This is a fun, fast-paced romance with a likable main character, Carey, and her dashing love interest, James. The two are employed by a much less likable couple, whose business and marriage are on the rocks.

I mostly enjoyed this book and found it a quick, entertaining escape. However, for me there were a couple drawbacks: the development of all the characters fell short so I wasn’t very attached to any of them, and the romance resolution at the end was too abrupt.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy. The Honey Don't List is not your typical Christina Lauren book - it’s more. It’s a feel good story about real people with what looks like great jobs but aren’t. Carey and James have a story that grows on you like good wine. I thought about this story more after I finished it replaying how James is the best boyfriend, how a bad job can teach you lots of things and how to live with a disease and make the most of it.

I think this might be my last Christina Lauren book for a while. The Honey-Don’t List was a definite miss for me. I was intrigued by the storyline as a fan of HGTV, and the Tripp’s sounded like a dead ringer for the Gaines’ of Fixer Upper fame with a little more scandal. Unfortunately, the story fell completely flat for me. I wasn’t very interested in reading about Cary and James, The Tripp’s respective assistants, keep a less than reputable company afloat and free of scandal. The Melissa and Rusty Tripp aren’t likable so you’re never rooting for them to keep their secrets hidden from the press. Also, Melissa’s treatment of Carey is pretty abhorrent, and she never really seems truly apologetic about it even in the end. Carey and James were also pretty boring, and their relationship seemed a bit too much like instalove for me. Overall, I would pass on this one.

I always enjoy Christina Lauren, at least of the few I've read. This was no exception. There were tears and laughs just like you'd expect from these two. I really liked both Carey and James. Their diverse backgrounds make them so unlikely a match but they work so well together. He's just the positive influence she needs since no one in her life has been good and pointing out her talents. Not even the very people who are rich and famous based on her talent. Carey is every bit as smart as James even without the prestigious education. I so wanted for her to get the recognition she deserved and see her shine.

Even Mel and Rusty Tripp aren't completely unsympathetic. They can be both horrible and kind though not in equal doses. It's an excellent, albeit fictional, look behind the perfect facade of the celebrities we think we know.

As a Wyoming native it was fun to visit Jackson and Laramie!

I recommend this book.

Thank you @netgalley for my copy for review, I was giddy right when I set my sites on the cover!
Carey has a love hate relationship with her job as a personal assistant to Melissa Tripp. Melissa and her husband are TV icons of the design world, and are about to be catapulted into stardom with a new show and book deal. Not only is it Carey’s job to keep Melissa’s schedule running smoothly, but she also works overtime to hide the fact Melissa and Rusty despise each other. The couple is about to set off on a multi state book tour to promote a book about how to have a happy marriage. If people find out the truth they’ll be ruined. Babysitting this couple is the worst, until Carey hits it off with Rusty’s assistant James. The two bond over their terrible jobs and become closer with each bookstore stop. ❤️
I read this book in one sitting, it’s that good. Fans of Christina Lauren will not be disappointed! I can’t wait for you guys to read it so we can discuss it! While reading it I kept thinking Melissa and Rusty reminded me of Chip and Joanne Gains. ( without the fighting, drinking, cheating) pre-order your copy, The Honey-Dont list comes out March 24th

Loved it! Christina Lauren books are so much fun. They are consistently amazing with the witty banter.

I was so excited to receive an early copy of one of Christina Lauren’s books! I really enjoyed this book, it was a cute romance set against the backdrop of a total disaster. It was a fun contrast, and I looked forward to the romantic elements as much as I looked forward to finding out what happened that led to the main characters being interviewed in a police station. I always enjoy Christina Lauren’s books and this one was no different! Quick fun read, perfect for a snowy day!

