William needed for this rooster-Miracle Mike- well human inside a rooster costume- to speak . But the man is doing everything but he pecked at the air and shuffled silently in place. Then the man bobbed his head in the way of a chicken. William was reporting on a fluff piece about the annual Miracle Mike Headless Chicken festival. Years of working his way up through larger and more exclusive news markets should have him capable of handling a situation like this. He had investigated Wall Street scandals, extracted information from whistleblowers, and mastered the-man-on-the-street interview. Now in his debut appearance in the smallest television market he had ever worked. Now he was having a problem with a man dressed as a rooster. Low level reporting was suppose to introduce William to operations at his family’s t v station not making himself look like a fool. William just added one more checkmark on his father’s - Joe Covington- list of Things Williams Managed To Screw Up. If he couldn’t handle a simple interview how could he prove he had the grit to run the family company? William really needed a drink. Joe still hadn’t forgiven William for the debacle of William’s foray into reality t v had caused and that was ten years ago. After ten years of friendship Parker did not have William;s back but was siding with Joe, he said he needed a job as station manager when in reality he is stabbing Joe in the back for a promotion. William still had to find a place to live. Joe was a very powerful man who always got what he wanted and he wants William to move back in his home to keep tabs on his long lost son. William ran into Lucy when he went to help her when a boy shot out her car window with a slingshot- on accident. William didn’t recognize her. She had been an overweight seventeen year old girl with acne, braces, and thick eyebrows. William had known her as Lulu Campbell who was an intern on the Beach Nights reality show and Lucy had crushed on William even though William didn’t even notice her all those years ago. Lucy had worked hard to shed her former self. Lucy was starting a career in broadcast journalism. Katie was Lucy’s best friend and told her of a place to live and Lucy moved there then she found out William was her next store neighbor. William asked Lucy if she wanted to grill out but she declined. Lucy works at KDUX t v station and got there early her first day Lucy moved around a lot and didn’t get close to people that way she wouldn’t get hurt. The one thing Lucy loved journalism as no one looks at her funny for her leaving to go to the next job. Lucy was a weekday morning news producer for right now. Lucy went to get everyone coffee Willam was in a rush and bumped into her and the coffee went all over her and scalding coffee hit her chest. William paid for more coffee. William was a consumer journalist for now but after his birthday the company was his even though his father was trying to fight him but this had been his mother's company. Then William got a phone call from his lawyer he had won the company would be his. William came up with an idea for a story that had to do swoth hotels specifically was for honeymooners but people were being ripped off and robbed. William needed a fake wife and it ended up being and and Lucy ended up having to take the role of William’s new wife at Twin Lake.
I loved this book. It was a easy summer read. I loved Lucy and William/Will together. I didn’t like how Will acted when he found out about Lucy being an intern on the reality show he had been on. But at least he sincerely apologized. I loved the ending. I loved the pace and plot. I loved Lucy;s and Katie’s relationship and how they interacted with each other. I felt bad for Lucy for the parents she had and how r=they were with her. But I was happy when Lucy stood up to then and William came in and backed her. I chuckled at times while reading this and choked up at others while reading this. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend this book.

I found Lucy and Will's story to be sweet, fun and a little hot. Even though the timeline is relatively short, I didn't feel like their story was rushed. I loved the way he stood up for her and didn't give up on her. I do wish they would have spent even more time together and that the issue about her past had been addressed more deeply.

3.5 stars

Lucy is starting life over at a new television station her goal is to be on camera not behind the sign, however she has to start somewhere. She knows her long time crush will be there. The minute she sees him she realizes he doesn't remember her.
This is a fun story, between Lucy and Will the small town they are in, the quirky landlord, and the cat tat latches on to Lucy you will have many laughs.


** I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

The Honeymoon Trap is both a hot and entertaining read by debut author Christina Hovland. Ms. Hovland's writing style is uncomplicated and the way she cares about her characters is quite meaningful. Each personality has something to contribute, while working through the happenings in their day-to-day lives.

This is the love story between Lucy Campbell, a news producer who wants to be in front of the camera, and William Covington, the soon-to-be CEO of his family's local TV conglomerate. Luce and Will met ten years ago, when she was an overweight and unattractive production assistant for the reality TV show that Will was starring in. During the production, Lucy's nickname was "caterpillar" and Will hardly ever gave her the time of day. Even though Will was portrayed as a womanizer, Lucy was in love with him. Now they are next door neighbors and work for the same TV station in Will's hometown of Confluence, Colorado. Luce has blossomed both professionally and personally, even though she is still very insecure about her appearance. Will has spent the last decade reporting the news, while living down his reality TV persona.

