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!

{Review to publish February 15th 2020 on The Nerd Daily]

Meet Melissa and Rusty Tripp, America’s sweethearts of home remodelling and décor design who are just about to embark on their week-long book tour for their guide on how to keep the perfect marriage alive and kicking. The only caveat? Milly and Rusty actually can’t stand each other. Forced by the execs of their upcoming solo TV home renovating show, long-time assistant Carey and engineer-but-actually-glorified-and-seriously-undervalued-assistant James find themselves dragged on a book tour as chaperones to keep the couple from fighting in public and destroying their carefully crafted image. What neither of them expects is that while the sparks have sizzled out in their bosses’ marriage, there might just be some starting up between Carey and James.

Carey, like all of Christina Lauren’s protagonists is a force to be reckoned with, feisty and fierce, but above all she is extremely relatable. Never having worked any other job than this assistant position and almost part of the Tripp family, Carey finds herself unable to quit and make it on her own while also realising that she can’t keep doing what she is doing now without losing her mind. Pressurised to keep quiet about her involvement in the new designs of the high-profile couple, Carey is trying hard to reclaim that glimpse of a private life away from her bosses’ expectations while also working her hardest to keep afloat at work. And that brings me to this book’s strongest point: the refreshing and realistic take on adulthood.

In most cases, your twenties are a time of turmoil, a state of in-between where kids are playing and fighting in the pool and you have to ask your peers whether you should get an adult—without quite realising that you’re an adult yourself. This is the time when everyone is trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do but also don’t feel like they can start over if they’re situated in a passable job already (who doesn’t love financial security, after all?). It’s putting work above all else and finally having the monetary means to do all the things you’ve always wanted, without the time to actually pursue any of those dreams.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Christina Lauren excels at writing characters that make the reader feel understood and seen. The struggles of trying to find friends while working more than 50 hours a week and looking forward to a week of lying on the couch catching up on Netflix only to have that snatched away by more work was so relatable that I kept finding myself nodding at the book as I kept flipping the pages. Carey was trying to make it all work but sometimes, your body just tells you when enough is enough which rang so authentic to me. In an age where hard work is sometimes undervalued, it was a refreshing story to see that putting yourself first is a necessary step in order to survive.

Speaking of characters that are relatable: James, the love interest. Somehow these authors found the perfect blend of a guy being sweet and helpful without ever being condescending, while also making the reader want to jump his bones because he is just so sexy when he wants to be. James also struggles with the reality of being underpaid and undervalued even though he has a college degree, which again, I just found so relatable. It was a nice change from the usual narrative where college graduates suddenly have every door opened for them, which, yes, is nice but also not realistic. Trust Christina Lauren to make the bleak reality of job (in)security look like so much fun.

Melissa and Rusty were a particular brand of dysfunctional—Melissa is trying her hardest to cope with the struggle of keeping up appearances by turning every endeavour into a picture-perfect-advertising moment, whereas Rusty just wants to return to the simple roots where their love and business life began. Both of them were deeply flawed and unlikable characters at times, but you could tell that their hearts were in the right place—they just forgot what it meant to put their relationship above their international success.

This book felt like Christina Lauren going back to their roots in the best possible way and their writing style perfectly honed over years of writing together and the best parts, the quick-witted banter, the swoon-worthy romance still very much intact. That being said, The Honey-Don’t List is definitely one of the authors’ quieter novels, less fanfare and rather more “slice of life” moments that bring their own charm to the story. After numerous published novels together, one thing is clear: this author duo has cemented itself firmly in the top tier of the romance genre and deservedly so.

A refreshing and charming romance, perfect for long-time fans of the author duo and newer readers who want to have a little smile on their face for 320 pages straight.

This is such a fun book! Imagine a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of one an HGTV power couple, as told in the alternating views of their two assistants. Then add that the assistants are falling for each other as the TV couple struggles not to blow their whole empire to smithereens. Engaging, imaginative - this kept me turning pages last night and skipping everything else. Highly recommended as a vacation read, or as an escape from real life. Excited for what these authors come up with next! (Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review).

Christina Lauren does it AGAIN! To say I'm excited whenever this duo releases a new book would be an understatement. They always manage to make me smile and fall head over heels in love with their characters. This book my friends is NO DIFFERENT. The Honey-Don't List is exactly what I needed in a book and I was swooning hard for it. I can't wait to see what others think of this fantastic new book when it releases!

I LOVED this book! I have not read many by this duo and I absolutely fell in love with their words.
Carey and James are wonderful characters and the story is brilliant. I love the behind the scenes interviews leading up to the main occurrence, it totally kept me guessing what in the world happened?
Loved and devoured every word!

If you love HGTV,. this is the book for you. It follows the breakdown of home improvement stars Melissa and Rusty Tripp. A Chip and Joanna Gaines type couple who are reaching the pinnacle of superstardom but unfortunately, the same can't be same for their marriage. With publicity and marketing at an all time - no cracks in the facade can be exposed which is where their two assistants come into play. Carey and James seem like an unlikely team but team up is what they need to do in order to keep Melissa and Tripp from killing each other. Besides both have incentives to keep the act alive. However, when sparks start flying and truths are left unspoken, Melissa and Rusty aren't the only couple going down in flames (both literally and figuratively). Can either of these couples survive the aftermath? A great book as we come to expect from Christina Lauren with couples you care about and humor as well.

