I’ve read many of Christina Lauren’s novels, and I am a fan of their work, but their last few novels have been a miss for me.

This was an okay story, but it fell a little short. It felt like the overall story development was too rushed, and it needed more romance and comedy. I was not as connected to the character as I usually am in one of Christina Lauren’s novels.

I still look forward to future releases from these authors.

Again another wonderful and funny book from Christina Lauren. I continue to look forward too and read every one of their books. I really liked all the characters this time around. Especially all the hatred between Melissa and her husband. The police inserts were funny as well, and kept you guessing as to what happened. It was honestly a pretty surprise twist. Not what I was expecting to have happened at all. The only thing I wish was an epilogue that went further into the future to see where these characters finally ended up. Otherwise another wonderful and perfect Christina Lauren book!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to review this book! I have loved the authors previous rom-com novels but this was my first read of theirs that was more women’s fiction!

4 STARS

I LOVED the character development between both narrators! I felt for Carey and her predicament and was rooting for her to come out on top!

Love. Love. Love.

Christina Lauren does it again. I loved this wild ride of a book. Carey is the long time worker for a home remodeling duo, the Tripp's (a la Chip and Joanna). She's been working there since she was 16, and hasn't done anything else. It was easy to see that she is taken advantage of and there were lots of moments that had me screaming at my book for Carey to talk back and stand her ground. James is a new employee, he's an engineer trying to build his reputation back up and took a job that ended up being more assistant like.

The road trip with the Tripp's was crazy. Melissa and Rusy are fighting and it was Carey and James' job to keep them in line, which wasn't going super well. Things massively fell apart, just as you think it would. Most "perfect couples" are anything but.

Throughout all this Carey and James' realize their attraction to one another and start to fall for each other. They had a lot to work through, with themselves and each other. They were so good together, even through their ups and downs.

I’ve been a big Christina Lauren fan for years. Really, since they released their very first book. I look forward to every release, because I know the chances are high that I’m going to love it. They are really talented at having the perfect balance of sweet romance, swoony characters, witty banter, smart dialogue, and steaminess.

While The Honey-Don’t List had all of these things, it was one of the few times where I didn’t fall head over heels in love with their book. There was just something missing and I’m having a difficult time putting my finger on it.

I loved both characters. James was incredible, as their male protagonists usually are. And Carey was smart, hard-working, and sweet. I even loved the personal touch in this book, that Carey struggles with dystonia, which is something that affects members of Lauren’s family. I love that it doesn’t stop her or hinder her, and she’s strong despite what she deals with.

But I just didn’t fall in love with them with the same intensity that I’ve come to expect with Christina Lauren’s characters. I felt like a spark was missing. I’m used to a bonfire and it was more like a few candles and a space heater.

I think I just wanted more. More of everything. More resolution, more fire, more love, more tension and obstacles to overcome. I felt like the climax of the book was a little bit lackluster, and I didn’t feel like a lot of issues were emotionally tied up the way that I wanted them to be.

Ultimately, I think what I’m trying to say is I liked it. It was an enjoyable book. But I didn’t love it. It might work to the authors’ disadvantage that I have such high expectations of their books, but I can’t help it. I do recommend it if you need something light and sweet to read that won’t take you long to finish. I will be looking forward to their next book.

The Tripps were America's favorite home designing couple. People admired their work and their seemingly stable marriage, but their relationship was full of cracks. With both a book on marriage and new series soon to be released, their assistants, Carey and James, had been recruited to keep the scandals from becoming public knowledge. Along the way, the pair developed a fondness and appreciation for each other, which turned into more, but would this relationship survive outside the Tripp bubble?

This was another solid rom-com from Christina Lauren. As always, I laughed a LOT, and I was such a fan of the book's structure. It starts after some event, which required police intervention. So, throughout the dual POV narrative, I was getting these peeks at what was coming up. They also including press releases, articles, book excerpts, and social media posts, which were well placed and really added to the story.

Though most of the book revolves around the quartet on their road trip, the stars for me were James and Carey, both of whom, were sort of trapped in their jobs. James was a well educated engineer, but he was struggling to find a new position, because his last company was shrouded in scandal. He thought a year with the Tripps would be exactly what he needed to make himself marketable once again. Carey had been with the Tripps since she was 16, and believed she would not be able to find another job due to her lack of education, and the fact that she was "just an assistant". In reality, she did a LOT more than the normal assistant duties, she just didn't get credit for it. However, she was stuck, because she needed the health insurance for her medical therapies.

The two bonded over this, and the ridiculous situation they were stuck in. They went from being enemies to partners in crime, working together to keep Rusty and Melly from any and all public meltdowns. It was fun watching them navigate some sticky situations, and seeing them form a team of sorts. There were many, many funny moments, with some even being of the slapstick variety, but the situation between Rusty and Melly made me a little sad. I hate to see something that was once beautiful fall apart, but at least something beautiful grew out of the ashes.

