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.

I am a bit Christina Lauren obsessed and love their books but I felt like there was something missing in this novel for me.

In typical Christina Lauren style the character development was fantastic. I really liked both Carey and James and thought they had great chemistry together. However, there was so much focus on the Tripp’s relationship that I just wanted more time with Carey and James. The Tripp’s storyline was about people bringing the worst out of each other and felt more serious rather than funny. The plot moved along quickly and besides the Tripp’s reminding me of a certain married home makeover team I found the story to be unique and interesting.

There were some things I loved and some things I could do without but overall this is another solid read from my favorite romance duo.

This was another fantastic outing from Christina Lauren! Pure fun to read and great characters to cheer on on one hand, and despise on the other!

My expectations were low after the most recent Christina Lauren book, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I wasn't in love with it like Josh and Hazel or Half Night Stand, but it was definitely the rom-com writing I love from this duo. The book was funny, but with poignant parts that kept it from being too traditionally romantic of a novel. I like both the main characters as well as loving to hate the secondary characters. This is another Christina Lauren book that will be easy to recommend.

Carey is the long-time assistant to a Chip-and-Joanna-Gaines-like couple, Melly and Rusty Tripp. James is an engineer, but really he does more assistant jobs for the Tripps. At the last minute, Carey and James are sent on a week-long book tour with Melly and James to keep their persistent arguing to a minimum in front of the fans. Turns out that there’s a lot more happening behind the scenes than Melly’s perfectly posed Instagram posts would have you believe: clandestine affairs, design stealing, secret impairments, and blossoming feelings between James and Carey! Can these two assistants help themselves into a meaningful relationships or will the tumultuous implosion that is Melly-and-Rusty destroy that, too?

As a native of Waco, Texas, I love the tongue-in-cheek parody of the Gaineses. It is delightfully dramatic and confirmed that I’m not the only one who sees Chip and Joanna’s “rapport” as annoying and hyperbolic. And yet, Melly and Rusty are also different from Chip and Joanna so that Magnolia fans won’t be too distraught at the similarities/“litigiousness”.

The romance between James and Carey is a bit abrupt, albeit adorable and sexy (as is expected of Lauren). I wish we could have had less if Melly and Rusty and more of Carey and Janes— or even more of Carey’s dynamic growth.

Christina Lauren never disappoint. They are the queen of rom-coms. This one features a celebrity home design couple headed for trouble and their assistants trying to keep it all together. I laughed and I swooned.

Like most Christina Lauren books I started out disliking the hero, James McCann, in this book. The first few chapters he was a real douche, but he did redeem himself in so many ways.

Now Carey Douglas started out good and stayed that way, although I did think she was bit of a doormat at times for Meredith. I don’t know many 26 year olds who would have stood for what she did with the treatment Meredith gave her.

This look at the behind the scenes life of two of the hottest American home improvement stars and their handlers is at times witty, but many more times insightful.

Carey has worked for Meredith Tripp and her husband Rusty for 10 years, long before they were american’s darlings. But after 10 years and countless success, the tole taking on all three of them is profound. Enter James McCann, Rusty’s new assistant, although he doesn’t want that title, but one of engineer. Opposites attract in real life and in fiction and James and Carey are as different as Meredith and Rusty Are. The difference? Age, success, and knowing when to stand up for yourself and when to depend on others.

The story is told in revolving first person POV between Carey and James, a Christina Lauren characteristic. And it works well here because you get to know the hearts and mind of the two main characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a sneak peek. Fans of CL will adore this book. I thought it was okay. 3 stars

This was a very quick read and a fun rom-com! I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by Christina Lauren! Thanks for the ARC!

If you adore certain HGTV hosts, you might steer clear of this one. It will hit a bit too close to home.

Melissa and Rusty Tripp are clearly amalgamations of the El Moussas (Flip or Flop) and the Gaines (Fixer Upper, and soon their own network!), power couples whose public personas are inextricably tied to their private lives. With their stars on the rise, the Tripps have everything to gain - or lose.

It didn't start out that way, when Carey Douglas started working for the Tripps as teenagers. She's put up with ten years of being subject to the couple's increasingly noxious quirks. Rusty is a man-child, and Melissa has turned into a diva. And the Tripps truly, deeply despise one another.

Too bad they just wrote a book of marriage advice.

