I always love Christina Lauren's light romance reads and this one was super fun! When Ami who is recently married can't go on her honeymoon due to a sickness her twin and brother-in-law end up taking the all expense paid vacation. They are not really friends and are not excited about a week together in a tropical destination, but what happens when they start to become closer? A tale of wild coincidences and comical misshapens this book will keep you entertained while reading on the beach this summer!

This was a fun book to read. I didn't want it to end. The relationship between all of the characters felt authentic and natural. When you read a book you should be lost in it and forget about the author and how they wrote the book and the authors were successful. The plot is well built. Of course you can feel it leaning in the direction it will go but that is natural foreshadowing. I will say that there is a part that shocked me and I gasped when I read it. The book was also logical and therefore allowed me to get immersed into. I was enticed from begining to end and I appreciated how the authors would "fade to black" when it came to intimate scenes. It also did this when they were doing other non-romantic activities and it really helped pace the book. I wish more authors would do this. All in all it was a great book and I would recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced readers copy.

***ARC received for an honest review***

Having to do this sucks. But what the hell? This book....Had fantastic funny parts. Sweet parts. A cute couple. A little misunderstanding that tried desperately to be romantic and adorable.

And it also had gas-lighting. And really really unfair treatment of the heroine. A woman with a PhD is dismissed, mocked and belittled by those that should have been protecting her. Her acceptance and forgiveness was depressing. Why was Olive okay with this? That giant question loomed over the entire story for me.

In the beginning it was mildly aggravating - her family was awfully quick to belittle her. The hero was mean - and the reason you later get for it was pathetic. I don’t see how you can build a relationship out of the embers of that dumpster fire. But the treatment Olive received at the hands of the hero and her own sister near the end of the book was just gross. There’s a phrase that Ami uses to Olive in a vulnerable moment that made me stomach tighten. Why say that to your sister? How truly awful to you have to be to say that? What kind of mess must you be to accept it?

I read it quickly. Easily. And sadly. This was not okay.

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This book basically has everything I want all wrapped up in a nice, neat bow.
Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, tropical locales, curvy heroines.
I don't know how Christina Lauren (a.k.a Christina and Lauren, two sisters who co-author romances together) put out so many books so fast but I'm damn glad they do because this one was DELIGHTFUL.
The premise: Our heroine, Olive, is maid of honor at her twin sister Ami's wedding. She hates the best man, Ethan, who is brother to the groom, Dane. Semantics. Nearly everyone at the wedding gets food poisoning from a bad seafood buffet, and Ami begs her sister to go on her non-refundable Hawaiian honeymoon. The only problem? Dane offered the other ticked to Ethan.
Ten days in a tropical paradise with the man she hates?
Yes, it's just as delicious as it sounds.
Olive was such a fun main character! And she was described as "curvy", which could mean anything really, but I chose to believe she was legitimately plus size. She was the perfect blend of sassy and insecure that made her seem real. Ethan was dreamy, and witty, and their banter was just perfect.

I was a bit surprised that the story went beyond just their love story and dealt with side characters' issues, but it was a pleasant surprise.



Also I know there's been some hate on the cover, since it's bright yellow, but I rather like it.

Full review will publish May 14th at Caffeinated Reviewer. Easily one of my top romantic reads for 2019!

A feel good "haters to lovers" romance that will have you laughing, swooning and falling in love. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is the perfect summer romance to pack in your tote.

Fans of enemies to lovers, delightful banter, snark and swoons will love Olive and Ethan's story.

link valid May 14th, 2019 Review will be shared on all social media, Amazon and Goodreads. Thank you!

Another great one from Christina Lauren. Enjoyed the enemies to love story. This one did not disappoint me, although this duo rarely does.

I was so excited that I was able to read another Christina Lauren book! The more book I read by them, the more I become a fan. This book follows the story of Olive Torres who is a very unlucky woman. After everyone gets sick at her twin sister wedding, due to food poisoning, she is offered the chance to take a honeymoon trip to Maui. The catch? Going with the best man Ethan Thomas and having to pretend to be a married couple. Just when she thinks things couldn’t get worse after winning a dream vacation, crazy situations are thrown their way. Can they keep this act up?

Olive is so unlucky that it makes the reader want to root for her, because I feel like all of us in life have felt super unlucky at one point. Ethan, on the other hand, is smug but calm and collected. He seems mean-spirited, but he’s actually caring. So far this Rom-com has had me cracking up! Romance books that make me laugh out loud are the best.

This book follows an enemies to lovers trope. The fake honeymoon actually becomes fun when they realize they don’t hate each other after all. I like how their personalities are different, but that they mesh well with one another. Their witty dialogues and comedic situations they get in kept me laughing out loud. Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, something else happens which makes it entertaining. I loved the overall setting in scenic Maui. The warm weather, Mai-Tais, and sandy beaches made me want to go on a vacation. Plus I enjoyed the adventurous excursions they get to go on.