I really enjoyed watching James and Carey fall for each other. They would show their affection in these little ways, and they quickly became each others' friend, confidant, and champion. Obviously, there were some missteps, but I was really happy with the way Lauren resolved it all. The moments they shared were sweet, lovely, tender, and sometimes very hot. I do wish we got to see more of these moments, but I will say, that I adored all the ones Christina Lauren gifted to us.

Overall, I had a great time on this disastrous book tour, and look forward to reading more from Christina Lauren.

4.5 Stars!

Over the past couple of years, I have become familiar with pretty much all of Christina Lauren's books. Some have been major hits for me, while a couple have been misses. The last book of theirs I read was on the wanting more from it side of things, so I decided to go into The Honey-Don't List with zero expectations. I didn't even read the blurb before starting it. I'm glad I did this because my mind wasn't expecting it to be anything like any other book they had written before...and it wasn't.

The Honey-Don't List was written in a way I liked. It started out with a police interview that grabbed my attention and gave me a little mystery. Then the story went back in time to where everything all began to slowly start to unravel that mystery with Carey and James' point of views.

Carey and James' story was more than just a romance. (In fact, the romance was on the light side in this book. It was still CL steamy, but took a back seat to everything else going on.) It was about two people in a horrible position due to their employers. The Tripps' dysfunctional relationship took Carey and James on a wild ride that was certainly entertaining in the way you would expect things to be behind a reality TV show. I would be the first to admit that the Tripps tended to overshadow anything going to on with Carey and James', but to me that was almost perfect because that's how the relationship between the Tripps, Carey, and James was.

While I loved reading The Honey-Don't List, I did have a couple of small gripes. One, things with the Tripps was left a little too open ended for me. Two, while I got just enough of Carey and James, I wouldn't have minded a whole lot more of them. I have a feeling the amount of time spent on their relationship might be a make it or break it thing for some readers. BUT, like I said, I loved The Honey-Don't List. It was fun and fresh and had some great humorous moments. That's really what I expect when I sit down with a new Christina Lauren book.

Loved the reality show romance style! And how each character really came alive. Just one more hit for the fabulous Christina Lauren duo!

The thing about any book from Christina Lauren is that you get hooked almost immediately. The characters are warm and zany and the story draws you in. Touching, heartfelt,- knowing there’s going to be a happy ending doesn’t detract from the total satisfaction the reader gets from the story.
This time , we are treated to a delightful romance that develops between the two assistants of a famous couple: no, not actors- think Chip and Joanna Gaines in ten or fifteen years , but less likable and less talented. It seems like an unlikely story, which it is, of course. But it’s so much fun!
Don’t miss it!

eBook provided for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The Honey-Don't List" is only my third read by Christina Lauren, but it's my least favorite of the three. The story sounds so promising from the blurb -- behind the scenes of an HGTV power couple faking it for fame and an
(kinda) enemies to lovers romance between said power couple's assistants? On paper, this is my kind of drama. But something about the way Christina Lauren deliver this story doesn't live up to the vision.

Carey and James aren't really enemies, but coworkers who haven't had a chance to get to know each other. Their feelings for each other felt real but rushed in attempts to keep up with the drama of their bosses, The Tripps, imploding relationship.

I enjoyed this for sure, but I didn't feel glued to it the way I have their other novels. (I couldn't even remember who some of the side characters that come back at the very end were). Carey and James's relationship is sweet and warm, but ultimate because of the story's passing "The Honey-Don't List" is a 3 star read for me.

When you read the blurb on this one - you practically salivate with the potential deliciousness of it all, right?

And I felt like, for the most part, Christina Lauren delivered on that deliciousness. Not so much in the romance department - although the romance between James and Carey was super sweet and adorable - but in the sort of "ripped from the headlines" storyline of what goes on behind the scenes for "America's Favorite Couple" and the media hype that follows them.

This was a fun and interesting read. I loved Carey and James - and maybe would have liked to have done a deeper dive on their relationship. I loved their banter and the way their feelings sort of snuck up on them. But I felt like they got lost in the drama of the chaos going on around them sometimes.

To that end, I think I would have liked a little more comeuppance for the Tripps. Man, those two caused my anxiety to flare more than once. And while there were some scenes that were incredibly touching toward the end, I felt like Carey never got her due, and - well, neither did Melissa. After all the drama, I felt like I needed a little more satisfaction in the closure.

Where the closure REALLY satisfied? Was with James and Carey. I absolutely adored their ending. All the butterflies and heart eyeballs and swoons I could ask for and so - in the end, this was a little uneven, perhaps, but still a super satisfying read for me! ~ 3.5 Stars

A very well written fun book. I enjoyed the characters , but wish there was just a little more between them. The story was unique and interesting. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC !

