Christina Lauren is a combined pen name of two writing partners and best friends – Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. Together they are a number 1 bestselling author that writes in both the young adult and adult fiction genres.
Christina Lauren is responsible for 18 New York Times bestselling novels and has won the Seal of Excellence and Book of the Year from RT Magazine. They have been inducted into the Library Reads Hall of Fame, and have many more notable feats beneath their name.
Perhaps most well known for Love and Other Words, Roomies, and The Unhoneymooners, Christina Lauren’s third YA novel Autoboyography was released in 2017 to critical acclaim.
If you enjoyed any of Christina Lauren’s novels, we have a list of excellent recommendations for you. Authors like Sarah Adams, Colleen Hoover, and Lucy Score are perfect for any fans of these fantastic co-authored books (see also “Authors Like Karen Rose“).
Books By Christina Lauren
Christina Lauren has written a number of amazing books, both in the YA and adult fiction genres (see also “Books Like The Night Circus: 5 Amazing Books To Read Next“). They currently have 29 books published under their pen name, both standalone and in series.
Love and Other Words (2018) is undoubtedly their most notable book, with it going viral on TikTok as a perfect and heart-wrenching love story. It follows Elliot and Macy, childhood sweethearts who lost touch after a mysterious incident 11 years ago.
It features tension, trust and deception, romance, longing, and grief. Another popular book by Christina Lauren is Autoboyography (2017), which is in the Young Adult genre and features lighter themes of relationships, identity, and mental health.
It is a story of two boys falling in love in class, one from a progressive family and the other from a conservative family.
Autoboyography was nominated for Audible’s Best of the Year 2017, ALA Rainbow List, 30th Annual Lambda Literary Award, and Vulture’s Best Queer YA Novel.
The Unhoneymooners (2019) is another adult contemporary romance following two enemies who end up on a trip of a lifetime to Hawaii. Anything can happen in this witty romance that perfectly captures modern dating in a fun way.
To name just a few accolades, it was dubbed one of Amazon’s Best Romances of 2019, earned a Publishers Weekly Starred Review, and was named in Audible’s Best Rom Coms of the Year list.
Christina Lauren also has two book series published – the Beautiful series (10 books) and the Wild series (4 books). These are both dark romance series featuring mature themes of love and relationships.
Authors Like Christina Lauren
Samantha Young
Samantha Young is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. She’s been nominated for several awards for her adult contemporary romance novels, and she also writes YA fiction, too.
Samantha Young is perhaps best known for her On Dublin Street Series, which is compiled of:
The series follows Jocelyn, who has left the states to get away from a horrifying past. She moves to Scotland, where she meets Braden on Dublin Street, and her world is shaken to her core.
This 14-book series is perfect for anyone who loves a long-haul romance in a similar writing style to Christina Lauren.
Samantha Young is also the author of Fight Or Flight, a standalone contemporary romance that features a steamy relationship between Ava and Caleb who meet on an airplane and continue in Boston.
Ava agrees to enjoy their short time together as Caleb will be leaving for Scotland soon, but will saying goodbye be as simple as Ava believes it will be?
Pros
A range of series or standalone novels to sink your teeth into.
Scottish literature mixed with American culture is prominent in most of Samantha Young’s books.
Cons
On Dublin Road series features lots of novellas in the wrong order.
Themes: Paranormal, second chances, romance, Scottish heritage, love, loss, grief, and mystery.
Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover is a number one New York Times bestselling author in the romance, women’s fiction, and paranormal romance genres. She likes to experiment with different genres to keep things interesting.
Anyone who has read Christina Lauren’s books is sure to love Colleen Hoover, with both authors touching on darker themes with romantic subplots throughout.
Colleen Hoover is perhaps best known for It Ends With Us, a novel following Lily Bloom who falls in love with a neurosurgeon, Ryle. Their relationship progresses, but Lily can’t seem to get away from her past.
