Reviews with content warning for Bullying - The Paradise Problem

I enjoyed the book, but it was darker than I expected or at least more emotional. The toxicity of Liam's family holy shit! I can see how he would have been brainwashed to fall in line or everyone would lose their inheritance, but it was frustrating. I was with Anna, NO ONE needs all that money! Liam could say no to his father, his siblings wouldn't have been out on the street, and they all had good jobs, or spouses who were also loaded.
If I'd been in that situation, Anna would have disgusted me, disgusted with the wealth and excess. Overall, it was a good book, just more emotional than I was prepared for. It harkened back to the Beautiful Bastard days but with more emotional depth. I wish we'd gotten more into Anna's past and issues as well.

Narrator Rating: 5.0 stars

Both narrators did an amazing job.

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emilywemily6's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I adored these characters! They had distinct personalities and some nuance, and they were hilarious! I wish the MMC had a tiny bit more depth. I loved the dynamic of this marriage of convenience/fake dating scenario because it was slightly ridiculous, along with the family vacation scenario for absurdly rich people. The side characters all felt distinct and showed a different impact of wealth on this family and their dynamics. The ending tied everything up nicely (maybe a little too nicely). Other than that being a little bit ridiculous, this book was so so good! A great summer vacation romance.

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itsgnat's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.0

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gwenswoons's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I liked this one! Christian Lauren can be hit or miss for me and I think I’m finding that their more recent work feels more creative in the use of tropes, with better character development. I loved the setting and the “rich people behaving badly” of it all, and (as always) the CL chemistry between the two main characters is so good. I do struggle with the flaky artist stereotypes, so this wasn’t my favorite female MC, but Patti Murin’s audio narration was excellent (also as always; I didn’t love the male narrator but he grew on me a bit as I kept listening). Overall a fun read for some long car trips and mind-numbing errands I had to manage this week. :)

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chailady's review

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Christina Lauren has done it again. This romantic comedy has a serious issue as well. The friends to lovers trope is well developed as Liam (West) and Anna work out their fake marriage while attending the destination wedding of his sister. I enjoyed watching the two of them face the problems, both real and perceived, with each other and with his family. This is a fun read and the setting was delightfully beachy 🏝️

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garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

⭐ 4.25/5
🌶️ 3/5

Really, Christina Lauren books are always a great read, and this was no exception.

📝 The story was fun, the FMC was hilarious, the chemistry between the two MCs was great. The whole fake spouse trope can be hard to buy in to, but it felt believable, with the stakes in this story.

🌶️ I always wish Christina and Lauren's books were a little dirtier/more explicit than they actually are, but there's still spice to be had! Multiple heated, enthusiastic scenes that were well done.

🎧 The narration was great! The book is dual POV, so there were two narrators. They both did an excellent job.

🤑 I get major ick from billionaires, so I avoid books about them. But this managed to be a story mostly featuring billionaires that actually didn't gross me out! Or it did, but in the ways the authors wanted where I could still root for the MMC. I thought they dealt with the wealth issue pretty decently overall.

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jehansen127's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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