Luce and Will work on a news expose together, which evolves their new friendship into a passionate romance. Life throws them a few curve balls that cause them to work really hard in order to find their happily ever after.

Overall, I liked this small town romance. The characters are well-defined and easy to get to know. The plot is interesting and original. Luce and Will form a bond that is like no other, and I was cheering for them to end up together.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

pretending to be engaged to your former crush who has no idea that he's met you before while on assignment for the job you consider to be the stepping stone for the real job you're after is some complicated stuff. add the crazy sexual tension and unresolved self-image issues and you've got a cocktail of crazy waiting for you.

the honeymoon trap is supposed to ensnare a popular resort that seems to be up to no good. missing items, misplaced reservations, implied blackmail, it's all part of the investigation. reporters-slash-neighbors lucy and william find more than they bargained for. because that fake relationship becomes something real. but william is in the process of finalizing his takeover of his family's television station, and soon he'll be lucy's boss on top of everything else he is already to lucy. he just has no idea how far back things go.

it takes them a while to sort it all out. for a while they're too close, too crazy about each other to think or behave rationally. but this book ends on such a sweet uplifting note. the whole ride is worth the read.

**the honeymoon trap will publish on august, 20 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (amara) in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a funny and fresh contemporary romance, and I loved every second of it.

The story is about Lucy and Will. They both start a new job at a tv station in a town called Confluence, and it just so happens that Will was Lucy’s old crush from years ago, who now lives next door to her and turns out to be her new boss at work. Lucy’s first assignment is to go undercover doing a fake honeymoon with Will and thus getting to know him all over again, while trying to keep him from finding out about her past.
I had so much fun reading this book from both Lucy and Will’s POV, and you could definitely notice the character development as they both work through their painful past, make plenty of mistakes, but still fall for eachother while doing it.

Lucy was such a relatable and adorable main character. She has low self-esteem due to being overweight in the past, and being heavily bullied about it. Besides that, she’s incedibly sweet, witty and hardworking and I just loved her!
Will used to be a popular womanizer who changed his ways, and is now the sweetest guy ever. Incredibly protective of Lucy and a great leader.

I laughed out loud on multiple occasions as this was very hilariously written. There were emotional and confronting, and ofcourse pretty sexy times as well, and it all came together nicely in this fun novel written by Christina Hovland. This was one of my most enjoyable reads this year and I definitely want to see more from her!

The novel never once ceased to surprise me. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I was turning pages even before I could realize. I was hooked to this book. I am a sucker for romance novels and this is perfect romance novel for romance genre buffs. I literally loved reading it.

The Honeymoon Trap offers up a funny and heartfelt story line, with some quirky characters that very entertaining throughout. I love the witty banter! This book will leave you with a smile.

I confess, The Honeymoon Trap is a fun adventure of second chances and new beginnings.

Lucy has completely reinvented herself, and the last person she ever expects (or wants) to see again is William - her teenage crush. Starting a new job at KDVX in Confluence, Colorado was supposed to be a new beginning for Lucy, but it brings her face to face with Will. Who just happens to be her new next door neighbor. And her new boss. And her partner for a news assignment where they have to pretend to be husband and wife. She can totally handle this. Right!?

A fun, humorous, and sexy game of cat-and-mouse with some unexpected twists.

