I have read many of this duo's books but when I started this one I realized that it was not like their usual books. I enjoyed it, don'y get me wrong but it was different than what I have come to expect - the humorous interactions, the more romantic story, the sometimes funny supporting characters. This story was written well and the characters were different but I felt that there could have been more to James' character that the reader could have learned since we knew everything about Carey's character. Their story moved along well and at times I felt bad for what they were having to deal with but I also felt that Carey was weak in all that she allowed to happen to her. I will say that the plot of this book made me wonder about the truth behind some of the shows that are produced on TV. Overall, I did enjoy this book as I have their other books.

This book is about Carey and James and their romance as they both work behind the scenes for reality home improvement gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp.
This felt like a behind the scenes on a possible HGTV show to me.
The problem was connecting with main characters, as so much of the plot was about the horrible behaviors of the Tripp’s.
Because of this, I had a hard feeling anything towards this book, but a bit of frustration.
This isn’t my first book from this writing duo, and while I didn’t love this book, it won’t be my last.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book, in exchange for my honest opinion

This is one of those books you read that feels effortless. The lead in with snippets of a police interview, hit exactly the right note. The romance built at a pace that made sense amidst the backdrop of the unique plot. Hero and heroine were multidimensional people you want to have as friends. Definitely a five star read for me.

This was my first Christina Lauren book, and it’s their upcoming release (set to come out March 24, 2020). It was really a good, quick read! I liked the characters - they felt realistic and I have to applaud that because my experience with the contemporary romance genre has been somewhat opposite (where the characters are “perfect”, etc)... so I found The Honey Don’t List to be refreshing and fun to read. I’m looking forward to exploring more Christina Lauren books in the somewhat near future.

I truly enjoyed this book. It had a bit of everything. I love the fact that its premise was a home remodeling couple who have a rocky marriage and their assistants need to help them keep it together. These two assistants, Carey and James, lean on each other because this is not an easy task. In the process of this, they begin to have feelings for each other...all of the above plays out with humor and love!!

From the get go I knew this would be a charming, heartfelt, hilarious book. It did not disappoint. The way Carey taunts and pushes James' buttons is hilarious. These two were something else. It was exciting when we see James start to fall for Carey. I absolutely adored Carey. She has a fun personality and makes the most of everything considering who she deals with on a daily basis. She is also a human with feelings and everybody in this book seemed to have forgotten that. I liked James as well but it took me a little bit to get there. The first of the book he gives off this I'm better than you vibe. He soon realizes that he and Carey are in this boat together and to make it out they need to work together. Melly and Rusty are a hot mess!! The ending was wrapped up nicely and I really enjoyed it.

Arc provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved it and I actually wanted more. It was non-stop entertainment but ,the connection and the moments between two of the main characters...it just felt really real .I hated to see it end but another great book!

This is a fun take on personal assistants to social media stars. The banter between the hero and heroine is delightfully childish. The heroine lives a life reminiscent of the heroine in The Devil Wears Prada. The pace is fast, with surprises on every page. The descriptions seen through the eyes of the characters are rich and sensual. The story does not disappoint. The Honey-Don't List is very entertaining.

The Honey - Don't List was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. I tried to hold off reading it, and then had 6 hours to blow at the hospital. Needless to say, I couldn't stop reading their new book and I loved it!

This book is so different than what they usually write, but in a good way! I would say the romance is a slow burn, but there was still enough story to keep me interested. It did throw me off when it started with police interviews, and then you realize that it was all kind of pointless. At least in my opinion. A lot of people have been comparing this to the movie Set It Up, so I think I will have to give that a watch.

As always, I look forward to what this dynamic duo writes next! The Honey-Don't List is on sale March 24th, 2020. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free review copy.

I was drawn in by the story synopsis and new I had to give this book a go. Definitely didn't disappoint. Thoughtful story-writing and character development. Loved the viewpoints from both Carey and James. This book was full of warmth, feel-good moments, crazy drama, full-bodied passion and so much more.

Although I was intrigued with the premise and enjoyed the interplay between the hero/heroine in the beginning, I ultimately felt the romance was really underdeveloped and way too hurried. I wasn't rooting for them as a couple so much as just wishing the two of them would dump their bosses and move on. Although the writing from this team is solid, like usual, I will remember this book much more for the villains than I will the heroes and that leaves me a little bit disappointed.

I can't believe this is the first book I'e read by Christina Lauren - an amazing duo of authors writing under a single name.

Carey and James are both assistants to a mega-superstar-home improvement couple. Both of them, however, have a bigger role to play. Melissa and Rusty Tripp have been married for 25 years and have recently rocketed to mega-star status - their marriage is crumbling at the very same time they are releasing a book about how to have a successful marriage and launching a new design show. Carey and James are tasked with trying to keep them under control and ensure the future goes forward the way everyone wants it to.

Carey, as it turns out, is actually the design force behind the successful couple. James is an engineer, who is trying to redeem his career after starting out with a very bad company. The Tripps are very forcefully taking advantage of both of them in ways that make you feel pretty queasy inside.

James and Carey don't start out as friends or even like one another much. The forced proximity of the book tour while babysitting the Tripps brings them together very quickly. They become extremely close based on the shared pain of dealing with the Tripps.

