Mileage varies heavily for romance, but, for me, this was better than the last couple of CLo books. My personal favorites were back in their erotica days, and my interest has waned as they've veered into plot-focused romantic comedies and put their character and relationship development in the backseat to that. This is very much that, but there's enough charm and shippiness to keep me fairly happy.

The plot is sort of The Hating Game lite lite lite but set in the world of reality TV and with a dose of comedic police procedural. The plot takes a lot of development time away from the romance, which is a shame, because, while it's good, it could have been phenomenal. I'm starting to wonder if CLo aren't getting edited for content as heavily as they once were, because I feel like this could have used another round of edits at least.

The police interviews really need to go. When I got to the end of the book, I honestly could not understand what the point of them had been, since it felt like very little actually happened??? I get that they served as a hook to catch the reader's interest at the start, but a hook that ends up having no real relevance is known as a gimmick.

That said, I genuinely liked the ship in this one. They went for a hate-to-love thing between rival assistants, which is my catnip. Be aware that the hate part isn't particularly convincing, because the book skips over a couple years of their relationship, so they hate each other for like two chapters. But the romance is very convincing, the thing that was missing entirely from Twice in a Blue Moon. Carey and James are adorable together, and that kept me interested.

I actually also liked the reality TV stuff, and Carey's complicated relationship with Melly and Rusty. It's not groundbreaking stuff, but I thought Carey's emotional landscape was handled very well. At least right until the end where Melissa has a very sudden and unexplained change of heart which felt unconvincing without any foundation. Still, overall, I was really into this aspect of the plot, and it's probably the most complex, nuanced relationship in the book.

I got through this one in just a couple of sittings, and I had a fun time with it. There were some good things and some puzzling things. Reviews have been very mixed and I can see precisely why that is.

This was fine. I'm in the majority here when I say this is not Christina Lauren's best book, and it's honestly probably their worst book. I didn't feel like these characters had a lot in common, like their relationship built over time, or like there was any basis for their loving one another. They felt thrown together based on the fact that it would probably make for an interesting story rather than that they seemed to have any chemistry. It was an insta-love, no chemistry book that I think I would've liked more if it featured Melly and Rusty trying to save their marriage rather than James and Carey magically falling in love. I don't really have much else to say other than that. I read it (after putting it off for six months because of bad reviews) because I read all of CL's books, not because I particularly wanted to. So, if you're not super dedicated to reading their catalog, you can def skip this one.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one. Way to go!! You did an amazing job.

I saved this book for a rainy day, and I'm so glad I did because there's no rainier day than the past 6 months of COVID-19. As expected, I read this book in one sitting. Christina Lauren have just mastered the art of funny, realistic, sexy characters. This one is a lot shorter than their other books that are faves of mine and it lacked that depth to me, but short and sweet was kinda what i needed.

This book was fabulous!!! The chemistry between James and Carey was off the charts!

I loved seeing them interact with each other and how they tried to handle Melissa and Rusty was hilarious!

Unfortunately, I didn't love this one. Christina Lauren is usually an auto-buy for me but I felt like the romance and build up was skimpy in this one and I couldn't get over how much the female MC put up with from her bosses.

Another quick and fun read by the duo of Christina Lauren. This one wasn't my favorite title of theirs, but it still had its good moments. Carey has worked for Rusty and Melissa Tripp, a couple who remodels homes and has turned that into a television career and brand. Recently, James was hired to join as part of the engineering team, but hasn't quite made that happen yet as he's become mostly Rusty's assistant. Carey and James are thrown together trying to keep the Tripps happy in their job and marriage. They have to learn more about each other and can't (and maybe don't want to) escape.

This was quite different than some other Christina Lauren books I've read but I ended up really liking it nonetheless. It was less exciting and entertaining but it discussed some interesting topics like career, standing up for yourself, public image vs. real life, etc.

In this book, we get two perspectives - Carey and James. Carey has been working for Melissa and Rusty since she was 16 and they are like her step-parents. They are home remodeling celebrities with a "perfect marriage" brand but the reality is that Rusty is cheating on his wife and they can't stand each other anymore.

