Pretty Woman in book form. Anna Green has caught a break and found a way to live in family housing. However it does mean that she has to get married. Fast forward five years and that marriage is still intact, unbeknownst to her. Her husband Liam knows that after 5 years he can divorce her and still keep his inheritance. However in order to keep his terrible father appeased Liam has to show up at a family wedding with his wife that no one has ever met.
This book is romance with all the sex scenes but it lacks the great characters. These characters are surface level and they don’t encourage me to want to know them better.

4.5 ⭐

This was the perfect book to binge read between Christmas and New Year's when I wish I was on a tropical vacation doing nothing and enjoying the beach! 😉

Christina Lauren is one of my auto read authors and I really enjoyed this one! The banter between the main characters and the vivid descriptions throughout the book were gold. The side characters were fun and even some of the smaller characters had big roles to fill, which I loved.

My only gripe with this book is that our main characters lived together for 2 years and didn't know each other at all. I thought that was kind of hard to buy into and would have loved to see them have some sort of basic friendship without sparks or something previously.

Both our main characters are really well developed and I felt like I spent the day with them when I was done reading. The relationships in their families couldn't have been more different and it was shown really clearly in their interactions throughout the book.

Love a good billionaire romance? Pick this up!

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review.

What a great beach read! Love, love, love this book! The banter and relationship between Anna and Liam was chefs kiss! They balanced each other out and made the other stronger and braver. The description of the location definitely gave White Lotus vibes. I enjoy books that make me laugh out loud and this was definitely one of them. Will definitely be suggesting this to everyone and will reread!

The queens of romance have done it again! This was silly and great. I loved that there really wasn't any third act breakup (There was... but there wasn't). Emotionally available and vulnerable characters are my favorite thing in romance lately!! Sign me up!

Pure magic! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. This book combined humor, romance, sneaky business deals, and some serious sexiness! Anna and Liam “West” pretended to be married to get cheap family housing in college. But, West didn’t file the divorce paperwork. He reached out to Anna to act as his wife for his sister’s super posh island wedding. Anna is a lovely little mess, and a truly engaging FMC. She’s funny, driven, and down-to-earth. What could go wrong?!?

I loved the “Succession” super-wealthy family drama, the writing was perfection, and I definitely got a squeezy feeling in my chest certain times! I’d recommend this book without hesitation!!

When you get approved for a Christina Lauren book you instantly go into Stop Drop and Read, mode.

Once the initial shock wore off, I knew to clear my schedule, there was no way when I picked up this book I would be able to put it down.

I read quite a few romance books this year and although I thoroughly enjoyed some, nothing and I mean nothing compared to this one.

The Paradise Problem

This was an emotional ride, filled with love, suspense, humor and even a few tears.

When I read books by Christina Lauren I feel as though they were written with me in mind . I have yet to rate a book under 5 stars and this one is no different .

Christina Lauren books feel like a warm hug and make you fall in love over and over again.

The Paradise Problem is like watching a real life love story unfold before your eyes.

5 stars, always ♥️

Check out this teaser :

Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.

Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.

Meet Anna Green and Liam “West” Weston. They’ve been married for 5 years but barely know each other at all. Having gotten married only as a formality to live in the married dorms at UCLA, Anna and West part ways after college never to speak again. When West shows up at Anna’s door to reveal they are still married and ask her to do him a huge favor, Anna has no idea what she’s in for. She is tasked with attending a Weston family wedding, playing the role of the loving wife West has told his entire family about. There is a lot on the line for West and Anna on this trip, and it is so much fun to ride along with them!

This was a solid 3.5 stars for me! The only thing that didn’t bump it up to a 4 is all the moving parts happening within a fairly short number of pages. I’d elaborate more, but I’d like my review to be spoiler free! I would recommend this book to anyone who has loved other Christina Lauren novels. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments interspersed with emotional components too. Thanks so much to Christina Lauren, Netgalley, and Gallery Books for letting me read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

There is a certain comfort for me in CLo's books. I sink into their writing like few other authors and it's the best kind of cozy reading ever.

This story took me a chapter or two to get into while trying to settle into Anna and who she started out as in life. But as the story grew and we encountered her together with West, I fell for both of them. Wes and Anna married in the most convenient way during college. Neither of them knew at the time that their marriage in order to get a deal on housing would lead to an almost 5 year marriage without a relationship at all. When he needs her to get through the last few months of a family stipulation, she agrees to attend his sister's wedding on a private island.
All of the proximity, hijinks and family drama that we crave ensue here. It's fun and easy to read. It's light but also heartwarming and steamy. I loved it.

Classic CLo! A lovable, quirky female lead, lots of great banter and funny moments, and of course some steam. 🔥 If you are a fan of their past work, then you are going to eat this one up.

My only issue was that there was no way that Liam's dad didn't know their marriage was fake, and all of the talk about excessive spending and ridiculous lifestyle was a little bit overdone. But overall I really enjoyed it!!

This would be a perfect beach read and I'm sure it will be getting lots of love this summer!

I absolutely adore Christina Lauren books and this one was a quick and fun paradise read! Anna Green and Liam “West” Weston married each other for student housing and plot twist, aren’t close, and go three years without speaking before reuniting under interesting circumstances. For Liam to receive a large inheritance, Liam needs Anna to attend his sister’s wedding with him over a 10 day trip for his family to finally meet his wife.

