I’m going to be honest here: I would be surprised if you’ve spent time on the Internet and haven’t heard of Christina Lauren before. But just in case that name hasn’t popped up on your Goodreads page or Instagram feed, let me introduce you to your next obsession.
The dazzling author duo, comprised of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, best friends and overall badasses, has been putting out bestseller after bestseller, while making people swoon all over the planet.
No one does romance tropes quite like this author pair does—always fresh, never boring. You want an enemies-to-lovers story where there’s only one bed? The Unhoneymooners is right up your alley. More of a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope? My Favorite Half-Night Stand will make you flail your arms and beg the characters to finally realise they’re perfect for each other. Want to read about an unexpected romance with fake dating? Roomies is where it’s at. And if you just want to feel empowered in those quirks you often feel aren’t socially acceptable and are still looking for that one person that gets you – flaws and all? Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Dating is what you need in your life. And if you need a bit more steam to your romances, the Beautiful Bastard series is for you. Really, there’s something for everyone. Though the tropes might be formulaic, there is nothing generic about these innovative romances (and let’s be honest, we all love these tropes, after all).
What I appreciate most about Christina Lauren is the fact that none of their books ever fall into the dreaded ‘drawing out’ pit that pervades the romance genre. There’s no point in their stories where you have to drag yourself through a chapter; their writing is engaging and keeps you gripping those pages throughout. They are also incredibly apt at making you feel all the feels – from rolling your eyes at misogynist comments you’ve probably heard in real life before (and women delivering badass responses to those comments) to swooning when the couple you were rooting for finally gets together to choking up when everything feels like it’s about to fall apart. With their uncanny ability to create characters that feel instantly relatable, supernaturally funny, and just that touch of too good to be true, their romantic comedies dazzle.
I was lucky enough to discover their books through their YA release Autoboyography – a beautiful, heartbreaking story about a bisexual boy who falls in love with the son of a Mormon preacher (cue Taylor Swift’s Mine). It is an intricate look at love, religion, identity, and the search to find your place in a world that might not be all too friendly if you’re too honest about your feelings. But it’s also a story of acceptance, of found families and friendship that endures.
The best part about Christina Lauren’s writing is that it always draws you in. Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or a bit meh about feelings, you can easily get lost within the pages of their books. With snappy writing, quick wit and a heavy portion of feel-good energy, these books will make you smile, swoon and send you right back to the bookstore to pre-order their next release., which is Twice in a Blue Moon and releases on October 22nd.
Everything they wrote is genius! I fell in love with the Beautiful Bastard series and have loved everything they have written. They have an uncanny ability to make me both gut bust laugh and sob. I can’t wait for the next one!