Discover everything you need to know about The Unhoneymooners book series by Christina Lauren, the instant New York Times bestseller that’s long been a reader favorite in the rom-com genre and enemies-to-lovers romance trope.
On the heels of the release of the sequel, it seems like the perfect time to take a deep dive into The Unhoneymooners book series. The original is one book I’ve been wanting to write about in detail for years now, as it’s both one of my favorite romantic comedies AND one of my favorite books about weddings.
This guide to The Unhoneymooners book series shares details about book one and book two in this two-part series.
The Unhoneymooners Book Series in Order
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The Unhoneymooners | CHECK CURRENT PRICE ON AMAZON |
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The Honeymoon Crashers: An Audio Original | CHECK CURRENT PRICE ON AMAZON |
- Book 1: The Unhoneymooners (2019)
- Book 2: The Honeymoon Crashers (2023)
Note: The Honeymoon Crashers is ONLY available on audio.  It offers a full-cast production
about
Christina Lauren is the popular writing duo (Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings), also made famous by such romance novels as The Soulmate Equation, Twice in a Blue Moon, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, Roomies, and My Favorite Half-Night Stand. And, they’re officially BACK with the long-awaited sequel to their popular, playful romance novel, The Unhoneymooners — aptly titled The Honeymoon Crashers.
Warning: Because The Unhoneymooners book series follows a chronological storyline, there are some spoilers.  However, I have tried to keep them to a minimum.  If you don’t want to see any spoilers, I recommend skipping the section on The Unhoneymooners sequel, The Honeymoon Crashers.
The Unhoneymooners
- Instant New York Times bestseller
- Starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal
- Named a “Must-Read” by TODAY, Us Weekly, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, Southern Living, Book Riot, Woman’s Day, The Toronto Star, and more
Genre
The Unhoneymooners is a modern romantic comedy novel by Christina Lauren with primarily an enemies-to-lovers trope.  Other tropes involved include forced proximity and fake marriage. (It’s similar to, and great for fans of, The Spanish Love Deception.)
Age Rating
The recommended age rating for The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is 18+ based on some adult language and sexual content.
Characters
- Ami Torres: the bride
- Dane: the groom
- Olive Torres: the bride’s identical twin sister and main-of-honor
- Ethan Thomas: the groom’s best man
- Sophie: Ethan’s ex-girlfriend
Summary (Without Spoilers)
Olive considers herself to be the unlucky twin compared to sister Ami, who is getting married to Dane. This time, she’s especially unlucky because the wedding festivities bring her into close contact with Dane’s best friend Ethan, who quickly becomes Olive’s nemesis, judging both her and her body.
But, when the entire wedding party EXCEPT Olive and Ethan gets food poisoning at the reception, Ami convinces them to come to a temporary truce and take their non-refundable honeymoon as a free honeymoon of sorts, since it’s bound to be the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime. And since Olive and Ami are identical twin sisters, Olive can easily pass for her.
In paradise, things get complicated quickly. For starters, there’s only one bed in the honeymoon suite. Then, they run into both Olive’s future boss, as well as Ethan’s ex-girlfriend, who is there with her fiance. Olive and Ethan are abruptly forced to fake a marriage and pretend they are, in fact, on their honeymoon, in the face of these people. And as they do, they begin to overcome their hatred and find some common ground… and romance.
Back home, however, it’s definitely not paradise, as Ami and Dane cope with early marital troubles.
The question becomes what will the post-wedding and post-honeymoon future hold for all four of them.
Review
The Unhoneymooners has been one of my absolute favorite love stories since I first read it back when it was released and ALL the rage on Instagram.
First, the “food poisoning at a wedding” is one of the funniest scenes I have read in any book to date, and I can still clearly picture it in my head. It reads like a movie scene. From there, The Unhoneymooners offers SO much to the reader, from a hot Summer story at a tropical location to several swoon-worthy tropes, rom-com banter, and even some spice!
I know I’m just gushing here, but I truly consider it to be both a hilarious rom-com and the most perfect beach read. I highly recommend it!
The Honeymoon Crashers
Summary (Without Spoilers)
The Honeymoon Crashers picks up four years later, as the tables have turned. This time, it’s Olive and Ethan who are getting married. They seek a private ceremony in Maui, where they first fell in love, but Ami takes on maid of honor duties and flies the whole gang out to “surprise” them in paradise. There, she meets Ethan’s best friend and Hawaiin surfer, Brody, who’s determined to help her plan the festivities.
Reeling from her divorce, Ami finds herself connecting with Brody. The trick is to successfully execute all her best-laid wedding plans for her sister at the same time.
Review
As I mentioned earlier, The Honeymoon Crashers is ONLY available on audio. It offers a full-cast production that’s fun to listen to, especially since the narration switches.
Readers will especially love seeing Ami engage in some saucy flirtation with Brody.
It’s another delightful romance that’s short and sweet on top of it. There are all the pre-wedding mishaps you would expect from a rom-com like this one.
I think most readers will find it to be a fun update to a cherished book and beloved characters. It’s like the cherry on top of the… wedding cake?!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren centers on Olive and Ethan, the maid of honor and best man who can’t seem to get along at a wedding where everyone except them gets food poisoning. The newly married couple convinces Olive and Ethan to take their non-refundable “honeymoon” to Hawaii.  There, they are forced to share tight quarters and fake marriage, all of which inevitably causes their hatred to evolve into romance.Â
The main characters in The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren are Olive Torres, the maid of honor for her identical twin sister, Ami, and Ethan Thomas, the best man for Dane.  They begin as enemies but develop feelings for one another after they begrudgingly go on the newlyweds’ honeymoon in their place after food poisoning strikes the remainder of the wedding party.
Yes.  At the end of The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, Ethan and Olive end up together, as they become engaged.
If you liked The Unhoneymooners by Christine Lauren, then you should check out other popular modern romance books with an enemies-to-lovers trope and/or set at a wedding, including Book Lovers by Emily Henry, The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, and The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory.
Conclusion
The Unhoneymooners book series is a charming and downright hilarious romantic comedy with fun, familiar tropes, tropical settings, and momentous wedding events all wrapped into one. I highly recommend both books in this series! As a reminder, The Honeymoon Crashers is ONLY available on audio.
Share your thoughts on this series or any remaining questions you may have in the comments below.
