3.85 Stars

Nothing in Life Comes Easy - and that Includes Love, especially When Your Career is on the Line!

Carey Douglas’ life has revolved around Melissa and Rusty Tripp since she was Sixteen-Years old. What was once just a small store in Wyoming has become a TV empire and a book deal for the Tripps about their happy marriage and none of it would be possible without Carey, now Twenty-Six.

James is an Engineer, whose life fell apart after his former company was involved in a major scandal. Now, he’s been hired to be the Engineer on Home Sweet Home, the Tripps Netflix series, which basically amounts to being Rusty’s right hand.

Life seems uber glamorous for the Tripps, who are social media darlings, until the sh&t hits the fan. Life is not a box of chocolates for this power couple who are about to embark on a Book Tour. It turns out that the couple’s marriage is a sham. Now it’s up to Carey and James to save the day.

“The Honey Don’t List” isn’t exactly your typical rom com and it isn’t what we fans of Christina Lauren might have been waiting for after the likes of: “Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating,” “Roomies,” “Dating You Hating You” and “My Favorite Half Night Stand” to name just a few. There aren’t any laugh out loud sarcastic, snarky back and forth repartees or any sexy funny comments that will make you roll on the floor laughing - which we’ve come to expect from Christina Lauren’s other novels. I am still holding out hope that they will start writing those types of novels for us once again!

This novel would fall more into the genre of women’s fiction, which is a genre I have grown to like. I truly enjoyed the storyline and the characters of Carey and James and liked how this novel progressed.

Admittedly, I wanted a little something more at the end and felt a tiny little bit let down (hence the reason for the 3.85 star rating v a 4 star rating), but overall I quite enjoyed “The Honey Don’t List” and hope that other readers can separate what they were hoping this novel would be and read and enjoy it for what it is.

Another buddy read with Ms. Kaceey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Roth and Rachel Brenner at Gallery Books, and Christina Lauren for the arc.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 2.2.20.

This book was much weaker than recent releases by Christina Lauren. The female protagonist was not someone who created a feeling of sympathy in me as a reader, which made her storyline hard to engage in and made the overall story fall flat. It was a a lot of tropes wrapped in a watered down HGTV setting.

I had a hard time getting through this. The two main characters, Carey and James, are interesting enough and I liked their story line. But Rusty and Melissa were so unlikeable that I dreaded their scenes. I understand WHY the dynamic was in place, but they had no redeeming qualities. After reading the author’s past books, my expectations were set really high. I just feel like this one fell short.

I wanted to love this. It was mostly fine. I thought the sorry was kinda forced, but I liked the main characters, Carey and James. And, truth be told, it could have used more/steamier sex. Ha!

I loved The Unhoneymooners, so I went and read Twice in a Blue Moon, which I also loved, so when I heard this duo had a new book coming out, I requested it to review, and I'm glad I did. Carey works as an assistant for the very high maintenance (and frankly intolerable) Melissa Tripp and her milder, down to earth husband, Rusty. The couple runs a design business with several stores and their own show. James also works for Rusty, as an assistant, despite the fact they hired him as an engineer. He's only been with them a mere few months to Carey's 10 years, but he already knows what Melissa is like, and he wants to help Carey get more out of her job.

So the thing that held me back from giving this 5-stars was how intolerable Melissa was. Usually, when I dislike a character, I cheer on the author(s) for creating such a great, bad character, but for me, the sheer amount of her evil was too much. I know Carey has gotten used to it and needs this job, but she deserves so much better, and that's where James comes into play. I loved these two together, and I think they do well, considering they're both stuck in this job because of circumstances.

Poor Carey is insecure, and Melissa did her best at making sure Carey felt that way. When she finally starts talking to James in a more serious manner, she starts to see that she can have a life outside of work, that she can have good things in her life. While I would have liked to have a bit more of an emotional connection with the two, and less "all about Melissa" moments, I think when they did come together, it was done well. Overall an enjoyable read. Thank you Gallery Books for sending this along!

I love Christina Lauren books but I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped. It was very slow and I almost wasn’t able to finish it. Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read and review for my honest opinion.

I have read a few other books by this author and they were either funny or chick flick romantic with good stories. This book was none of those and I felt the Tripps were annoying and off-putting. Plus there was a police investigation in the book which makes the reader think this is a murder mystery/thriller, which it is also not. This book was all over the place for me and it was not up to par with Lauren's other fiction books.

