Marianne’s Pick of the Week: The Paradise Problem

Sometimes I just need a good beach read. I got that and more in Christina Lauren’s new one The Paradise Problem.  

College students Liam and Anna both want to live in the housing reserved for married students (it’s roomier/cushier), so they fake marry. Over the three years they platonically room together, they rarely see each other. Anna believes their marriage ended in divorce after Liam moved out.  

As with all rom-coms complications arise.  Liam unexpectedly shows up at Anna’s door two years later and reveals they are still married and needs Anna to attend his sister’s Indonesian wedding so that he can inherit $100 million dollars his grandfather bequeathed him (the will stipulates that Liam can only receive his inheritance if he remains married for five years). Anna agrees to go for a price (and gets a fabulous wardrobe out of it) which will provide the funding needed to pay her father’s medical bills. 

On the wedding island, Anna finds not only incredible wealth, but a truly dysfunctional family obsessed with money and appearances at all costs. Liam’s father will happily throw his children under the bus for his own gain and pit them against each other for fun. He commits some truly heinous acts which make the man even more unlikable. The siblings (two brothers and a sister) are by turns charming, overbearing, and clueless. Anna more than holds her own against the snobbery and passive aggressive remarks thrown her way. Through all these happenings we watch Anna and Liam engage in some spicy banter and fall in love.  

Anna is funny, artistic, and quirky to Liam’s serious and uptight vibe. The chemistry between our leads is explosive and sexy. The more time Liam spends with Anna the more he appreciates her approach to life, her support, and her humor. He wonders how much he wants to return to his old life.  

I adored the witty banter, fast-paced plot, and flying sparks between our protagonists. The dual narration of the book provided the perfect window into our characters’ minds.  

Add this book to your Summer Reading List if you enjoyed Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood or Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez.