I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I've loved the last couple novels I've read by Christina Lauren (technically a pen name for two authors writing together). They're books are addictive! The characters are always so engaging and find themselves in the funniest situations. The story lines really draw in the reader and engage them emotionally. I don't want to put the book down but at the same time don't want it to end! In this book, Olive and Ethan were both very interesting characters and were adorable once they figured out how they felt about each other. One thing I didn't care for was that the story was told all from Olive's point of view but then switched to Ethan's point of view for the last chapter only. To be honest I was annoyed with Olive's melodramatics mid-way through the book and thought it would've been nice to get someone else's thoughts. And also it was hard to understand Ethan's thoughts in the last chapter when its the reader's first look into his brain. Overall though I really liked the book and I would recommend it!

The Unhoneymooners has got it all going on! Humor, attraction, great dialog, and my favorite trope of enemies to lovers, what’s not to like? The exchanges between Olive and Ethan are really clever and outright funny. Olive is kind of a beautiful mess, but that mess is mostly in her own head. Written mostly from her POV, we get to see how her adorableness contrasts with how she views herself. That dichotomy really made me root for Olive! Not only didn’t I view her the same way she viewed herself, but could see a little bit of her in me, in her insecurity and self consciousness. I think a lot of readers will identify with her character and that will make her HEA even more sweet to read.

Ethan was a little harder to grasp, but I think that was because we were seeing through Olive’s eyes, and those eyes were a bit clouded. Once they cleared a little, Ethan was as good as it gets. Handsome, charming, and not as full of himself as Olive first believed. What won me over though was how funny they were together. The dialog in this novel was what made it work. Christina Lauren’s self deprecating humor struck a chord and I really did laugh out loud quite a bit!

If you are looking for a fast, fun, vacation bound book then you must give The Honeymooners a try out. If your own vacation is lacking that sizzle and spark -this novel will fire you right up! Plus give you a good laugh as well. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I've seen some mixed reviews for The Unhoneymooners, so I was a little nervous going into this one. I think that's part of the reason I put it off a little bit, if I'm being honest. But, it turns out I had absolutely nothing to worry about. Christina Lauren's streak continues of amazing reads continues for me!

Y'all, The Unhoneymooners was such a fun read. I mean, first off, the setup is amazing and original. The maid of honor and best man — who just happen to hate each other — are the only two who don't get a wicked bout of food poisoning so they take the bride and groom's honeymoon? I'm here for it. Olive and Ethan were so freaking good together. Oh, the banter! I enjoyed watching them get to know each other and realize maybe everything wasn't quite as it seemed. But, I won't get into all that. You just need to discover it for yourself.

The Unhoneymooners doesn't have the steam factor I'm accustomed to with CLo books, but I didn't have an issue with that. The sex scenes were virtually non-existent, but there was plenty of good build up and it worked for me. I didn't really need the sexy times between Olive and Ethan to love the story. They were both fantastic characters who were easy to root for in so many ways. Olive was relatable. Ethan was swoony, if stubborn and frustrating at times. This book gave me the fun times and romance I want when I read, and a healthy dose of feels to go along with it.

Favorite Quotes:

"I can appreciate my body in a bikini and still want to set fire to the patriarchy."

As much as I hate him, I think I'm starting to like us.

"It was the kind of kiss that feels like fucking."

Things are easy, and fun, and effortless. This isn't how new relationships are supposed to be: they're supposed to be stressful, and exhausting, and uncertain.

This book was so cute and funny. I read it in a day and i was so invested in all the characters. This book was as good as The Hating Game. Amazing!

Absolutely loved this book.

I loved the characters. I love-love-loved the enemies to lovers tension and slow burn. I loved the sister-love between Olive and Ami, and the brother-love between Ethan and what's his name. (Lol)

There was this character/story arc that started with two identical twin sisters who were completely different, with Ami being the lucky one and Olive being the unlucky one in every imaginable situation. But Olive's luck is about to change when literally everyone except for her and the groom's brother gets food poisoning from the "free buffet" that Ami won in some contest for her wedding - Olive being allergic to shellfish and Ethan being completely disgusted and utterly grossed out by buffets in general.

So they end up going on this free honeymoon to Maui in place of the food-poisoned bride and groom, and a host of shenanigans happen there before the swoony stuff ensues. But then there's life on a fake honeymoon, and then there's life in the real world. And I loved that this was not as predictable as it easily could have been. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised on more than once instance throughout the story where super-cliche things I thought would happen totally didn't, and I thought, nice!!

