This was a typical fun and fast read from Christina Lauren. I mostly enjoyed it, but I found that the drama with two of the main characters was more of a distraction than a part of the story.

Definitely wanted more Carey and James rather than Mellie and Rusty.

As always, I will continue to read and love this author's books, and look forward to the next one.

Loved reading the awesome and amazing story. Carey has worked for the Tripps since she was sixteen. When Carey and James have to babysit the famous duo, Melissa & Rusty Tripp, Carey and James' attraction starts to sizzle. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written full of humor and romance, and a must read love story.
I reviewed a copy of the book through NetGalley.

Another great read by these ladies!

After reading several titles by these authors, I was excited to be approved for this one. And it didn't disappoint.

It started off a little slow for me, but once I got into it, I spent a fair amount of my days wishing I could be curled up with my kindle!

The story centers around Carey, a 26-year old assistant/designer and a married home decor couple who have built their careers stealing Carey's ideas and not giving her credit for them. Enter James, another assistant on the show, who after becoming romantically involved with Carey, encourages her to stay with the show for his own benefit..

With so many characters keeping Carey down, I wanted her to have a moment where she tells everyone to F off and really comes into her own. That didn't really happen. Everything worked out for Carey, but it wasn't because she took the bull by the horns. Not saying every character in every story has to burn down the town and rise like a phoenix, I just was really rooting for Carey.

I also struggled a little with the voices of the characters. They seemed too similar. The chapters alternate pov and at times I couldn't figure out who was talking.

My final criticism would be the police interview that starts the story and was interspersed between chapters. I didn't think this was super successful and ended up skimming through those parts. For whatever reason, maybe because of the skimming, I thought Melly had been killed and that was the purpose of the interviews. Maybe this was intentional? Not sure. But I was looking for clues in the story to who had killed her and waiting for it to go down. Slight let down when the real reason for the interviews was revealed and I'm unsure if that level of interrogation suits the "crime"

Overall, another pageturner by Christina Lauren that will satisfy their fans

A sweet, cute, exasperating story of personal growth and discovery. Christina navigates the journey of Carey's self discovery masterfully and with aplomb.

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.
Oh, I love Christina Lauren books! Genuinely some of my favorite books of all time. I didn’t like this one as much as the Unhoneymooners or josh and hazel’s guide to not dating. But it was still good. I liked it more than love and other words and way more than my favorite half-night stand.
Carey and James were cute together and I liked their progression but I did not like Melissa at all and Rusty only the smallest amount. Melissa was obnoxious and mean. Rusty was apathetic and small. I didn’t like that they stayed together post-fire as well. Melissa and Rusty being awful really made me struggle through this book. Plus I agreed with James that Melissa was abusive and didn’t like that Carey maintained a relationship with her.
I did like the plot of being on a tour bus and traveling around. I liked how the characters gently and realistically got to know each other. It was good.

This was a really fun vacation read. I always love Christina Lauren books, and this was no exception. I enjoyed the back and forth in time which added suspense. Having loved Chip and Joanna for years, it was partially easy to picture them in the secondary roles but also hard because (I hope) their personalities don’t fit these characters. Overall a fun read!

The Honey-Don't List is both a romance and page turning novel about two people who have found fame and fortune, and have lost their compass. It takes you into the world of tv and book publishing, and the livelihood of Carey Douglas, who came into the store of Comb+Honey at the age of 16, and now, 10 years later, has a pivotal role in making sure that Melissa Tripp, one of the the duo behind the brand, is taken care of in every way. In fact, Carey runs the show and makes everything run smoothly. When she and James, Rusty Tripp's assistant are told that they have to go on a week long book tour with the couple, things begin to get a bit challenging, Carey's world is about to change in ways she never imagined.

This book was absolutely a page turner. The characters bring the story alive, with laugh out-loud moments, and a need to see how the heroine and hero will get out of the jams they find themselves in with the Tripps. What a trip this is! . Loved every minute I spent with this group. Would be happy to see a sequel with these characters.

This book is great if you love chic lit, romance, or just a good novel!

Thanks Netgalley and Gallery books, for giving me the opportunity to read the e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read and review yet another great book written by the fabulous duo.

The dynamic duo Christina Lauren has done it again with their latest hit, Honey Don’t list. The Tripp’s Melissa and Rusty, home remodeling and design firm that has taken off with a hit TV show and a book tour. Carey Douglas has worked for them since she was sixteen years old and grew into her current position one of assistant to Melly. Little does the world know that Carey is responsible for all of the designs that the couple tout as their own. Melly is overwhelming, abusive, and downright mean, trying to juggle all those lies and keep her husband on board with all their newfound fame and money. James McCann, MIT graduate, and engineering genius was hired by Melly as an engineer but is an overpaid assistant for Rusty. It turns out the Tripp’s marriage is dissolving while they become more famous by the minute. James uncovers the truth about Carey designing but sells out for a better opportunity. This story reminds me of the Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines.