The Honey-Don’t List is my least favorite book from Christina Lauren. For starters, the story has a police interrogation dialogue and tweets on Twitter randomly placed through out the book they just don’t add anything to the storyline and seem to slow the pacing down. I also really struggled with the nickname for one of the characters, Melly. It’s a terrible nickname and what made it worse was that is was pointed out a few times that Melissa doesn’t like to be called Mel- but she is ok with Melly?! It’s awful. You can tell that the authors took inspiration from HGTV sweethearts Chip and Jo for Rusty and Melly but in a negative manner which I didn’t care for. I also really struggled with the premise of the story and the lack of chemistry between the two assistants, James and Carey. He fell in love rather quickly and yet there was little depth to their relationship. I just didn’t buy it. I felt super underwhelmed by everything and am left wanting to read something that has more character development and believability. The Honey-Don’t List felt rushed and completely lacked the foundation and substance for a good story. This was a huge let down.

The Honey-Don't List is the first book that I've read by the writing duo of Christina Lauren. I very much enjoyed this book.

Carey has worked for Melly and Rusty Tripp for the last ten years (think of the Tripps as being similar to a Chip and Joanna Gaines... but a bit dysfunctional), and isn't going anywhere. James has recently started working for the Comb+Honey brand, as Rusty's assistant/engineer. Due to some turmoil between Melly and Rusty, Carey and James are essentially tasked with babysitting these two while on their book tour. And it's not an easy task! But Carey and James become closer because of their circumstances.

I really liked how real Carey and James seemed. Their back-and-forth banter kept the book going and enjoyable. I also really liked both Melly and Rusty, despite their dyfunctionality. I kept imagining their show to be similar to a Fixer-Upper, one of my favorite shows on TV.

I must say that this book had a few slow spots, and a few spots that moved too quickly for me. I also wished I had a little more at the end, but overall, I really enjoyed this!

Christina Lauren strikes again! This was just the book I needed to pull me out of my reading slump. The authors perfectly intertwined the relationships in the story, mainly those between Carey and James, Melissa and Rusty and Carey and the Tripps. The authors kept us guessing what the issue was with Carey's health and also planted many seeds from the beginning hinting that Carey and James would become involved. The format of the book was also interesting with the story starting off with police transcriptions, hinting that a crime or major event was ahead. I thought the relationship between the two assistants was a little rushed and happened unrealistically fast, especially considering they seemed to strongly dislike each other in the beginning. However, overall I really enjoyed this one and flew through it quickly.

I was so excited to get an arc of this book. I was surprised that the first half of the book was very slow and even boring at times. I did really like James, but I don" feel like I got to know enough of him or Carey. Some character development was lacking. Halfway through this book., I actually wondered if Christina Lauren even wrote it. I was fascinated learning about distonia because I had never heard of it before. I think if it had been elaborated on sooner, I would have felt closer to Carey. The arguing between Melly and Rusty was annoying and way too long, in my opinion. I read this all the way through but it was a push.

While I loved the story line and the characters in this novel I found that Christina Lauren succumbed to the 'lets wrap this up in the last page or so' trend. I really didn't feel the characters had a chance to get past their differences and it left me kind of hanging.

Basically tasked with managing a marriage, The Honey-Don't List tells the story of two assistants, Carey and James, and their ups and downs in both their professional setting, as well as the relationship between the two.

I really enjoyed Christina Lauren's The Unhoneymooners, and was hoping for the same feel in this read, but I was left wanting more. James was rather detached throughout and Carey was a bit frustrating in that she could never stand up for herself. A lot of the book was about the book tour stops and I would rather have gotten to know the characters better. Overall, I did like this book, I just felt that there were too many details about the professional aspect of the characters and not enough on the romance side.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren.

I always enjoy a Christina Lauren book. James and Carey were adorable. I loved how she kept poking at him because of the whole engineer/assistant thing. I loved how James really SAW Carey. She was so used to being pushed into one box, but he gave her a different vision. I will say Melissa and Rusty gave me some real heartburn. I was stressed reading about their antics, I couldn't even imagine having to deal with that crazy in real life!

Christina Lauren has done it again - made me laugh and cry within the pages of the same book. This romantic comedy is very timely as it is being published, as it follows a famous husband-wife team who remodel and redesign houses for a tv show - think Chip & Joanna Gaines. Only this husband and wife team really can't stand to be around each other, and they are working on their newest project - a book about marriage. How ironic?! Rusty can't keep his hands (and other body parts) off of other women and his wife, Melissa (Melly), is a control freak prone to angry outbursts. Her assistant, Carey, is the brains behind all the design, but Melly has always taken credit for everything, leaving Carey feeling hopeless, after working for the Tripp family for 10 years. Rusty's new assistant, James, is actually an engineer, but due to a scandal at his previous company, his resume is pretty bad currently. He needs a job where he can prove himself and work his way up, and he's hoping that being Rusty's babysitter/assistant will be the route to help his career move forward. The real fun begins when the producer sends the feuding couple on a book tour with explicit instructions to make the public think they are head over heels for each other and to always be watching out for the cameras and smiling. Carey and James are along for babysitting purposes, and they don't really get along with each other at first. But as they get to know each other, the dreaded book tour with Rusty & Melly doesn't seem too bad after all. You'll have to read it to find out what happens with the Tripps and with their young assistants! I highly recommend this book and all books by Christina Lauren.