As Lily’s first love Atlas reappears, will Ryle’s jealousy get in the way of Lily’s ambition? Other Colleen Hoover books similar to Christina Lauren’s include Without Merit, All Your Perfects, and Ugly Love.
Colleen Hoover also dabbles in thriller mystery books such as Verity (Check out other books like Verity). Lowen is a struggling writer that gets a job offer she can’t refuse – to finish a book series by bestselling author Verity Crawford.
Verity has been in a car accident and is unable to finish the books herself. But as Lowen gets to research inside Verity’s office, she finds a manuscript full of horrifying incidents that Verity confesses to.
Will Lowen tell Verity’s husband, Jeremy, or will she take the secrets to the grave?
Maggie Moves On is a lighthearted romance about an internet celebrity that travels over the US renovating houses for her YouTube series. She never stays in one place for too long, so she never allows herself to place roots.
That is until contractor Silas enters the picture, with his lovable dog Kevin. Will Maggie finally find a place to call home, or is there another house project to find elsewhere?
Things We Never Got Over is perhaps Lucy Score’s most loved book, following Knox and Naomi in their quest to find her evil twin, Tina. Tina has taken Naomi’s car and cash, leaving her stranded in Knockemout with her teenage niece in tow.
Knox reluctantly agrees to help Naomi get back home to her fiancé, but he might regret it when mild annoyance turns into real danger.
Pros
Lovable characters and pets are incorporated into every book.
Lucy Score’s writing style is homey and friendly.
She offers well-fleshed-out stories, characters, and plots that will keep you reading.
Cons
Some books feature too many subplots to intentionally make the story confusing.
Themes: Love, romance, friendship, family ties, mystery, harrowed past, secrets, trust, and shame.
Sarah Adams
Sarah Adams is an author with 11 books under her belt, including book series such as It Happened In Nashville, Dalton Family, and It Happened In Charleston.
The Cheat Sheet is Sarah’s most popular book, featuring Bree Camden who has been in love with her best friend, Nathan Donelson, forever. Her secret is well-kept – until she spills it all to a reporter after a few too many drinks.
Now the world knows that she’s in love with the star quarterback, and she’s signed up for a fake relationship for three weeks, too. Lines are blurred, friendships are tested, and crushes are revealed.
Another excellent recommendation from Sarah Adams is When In Rome, which is a story following pop star Amelia Rose who escapes to Rome, Kentucky when fame all gets a bit much.
Forced to stay with the town’s grumpy Noah Walker, Amelia must get used to her new life while juggling responsibilities back home. Will Amelia learn to love her adoring fans and busy schedule, or will Noah convince her that the small-town life is her true calling?
Pros
Plenty of tropes are seen in Sarah Adams’ books, such as enemies to lovers and grumpy sunshine.
Witty writing style will leave you laughing, crying, and everything in between.
Cons
The writing style is too on-the-nose for some readers.
Themes: Romance, love, small towns, truth and lies, secrets, yearning, and desperation.
Final Thoughts
Christina Lauren is a bestselling author known for creating heart-wrenching and beautiful stories. With plenty of genres and themes to sink your teeth into, it’s no surprise that their following is growing by the day.
If you love Christina Lauren’s work, you’ll enjoy works such as The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, and Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is the Bestselling Female Author?
Agatha Christie is considered the bestselling author of all time, known for her books in the crime genre. She has a sales record of more than 2 billion books, with a repertoire of 78 books.
Kathryn Taylor was born and raised in the Midwest and has been a book lover and writer since childhood. As a queer teenager, she found solace in writing, and has written professionally ever since graduating from college. She loves a variety of fiction book genres, including romance books, thrillers, YA, sci-fi, and adventure. She's also a fan of the Oxford comma.
Kathryn has received numerous awards for her writing and now writes exclusively for RT Book Reviews. She is a passionate activist in the LGBTQ+ community, speaking at conferences and leading queer writing workshops. When not reading and writing, Kathryn enjoys visiting local libraries and bookstores across the country, exploring new cities, and spending time with her family.
