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Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren is the pen name that happens when two best friends — a neuroscientist and a school counselor — meet at San Diego Comic-Con over a shared obsession with Twilight fan fiction and decide, somewhat impulsively, to write a novel together. That meeting, in 2009, launched one of the most productive and beloved partnerships in contemporary romance fiction.


Lauren Billings (the "Lo" of the duo) brought a PhD in neuroscience from UC Irvine to the table, having spent her pre-writing years researching neurodegeneration in aging — which, she'll tell you herself, is a surprisingly useful background for writing about the way the human heart works. Christina Hobbs (whom Lo calls "PQ") came from a career in junior high school counseling, which gave her a front-row seat to the full emotional spectrum of human beings navigating love, identity, and connection. Together, they are something neither could be alone.


After signing with agent Holly Root in 2011, they published their debut novel Beautiful Bastard to immediate success — it was optioned for a film by Constantin Film as early as 2013, with rights later reverting to the authors. In 2026, Variety reported that Fifth Season acquired those rights to develop it as a TV series, with Christina Lauren co-writing the adaptation. But it was their pivot into broader commercial romance that turned them into a publishing phenomenon. Novels like Roomies, The Unhoneymooners — which spent 14 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List — and Love and Other Words built a readership that crosses genres, age groups, and international borders.


Over thirty books in, with more than 6 million copies sold and translations in over 30 languages, they have been inducted into the LibraryReads Hall of Fame, named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year, and nominated for multiple Goodreads Choice Awards. Their YA novel Autoboyography earned a Lambda Literary Award nomination. In a Holidaze was adapted into a Netflix film. In 2024, they were invited to speak at Simon & Schuster's centennial celebration — a fitting honor for two writers who have helped define what 21st-century romance looks like.


They still live in different states — Lauren in California, Christina in Utah — and collaborate almost entirely remotely. Which is perhaps the most romantic plot twist of all: a partnership built on words, trust, and fifteen years of proving that the best love stories are also the most unlikely ones.


Browse all Christina Lauren titles here on Better World Books.

Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren is the pen name that happens when two best friends — a neuroscientist and a school counselor — meet at San Diego Comic-Con over a shared obsession with Twilight fan fiction and decide, somewhat impulsively, to write a novel together. That meeting, in 2009, launched one of the most productive and beloved partnerships in contemporary romance fiction.


Lauren Billings (the "Lo" of the duo) brought a PhD in neuroscience from UC Irvine to the table, having spent her pre-writing years researching neurodegeneration in aging — which, she'll tell you herself, is a surprisingly useful background for writing about the way the human heart works. Christina Hobbs (whom Lo calls "PQ") came from a career in junior high school counseling, which gave her a front-row seat to the full emotional spectrum of human beings navigating love, identity, and connection. Together, they are something neither could be alone.


After signing with agent Holly Root in 2011, they published their debut novel Beautiful Bastard to immediate success — it was optioned for a film by Constantin Film as early as 2013, with rights later reverting to the authors. In 2026, Variety reported that Fifth Season acquired those rights to develop it as a TV series, with Christina Lauren co-writing the adaptation. But it was their pivot into broader commercial romance that turned them into a publishing phenomenon. Novels like Roomies, The Unhoneymooners — which spent 14 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List — and Love and Other Words built a readership that crosses genres, age groups, and international borders.


Over thirty books in, with more than 6 million copies sold and translations in over 30 languages, they have been inducted into the LibraryReads Hall of Fame, named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year, and nominated for multiple Goodreads Choice Awards. Their YA novel Autoboyography earned a Lambda Literary Award nomination. In a Holidaze was adapted into a Netflix film. In 2024, they were invited to speak at Simon & Schuster's centennial celebration — a fitting honor for two writers who have helped define what 21st-century romance looks like.


They still live in different states — Lauren in California, Christina in Utah — and collaborate almost entirely remotely. Which is perhaps the most romantic plot twist of all: a partnership built on words, trust, and fifteen years of proving that the best love stories are also the most unlikely ones.


Browse all Christina Lauren titles here on Better World Books.

Books by Christina Lauren

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FAQs

How did Christina Lauren — two people — come to write as one author?

Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings met at San Diego Comic-Con in 2009, having already crossed paths through Twilight fan fiction online. After Billings invited Hobbs to participate in a fan fiction panel she was organizing, the two struck up a friendship and decided to try writing a novel together. They chose to combine their first names into a single pen name — Christina Lauren — specifically to present one unified creative voice to readers. The choice turned out to be prophetic: their writing style is so seamlessly blended that even longtime fans often can't tell where one author ends and the other begins.

Which Christina Lauren book should I read first?

Readers new to Christina Lauren most commonly start with The Unhoneymooners, an enemies-to-lovers story that spent 14 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List and showcases the duo's signature mix of laugh-out-loud humor and genuine emotional depth. Readers looking for something more heartfelt often start with Love and Other Words, a second-chance romance told across dual timelines that many fans consider their most emotionally powerful work. Either is an excellent entry point into their catalog.

Have any Christina Lauren books been adapted for film or television?

Yes. In a Holidaze was adapted into a Netflix holiday film. Their debut novel Beautiful Bastard was optioned for a film as early as 2013, with rights reverting to the authors before being reacquired — in 2026, Variety reported that Fifth Season acquired the rights to develop it as a TV series, with Christina Lauren themselves co-writing the adaptation alongside producer Bill Dubuque. The Unhoneymooners was also optioned by Deadline in 2021 for a film adaptation.

What makes Christina Lauren's writing style unique compared to other romance authors?

The duo is known for a distinctive voice that balances genuine comedic wit with emotionally resonant storytelling — what Entertainment Weekly called their "uniquely hilarious and touching voice." Because two writers are shaping every scene, their dialogue tends to feel especially alive and unpredictable, and their characters often have an unusual depth of interiority. They also have a broader range than many romance writers, moving comfortably between adult contemporary romance, emotionally complex women's fiction like Love and Other Words, and acclaimed young adult fiction like Autoboyography, which tackled LGBTQ+ themes and earned a Lambda Literary Award nomination.

How many books has Christina Lauren published, and are they available internationally?

Christina Lauren has published over thirty books since their debut in 2012, including more than twenty-one New York Times bestsellers. Their work has been translated into more than 30 languages and has sold over 6 million copies worldwide. They have been inducted into the LibraryReads Hall of Fame and named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year. Their most recent novel, The Romance Revival, is scheduled for publication in July 2026. The full catalog — including used copies at accessible prices — is available at Better World Books.