The Unhoneymooners
Enemies fake a honeymoon and discover vacation chemistry is a problem
By Ember · Updated May 17, 2026
The Unhoneymooners is vacation forced proximity at full speed. Olive and Ethan cannot stand each other, but when food poisoning takes out the wedding party, they inherit a nonrefundable honeymoon and have to pretend to be newlyweds.
The fake-marriage setup works because public performance keeps forcing private honesty. Every hotel interaction, excursion, and almost-romantic moment turns their old assumptions into something harder to maintain.
It is lighter than many contemporary romances, but the emotional turn still lands: the person who annoys you most may also be the one paying closest attention.
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Quick answer
The Unhoneymooners is vacation forced proximity at full speed. Olive and Ethan cannot stand each other, but when food poisoning takes out the wedding party, they inherit a nonrefundable honeymoon and have to pretend to be newlyweds.
Enemies fake a honeymoon and discover vacation chemistry is a problem
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Why readers search for books like The Unhoneymooners
You want enemies-to-lovers with sunshine energy. The conflict should be sharp enough to create sparks but playful enough that the romance still feels fun.
You are also looking for destination romance where the setting creates pressure. Vacation removes routine, adds forced togetherness, and makes pretending feel dangerously close to wanting.
The best comparable pages cluster around fake dating, vacation romance, forced proximity, unlucky heroines, and banter-heavy romantic comedy.
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Book recommendations
The Hating Game
by Sally Thorne
More workplace than vacation, but the banter and hate-to-love charge are classic.
The Flatshare
by Beth O'Leary
A gentler forced-proximity setup with notes, domestic intimacy, and healing beneath the humor.
Book Lovers
by Emily Henry
Sharper, more literary banter between two professionals who recognize each other's edges.
People We Meet on Vacation
by Emily Henry
Travel romance with more longing and friendship history, ideal if vacation settings are the hook.
The Kiss Quotient
by Helen Hoang
Another high-concept setup that uses an arrangement to reveal unexpected emotional truth.
Common questions
Is The Unhoneymooners fake dating?
Yes. Olive and Ethan pretend to be newlyweds on a honeymoon, which creates a fake-relationship version of forced proximity.
Is The Unhoneymooners spicy?
It has romantic tension and some heat, but it leans more rom-com than high-spice romance.
What Christina Lauren book should I read next?
If you want more funny contemporary chemistry, try The Soulmate Equation or Love and Other Words depending on whether you want science-y rom-com or second-chance emotion.
Related books like
The Hating Game
Office rivalry so intense it starts to look like devotion
The Flatshare
Two roommates, one bed, opposite schedules, and notes that become intimacy
Book Lovers
A sharp literary agent, a ruthless editor, and the small town that refuses to soften them
People We Meet on Vacation
Best friends, annual trips, and the ache of almost-love
Common in these genres
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