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!

Too many adult themes to recommend this to my students, but I will happily tell friends and coworkers. I enjoyed this but it was not my favorite CL book. Somehow it felt less fun. I really liked Carey though.

This book had an interesting premise and I've heard good things about this author-duo, so I was excited. The book turned out a beach read type fiction with less romance and more couple drama from the Tripps - the bosses, which was not the fun kind but pretty frustrating that it went on so long before a sudden twist. I really liked Carey and James, but their romance feels rushed with not enough time devoted to them really evolving as a couple. Similarly the end also feels a bit rushed and cut off where they meet again after a while but you're left wondering what the repercussions are off all the drama and where they're going next. Easy to read, but not much more.

I enjoyed this story of a famous designing couple & their assistants trying to contain their impending implosion. Carey & James (The assistants) fall in love along the way of course.
While this book lacked the witty banter that I loved so much from The Unhoneymooners & Josh & Hazel, the characters were still very likable & I rooted for their relationship. And though it also lacked much buildup—they went quickly from practical strangers to soulmates—I still enjoyed them getting together. But The Honey-Don’t List was about more than the romance. It focused a lot on the designing couple & how they had lost their way, & on Carey’s growth as a person.
Overall a quick & enjoyable read!

I was super hype to get this book early because I’ve read a bunch of Christina Lauren and have liked a few. Unfortunately, their most recent books (Unhoneymooners, Twice in a Blue Moon) have not been my favorites. Every CL book I read I hope will live up to the magic of Love and Other Words, but none of their recent stuff has which is a bummer.

The Honey-Don’t- List is like a mix of Set It Up and a fictional Fixer Upper but not nearly as interesting or perfect. Melly and Rusty Tripp are home improvement celebrities with a hit show, book on marriage, and successful brand. Unfortunately, the couple behind the show are a disaster in real life and they rely on Carey Duncan (Melly’s assistant among other things) and James McCann (engineer turned assistant) to handle their lives and deal with their mess. Melly is honestly so difficult to read because she is absolutely fake and horrific. I was really hoping to get more enemies from Carey and James but they turned into friends and then love sick couple pretty quick, which was somewhat unbelievable. I honestly don’t think they had a ton of chemistry either. Some parts were sweet and some parts made me laugh (especially when I secretly imagined that Melly and Rusty were actually Joanna and Chip Gaines lol). But overall, I wish this could have been more: more interesting, higher stakes, more sweet swoony love, and a better wrap up.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review**

3.5

I’m having a hard time figuring out what to officially rate things because I have mixed feelings about it overall. I didn’t hate it or dislike it at all, and if I pile up my CL reads and rate them, this would probably be 3rd. But there’s still a few things that didn’t make me LOVE this. I think overall I just feel like it will be a book I’ll probably forget in a few months, and it didn’t leave that much of a mark on me, but it was still enjoyable while I was reading, and I feel like that counts for something.

I want to say that I throughly enjoyed the plot. I’m a huge fan HGTV and I’m loving seeing all the books coming out inspired by shows from that channel and from the idea of a couple that renovates houses together. This was a big win for me plot wise!

Another win for me was the characters. I have to say, I think so far James might be my favorite CL male character. I haven’t read all of their books yet, but he was by far the sweetest, and I’ll go even farther to say the most likable. I don’t like the conflicts these authors come up with in their books, and this one wasn’t different, but I felt like it was the least bad and that James genuinely wanted to tell her and was searching for the right moment. Overall, def my favorite male character of theirs!

Carey was also a delight to read about and I specially loved her character growth throughout the book. I loved seeing her stand up for herself in the end, and I really enjoyed her personality!


Couple wise, I have mixed feelings. Mostly because I get like there was absolutely no build up between these two AT ALL, and their relationship felt rather abrupt if I’m being honest. They suddenly went from coworkers who barely knew each other to being in love and it unfortunately wasn’t pulled off well enough for me to buy it. They did have some really cute moments that made me smile, but I think it lacked development. If it wasn’t for that I would’ve really loved their relationship.


Overall, it was an ok story but nothing mind blowing. If you want something sweet to give you some warm feelings, I do recommend it! I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it, but it definitely wasn’t bad, and it’s definitely not anywhere close to my least favorites by these authors.

This was just okay; I liked her earlier books better. This felt rushed, and character development was weak. I read this as an ARC from the publisher.

Christina Lauren's books are a comfort read for me. I go into it knowing I am going to have an enjoyable story, a couple of giggles along the way, and a HEA. The Honey Don't List, in all these areas, does not disappoint. James and Carey are great and the backdrop to the book and the conflict it provided was an interesting premise.

That being said, the story did not hold anything new or exciting within it. Perhaps I have become a little jaded, but it felt almost calculated, like a fill in the blanks novel. The characters, while wonderful, were a little flat, and Carey's lack of personal conviction made her a bit frustrating to read. It didn't feel like there was any true chemistry between James and Carey, it almost read as a close proximity novel where the individuals could have been anyone given the circumstances.

I also disliked the resolution with Melly and Rusty. The relationship between them and Carey was abusive, and the relationship between Melly and Rusty should have truly ended up with Melly in jail. The number of times she became violent with Rusty was horrifying, and the fact that there was no real consequences for her in the end, and that Carey excused it given their previous relationship, just lends to the fact that she is an abuser. I struggled reading that part and not finding the conclusion of their relationship satisfying.

Altogether, if you're looking for something lighthearted to take your mind off reality for a bit, this book fits the bill.

Despite some of the reviews I really enjoyed this one. Christina Lauren are one of my favorite writing duos and this is just a great book of their work. I thought it was entertaining and the characters were really likeable. Pretty great book.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely not my favorite by this duo. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great.
I say go for it and read it, you may love it.
Thanks Netgalley for the Arc

Yet again, the dynamic writing duo of Christina Lauren do not disappoint! The Honey-Don’t List is one of those books that you don’t want to put down as soon as you start reading it because the characters are relatable, the relationship dynamics between characters are enthralling, and the storyline keeps you hooked from start to finish. I really appreciated that the authors took time to explore topics such as chronic illness and the misconceptions of the “perfect life” as portrayed in social media. In other words, this novel really addresses the idea that everything is not as it may appear and how easy it is to lose oneself in the process of trying to show everyone else that everything is “perfect” when in fact it’s falling to pieces.

I grabbed this one because I love Christina Lauren books because of their humor. This was just was "heavy". Melly and Rusty's relationship with Carey in the beginning was of surrogate parents and a positive influence. For the majority of the book I hated Melly and Rusty. The way they treated people and Carey in particular was awful. Nothing light hearted or zany about it. Even the ending couldn't redeem them in my eyes. Carey and James having sex to just have sex was another turn off for me. Overall everyone in the book was miserable for the majority of it, including me.

Another great book from Christina Lauren! I loved all the dynamics between the four main characters and how they each affected each other.

This is a funny book. Watching the Tripp’s was like watching an accident. You know it’s going to happen but you can’t turn away. My heart hurt for Carey and James was clueless in handling the Tripp’s. It was a bit slow to start but I soon got into the storyline. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.