Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Paradise Problem

Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

103 reviews

mikaylawood's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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literarymary95's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted

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

4.75

This was my first Christina Lauren book and have been tempted to read some of their earlier books and just didn't bite the bullet until I saw all the raving about this book. After reading The Paradise Problem, I know I'll have to read more of their books.

The concept behind this book was super intriguing and I couldn't stop reading the book. I thought the character development and plot was excellently written. The dual POV in 1st person POV and the banter between the main male and female characters were perfection.

I would say this is a good book to get someone into reading adult contemporary novels since it's a fun easy read.

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whit_lovesbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

A ten-star book through and through. This has been solidified as my favorite contemporary romance ♥

I love romance books. They are usually idealistic and sweet, which is perfect for escaping my (somewhat depressing) reality. I don't expect romances to be realistic - honestly, I consider them in the same vein as fantasy - fun to imagine, not rooted in reality.
This romance book? Well. It was still fantastical, but the characters were written so well that it somehow felt so much more real.
Firstly, there was an underlying theme of "f**k the rich" in this story, and as someone who doesn't enjoy billionaire romances (because I hate the idea of billionaires existing), this was soooo delicious to me. The FMC, Anna, doesn't come from money. Her fake marriage to the son of a billionaire had so much potential for both funny situations and serious conversations...BOTH OF WHICH WERE DONE.
Actually, before I go further into the plot, I want to highlight both Anna and Liam.

Anna is such a fantastic character. 25, starving artist type recently fired from her job at a convenience store, pink hair, general mess of a human. Yeah, in LOVE with her. Her silliness was such an excellent characteristic !! Every single one of her emotions in this story were valid. She had so much depth to her. Her love for her father motivated a lot of her actions, but as the romance slowly progressed, I could see that she is just generally a deeply loving character. There were moments in the book where she got defensive of Liam (and then was snarky to some billionaires in that defense- WE LOVE TO SEE IT).

Liam? Also a fantastic character! Something I've noticed in a lot of romance books is the authors of said books writing their MMCs as more wooden, less emotional. I get why they do it as someone who interacts with men on a daily basis. I don't hate that it is a common character trait with men...but let me tell you - when I do find male characters that are in touch with their emotions, I eat that shit up. Liam, in particular, used to be a man who was not in touch with his emotions. Honestly, if the authors had decided to keep him that way, I would've understood them! His family life was roughhh, and the expectations placed on him at such an early age would've sent many to either an early grave or to a mental institution if they had stayed in touch with their emotions! SO yes. I get it. But him being in touch with his emotions because he went to therapy? CHEFS KISS, my friends, CHEFS KISS. Maybe even a french kiss! I wish more men did that!

The romance started off very horny, and you know what? I get it on both of their ends! Reading their descriptions as a bisexual was quite fun for me. I mean, pink hair? Anna could get it. ANyway! It started off as a very physical connection, but the more they spent time with each other, the more their respect for each other grew. I loved that each new detail they learned about each other inspired new and complicated emotions. Liam learning about Anna's father having cancer helped him understand Anna's motivation for going along with his crazy plan. Anna learning about Liam's terrible father (and interacting with him personally) made her feel protective and angry. etc. etc. All of it was so good. The softer romance developing slower felt more real and I loved it so much.
"I'm not even asking you to choose me. I'm asking you to choose yourself."
This quote was SOOOO!!!!! The communication between Liam and Anna, especially at the end, was getting me so good. The respect and adoration they had for each other at the climax of the story was incredible. I cannot praise it enough.

Speaking of praise, I want to thank both Christina and Lauren for their success in making me hate a character so badly that I wanted the genre of the book to change to a murder mystery! Liam Weston's father, Raymond, would not have survived that book in an ideal world. He was nasty. His manipulation of his children was disgusting. His complete and utter disregard for the feelings of literally anyone but himself was a kick-in-the-nuts offense. However, his worst crime is something that is truly vile, and one that I will not spoil for those who have not read the book and are somehow reading this review. However, once you read it, you will understand that any father that could do that to his son does not deserve life. Simple as.
Maybe that is why I loved Liam's bravery at the end. He finally chose himself, and it felt satisfying in a way that is difficult to explain. Honestly, his character arc outside of the romance was amazing all by itself.

My last point I want to make - the conclusion of this story was SO SATISFYING. I love me a good ending, but this one tied up every single thread that was introduced in such a good way. Like. By the end of the book, I audibly sighed and went, "now that was an ending." Good stuff.

