4.25 Stars!

The Honey-Don't List is a novel about 4 individuals or two couples. Melissa and Rusty Tripp are an HGTV sensation, however, their private lives are far from the perfection their audience sees. Carey Douglas is Melissa's assistant, and she has been working for the Tripps since she was a teenager. She is actually the hidden talent behind Melissa's designs, and the Tripp's success is largely due to her creativity. James McCann is an engineer and was recently hired by Rusty. James, sometimes called Jimbalaya or Jimbo by Rusty, was promised a career in engineering, yet assisting Rusty is what he ends up doing, at least temporarily. Melissa loves all the attention, while Rusty prefers to build amazing furniture.

The Tripps are in trouble. They no longer care for each other and they find it very difficult to work together. Carey and James have become their babysitters, preventing them from making spectacles of themselves in front of the media and in public. Carey and James both need their jobs, so putting up with the Tripps is their only option, at least in the short-term. Love and understanding come to Carey and James very quickly, and they are lucky to still be in love when all the secrets of the past come full-circle.

I enjoyed this book by coauthors Christina Lauren. I have read many of their novels and each one provides a captivating story. All the characters are interesting and engaging, however, Carey is the most fascinating. She lets Melissa walk all over her, until she lets her inner voice, in addition to the sound advice from her therapist and James, set her on the road to independence. Carey is quite relatable and she is easy to like. Overall, another solid and entertaining read from Christina Lauren.

I have only read Love and Other Words by this author duo and loved it. So when I was approved for this book on NetGalley I did a little happy dance. In other words I went into this book with high expectations.

Synopsis - The Honey-Don't List is a story of home remodeling icons Melissa and Rusty Tripp, their decade long assistant Carey and newly hired structural engineer James. The Tripps are about to become superstars with a new TV show and a new book release. The twist is that the Tripps can't stand each other. They are at each other's throat every chance they get. So when they go on a book tour, Carey and James are their babysitters. Their job is make sure the Tripps behave in public.

My thoughts - I binge read this book in 6 hours so this is definitely an easy read. There is lot of show biz drama if you like that. The plot is interesting but what did not work for me is that the focus of the book kept oscillating. There are too many main relationships in this book. We read about Melissa and Rusty, Carey and the Tripps, Melissa and Carey and finally Carey and James. It seemed like too many head chefs spoil the broth situation. Carey ended up being my favorite character. Inspite of her health issues, she gives everything to the job.

There's sweet romance and steam between James and Carey relationship. There's drama!! So if you like any of these give it a try. Book releases on March 24th.

Thank you NetGalley for this digital copy in exchange of my honest review.

Received through NetGalley for review.

Three out of five stars.

I couldn’t get into this one, might be me but the book couldn’t hold my interest.

The focus of the book seemed to be about Melissa and Rusty not Carey and James. James studied to be an engineer but both he and Carey were more like minions. (Pick up always-seltzer and plain white undershirts...) I feel like the book needed an epilogue into the future, I’m all about epilogues.

This one wasn’t a winner with me but to each their own. It won’t stop me from reading more from this author duo.

I absolutely love Christina Lauren. I think everything they write is equally amazing, yet wildly different.
I went into this book expecting something a little different, I had a romantic comedy in mind but it wasn’t quite comedic. There was a moment or two that made me chuckle, yes, but overall I don’t think i’d classify it as a rom com.
It was enjoyable, though. The main character, Carey, reminded me a lot of Chloe- who is a character in Christina Lauren’s previous novel(s) Beautiful Bastard. Having loved Chloe’s brazen character, I did really enjoy Carey’s. She was a pushover, sure, but she was alienated to be that way. Until James comes into her life and points it out to her. Once she realizes the true nature of the way Melissa Tripp has been treating her, she grows that unstoppable force that I love seeing in Christina Lauren’s characters.
I loved that the power couple who employs Carey, Melissa & Rusty Tripp, are loosely based on Chip & Joanna Gaines- I say loosely because I highly doubt Chip would do half the things Rusty does in this book. Nor do I think that Joanna has any of the nasty traits that Melly has. It’s very clear that the authors did a shit ton of research for this book as far as designing a home and the behind the scenes of it all. They really seemed to know what they were talking about.
The authors definitely have their audience hating Melly for the most part, and having some sort of weird love/hate relationship with Rusty. Hate how he acts, how selfish he is, and how he cheats on his wife, but also love that he stands up for Carey, is honest in his feelings, and ultimately does the right thing.
It read more like a romance novel, with just a touch of steam. I definitely appreciated the focus on the plot line than the hot, steamy sex- but I also wouldn’t have minded more Carey/James intimacy.
I really did enjoy this book, it was very cute and it ended in a way where everybody has a semi happy ending, but it’s ultimately not my favorite by Christina Lauren.

