3.5 stars

Fun Escape!

When all but two weddings guests contract food poisoning at a wedding in Minnesota, they help out the bride and groom by going on their honeymoon for them. It just so happens that the two guests are the bride's twin sister, Ollie, and the groom’s brother, Ethan. Of course, Ollie and Ethan hate each other. Of course, both are extremely attractive people. Of course, under all of the hatred they really do like each other. When forced to share a hotel room for 10 days, the inevitable happens: they fall in love. But there are complications that threaten to tear them apart.

While the romance between Ethan and Ollie plays a large role, this book is really more about Ollie learning to embrace life and stop focusing on the bad. She is smart, bristly and extremely protective of both herself and her sister. She feels like she attracts bad luck and as a resultdoesn't trust when good things happen to her. She undergoes quite the transformation, which was nice to read!

The Unhoneymooners checks off all of the boxes I have come to expect from Christina Lauren books: A plucky protagonist, fun quirky plot, hot sexual tension, and of course, plenty of romance. This wasn’t my favorite CL novel but it did the job! It felt a little safe and formulaic-- I like when CL pushes the boundaries and goes in an unexpected direction, but I still found The Unhoneymooners a satisfying read!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren was a quick four star read for me. Amy and Olive are twins. They look exactly identical on the outside but their personalities could not be more different. Amy is as lucky as they come where as Olive doesn’t quite have luck on her side. Now it’s Amy’s wedding everything seems to good to be true until everyone besides Olive and her arch-enemy, the groom’s brother gets terrible food poisoning.
With her for a honeymoon departing in just a few hours, Amy knows she and her new husband won’t make it so offers it to Olive but Amy’s husband also offered their honeymoon to his brother Ethan. Ethan and Olive our sworn enemies and hate each other they decide to go on the honeymoon and pretend to be their siblings so they can get a score a free vacation to Hawaii for 10 days. I mean I would do the same thing.

This trip brings Olive and Ethan unexplainably closer and the outcome is shocking in the best romance way possible. I adored the characters they were so many misunderstandings and so many sweet moments that it really felt like a real story that I heard from a friend which is my favorite kind of romance story Christina Lauren did an amazing job making this feel real and authentic by the end of it I felt like I was actually friends with all of these characters because I was invested in their lives. If you’re looking for an adorable romance read this book is for you.

I was so excited to see that Christina Lauren was coming out with another new book on honeymooners so of course I had to request it. Spoiler it did not disappoint.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Olive and Amy are identical twins but complete opposites. They may look alike but Olive is unfailingly the most unlucky person on the planet and Amy is the contest winning champion. With her Type A personality at the helm and entire wedding party set (including hideous green dresses!) Amy is beyond excited for her big day. The one downside for Olive is she has to spend time with Ethan, the very adorable but despised brother-in-law to be. When the “prized” seafood buffet sends hundreds to the Emergency Room, Olive and Ethan are the last two standing. They are coerced to go on the all expenses paid, non-refundable, non-transferable trip to Hawaii. And pretend they are the happy newlyweds. So begins, the HILARIOUS, adorable, heart warming story of Ethan and Olive’s adventure. This is a one sitting, can’t get the silly smile off your face type of read. Throw in some typical Christina Lauren - be true to yourself, give people a chance vibe and we have another winner. Available in May. This is going to be a huge summer beach read! Thanks for the early peek @NetGalley

What an utterly charming, heartfelt story . . . with lots of snark, sizzle, and pop! Loved it! The Unhoneymooners is a witty enemies to lovers romance featuring Olive, twin sister of the bride, and Ethan, brother to the groom - sworn enemies although neither seem to understand why. When everyone in the wedding party falls ill (except for the two of them), Olive and Ethan find themselves on the honeymoon (or unhoneymoon) of a lifetime . . . together! Talk about an odd couple! Olive is just one brick shy of being a jinx - if it weren't for bad luck, she'd have no luck at all. Ethan is a numbers guy - organized, optimistic, and drop-dead gorgeous. What will the two of them do together for ten glorious days in Hawaii? What ensues is a hilarious comedy of errors as everything that can go wrong does. And while it might be clear to readers where this story will eventually end, it was a blast getting there.

The Unhoneymooners is Rom-Com done-right. But more than that, this story has a hidden depth and message I wasn't expecting and didn't see coming. What starts off as a seemingly simple plot of slapstick style comedy turns serious as the plot line takes a few unexpected twists and turns, leaving some characters, as well as this reader, wondering exactly what will happen as it all plays out. I loved Olive's spunk and wit, but even more - her journey of self-discovery and acceptance. The writing, as always, is flawless as these authors deliver yet again. Prepare to laugh out loud, get the warm & fuzzy feelings, and really embrace the heat as they bring it! Another Must Read by the masters of Rom-Com! You don't want to miss this one!

