The Paradise Problem Book Club Kit
The Paradise Problem is the official June 2025 pick for the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers.
The summertime reading slump can be such a challenge. Kids are home, you're on the go, and finding some downtime can be difficult.
Last summer, The Paradise Problem not only kicked me out of the worst reading slump ever but got me to love reading again so much I launched into an epic reading streak that is still going 10 months later.
I picked it as the first summer book for book club because I hope it sets you on a path of fun reading over the summer break just like it did for me.
Want to read my full thoughts and check out the spicy rating scale? You can read my The Paradise Problem book review here.
P.S. Just joining us? Don't miss the full list of 2025 book club picks.
Peanut Blossom Book Club
This book club pick is one of the awesome books from our eleventh year of book club.
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What is The Paradise Problem About?
"Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed and they both went on their merry ways.
Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.
Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, an over-the-top family wedding means he’ll have to appear with his mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.
But once they land at the wedding venue, a luxury island resort, Liam’s less worried if the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part, and more about whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt even his surprisingly grounded and openhearted wife. Now he has to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth risking true love that sprouted from a lie."
The Paradise Problem Discussion Questions
I believe the best book club questions to spark a lively discussion in your group help readers make personal connections to the story.
You can read about how to write the best book club questions on your own here, but hopefully these will get you started!
Question 1:
Would you accept a hundred thousand dollars to pose as someone's wife for a week as Anna does at the beginning of the story? Were her motivations strong enough? Would you need more or less excuse to agree to the bargain?
Question 2:
Compare Anna's father to Liam's family. If you had to pick to be a member of one of those families, which one would you choose? Why?
Question 3:
Did any of the moments in the book make you laugh out loud? Which was your favorite scene?
Question 4:
If you had 24 hours to prepare for an ultra-wealthy family wedding where you knew no one but your +1 and you had an unlimited budget, what would you do?
Question 5:
How did you feel about the chemistry between Anna and Liam? Were they meant for each other or do you think this was a relationship born out of convenience?
Question 6:
Liam's father makes a series of unfortunate choices. Without giving away spoilers in this question, would you have been able to forgive him if you were Liam? How would you have handled the series of events differently?
Question 7:
How did Liam's siblings affect how the story played out? Would the plot have been better without one or more of them or were they essential? Did you see any similarities to your own sibling relationships?
Question 8:
If you had an unlimited budget for your own wedding, where would you host it and what would it look like? Do you think the wedding described in the book would make you happy?
Book Club Party Menu
I think it is so fun to plan your book club dinner menu or dessert list based on the theme of the book.
There are a few book club dinner-friendly dishes mentioned throughout the story, here are a few I'd choose if I were hosting the party:
The first big, explosive romantic scene occurs while the lovebirds are baking a pizza. An obvious main dish option would be to serve a top-your-own pizza bar for some interactive fun. Otherwise, dish up this easy Thai chicken pizza for a fun twist:
For a more nibble-y approach, you could serve a big bowl of pineapple salsa with tortilla chips to play off the tropical island theme. Or keep Crockpot chicken tacos filling warm for easy assembling during the party.
My Oriental chicken layer dip can be prepped in advance and is a heartier dip or spread with butter crackers.
For a sweet bite, serve big platters of fresh fruit and crispy cookies with my easy piña colada fruit dip.
For a showstopping finish, bake up a simple boxed mix cake and top it with this easy pineapple filling. Frost it with cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of shredded coconut.
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