I loved it! James and Carey are adorable and I loved following them around on the book tour. The only thing I didn’t like as much was the fact that I didn’t really understand at first why the police interrogation transcript, which felt awkward sometimes when it switched from POVs to this. Another great CL book!

This one wasn't as addictive as their other books but still cute. The lead up to the romance was pretty quick so not as exciting when it did happen.

Another rom-com from dynamic duo Christina Lauren!

The Honey-Don’t List follows James and Carey who are assistants to one of TV’s most loved home renovation couples, Rusty and Melissa Tripp. Everything looks glamorous and happy on the outside but, what the public doesn’t know is, Rusty and Melissa can’t stand each other and are on the brink of divorce. James and Carey are tasked with tagging along on the Tripp’s promotional tour for their new book and Netflix show and making sure the couple keeps their bantering behavior out of the public eye.

I thought this book was very well written and flowed nicely. I enjoyed the take on the very popular home-reno scene. I thought it was a unique storyline. As always, Christina Lauren pulled through with the laughs! I did find the book to be slightly on the predictable side but I still really enjoyed it!

I really like Christina Lauren as an author. When I read "The Unhoneymooners" I went into it thinking it would be a pretty typical rom-com novel, but was quickly captured by the funny prose. I went into this book with the expectation that it would be as good or better than "The Unhoneymooners." Particularly because I love a good trope and behind the scenes of a reality show is a pretty solid one. Also because I loved the Netflix Movie "Set it Up"and was thinking it would be similar to that. It was not, but that is in no way a flaw.

This book met my expectations.. It might not have been as funny as "The Unhoneymooners" it is sweet and light and a solid read. The climax is a /little/ underwhelming, but overall, I would prefer something that is underwhelming to something that is wildly over the top. Will def. keep this author on my to-read list.

The Honey Don’t list is my second read by Christina Lauren and I was very much so looking forward to it!

The story follows Carey, assistant and right hand woman to popular home designer Melissa and has been working with her and her husband Rusty for ten years. They are on tour for their new marriage advice book, and about to release a new Netflix series, but are on the brink of potentially losing everything if the fact that their marriage is falling apart comes out. Carey, and Rusty’s assistant James are tasked with hiding their marriage flaws from the public.

The romance between James and Carey is sweet, but I found their storyline predictable and lacking. Both characters seemed very un-relatable to me, which was disappointing since Carey is the same age as I am. I understand how they were trying to show her character development, but to me it felt forced.

They were also building up to what you assume is going to be a huge OMG WHAT HAPPENED moment (there are current time police interviews). I was extremely underwhelmed with this “reveal”.

Overall, I found the story extremely predictable and was not a huge fan.

Two in a row now that didn't give me all the feels. What's going on? It's almost as if this writing duo is pushing to compete with other books in this genre and are missing the mark a little. I wasn't in love with Twice in a Blue Moon, and while this one is marginally better, it's still no Unhoneymooners or Josh and Hazel, or Half-Night Stand.

Still a good read, interesting for sure, but not the caliber I am used to from these two.

While this is not my favourite Christina Lauren novel it was still very enjoyable! The humour was more sarcastic and the story wasn’t as humorous as some of their most recent releases! I did really enjoy the characters and the home renovation storyline as a I watched HGTV a lot when I was growing because of my mom and her love for those shows! Don’t go into this with high expectations because I have a feeling you will be disappointed. There are cute scenes involving water fights and finding a person that understands you without having to explain too much! Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for and honest review!

Another favourite by the fantastic Christina Lauren! I loved the storyline about a very "Chip and Joanna" tv show and books. The main characters are Carey and James who work for the tv stars. The book is romantic and fun, entertaining and heartfelt. I read it quickly because I loved the characters so much, I'd highly recommend!

I was unsure of this book when I first started reading it. Parts of it seemed a bit crazy, no they were haha, but I definitely found myself knee deep in it and having a great time with it! I like the characters and find them very genuine for the roles that they play. They are very real, and I can easily see a scenario such as this story playing out in real life!
There are definitely aspects of the different characters lives I would have loved to dive a little deeper into, but who knows how long the book would have been if that were the case! I really like the writing style of Christina Lauren. I will definitely be looking to try more books by this author in the future!!!

This CL book is different then all of the other CL's I've read and if anything, I think I love it even more!

This story is unique to the contemporary/romance genre and the world they've created is wonderful! The Chip and Joanna nods will make this book an easy recommendation for friends and a definite preorder!

I loved that this story was focused around the people, around their relationship with others and that the backbone wasn't just about the physical. It made you take a deeper look at the true meaning of friendship and family without undermining the importance of looking after yourself. I'm sure this story will hit home with many.