The Unhoneymooners is just as bright and delightful as the cover suggests! Enemies Ethan and Olive end up on a tropical getaway and the tension is too much to bear...as is the complicated web of lies they've used to get there. The question remains: what happens when the "honeymoon" is over? Can Ethan and Olive maintain a real relationship without paradise? There's only one way to find out, and I guarantee you will zoom through this novel with a smile on your face.

Christina Lauren honestly NEVER disappoint!! I love everything they have written.

This story truly was everything I needed when it comes to a funny relatable rom-com. I laughed so many times while reading this story. This is a classic enemy to lovers trope, which is one of my favorite storylines. The plot was so fun, and the story truly kept me entertained the whole time while reading.

If I had to sum The Unhoneymooners up in one word it would be delightful. I absolutely adored this book. It is one of the most enjoyable enemies to lovers romantic comedies I have read. It's definitely one of my new favorite CL books.The Unhoneymooners had me laughing and smiling the entire time I was reading it. I loved it so much I read it in an evening. Ethan and Olive had the best banter. It started out mean and then morphed into flirtatious. I loved the way they egged each other on and pushed each other's limits. It made for great chemistry between the two of them. They also had some touching deeper moments between them. I loved how getting to know each other broke down walls between them. Ethan and Olive were so perfect for each other.Another thing I loved was how flawed each of them were. This book was entirely in Olive's point of view. At times I wanted to give her a good shake and tell her stop feeling so sorry for herself and to quit being so stubborn. Ethan's flaws were less grating and actually pretty normal. He blindly trusted and didn't always think about other people's feelings when acting. I missed not having Ethan's point of view. He only got one chapter. It didn't make me love the book any less, but it would have been nice to hear his thoughts.There were also many hilarious and important relationships in this book besides the one between Ethan and Olive. Olive's relationship with her twin sister was also front and center. Ami and Olive's relationship was good, but they had some things to work out. Olive's budding relationship with Ethan causes some stress with Ami and Dane. The rest of Olive's family was outrageous and imperfectly perfect. They were a tight-knit group who showed up when they were needed.The Unhoneymooners was so much fun that it's going to be the book I recommend everyone take to the beach, pool, or park this summer. It's that much of a good time.

This is a contemporary romantic comedy that is an enemies to lovers story. After an epic food poisoning disaster at their wedding, the bride and groom are unable to go on their non-refundable Hawaiian honeymoon. Rather than have it go to waste, Olive goes in place of her twin sister but is forced to share the trip with the groom's brother Ethan.

I loved the pace of this story. The conflict between the two main characters is immediate and funny and it just keeps evolving. Unlike some books where the characters fall into bed in the first five minutes, these two have known each other for years and then after being put into extreme circumstances where they really get to know each other, they find it impossible to continue resisting their chemistry. There love story seemed authentic and I definitely was falling in love with Ethan right along with Olive!

The tale is mostly from the heroine's point of view but occasionally we get some insight into Ethan's mind. Both characters are so likable that you can't help rooting for them. Not only do they need to overcome some of their own baggage in order to get together, they also need to overcome plenty of people who don't want them to get together. The story is sexy without being bawdy and the authors shine with their hip, funny voice making this a very enjoyable read. I'm definitely adding more Christina Lauren books to my to-read list.

NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

This book was so fun! The Unhoneymooners is definitely among my favorite of Christina Lauren’s books and I know it’s one I’ll be re-reading in the future.

I absolutely loved the banter between Olive and Ethan. There was also a lot of humor surrounding Olive’s very large, very involved family. I was smiling a lot while reading this book. I also loved that the story employed two of my favorite tropes: Hate-to-Love and Fake Relationship. I enjoyed watching their relationship change as they got to know each other better and the awkward moments as they pretended to be a couple.

Both main characters were likable and I shipped them together. That said, Olive was frustrating at times. She had communication issues and she jumped to conclusions pretty easily. I also thought she was a little too stubborn on things she shouldn’t have been. One of the big obstacles between Olive and Ethan comes from them disagreeing about Ethan’s brother’s (who is also Olive’s new brother-in-law) behavior. The fact that Ethan would give his brother the benefit of the doubt instead of automatically agreeing with Olive seemed a reasonable response from his character and her treating it like such a betrayal seemed a little over the top.

Speaking of Ethan, I wish we would’ve gotten more from his point of view (we only get one chapter at the end). I went into this expecting it to be dual POVs, so it took me a little while to get over that, but I did ultimately enjoy Olive’s POV, so it still worked for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Unhoneymooners. I loved the banter and the fake relationship situations and the romance (though there are a few scenes a little more graphic than I prefer). This is a perfect read for somebody in a real Rom-Com type of mood and I definitely recommend it.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Fun, charming, romantic; I thoroughly enjoyed this enemies-to-lovers rom-com story. I didn’t want to put this book down, and I may or may not have actually squealed during the epilogue.

