I loved this book. It was wonderful to see how they changed throughout this journey that they both went on and the experiences that they went through. I recommend this book, and it was such a nicely written love story by these two authors.

This was my first Christina Lauren book and it was so fun! I love HGTV and this book was basically a romcom on the set of your fav homemaker show. The characters were fun and full of variety, the plot was interesting and full of drama, comedy, romance, and heart.
I did wish the story focused a little more on Carey and James’s relationship than Melissa and Rudy’s. While the Tripp’s were more full of drama and added a lot to the story, it lefts Carey and James relationship a little under development and I really loved their story and wanted more love, less drama I guess. But overall, the mesh of the two very different relationships made for an interesting story that will definitely entertain you throughout.

I love reading books by duos and trios of writing. Christina Lauren is a great team. The voices of the authors are seamless. Loved this story and characters. these ladies are masterful!

This duo can do no wrong. Each of their meet-cutes scenarios are spot on and they never get old. I always recommend this duo when asked for a book that's light and fun. This was a bit different as it didn't have their signature comedy in it. It read more as a contemporary romance. I watch every home improvement show and this being similar to Fixer Upper was a great hook.
Always look forward to what's next from this duo!

I adore Christina Lauren's romances. They have a way of making the characters so utterly relatable, it's a little weird.

Carey was yet another character to add to their list. Their Honey-Yes list. The Honey-Don't List was about Carey Duncan, an assistant that is actually doing everything behind the scenes and James McCann, an engineer turned assistant 2 months on the job. They work for the Tripps.

Think Joanna Gains, but not as seemingly nice. Carey has a debilitating disease and it plays a major role in the whole plot. I loved the way the relationship developed. The emotions were so strong and dear.

It was awesome.

Loved this book! I thought it was hilarious that a book so clearly written about the image the Chip & Joanna Gaines have made for themselves actually reference that couple in it as well. This book was fun and sweet, and I think it will do wonderfully. Thank you!

Carey Douglas has been working for Melissa and Rusty Tripp since she was sixteen. She started working in their shop in Jackson, Wyoming and worked for them as they propelled to stardom. Now ten years later, Melissa and Rusty are household names and they are about to launch a west coast book tour to promote their new book. There is one little piece of information that the world doesn't know, and that is Melissa and Rusty are on the brink of divorce. Their marriage is in shambles and Rusty has been screwing around on Melissa. It is up to Carey and James, Rusty's new assistant, to have this book tour go off without a hitch. Carey has her own secrets and being in close quarters with the handsome James makes it difficult to keep those secrets. Will they make it through the book tour with their secrets under wraps? Or will all of their lives be ruined by the end of the tour?

The Honey-Don't List is a really cute book that fictionalizes the wildly popular Chip and JoAnna Gaines. At least, that was my assumption, was that who the authors used as inspiration. I also liked how the book was primarily set in Wyoming, yes, the part of Wyoming that isn't really considered Wyoming, but Wyoming nonetheless. I really liked the main character, Carey. I felt bad the way she was treated by her bosses, but I just knew that by the end of the book she would grow a spine. That's how these books work. I was glad that Carey ended up with everything she deserved. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.

Bottom Line - The Honey-Don't List was a quick and fun read. A refreshing piece of joy in a dark world and it was an absolutely delight to read.

Details:

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren
On Instagram
Pages: 320
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 3/24/2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.

In the beginning, we get to know Mellisa and Rusty and they are so unlikeable that it makes the first half of the book difficult to get through. They built a huge brand as designer and builder and as their fame takes off, their marriage deteriorates. Corey is her assistant and James was hired to be an engineer but is instead treated like Rusty's assistant. As the book progresses, I love the relationship that develops between James and Corey and how she learns to be stronger. Some steam and some drama, packed with a dose of behind the scenes of reality TV. Not my fave Christina Lauren book but the second half redeemed it and it was a quick read. Would recommend to romance loving, HGTV fans.

This wasn't my favorite Christina Lauren ever. As sad as it is, the last two have just been meh for me. There's some winners with these authors and unfortunately, there's some that don't live up to the "Christina Lauren" expectation.

I'm not sure entirely what wasn't my favorite about this novel. I think it was just a mixture of things. The pace of the book..the characters..I can't really just pinpoint one thing. 

The beginning of this book focuses mostly on the Tripps and it was a little slow to get through. When I got to the middle of the book, it definitely picked up for me. Then, it progressively got slower towards the end. I feel as though the ending seemed slow, but also felt rushed. 

The relationship between Carey and James didn't feel developed enough throughout this novel and that's why I think I had the hardest time with it. I loved when their romance began, but other than that, it seemed very forced and I had a hard time reading their relationship that I wasn't sure was even based on a underdeveloped chemistry.

Overall, I hope that two of my favorite authors can make another book come to life soon. Their last couple books haven't been the best in my eyes, but I won't hesitate to read their next novel.

Blog: The Life & Times of a Book Addict
Posted On: May 21, 2020


I liked the concept of this book. And I loved Carey and James. They have a great chemistry. Even though they never gave each other the time of day before, once they are forced to work more closely together, they quickly discover how much they enjoy each other’s company. They learn to appreciate what the other can do, and their dislike swiftly turns into attraction. The only thing I wished I got in this story was more Carey and James! The story revolved mainly around the Tripps…. mostly Melissa, whom I could not stand at all. Her character is pretty mean, and she didn’t get much better as the story went on. It would have been great to see the Tripps take a bit of a backseat to Carey and James.

