As a reader of the full Christina Lauren catalog, I would say the Paradise Problem did not quite illicit the level of book hangover that I have had for almost all of their backlist (There are a few exceptions). This is still an entertaining read, . It will be a great vacation read to toss in the bag for the beach, etc, as the escape to a luxurious, island with a swoon-worthy man of muscles and morals is always a good time. Anna is pretty much flawless emotionally, and of course she is gorgeous (even with bright pink hair and a 5' 11" frame). West/Liam is even taller, a fit runner, and a super smart and ethically strong (and slightly older, though that isn't talked about) guy. The conflict here is that his family is filthy rich and toxic and they are trying to hide that while they've been married they haven't ever been in a relationship (beyond the first two years as roommates). The ending is nice and I was happy to see the way they chose to resolve it. The skilled writing is there - I love how these two can write characters that you can really get to know without the dreaded 'info dump' - and the alternating viewpoints are the best, we are never wondering about some miscommunication or lack of understanding on a character's motive. Would recommend for CL lovers or a patron seeking a vacation read.

I begin to think that I will like everything written by Christina Lauren : their books are litterally what I enjoy reading. They're the perfect mix between steamy romances, funny banter and cute characters.
I could have given "The Paradise problem" a 5 stars rate if I hadn't read "The Unhoneymooners". Unfortunately, I did. And then, I found a lot of similarities between the two plots...
Anna and West married when they were students, just so they could afford the rent of a family home in the campus. But almost 5 years later, when West (whose name is not West, but William) shows up in front of Anna's door to ask her a favor, she discovers that she's still married to him, and that he is one of the heir of the 6th biggest grocery company of the US. And as a parting gift, she accepts to play the role of the perfect wife during 10 days on a paradise island for the sake of Liam's family.
But relationships in this family are quite complicated, and Anna's personnality doesn't go well with that.

Another quick and enjoyable read from the duo, Christina Lauren. It took me a couple chapters to get into the story and love the main characters, Anna and Liam. Once they were on the plane to Liam’s sister’s private island wedding, I was hooked! Fake marriage plus Succession level family drama…count me in. Some parts were unbelievable…but maybe not so much for the 1%. It felt like I was watching an episode of RHOBH on HBO! Chef’s kiss to the banter and spicy scenes. If you love Christina Lauren, this is a perfect beach read! I might just devour it again this summer on a lounge chair with a drink in my hand.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

I think this is my most favorite Christina Lauren book, and I’m fairly certain I’ve read them all. Anna’s character literally had me laughing out loud. The premise of the story is that Anna and Liam are legally married out of convenience to obtain married student housing. Where she thought they had split up, they were not legally divorced because of a prenuptial agreement that stipulated the marriage to last a fixed amount of time. Because of their legally married status, she and Liam agree to act as a loving married couple when he is forced to attend his sister’s wedding. I won’t say anything more for fear of spoiling the book, but the way that Anna navigates Liam’s broken family is laugh out loud comedic, poignant, and humble. I’m totally going to buy this book to put on my shelf when it is released.

I really enjoyed escaping into this one! It was a fast and easy read, with a good mix of humor, romance, and lots of rich family drama.

Liam Weston is the heir to a nationwide grocery chain who has been trying to distance himself from his toxic family to chart his own path. Anna Green is a free-spirited artist who lives paycheck to paycheck. While in college, they got married at the courthouse so that they could live in cheap family housing on campus- even though they didn’t know each other. After two years as roommates they went their separate ways, only to be reunited when Liam needs her to play the part of his wife at his sister’s wedding on a private island three years later. To Anna’s surprise they never actually got divorced, and according to his grandfather’s will, he can only access his inheritance after he’s been married for 5 years. The only thing is that nobody can find out they’re faking it or him and his siblings will lose everything. Cue the drama!!!

This book reminded me another book by Christina Lauren (The Unhoneymooners) with its humor, spicy scenes, and tropical setting. The plot was silly and dramatic (with some serious parts involving a narcissistic father and very toxic manipulative behavior) with outlandish characters, and it totally sucked me in. I think it will be a great summer read for lovers of romcoms once it’s published in May. Thank you NetGalley and Gallery books for giving me early access!

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.