I breezed through this book. It was very fun, I really liked the dialogue, I really liked how Ami brought justice down on what's his name. He was a douche-bag, so I don't feel the need to go back and look up what the name was. He wasn't the main character anyway. Lol

I definitely recommend this book to rom-com fans who like their characters flawed and quirky, and their Heroes utterly adorable.

The Unhoneymooners is not a book you should read while putting your kids down for a nap. Laughter was literally bursting from my body, despite many attempts at mentally telling myself to shhhhhh! The girls would sit up and look at me, but I couldn't contain the fits of giggles. If you've read this, the Bathroom of Doom had me laughing hysterically! I have a very vivid imagination, and ohmygod that was amazing and too funny for words. I want someone to make a movie out of this book, just so I can see that scene happen on a screen somewhere.

Olive and Ethan have a rocky relationship at best, and also a string of bad luck crazy coincidences, but their dislike is based on a single misunderstanding (normally this bothers me, but the misunderstanding wasn't entirely their fault). It's a long time before they're comfortable enough with each other to discuss their issues, but the journey was entertaining and endearing. I loved both of their personalities, and how ridiculous some of their conversations were. They're stubborn, yes, but not unwilling to be reasonable.

This one is definiltely a romance, and there are some steamy scenes, but I feel like they were short and left a lot to the imagination. It really worked for this book, despite my lady parts wishing for more dirty details. Ethan seems like he would be very thorough, but Olive skims over the interesting tidbits. He's here, he's there, and then she's everywhere.

I loved Olive's family! It was amazing how connected they were, and how fiercely protective they were of each other. If one person knew something, everyone knew. It was also common for more than one family member to show up unexpectedly and just stay to talk, or cook dinner. I know they mention Ethan's family, but I would have liked to know more about them as well. Especially since Olive's family plays such a large role.

There are no heartbreaking moments, but I did feel like being violent on Olive's behalf. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say there was a douche canoe that I wanted to kick repeatedly. However, in the end he got his comeuppance, and it was perfection. It definitely beats the kicking and eye-stabbing I was imagining, although he deserved both. It was also nice to see people dealing with their problems by talking, instead of adding a lot of unnecessary drama.

My favorite parts of the book happened while Olive and Ethan were on their borrowed honeymoon, and I really enjoyed seeing the two of them slowly connect over time. At some point their dislike turned into a really solid friendship, which eventually led to something more. I really liked how honest they were with one another, even when saying something the other person wouldn't want to hear. It was refreshing to see characters that didn't lie for the sake of someone else's feelings (even though they did lie about being married to score an awesome vacation). They were honest about what they were thinking, and I think that made a huge difference. Also, Maui sounds like an amazing place to visit! If you're reading this, husband of mine, pretend I'm winking at you in a suggestive way.

In the end, The Unhoneymooners was a hilarious read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm excited about this book being released into the world, because I know it's going to make a lot of people smile. "...when you get to the backside, remember: push together, don't spread." I'm grinning like a maniac remembering this scene, and how it's referenced later. Also, if you're a fan of books with grand gestures, this author duo has you covered!

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on May 13, 2019.

I don’t always love Christina Lauren books. Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was on my 2018 favorites list, while My Favorite Half-Night Stand, well…will not be on 2019’s list.

The Unhoneymooners is definitely more Josh & Hazel than Half-Night Stand. Both in my love for it and in tone.

It has the fun, slightly over-the-top rom-com vibe, sweet, swoony characters who have wonderful chemistry and crackling banter.

Olive is the bridesmaid (for her twin sister Amy) and Ethan is the best man (for his brother Dane) at their siblings wedding. During the reception, all the guests get food poisoning, except for those two - thanks to allergies and a buffet phobia. Amy won an all expense paid honeymoon to Hawaii and doesn’t want to see it go to waste and insist that her sister go in her place.

Olive is sure that she has the worst luck ever (she does!) and it’s only proven when her arch enemy, Ethan, is given the other ticket to join her on the vacation. They figure they’ll just go their separate ways once they get there.

In true rom-com fashion, they run into her new boss and his wife and have to play a real married couple to fool them and then it snowballs - first with Ethan’s ex, who also pops up at the resort and then with the staff - and they have to keep up the ruse.

