The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren is a quick and quirky romance that will lift your spirits. It has two interesting main characters and an uplifting theme. This co-authored book is one that fans of the authors will want to add to their spring TBRs.

If you are looking for an easy to read story that has a bit of romance and humour, The Honey Don’t List is one to try. There is a serious side to the story, as the main characters are struggling to get ahead in their lives, but it is offset by some fun and flirty moments.

❀ RELATABLE CHARACTERS

Christina Lauren books always seem to have characters that are easy to relate to. Carey is a character that shows quite a lot of growth throughout the story. Her realization that she needs to take the reigns and make her own way in the world are really admirable. On the other hand, James is an unexpected love interest who is in Carey’s corner when things get rough. I really enjoyed watching their relationship unfold.

❀ THEME OF STANDING UP FOR YOURSELF

The theme of standing up for yourself is prevalent throughout the novel, as Carey learns to take chances and fight for herself. She seems hesitant at first and then really starts to become her own advocate. It is really fantastic to watch her transformation.

The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren is a light read that has a bit of everything. The romance and the humour are mixed with a serious side that really seem to work together. This is my second Christina Lauren novel and I am excited to read more of their work.

Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sadly this book was not capturing my attention and I was very bored reading the first chapter. I didn’t like how the authors started the story off and I didn’t really understand the premise of the story. It is not like their other novels, which I’ve read and loved, and I didn’t get pulled in. Therefore I did not finish the book, but I believe other people would like this book if they find the premise interesting.

I enjoyed this for the most part. A bit of a different story-line, good characters that you like and root for [and those you don’t!]. But having said that, I liked this but I didn’t love it. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but the last couple of Christina Lauren books have been this way for me, that I liked them but didn’t love them. They just seem to be missing some of the usual charm/magic that I’ve come to expect from them. It still was a good read and I do recommend it.

3 STARS

Carey Duncan has worked for home remodelling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favourite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

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I've only read two other CL books and I to say that this book was heavy on the plot and light on the romance, so be forewarned going in - it is a bit different than their usual formula!

THE HONEY-DON'T LIST is a quick, face paced read that I devoured in a day. The plot was a fun take on home-renovation shows and the drama that inevitably happens behind the scenes. I really enjoyed the "police transcripts" that were thrown sporadically into the chapters, as this helped draw me into the story. I just had to know what events led up to our characters being interrogated (you know I love a good mystery!)

However, as much as I enjoyed the story there were a few things that didn't quite work for me. For one, neither James or Carey's voices really stood out. I kept on forgetting which character was narrating the chapter - which was super confusing! I thought their romance was cute, if predictable but I never got to the point where I was really rooting for them. Plus, I wanted to smack Carey upside the head for putting up with her crazy bosses for a decade! Like really girl? You're worth more than that!

Regardless, I did enjoy reading THE HONEY-DON'T LIST and it definitely won't be my last by the pair.

Thank you to Netgalley, the authors and the publisher for my ARC copy!

3.5 Stars. I liked The Honey-Don’t List but I didn’t love it. I love Christina Lauren books. I own many of them and have read many of them. Some of them are on my favourites list. I wasn’t crazy about the romance in this book and I did find the beginning slow. I will say this was a quick read. I read it in one morning because I was intrigued by the synopsis (which I don’t normally read). Christina Lauren books are some of favourites to recommend for people to read but this book just didn’t hit home for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Carey and James' jobs revolve around their bosses relationship and making sure they keep out of trouble. When you're cleaning up other people's messes you risk losing youself in the process. This is a hilarious and perfect match of two people that you're more interested in than the couple they are attempting to help.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

Carey works for a designing couple, Melissa and Rusty. She is Melissa’s assistant. Her and James, Rusty’s assistant, join Mel and Rusty on their book tour. The problem is that Rusty is having an affair. Carey and James have to work together to make the tour run smoothly, making them closer to each other.

There was actually a lot of tension in the story, even though it was a light romance most of the time. Some of the chapters, alternating between Carey’s and James’s perspectives, ended with their police interviews. The actual incident that they were being interviewed about isn’t revealed until the end of the book, which kept up the tension. I didn’t think the incident was as big a deal as the police interview made it seem, especially since they moved on pretty quickly after the fact.

Carey had a condition I had never heard of before. She had dystonia, which is a condition that affects the muscle movement in her hands. That condition played into some of the decisions that she made in the story.

Sexism in the workplace was also an important part of the story. Even though Carey had worked with Melissa for a decade, she wasn’t given the same privileges as James, who had only worked for Rusty for two months. This was addressed a little in the book, but this is an important problem in the world that I’m glad was included.

