So glad this was my first read of 2024 as it was another great Christina Lauren read! This one features a fake marriage/marriage of convenience trope that in true CL fashion has many ups and downs. I loved the polar opposites that were the main characters of Liam/West and Anna❤️ and how their opposite upbringings and lifestyles made them just have the perfect banter. This is an easy read full of vivid descriptions of paradise and how money can change a person.

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️!
Thanks to NetGalley and Galley Books for the ARC

My first book of 2024 is a 5 star book! I started reading it at 9pm and didn’t put it down until i finished at 3am. While reading, I laughed out loud, had tears in my eyes, and didn’t want it to end. The characters are lovable (except Ray). The dialogue is easily readable, entertaining, and genuine. The plot is interesting and engaging. I loved it!

Another great one by Christina Lauren. As usual she does not disappoint. This was a great read. I loved it all.

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a pretty consistent fan of Christina Lauren, so I just jump into their books without looking too much into them. This book follows artist Anna who just lost her job after rejecting her teenage boss’s advances. When Liam, her fake husband from college (they both got cheap on-campus rent out of it), needs her to play his fake wife for his sister’s wedding, his offer is the solution to her father’s medical bills and her current joblessness.

I am not the biggest fan of fake dating as a trope, but despite that, I still enjoyed this book. The chemistry between Liam and Anna was great. The rich person family drama was over the top, but also exactly what CL was going for. Overall 4.5 stars.

Reader Thoughts:

Christina Lauren does it again. I spent 6 straight hours completely sedentary reading this because I couldn’t stop. It had ALL of the best tropes (i.e fake dating, second chance, rich people behaving badly, one bed, forced proximity) all set on a private island in Singapore. The slow burn and banter between Liam and Anna was palpable. I also LOVE how Christina Lauren can balance true emotion (family manipulation), steam (kitchen hook up), AND humor (i.e trying to treat a jelly sting as a fake doctor).

Not only are the characters on point, the setting makes me want to quit my day job and move to a private island. From private bungalows on the ocean, to pastel sunsets, to weddings and parties in the millions (yes millions) made me want to teleport inside the books.

The book isn’t just wealth, sex, and bougie vacations, it also deals with family problems. Anna struggles with a sick dad and must pay all his bills. Liam deals with a billionaire family that puts success, money, and material items before love and protection.

Book Summary:

Anna is a struggling artist that has a whopping 20 dollars in her bank account. She is desperate for money, when along comes Liam. Liam and Anna got married in college (they both wanted to live on campus and this was the only way to do it). Five years later, Liam needs a MASSIVE favor. He needs Anna to attend his sisters wedding and pose as his wife. She is confused but then accepts (due to a serious serious bribe on Liams end). They fly to Singapore and the wedding festivities begin. Unfortunately, each beautiful activity, is usually followed by your usual BILLIONAIRE family drama (due to Liams incredibly hideous, heinous, and ASSHOLE of a father). Through the horrific family dynamic, Anna and Liam find that their rouse of a marriage may be turning into something more. Liam feels safe for the first time in his life and Anna feels comfortable. They are both exactly what each other need. The night of Liam’s sisters wedding, turns into an utter shit show and they have to fly home where they will be met wit their own set of problems, where Anna and Liam will have to think if love is more important than money.

Christina Lauren books always deliver with an excellent sink your teeth in book. I devoured this book quickly with its quirky plot. Due to some red tape in a will, the main character must be "married" to receive his inheritance. Liam pretends to be married to Anna to get a discount in student housing. This lie catches up to him five years later at his sister's wedding. Anna and Liam get to know each other in a exotic beach wedding surrounded by Liam's toxic wealthy family. Leading to self reflection and some new changes for all the characters.The book alternates between both Liam and Anna's point of view letting readers love the characters even more.

The Paradise Problem, by Christina Lauren, is a fun, beachy read. The story is more unique than many romance stories I've read recently and the characters make for some laughable situations. Descriptions are beautifully written to take the reader on location and the pace keeps you engaged until the end. Love the Cover!
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

This book was so cheesy. I kept picturing Mar Whitman as the main character. Great little romance book, pretty minimal amount of spice which is my preference. Happy ending. Entertaining palette cleanser between my thriller reads

The Paradise Problem was such a fun book. I thought that the characters of Anna and Liam were so well developed - while reading it became clear who each of them were and why they worked so well together. I love when that happens in a book. I laughed out loud many times while reading. It’s the perfect beach read, while also having a little more depth with other topics such as family and money. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the early read!