Everything about this “un”honeymoon is hilarious and the way they start to fall for each other and start to see each other in a different light is wonderful.

But, there has to be an obstacle, and they get a doozy once they get back. I saw it coming right from the start– and I’m going to stay vague about it here – but I liked it. It wasn’t your obvious – back to reality and back to hating each other plot. The conflict went beyond just Olive and Ethan - testing several relationships. I was infuriated by a lot of the characters actions (even though I understood where they were coming from and how difficult their situations were). Poor Olive is all I’m going to say.

The conflict here was not easy to resolve and it’s one that will be present forever if they stay together – which leads me to my few gripes about this one.

SPOILER -> I didn’t think Ethan groveled near enough. It was a good public apology but I felt like what happened demanded more that just a silly over the top rom-com gesture. It was good but I would have liked to also see them have a serious discussion about Dane and how they would move forward with him still in the picture. And the epilogue – it was sweet and a solid HEA, but from Ethan’s pov, and for some reason his voice was dull to me. And it felt like…here’s a list of all the things that happened that prove this an HEA. <- END SPOILER

My complaints are SUPER mild and did not ruin my love for this book at all.

The Unhoneymooners is Christina Lauren's new enemies to lovers romance and I loved every minute of it! I laughed out loud and cried big fat tears. Ethan is totally swoonworthy and Olive is hilarious! Olive's twin sister is marrying Ethan's brother. They have never gotten along and they have this hilarious banter that is both mean and funny. When they are the only two people at the wedding who don't get sick, they are persuaded to go on the honeymoon together. They figured they can have a free vacation and stay away from each other. Well, it doesn't quite work out that way and they are forced to pretend to be married. Ethan and Olive have amazing chemistry even when they can't stand each other. But when they spend more time together, they realize there's attraction and sexual energy between them as well. They both have their reasons for not liking the other. Could they have been wrong this whole time? Could this fake honeymoon turn into something real when they get home? I loved this story. So much! Ethan with his little quirks and his buttoned up attitude and Olive and her love for food and telling it like it is. They appear to be opposites, but when they take off the gloves and actually get to know each other, they realize they actually like each other. A lot. Overall, I laughed, cried, got hot and bothered and loved watching them fall for each other. She showed him how to laugh and he showed her how to be more series. They are perfect for each other!

P.S.: I LOVE the names the call each other!

"What are you doing?"
"God, I don't know. Just go with it."
"I can feel your penis."
"Is this comfortable?"
"No." I am acutely conscious of every doughnut I've ever eaten in my entire life."

"I always assumed my attraction was obvious. I wanted to translate your frowns and find out what you problem with me was and then bend you over the back of my couch."

"She was wearing a T-shirt that said Particle Collisions Give Me a Hadron, and I thought any woman who understands a physics pun is someone I need to know."

THE UNHONEYMOONERS is my second book by this author duo and it only cemented my opinion about them. They write hilarious banter, smart humor and sexual tension like nobody's business. I can't get enough.
Are you nauseated?” he asks me quietly.
“Beyond at the sight of this? Or you? No.”
“Impending diarrhea?”
I stare at him . “How are you single? Frankly, it’s a mystery.”

Olive thinks she has the worst luck but that seems to turn when she gets the job she applied for an her twin sister and future brother-in-law (and the whole wedding party) are the victim of a severe case of fish poisoning, and Olive and her arch-enemy Ethan, the BIL's brother, get to take the (un)happy couples place and go to Maui. Although they vow to go out of each other's way, circumstance forces them together and soon they notice that it's not a hardship to be in the other one's presence. The more they talk, preconception and assumptions they made about each other are being seen in a completely different light.

Olive is da bomb. She hates Ethan's guts and has zero issues to let him know. Her sass, her spirit, her ability to laugh about herself, to learn to get out of her comfort zone, it all is one endearing package. I loved her so hard. Her growth from beginning to end was phenomenal and huge.
Ethan hates Olive's guts right back and while I didn't understand his reasons for his animosity (because enlightenment comes later) I couldn't hate him. He could be so charming and adorable, it was really hard to hold a grudge.
"You think I'm cute?"
"In a gross way."