I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I always find myself enjoying this duo's writing style, their books are always easy to get into and keep me engaged the whole way through. I loved the story line in this one - I absolutely love HGTV reno / home design shows so I did enjoy that aspect of the book and thought it could have been played with even more. The characters were great - some of them I loved to hate! Overall, I thought this was a typical CL rom-com book: a fun and enjoyable read! I recommend checking this one out.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Christina Lauren is an instant buy for me. Oh her recent novels, this was not my favorite but once again it is a solid, well written novel by two kick ass women. It didn't blow me out of the water like some of their books so it is a solid 3 for me.

The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren

Well let me just start by saying that I absolutely love this duo’s writing. This is my fourth book that I have read by them and i liked this one, but it definitely was not my favourite. I really liked the chemistry between Carey and James. They were very understanding towards each other, and supportive. I loved their connection. I really didn’t love Melissa and Rusty’s relationship. Maybe it was the HGTV reference (for the most part I like that channel, but there are some shows where I just don’t love the cast members) or the fake show they put on for the public. It just rubbed me the wrong way. All of that aside, it was a quick and fun read. With just enough steamy moments. I have this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Gallery Books for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren is a behind the scenes look at a lifestyle show, and book tour when the relationship between the married couple whose brand is based on their happy marriage has hit nuclear destruction level and their harried assistants are the only thing keeping the show on the road. Carey Duncan has worked for Melissa and Rusty Tripp since she was sixteen years old, and somehow over the years, her job as assistant to Melissa has grown to the point where it’s really her work that is showcased, and she doesn’t receive any credit. James McCann is an engineer whose previous firm is the subject of a criminal investigation, and he needs this job on his resume even though there is little engineering to be done and lots of fetching the dry-cleaning and trying to keep Rusty in line. Reluctant allies at the beginning of the tour they become friends and then lovers but will their relationship survive when it’s all about to go kaboom and James has been keeping secrets. I enjoyed this story very much it’s light-hearted and funny with just a touch of heartache and a lovely HEA. Medium Steam. Publishing Date March 24, 2020 #NetGalley #TheHoneyDontList #ChristinaLauren #ContemporaryRomance #bookstagram #SimonandSchusterCanada #GalleryBooks

The Honey-Don't List gives readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of home renovation reality TV as we follow the romantic journey of Carey and James, assistants to the Tripps, a husband and wife team with an uber-successful home improvement dynasty (think the Gaines, but all messed up and broken with a marriage that's ready to melt-down at any second). Carey and James are desperate to help to maintain the facade of perfection around the Tripps, and are both wrestling with feelings of being "stuck" in jobs that don't fulfill them. Will Carey and James get together? (It's a romance... what do you think?) Will the Tripps trip up and reveal the true state of their "perfect marriage"?

I've read two of this duo's past novels (The Unhoneymooners and Twice in a Blue Moon) and both were fabulous - racy, sweet, with romantic leads that had believable connections. For me, this offering didn't equal those two novels.

What I liked: I definitely felt like I was getting a sneaky insider's look into the dramatic world of life inside a home reno TV show. That was fun. The Tripps were a train wreck, and who doesn't like witnessing that kind of drama in the realm of fiction?

What was missing for me: I didn't wholly believe in the romance between Carey and James the way I did with the couples in Christina Lauren's other novels. It felt a bit rushed, like they didn't have as much of a foundation for the intensity of their feelings and we were supposed to just accept it and go along for the ride.

I think that Christina Lauren's fans will be glad to have another novel from this stellar pair and will enjoy this one. I definitely want to work my way through their backlist.

There’s nothing better than looking forward to a book, finally reading it, and having it check off all of your boxes. If I see that these authors have a new book in the works, I automatically add it to my to-be-read list, often without even reading the synopsis. The Honey-Don’t List had a few of my favorite things: home decorating, great chemistry between the characters, tension, and plenty of this duo’s signature wit and charm.

Carey and James were tasked with the job of keeping the Tripps on schedule, their relationship in line, and their true feelings hidden from the public eye. Easier said than done. With a home decorating and renovating brand to protect, and a book tour for a relationship book that was underway, the Tripps' continued success was dependent on them keeping their marital troubles at bay. This led to some very entertaining scenarios and wonderful banter.

For a book to truly captivate me, I must be able to connect with the characters. That wasn’t a problem here. I was immediately drawn to Carey and James. Their work environment, along with their differences, offered up great dialogue, and a push and pull that had me waiting in anticipation. As I mentioned above, Carey and James had fabulous chemistry, and I believed wholeheartedly in their connection.

The Honey-Don’t List was a fun, entertaining, swoony story that kept me glued to the pages. Christina Lauren continue to impress me with their fresh, original storylines and their heartwarming, likable characters.

*4.5 Stars

I love how this writing duo is starting to include more diversity in their books: women as the breadwinner and setting up technology in the homes and men cooking dinner for the family, disability rep (not sure if it is own voices) and open talk about therapy! I found this wasn’t a total hate to love because I though the “hate” was rushed because it was only a 300 paged book but overall, like any Christina Lauren book, I really enjoyed my time reading it! Not at the top of my favourites list but also a good addition to their series of novels. I wouldn’t say this is a romcom necessarily but it was fun!