Carey actually does a lot of the designing stuff that Melissa takes credit for and is never appreciated for it publicly or privately. She's currently Melissa's assistant who is emotionally abusive towards her but Carey feels too scared and guilty to look for another job.

James is an engineer who's Rusty's new assistant and he sticks around because he's vaguely promised a promotion. Ha had also worked for a company that committed some frauds and he's afraid that he won't get a job anywhere else.

Melissa and Rusty have just published a book on marriage (the irony) and the four of them are stuck in a bus while touring bookstores. Carey and James are supposed to make sure that the older couple doesn't fight in public and they get close during the trip.

I thought that the romance between Carey and James was really sweet. There was a disability rep - Carey has dystonia (her hands get cramped) and James is very considerate and respectful towards her. She also goes to therapy but she can't really talk about work because of a non-disclosure agreement. I appreciated Carey's character development and found the ending pretty satisfying.

The story is told in a mixed format - there is investigation happening at the beginning so we know something bad had happened, and there are also tweets, articles, and excerpts from the book by Melissa and Rusty. The investigation and working up to some big event kind of reminded me of Liane Moriarty's books, although there wasn't a great sense of urgency.

I didn't have high expectations going into this book and ended up being pleasantly surprised. It reads more like a standard contemporary than a fluffy romance but it was solid and enjoyable.

2020 has been a strange year and here is another strange thing to add to the weirdness. Last year the writing duo of Christina Lauren seemed to have predicted the real-life break up of a well-known husband/wife team in the book world. When I first started The Honey-Don’t List I got the feeling I was reading about this real-life couple who a month ago announced on Instagram they were calling it quits. Like the secondary characters in the book, this couple had built a social media following that afforded them the lifestyle they were living. Through their conferences and book tours, they were able to influence followers on their seemingly perfect marriage. The Honey-Don’t List felt like a glimpse into the behind the scenes of this real-life couple’s life.

Okay, now onto the book … the story is actually about the assistants to the married couple. The married couple started out small and over time grew a large social media following. The fame gets to the couple and the assistants are left mopping up the couple’s messes. The reader follows the two assistants and watches the slow burn of their relationship.

The Honey-Don’t List is a standalone. If you liked the Netflix movie, Set It Up, then this book is up your alley. Two assistants who overtime realize it’s better to work together than to be enemies with each other. A relationship blossoms as they work around their problematic bosses.

The job of a high-profile assistant is never done. It’s a thankless, 24/7 kind of job. But in The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren, two assistants start their own love story while trying to get their bosses’ relationship from imploding in public.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery

4.5 solid stars! This was a cute Rom Com by Ms. Lauren. There was a lot going on with this book. We have The Tripp’s and their book tour. Then we have Carey and James who are supposed to hold everything together for the book tour. These two had such great chemistry. I loved this funny and sweet story about love that’s not expected but is perfect.

The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren was a cute and humorous read. This isn’t my usual genre to read, but it was a pleasant break from the thrillers I enjoy reading. I know so many readers absolutely love books by Christina Lauren. This is such a cute premise, take a look:

Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…

Get this fun book here right now!

I enjoyed this story. It was the first romance book I read by these authors and I was fairly surprised. From reviews of their other books i was expecting a lot more adult content. That was not the case with this one as I felt it was a slow burn. Once I picked up the audiobook reading moved a lot faster. Overall I enjoyed it and do look forward to reading more books from them in the future.

Christina Lauren hits another home run with The Honey-Don't List. Why are these books not movies already???? Come on Hollywood. It has been a few months since CoVid hit the US and I can tell fiction needs to catch up. In one spot in the story James and Carey are still getting to know one another on the book tour, and they share a bottle of beer. I actually cringed. So keep in mind that dating in the post CoVid world has changed.

The story is original and engaging. I love the fast paced, close quarters set up for really getting this romance boiling quickly. The authors also switches the story teller from chapter to chapter so you get both James and Carey's point of view. Carey thinks James is judging her and he is trying hard not to show how much he likes her and to stay professional. Doing this the authors don't have to contrive a conversation in which the characters have to explain why they acted or did a certain thing. I very much like this story device!