But if they could just keep it together a little longer - which is how Carey and the new assistant, James McCann, get roped into a bus trip from hell trying to keep two grown-ass adults from blowing everyone's livelihoods up.

Both Carey and James have excellent motivations for their dependence on the unstable Tripps, so they had my sympathy right away. Their romance is charming and well-paced. I loved that James doesn't swoop in as a white knight, but does give Carey much-needed perspective on her situation. And I HATED the Tripps, waiting eagerly for their comeuppance while unable to picture them as anyone but the charming Chip Gaines and the beautiful Christina El Moussa....

Carey struggles with a physical disability (beautifully specific, and Christina Lauren expound on their choice in the afterward).

Overall, it was every bit as fun as I hoped.

Received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book! It had the same amazing writing that I've come to expect from Christina Lauren seeing as The Unhoneymooners was my favorite book that I read this year. I was very impressed that the authors were able to keep the characters so consistent, in that they were able to develop the characters to such a point that all their decisions really made sense for them. I think this is especially evidenced by Melly. As crazy as she was, she was consistently crazy if that makes any sense. I also thought the relationship between Carey and James was just so natural and sweet. I really liked their budding friendship to relationship. Also I just really liked the plot, I thought it was really interesting and so different. I also loved the way that there was mixed media, it made it even more interesting and just kept me going. Though I felt like the beginning of the book was moving too slowly and the end moved too quickly. I felt like there were just a couple things missing and a lot of characters that were mentioned but really didn't have a point but I was curious about them. I also think that the end relationship with Carey and Melly was a little confusing but maybe that's just me. Lastly, I just thought it was a little bazaar that the books title is all about the honey do lists but it's not until like maybe 3/4's of the way through the book that a honey-do list was even brought up. Overall, I really enjoyed this one so I give it 4 stars!

Thanks to Netgalley for supplying me with a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review! I have... mixed feelings about this book. Originally, I was loving this book based on the first 50 pages or so. The premise that the characters worked on a home improvement show is quirky, which I always enjoy, and I'm always a sucker for a good workplace romance!

However, this book really seemed to miss the mark in all of the relationships. Let's talk first about Carey, our heroine, and her relationship with the Tripps. We're told that the relationship is more of a parent-child than an employer-employee, but I had a hard time believing it. Carey and Rusty Tripp's interactions seemed surface level, I never read their interactions and felt like "yep this is how I talk to my Dad", it mostly felt like Carey avoided Rusty because she found him to be so unbearable. There were brief interactions between Carey and Melly that felt "parental", mostly when Melly was pressing her about issues related to Carey's health insurance, but overall the character of Melly was written to be so terrible, I didn't understand how Carey could continue to have a relationship with her, especially at the end of the book.

Now let's talk about the "romance" aspect of this book, which is the relationship between James and Carey. Overall, I felt like the love plot of this story was unbearably unrealistic. For starters, the pacing of this romance was ruined by the fact that one day into their road trip James "notices" Carey and falls in instalove. Normally, I don't mind instalove, but these characters were being sold as "workplace enemies" and since they had very few positive interactions leading up to their instalove, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief that they could actually fall in love. Additionally, I did not enjoy how CL resolved the obstacles faced by these two, it felt like they rushed the ending so that the characters could get a HEA, but I personally couldn't imagine forgiving some of the things that these characters did.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite CL read, but it was quick and easy to get through. I'm sure that readers who are big fans of HGTV will love this book.

Special thanks to Christina Lauren, Gallery Books & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

As much as it pains me to write this review, this was not my favorite Christina Lauren. The premise is super cute, lots of Joanna & Chip Gaines vibes. I love tabloid drama & I thought oooh, what a great opportunity to poke some fun at the shiplap gods and throw in a steamy love story.

Here is what may work for you: lighter on romance (like very light) kooky & goofy characters (I'm looking at you Rusty & Melissa) shared space/close proximity (tour bus for a book tour) it's a quick read.

Here's what didn't work for me: I didn't buy the enemies to lovers romance. I had a hard time rooting for either character. Rusty & Melissa were a hot mess a bit too over the top for me.

THE VERDICT
This one just didn't work that well for me. The truth remains, I will read anything by Christina Lauren! They are a fabulous duo & their books usually have me laughing and entertained throughout.

I wasn't a big fan of The Unhoneymooners. So, maybe if you like that one, The Honey Don't List will be right up your alley.