2.75 rounded to 3 for a few likeable characters that had humorous moments and kept the story going. Hope her next book is good like the ones previously written and not a disappointment like this one was.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for anARC in exchange for an honest review.

**FULL REVIEW**

Cute story!

While I'm not a huge fan of the magazine articles, twitter commentary, and police reporting interrupting the flow of the story, overall I enjoyed this sweet and somewhat steamy little read.

Taken right out of the tabloids, the TV show, the life...only it's all a sham. Problem is, no one is strong enough to stand up and say something. Or are they?

This author duo has some great banter, hot intimate scenes, and a sweet storyline. Definitely a story to pick and read on a cold winter's day. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

**3.5 Fixed Up, Stars**

This is a hard review for me to write. I'm a huge fan of Christina Lauren. But this one...this one just didn't do it for me. This just isn't their finest work. And it breaks my heart to have to write that.
I loved that the main character, Cary, suffers from dystonia. It was the only thing that really stood out to me about the character...everything else was just bland. And the male MC, James, was just blah. Nothing drew me into either character.
The story was missing Christina Lauren's usual jibjab - the humor and the wit. The story was just predictable and beige...and Christina Lauren are many things and beige is not one of them.

Readers wanting to dive into the writings of Christina Lauren should consider starting with Love and Other Words. Then, move on to Roomies or Josh and Hazel.
I did love the acknowledgments in this one...CL thanked librarians for all they do and there was a backstory to the dystonia. Those were lovely.

Basically a big meh from me. Between the big focus on the Gaines-esque married couple our two love interests work for and the police interview transcripts for some mysterious event that happens near the end of the story, I never felt I had enough time to fall in love with Carey and James. I wanted more enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity snark that worked so well in Dating You/Hating You. I wanted more of them and less of the other stuff.

I was glad to see both Carey and James do have their own POV, but I found it a bit odd to be in Carey's first person POV and to have her keeping the medical condition she keeps secret from everyone except Melissa Tripp (her boss) also a secret to the reader. I understand why she hides it from James, but if you writing a character in 1st person I found it odd that it is hidden from the reader. Me having to sit and try to "guess" what it was felt distracting and pointless.

I think non-romance readers will get a kick out of this book. It is fun and well written but I'll just go back and re-read Dirty Rowdy Thing. Finn and his rope? Yes please.

I have loved all of the Christina Lauren books. This was another good one. Not quite as good as others, but definitely worth reading!

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest reviews ***

I usually love all books by Christina Lauren, but this one fell a little flat. Don’t get me wrong, the romance was sweet and I enjoyed the overall Home Reno show aspect of the book, but overall I had to force myself to finish.

This is my first Christina Lauren book ever and it was definitely enjoyable. It isn't my usual kind of read which us why it took me so long to read one of the author duo's book. I did enjoy the story though and if you love Hallmark movies and that kind of stuff you will love this book and probably the author duo's others as well. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Pocket Books for my honest review

Carey is an employee of one of the most famous and beloved husband and wife home remodeling duos on TV; but looks can be deceiving because Melissa and Rusty Tripp hate each other. She’s worked for them since she was sixteen years old and is extremely loyal to them. They are currently promoting their latest project in hopes of securing another big deal.
James has just recently become employed by the Tripp team as Rusty’s assistant, he thought he was being hired as an engineer on the show. Needless to say, he’s not the happiest that his MIT degree is currently being used as a glorified baby sister to keep Rusty from making huge mistakes in public that could ruin the famous duos reputation.
As tensions rise between the couple, Carey and James have been tasked to “keep the two in line”, easier said than done for two people who can barely stay in the same room with each other. Working so closely together, James discovers just how valuable Carey is to the team and Carey starts to understand that James isn’t just some stuck-up smart guy.
This wasn’t the easiest book for me to read, it took me a little over a month. I’m not sure what it was but it didn’t hold my interest as much as I thought it would. It could be because the format was different from any other Christina Lauren book I’ve read, so I was caught a little off guard. The other reason could be the characters; I couldn’t seem to connect with any other them. Not the main or supporting characters. I really wanted to like them, especially James; one of my favs is a hot nerd but this just didn’t hit the mark for me.
The story opens with James being interviewed by the Police regarding the “incident”. Immediately you get the feel that this is going to be a “who done it”. The book flips from police interviews of James and Carey to the days leading up to “the incident”. I will admit, Carey’s interviews are quite comical, but it wasn’t enough to make me really love this book. It wasn’t horrible, it just didn’t do for me what I thought is would.

