Authors Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the dynamic duo that is the pen name Christina Lauren, have been captivating me with their entertaining, humorous, thoughtful stories since their work was introduced to me by a reading friend; this is my fifth of their novels and they are now an auto-buy/borrow for me. Their novels are often considered part of the romance genre, but without the ridiculousness I used to assume went along with that branding; they are also intelligent, fun and full of strong female characters. I can hardly wait for their fall release, Twice in a Blue Moon.

Gah! Where do I begin with this book?? I absolutely love the writing style that these Authors bring to the table. I felt every emotion reading this book-and I love that.

These characters were funny and REAL. I saw the vulnerability beneath the surface and once that was exposed to one another? It was game on. Olive had me in stitches and I just wanted to hug Ethan. I was 100% invested in them and I believed in the authenticity of their relationship.

I've read these Authors for years. They have a way of crafting a story that just pulls you right in and the Unhoneymooners was no different. I absolutely love this book and can't recommend it highly enough.

The Unhoneymooners is a great addition to all beach bags this summer! It was a sweet read, it was funny and super cute. It is a wee predictable but sometimes that happens with rom coms.
I love how these two characters hate each other so much! The third character in this story is my complete favorite.....Maui! The writing duo of Christine Lauren had me relaxing on a Maui beach in my head.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven't been a fan of these authors in the past with the Beautiful series, but I think this one was really sweet and cute. It makes me want to read other books by them.

I completely understand the misunderstandings that Olive and Ethan had with each other. Especially with Dane egging on both of their insecurities. I like that there was plenty of time on the island as well as having them back home. I can't tell you how many books I've read where it's all supposed to be about the couple on an island or on vacation and that part of the book last less than an hour of reading then you have them back home dealing with their issues. How can someone advertise a book about a couple on vacation when they are only on it for a short time? UGH...

Anyway, I enjoyed this one and would love to actually get a story with Amy and Lucas.

The very first word that comes to my mind when I think about this book is FUN! Olive and Ethan were frenemies stuck taking a honeymoon together. You knew exactly what was going to happen but it was still a blast just reading how the story progressed. This wasn't my first Christina Lauren book so I knew the expect great banter, plenty of romance and a ton of laughs. This book did not disappoint. I can not wait to read another Christina Lauren book.

The Unhoneymooners is a beautiful, fun book that readers will find they can't tear their eyes away from this summer! Readers of contemporary romance MUST put this on their lists.

Olive Torres is unlucky. She seems to always find herself in the most ridiculous situations while her twin sister Ami remains unscathed, breezing through life always finding good fortune where she goes. While Olive is giving a speech at her sister's stunning wedding, the guests (including the bride and groom) become very ill with a stomach bug, sending Olive and her new brother-in-law's brother Ethan on a journey to Maui in lieu of the sickly newlyweds. Olive and Ethan have never gotten along and bicker almost constantly but they're determined to enjoy a vacation while trying to steer clear of each other. Unfortunately for Olive, they must keep up a ruse of being newlyweds in front of her new boss and Ethan's ex-girlfriend. Now they must endure ten days of pretending to enjoy each other's company... until they realize that maybe they enjoy the presence of the other more than they originally thought. If they don't kill each other first.

Like I said, this book is fun, fun, fun. It's got that special sauce of entertainment that I've found is consistent in Christina Lauren's books. The dialogue is amazing, keeping you on your toes the whole time. If you love banter, this is certainly the book for you. One of the best things about this book is just how smart and quick the humor is, while also making your insides melt from the tenderness. I really, really enjoyed it and highly recommend this for a page-turning read.

The duo has done it once again!

The Unhoneymooners was my third Christina Lauren book that I have read. After finishing this new release, I can surely say that the dynamic duo of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings is becoming one of my favorite authors. My favorite things in all of the books I've read by them is the fact that they write love so well. Do not wait to read this one.

It doesn't take me much to connect with a character. Usually, it's right from the first few sentences whether I know if I am going to enjoy the characters or not. From the first minute, Olive was a character I connected with. Her attitude and her love of food (I really associate with this) is something that I really enjoyed throughout the entire novel. Also, something else I really love throughout a book is character development. I feel like Olive was the queen of character development. Every different thing that happened in this book, she took differently and it was really refreshing to see the maturity come to life.