The romance aspect is great and I liked how Olive and Ethan’s relationship. They are too sweet together and the romance is pretty heated at time. But after the honeymoon ends and they go back to daily life as with real couple is when their relationship is truly tested.

What I love the most about Christina Lauren books is that they are fun and light-hearted with relatable characters. This book was so much fun!I It was hilariously funny, full of Rom-com antics and I loved the characters. I think this book makes such a great summer read!

In comparison, I enjoyed Lauren's previous novel Josh and Hazel's Guide to Dating more than this one, but it doesn't mean that The Unhoneymooners doesn't have plenty of merit. On the contrary, the premise although not original, is appealing and filled with both nail-biting angst and funny moments as Olivia Torres is forced to spend a honeymoon weekend with her future brother in law's best man, Ethan who Olivia very much happens to hate after the whole wedding party is obliterated by food poisoning.
If the trope of enemies-to-friends-to lovers doesn't inspire you, I should tell you to reconsider. This novel has the markings of a light read, but it also teaches an important lesson: the line between love and hate is a fine one indeed.

This book could have been a trite disaster with two people who don't like each other going on a honeymoon in lieu of their siblings. However, the complexities involved with work, family and friends make the book deeper than you would think by skimming the description. I actually loved it.

What a fun book to read!

It had a hate-to-love relationship, twins sisters and Hawaii. What’s not to like?

When the book begins, we meet Olive Torres. A young woman who believes she’s unlucky in everything. She has so many stories where she has had bad luck and she has convinced herself that she's the complete opposite of her twin sister Ami.

Ami is lucky in everything. She wins contest after contest. When her boyfriend proposed, Ami made sure she applied to as many contests as she could to be able to win an almost free wedding. On the other hand, Olive has recently lost her job and she’s attending her twin sister’s wedding wearing the ugly green bridesmaid's dress and worse, she has to be civil to the groom’s brother, Ethan.

A couple of years ago when Ami introduced her to Ethan, she thought he was a good looking guy but then he acted mean when he saw her eating cheese curds and since then, animosity is their only line of communication.

After the wedding and due to a strong case of food poisoning, the newlyweds are unable to attend their honeymoon in Hawaii. Ami offers her non-refundable honeymoon trip to Olive and Ami's fiancee, Dane offers his to Ethan.

A paid vacation to Hawaii, who wouldn't want to go there? But what could go wrong with this plan?

Well maybe encountering her new boss and Ethan’s ex-girlfriend was not part of their plan. Now in order to survive these meetings, they will need to call a truce and work together.

Christina Lauren is an unstoppable duo. Their romcoms are one of my favorites. Their main characters are so memorable and fun to read.

Gosh, it was so easy to fall in love with Olive and Ethan. Together, they were gold! They had a fantastic banter but also an insane chemistry. I was rooting for them to open up and reveal their true feelings.

I'm a sucker for a hate-to-love novel and The Unhoneymooners is the epitome of one.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Gallery Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fun premise: two people that hate each other get stuck together and fall in love! At some point the banter seemed a bit forced and unnecessary, but I liked the progression of the story. Throw in a couple messy coincidences (new boss! ex-girlfriend shows up!), it makes for a good cinema-rom-com that I'd like to see with Zac Efron and Selena Gomez.

"The Unhoneymooners" by Christina Lauren
A fun contemporary romance. It is a entertaining story. There were times that it seemed a little long in places but that was probably because I was tired but didn't want to stop reading... curious as to what was just around the corner.. I was gifted an ARC copy by the publisher via NetGalley and this is my opinion of this story.

Okay, okay, I might be officially obsessed with Christina Lauren. This, Roomies, and Hating You/ Dating You are some of my favorite romances EVER. There’s something about this book in particular that really caught my attention when I read the synopsis that made me both “wish” for it on netgalley and request it (idk why there were both options but I was desperate!!!!). It sounded like the perfect book for me, hate-to-Love (a trope I’ve recently discovered I l o v e in books), beautiful setting, banter and shenanigans/fake dating(kind of, read the book) and overall just the delightful experience I get reading almost any Christina Lauren book. I have to say that I think some of my favorite books from Christina Lauren is when they kind of think outside of the box for book ideas or mix tropes! Especially with Roomies and this book I felt that! There’s just something in both that I haven’t seen before and I love it!