This story follows two couples: Rusty and Melissa Tripp, a celebrity couple who are famous for their home decorating show, books, and TV personalities- similar to Chip and Joanna Gaines. And their assistants Carey and James, who accompany the Tripp’s on their upcoming book tour.

There were some cute moments but the focus was too much on Rusty and Melissa’s relationship. Maybe because of the toxic relationship between Melissa and Carey, it was hard to enjoy the new romance between Carey and James. The chapters were long and many times I felt confused as to who was talking. Almost every chapter begins with a police transcript, which gave readers a sense that something big happened, when really it wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped.

2.5 Stars. Interesting idea but not my favorite from this author. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC.

While this wasn’t my favorite of their books, it was still a lot of fun.

Carey and James work together for two of the biggest home decorators in the US. Think Chip and Joanna Gaines big. But Melissa and Rusty Tripp’s relationship is not everything it appears to be. They have just written a book on how to have a successful marriage but there is falling apart. Carey has been working for them for 10 years, whereas James is new. They end up forming an unexpected bond when they are forced to babysit the Tripps on their book tour.

The interesting thing about this book is that it has a similar feel to a Liane Moriarty book. It starts with Carey and James being interviewed by the police regarding some event that happened. They then go back to the beginning to talk about how they ended up at this event but it is still interspersed with flash forwards to present day.

While I liked Carey, I felt like this format didn’t work for me to build a romance. I also wasn’t crazy about James and I don’t know if that’s due to the writing style, or if it was just James. I do like this book better than Twice in a Blue Moon, but it didn’t have that Christina Lauren spark that I loved in Josh & Hazel or The Unhoneymooners.

It’s not that it’s bad by any means. I enjoyed the book a lot and flew through it. I think I just automatically compare it to their other books and it falls a little short. It’s a little bit more serious than their previous novels.

I did like that Carey had a lot of layers to her story. I found her relationship with Melissa Tripp to almost be more interesting than the one that developed with James. The history that they had and the dysfunction that it led to was interesting and I would have gladly delved into it more. The relationship between James and Carey seemed like one of convenience and while James was nice enough, he was very vanilla.

While this isn’t one of my favorite Christina Lauren novels, it is still a solid three star read. If you’re looking for a silly or light hearted romance, I would recommend some of their other books, but if you want something with a little bit more weight to it, then you should check this one out. The writing and the characters are still solid and I will definitely continue to read and enjoy all of their books.

The Honey Don’t List is exactly what I hope for when I open a Christina Lauren book. The characters are relatable, there’s witty banter, and someone, somewhere is going to learn not to make assumptions about people.

That said, I found that The Honey Don’t List felt a little different than previous CL books. While narrated by Carey and James, there’s another couple that’s front and center and driving the story. Melissa and Rusty are a “Fixer Upper” style couple who have found success much in the way of Joanna and Chip Gaines. Honestly it was sort of hard to imagine anyone but them while reading and that horrified me because Joanna and Chip are surely nothing like Melissa and Rusty! But I digress.

Carey and James are assistants to Melissa (Melly) and Rusty. Right from the start it’s made known that America’s favorite HGTV couple is in trouble. Carey and James, thanks to an indiscretion of one of their charges, end up on a tour bus to keep Melly and Rusty in line while promoting their new book on – can you guess? – Marriage. Carey sees James as a stuffy, sexy nerd who doesn’t have time for her because she’s just an assistant. James isn’t sure about Carey, but they’ve spent little time together, something he wanted to maintain. The bus trip changes everything for all of them.

