Anna Green thought her marriage to Liam “West” Weston was just a ticket to cheaper digs at UCLA, and their divorce a done deal after graduation. Fast forward three years: Anna’s an artist scraping by, and West, a Stanford professor and reluctant heir to a fortune he can only claim if he’s been hitched for five happy years.
Now, with the inheritance finish line in sight and his wealthy family eager to meet his better half, West ropes in his not-so-ex-wife, Anna, for one more performance. Under the spotlight, West worries less about Anna’s rough edges, though, and more about the corrupting claws of his family’s wealth. As the charade deepens, West must decide if his multimillion-dollar inheritance is worth jeopardising the unexpected, genuine love that has grown from their faux marital roots.
Fake marrying (and dating) a Stanford professor to snag a huge inheritance? Not too shabby for me and certainly not too shabby for our favourite writer duo.
Christina Lauren use a well-tested formula for their novels which might be a downfall for any other writer pairing after so many books but when the formula’s that good, you don’t mess with it. Yes, while the formula may remain the same, none of their books ever feel bland or
Instead, every novel brings with it good times, laugh-out-loud moments, witty banter and at least one chapter that will make you ponder your own life choices. The Paradise Problem proved to fit right into that formula and yet felt completely unique.
Anna was one of my favourite protagonists the author duo has created so far. I loved how creative and down-to-earth she was and I found her all the more relatable for her struggles. Anna went to college with ambition and drive but—like so many of us—her options on the job market do not reflect the talent and her degree. Anna was so ambitious in nature but also struck down by a system that makes you question your own merit and I think anyone who’s ever tried to get a job (or venture out with your own artistic talents) will relate to the feeling of being lost even when you made all the right choices in life.
Liam took a bit of a backseat when it came to personality (he does have to compete with one of the most shining stars here), but it’s his reflective moments, love for his family even though they often don’t deserve it and his desire to make his family whole again that truly enamoured me with him.
Now, as you can tell, this is a true opposites attract romance. Anna and Liam couldn’t be more different yet it’s those differences that make for such a fun pairing. Anna’s sassiness pairs so well with Liam’s struggles and secrets he’s keeping because it causes him to let loose and try to actually enjoy life again, even with the burden he’s faced with. Meanwhile, Liam’s quiet strength and tenacity give Anna a place to feel appreciated and valued for her artistic talent and her vivacious personality. And of course, there’s a lot of mutual pining and attraction before Liam and Anna give in to their feelings – and the long wait definitely pays off because their chemistry is electric.
The family dynamics in this novel were also so well-matched. Liam’s family is…well to phrase it nicely, a trainwreck. The whole story builds up to a huge scandal that had me grinding my teeth. Every interaction with most of the adults made me want to tear my hair out (the kids were adorable though) whereas Anna’s dad and best friend is just so supportive and kind that it soothed my soul. There’s a lot to be said about how the people you surround yourself with determine your life’s trajectory and never does it feel quite as prominent as when Anna and Liam have tough choices to make. Yet both dynamics added so much depth to the story overall.
My only gripe with The Paradise Problem is that it features a third-act break-up (which is my absolute pet peeve) and while it may have its reasons (no spoilers here), I still think it could have been dealt with through a nice adult conversation. Then again, the lowkey grovelling was pretty cute. If you can set that little pet peeve aside though considering the novel ends on a sweet note with some excellent character growth on the secondary characters
Escapism at its finest, Christina Lauren pairs fan-favourite tropes such as opposites attract and marriage of convenience with wholesomely chaotic yet undeniably relatable characters in their latest not to be missed, feel-good romance The Paradise Problem!
The Paradise Problem is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 14th 2024.
Will you be picking up The Paradise Problem? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Christina Lauren, returns with 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.
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.