The Honey-Don't List contains all of CL's signature style. Beautifully wonderful characters, laugh out loud moments, and the odd cringe of awkwardness. Well done CL, well done, this book is already in my cart, and I can't wait to gift it to friends and family when it releases. Also, can I just say, love this cover! (cue heart eyes) Thank you for being bold and individual! To anyone reading this review, I would highly recommend picking this book up if you're looking for something to warm your heart and keep you smiling for days.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Shuster Canada for the e-arc. The Honey-Don't List releases March 2020.

It's no surprise at all that Christina Lauren hit it out of the park once again. A story involving a picture-perfect HGTV couple unfolds as we see behind the scenes into a relationship that isn't as perfect as it seems. Carey and James are assistants to the not so happy couple and work tirelessly to help make sure they stay smiling for the fans. Carey's been with the team for most of her adult life and knows the ins and outs but James seems to light a fire under her butt on what she deserves.

This book was great. I very much love these two and anything they ever write. There has not been a single book in which I did not laugh, cry and fall in love with the characters. It's nearly impossible to not notice the talent and gift these two authors have when they come together.

Thank god for these two ladies. Honestly, their books bring me so much joy. When I saw that I was given the opportunity to read this advance copy, I was so dang excited. In true Christina Lauren fashion, you're not going to want to put this down. I had to, because work, and I thought about it constantly. It's a quick read and I honestly can't pick a favorite part. It was all good. Can't wait until it's out so I can add it to my collection!

I was so excited for this book given I am a huge fan of the dynamic duo. The beginning of this book is intriguing and it definitely sucked me in.

The book is about two assistants (Carey & James) to the designer husband/wife couple who rise to fame after being discovered for their work in their stand alone furniture store. The glitzy glam celebrity world showcased in the book gave me all the Kardashian/Bachelor sort of celebrity vibes.

I liked that the book was told from two perspectives - Carey & James. I enjoyed reading chapters that told Carey's perspective and felt her character was extremely complex and had a lot of layers. She had a quirky, fierce, yet subdued personality and it really won me over. There were so many times I was yelling at "her" to stand up for herself all the while understanding how she must have felt and how she got to where she is.

That being said I did not love this as much as I wanted to. I recently read The Unhoneymooners and I adored that book. With this one, I felt like I didn't have as much insight on the other characters and they weren't fully developed. There wasn't as much depth to the storyline as I would have hoped, and I kept waiting for something amazing to happen and wow me.

Overall it was an easy read with some funny and romantic moments, but it just fell a bit short for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster Canada, and Christina Lauren for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Honey-Don't List was one of my most anticipated reads of early 2020. So I was beyond excited to get to read it. This book is sort of a combination of Chick Lit, contemporary romance and romantic comedy.

The book alternates between two first person narrators: Carey (female- 26) and James (studied to be an engineer).

The book has two interesting narrators. But much of the story is focused on another couple: Melissa/Melly and Rusty Tripp. They are the co-owners of a home decor store/brand Comb + Honey. They are a power couple that do home renovations on tv. They also wrote a book.

Something happens in the present that has Carey and James talking to the police. So the book then goes back a bit to tell us the full story from the beginning. But interspersed in that story are some interview transcripts, some excerpts from the new book and some social media posts.

Carey has been Melly's assistant for ten years. James has been working with Rusty for two months. Melly and Rusty are a handful. And much of this book is about them (their careers, their problems...). This was a bit unusual to have two supporting characters be such a big focal point of the book. There were things that I liked and disliked about this. It did make for an interesting story. However IMO it took quite a bit of the focus (especially in the first half) away from the narrators.

I really enjoy this writing duo and have read their last eight contemporary romances/Women's Fiction/romantic comedy books. They are such enjoyable books. The Honey-Don't List was entertaining. It was funny at times and it was a good read. However, I was able to put it down.

But overall it was an enjoyable read. I think that maybe I was expecting something a bit different because the book started in the present with police interviews. But I did like the story and the characters. And the romance was good and definitely picked up in the second half.

I've loved pretty much everything Christina Lauren has written in the past couple of years, but unfortunately, this was not their best. The Honey-Don't List was missing something special and there wasn't much more than what the book summary describes. It seemed like the book was mostly driven by the wacky plot, so the romance and chemistry between the two main characters, Carey and James, suffered quite a bit. Carey and James were very cute and I really enjoyed James' attention to Carey's disorder, but their relationship wasn't very convincing, especially because it happened very quickly and was mostly due to their circumstances. I'm also a bit tired female characters that are unappreciated and don't get what they deserve, so this book wasn't for me.

