I have a GREAT book to recommend and review for y’all today! Spoiler alert: The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren is likely going to be one of my 5 top books of 2024. If you are looking for a fun romance book (especially if you like a fake dating trope), you really can look no further.

The Paradise Problem Synopsis

While studying at UCLA, Anna Green married a virtual stranger, Liam “West” Weston, to gain access to subsidized family housing. She thought she had signed divorce papers when they both graduated, never to see the other again. But after 3 years, West approaches Anna needing her help. Anna is barely making ends meet as an artist and West is a Stanford professor and an heir to the Weston Foods conglomerate. In order to get his $100 million inheritance, he has to fulfill a clause in his grandfather’s will that requires him to be happily married for 5 years. As Anna and West’s not-actually-divorced 5 year anniversary approaches, his family starts to pressure him about why they have never met the mysterious Anna and whether or not their marriage is a ploy to earn inheritance. West has fears of whether or not Anna can play the role of his wife in the wealthy inner circles of his estranged family. Nevertheless, they go to meet West’s family at his sister’s extravagant destination wedding on a private island in Indonesia to play the part of happy married couple. But Liam starts to wonder if his inheritance is worth the wealth and corruption of his family corrupting the real love that starts to grow between them.

The Paradise Problem Review

This book was SO cute and fun. If you like tropes such as forced proximity, one bed situation, and fake marriage/dating, you will love The Paradise Problem! This book has such good chemistry between Anna and West/Liam and the banter was so fun and not at all cringe. I actually thought the humor in this book was great (rare) and I actually laughed out loud several times.

When Anna and West have their moment of miscommunication (every romance book has it, it is inevitable), it felt reasonable to me and not so immature like can often happen.

“When we care about someone, they deserve the benefit of the doubt. We have to consider now only what they did, but also why they did it. Intent matters,”

Page 300

West’s family and the situation with his family company definitely gave Succession vibes (not that I’ve ever watched it) but I actually think it tackled the topic of immense wealth well and how that can corrupt a person and ruin a family, and also how having a ton of privilege can lead to unethical behavior.

From a ~spiciness~/smut perspective, I would give this a 3/5 on the pepper scale. It has a number of spicy scenes, but it is not the entire book!

Final Rating: 5/5 stars

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