I read a ton of romance novels, and one of my favorite themes is enemies to lovers. I feel like this might be in my top 5 of enemies to lovers. The resentment and comments between both Olive and Ethan were hilarious and feisty. From calling each other different names to just being overall spunky, these two had a undeniable connection. I've read a ton of enemies to lovers novels and it's true for me to say that Ethan and Olive's connection was one of the best I've ever read.

Something I absolutely adore about enemies to lover novels is I know what is going to happen. Some might find that uninteresting to keep reading the same plot, however, I know that in my heart that every single book with this plot is different. Is there angst? Is it a quick realization? Is it a slow burn? Is it their friends that show them that their good together or do they figure it out on their own? Those are only some of the possibilities. Christina Lauren really hit the nail on the head. I feel like everything I just listed was in The Unhoneymooners. It was the perfect amount of everything rolled into one perfect book.

Overall, I am ecstatic that I read this quickly and within the first month of the publication date. I love the fact that I can tell everyone about this book and to read it as soon as possible. I felt every part of this book from start to finish, and I believe that each part was so perfectly detailed to where I felt every emotion. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up right away.

As always, Christina Lauren have written a romance to fall in love with. Rich, fun characters and situations that make you, cringe, laugh, cry and make your heart flutter, sometimes all at once.

Really this would be a 3.5 if Goodreads would EVER let us give half-stars, but since I read the whole thing in a day, I've decided to round up.

Olive has the worst luck. She's a hard worker, she's smart, but things never quite seem to break her way. That's not the case for her identical twin, Ami. Also smart and thrifty to the extreme, she's managed to pay next to nothing for her wedding by entering every contest and giveaway under the sun. But when the free seafood buffet at the reception leaves the almost everyone sick, Olive and the best man Ethan are literally the only ones left standing because they didn't eat it. Ami insists Olive use her ID and go on her honeymoon so the free trip doesn't go to waste. The hitch? The groom also offered the trip to Ethan. Considering Ethan and Olive can't stand each other, it's going to be an interesting 10 days in paradise...

Like I said, I inhaled this book. It was a great way to kick off my summer and unwind. Olive is adorable if a bit tightly wound at times, and Ethan was completely swoony. As to be expected in this kind of story, the road to happily ever after can never be totally smooth, but the hiccup in this book didn't quite land with me, as with the explanation for Ethan and Olive's original animosity. This one is sure to be popular on beaches this summer!

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is a stand-alone contemporary romance that delivers all the things you like: frenemies-to-lovers, swoons, angst, and drunken declarations of feelings.

It’s better than $1.99 mai tais from Cheeseburger Maui.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Synopsis: Olive has terrible luck. Everything goes wrong for her (love, career, life). Her twin sister Ami is the opposite, she is the luckiest person in the world. At Ami’s wedding everyone gets food poisoning from eating shellfish except for Olive and Ethan (Ami’s husband brother who is basically Olive’s enemy). Olive and Ethan are forced to go on the planned 10 day honeymoon in Maui.

Review: This is a good summer read. I could have read it in one sitting by the pool. It is cute, funny and I could see it made into a movie (it’s the perfect rom com). However, it is a predictable book. If you’re looking for something light and fluffy to read this summer this is for you.

The story makes you root for some of the characters and also hate others. I loved the setting in Maui, I’ve never been but it’s on my list of places I want to go soon. I found myself laughing at loud at some parts and cringing at others.

This was my first Christina Lauren book and I enjoyed it. I didn’t love it as much as I’ve seen others do but I enjoyed it. It was a good book to read after a heavier read.

I have not read a Christina Lauren book that I didn't like and this is no exception!

The story is fun and and moves along quickly with a lot of really great characters, which are, of course, my favorite part to any story.

Olive is amazing, and I can totally relate to her experiences with work and men. And it doesn't help to have a totally fabulous sibling {especially a twin}. Ethan is adorable, but kind of clueless at times, at least when it comes to women... and his brother. Together they are a ton of fun, especially their bickering.

Amie is a little over the top, but I think her heart is in the right place when it comes to Olive. And their family is just freaking amazing... all of them! I love the text messages between Olive and Diego. But don't get me started on Dane because I try to keep my reviews positive and try to avoid spoilers... and anything I have to say about him would violate both of those rules.

I love the enemies to lovers trope and this story does justice to it! I especially love all of the unexpected surprises Olive and Ethan run into on their "honeymoon" that force them together rather than just enjoying separate vacations. And then there are the misunderstandings...