I listened to this audiobook, and the narrators did a great job. I will be ordering a physical copy of this book immediately.

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rebroxannape's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted tense fast-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? No

4.5

“Houston, we have a problem(atic man).”

I hate to give this book less than 5 stars. The writing was excellent, it was very funny, the story kept me turning the pages, the heroine and hero were both lovable and admirable, the main bad guy was the evilest of evil and the ones in the middle were layered and somewhat complex. There was more than one cheer-worthy moment and also lots of drama and suspense. But I counted off for TMI in the spice department. I’m not a prude (debatable) and don’t mind some open-door explicitness, but it started to suck up too much air out of the actual story and character development. It started a little past the halfway point and I was liking the story and characters so much that I got impatient with the amount of real estate it took up.

“West” Weston (aka Liam) and Anna Green got married in college just to qualify for affordable married housing. They barely saw each other and after Liam graduated they completely lost touch and haven’t seen each other for almost 5 years. Anna changed her major from Pre-Med to Art but her dream of supporting herself and paying her beloved father’s medical bills with her painting is not even a distant possibility. And she just got unjustly fired from her crap job at the Pico Pick-It-Up. She is at a very low point. So when Liam, whom she almost didn’t even recognize, comes a-knocking at her apartment door with a proposal that will allow her to breathe a little financially, she is all in. This is a girl who thinks $10,000 is “life-changing,” and Liam’s deal will net her over 10 times that amount. He needs her wifely presence by his side at his sister’s extravagant wedding on a private island in Indonesia. A condition of Liam and his siblings’ each inheriting around $100,000,000 each from their late grandfather is that they must be legitimately married for at least 5 years. And according to his mother, his ruthless father is starting to get suspicious that Liam’s marriage to Anna is a sham.

The plot is certainly not original and there were plot holes one could drive a bus through. The most glaring, to me, was how Anna and Liam could possibly think that their marriage-in-name only could not and would not have been easily uncovered years ago. But I was so involved in the story that I didn’t let that bother me (too much). The character of Anna was the key. Boisterous, proudly blue-collar, inappropriate, and hilarious, she must try to bury her authentic self to pretend to be Liam’s perfectly classy blue-blood and loving wife who is at ease with wealth and power. All the while pretending she is a doctor. Liam knows he is in for trouble when she shows up at the airport expensively attired, accessorized, and gorgeous (he gave her a dress allowance) but still sporting her strikingly pink hair. But Anna is smart and motivated to carry the whole deception off. She likes and respects Liam, who is a perfect foil for her. He left the family business for academia to become independent from his dysfunctional family for mysterious reasons. We only know that Liam is a good man with high principles and his father is a fiendish “sludge goblin.” He is constantly having to navigate his father’s manipulations and pressure to rejoin the family firm while still trying to keep in touch with the less offensive members of his troubled family.

Although The Westons certainly look askance at Anna’s unconventional ways she is pretty much accepted by them. Given Anna’s spirit and gumption, they don’t have much choice. The children of the family love her, Liam’s sister is nice and thrilled to finally meet her, and her sister-in-law is almost becoming a friend. And anyone can see the young couple are devoted to each other. Still, there are many dangerous waters to navigate and many traps to avoid. Suspense and tension build, but Liam and Anna have each others’ backs and even though there are some close calls, they are in a fair way to carrying the whole charade off. Except it’s not a charade anymore. Liam and Anna are in love. Then all hell breaks loose. Liam’s father gains the upper hand in his obsession to get Liam back under his thumb and back in the family business. Threats are made, secrets are revealed, and high drama is on every page. As truths come out, we learn there is much more at stake than we thought.

The opposites attract romance was engaging (other than…you know) and the crass and conspicuous consumption of the Weston family was an endless source of entertainment. Liam’s rage-filled narcissistic father kept the tension and drama factor high. I loved that when the inevitable crisis in Anna and Liam’s relationship came it was for good and understandable reasons, not silly foolishness. The side characters, including Anna’s friends and family, were very enjoyable and layered. Justice was served and the comeuppances were beautifully done and very satisfying. I closed the book with a smile on my face and hope for the families in my heart!

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bbooks23's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging funny lighthearted reflective tense fast-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

4.5

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scarlettbeth's review

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.75

The book was very predictable which left little to be desired. The majority of the book was cheesy and indulgent, the last quarter of the book had the most substance and drama that made it good. It felt like a weird tone shift.

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sunshinekmp's review

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emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.5

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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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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anna_woodson's review against another edition

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4.5

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literary_laur's review

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hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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