Carey Douglas has a very thankless job which she has given her all to since the age of sixteen. Ten years later, Carey is head wrangler for a celebrity home remodeling couple, Melissa and Rusty Tripp. Carey along with MIT graduate and engineer, James McCann, is charged with keeping this couple from going off the rails while they are all on a book promotion tour together. Familiarity breeds contempt goes a long way to describe the Tripp marriage which is on the verge of imploding thanks to Melly’s dictatorial, obsessive ways, and Rusty’s Peter Pan personality and alley cat morals. Carey has contributed much to their success; however, she gets little credit which has always been fine with her until now.

James McCann never thought he would be essentially a gofer PA for a celebrity boss. Having been promised an engineering job which he desperately needs, the only thing James is engineering is keeping Rusty from embarrassing them all and helping Carey keep the whole house of cards together. The Tripps are about to hit it even bigger with a new show so this tour is extremely important to that goal.

Melly and Rusty are quite hard to take; their constant arguing makes for stress and strain on everyone putting Carey and James in the position of continually doing damage control. Melly’s physical violence towards her husband is also very off putting and not funny. While on the misery tour, Carey and James find more in common than just crazypants bosses. Carey has lived in the shadows so long, but now she sees a possibility for a different future away from manipulative Melly and her feckless husband. When Carey finally decides she wants something different, fumbles happen in the usual rom-com way. Since Carey and James spend so much time working their jobs, they have little time to truly develop a relationship before everything falls apart so unfortunately the romantic element takes more of a back seat in this book.

This was such a fun, feel good, romance novel. Was any of it especially surprising or unique? No. But it’s like your mom’s mac and cheese, super comforting and hits the spot. It did its job of making you hope and wish for your own very special someone.

The pacing was good and it was a super quick read. The second half was definitely stronger than the first. I enjoyed every bit of this and will continue to look forward to their future novels!!

I'd call this a 3.5. It has humor, like all CL books, but never quite to the laugh out loud level. The two main characters are quite likeable, and very cute together, but the two secondary characters were more caricatures than fully fleshed people. It also followed the standard romance formula--two people dislike each other, then decide they do like each other, then decide they love each other, then break up over some silly, overblown misunderstanding, then get back to HEA. The breakup trigger was extremely transparent, which made it feel somewhat artificial. But that's true for most romances, so it's the quality of the writing and the general enjoyability factors that made me round this up to a 4 rather than my standard romance rating of 3.

Another great contemporary romance from the writing duo Christina Lauren. The Honey-Don't List balances tension and release in the most satisfying way, all wrapped up with a resolving happy bow at the end. Christina Lauren and their team are masters of the craft of romance writing. The characters and their motivations are real and empathizable. I read this book on a lazy Sunday and it was exactly what I wanted to dissociate from reality for a time.

I devoured it. Christina Lauren never disappoint. And are my #1 perfect antidote to the news.I love the breezy easy style and as always fell in love with the characters. The added element of suspense was a fun addition. And now I can't wait for the next one.

This book is not Bastard.

Don't go in thinking you're getting another Chloe and Bennett because that's not going to happen and you will be disappointed.

But that is 100% okay.

This book is fun. This book is heart.

This book is the The Honey Don't List.

Working as assistants to Mel and Rusty Tripp, Carey and James are forced into going on the road with the Tripps as they promote their new book about relationships. It's Carey and James's job to not let the public know what really goes on in the Tripps' less than perfect marriage.

This is a story of two couples Carey and James finding their way to each other the first time and Mel and Rusty finding their way back to each other.

The love story between Carey and James is sweet and tender. Mel and Rusty are more Tanya Tucker's Love Me Like You Used Too.

The story was witty and fun with a large does of OMG did that really just happen?

I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed a country girl heroine and hero completely out of his depth.

Christina Lauren always does a great job making characters come to life and feel well rounded.

From their first office romance to their newest they have grown so much as authors. The depth and heart really make this story.

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. I'm a big fan of Christina Lauren-this duo's writing always hooks me from the beginning. Because I HATE shiplap and all things Magnolia, this book did not disappoint-Rusty and Melly are the couple you love to hate! The slow burn of their assistants, James and Carey, made for a sweet romance set in the best kind of chaos.