One of my favorite parts of a Christina Lauren book is always the alternating POV between the two main characters. I think it lets us get into the heads of both characters so that we are able to connect with them more. I love that! Especially since each POV is written in the first person. Unfortunately, this book doesn't have that... at least until the epilogue, so we miss out on getting inside Ethan's head during the bulk of the story. Which is pretty sad. Olive is awesome, don't get me wrong, but I didn't really appreciate Ethan's adorableness until the epilogue told in his first person POV. And that epilogue was fantastic!

I cannot say I am a pro at Christina Lauren books. I think I have read 3 books by this duo including this book. The last two I read told the story from both MCs POVs, this book is only from Olive's. Which is necessary for the enemies storyline to work in this instance, but single POV isn't my favorite. While I prefer both perspectives, you do get a good sense of who Ethan is from just Olive's POV as she gets to know him.

This is enemies (kinda) to lovers and forced proximity. Somehow it is both funny and sad. An easy read, it is a super slow burn. If you hesitate on romance due to the steam factor, this one is a good one to give a go in my opinion as the steamy portions are fairly limited. Most of the book is about these two going from enemies to pseudo-friends. The relationship portion of the book speeds through the last fourth or so of the book.

I really liked Olive. I liked how when in a tough spot, she just kept on rolling. She is supposed to be pessimistic, but she really wasn't. She may not have had expectations to win big the way her sister did, but she kept trying to achieve her goals. In my opinion, that meant she always had hope that things would eventually work in her favor. Maybe her not so positive view of things colored some her interactions, but in her shoes, I probably would have seen things the same way.

I enjoyed a lot about this book, especially the big family with big personalities. The maid of honor speech? Epic. I may have even teared up a bit at the end (maybe), especially when Olive and her sister confront some issues.

I recommend if you like banter, one-liners, strong family ties, and a pretty cool heroine.

I can not give enough praise to this book. I laughed through out the whole book and loved the main character Olive. She was so relatable and it was encouraging to read that she was confident with who she was. I took this book to the beach and it was the perfect vacation read. I read it in two days because I literally couldn't put it down for too long. I will definitely be recommending this to friends for their summer read.

☀️ 4 star Book review! ☀️ Christina Lauren has become one of my auto read authors (well the duo that is!). They always manage to write fun romances with great characters, and The Unhoneymooners is no exception.

The Unhoneymooners is the story of Olive and Ethan, and is a classic enemies to lovers romance. It is definitely one of my favorite tropes. And the chemistry between them was perfect. I loved their banter. And there were several times while reading that I literally laughed out loud. Bathroom scene anyone??? And the seafood buffet scene was horrifyingly hilarious. This is a perfect summer beach read. It will have you wanting to visit Hawaii!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book was absolutely delicious! How these authors consistently turn out such enjoyable hits is beyond me - usually there’s a dud or two for every one, but not these two - they are on top of their game. Olive and Ethan provided the perfect love/hate relationship with a sexual tension foil, the authors bringing us in for the kill with a side of cheating scumbag and clueless sweetheart. I was in love from the start and fell deeper and deeper until my heart broke when I had to put the book down after it was over. All I can say is I am 100% here for what’s up next from these fabulous authors - can’t WAIT for Twice in a Blue Moon!!

Much thanks to Gallery Books & NetGalley for this copy for review.

Four and a half stars: Another laugh out loud romantic comedy from the amazing duo known as Christina Lauren.