Paradise Problem had all the tropes that a romance reader loves - forced proximity and ONE BED, funny and back-and-forth banter, and marriage of convenience/fake dating. I found myself smiling throughout and really liked Anna. Out of all the Christina Lauren books I’ve read, this relationship fell short for me and wasn’t my absolute favorite. I would recommend it as a summer/beach read for sure and can’t wait for the next Christina Lauren book. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The Christina Lauren books are auto-reads for me, so I was thrilled to get this ARC. It didn’t hurt to read a book set on a lush tropical island while living through an ice storm in Minnesota! As always, their writing is fun with depth and some spice. Highly recommend to fellow rom-com lovers.

This romantic comedy is a must read and is truly one of Christina Lauren’s best written to date. Imagine Pretty Woman taking place on a private island and without all the prostitution bit. The two main characters entered a modern marriage of convenience when they started college, spending the last 4 years as merely roommates and never getting to know one another. However, now West needs to show his wife to his family because his little sister is getting married and they are all expecting to meet her. Next begins a delicious fake marriage romance with hilarious and tender moments both. Absolutely loved it! Very steamy and very angsty.

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren whisks readers away on a tropical adventure, breathing new life into the classic marriage of convenience trope. Anna and Liam, who had a fake marriage during college, find themselves still legally bound by an unexpected twist, courtesy of a quirky clause in Liam's grandfather's will. The story unfolds against the backdrop of a lavish Fijian island wedding, complete with cultural clashes, wedding shenanigans, and the classic "only one bed" scenario. The vivid setting, authentic characters, and witty banter make this romantic escapade a standout. Anna, the unapologetically free-spirited artist, and Liam, grappling with family expectations and wealth, navigate the complexities of their pretend marriage, leading to a delightful blend of romance, family drama, and self-discovery. The Paradise Problem is a must-read for those seeking a charming and humorous tale set in an enchanting tropical paradise.

Anna was briefly married to West Weston when she went to UCLA. Okay maybe not married, but married in name so that she could have access to the subsidized housing while going to school. Their arrangement worked for them and they agreed to a divorce when they graduated. Anna didn't really know West and their roommate situation worked for both of them.

So when Liam also known as Liam "West" Weston walks back into Anna's life three years later and lets her know that they are in fact not divorced - she's flabbergasted. And when Liam suggests they stayed married for a while because he needs his wife present at his sisters wedding - Anna's not quite sure what to make of it. But this marriage of convenience has its advantages - mainly a huge inheritance, that only gets distributed when Liam has been married for at least five years. Anna agrees. What starts off as a fake marriage slowly starts to feel very real. Will Anna and Liam find a way to make their relationship work when everything including Liam's toxic family keeps trying to get in their way?

The Paradise Problem was a fun and easy read by Christina Lauren! I ended up reading this book fairly quickly. I enjoyed the premise of the story and I'm always a sucker for marriage of convenience. I do feel like I wanted more of a spark between Liam and Anna. They lived together while they were going to school, but didn't have much of a connection. I wanted a bit more angst. That being said, The Paradise Problem was fun and a perfect vacation read!

I love a good fake dating trope. And Christina Lauren rarely lets me down. But I still was doubtful going into The Paradise Problem. I felt like the fake marriage to get money would be hard to execute. I was VERY wrong. I loved everything about this book—the banter, the tension, the Pretty Woman/Miss Congeniality makeover. Anna was quirky but not in a cutesy, cringy way. West was a great counterpart for her. In short, Christina Lauren hits it out of the park again!

“Crazy Rich Asians” with the perfect Christina Lauren vibes. I loved it. Liam and Anna were perfect. That extended epilogue was like icing on the wedding cake.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for the ARC.

Ahhhh this one was so fun. It all started with two college kids getting married to get family housing and it turned into so much more.

Fake dating (errrr marriage) turned real - one of my favorite tropes. This one also features the ever popular poor little rich characters teaming up with someone who genuinely has no nickels to rub together.

Fun story arc - lots of heart and soul - plus a napoleon like villain you root against from the first encounter. Plus the sex was 🔥

I really enjoyed The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren! The two main characters, Anna and Liam are sweet and honest. TBH I did hate every other character, but the book was still enjoyable overall! The epilogue was my favorite part.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Gallery Books for approving me for ARC in exchange for an honest review. This romcom was a slow burn that I knew where the ending was going once I got back the awkward first chapter. How in the world was Anna Greene that clueless about even the name of her "husband"? I would have liked to seen more interactions between Anna, LIam and Jake considering they were the only ones that knew the truth. I loved the scenes with Alex's wife and wish she was in more scenes.

Overall, this was kinda a miss for me from Christina Lauren. It had potential but kinda fell flat for me. BUT with that said, I will line up to read their next book.

I am an absolute CLo stan, so as you can imagine I was thrilled to be granted an early read of their newest novel, The Paradise Problem.

Though a lot of fun and very hot, this is, I think, how I discovered that rich person x normal person is not my taste. Even with the conclusion to the novel, the entire thing felt icky. I can't read about billionaires without thinking about how much better off the world would be if they ceased to exist, and the main characters of The Paradise Problem weren't grand enough to suspend disbelief for this time.