“It’s so exhausting pretending to hate you.”
The Unhoneymooners is a 2019 romance novel by serial bestsellers Christina Lauren. In it, they introduce Olive, who is bracing herself for the wedding of her identical twin, Ami, and a hellish twenty-four hours with her sworn enemy, Ethan, the best man. However, when a bout of food poisoning hits the entire wedding party except for Olive and Ethan, the pair decide to put their hatred aside for the sake of a free all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii. But when Olive runs into her future boss on the trip, her little white lie leads to her and Ethan having to pretend they are loving newlyweds. But, soon enough, she finds herself not minding about playing pretend. In fact, she begins to feel quite fortunate indeed. If you love cutesy beach reads, forced-proximity stories and enemies-to-lovers tropes, join us at What We Reading for the best books like The Unhoneymooners!
People We Meet On Vacation – Emily Henry
Kicking off our list of the best books like The Unhoneymooners is Emily Henry’s 2021 Goodreads Choice Award winner, People We Meet on Vacation. Poppy and Alex have nothing in common. She has unquenchable wanderlust, he’s a homebody. Yet, ever since a fateful car share years ago, the two of them have become best friends. For most of the year, they live miles away from each other. But, every year, they take a one-week summer vacation together.
At least, that was until two years ago when they ruined everything and haven’t spoken since. Yet, when Poppy is asked when she was last happy, her mind instantly jumps back to that final summer with Alex. The pair agrees to one final trip, with everything on the table, to make things right. But, with the one big truth that has always been present in their relationship still ever-present, will a week be enough to fix everything?
The Layover – Lacie Waldon
After a decade as a flight attendant, Ava Greene is getting ready to hang up her wings and lay down roots. She’s got one final trip left but soon discovers that Jack Stone, the absurdly gorgeous, ridiculously cocky former pilot is sharing the journey with her. The two have a complicated history. Thankfully, she never has to see him again once they land.
But, when their plane encounters mechanical problems, what starts out as a simple stop at Belize airport suddenly turns into a weekend layover. Ava is now forced to face being stranded at a luxury resort with her biggest nemesis. Nevertheless, the more time she spends with Jack, the more she begins to second-guess everything she thought she knew about him. Lacie Waldon’s witty romantic comedy about a flight attendant, her nemesis and a fateful tropical layover is the perfect follow-up for any fans of Christina Lauren.
Just For The Summer (Part Of Your World #3) – Abby Jimenez
Justin has a curse. And, thanks to a viral Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their perfect soul mate the second they break up. When a woman with the same problem as him slides into his DMs, they hatch the perfect plan: they’ll date each other and break up; thus, cancelling one another and allowing them both to find the loves of their lives.
Emma hadn’t been planning on spending her next assignment in Minnesota in an adorable cottage on Lake Minnetonka. Nevertheless, she and her friend agree the opportunity of dating Justin is too good an opportunity to pass up. But, when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin is forced to take guardianship of his three siblings, what started out as a quick fling for the summer soon turns into something a lot more complicated than they had expected.
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This Summer Will Be Different – Carley Fortune
Another one of the best books like The Unhoneymooners for readers looking for the perfect summer beach read comes from bestselling romance novelist Carley Fortune in her 2024 story, This Summer Will Be Different. Lucy is vacationing on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local guy who shows her a very good time. Their chemistry is undeniable. What Lucy doesn’t realise, however, is that Felix is her best friend’s younger brother.
The two of them vow what happened one fateful night can never happen again. But that is easier said than done. When her best friend, Bridget, suddenly flees to Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to Prince Edward Island again. Her plan is to help her best friend and resist the man she’s never been able to. But, Felix’s flirty remarks and sparkling eyes have been replaced with something new, and soon Lucy finds herself wondering just how safe her heart really is.
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The Summer Of Broken Rules – K.L. Walther
Meredith Fox has been going to Martha’s Vineyard every summer for as long as she can remember. But this is the first time she’s come back since her sister’s passing. What was always going to be an overwhelming trip is made more complicated by the presence of her extended family, all converging for her cousin’s big wedding.
Thankfully, her family have the perfect distraction: a traditional game of Assassin. This year, the game is set to take place during the week of wedding festivities. Her target turns out to be a very cute groomsman. With summer vibes, wedding settings and the perfect young adult romance feel, K.L. Walther’s The Summer of Broken Rules is the perfect book similar to The Unhoneymooners for anyone looking for a fitting follow-up.
Same Time Next Summer – Annabel Monaghan
Sam’s life is on track. She has the ideal doctor fiance, Jack, a great job in the middle of Manhattan, and is about to tour a wedding venue close to her family’s Long Island beach house. Everything should be going according to plan. Yet, from the second she arrives, Sam senses something is off. Wyatt is here. The same Wyatt who broke her when she was seventeen. Still, there’s no reason for a settled, successful thirty-year-old to feel panicked by such a development.
But being back at the beach, hearing the notes from Wyatt’s guitar next door, soon makes Sam feel like no time has passed at all. She remembers who she used to be, and how Wyatt made her feel and soon finds herself with an impossible decision to make. One of the best books like The Unhoneymooners, Same Time Next Summer is a 2023 romance book by Annabel Monaghan and the perfect summer nostalgia read.
The Do-Over (The Do-Over #1) – Lynn Painter
After enduring a torrid Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She soon passes out on the sofa. But, when she wakes up again, she’s back in her own bed and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. The day after that? Another horrible, hellish V-Day.
Emilie is stuck in a time loop nightmare she’s unable to wake herself up from. She is forced to watch on as her boyfriend, Josh, cheats on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s infidelity, she can’t seem to get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into a number of unfortunate ways. For any readers who loved the unfortunate unluckiness of Olive in The Unhoneymooners, Lynn Painter’s The Do-Over is a romantic romp as a teen girl is forced to endure the worst Valentine’s Day over and over again.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
