I enjoyed this one! Anna and Liam got married so they could get a better deal on student housing and when they were done, they signed divorce papers, only Anna didn't read them closely enough. Three years later, Anna is a struggling artist and Liam is a Stanford professor who needs her help. Anna needs to come with him to a family wedding and act as his wife (which she's legally been this whole time) or Liam loses his inheritance.

Things I liked: Anna and Liam's chemistry, the setting, the eat the rich vibes, the sisterhood between the women who married into this mess of a family, the spice, the consequences for bad men. It was a slow burn but definitely spicy when it hit. A little predictable, but fun nonetheless.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I liked the location and vacation-feel of this one. And I did finish it. But this may be my last from this author. I’m not a fan of the ridiculous storyline of the fake marriage/knowing nothing about one another/having been roommates, sort of. The storyline wasn’t compelling or interesting until about halfway through the book.

🚪and shower door: wide open

I adored this book! The Christina Lauren duo did it again. Can Anna be my new best friend? Because she is hilarious and will go to bat for the ones she loves.

My heart was happy, my body tingled with anticipation, and I laughed out loud so many times throughout this one. Anna was a hot mess that fit perfectly with the straight laced Liam. I loved how they supported each other during the drama that was Liam's family...especially his horrid father. Everyone deserves a ride or die in their life, and CLo is awesome at creating those characters. They are also fantastic at the tension and chemistry between the leads. I know that whenever I open one of their books, I better have my schedule cleared because I won't come up for air until I've read the last page. Highly recommend this one! It's a great summer read to add to your TBR!

There are some books that I request on NetGalley and automatically assume that I won’t get approved for, and this was one of them. So I was seriously shocked to see that they actually did approve me to read The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. 😭🤎

I want to say a huge thank you to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for this early copy of The Paradise Problem. That being said, all opinions are my own!

After seeing the book cover, I assumed the vibes were similar to Unhoneymooners just because of the tropical theme. But that is not the case. I can honestly say that this book is nothing like Unhoneymooners except for the fact that the marriage of convenience trope in The Paradise Problem is similar to the fake dating/marriage trope in Unhoneymooners. 🌺

The Paradise Problem is set mostly on a remote tropical island (like the type rich people book for weddings or special occasions… I wouldn’t know personally), and is mostly surrounded by the marriage of convenience/fake “dating” trope. Sometimes I feel like it’s marriage of convenience and fake dating when they get married but still have to pretend as if it’s for love. But I digress…

To be honest, I forgot this was a Christina Lauren book when I was reading it. It had the vibes and humor of a Meghan Quinn book, except for maybe the smut. The spicy scenes definitely reminded me of a Christina Lauren book. 🌶️

That doesn’t mean that I didn’t like the book or anything like that. I happen to really love Meghan Quinn books, and I happened to enjoy this Christina Lauren one as well!

Nevertheless, I liked the character arcs, the family drama, and the eventual HEA. This is your typical tropical billionaire family drama romcom, and I’m not mad about it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 to The Paradise Problem!

One of my favorite Christina Lauren titles. The chemistry was very believable there was a great buildup of tension, along with complex family dynamics. The banter was spot-on and the pop culture references felt very organic and well-placed. My only criticism of CLo is how their "type" tends to be the slightly frazzled/chaotic female MC and the stoic/competent male MC. I would like to see them write a book (or maybe just need to read more of their back catalog) that flips that dynamic, or shows MCs of more similar ages and social statuses. Very much worth placing on your summer reading list!

I really enjoyed the characters in this book! The story isn't one that I've read a similar version of like some rom-coms I've read lately. This book's story felt unique and the characters were interesting without giving so much backstory that it became boring.

I read this book really quickly and really liked it. The story wraps up nicely in the end too. I recommend this book for a beach read this summer. It does have some spicy scenes in the second half, so you are warned if that's not your thing.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio.

What a great sweet book! I enjoyed this story so much. This one is probably my favorite by this author.

I really loved this book! It was so great seeing the relationship blossom and geez, I really hate Ray, but I loved the sibling dynamics. It got a little "and then this happened, and then this happened" in the epilogue, but overall great.

One of my fav Christina Lauren novels! I loved the Succession-esque family and beautiful setting, perfect beach read.

At 14% … my first Christina Lauren book … laugh out loud loving this one so far.

Last line in chapter 5 … “This is going to be a disaster. I’m so excited!”

Other favorite lines in chapter 5
“How does he know I won’t use this to buy a giraffe?”
Personally, I think she loves chaos because she’s a Scorpio.

Finished ... in my opinion ... The Paradise Problem is the perfect beach read! A beautiful location, Anna was very witty and a great character and Liam was pretty great as well, just enough smut to keep it interesting (although too much to recommend for my 85 year old mother).

