage of convenience wife to accompany him to his sister’s destination wedding on a private island. How could Anna say no to a luxury trip plus a new wardrobe to look the part, because who knew her soon to be x was heir to a billion dollar grocery empire! (Long story).

Liam’s family is about as functional as the folks on Succession, and his father’s toxicity is a large reason why he walked away from it all years ago.

I enjoyed both these characters. Anna is full of life and knows herself even though she has bad luck. Liam is so full of trauma and coping strategies he can’t see his own value and strengths. The two of them together fit so well. The 1% private beach was about as extravagant and perfect for this romance as you could imagine, but I was also happy to see the authors lean into the problems that come from this kind of wealth, not just for Liam, but the disparity we all feel these days.

I have been so happy with all of my summer romance reads so far this season. The Paradise Problem is another top notch story, perfect for a relaxing day in the sun on the beach, or at home on the couch snuggled under a blanket! Well worth the time ❤️

Thanks to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for access to an eARC for review purposes.

Even though Liam and Anna entered into a marriage of convenience in order for them to qualify for graduate family housing at UCLA, they lived together as strangers for only a year until he completed his PhD. So, it’s a surprise when Liam shows up on her doorstep, telling her they’re still married (she really should have read the documents she signed, thinking they were divorce papers) and that he needs her to accompany him to his sister’s wedding to play the devoted wife so that he doesn’t lose a substantial inheritance. She negotiates a generous payment (to help her with student loans and her father’s medical bills) since this is essentially a business arrangement. So, the feelings that grow between them during their brief time on the private Indonesian island seem unrealistically rushed. Yes, the sexual chemistry is there, but the emotional connection is slightly problematic. For Liam, it’s clear that Anna’s supportive and nurturing nature is humbling, if not a little scary, since he’s never had anyone who had his back and offered hugs and encouragement. It’s less clear what Liam offers Anna emotionally, especially after she becomes collateral damage in Liam’s efforts to protect his siblings. My guess is that she’s a natural empath and caretaker, and the damaged little boy inside Liam and his eventual willingness to share the pain his father’s evil machinations have inflicted on him are like catnip to her.

I’m a huge Christina Lauren fan and am always so excited when a new book comes out. Unfortunately, this is not one of my favorites. It seems that the authors’ inspirations for The Paradise Problem were Succession and Pretty Woman (except for the prostitution). Although there’s a decent romance, the main plot is more of an exposé on corporate greed and corruption and the lengths a narcissistic man will go to protect himself and evade responsibility, even throwing his children under the bus. I’ve still awarded this 4 stars for the Succession vibes that had me on edge the entire time, Anna’s funny banter and bonding with Liam’s niece, and the strength Anna’s emotional support gives Liam when his father’s manipulative tactics come to a head. Bottom line, the writing duo of Christina Lauren write compelling books that keep them at the top of the contemporary romance field, and this one is no exception. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

*4.5⭐️
This book was so funny! I found myself laughing out loud for like half of the books. Anna’s one liners mixed perfectly with Liam’s dry humor! Then add in his family shenanigans (which went back and forth between hilarious and aggravating) and this book was the perfect chaotic summery read!

Along with being hilarious, this book was also a really sweet romance! I could really feel the love developing throughout the novel. Liam and Anna had explosive chemistry that was written really well! I loved watching them develop from strangers to tentative friends to partners in a way that felt realistic and romantic. They were so cute together and the need to see them find their HEA together had me flying through this book very quickly.

His family was…well, they sure made me feel emotions. As I mentioned above, I basically seesawed between entertained by them (especially Blaire) and wanting to (in the words of Liam) destroy them (mostly Alex and Ray). I think the family dynamics of how screwed up they were was conveyed very well and believably. I went to their book signing and Christina mentioned that they tried to demonstrate that his family took this beautiful paradise and tainted it with their wealth and problems and it was written so well. The only thing that didn’t feel that believable was the ending and how things wrapped up, but I’m not going to be upset about how it turned out because I loved what happens.

Overall, this was such a fun read that I highly recommend if you want some romance and adventure!