These authors are an amazing discovery. It was my first read from Christina+Lauren and I loved their style. This novel was pretty addictive with a great conclusion. Books from these authors are now on my to-read list.

This review and rating so hard for me! I feel like I am being generous with 3 stars but I want to give 4 just because it's Christina Lauren.
I have 7 books by them (including this one) and I loved and adored 5 of them. This was not one of the 5 sadly. I was hoping for something along lines of Josh and Hazel or Roomies. They are different books, one is a romantic comedy and the other romance, but they are both engaging, endearing and you are rooting for the characters. In this book the story is more about Carey and James' bosses than it is about them. They don't even really start anything together until 47% into the book, and we don't have that build up of will they, wont they, to make us root for them. I so wanted to be invested in these characters and their relationship and I just wasn't, I was more curious what would happen between Rusty and Melly than I was with the main characters.
The concept of the book is great, and I really loved Carey but I am so sad I didn't fall in love with this book and characters like I was hoping to.
I received this book from the publishers on NetGalley for my honest review.

“ The Honey Don’t list is a charming love story about what happens when two assistants tasked with keeping a rocky relationship from explosion start to feel sparks of their own.”

I got an ARC of this book from NetGalley and I have to say Christina Lauren have done it once again. I really enjoy their style of writing and the realistic characters they bring to life. A lot of books in the same genre usually make me cringe ro stop reading for a while at some point because I get second hand embarrassment, but I always finish their books in one reading.

In this one I found the main characters well rounded and the story flowed organically. I cannot wait until they announce their next book!

As always, Christina Lauren deliver their classic feel good rom-com. Solid storyline and characters. I loved James and Carey from the moment we met them. I loved the behind the scenes into the HGTV-esque life with Melly and Rusty Tripp. (Think Chip & Joanna Gaines but underneath the veil, they hate each other).

That being said, there was something missing with this book for me. It just didn't hit the mark that this duo ALWAYS does. I think it was lacking the signature witty banter. Maybe because of the toxic relationship between Melly and Carey, it was harder to enjoy the budding romance between Carey and James, which ended up feeling underwhelming.

That being said, I would still recommend this to any Christina Lauren fan!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simonl & Schuster Canada for the ARC!

***Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books and Christina Lauren. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

The Honey-Don't List, by Christina Lauren, was right up my alley given my love of home improvement shows and everything these authors write. Carey and James are assistants to Melissa and Rusty Tripp, respectively. The Tripps, famous for their remodeling show and books, are heading out on a book tour for their new book on marriage, and the cracks in their relationship are quickly becoming chasms. Carey and James are in charge of handling them on the tour, trying to protect their jobs and the Tripp brand, since the Tripps themselves can’t seem to control their words or actions, at least not with any consistency. Carey and James have nothing in common, but being thrown together has them exploring the spark between them, and has them wondering about a life beyond the show, a life they might make together.

I really liked Carey and James. It was the circumstances they found themselves in that I didn’t love. Carey is so creative and kind and resilient. She absolutely blossoms under James’s attention in way that just radiated off the pages. It was heartbreaking to see her come to some realizations about the people she considered surrogate parents, and about how her own choices played a role in the situation she found herself in. I loved James’s confidence. I liked how he openly appreciated Carey and was forthright and honest and open with her from the moment they began working closely together. His mistake made me sad, but the way he handled himself afterward was the real disappointment. Not that it wasn’t easy to forgive, more that it didn’t have to be that way.

As for the Tripps, well… I couldn’t help but think about Chip and Joanna Gaines as inspiration for the couple. Though I hope the Gaines marriage is much, much happier and full of contentment than the Tripp’s marriage was. Scratch that. I hope their marriage is the opposite of the Tripp’s. It’s a great name, because Melly and Rusty really were a trip, and not always a great one. Melly was so fixated on their brand that she didn’t even seem human. I felt bad for Rusty. I despised how he was acting, but I understood very early on that he was looking for attention, and that his wife seemed to have forgotten he existed.

I think the story was a great representation of that kind of TV celebrity and success, and of all the things it can do on a personal level. I loved the ending. I did not see the climax playing out the way it did. The authors made it so much more. I fell in love with Carey and James, but I did not fall in love with the story. There was a lot of sadness, manipulation and chaos in these pages. It was tempered by the sweetness and tenderness of the love developing between Carey and James, but I’m not sure it completely balanced it, at least not in terms of the balance I feel the authors normally achieve in their stories. The strength of this story was the unfolding of love between Carey and James. It was a beautiful thing.