Olive and Ethan's relationship was built on brutal honesty, which came naturally having been enemies and I really loved that. I did have an issue with Ethan's behavior closer to the end. I thought that his reaction to Olive's allegations towards his brother was naive. There was glaring evidence that his brother was a douche and why would Olive suddenly start to lie about stuff that wouldn't have changed their relationship. But we get an awesome grovel so ultimately I wasn't too mad.
I haven’t felt like this before—this type of intense, free-falling happiness that doesn’t carry with it any unease or uncertainty about me and Ethan and what we’re feeling. I’ve never adored someone with such heated abandon, and something tells me he hasn’t, either.

I adored the family dynamic of Olive's Hispanic family. They were, of course, always in each other's business but also had each other's back.

I love books that make me cackle gleefully and laugh giddily. THE UNHONEYMOONERS by Christina Lauren definitely falls into this category. With its hilarious banter, smart humor, slow burn and sweet storyline it was an absolute delight to read and unputdownable. This is how you do the enemies-to-lovers trope right!

What better way to start a story than with food poisoning at a wedding that results in two people (who seemingly hate each other) being thrust together to enjoy a free honeymoon? The honeymoon that was not meant for them.
I loved Olive and Ethan. Their hateful banter made me laugh more than one time.
While I was dying to read something from Ethan’s point of view, Olive makes up for it in the way she can read his facial expressions.
I would recommend this a hundred times over.
5 stars!!

The Unhoneymooners is one of the best enemies to lovers fake dating romances I’ve read in a long time. I hadn’t read anything by Christina Lauren, but after this, I’ll definitely pick up a few!


The Unhoneymooners CoverOlive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Amy, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of… lucky.
Goodreads

I received an eARC of The Unhoneymooners from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Unhoneymooners needs trigger warnings for cheating in a relationship, internalized fatphobia, assumed fatphobia, explicit sex, lying to an employer, and loss of employment.

I loved that every time the main character said something about what she thought the hero thought of her body, which was usually fat-antagonistic, he shut that down and made it clear how attracted he was to her. These comments get a lot less common as the course of the book goes on. Even if he thought she was always angry, which wasn’t honestly incorrect when it came to him. I also loved that Ami got to call Olive out on her bullshit. It was glorious.

I also liked that all of their relationship conflict felt real, aside from the fake dating and the honeymoon for their siblings. I won’t spoil it by telling you the details, but it didn’t feel like a contrived reason for a breakup.

I loved this book and hope you will, too.

I love Christina Lauren books. There's just something so magical about this writing duo's stories that click with me and this one was no different. I really enjoy reading the enemies-to-lovers troupe and the banter and connection between Olive and Ethan was so much fun to experience.

Told in Olive's POV, readers are taken on a journey from the ill-fated wedding of Olive's twin sister to Ethan's brother, where guests consume the buffet food (the horror) and are so violently ill that Olive and Ethan must now take the couple's honeymoon in Maui (the tragedy lol).

I loved their love/hate relationship... their nicknames for each other, the hilarious situations that they would get themselves into (the Bathroom of Doom), their realization that they are really something so much more than what they initially thought of each other.

That realization made my heart soar because it was just something so special, so honest and real, so emotional, and so romantic. I felt myself smiling and laughing and just enjoying this book so much.

Readers who love rom-com that is fun with smart writing and lots of lighthearted feel-good moments should pick this one up. I love this writing duo so much and can't wait to read what they have for us next!

I really wanted to finish this but life got in the way... Will try to get the full copy and review it! So do not worry I do plan to read this soon... Like this summer!

There isn’t a Christina Lauren book that I did not love. And Unhoneymooners is definitely up there as one the most humorous and sexy read from this dynamic duo. The banter between the characters had me laughing and swooning. This book isn’t a friends to lover book, but an enemy turned to kinda friends and then love.

A light, breezy romance, with plenty of snark, humor, misunderstandings, and spark. The island setting is an extra treat!

When bride Ami gets food poisoning along with everyone who ate the seafood buffet at her wedding, she begs her identical twin sister Olive (with a fortunate shellfish allergy) to go on the nonrefundable honeymoon and pretend to be Ami. One big problem: the groom’s grumpy older brother, Ethan, is going too. Soon the two are on their way to beautiful Maui as fake newlyweds. But pretending to be in love starts to feel a little too real....

This was adorable and hilarious. The extreme emotional drama in the last third of the book weighed the story down a bit, but overall I enjoyed it. I can’t believe I just started reading this author team recently. They’re so much fun!