Unlike most Christina Lauren books I’ve read, James and Carey quickly learn they were wrong about they other. This was actually kind of nice because much of the book – when they’re not trying to herd Melly and Rusty – is them getting to know each other with a low threat level. The conflict they face is even low-level stuff which may have been dragged out a little too long, but that’s just me.

Back to Melly and Rusty. They do take up a huge amount of the book as their relationship quickly falls apart. James and Carey work ridiculously hard trying to keep the couple off social media while navigating their own burgeoning relationship. Readers know that SOMETHING BIG has happened because the chapters are occasionally connected with a police report from some point in the future.

I did find the characterization of James and Carey to be delightful. James is the perfect 20s man, appropriately respectful of Carey when they’re intimate and blind to gender norms when he takes over in the kitchen. He even wears moisturizer! Carey has worked for Melly and Rusty for 10 years and all of her adult life. She suffers from a condition that the authors present with respect and clarity. Despite that, Carey works hard for Melly, even when it’s clear that Melly may be taking advantage of her. She’s loyal to a fault and willing to stay in the background. I would have liked her to realize this on her own rather than James pointing it out, but sometimes we all need an objective observer to point things out to us.

3.5 Stars for The Honey Don’t List. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.

I was quite excited when I was approved by NetGalley to read and review a new book by these authors whom I've read before and thoroughly enjoyed. The Beautiful Bastard Series & Wild Seasons Series were incredible and I was hoping I would similarly enjoy The Honey-Don't List. Unfortunately, this felt like it was written by two completely different authors. Let me say that this book was written and edited well, I'm just not a fan of the new direction they seem to be taking. This is just my opinion and it's my hope that other readers will enjoy this new style more than I did. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

Set It Up meets Chip and Joanna Gaines

I wouldn't say this is on the same level as The Unhoneymooners, but I still found it really sweet! I've seen a lot of reviews saying this is missing the same charm that is found in Christina Lauren's other books, and I get where they're coming from. I'm used to a certain spark in their books that I didn't find in this one. With that being said, I still really enjoyed this story, and I appreciated the struggles of the heroine. I could strongly relate to a lot of what she felt about herself and her career, e.g. being in your mid-20s and feeling torn between the need to have goals and a clear idea of where your life is headed, and also feeling like you're still young and have so much time to figure it out. If you're hesitant to pick this up because you loved The Unhoneymooners but were disappointed by Twice in a Blue Moon, I'd say give this one a shot!

Thank you to Gallery books and NetGalley for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this entertaining take on enemies to lovers! Carey and James work for Melissa and Rusty Tripp, America's golden couple of home improvement and the picture of a happy marriage. Except as they are about to go on their book tour, they need Carey and James to come along to try to keep the peace, keep up the charade, and help the events run smoothly. As Carey and James start working together more and paying more attention to each other, they each develop feelings. Chapters go back and forth in their POVs and are interspersed with transcripts from each of them interviewing with the police, so you know from the start that something significant happens but aren't sure what until almost the end. The book was sweet and funny, and I enjoyed it. Nice and lighthearted.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m still fairly new to Christina Lauren books but my gosh, this one was so charming and good!
I really enjoyed the plot, specially because I’m someone who loves those renovation couple shows and this book felt just like that!

The characters were (Melly & Rusty) relatable and easy to love and root for which is always the best! The dynamic with the personal assistants too, I liked seeing that aspect.

This romcom is definitely one you can sit and devour in one go, I sure did! I look forward to seeing what CL writes next!

So much fun!! The story lines that this author duo comes up with are very entertaining. When a famous renovating and design couple go on tour, all of their secrets are bound to be exposed. Can their “assistants” keep them under wraps and protect the brand? Add in the slight animosity between the staff and you have a blueprint for a chaotic road trip.

I love the “enemies to lovers” trope and they do it so well. As we are stuck at home in this crazy time, order yourself a copy of this book or request an E-copy from your local library. It will keep you entertained and maybe help you take your mind of things for a bit.

