In brief: Anna and Liam got married in college to save on bills. Now he needs her to act as his wife to claim his inheritance on a tropical island…
The good: It’s really fun with a good heart.
The not-so-good: Now I have to wait for another C.Lo book.
Why I chose it: Christina Lauren write the most fun and funniest romances.
Year: 2024
Pages: 340
Publisher: Piatkus (Hachette)
Setting: Indonesia and USA
Rating: 10 out of 10
I’ve said it many times, but for the people in the back, Christina Lauren writes the best romances out there. They are witty, funny and spicy with relatable characters (even when they happen to be heirs to a supermarket fortune). In this standalone novel, the reader is whisked away to a luxury private resort.
Sounds surprising? Well, it certainly is for the heroine Anna. She’s a struggling artist who has just lost her part-time job to help pay her father’s medical bills. She literally doesn’t know where she’ll get the money she needs, so it’s lucky that her estranged husband Liam (aka West) contacts her. Their marriage was not in the traditional sense, more it was a plot to ensure they both got cheap college housing. But now Liam needs Anna’s help. He’s an heir to the Weston Foods fortune, but it comes with a caveat. He needs to prove he’s happily married to Anna at his sister’s wedding which is taking part on a private island in Indonesia. Anna agrees to help Liam and an all-expenses trip is on the cards. But Anna and Liam are very different people who hardly know each other – and have their own baggage. They need to pull off this trip by flying under the radar, but everyone’s interested in meeting Anna and learning their story. Can Anna keep up the façade as Liam is attacked by the family that is meant to love him?
This story is a fun riot. No money is spared to make the wedding of Charlie (Liam’s sister) the most glamourous event dripping in crystals, fancy food and designer clothes. It’s even being covered by business magazines – but at a cost for access to the family business and their future plans. Liam’s sister is fun, but the rest of the Westons are not. Liam’s mother is a snob who looks down on Anna’s pink hair and wears Gucci to take out the rubbish. His father is a tyrant who bullies his children, particularly Liam, and uses any mistake as a future threat to ruin his children. Add in Liam’s creepy sycophantic brother Alex, and the island and its wealthy displays start to lose their sheen. Anna has been told to turn it down by Liam, but she’s astounded at how this family treats each other. She’s going to protect her husband, fake or otherwise! Her feisty determination is part of what makes this book shine. Liam is a little weaker as a character, experiencing a lack of confidence and is scared of his father’s ability to ruin what he worked so hard for independently. He’s a quiet, caring guy and once he opens up to Anna, he becomes much more interesting.
The superrich setting had everything you could want and more (it’s up there with Crazy Rich Asians) as well as the dramatic end to the wedding. What I liked was that the novel went continued after the big scenes, through the bust ups and into a happily ever after that worked for both Anna and Liam on their own terms. I thought the originality of the marriage of convenience trope was great and the summer vibe of the tropical vacation (partially from hell) was just right for an Australian winter. I loved that Anna didn’t take herself or the Westons too seriously and had the guts to stand up to the family for who money is everything and nothing. Overall, it’s delicious fun that doesn’t quit. A perfect escape read.
Sam Still Reading 
I’m just finishing this book and I love it. The wedding certainly is over the top. The house that is being used for the honeymoon develops a water leak and has to be cancelled, so the bride’s father buys them another house to use. Unreal. Your review describes the book perfectly.