I will definitely be adding more Christina Lauren books to my TBR (this is only my second one of theirs).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book right here is my number one all time favorite Christina Lauren book and I have read all of them. The conflict and chemistry between Olive and Ethan. This brother was the perfect villain, and the twin sister was incredibly strong. I would recommend this to anyone who loved humor, hate to love relationships, and romance!

This was such a fun read! Unique twist for a fun romantic comedy. There were quite a few coincidences that didn't seem very realistic, but that did not take away from the enjoyment from reading it. It was very entertaining and was a great break from reading other heavier books.

I really enjoyed this book! Its not your typical enemies to lovers story or fake fiancee story. Olive is used to all the bad luck of the world falling on her and her identical twin Ami literally having everything given to her. Then there was Ethan. Who also just so happened to be Ami's husbands brother. There was ALOT of unresolved drama between the 2 of them that made you kinda wanna shake them both a couple times haha. I liked how the story ended up playing out though, and Olive really stepping up when things once again got thrown for a loop for her and even her sister. I would like to see more of Ethan and Olive, May be Ami and Lucas can get a story? Or even one of the many cousins? I would read it!

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery books for my review copy of The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren.

This duos work has generally been a hit for me and this book was no exception! Olive and Ami are identical twin sisters. On Ami’s wedding day everyone get food poisons, except Olive who’s allergic and Ethan (the grooms brother) who doesn’t do buffets. With everyone out of commission and a non refundable trip booked Ethan and Olive decide to suffer each other’s company and go on the vacation together. So what happens when the person you despise isn’t that horrible after all?

I enjoyed this book! The banter between Ethan and Olive was so much fun. I loved that Olive who was smart, funny and confident. Ethan was sweet too. I read this book in a day, so you know I enjoyed it. I loved that Olive was Latina and their was an attempt too include cultural differences. I did wish that they made her cultural identity more apparent. Yes we are told she’s Latina but Latin American is like 20 something countries. I didn’t know she was from a Mexican American family until I got to the acknowledgement. All in all I enjoyed this read and think you definitely should check it out.

I’m going to to the Sally Thorne and friend signing in LA in April! I can’t wait to meet this writing duo!

I'm normally not a romance reader and often find them to be too cheesy, so take it as an extreme indorsement when I say I loved this book. It was just the right level of cutesy romance, with some predictability but also some twists I didn't expect.

I think what made me enjoy this book so much was that the premise was unique to me- two enemies end up on someone else's tropical honeymoon in Maui and are forced to spend 10 days together. I was giddily flipping the pages waiting to see where their enemies-turned-crushes relationship would go, all while also desperately wanting to go on my own romantic getaway to Hawaii. Definitely add this one to your summer beach reads list!

This fun story was about two twin sisters, one always lucky and one always UNlucky. The lucky sister gets sick at her own wedding and her unlucky twin sister gets to go to Maui on her honeymoon, in her place... with the groom's brother whom she despises! This is a fun book about two people stuck together on a romantic getaway. While a lot of it is very predictable... (gee, will they end up falling in love)? ... its also a really cute story that goes beyond the vacation to Maui, and has them face some challenges when they return home.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was the perfect light read for a weekend getaway... and gave me a lot of ideas of what to do when I go to Maui!

https://www.seemamago.com/jennys-big-book-club/

SO FUNNY!!!! The banter between Olive and Ethan is just fantastic and made me laugh out loud the entire book. Such a cute, sweet, and funny book. Just loved it.

I am a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers story, and this one definitely didn't disappoint! From the very beginning through the last word of the epilogue, this book was entertaining and endearing. Although all of the secondary characters played an important role, the development of the relationship between Olive and Ethan was fulfilling on its own. The banter they shared from the start when they didn't like each other was amusing, so I was happy to see that it continued jokingly even as they fell in love. They were funny, honest, and sweet which made me want to follow their journey.

The conflicts in this story were believable and are easy for readers to relate to. Even so, they were original ideas and not a repeat of many others I have previously read. Everything was not always happy, and characters did fight, which made it very realistic and made me want to see how everything would be resolved. With the resolutions, I was pleased to see that the characters stayed true to who they had been throughout the book, and even the HEA was unique.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

I enjoyed it, but I felt like it was missing some depth. The banter and humor is fun, but there was limited character development and conflict.

Enemies-to-lovers with a “there’s only one bed”-to-the-extreme!

Thanks to Olive’s shellfish allergy and Ethan’s germ phobia, they are the only two guests at her sister and his brother’s wedding reception that don’t contract terrible food poisoning. Which means they are the only two available to go on the honeymoon. So off to Maui these two people who can’t stand each other go. In Hawaii, they are forced to spend more time together than either of them bargained for, but are those sparks flying?!

There is great chemistry between Ethan and Olive. Ethan is equal parts aesthetically beautiful and open about his emotions, and Olive has some great character development. I love their banter and the book allusions. The only thing that makes this different from many romances apis that the narration is told 100% from Olive’s POV; it doesn’t switch back and forth.

Out in May, add this to your summer beach read reads!