Christina Lauren’s “The Paradise Problem” is Like “White Lotus” and “Nine Perfect Strangers” Had a Baby

Dec 2

It’s hard to make a self-professed book lover fall out of love with reading, but 2025 almost snatched it away from me. One of my saving graces happens to be the memory of a fun interview with the writing duo known as Christina Lauren. Affectionately and appropriately known as the queens of romance, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings have created what I like to call an empire.

With titles such as The Soulmate Equation and The Love Experiment, they’ve captured the hearts of those who love a juicy, steamy read about two people falling in love. Kudos if there’s an incredible amount of tension between the characters!

In my opinion, there’s one book Christina Lauren’s written that stands out and has become a joyful read when I need a bit of escapism: The Paradise Problem. Released last year, it was an instant summer hit that I rightfully predicted would become a New York Times Bestseller.

Great, but what’s it about???

As much as I love a good horror or dark romance read, The Paradise Problem doesn’t feature any mythical creatures. Instead, it has a modern day Cinderella vibe to it…with a twist.

Imagine deciding to get married out of convenience only to realize years later that you once lived with one of the heirs of a popular retail chain. That’s exactly what happens to free-spirited Anna Green, except she discovers she has to play the role of an intelligent woman who can fit in with a wealthy crowd. What could go wrong? | If you’re Liam “West” Weston, everything.

On paper and at first glance, it seems this unlikely husband and wife have nothing in common. Whereas West is more polished, Anna’s a true artist at heart. It seems like their ruse is doomed to fail until a few days in paradise show them there’s more to each other than meets the eye.

The question is, can they survive the cutthroat world of glitz, glamour and business politics?