The Unhoneymooners has been highly recommended when folks on Facebook Friends & Fiction recommend a fun read and it has been on my TBR. So glad that I was able to score an advance review copy of The Paradise Problem! Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (celebrating 100 years in publishing in 2024!) the publisher for approving my request to read the advance read copy in exchange for an honest review. Published May 14, 2024. Approx 350 pages.

I really liked this. I especially loved Anna's character. She seemed genuine and funny and almost like a real person. I do think the epilogue was a bit much, and Liam was too good to be true, but overall, super enjoyable and I love a good fake dating/marriage trope.

THE PARADISE PROBLEM by christina lauren is the perfect romcom. We’ve got a spunky, down-on-her-luck female main character in Anna matched with a dreamy big business heir male lead in Liam — the combination (plus their chemistry) is pretty fun!

Honestly, this might be my new fave from Christina Lauren. The audio is truly fantastic too — dual narrators!!

I can’t emphasize enough how spicy this one is — in the most fun way! I loved how there weren’t like annoying miscommunications (as there so often is with fake dating) and even though the two main characters are very different, they were just so fun!

I always love Christina Lauren's books and this was no exception. A perfect summer read. Incredible chemistry, a stunning location, and a plot filled with family drama -- I couldn't put this one down. Thank you so much to Gallery Books and NetGalley for my copy. I enjoyed it immensely.

“A delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.”

Personal review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review- I am a huge Christian Lauren fan and look forward to their summer romances each and every year! Rich people problems and fake dating, what’s not to love?! Anna was the perfect paint splattered, sarcastic heroine. While West Weston was a mix of serious meets grumpy on family vacation. The island in this book where the couple go to display their fake relationship while getting his sister married sounded so very relaxing and perfect - this book brought a good level of spice. Overall a very light, enjoyable read!


Synopsis: 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.

The writing duo Christina Lauren has long been a favorite of mine and it's hard for me to find a title they wrote that I didn't love, and The Paradise Problem was no exception! First, the cover is GORGEOUS, who wouldn't want to read this just from the jacket alone? I'll admit that for a lot of the book Anna kind of annoyed me, she seems so immature and childish at times compared to Liam/West, but you realize eventually that it's just that she is a very empathetic and caring person who was maybe a bit too wrapped up in herself in college. The fake marriage idea isn't novel, nor is the inheritance, but what makes this book stand out is Liam/West himself. He is such a wonderful character and his perspective on his family's incredible wealth is really unique. I loved that everything didn't get wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end, it took some time for them both to really be ready, and the Epilogue was perfection! I LOVED this book, would highly recommend!

Another hit from Christina Lauren! Loved everything about this book: the characters, the writing, and the swoon-worthy ending. Can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

As a romance reader, I was enchanted by Christina Lauren's "The Paradise Problem." The story follows Anna and Liam] as their initial animosity transforms into undeniable attraction. The witty banter, palpable tension, and heartfelt moments kept me hooked from start to finish. Christina Lauren always has me hooked from the start and this was no different. What stands out is the depth of the characters and their personal growth, adding layers to their romance. Christina Lauren's signature humor and warmth make this love story a perfect escape. Highly recommended for anyone who believes in the magic of unexpected love, or is looking for an enjoyable beach read this summer!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!

This book felt like Christina Lauren saw all the hype for The Unhoneymooners, and said welp, let's give the readers more of what they want. And they DELIVERED.

This book follows Anna and Liam, who entered into a marriage of convenience so Liam could live in the (cheaper) married housing on campus during grad school. Anna doesn't know Liam is stupidly rich until she has to attend his sister's wedding - a grand event on a remote private island, full of rich people (including Liam's family). Shenanigans ensue.

This book was filled with the author duo's signature wit and charm, and I adored every second of Liam's and Anna's love story. The Unhoneymooners is still my favorite of theirs, but this might take the cake for spot #2.

So Much Fun! This book had me laughing out loud so many times! Anna is a free spirit who has abandoned her med school ambitions to pursue art. West is the heir to a grocery store empire and a family full of skeletons in the closet. Yes, they had a mutually beneficial college marriage to save on housing, but they never really got to know each other. But now, West needs Anna to pretend they've been happily married for years and join him on a private island for a family wedding. Anna is charmingly bohemian and being along for the ride as she tries to keep up with the nonsense that the megawealthy thinks is normal is hilarious. West is a good guy who isn't tainted by all of the wealth but has built walls around himself. I love that they didn't start off as enemies, but not exactly friends. They were thrown together by circumstance with no ill will and the sparks fly. With heartwarming affection and humor, The Paradise Problem was a wonderful summer read!

I want to start by saying that I adored these two characters, Liam and Anna, both for their vulnerabilities and for their strength to stand up for what they felt was right.

Where I feel like the book took a dive was with the whirlwind romance- I am not an instalove kinda gal, so I found all of that unbelievable. And they had so much sex that it just seemed like severe infatuation.

Regardless, super cute storyline with funny moments that did make me actually LOL, so worth the read!