Do you ever have a book in your possession that you're so certain you'll love, you put off reading it because you don't want to inhale it so fast, it's over, and then you have nothing left to look forward to?

That's exactly what I did with this eARC. I've had it on my Kindle since January, months before it was published this week. And yet I kept putting off reading it because I knew I'd love it and would be sad once it was over.

So, did it live up to my ridiculously high expectations? Pretty much.

Set partly in the Twin Cities (my hometown) and Maui (where I also honeymooned), I thoroughly enjoyed Ethan and Olive's story. I even really liked that this was narrated exclusively in Olive's first-person POV (the only exception being the epilogue, which was from Ethan's). Being inside her head was a trip, and it allowed for the best kind of reveal as she gradually realizes her preconceived notions about certain things are flat-out wrong.

There is fantastic banter, a couple of hilarious mishaps (if you don't laugh during the Bathroom of Doom scene, you are dead inside), and some truly swoon-worthy moments as the fake relationship slides into something real.

I also crazy loved Olive's extended Mexican-American family. I didn't expect a PoC protagonist and supporting cast, so that was a delightful surprise!

I didn't get as immersed into this one as MY FAVORITE HALF-NIGHT STAND, but I enjoyed it more than JOSH & HAZEL'S GUIDE TO NOT DATING. (The pacing was better, the ending more satisfying.)

This author duo is quickly becoming one of my favorites, putting out reliably well-written stories that make me laugh out loud, swoon, and want more more more. If you haven't read one yet, I highly recommend it, and THE UNHONEYMOONERS is a great place to start!

RATING: A-/B+ (4½ stars)

4.5 Stars!
Olive Torres is a scientist from Minnesota who considers herself unlucky in love and most aspects of her life. Where everything seems to always go great for her twin Ami, Olive seems to forever be under a black cloud. Her twin is getting married, so Olive is busy trying to make sure her sister's wedding day is perfect. Then the entire wedding party comes down with food poisoning. That is everyone but Olive and Ethan, the best man and older brother of the groom. As the only two not affected or sick they are suddenly given a free trip for ten days. They will have to pretend to be newlyweds in love in order to take their dream vacation to Maui.

Olive wonders if she's finally having some good luck for the first time in her life. The only obstacle is being stranded on a tropical island with her nemesis, Ethan Thomas. It's no secret they can't stand each other, and the insults continue to fly as they try to annoy one another until they decide on a temporary truce. As they spend more time together they really get to know each other better. Olive thought Ethan was just a gorgeous, judgmental jerk, but now she see's he's also charming and fun to be with. Suddenly they don't mind playing pretend, and they are having more good moments together than bad. It feels unfamiliar, but exciting and new as they explore what they are feeling. Sworn enemies find romance in paradise, and realize anything can happen, even finding true love.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren was a fabulous enemies to lovers romantic comedy where fighting is just as much fun as making up. I really enjoyed this cute story and all the hilarious banter and sexual tension. It was a super sexy fun read!

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Each new book by this dynamic duo, brings something fresh to the table. This time we have Olive and Ethan. Sworn enemies that end up on a tropical vacation together, pretending to be newlyweds. What could possibly go wrong?

Olive quickly became one of my favorite characters to date. She's sarcastic, snarky, and brave. The dialogue in this book had me laughing out loud continuously. I loved Ethan and Olive's dynamic, these characters played off of each other perfectly. I also really appreciated the family aspect of this story. Families are hard and intense, but we love them and always want what's best for them. I thought the conflict was perfectly done. Not overly abrupt like in Josh and Hazel, which I was really grateful for. The Unhoneymooners is going to be the perfect summer read for those of you looking for a sweet romance with dashes of self-discovery that will have you smiling and laughing with each page!

Overall I loved this book! I gave it ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨'s! It's one that I could read over and over again!

I think these two could write their grocery lists and I'd read it. Somewhere along the way, they've become some of my favorite contemporary authors and they get better with every book.

This is another brilliant take on enemies to lovers---my favorite trope! They do it soooo well. The banter between the characters is top notch. I laughed and giggled so many times it should've been embarrassing.

No matter how many of these types of stories I read, I am always looking for more. And when it comes to this duo, I never want the story to end. And that was the case here.

A must-read for all rom-com fans!