Oh, I just loved this book! Christina Lauren always write amazing romance novels and The Paradise Problem was a hit!

Right from the beginning, I thought that Anna’s wit and banter were so well-written. Her character seemed like someone I would want to be friends with! The build of her fake and then real relationship with Liam “West” Weston was so sweet and lovely to read as it unfolded and developed.

Absolutely loved it! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. 5 stars!

This book was so fun! I loved the island, paradise vibes. The love story was perfect and I enjoyed every minute of this book. This book is definitely a must read.

Anna married West in graduate School for reduced housing prices. They lived together, barely knowing each other for two years and then she signed divorce papers after they graduated. Three years later, West shows up at her door to tell her they are still married and that he needs her to go to his sister's wedding pretending to be happily married to him so he can inherit millions of dollars. She agrees to be paid to do this and this is the story of how it goes. Another excellent read by these authors!!!

I loved the premise of this book. The whole marriage of convenience with a twist., the island setting, the wedding fun, the fun playful banter between the characters, and all the side characters that made this book so much fun to read!

This was a fun read! The descriptions of the setting in Indonesia made you feel like you were right there with the whole family. Liam’s family dynamic was really interesting and I liked seeing that play out. I do wish we got to read a little bit more of Anna and her Dad. I wish the characters had a little more depth. I really liked that the whole story was believable because sometimes contemporary romance books just seem to have a childish conflict. Overall, this was a fun read!

This was amazing! Probably my favorite romcom read in a long time. I know fake dating has been done a ton but somehow Christina Lauren made it feel so fresh. I cannot wait to read more of her other books now. The characters the banter the setting was all great and I am sure this will be a big summer read. I can’t wait to purchase it for our library and read it again.

It's been a while since I've read a book in one sitting, but The Paradise Problem was just too good to put down. It's chock full of fake dating antics and an incredibly absurd cast of characters, and, to top it all off, the setting is picture perfect. What more could a girl ask for?

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!

I just finished my ARC of The Paradise Problem and this book DESERVES 10 stars! Wow!

Nearly five years ago, Anna Green, med student-turned-painter, and West Weston, heir and destined-to-be-CEO of his family's billion dollar company, settle in on a FAKE MARRIAGE! Say less.

Present day, West needs Anna's help as his fake wife to fool his family while on a12 day wedding extravaganza on a private island in Indonesia.

I cannot get over how wonderfully salacious this rom com is and Christina Lauren outdid themselves on this one! I cannot wait for more people to read this one!

When I opened my email from NetGalley and saw I was approved for this ARC I felt like I won the lottery!

There are a few reasons I love Christina Lauren’s books, and The Paradise Problem gave me everything I wanted! Funny, great dialogue/banter, a relatable main character, and the slow burn was top notch. I LOVED IT.

This book has EVERYTHING- Pretty Woman vibes, She’s All That vibes, miserable billionaires in the tropics (Kim, there’s people that are dying), A+ pop culture references, and main characters that fall for each other without being gross about it. Five stars!

Once again, a super cute book from the duo Christina Lauren! The characters are adorable, the setting is luxurious and the world in which the characters are thrown in is so fun to read about! Perfect for your next beach read!

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 4.5/5 stars

The Paradise Problem is the new romance from Christina Lauren and yet another hit. Anna and Liam married in college for access to subsidized family housing. Anna thought she signed divorce papers at the end of their deal, but that is not the case when Liam appears again with a crazy request. Liam needs Anna to pretend they have been happily married for the past five years in order for him to access his trust. Now Anna must go to an island wedding with the world’s most dysfunctional family.

It took a bit for me to get into the story, but once I was in it, I was obsessed. I adored Anna and Liam. They had excellent chemistry and perfect banter. The premise to outlandish and I loved it so. Highly highly recommend.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.