Not quite what I expected, but I ended up really enjoying this one! The Honey-Don't List is sort a a romance/chick-lit crossover following two people working as assistants for a celebrity couple (Melissa and Rusty) known for their home makeovers and redesigns (think Chip and Joanna Gaines). Everyone thinks they have the perfect marriage, but secretly things are falling apart from fighting and Rusty's infidelity. Carey and James are assigned to keep them from fighting in public during the tour for their marriage advice book and the launch of their new Netflix show. Of course things go very wrong, but also Carey and James find a passion of their own.

I expected this to be more of a comedy than it was. I think maybe it's intended to be funny (and maybe on-screen it would be?) but reading, it felt pretty intense in terms of the marriage problems happening and how toxic the working relationship between Carey and Melissa which involves a lot of manipulation and emotional abuse. That said, I ended up really liking the way this fleshed out the characters and found the arc of the story to be very satisfying. The romance was nice and I liked James as a beta hero, but not the primary focus so don't go expecting their relationship to be as well developed as it might be in a pure romance novel. It reminded me of the level of development you would get in a traditional romantic comedy film- just enough to see why it works.

We also get disability rep here, which I liked. Carey has dystonia that affects her hands. This is a nerve disorder and in the author's note, we learn that it runs in Lauren's family and her sister is living with it. I appreciated that addition and felt it was woven into the story in a way that made sense and was educational. Overall, a really solid book and worth checking out. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Carey has worked her whole adult life for the Tripps, a famous home remodeling couple, and helped them (more than most people realize) build their successful brand. Despite what they show TV viewers, the Tripps don’t get along when the cameras are off and she’s stuck babysitting them on their book tour with a company engineer, James.
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The Honey-Don’t list had a lot of the elements many of us have come to love and expect in a CLo rom-com: fun banter, tension and buildup, and an exciting story line. I really liked getting to know Carey and James as individuals and seeing how they learned more about each other over the course of the trip and supported one another.

What didn’t work for me as well was that it felt like the romance story line was the secondary story line to the drama with Melissa and Rusty Tripp and Carey’s journey to speak up for herself and stake her claim in her career. Don’t get me wrong, that was all well-done and a great story, but I would have liked more of the romance. What we did get was fun, but then it all went a bit too quickly for me, from where they started.

Overall, another fun CLo read that I’d recommend picking up if you’ve enjoyed their other books!

3.5/5 stars

This writing duo always leaves me with a big ole cheesy grin. I love their stories, their writing, and their characters.

Carey Douglass began working for the Tripps when she was sixteen. At there mom and pop shop, she proved herself invaluable and eventually moved her way up to Melanie Tripp's assistant. The Tripps were more than her employers in those days, they became pseudo-parents and not only provided financial and insurance support to Carey, but they also provided emotional and familial support. But as their brand grew, not only were Carey's needs overlooked and her talents taken advantage of, the Tripps also lost sight of their marriage.

James McCann, was a bright young engineer, with a dynamic career ahead of him. All he needed was to gloss over his previous job and start anew. When the opportunity to work for the hottest design team in the industry came, James jumped at the chance to be their engineer. Only, his job morphed into something he didn't bargain for; assistant to Rusty Tripp.

Keeping this duo's troubles out of the public eye was a full-time job for both James and Carey. And when you spend that much time together, you either end up hating each other, in love or both.

Heart-warming and touching, The Honey-Don't List was a delight!

It’s a honey-do list for Carey and James!

Carey Douglas has worked for Melissa and Rusty Tripp of Comb + Honey Renovations behind the scenes as Melissa’s assistant and she is currently trying to smooth over everything during the release of their marriage advice book because they can’t let people know that their brand matters more than their relationship. James McCann needed the job with Comb + Honey after the company he last worked for imploded all over the news but when he had to travel during the book tour with Carey, Melissa and Rusty and he realized how bad things could be preventing the public from finding out.

Christina Lauren take the start of an idea for the book and they take the idea in a direction that we don’t expect and make it all their own with Carey and James getting the acknowledgment for the work they have done.

