The Paradise Problem ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

G👀dreads

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.

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

The How/Why:  This one was recommended by two bookie friends who appeared to be my kindred reading spirits. They both gave it five stars. I thought it would be a good easy breezy one after a few more serious crime mysteries. 

Honorable mention ~ GR Choice Award Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romance 2024 ~ FLTW since there were over 750,000 nominees. The winner was Funny Story by Emily Henry which was a DNF for me BTW. 🤷 😉

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 

🎉 Overall Enjoyment?  🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉🎊

🎣 Did it grab and keep my attention?  🎣 🎣 🎣 🎣 🎣

🗣️ Would I recommend it to anyone? Maybe 🤷 If you like Chick Lit Romance

🕮 Would I want a sequel? Maybe 🤷 I can imagine niece Reagan taking over the family empire. Maybe having to duke it out with her brothers and cousins ​​but she finds ways to push them aside and take the kidneys. 

📚 Would I want to read more books by this author?   Maybe 🤷 It's actually a duo writing team. Besties Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings have co-authored several.

💣💥 📢 Sort Warnings? Em0tionąl and Vɇrbąl AbŲsɇ

🌶 Spice? Yes 🌶 🌶

🌪 Plot Twist? Yes 

👟 Pace? Good

💻 Tidbits ~ Yes there are many fake marriages, millionaire romance books but this is the best one I've read/listened to. Disclaimer: I haven't read them ALL but I've read my fair share. Please let me know if you have a favorite that you think is better than this one and I'll add it to my TBR list. 

They get fake married to obtain cheap student housing, so she thinks. He needs to get married in order to get his inheritance so he marries his brother's friend. After graduation she signs the divorce papers. Or so they seem.  Added clause in the fine print : They need to be married five years in order for him to get the inheritance. 

Somehow he has hidden his pretended wife from the family for over four years. 👀🤷Now his princess baby sister is getting married so there is no getting around him bringing her with to this flamboyant event. She's a struggling artist and is paying her Dad's cancer treatment bills so he's able to bribe her to go with him, cuz money talks. Private island in paradise, credit card to buy an appropriate wardrobe, spa treatment, etc. The money to help her Dad draws her in. I would have gone along with the charade too! 

The venue is over the top as well as most of the highfalutin guest. Most of his family is toxic, especially his parents. The bride is adorable and has her head in the sand as to the family drama. His two brothers are polar opposites. I admit I enjoyed the sassy hands-on touchy-feely sister in law! 

Surprisingly Anna is playing the part better than he ever expected. All the pre-wedding activities draw them together as chemistry between them builds. 

Anticipating the train wreck (you know it's bound to happen), after the ceremony the cat gets let out of the bag. Or shall I say the Gucci Slippers are pulled out from under her? Chaos ensues. His father kicks them off the island. She's mad at him for hiding secrets. Can they get past that and find their HEA? NO SPOILERS!  

Favorite part: When his niece Raegan is upset because she's "stuck on this island" while her friends are having fun at home posting things in SM. Anna has a sweet chat with her about how life works and teaches her to *draw* it out.

Kudos to the authors for painting a pretty picture of the island, the festivities, and the guests ala Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. And for painting a villainous picture of the Father that made you want to accidentally trip him on the beach. SorryNotSorry. 

I deducted half star. A quarter because how did he hide his pretend wife from his family for over four years? His sweet and loving sister would have just shown up at his doorstep to meet her new sister. Another quarter because of something at the end, but that would be a spoiler! 

🎧Patti Murin and Jon Root

🎧11.43 hours 🕮 352 pages

Extra Tidbit 

AI Summary - not gonna lie, this is not how I pictured them!