Olive is just trying to make it through her sister’s wedding. Amy is the one who is always lucky. She wins everything including the honeymoon trip, the bridesmaids dresses and practically the entire wedding. Olive is the unlucky twin, bad luck follows her everywhere she goes. Her luck isn’t improving during the wedding either. Not only does Olive find herself with a long list of to dos and a horrible bright green bridesmaid dress, she must also put up with her nemesis, Ethan, the best man and brother of the groom. Then the wedding goes completely awry when everyone is struck down by food poisoning from the wedding buffet. Only Ethan and Olive escape since they didn’t eat the buffet. Amy insists that Olive take her honeymoon trip since it is non refundable or transferable. The only catch, Olive is going with Ethan. Will the two be able to handle pretending to be fake married to enjoy a free Hawaiian vacation?
What I Liked:
*The author team behind the Christian Lauren name continue to impress with another hilarious contemporary romance featuring the enemies to lovers trope. There was so much to enjoy about this one. I loved the romance, the humor and the many awkward funny moments. The perfect read for summer.
*Olive and Ethan are downright adorable. The two have had a bristly relationship since their first meeting. They seemed to be getting along fine, and then Olive got cheese curds and Ethan turned up his nose at her from that moment on. Now whenever they are together, wicked and hilarious banter follows. I couldn’t get enough of these two. I loved watching them verbally spar with one another, and then a hesitant friendship forms as they open up and admit some truths and work together to pull of the fake marriage. There are so many funny scenes in this one, and it was adorable to watch them peel off their blinders and fall in love. This was a fantastic antagonistic romance.
*I completely enjoyed the humor. There are so many scenes that had me laughing out loud. From the wedding disaster, to the awkward dinner date with Olive’s new boss, paint balling, and the horror show in the ship bathroom. Seriously, these two know how to write some crazy scenes. I love that I always laugh while reading one of their contemporary romances.
*I appreciated Olive’s great big nosy family. Olive comes from a large, Hispanic family. They show up unannounced and cook and meddle, but when things are tough, they are always there. I loved how the aunts, cousins and everyone came through when Olive and Amy hit rough patches. Loved the family dynamics.
*I liked watching the romantic relationship evolve and mature. The honeymoon portion is terrific, but then when they return to real life, the growing pains start. I liked seeing how they worked through the tough spots. Yes, things weren’t always handled maturity and there are stumbles, but in the end, both Olive and Ethan evolve and mature and get it right.
*I was surprised and pleased by Olive’s growth. When the book opens, she is unemployed, down on her luck in and in a bad place. As the book progresses, she is forced to confront some truths about herself. I loved seeing her grow and change and find a new path.
*The books ends in a great spot with a big, goofy happy moment, and then a delightful epilogue down the road. I liked that the epilogue was from Ethan’s point of view. It was nice to get into his head. All in all, this book left me smiling. Loved it.
And The Not So Much:
*I didn’t like Amy. She is first presented as a bridezilla. Later, she lashes out at Olive when Olive confronts Amy with some hard truths. I wish that some of her more flattering points were presented.
*Dane is a big asshat. I hated the way he behaved and that he kept getting away with it. Ugh!
*Ethan disappointed me a bit when he failed to see the truth in the situation, yet I could see his struggle to be loyal to his sibling. Thankfully, he comes around.
*I wish that Olive’s parent’s relationship was better explored, it was a mess. What was up with that?

The Unhoneymooners is another win from the Christina Lauren team. This book features an adorable enemies to lovers romance. I loved all the awkward and hilarious moments. If you haven’t experienced the Christina Lauren phenomenon, don’t hesitate, grab this one for summer reading!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher one exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

I finished The Unhoneymooners in a day and a half, and while I enjoyed it, I have to admit that I miss some of the heat that I’ve come to associate with the duo. I met (and fell in love with) them through the Beautiful Bastard and Wild Seasons series and this is the first book of theirs I’ve read since completing those. I liked Olive and Ethan and their chemistry was believable - the tension between them when they were enemies was as entertaining as their slide into coupledom. I REALLY liked how in Ethan is once they decide to pursue a relationship and to an extent, I also really liked how loyal he was to a certain character who will not be named because (#nospoilers). Honestly, the external drama might have been my favorite part of the book. But it's also why I can't commit to a full five wine glass review - the culmination of the drama and its resolution happen entirely too quickly. I could've marinated in that juiciness for at least two more chapters (which would've given us four instead of two). The epilogue was sweet and I appreciated finally getting Ethan's POV (though I would've loved it even more had the whole book been told in both of their POVs). The Unhoneymooners is a fun and entertaining read and the motivation that I needed to play catch up and read the rest of the duo's back catalogue so that I'm ready for Twice in a Blue Moon. 4 out of 5 wine glasses.

As plots go by, this one started rather stereotyped, heroine has a twin sister, her twin gets severely sick during a rom-com set wedding and is unable to travel to her honeymoon. They end up switching IDs so the heroine can enjoy the honeymoon with the best man, pretending to be the married couple for the sake of a non-refundable honeymoon prize. The best man she’s "forced" to spend time with is the groom’s brother and her own archenemy. They hate each other.
I’m all for enemies to lovers tropes! I was pretty happy reading this then.

Sometimes along the way,halfway into the book maybe—after all the comical situations had been delivered, after all the bearable tension had been imparted, after all the banter had been issued, I started to lose interest in the romance, finding the chemistry between Olive and Ethan tepid at best. I also I started to feel outraged on behalf of Olive.