The Honey Don’t List was a pretty quick read for me. It sucked me in and before I knew it I was almost done. The main characters work for a dysfunctional Chip and Joanna Gaines type couple. That part of the storyline was very intriguing. I would have liked to have seen the romance go a little deeper. It felt like it was just the beginning of a romance. When I Love You was thrown out, I felt like they weren’t really there yet. I still have a good time reading it.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

Book Review: The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren

First, I’d like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. This is the first book I’ve read by this combo author duo, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billing. I’m generally a fan of literature aimed at women and enjoy adding fun, warm-hearted romance novels to my reading list. This was a good break and a quick read. Many reviewers compared this to other Christina Lauren novels but I have no basis of comparison.

The book reminded me of some combination of the married couples that have successful and happy lives as a team on HGTV, but behind the scenes there is trouble in paradise. The twist in this case is that the talent doesn’t lie in the actual star of the show but in the behind the scenes assistant with the star taking all the credit for the work and doing her best to keep the show together and the marriage together of her constantly feuding bosses.

What I liked: I like the character Carey and her talent. Nice aside to give her a condition that would affect her abilities and give her a reason to stay. I would have liked for her to be more assertive but I get that she didn’t want to rock the boat. Surprising to me that (the author set it up this way) no one else realized that she was the design genius (not really believable). I really liked Randy – who simply wanted a more simple life and the woman he loved to come down from the clouds -- even though he was a philandering husband.

What I liked less: Melly was unlikeable even when she was trying to be likeable. But I guess that’s how we are supposed to feel about her. I think the story could have wrapped up slightly differently or meandered a bit before tidying up so quickly. Seemed abrupt.

All in all: Very entertaining and I would read other books by same authors.

I'll start by saying I did enjoy the book.. it was lighthearted, and had some pretty funny moments. This is not the first CL book I've read and it won't be the last, but I had a really hard time feeling emotionally invested in the main characters. The story seemed a bit rushed, one second they hated each other, the next they were mad for each other. I didn't find it very believable.
It is a great choice for a quick story without a ton of emotional involvement and a guaranteed happy ending,

This was my first real time reading a CL book, I did enjoy it and it was a quick read. I liked the story line and characters. Not a lot of depth just some petty romance fun IMO. Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy. I’m waiting to read Blue Moon from CL some of their other books I couldn’t get into so I’m glad I gave this one a try.

What do you say about the dynamic duo that hasn’t already been said? Seriously what?

I loved The Honey Don’t-List. When I need a vehicle to dive out of my life and into another...CL is always the way. Their characters become real people to me. I loved that this time with THD-L...we were introduced to some truly unlikeable characters.

This book brings us a different format all together. The assistants of the most famous DIY reality tv couples (think Chip & Joanna Gaines) are thrown together for a book tour...as expected. Sparks fly. It really reminded me of the Netflix movie Step it Up?!? It was exactly the same...but completely different 😉. Anyway...the format is an interview with a policeman and Carey and James’ varying recollections of the crime?....incident?....bottom line. It was a fantastic way to tell a story!

If I am being honest this one still did not beat Josh and Hazels Guide to Dating or Love & Other Words. But at the end of the day...I mean that literally btw....this was read in a day....it was a fun read. I will always recommend Christina Lauren for contemporary romance. Plain and simple, in my opinion, they do no wrong.

I’m ending with 4 1/2 🌟

Put it on your radar for March 2020

I enjoyed this one, but not as much as other Christina Lauren books. I liked James and Carey as characters, but I didn't like their relationships with their bosses. Melissa and Carey's relationship is codependent and depressing. I'm also just generally annoyed with characters that constantly lie and make awful decisions that affect everyone around them in a negative way. I know that's a device used by the author, but I'm just tired of reading about characters like that.

Anyway, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

The Unhoneymooners is my favorite Christina Lauren book and maybe since reading it, I compare all their other books to it. While I did like this book, it wasn’t my favorite. I felt the romance angle was very rushed with Carey and James, one minute they hate each other and the next they have feelings for each other. The book has its cute moments and times when you’ll root for Carey and James. Even though this didn’t rank as one of my favorites for the duo of Christina Lauren, I’ll continue reading anything they write!

Another fun read by Christina Lauren. Love the characters in this book. She uses a trendy theme by having them work on a reality television home show.
Will be pre-ordering this book for the library as we have lots of her fans in our patron base.

Super fun, fast, and easy read. This was my first Christina Lauren book, but I would definitely consider reading more by the author. The premise was great - imagine a world in which Chip and Joanna Gaines have a terrible marriage and sh*ts about to hit the fan - and I enjoyed how the author encourages the reader to think about the broader issues at play. Would recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. This was a solid 4-star read for me. I loved Carey and James together. I also think the authors captured the craziness of Rusty and Melly very well. If anyone was less than impressed with Twice in a Blue Moon, I would recommend this one. Christina and Lauren have redeemed themselves!

Melissa and Rusty Tripp are the IT couple of reality television where they have their own design show and now they are on tour because of their new book which is about their marriage and how they keep their love alive. The problem is, the Tripp's are no longer in love with each other and they are having a hard time "playing nice " with eachother. Enter Carey and James, the two employees charged with keeping this reality couple in check. I enjoyed this highly entertaining book immensely, the story and the characters are alot of fun and the chapters just flew by. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Another amazing book from these extremely talented authors! I always enjoy some nice fluff and this definitely fit the bill. Extremely entertaining and hard to put down.