The Honey-Don’t List is more of a contemporary romance than a rom-com to me, but it was an enjoyable and easy read...great for the upcoming holiday weekend.




RATING: 3½ OUT OF 5.

I loved this! The way the novel is structured with social media speculation and interviews propels the story along in a way I’ve never read before. It’s so compelling to watch their boss’s marriage implode while seeing the love blossom between to the two main characters. Perfectly freaking balanced.

I adored how throughout the novel Carey found her voice again. The dynamic between her and the Tripp’s was heavy. You could feel the tension and baggage there.

Great romance between Carey and James. The novel is also doing a lot of emotional heavy lifting, too. How do we grapple with our loyalty to someone when they’re toxic? Especially when we feel like we owe them something. I feel like this will hit home for a lot of people.

Fantastic job, ladies!

Great contemporary romance . Loved the chemistry between the characters. Fans of HGTV decorating shows and reality TV will love this one.

Available now: The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren

***** 4 stars: Loved it: Fun twist to a modern romance in today's DIY TV world.



Recommended readers:

If you like Christina Lauren
If you like modern, witty writing
If like a good romantic drama

Here's my Rankings:

4/5 for characters
4/5 for plot
4/5 overall
REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:

Carey Duncan was once saved by the famous DIY home renovation couple that has risen to fame with her in the background supporting them. Now the powerhouse couple looks like they could unravel in the public eye. Now Carey and newly hired engineer Jame McCann are stuck babysitting them on their book tour.

The first modern fiction I've read that's tied into the America's love of DIY-home renovation, The Honey-Don't List is fun and real. While not as deep or emotional as some of their other fiction, I loved this story and it's romance included.

Available now: The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren

Y’all. This book as riot. It was not at all what I thought it was going to be. I spent half the book thinking I had it all figured out and by the time we got to the end I was so completely wrong. I loved every page of it. I hope this duo never stops writing books.

This book felt like reading a book about a book being written about a behind the scenes show about an HGTV show. I know. That sounds hella confusing, but it isn’t. It was the best thing ever and I loved it.

These ladies took 4 characters that you aren’t sure how you feel about and give you their stories page by page until you get to the end and FINALLY get the entire picture.

Dive in. Make your guesses, and then sit back and watch the show unfold. Because this book is absolutely a show to watch. You forget you are reading while you read, and get completely lost in this world. I would love more from this world!

Carey and James are PA’s to the world’s favorite home reno couple. They’ve been tasked to keep the Tripp’s from imploding and the world learning that they actually can’t stand each other. I haven’t read many Christina Lauren books but I’ve enjoyed the ones I have. The blurb pulled me in. I liked the premise. I liked Carey and James but something was missing. I didn’t feel connected to THE HONEY-DON’T LIST. It’s an ok read, just didn’t WOW me.

I didn't love how this was obviously a take on Chip and Joanna, and normally I do love reality show books but this one bothered me. the two MCs were fine but I felt kind of bothered with how much it was a take on them.

This book just didn’t connect for me and it’s hard to say why. I think I didn’t buy the connection between James and Carey. They were around each other without any chemistry and then made a fast switch to sexually involved. Normally I love Christina Lauren and they write great romance but this was such a miss for me it look me 5 months to finish it.

Christina Lauren books are an automatic buy for me in romance. I love the author duo’s books so much. This book, as where not my favorite from the catalogue, was engaging and cute. A quick and entertaining feel good read.

Christina Lauren won me over many books ago, and I happily continue to auto-buy each new release! The Honey-Don’t List is a solid read but definitely not my favorite from this writing duo!

This is an interesting book because it has one couple’s relationship imploding, kind-of leading to the main characters getting together. The story is told in the dual POVs of Carey and James; assistants to reality TV design stars, Melissa and Rusty. I like the idea of this book and can appreciate that it didn’t paint everything as flowers and butterflies, but it also left me wanting.

There just isn’t a lot of romance on paper. I feel like we get a lot more of Melly and Rusty’s unraveling and behind-the-scenes of their business than we get of the romantic build-up between Carey and James. Their banter is fun, but the chemistry lacked for me. The ending also comes on quickly and is rather abrupt. I didn’t get nearly enough of Carey and James as “Carey and James.”

Carey is a bit all over the place! As scattered as she is, I did mostly like her! She suffers from a disability that has affected a lot of her life choices; it’s great to see her develop with James’s help and to see the disability rep. James has a casual nonchalance for much of the book, and I generally enjoyed his character. The secondary characters, though…meh!

Overall, The Honey-Don’t List is a good read, perfect for contemporary romance fans who also like a dash of reality TV drama!

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. Please note that it, in no way, had an effect on my opinion or review.

This book wasn't necessarily bad, but I feel like it really lacked personality and was just... boring. I like a good slow burn romance and this one was okay. It had sweet and heartfelt moments, funny moments, and overall had some moments that entertained me. I just didn't connect with this book. Yeah I liked a couple of scenes but I honestly had to push through this.