Book Review: The Paradise Problem

The Paradise Problem by Christine Lauren

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit

Pages: 352

Format: ebook

My Rating: ⭐

What on earth did I just read? Seriously, what is that? What kind of a plot is that? I can’t believe I wasted my time reading this book. It’s a shame this mess is written by women. Ugh! I’m so disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book at the very beginning. It had potential. At first, it was funny and readable, and I definitely laughed my ass off. However, it took a cheesy drift that I didn’t see coming. Out of the blue, it turned into a cringy, unrealistic, and very unoriginal billionaire-poor girl with benefits story with too much spice. Honestly, I’m surprised they didn’t throw in a love triangle just for good measure.

For a moment I paused reading and was gonna dnf at 64%. But I made it to the end anyway since I’ve made it this far. This book literally went downhill from chapter 24. I don’t know what’s wrong with Anna and Liam. The spice between those two is unjustifiable and it happens out of nowhere! The way these spicy scenes are written is so bad and cringy as if AI wrote them; they’re robotic, repetitive, and uncanny.

There’s no build-up, no tension—just two people who are suddenly all over each other because… reasons? Honestly, the whole thing feels forced, awkward, and downright creepy. They’re strangers who barely know each other, yet they can’t keep their hands off one another, and we’re supposed to find this romantic? No, thanks. Hard pass.

I hate when adult couples in books act like teenagers who can’t keep it in their pants. One minute Anna and Liam are setting boundaries and the next they’re breaking those boundaries anyway! I don’t understand when or how Anna and Liam got too close and touchy with each other. It wasn’t clear at all and I’m sure I didn’t miss any parts. They’re just horny for each other and it was just ugh. Their relationship is pure lust, not romantic or whatsoever.

Liam be like, “We shouldn’t touch like that. I don’t know you well. We’re strangers,” and Anna agrees, then her hands are all over him seconds later. And by the time they couldn’t get enough of each other and control themselves, I had enough.

Anna is portrayed as a 25-year-old dumb woman with bubblegum pink hair. And that’s her whole personality. And oh, I forgot. She has sexy long legs, which is the only thing Liam ever notices about her. God forbid she has thoughts or feelings beyond that. But really, who needs depth when you’ve got legs for days? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I thought this book was going to be a great chance to focus on the life of young artists and the challenges they face through Anna. But oh goodness, I was sooooo wrong. The portrayal of every woman in this book was utterly annoying, making them all feel like beauties with no brains. Welp!

As for the men in this book, well, I’d rather not to talk much about them. Liam, Alex, Ray,… All of them are equally annoying and childish and aren’t even qualified to be husband materials. They’re just rich and obnoxious and if all men on earth are like that, I’d rather stay celibate. Forgive me Hera!

The writing style is as cheesy as the plot. And I can’t hide the fact that I’m so done with authors writing about people who casually have sex and get intimate while having zero feelings, yet label their books as “romance”. This whole “we’re strangers, but let’s get naked anyway” thing? It’s just weird. Romanticizing this kind of emotionless relationships is just… ew. No, thank you.

Also, the pop culture references in this book are too much. I believe the duo authors made a huge mistake mentioning Succession cause I doubt Anna even watched an entire episode of it. She has zero knowledge of how businesses go, sounding so dumb when Liam has to explain c-suite roles to her. As if they haven’t made Anna sound stupid enough. She marries her roommate to get the apartment, doesn’t bother to read the divorce legal papers, has no clue she’s still married to her roommate, and then lets him use her as a fake wife in exchange for money. Unbelievable! Give me a break!

The ending is so so so rushed and it felt like it was written by a clueless horny teenager. The scandal is ridiculous. The way all problems were solved once Anna visits Liam’s house is meh. They just have sex over and over till the book ends and keep telling each other “I love you”. Love? What love? When did they fall in love? Where? How? They’re busy touching each other, and they barely have time to learn about each other. I’m confused.

To me, the book is literal trash, and I have no idea how it got published in the first place, but here we are. I feel weird at the so many 5-star ratings, but whatever. I personally didn’t think there was anything wrong with paradise; the only problem here is this book. I’d give it zero stars if I could.