**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!

I am a sucker for those home renovation shows so I was eager to read The Honey Don't List which has over-stressed assistants, Carrie and James, on a publicity tour with their home improvement TV stars bosses, Russ and Melly Tripp. James and Carrie are each trapped in their jobs and now they are given the impossible task of keeping the Tripp's cute couple image intact while their bosses' marriage implodes and they are all stuck together on a tour bus. I liked both of the leads, Carie, who has been with the Tripp's since she was 16, and the slightly nerdy engineer James. I liked the way that James and Carie get close and get past their mutual irritation with each other, and I really liked the way that Carie grows and finally stands up for herself.

The Honey Don't List was cute and light. The actual time for Carie and James to bond is a bit abbreviated with some of the page time given over to flavor text: bits of police interviews with James/Carie, tweets about the Tripp's behaving badly, and chapters from the marriage guide the Tripp's are on tour to promote.

Still, I enjoyed reading the Honey Don't List and it made me want to go back and read my other favorites from this author pairing - I really like their dual POV romances.

ARC via NegGalle

I've been a bit hit-and-miss with the Christina Lauren books I've read, so I was happy to find this one was a hit for me! I liked both James and Carey and I thought they were refreshingly sane and normal leads. It was nice that the conflict was their situation and not one or both of them being jerks. The set-up of the famous HGTV married couple falling apart and the two assistants trying to keep them afloat was very interesting to me and I was equally invested in finding out how that all shook out as I was in the main couple's relationship and arcs. This book had strong Set it Up (Netflix) vibes for me, so anyone who liked that will like this!

Finally, a love story for HGTV home improvement show addicts -- and there are a lot of us! Carey and James work for Tripp and Melly (very similar to Joanna and Chip Gaines of Fixer Upper fame) and must navigate the non-stop drama and dysfunction that ensues on a hastily-arranged cross country book tour. Endearing characters, great love story, and multiple points of view keep the story going at a brisk pace. Really enjoyed this.

This book is likely going to be a love it or hate it proposition - and the main reason is that the main characters are so clearly Chip and Joanna Gaines (or at least Chip; Joanna is a little questionable.). So people who like them are likely to be offended and people who don't will love the nastiness of the plot.

I didn't like this book because it felt rushed and to me, showed a lack of creativity in so clearly mirroring Chip and Joanna. It feels like the book was written to capitalize off their success. I think I would have enjoyed it more if those two characters had been totally fictional, just two people who were really successful at being home re-modelers and who built and empire out of it. If they had different personalities, they wouldn't feel like rip-offs of real people.

But the biggest disappointment to me was that the romance between James and Carey (which was the best part of the book) was really rushed toward the end. I completely bought the way it was built up and I really felt their chemistry. Then they fight, don't speak but then are all of a sudden back in love with one visit from him to her house. That part was not built up enough. It needed to be better laid out so it didn't feel like insta-love. I would rather have seen MUCH LESS of the book tour (that part was really too long) and more toward the end.

All in all, it had some of the wonderful feelings I have come to know and love from a Christina Lauren book, but it was not up to their usual standards.

It's been a while since I have read a romantic comedy that I couldn't put down, but that is exactly what happened once I started (and quickly finished) The Honey Don't List. I am not even a huge HGTV person. I don't care about house renovations shows, although I have been to Magnolia because I live in Dallas and Waco just isn't so far away and it's a beautiful store. I still thought this story sounded interesting and I was right. I was more engaged in the love story between the main characters- the assistants to the big tv star couple- and them trying to get through the sham that they are caught between. I know a lot of people don't like the style of writing that includes flash backs and newspaper articles, but I have always thought that presenting more than one time frame and that are expository in nature with excerpts from the news articles and social media outlets really help move the story along and these types of extra information always make the novel feel more whole to me. I absolutely love this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

I am a big Christina Lauren fan. I always am eager to tackle their latest books. This one was not up to the normal Christina Lauren books that I know and love. I did not really care for the characters or plot at all - I guess I'm not an HGTV geek like everyone else. I felt like the secondary characters overshadowed the main romance story and did not care for it at all. It was also weird to have these random interview pieces and articles in between chapters.

Can't wait for the next Christina Lauren and hope it is better than this one!

3.5 stars

Christina Lauren books always have the ability to grab my attention from beginning to end. I tend to pick up these books as a palate cleanser after reading darker or more serious books. Sometimes I just need to read something light and easy and entertaining. Something that I know that I can just sit down and devour in a day or two without getting bored. As many of their other books have done in the past, this book fits that bill!

The Honey-Don't List is about Carey and James who are assistants to the mega-famous home renovation/decor TV stars Rusty and Melly Tripp. From the outside, Rusty and Melly appear to have a lot in common with the real world stars Chip and Joanna Gaines. They appear to have a great marriage and great ideas for your home and life, plus everyone loves them! But on the inside, Rusty and Melly are falling apart. Their marriage is a sham, everything is done for the sake of appearances, and they are not even coming up with their own ideas. Carey and James have the impossible task of babysitting James and Melly, to make sure that their bosses don't fall apart in public or kill each other (both seem like viable possibilities). While working around the clock to keep their bosses happy and maintain the appearance of perfection, Carey and James find a spark of connection with each other.

Carey and James are cute characters, and I really liked them both. Their fun, witty banter with each other is great. I thought it was interesting to learn more about Carey's movement disorder (dystonia). Rusty and Melly are absolutely terrible in every way. Really they were almost too terrible, to the point of being unbelievable. The whole plot of the book demands that they need to be awful, but their fighting and pettiness and complete disregard for anyone but themselves grew tiresome to read by the end of the book.

This story works well for what it is-- a light and easy contemporary romance. It's not ground-breaking or especially meaningful or memorable. But it's fun and fluffy, and sometimes you just need a little fluff in your reading life!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. The Honey-Don't List will be available on March 24!