The basic premise is Carey got a job at sixteen with the Tripps in their home decor/furniture store. Carey has an artistic eye and has great design ideas. Because she was young, Melissa Tripp got the credit for the furniture designs plus it made great PR for the couple, she designs he builds. The Tripps became famous and Carey was along for the ride. She was paid well but kept out of the limelight. Rusty Tripp is eaten up by the guilt of stealing the credit for Carey's design. He wants out while Melissa is hungry for more fame. Things have gotten so bad Rusty just wants a divorce but the Tripps have a marriage advice book releasing soon.

Melissa hires James, an engineer, to keep Rusty in line while she keeps the lid on Carey. James begins to fall for Carey and when he finds out the truth he realizes Melissa has been manipulating Carey for 10 years. How can James help Carey without losing all of them their jobs? Does Carey even want his help? Can the Tripps save their marriage?

I found The Honey Don’t List to be compelling; it starts off with a transcript of the hero and heroine being interviewed separately by the police, so of course I wanted to know how they got to that place. I will admit the book felt a bit choppy at times and I felt like the romance between James and Carey got lost in the shuffle, but it was still an enjoyable story.

For the last decade Carey Douglas has worked for remodeling and home design team Melissa and Rusty Tripp. She started working at their small story Honey + Comb when she was 16, but as the Tripp’s popularity increased Carey transitioned into the role of Melissa’s personal assistant. Carey feels like she owes the Tripp’s so much, and while Rusty is like another big brother to her, Melissa doesn’t treat her very well, in fact Melissa doesn’t treat a lot of people very well.

James McCann thought he’d stumbled on the perfect job when he was hired as a structural engineer for Honey + Comb designs, but somehow he spends more time running errands for Rusty and he’s basically become a personal assistant, but with what happened at his last job he needs this one and a good reference when it is time to move on so for now he’s stuck sucking it up and doing what it takes.

When Rusty is caught with his pants down sticking it to someone who is not is wife Melissa the night before they are scheduled for a book tour promoting their book on relationships and marriage, the network, their publicist, and the promoter all insist that Carey and James accompany them on the tour. Carey and James don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things to do with the Tripp’s and James is not happy that once again instead of using his MIT engineering degree he is playing babysitter to Rusty. However as the tour begins Carey and James begin to really talk and get to know one another and their relationship blossoms as the Tripp’s relationship crumbles.

I enjoyed the time we spent with just Carey and James but there wasn’t enough of it IMHO to really get a feel that they would work long term. The things is I did enjoy this book but to me it had more of a women’s fiction feel than a romance feel and there’s nothing wrong with that, I just think the authors and the publisher should be clearer because I think a lot of Christina Lauren fans are looking for the romances they write and are disappointed when they don’t get it.

The Honey Don’t List was entertaining, a bit crazy pants, and intriguing, but for readers looking for a romance I feel they are going to find this one a bit lacking in that department.

Enjoyable...these two main characters were so fun to read about. Reading about them and seeing their interactions was very entertaining. They go through it together and feelings start to arise. But will they make it or will it be doomed. We get everything we enjoy in a romance in this story.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Not what I thought but still super enjoyable I will continue to pick of and love this author duo. I loved the characters but there was something I can’t put my hands on that felt a little more listless than the other books

3.5 stars! Cute but not my favorite of theirs. I will, of course, still be picking up anything they write!

Carey and James are both assistants to the famed remodeling and design stars, Rusty and Melissa Tripp. Carey has been with them since she was a teenager and James is a recent hire. Both of them need the job desperately, Carey for health insurance and James to repair his reputation as his former company has gotten a bad reputation. They are sent on tour with the Tripps basically to babysit them and make sure they behave themselves. The Tripps are not the same as their public persona. Following along with this tour kept me extremely interested, particularly since it is told by both Carey and James’ perspectives.

Also reviewed on B&N and Kobo

Like Chip and Joanna plus two.

I had such high hopes.
But I think I missed the messaging.
Think reality tv couple renovators, plus two others, James and Carey (who are the main couple) go on tour.
It should be hilarious but it gets a bit muddled.
Still, give it a shot. There are bits that work.