Overall - the story is so fascinating and interesting that this book was hard to put down. It is definitely a romance between James and Carey, but the romance almost takes a back seat to the drama surrounding it. The drama between Rusty and Melisa overshadows all!

The only thing that kept the book from being a five star read for me was the final issues between Carey and James. I found it to be almost superfluous to the story - and wished it had either been left out or handled another way.

The whole story, primarily, takes place over the course of just a few days - so it is really a glimpse into a really dramatic period of time. I would love to know more about how things finally shook out and where Carey (in particular) is going to go next.

I received an ARC of this book free from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own!

Christina Lauren has done it again! Another perfect romance novel that's not only completely adorable, but also insanely hilarious and totally relate-able. I don't know what I can say about The Honey-Don't List that I haven't already said about any other this author's other books. I enjoyed every second while I was reading and breezed through it so quickly because it was simply THAT good. It was over before I knew it and I've been in a daze every since. Bravo, once again, to this dynamic author duo for gifting us another incredible novel.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I've loved Christina Lauren books in the past, but now I've been kind of "meh" about this one and Twice in a Blue Moon.

The problem for me in this one was that the romance was so incredibly underdeveloped that it fell flat. The book focused so much on the mess that was Melly and Rusty's relationship that it completely skipped over what this book is supposed to be about- James and Carey's relationship. They went from never noticing each other, to being infatuated with each, to proclamations of love in what is seemingly a two week span. It was unrealistic and honestly? I hate insta-love. They didn't have very deep conversations beyond Carey talking about her dystonia so it was really hard for me to believe that they were falling for each other. However, I did enjoy reading about dystonia and the way someone would deal with living with it.

Melly and Rusty were just exhausting to read about. There wasn't a resolution to anything regarding them. Are they still together? Did they get a divorce? What is life like for them now? It just seemed incomplete. Furthermore, I hate that Carey got her one rant in and then that was it. She doesn't seem like she wanted to hold Melly accountable for anything and that just blew my mind. I think I wanted a more "stick it to you" moment from her or at least a resolution to all of their relationships. The three of them (Melly, Rusty, and Carey) had been like family to one another for 10 years and it seemed like their whole relationship was just left up in the air. I had the same issue with Blue Moon, so I'm hoping that CL will map out their loose ends a bit more in the future.

I would never classify this book as a rom-com because there weren't any moments that warranted even a chuckle. I liked the banter between Carey and James, but even that isn't very noteworthy. The story flowed well and the writing was of the usual quality you get from Christina Lauren, so that was all a bonus. I think I wouldn't recommend this book, but if someone asked me if they should read it I'd probably tell them that it's not their best book, but go for it.

With everyone of Christina Lauren's book I think, I can't love it as much as the last. But then they shock and surprise me with how they can still make me fall in love with their characters and the storylines!!


The Honey-Don’t List is quirky and compelling with an exceptional writing style! The characters are well written and believable in their roles and you can't help but feel their chemistry!

As always, I can't wait to read more from this power-house duo. They are always a one-click for me.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Another emotional,sweet romance from this author. Cara and James are forced to go with their employers on marketing events and are charged with ensuring the Tripps do not destroy their public image of a perfect marriage. With all of the pressure and interventions they grow close and eventually dive into an intense, sweet romantic relationship. I loved that James stands up for Cara and wants her to get the credit she deserves. Cara grows into a confident woman who learns her worth and fights for her dreams. Misunderstandings get in the way of their feelings for each other but James fight for their love. Just breathtaking.

I don’t usually go into a book with expectations unless it’s in a series, so I’m not sure where some of the mixed reviews are coming from. I have loved every CL book I’ve read so far and this one is no different. It wasn’t a light RomCom but certainly not dark or heavy. I especially liked the setting and realism of what could go on behind the scenes of the rich and famous faces of reality television. We’ve (most likely) all been in a relationship (personal or professional) that was unhealthy and we should have left sooner than we did. I liked that the complexity of relationships were shown by more than one of the relationships because that’s real life y’all. I could absolutely see this as a cute movie! Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc of this, I certainly recommend it to others.

I was super excited to get a copy of The Honey-Don't List. I loved the idea of a Chip and Joanna Gaines type couple and a romance between their assistants. This book was just okay for me. It seemed really slow to start and then the romance between Carey and James went from zero to 100 in one day. I did like the police transcripts of the "incident".
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book to review.

I’ll always be a fan of Christina Lauren, but this was a let down compared to their other books unfortunately! Their characters are usually very well developed, but something was lacking in this plot.

The romance was cute and had the typical “love to hate” aspects you see in their books. I was just missing that emotional depth with the characters!

The Honey Don’t List was not your average Christina Lauren, which I was pleasantly surprised by. As a lover of CL books I was waiting to laugh hysterically. I didn’t find this story “RomCom-ish”. It made reach deeper into the feelings of real relationships. This story still had the quirky yet rich character development that I expect from CL but it had a different vibe. And I loved it. The Honey Don’t List is still a love story. It’s the story new love with Carey and James as well as the story of love being cast aside by ambition with Melly and Rusty. It also drags you into the behind the scenes look at celebrity and the impact of social media. It was a really great book.