Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - The Paradise Problem

Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

30 reviews

mandareads222's review

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adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

3.75

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emjay2021's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-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

4.0

I enjoyed this despite noting that it has problems. It’s like a mashup between Pretty Woman (which the book acknowledges) and Crazy Rich Asians. I liked the character of Anna because although at first it seems she’s going to be a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, she has a lot going on and is in fact a smart and complex person. West/Liam was fine; I appreciated that we also had chapters from his POV. If you like reading about trainwreck dysfunctional families, you will not be disappointed.

The tropical setting and beautiful people of this novel mean it would translate well to the screen. For sure I would watch it.

I recommend this if you are looking for a good beach read and have enjoyed Christina Lauren’s previous books. However, this one seems to be a little steamier than their previous novels, so just a heads up if you don’t like that kind of thing. I thought it was fine if a little overwrought at times.

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mlglenn's review against another edition

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4.5

Another cute CLo book set in a tropical oasis where people are fake dating/married, falling in love, and sticking it to toxic family members. The opposites attract energy was so strong with Liam and Anna but it worked so well. And I loved the extra long epilogue with updates!!

The audio on this is great, narrators are amazing, and I would definitely recommend!

*Possible spoilers below*

POV: dual first person

You can expect: marriage of convenience, opposites attract, fake marriage, only one bed, “whoops our hotel room is small and I peeked when you were showering”, family tension, forced proximity, collaborators with benefits, he falls first, professor MMC, artist FMC.

Spice: 3/5

CW: emotional and financially manipulative and abusive family members, parent with cancer (past), parental abandonment (past)

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ms_elchert's review

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

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juanat77's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense fast-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

5.0

I rarely think that a romance novel is perfect but this one is close. The ending of the story was a bit rushed, but everything else makes up for it. I went in blind when pre-ordering the book and was so glad that I did. While the authors, Christina and Lauren were able to touch upon serious topics such as complicated family dynamics, financial struggles, and abandonment issues they were also able to flawlessly combine it with humor and witty banter. The main character, Anna, is both strong and witty while the the other main character Liam, is initially serious and could be considered a “stick in the mud” he does develop emotionally throughout the story. The chemistry and dynamics between the characters of Anna and Liam worked very well together as well. To me, this is the perfect beach/vacation read. The story made me eager to see what would happen next and I was always excited to get back to the book. I’d love to see some sort of continuation of this story especially with Liam’s brother Jake! I highly recommend!
5 stars!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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sdupont's review

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emotional funny 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

The Paradise Problem is a good time. Who wouldn’t enjoy a marriage of convenience set on a private island? The beachy vibes were immaculate, brb booking my flight. I liked Liam and Anna. They were good for each other. Liam so desperately needed someone on his side (talk about family drama and manipulation). Despite being dropped into another world Anna is very sure of herself. I loved that she wasn’t constantly doubting herself. I wanted to see a little bit more emotional depth with the characters (and more spicy scenes if I’m being honest). This was a solid Christina Lauren romance. I would recommend this if you are looking for Crazy Rich Asians meets Pretty Woman/The Wedding Date.

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singalana's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

I basically picked this book based on the cover because I was trying out a new audiobook app. I would have never guessed how thoroughly I'd end up enjoying this.

Look, this book is the perfect beach read: fake dating on a paradise island. The only trouble on the horizon are extremely rich and obnoxious relatives.

I was surprised that the main characters didn't annoy me, in fact I was rooting for them. The family dynamics and friendships were also interesting.

And I'm sure no one is surprised that there's quite a lot of spice, but I was surprised how much plot there was!

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