This was a sweet story. I just wanted a little more connection to the characters and a little more romance to the story. It is different than what I was expecting. Still a good story and the writing style is seamless between the two of these authors. I will still be looking forward to reading more from them.

A fun, solid romance! Two assistants are tasked with maintaining the image of their married employers - but there is definitely trouble in paradise. The two main characters are believable, and their chemistry feels natural. While it's not a standout hit, it is definitely a solid entry into the genre.

(Reviewed for Shelf Awareness, review runs shortly after publication date, summary below is not final review)

The Honey-Don't List follows two relationships, one imploding rather spectacularly and the other forming amidst the wreckage. It's an unusual format which may not work for all readers but worked brilliantly for me. At the start of the novel, we're teased with a few transcripts from police interviews - something bad happened and we don't know what, but our young love interests were not responsible. The narrative then backs up to set the stage: two assistants--one with the celebrity couple for over a decade and the other barely two months in--are tasked with not only making sure the book tour and show launch go smoothly, but also managing a couple who've been bitterly fighting, cheating, and generally hating each other for a long time.
The romance grows slowly, with more focus on the characters' career and life arcs than in many romance novels, but definitely impacting both character arcs in a significant way. Especially when contrasted with their bosses, Carey and James are protagonists to root for.

Side note: Carey has a disability called dystonia, which impacts her ability to maintain control of her hands and causes her pain. Her relationship with her boss, Melly, is affected by her need for flexibility regarding medical care and insurance.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

As per usual, Christina Lauren wrote a fun and heartfelt romance novel that I couldn't put down. The chemistry between Carey and James was electric and I loved how James helped Carey realize she needed to stand up for herself against her bosses.

I adore Christina Lauren. Every single one of their books sucks me in and I can't put them down. Every time. "The Honey-Don't List" was no exception. The romance sizzled, James was the cutest nerd there ever was, Carey was so relatable and interesting, and the HGTV nightmare couple they worked for just added fantastic drama that was believable and necessary for the characters' development, alone and together. I only wish I could have seen more of what James and Carey were able to do together, but I know it's always a little better to keep the reader wanting more. :) I miss this book already and I can't wait for the next Christina Lauren novel!

I was super pumped for “The Honey-Don’t List” when I received an ARC back in October! I was going in with great expectations, even though I wasn’t a fan of their last book, but I still had major hopes and then ...

This story is centers around home makeover couple, Melissa and Rusty Tripp and their two assistants, Carey and James. With a massive empire, a new TV show and book about marriage being released this power couple seem to have it all, except one minor problem they absolutely hate each other. Their assistants have the awful task of keeping these “love birds” from killing each other all while making sure the public thinks they are America’s power couple.

This story has a very Joanna and Chip Gaines vibe. I actually didn’t hate that - I felt it was an interested approach to maybe not everything is what it seems. However, I felt this book was just very anti-climatic for me. While there were steamy scenes, I felt it was poorly placed in the story to rush the plot along.

The four main characters were okay, but I felt their character development had nothing unique about it. I also found myself not loving or hating any of the characters.

Overall- this is super fast-paced book and at one point I saw I was at 95% and I couldn’t understand why the story was over already. I felt the plot was a great idea, but just extremely rushed. Unfortunately, overall this was a miss for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pub: 3.24.20

This was adorable! Major Fixer Upper vibes from The Honey Don’t List, with lots of characters you want to root for and some you’re more than happy to root against. Christina Lauren is definitely a must-read author

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review*

4.5 Stars

Guys. Guys! GUYS!!! This is my favorite book but this duo yet! It's funny, sweet, and even had a moment where I teared up because of how everything went down. Plus, the heroine shares my name, how could I not love her? I also liked James even though he's not my 'normal' type of book boyfriend.

The writing is great as always, flows fast and makes you never want to put the book down. It's also cool that interview/book snippets/twitter stuff are in the book. That's a cool little bit that usually made me laugh and smile but also kept me wondering... just what the heck is going on? I won't go into spoilers so I'll leave that there. You'll see when you read.

This is so much better than Twice in a Blue Moon which I know some people didn't like but I did like. There are sex scenes in here but they're glossed over pretty quickly. I'm just glad it was there, if I read an adult romance, I expect adult content. Otherwise, I'd just read a YA or something.

The tension is strong with this one. Not the sexual tension but between the couple that our MCs have to babysit. You just never know what is going to happen next.

I do have two small nitpicks... parts of the ending just kind of didn't work for me. When things are starting to wrap up with the couple that Carey has spent ten years with... I just wanted more personally. Other than that, I loved this novel so much! It's so cute!


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