Dating You, Hating You

Dating You, Hating You by Christina Lauren is a standalone Contemporary Romance published in June 2017 — the writing duo's first novel outside of their connected series, and a sharp, funny pivot into the world of Hollywood talent representation. Evelyn "Evie" Abbey and Carter Aaron meet at a mutual friend's Halloween party, both dressed as Harry Potter characters and both the only single people in the room. The connection is instant and easy, the kind of beginning that makes everything feel possible. Then Monday morning arrives.

Evie and Carter are high-powered agents at rival firms in Los Angeles — already a complication neither quite ignores. But when their two agencies unexpectedly merge overnight, the situation tips from complicated into a full Enemies to Lovers disaster. Suddenly they're not just potential partners; they're direct competition for a single coveted position at the newly combined company. A Workplace Romance that started with nervous texts and Halloween costumes turns into a prank war, strategic sabotage, and mounting frustration, all under the watchful eye of a boss who is thoroughly unreliable and not above playing both sides. The Deception and Power & Control running through the professional plot give the book considerably more bite than a straightforward rom-com premise might suggest.

What makes the novel worth attention beyond its central love story is how seriously it takes Evie's experience as a woman in a male-dominated industry. The Systemic Inequality she navigates — unequal pay, unequal credit, colleagues who assume less of her — is woven through the narrative without pausing the romantic tension. Evie is a Strong Female Protagonist in the most grounded sense: fiercely competent, self-aware about what she's up against, and unwilling to sacrifice her ambitions to smooth things over. Carter, meanwhile, is charming in ways that occasionally tip into obliviousness, which is precisely where the Complicated Romance earns its name. The Slow-burn Romance between them is drawn out considerably — readers who enjoy the sustained will-they-won't-they tension will find plenty to savour.

Christina Lauren tells the story through alternating first-person chapters, giving both Evie and Carter their own distinct voice and letting readers sit with the irony of two people who understand each other better than they're willing to admit. The Multiple POV structure also means the comedy lands harder — the pranks and misunderstandings read very differently depending on whose head you're in. The Witty Banter & Sharp Dialogue is consistent throughout, and there's a kind of Social Commentary running beneath the laughs that gives the book a more durable quality than pure escapism. For readers who want romance with something to say about the professional world women occupy, this one delivers.