I adored the heroine. Probably so much so that I couldn’t stomach the way she was being treated throughout the story by people that should have been LISTENING to her. According her the benefit of the mother-effing doubt. She was being constantly disregarded and make fun of. Well, fuck that.
Not even the hero’s POV offered at the end could make me forgive his behavior.

It seems I’ve been afflicted with a case of "inability to suspend all disbeliefs" lately, unfortunately, I could have done with a temporary fix for my affliction reading this book. I’m not saying this was a bad story, I’m saying it had nothing new to offer and I’ve had real issues dealing with the offhanded way the heroine was made fun of or belittled. I just couldn’t let go of my grounded/realistic point of view reading The Unhoneymooners.

4.25 Stars
*Looking for a quick review? Scroll down to the Down & Dirty*

The writing duo of Christina Lauren has been a winner for me in recent years. I absolutely love their fun, real-feeling romantic comedies, and The Unhoneymooners is no exception. In fact, when I got near the end I had to put it down because I read it so fast I wasn’t ready for it to end.
(graphic on blog)
Olive and Ami are twins that couldn’t be more different in personality. Ami is the “beautiful”, lucky, happy sister who wins everything so much that she has learned to enter every contest to win free stuff—including her wedding and honeymoon.

"Whereas Ami is a four-leaf clover, I have always been unlucky."

The free seafood buffet Ami won gives everyone a horrible case of food poisoning except the two who didn't eat it, Olive and the groom’s brother, Olive’s nemesis, Ethan. Since they are twins, Ami gives Olive her free 10-day honeymoon in Hawaii, and her husband gave his trip to his brother.

(Graphic on blog)

But seriously, who would turn down a free all-inclusive trip to Hawaii? They will just avoid each other as much as possible and enjoy 10 days in paradise. Until they realize they need to look like a couple, especially when some surprises come along.

"I find myself smiling in the direction of the living room, and realize that staying firmly on Team I Hate Ethan Thomas is going to be more work than it may be worth."

Ethan and Olive’s hate-but-really-like banter was adorable, and it is one of my favorite things Christina Lauren writes. But there were a few little issues I had. One part that I was very excited about was that the heroine was a bit plus-sized (or so it seemed). Her feelings about her weight and her curves made her seem plus-sized, but in the end, it seemed like the only thing big was her boobs. That part of the storyline just kind of fell away in the end.

It also felt a little like 2 books in one. We get the funny light romcom for the first half, and an angsty, more serious 2nd half. I would have liked a little more lightness in the second half and a little more serious in the first to even it out. Still, I really loved the connection between Ethan and Olive. I liked that we were only in Olive’s head, so we got to know Ethan as she did. I haven’t seen a single POV book in a while and it was refreshing.

“It was the kind of kiss that feels like fucking.” All the air is sucked out of my lungs, and I’m left staring up at him, speechless. I was expecting him to say something safe, not something that would send my libido spiraling out of any controlled orbit.”

Likes:
•I laughed and smiled through the whole book.
•Banter! I love banter!
•It was a quick read - not that it’s short, it’s page-turning and easy to get sucked in and read in one sitting.
•It was different having only her POV. It helped to really get in her head and only have his words and expressions to go by.
•Olive is half Mexican. It’s nice to have a little ethnicity in my books.
•The epilogue in his POV.

Dislikes:
•Some ridiculously over the top coincidences.
•His initial reaction to his brother’s assholishness.
•They tried to make the heroine plus sized (I think) but didn’t really. It was like a part of the storyline that got taken away but not totally. I was excited to have a plus-sized heroine, but in the end, it seemed the only thing plus was her boobs.
•The book was split into two very different parts: The fun and sexy banter-filled first half, and the second half filled with more emotion, heartache and family matters. It almost felt disconnected.

The Down & Dirty:
I love Christina Lauren’s romantic comedies and The Unhoneymooners was no exception. Hate-to-love is one of my favorite tropes because I love banter, and there was a lot of it here. The Unhoneymooners was a slow burn that had two pretty distinct parts, Hawaii, which was all fun and flirty and filled with build-up, then the part where they get home, which was much more serious. Told almost all from the heroine’s POV, it was a nice change to not know what was going on in the hero’s head, and to learn his feelings with Olive. At first we are led to believe that the heroine was a plus-sized latino character, and while yes, she was Mexican, it seems that the curves she mention are only in her bra, and that part of the story, sadly, didn’t really materialize.

Still, The Unhoneymooners is another solid romcom from Christina Lauren that I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Rating: 4.25 Stars, 3 Heat