I love Christina Lauren books but this one was lacking something. I enjoyed the story line but I was more invested in the Tripps than in James and Carey. I felt like the chemistry was kind of lacking.

With that said, I did enjoy the book. I just didn’t like it as much as some of their other books.

I am usually a big fan of Christina Lauren books. They are fun and uplifting and the characters are well developed. While this wasn't a bad book by any means, I felt like it wasn't one of their strongest. The biggest reason is because the characters weren't nearly as developed as I feel they usually are. We knew almost nothing about Melissa or Rusty Tripp, especially Melissa. We're told a lot about how awesome in love they were but it's a lot of telling and very little showing. Nothing to really explain how Melissa ended up this way or even a bit more of her textured personality. They mostly seem to be cartoonish.

But even with all that, I still read the whole book in a day, got lost in the story and enjoyed my way through it. If you've never read Christina Lauren, I wouldn't start with this one but if you're a Christina Lauren fan, I am sure you'll enjoy this one.

with gratitude to netgalley and Gallery, Pocket Books for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

The honey don’t list, is definitely a don’t read list. This book is so cotton candy, it will give you a toothache. This is a book you grab from a library-because it’s free- read it til something good to read comes available

I have always been impressed by how much I enjoy Christina Lauren books, and this was no exception!

This one took me a bit longer to get into than their stories usually do. Most of this was because the main romance felt so rushed to me. It wasn't like an enemies to lovers situation, but rather ambivalent coworkers to lovers. I didn't feel like there was enough reason to support the relationship at first with made it tough to be 100% on board. Neither character seemed to have much feeling about each other and then *BAM!* they were all in. Still, once the couple was established, I enjoyed their interactions and their scenes together, and by the end they managed to win me over.

This may have been my favorite setting/plot for a Christina Lauren romance. I liked the look behind-the-scenes of a reality TV show and couple. It was interesting to see the developing relationship against the deteriorating relationship of the TV stars. It added some humor and conflict that wouldn't have been possible with a different background. While I wasn't thrilled with the (overused!) trope of miscommunication as a plot device, it made sense in the situation and was resolved in a way that made me squeal with joy, so I didn't find it as annoying as I have in some romances.

I will definitely be picking up any future stories by Christina Lauren... I'm officially a fan!

Christina Lauren are at their best with banter and rivals to lovers, honestly. James and Carey's chemistry was a sexy delight, and while the tensions between Melissa and Rusty stressed me out to no end, this was a great, fast-paced love story with the addition of some thoughtful disability rep. Fun, current, great if your favorite Christina Lauren book is Dating You/Hating You, if you spite-follow Chip and Joanna Gaines, or if you're a Sally Thorne fan looking for other romance to read.

The Honey Don’t List
The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren is a charming story of two people falling in love. Here’s the premise: While in the public eye Rusty and Melissa Tripp, a celebrity home decor duo, seem to be a loving couple building their unique design brand, in reality their marriage is falling apart. As Melissa and Rusty find it harder and harder to maintain their enviable public persona, their assistants Carey and James are forced to step in and try to control the damage while the couple goes on tour to promote their new book on (ironically) marriage advice.

Carey and James are both undervalued and overworked, but both have reasons to continue working for the Tripps. After being forced together in the difficult situation that is life with the Tripps, they begin a romance of their own.

I absolutely loved this book! The chemistry between Carey and James was believable and I felt that I could relate to both of their perspectives. Their relationship was very sweet, and I enjoyed watching them learn to understand each other and fall in love. The plot was well-paced- I was never bored or just waiting to get on with the next chapter. I really didn’t want to put this book down!

If I had one critique, it would be that I could have done without the police interview sections. While this did have the desired effect of letting the reader know that some big disaster was on the horizon, I don’t think we needed the interviews to know that. The Tripps relationship was so obviously a mess that we didn’t need the extra hint that it would implode at some point. However, these sections were very brief and didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, I give this book 4.5/5 stars! I would definitely recommend this book to any contemporary/romance fan. I think this is Christina Lauren’s best work so far!