Anyways, onto why I ended up loving this book! First off, the. Banter. It’s of course better because it’s hate-to-love, but I’ve noticed that the authors are so good at writing it!! I constantly felt entertained by this book, and if not entertained mad (when I was meant to be mad, don’t fear!) or just.... swooning. I really loved the love interest and their relationship, and even though it was kinda predictable especially since I’ve read my fair share of hate-to-love I still got excited seeing them FINALLY realizing they don’t really hate each other. I did get really annoyed at a certain part however once it was all sorted out it totally made up for it. The ending made me feel all sorts of emotions and I just... really, really, loved this book.:))

The Unhoneymooners is a fun read. Olive and Ethan go on a honeymoon since her sister and his brother got sick at their wedding reception. It's a comedy of errors, such as running into her new boss and his old girlfriend and pretending they're married in order to fulfill the guidelines of the free honeymoon. Once enemies, Olive and Ethan discover they're both attracted to each other and have been since meeting. However, Olive learns a disturbing fact about her sister's husband that's is unsettling. When they return she substantiates that Dane is a dirtbag, but the two people she needs to believe her don't. Eventually all works out and the ending is very sweet.

Ethan and Olive are an adorable couple. So much fun to see these enemies fall in love.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Another winner for this writing duo. They had me full of anxiety and waiting what was to come of these enemies. I loved every minute of it!

The irony that my very first Christina Lauren book was an e arc from Netgalley lol

I enjoyed this so so so much. This is hilarious, with tons of adventures but also feelings and a little drama.

I related to Olive so so so much and her anxiety, I constantly feel like nobody is on my side and that I just have the worst luck.

The relationship between Ethan and Olive in this is so good! The hate-to-love is amazingly done and I freaking adore them together! I had so much fun reading this book, and really liked all the adventures they went on or had.

The ending was sooo cute too. I’m not a contemporary person like at all but this changed my perspective on rom-coms for sure!

The fantastic duo of Christina Lauren have done it again! The Unhoneymooners is a perfectly fun and sexy contemporary romance.

Olive and Ethan have developed a years long loathing for each other, even as their respective siblings have fallen in love and celebrated a marriage. When they are the last two standing, following a disastrous wedding buffet incident, Olive and Ethan bugrudgingly take the unfortunate couple’s places on the luxury Hawaiian honeymoon, lest it go to waste. They have ten days to hate each other in paradise. Or, maybe it isn’t hate after all?

I loved both characters for their sarcasm, wit, strong personalities and family loyalty. The tension is perfectly written, as is the building attraction and steam. A new favorite rom com!

A pretty conventional enemies to lovers story, with the lovers in question the sister and brother of a couple who come down with food poisoning after their wedding reception and can't go on their Hawaiian honeymoon as planned. So in step sister of the bride thirty-two-year-old Olive Torres (Latina) and brother of the groom, thirty-four-year-old Ethan Thomas (white), who must pretend to be married to get the all-expenses-paid free vacation that Olive's sister Ami won.

Should be simple for the two to go their own ways while on vaca, right? But when the highly improbable happens—Olive's new boss and his wife just happen to be staying at the same resort, as well as Ethan's ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend—the deceptions get a little more complicated, and the two enemies are forced to spend some quality time together. And discover that their animosity was based largely on a misunderstanding, exacerbated by the interference of the groom/brother. Can Olive keep their new romance flaming, without interfering her sister's marriage to what increasingly appears to be a less-than-standup guy?

Lots of laughs, but not too much in the way of character development or insights into gender politics which have made many previous CL books so enjoyable.

Did enjoy the proposal scene, though, one that was very much like my own...

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

The Unhoneymooners written by the awesome writing duo Christina Lauren was an entertaining, fun, flirty read! It also had its emotional, both good and bad, and heartwarming moments as well.

Olive Torres is an identical twin and while she and her sister look exactly alike, that is where their similarities end. Olive has always felt like she was unlucky. It always seems that when something negative happens she is the common denominator, whereas her twin, Ami, has luck to spare. Ami was able to win nearly everything, including the honeymoon, for her wedding.

When Olive learns she's going to have to deal with her nemesis, Ethan Thomas, the best man and brother of the groom, she's not thrilled. She's known Ethan for years, but she won't ever forget one of the first times they met and how he's brushed her off since that time. On the day of Ami and Dane's wedding, everyone in attendance at the reception, with the exception of Olive and Ethan, end up with food positioning, meaning the bride and groom can't take the all inclusive honeymoon they had won. When Ami suggests that Olive and Ethan take the honeymoon in she and Dane's place, they originally think it's a crazy idea, but knowing what it would mean to the couple, they suck it up and decide to go.

While the trip to Maui starts off with a boatload of tension, as Ethan and Olive begin to get to know one another they realize that the original idea they had about one another was actually one big misunderstanding. As they grow closer, Ethan shares information with Olive that makes her mind race and leaves her extremely conflicted. Olive is forced to examine many of the relationships in her life, not to mention the very new one she is forming with Ethan.

As we move through the book, Olive is challenged and is given the opportunity to really take a look at her life and the things she has always thought were important. She is able to grow from the things she has to face and the tough decisions she has to make. In the end she is happy with the person she becomes, which is awesome to see.

As I said at the outset, this was a fun, flirty and entertaining romance. Christina Lauren did a great job with it and I enjoyed it very much.