The Paradise Problem Review & Book Club Questions

Synopsis Of The Paradise Problem

In The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren, Anna Green is a struggling artist living in Los Angeles, working at a convenience store to make ends meet and pay her father’s medical bills.

She originally started college as a medical student, but later switched to fine arts. To qualify for family housing during her college years, Anna entered a marriage of convenience with her friend’s brother, Liam Weston.

Liam, or "West" as Anna calls him, is part of the Weston family, owners of the massive Weston Foods supermarket chain.

Liam has distanced himself from his family’s empire, preferring to work as a professor at Stanford, but there’s one thing that keeps him tied to them — his grandfather’s $100 million inheritance.

According to the stipulations of the will, Liam must stay married for five years to access the money. Now, with the five-year mark approaching, Liam and Anna are still legally married, although they’ve led separate lives since college.

When Liam’s younger sister announces her wedding in Indonesia, Liam needs Anna to accompany him and pretend they are a happily married couple.

His family still believes Anna is a doctor, and Liam never told them about her switch to fine arts. To make the ruse more convincing, Liam offers Anna $100,000 to attend the wedding and act the part of the perfect wife.

Struggling financially, Anna agrees, and the two head off to the tropical island of Batam.

At the island, Anna and Liam meet the rest of the Weston family.

There’s Ray Weston, Liam’s domineering father, who wants Liam to take over as CEO of Weston Foods, despite Liam’s refusal. Ray also has two other sons — Alex, the older brother and CFO of the company, and Jake, the younger brother and CMO, who introduced Anna and Liam in the first place.

Tensions run high within the family, especially as Alex resents not being considered for CEO, and Jake is aware that Liam and Anna’s marriage is a sham.

As the wedding festivities continue, Anna struggles to fit in with the wealthy, elitist Weston family. She and her friend Vivi go on a shopping spree beforehand to buy clothes and accessories that make Anna look the part, but her discomfort remains.

Sparks begin to fly between Anna and Liam as they spend more time together, and the forced proximity causes their feelings to rise to the surface.

But it’s not just about appearances — Anna’s artwork begins to gain attention while on the island, and she receives news that her paintings have sold to an anonymous buyer, opening the door to more opportunities as an artist.

Meanwhile, Liam’s relationship with his father continues to deteriorate. Ray pressures him to announce his succession as CEO during the wedding, even bringing in a reporter from Forbes for an exclusive interview.

Despite their tension, Liam feels compelled to go along with the plan for the sake of his siblings, knowing that his refusal could affect their inheritances. Unbeknownst to them, all the grandchildren’s inheritances are linked — if Liam forfeits his, everyone’s inheritance is at risk.

On the night of the wedding, everything unravels. A reporter congratulates Liam on accepting the CEO position, which he had no intention of doing.

Furious at his father for manipulating the situation, Liam refuses the role, causing Alex to publicly accuse him of faking his marriage to Anna. In a shocking revelation, Alex exposes Anna’s true occupation as a convenience store clerk, rather than a doctor.

The confrontation reaches a boiling point when Ray gives Liam an ultimatum: take the CEO position or forfeit the family inheritance, not just for himself but for all his siblings too.

Anna, fed up with Ray’s manipulation, confronts him, calling him out for treating people as bargaining chips.

In the chaos, Liam and Anna are banished from the island, and they retreat to Singapore.

But the drama doesn’t end there. Anna discovers that Liam was the anonymous buyer of her paintings, a revelation that deeply upsets her. She feels betrayed, accusing Liam of using his wealth to control her career, just like his father controls him.

Back in the U.S., Liam faces another challenge. Ray threatens to release damaging information about a past incident involving Liam, known as the "PISA" scandal.

When Liam refuses to take the CEO position, Ray leaks the story to the press, falsely accusing Liam of using company software to stalk and harass female employees.

As the scandal makes headlines, Anna rushes to Palo Alto to help Liam clear his name.

During a press conference, Alex finally confesses the truth — Ray, not Liam, was responsible for the harassment.

Ray had sold company stock before planting the false story about Liam, and he is ultimately arrested and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

In the end, Ray chooses not to contest the inheritance, leaving Liam and his siblings to divide the money.

Liam uses his inheritance to start a foundation for Weston Foods employees. In the final scenes of The Paradise Problem book, Liam and Anna decide to stay together, this time for real.