This was a quick, fun read with some quirky and unique story elements that I really enjoyed. I really liked the chemistry between William and Lucy and I adored the fake honeymoon undercover assignment. At times I found myself checking to see if this was a part of series because it felt like some things were mentioned without real context or reason so maybe this is the beginning of a series and those will be addressed later. It was just a little distracting when those loose threads would pop up. Otherwise I would have given this one a higher rating.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Holy major chemistry, Batman! I love a story that can give me that little knot in my stomach when the characters finally recognize their feelings for each other and act on them. This was a cute story with a unique setting. I liked the background of the characters (William and Lucy), even though they were slightly “stock”: former bad boy reformed later in life trying to prove himself/former overweight awkward girl turned swan. The author puts a nice little twist on the relationship, though, which makes them less typical. What I didn’t like, however, was that everything seemed to be a little on the superficial side. There are references to events that aren’t discussed anywhere else; I had to go and check if this was the second in a series to see if there was something that I had missed. Also, the second half of the book gave me whiplash because of how quickly they both changed their perspectives on things; one minute they’re falling into each other deeply, the next one of them is walking away over something trivial. Repeat several times. These actions didn’t ring true, and it made for a difficult time believing the depth of either of them. I’d give it four stars, but half of a star off for the back-and-forth of emotion that unnecessarily convolutes the plot, so it’s really a 3.5. That being said, it was still enjoyable, with enough humor to carry it along. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Welcome to Confluence, home to Camelot and Lucy's new job at the local TV station. For her it's just another step to where she feels she belongs, in front of the camera rather than behind the scenes.
Accepting this job for her was a good thing, that is until she is faced with her long time crush William or Will as she calls him. She's staying at her friend Katie's place, Camelot which is in reality an old hotel converted into rather tacky units run by Dixie, a feisty old gal with a shotgun and not afraid to use it. Her son Jeff is the sheriff and he lives there also with his son Simon. She gets a surprise when William moves into the unit next door to her. He just wants to be close to her, he's crushing on her something fierce. All Lucy remembers is the William from 10 years ago when she was an intern on a reality show he was on, back then her physical appearance was not what it is today and she basically lived her entire young life being bullied and made to feel less than by her parents and everyone around her. Garnering a nickname I'm not even going to repeat because it's not necessary, she still struggles deeply with her traumatic past. Will doesn't recognize her. She does a great job at the news station and Will is set to take over the entire business which his deceased mother left to him when he turned 30. Outing his father who is a class A jackhat. He avoids his father like the plague and is trying to put his past behind him as well. Those days of that reality TV show were not who he is and never was. The story unfolds as these two edge closer to each other. Lucy holding back and when they go on an assignment together, a fake honeymoon couple checking out a local lodge that is supposedly dirty pool they have no choice but to grow closer. Will is busy fielding calls because the his role as owner and boss soon approach. Lucy's way to keep Will at arms length is to pull the employee boss card. Lucy also inherits a cat from the a neighbor who passed away who seems to like her. The cat doesn't like Will. When Lucy takes a few steps out on her own, because no one else was available Will gets angry. Angry Will is not a nice Will. I didn't like angry Will which made me question nice Will as well. Things escalate between these two, Will is pushy and when he realizes who Lucy is from the past he blows a gasket. He calls her that god awful name, for once she stands up for herself albeit quietly and knows she's done with Will. Will is angry and spewing his crap leaves.
Good on him. Honestly Will knew how to turn it on, but don't assert yourself because he's lop your head off. The stuff he slung at Lucy made me cringe and it made me angry.
The book was well written and the plot was solid. I liked Lucy, I wished her the best because she deserved it. She deserved better and more. Will,yeah not so much. He ran too hot and cold for me.
His mouth was something I don't think I could have forgiven. Given that this story seems to evoke so much emotion from readers is good writing. I look forward to reading about Katie. I'm going to assume she's up next. Big thumbs up.

*arc from NetGalley and Entangled for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.**
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**<i>Thanks to Entangled and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book. This was read in exchange for me leaving an honest review</i>**

The writing, in general, was quite addictive I have to say and it made for a fast-paced read. I just didn't want to stop reading it! I think this had a lot to do with the characters in this book because I loved both the main characters a lot! But I also loved the presence of the minor characters and the attention they received as well. I wouldn't mind in the least if there'd be a book about Katie for example! Lucy, our main lead, was really relatable on some levels to me and I always like that. that way, the bonding is a lot easier. Will was definitely swoon-worthy material. Some may say he's a control-freak and things go a bit too far, and sometimes they may do, but given his own 'issues' I can fully comprehend why he's acting the way he does. And since he's a super nice guy otherwise, sexy as hell and really fun to read about, I could get past my minor remark on his character. Overall, I really loved him and Lucy as well. They were so much fun to read about!

This book was so humorous at times and I just loved it so much. If you want a romantic, swoon-worthy book that's able to make you laugh out loud, this is definitely a book I'd recommend. And it definitely made me want to read more by this author.

I did feel at times though, that the development of the story-line was a bit lacking here and there and things went a bit too fast at times towards the end. I'd love it if there would've been a bit more follow-up on some plotlines that I think deserved some more depth and attention. It remained a bit shallow, a bit sloppy. So I think there's definitely room for progress

If I'm just looking at the romance and it's development; I liked it a lot. I love the forbidden-romance trope and I think this was quite a good one. I really liked the chemistry between these characters and the writing of it all regarding them giving into things and such ;) The suspense and build-up was killing me, in a good way, and I always love it when a romance like this one gets to me and is able to make me FEEL.

Overall, this was a really cute, sweet and adorable read that I enjoyed really much. I've had some remarks on things and that's why I give it a 3.5-star rating. I'd still recommend this book if you're looking for an adorable, sexy, fast-paced contemporary romance!

I hoped that The Honeymoon Trap would be a fun and light-hearted novel to enjoy before starting a heavy reading, but my expectation was down 30% onwards.