Christina Lauren have a way of writing these hilarious, sexy romcoms that make you want to re-read them again and again. Their books are hit or miss for me, but I can’t resist reading them anyway.

Something that’s usually pretty consistent for their books is the writing. It’s so well done that it’s easy to slip into the story, and never want to stop reading. That’s the same here. The characters feel vivid, the prose and dialogue are both compelling and at times hilarious. Christina Lauren excel at writing banter, and I’m here for it.

This book is lighter on romance than their books usually are which was a little sad because I really liked the couple. It’s a bit of a hate-to-love romance (I adore that trope). But it felt like we didn’t get enough page time to get to know them as well as we could have. But together they’re sweet and sexy. The love interest makes a pretty bad mistake, but I like the way Carey reacts to the conflict.

The majour plotline is the toxic work environment. Carey and James work for pretty despicable people. It’s sad to say this, but I could relate to it so much. That made me invested in the story even more. Carey is genuinely a good person, and a fantastic character. I really felt for her and what she goes through, and I was rooting for her.

With that being said, I think the hyper-focus on this plotline detracted from the romance, which ultimately affected my enjoyment of the book. I came here for the romance, people! While I liked it, it’s not my favourite Christina Lauren book.

This was a good book to binge to escape reality. I love the writing duo CLo, but I was disappointed in their last book Twice in a Blue Moon, so I didn't have exceptionally high standards for this one. With very low standards, I enjoyed it.

It was fun to see the behind the scenes dynamics of a home & garden reality TV show couple and how it takes a village to keep them in line. The budding relationship between Carey and James was cute (for some reason, I'm a sucker for assistants with awful bosses falling in love). If you like a light and quick escapist read, this is one of those.

This book comes out March 24, 2020. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! It was a fun and easy to read romcom. I really liked our main characters Carey and James. They are working for big time home design and renovation TV couple Melissa and Rusty Tripp. This happily married couples relationship is a little rockier than it appears to the public so when they are scheduled to go on a book tour Carey and James are recruited to help keep everything going smoothly.
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I really enjoyed seeing the importance of people who work behind the scenes. They aren’t the ones who get the attention but the job wouldn’t get done without them. This novel is also a good reminder that what you see portrayed in the media, or on social media, might not be a true reflection of real life.
I loved the banter between the characters and you definitely see how they get to know each other.
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This was more of a slow burn enemies to relationship and more of a closed door/fade to black romance especially compare to some of the other Christina Lauren books! I loved the representing of the main character having a physical disability and loved the vulnerability, and acceptance, of this through the novel. Carey was loyal, almost to a fault, but I was so happy with how everything was resolved.

In this new rom-com from our rom-com favourites. we follow Casey and James who are the assistance to reality- -home-renovation TV stars! The stars are about to go on tour for their new book which means a vacation for Casey and James...that is until the rumour mill starts with infidelity and trouble in paradise gossip and suddenly Casey and James are forced to go on tour to keep the peace between the two stars, who by the way are on tour to promote a book on how to have a happy marriage! .
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I loved Casey and James! They were great characters and I really enjoyed their relationship. They had great banter and it was so satisfying to see them stand up to their bosses near the end! .
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Casey is a really great character. She is so loyal even when her boss doesn’t deserve it, and she really tries to see the best in people. I don’t often do this but I found myself thinking, she’s a total Hufflepuff, throughout this book lol! .

I did feel that the ending was a little rushed and I would have wanted the big climatic event to happen a few chapters earlier so that we could see more of the aftermath recovery progress Casey and James made.

I really enjoyed this story! Christina Lauren delivers a fun story, with some laughs, verbal battles, and good tension. The dual POV worked really well for this story, and I felt that the story moved at a good pace. Overall, I’d recommend this one - a fun, light read!

Disclaimer : I got an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Let me start off by saying that I have had mixed experiences with Christina Lauren's book, on one hand Autoboyography is one of my all time favourite book and on the other I absolutely hated My Favourite Half-Night Stand was one of the books I hated/really couldn't enjoy at all no matter how much I tried.
Now this was more of a meh situation, I enjoyed it quite a bit but nothing that makes me want to re-read it or will make me remember it in vivid details.
The bosses in this story are such assholes, while our two main characters are well developed and the story was funny, unfortunately the same cannot be said about the romance. Now I read these type of books for the romance, so you can imagine the kind of disappointment I felt through this story especially knowing the type of romance these two authors can conjure.
If you enjoy humorous fiction then this is totally perfect for you, the first couple chapters are slow and more about Tripp's, then we get an insta-love/connection and a sort of jump to an HEA ending. While this was a new direction for their books to go, in my opinion it missed the little humf that makes me love them and get hooked on their romances (when it happens).
This was okay, though I wouldn't exactly qualify this as an romance.

If you want a great romance by them go for Unhoneymooners, it's a sure hit

-Bookarina