My Guide to Christina Lauren

For the curious but overwhelmed

Programming note: I’ll be traveling, so this edition is going out a bit early and there’ll be no newsletter next week, but I’ll be back on the 26th!

One of the first contemporary romances I read was a Christina Lauren (aka CLo) book and I loved it. Their writing has an addictive quality, their protagonists have strong narrative voices, and they blend a delightful sense of humor with real emotional stakes. I’ve been faithfully keeping up with the author duo’s new releases since then and when I went to one of their book events back in 2019, even brought the substantial stack I’d acquired over the years with me. (I feel obliged to mention here that they were extremely nice and signed all of them.) Their 29th book, The True Love Experiment, comes out Tuesday May 16th. So in honor of one of my most anticipated reads of the year, I’ve put together a short guide with some of my favorites and suggestions with where to start if you’re interested in diving in to their extensive backlist.

Where to start:

• The Soulmate Equation: A science-filled, practically perfect romance about a single mom statistician and the scientist founder of a matchmaking company, who find out that, according to his company’s test, they’re a nearly unheard-of 98% compatible. The chemistry between Jess and River is suitably electric and these two characters just seem absolutely, incontrovertibly right for each other. I also really love the supporting characters in this, especially Jess’ romance novelist best friend Fizzy and loving grandparents. Fizzy is the heroine in The True Love Experiment so if you fall as madly in love with her as I did, you can spend more time with her almost immediately. (Moderate steam.)

• The Unhoneymooners: Olive and Ethan hate each other. But when a bad case of food poisoning strikes the wedding of her twin sister and his brother, there’s an all expenses paid Hawaiian honeymoon up for grabs and they can’t say no. Only they’ll have to pretend to be married in order to get it…Judging by its’ 600,000-plus Goodreads ratings and the fact that every romance novel involving fake dating was compared to it for years, this is their most popular book. It also happens to be an excellent place to start. Combining fake dating and enemies-to-lovers is a brilliant idea and it has hilarious results here. I cackled at all of Olive and Ethan’s bickering, rooted ardently for them to get together, and wanted to book a ticket to Hawaii as soon as I finished. (Minimal steam.)

Further reading suggestions:

If you like friends to lovers and you want to laugh

• Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating: Hazel and Josh’s relationship is totally platonic. So platonic that they set each other up on a series of increasingly awful (and very funny) double blind dates, where they end up spending more time with each other than with their dates. Recommended if you like quirky, chaotic heroines, opposites attract love stories, and moments that play out like the falling in love montage section of a rom-com. (High steam.)

• My Favorite Half-Night Stand: Take one friend group in need of dates, two friends teetering on the edge of something more, and the wild world of modern day dating apps and you get an adorable, effortlessly charming romance. I really enjoyed both the friend group dynamics and the heroine Millie’s character arc in this one, as she has to finally face up to her fear of emotional intimacy. If you’ve ever spent a few too many hours swiping and wondering why everyone on dating apps likes tacos and The Office, this could be your perfect match. (Moderate steam.)

If you like friends to lovers and you want to cry

• Love and Other Words: Told in dual timelines, this alternates between Macy and Elliot falling in love as teenagers and their reunion in the present day, where they haven’t spoken for a decade. Love and Other Words is a big feelings book, sweeping and dramatic and all-consuming. My heart was in my throat and I was on the verge of tears the first time I read it. It’s an achingly slow burn, as Macy and Elliot find their way towards each other in both the past and the present, and it’s high pitched squealing levels of good. (High steam, albeit less steamy than Josh and Hazel.)

If bitter rivals are more your style

• Dating You/Hating You: Two Hollywood agents fall for each other, only to find out that their firms have merged and they’ll be competing for the same position. Evie is one of my favorite Christina Lauren heroines—she’s smart, excels in her profession, and knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. The connection between her and Carter is tangible, even when they’re exacting petty revenge on each other, and their banter is beyond fun. Also recommended if you like seeing slimy men get their comeuppance. (High steam.)

If you want something completely different

• Something Wilder: A blend of second chance and adventure romance, complete with hidden treasure, dangerous slot canyons, and Wild West vibes. It also features deliciously competent main characters: capable, tough cowgirl Lily and steady, quietly confident Leo. An ideal read-in-one-sitting summer book and hugely fun. (Moderate steam.)

Let me know if you’ve read any Christina Lauren, are eagerly looking forward to The True Love Experiment, or would want to see more guides to specific authors!

---

Currently reading: Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell. I was a big fan of Winter’s Orbit when I picked it up last December and this is a stand-alone story in the same universe. I’m about 50 pages in and enjoying getting to explore another corner of this world, as well as very ready for another excellent slow burn.

What’s bringing me joy this week:

• A sunny afternoon stroll through the West Village, including a visit to Three Lives and Company and the cutest tea store.

• Ribalta near Union Square. My boyfriend and I went there for his birthday dinner and everything there is delicious, especially their divine Neapolitan-style pizza. I would highly recommend if you’re looking for Italian in NYC.

• A really good meeting of my writing group. It’s the perfect blend of accountability, creativity, and community.