The beginning of the narrative is delicious. It's not hard for you to like Lucy. She is adorable and cute and isn't difficult to put yourself in her place. William is enchanting, I didn't take long to find myself melted for him, until some things started ti bothered me, like the fact that the protagonist was fat and considered unattractive to her crush in the past and then she decides to be hot and BOOM, now he want her.

I would even accept this kind of theme if she had chosen to change her appearance because she wanted that and not for someone or trying to follow a concepts of the society. But looking from the point of view of truthfulness, this is real. Girls still do that, unfortunately, but I still have reservations about addressing this issue even with the present reality.

Other than that, it's a nice read, it's a cute, fun book.

A great first book by the author.


I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I read 3-4 chapters of it and found that I just could not get into it. I will try again in the future. Sorry!

Lucy is just about to start her new job in Confluence when she sees her former crush, William. She's worked really hard to leave behind the girl she was when she knew him and he's worked really hard to shed the image of reality tv star playboy. He doesn't remember her and doesn't understand why she seems to go out of her way to avoid him. When an assignment comes up that needs a couple posing as honeymooners, he insists she goes with him. Their chemistry is off the charts and their talent for bringing the story to life for their viewers is fantastic.

This is my first book by this author and I definitely liked the writing style. I would have loved William so much more if he didn't prove to be the shallow, reality tv star he was thought to be throughout the story. Some of the drama felt unnecessary but overall I really enjoyed this story. The side characters were awesome and I really hope to see HEAs for them too!!

*This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*

I liked the way this started out but then it just got too messy for me.

*SPOILERS*

So Lucy keeps her identity hidden from William because she's ashamed of her "Caterpillar" past. This really frustrated me because it was fat shaming when Lucy herself didn't have anything to be shamed about. She was bullied and teased, she wasn't the bully. So William all of a sudden loving how beautiful she is just shows that William is pretty shallow. And once he find out, they never really speak on it.

William is also a control freak for seemingly no reason. He doesn't want her to write the story, he doesn't want her to report the news etc. His controlling demeanor was a change of character and didn't have any merit that truly warranted not trusting her at all or letting her do her job.

Also, from the very beginning he's continually hitting on her while they're on an assignment for work. This needs to stop being glorified, I'm so tired of seeing romance novels with men who have no regard for a woman's career. Hitting on women 24/7 at work when they've denied you is not okay. Yes some of it was cute sure, and I can overlook stuff in romance novels because it isn't real life but I've never liked when there's an office romance where one person is continuously denying the other but they keep doing it.

Overall there was a good story here but it just kind of didn't focus on the issues I think it should have. There was a lot of opportunity here to expand on, bullying and fat shaming etc but there was no depth behind it.

3.5 stars

It's sweet, simple, and a page turner.

Exactly what I needed at this time. It has lifted my mood.

The story revolves around Lucy and William and how they try to have a relationship despite all the complications.

For two thirds of the book I was reading with a smile on my face, then it was trying to get a bit
serious and resolve a few issues. I admit it's not deep and a few things were not very well handled, I didn't mind because I already was invested in the relationship and wanted it to wrap nicely.

The best part of the book for me was that William always stuck around, he didn't run and ignore the problem, and although he did do the typical male act of playing the victim, it was short and he did try to fix it.

It might not have been thoughtful and powerful, but if was funny and entertaining and I totally enjoyed it.

I will definitely check the authors other books for more uplifting reads.

3.5 stars

Lucy and William are both working through difficult pasts and trying to move forward. This brings them to the town of Confluence to work for the local news station. William doesn't remember her, but Lucy knows him and had a crush on him years ago.

The setting at the news station is fun and I do like Lucy and William together. Despite being a playboy in the past he is a decent guy now. The author also tries to address bullying that Lucy both experienced and observed, and the effects it can have on one's self esteem.

I am looking forward to reading whatever the author has next.

Lucy takes a job in Confluence at a tv station and finds her teenage crush, William, is her neighbor and also her colleague. When they go undercover as a honeymoon couple things get heated.
But William doesn’t remember Lucy from when she was a lowly assistant on his reality show ...

There was a lot going on in this story actually. Both Lucy and William have issues with their family, Lucy still suffers from low self-esteem after being bullied and ridiculed in her childhood plus there is the whole unrequited crush-on-William thing from 8 years ago when Lucy was overweight and shy. This time around, William is interested in Lucy, but she has changed herself from when she was shy Lulu.

The honeymoon undercover thing was just to get them together and is not that big a part of the story. I also wonder why William would bother, as he is set to inherit his mother’s company including the tv station Lucy works for.

But the story overall is quite good with some realistic feeling to it. It was not a cookie cutter romance. I did think some things were resolved quite conveniently near the end. Nice epilogue.