When I look back up at my iPad, I feel Melissa watching me shrewdly and make the mistake of meeting her gaze. With a roll of her eyes, she goes back to her screen. "As if you and I have time for a personal life, anyway."


Something about the flippant way she dismisses the possibility rubs me the wrong way.


You and I?



It's true; I don't have time for a personal life. But that's because I'm sacrificing everything for the brand. I handle her schedules, her kids' occasional promotional appearances. I answer her emails and deal with Robyn, Ted, and the Tripps' editor. On top of all of that, I do most of the designs. I spend more time on Melly's life than my own.


I glance down to the bag and all of the work I just put together for her. I don't have time for a personal life, but because of everything I do for her, Melissa Tripp certainly should.



It's no secret that I'm a huge Christina Lauren fan, so I was excited to receive a new book by them. The Honey Don't List is actually a bit more PG-13 rated than their usual stuff, but definitely just as good.



Official synopsis:

Book Review and GIVEAWAY: The Honey-Don't List, by Christina Lauren {ends 2/7}

From the New York Times bestselling author behind the “joyful, warm, touching” (Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author) The Unhoneymooners comes a delightfully charming love story about what happens when two assistants tasked with keeping a rocky relationship from explosion start to feel sparks of their own.

Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling 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 favorite 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.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…

From the “hilariously zany and heartfelt” (Booklist) Christina Lauren comes a romantic comedy that proves if it’s broke, you might as well fix it.

You can probably guess how this book is going to end, but it's always fun seeing how exactly it plays out.



I found this kind of fascinating because there are so many reality TV shows nowadays about house renovation; I used to really like Flip or Flop. Now imagine that there is a "nobody" BEHIND that "power couple" who is actually choosing all of the designs; that is where Carey finds herself, as a 10-year employee of Melissa (Melly) and Rusty Tripp.



Carey has worked for them from the very beginning, back when they had a housewares store, and then later, when their brand started to explode in popularity. James is Rusty's new assistant, and although he and Carey butt heads at first, they later start to like each other.



Christina Lauren's books are normally more R-rated, this was more PG-13 but I still enjoyed it. I could definitely see this being a movie, too, although I'd have to think about who I would like to cast as the Tripps', Carey, and Rusty.


3.5 stars out of 5.

I like Christina Lauren’s books on a whole. There have been some that I was not as emotionally invested in because it felt too far fetched. After reading the description I assumed this was a knock off of the Netflix movie “The Setup.” I was irritated but intrigued. Then after reading the first chapter I was concerned that they were spoofing Chip and Joanna Gaines. The characters run a home improvement reality show. IT IS NOT A KNOCK OFF, THEY ARE NOT SPOOFING. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. I loved the fact that the female protagonist Carey felt real. Lately I have been reading books were the characters have odd medical things wrong with them and they persevere because of it. Carey is one of the characters that raises above. The comparison to Chip and Joanna is addressed and I felt like the authors were acknowledging what they were doing and poking fun at themselves. It was sweet and sexy and as real as a book about a reality tv show can be. I would recommend for fans of Lauren’s works like “Hating you, Dating You” and “Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating.”

A cute, tongue in cheek romantic comedy about the rise and fall of two very different relationships. While Christina Lauren doesn’t tackle the novel with originality, the trope is still fun and the flirty and offers the reader a quick, easy read. 3 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC #TheHoneyDontList which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

This is a marvelous novel about one relationship imploding while another explodes. Meli and Rusty own a lucrative home renovation/TV show business built upon their charming marriage relationship. Long term changes have caused huge fissures in their marriage to form threatening to destroy everything. It is up to James and Carey to keep this out of the press. They find themselves drawn to each other and growing closer through the tumult.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked the story and the characters. The book is well written and the characters were well developed. I give it 4 stars and I recommend it.

I received a copy of this thanks to NetGalley. As much as I love Christina Lauren Books, this one definitely was not a favorite of mine. I felt the characters were a bit annoying, especially Melissa. She was too whiny and overly dramatic when it came to everything. Also this story kinda made me think of the real Chip and Joanna Gaines, only yet they weren't fighting and had a bad relationship, in this book "Melly" and Rusty hated each other but still went along with it and acted like a happy couple.
The story though between Carly and James was okay. It was typical and expected on how their relationship was going to turn out.
The story also had extremely long chapters which I am not a fan of but I pushed through it.
Lets hope the next Christina Lauren book will be better!