The Honey-Don't List starts with a book tour for a marriage advice book and ends up being where Carey and James fall in love tour.

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

3.5 Stars

I received an ARC of The Honey-Don’t List via NetGalley. The Honey-Don’t List will be released March 24, 2020. What follows is my fair and honest review.

When the world really feels like a dumpster fire, sometimes you just want to escape with a marathon of reality TV. Or maybe you want to fall into a love story by reading a romance novel. With The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren, you can do both. Here’s my quick summary:

Carey and James are assistants to the famous and beloved home renovation power couple, The Tripps. But as their marriage seems to implode right as they begin a big promotional tour, Carey and James are recruited to help maintain the Tripps’ image. With things getting increasingly complicated, and the pressure mounting, can Carey and James keep everything from falling apart, including their own budding romance?

The Honey-Don’t List is a fun contemporary romance that will definitely appeal to readers who love the drama of reality television. Interspersed between chapters are interludes written in the form of book excerpts, tweets, and even police reports, an effective hook for keeping readers guessing about what will happen between the Tripps, who are clearly modeled after Chip and Joanna Gaines. However, this leads me to one of my biggest issues with the book: the drama of the reality TV plot often overshadows the growing relationship between Carey and James. While the chapters are told from their first person perspectives, so much of the plot is wrapped up in the Tripps, the romance gets lost. While I do appreciate how Christina Lauren’s approach to characterization shows how characters grow beyond the scope of their romantic relationships--how Carey becomes more assertive with the help of therapy, for example--with this book, it left me wishing for a bit more time spent with Carey and James as they explored their new relationship. Still, a fun read.

I recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance and reality television--especially HGTV and for readers who have enjoyed other Christina Lauren novels.

The Honey Don’t List was a cute, quick read and although I enjoyed it, this book was missing that certain spark that I’ve come to love from Christina Lauren’s books. Although it was a tad predictable, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and I thought Carey and James were adorable. Overall, a light, romantic weekend read.

Carley Duncan has spent the last 10 years working for DIY home renovation megastars, Melissa and Rusty Tripp. Starting at 16 in their home improvement store, Carley - more than anyone knows - is responsible for the Tripp's success. To the outside world, she is Melissa's assistant but to the Tripps, she is their ace in the hole. Lately, though, her main job has been holding together her boss's marriage so that no one looking in from the outside will see the deep divide going on there.

James McCann took a job with the Tripps as a structural engineer. The MIT graduate expected to be assisting with actual engineering tasks. Instead, he is a glorified babysitter for Rusty Tripp, who is increasingly doing all he can to sabotage his own marriage, and with it, their fame and their fortune. When he and Carey are forced to forego their planned vacations so that they can travel - by tour bus - with the warring Tripps, can they work together to prevent the disaster they both see coming at them like a freight train?

Working together, Carey and James discover there is more there than meets the eye. Both feel trapped - Carey needs the insurance, and James came from a company steeped in scandal. He needs something GOOD on his resume - neither feels they can walk away. When mutual attraction blossoms, can they find a way to be together?

I really enjoyed this book, and read it in about a day and a half. The comedy was sneaky sometimes, and sometimes it was front and center. There were also many moments of poignancy where I felt sorry for the situation the characters were in.

Readers who like their contemporary romance with a few laughs and a bit of steam, will enjoy The Honey-Don't List. I know I did!

How do I hate this book, let me count the ways. It is a cheap knockoff of many of the familiar story lines that are out there. It is tired and just did not need to be written in my opinion.

This story is narrated by James and Casey, both assistants to Melissa and Rusty (think Chip and Joanna Gaines). Melissa and Rusty are struggling with their marriage and James and Casey are asked to go on their book tour to keep them in line. In between we get snip-its of police interviews (think Big Little Lies) and portions of the book being promoted. Oh yeah we have a romance that begins with James and Casey (boring).

This book felt rushed to be written, and the story is quite lacking. Such a disappointment coming from these two women, because I just love their books. This is unfortunate, but I hope this was just a one off for this dynamic duo.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.