Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for the copy of this book. Even though this book was free, it in no way affected my opinion of it!

my blurb!
An unlucky twin is awarded a trip to paradise, the only catch being that she has to take the vacation with her least favorite person.

4.5 out of 5 stars
1.5 / 5 steam level

what i liked
Wow this book was so funny you guys! Because I read an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC), I can’t give you quotes until it comes out. But I loved this book and laughed out loud multiple times! I’ve read a few of Christina Lauren’s books now and they are great romcom writers! I feel like if I’m in a book funk or wanting to be generally cheered up then I automatically reach for a Christina Lauren or an R.S. Grey book!
Now this book is a romcom, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it isn’t amazing and that it doesn’t tackle bigger topics. (I see you, romcom hater!) Believing the voice of women? Check. Perception changing your circumstances? Check. Honestly, the book was deeper than I was expecting it to be! And I loved that! Big tallies in the pro column for me.
Let’s go ahead and give a big holler for featuring one of my favorite tropes in a book! Enemies to lovers! *Holler!!!* The only storyline I like more than enemies to lovers is fake relationship. Guess what…. this book featured both! *gasp!* I know, I’m telling you, run- don’t walk – and go buy this book!
The Unhoneymooners also featured a lower steam level then I am used to from CL. This is a definite pro for me, because in general I tend to enjoy a book more if it’s not a 5 steam level. And this was nowhere near 5 flames of steaminess!
I have read quite a few stories featuring twins in the last year (99 Percent Mine, The Identicals). This was the first book which featured twins that were likable!! It was seriously a breath of fresh air. Finally twins I could get behind!!! And truthfully don’t we all kind of root for twins? I blame the Parent Trap – it made me pro twin!

what i didn't like
You guys know that I love an epilogue. This book featured one! I know, you’re wondering why this is in the negative column for the book then. Hold your horses little miss horsey holder! (Gilmore Girls reference anyone?). The characters were together for like 2 weeks and their relationship progressed so quickly. It seemed as if they had been together for years. Then there’s the epilogue which is like one year later. I was surprised at where the characters were. I expected them to be further along relationally. There was something about it that made me think they still didn’t know each other that well. I don’t know, it just didn’t flow with who the characters were and where their relationship was for the whole book. Which in turn made me like their relationship less because I felt like they were tiptoeing around each other.
Overall this negative aspect didn’t detract too much for me and I would still definitely recommend this book.

while reading you should
Do: get a firm grip on your stance about buffets. Pro or Con? I’m personally con.
Listen: To this playlist I created on Spotify
Eat: something made to order… because hopefully at this point you’ve realized you don’t like buffets.

Happy Reading,
Dux

The dynamic duo of Christina Lauren has done it again!

If you love enemies-to-lovers romantic comedies, this is the book for you! When Olive Torres’ twin sister Ami and her entire wedding party get sick with food poisoning directly after the wedding , Ami insists Olive use her honeymoon package to Hawaii so it doesn’t go to waste. The catch? Olive’s new brother-in-law Ethan is going too—and he’s her mortal enemy.

This story was told entirely from Olive’s point of view, which was a fun choice because the reader doesn’t know how Ethan feels about her for at least half the book. Olive and Ethan have tons of chemistry through some truly laugh-out-loud moments that slowly morph into emotional, romantic sweetness. The actual sex scenes are fairly tame, nothing too explicit here, and the focus is more on the couple’s emotional journey together. Strong characterization, smart and funny writing, a fantastic setting and an impeccable voice. 👌

This feels much more rom-com/chick lit than romance, so if that’s your jam, definitely check it out. I read it on vacation and found it absolutely delightful. It releases May 14, 2019 and will be a perfect summer beach read!

Big thanks to the authors, @netgalley , and @gallerybooks for a free electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Olive is the unlucky twin.  Ami is the one who has her life figured out.  During Ami's wedding, everyone comes down with food poisoning.  Everyone except Olive and her nemesis, best man Ethan.  Olive and Ethan are now tasked with going on the bride and groom's honeymoon.  The catch is that the two of them have to pretend to be newlyweds...

This was a funny and enjoyable chick lit novel.  I found it predictable, but we all need a book like that from time to time.  I appreciated Olive's ability to laugh at herself and how great her family was.

When chronically unlucky Olive is one of the only wedding guests not to fall victim to a bad seafood buffet (thank you shellfish allergy), her twin sister insists Olive go on her nonrefundable all-inclusive honeymoon. Alas, the only other wedding guest who also avoided food poisoning turns out to be Olive's greatest nemesis, her brand-new brother-in-law Ethan.

As much as Olive enjoys antagonizing the germaphobe who food-shamed her during their first meeting years ago, she can't help but think pretending to be newly-weds will be next to impossible.

But the siren call of the beaches of Hawaii prove to be irresistible, and who says they have to spend the entire vacation together anyway? But, as circumstances continue to push them together, maybe Ethan isn't as despicable as Olive has always thought, and maybe her luck is about to change.

Delightfully cute, snarky, and laugh out loud funny, this is a perfect read to pick up before the start of the endless grind of wedding season. Watching these two frenemies fall in love in a hard-won battle is just the swooniest.

Note to readers - Olive is Mexican-American (Ethan is White), and I appreciated the author call out to their sensitivity readers and editors. I loved the dynamic between Olive and her family, and loved that her twin sister was not an antagonist, but a true best friend and sister, fighting and all.

Free copy received in exchange for a fair review. Thank you to the publisher!

It has been YEARS since I've stayed up past my bedtime (usually 10-11 pm) to read a book...I stayed up until 4 am reading The Unhoneymooners. This was my first Christina Lauren read, and it blew me away. Now my TBR is filled to the brim with their other works. It was adorable, hilarious, and captivating. The perfect romantic comedy that will sweep you off your feet. I loved Olive and Ethan's wacky love. It was such a realistic relationship, snarky yet caring (my ideal relationship).

I have a very selective list of books that I tell people are must-reads, The Unhoneymooners is going to the top.

*thank you to so much to NetGalley and Gallery books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review*

This was my first Christina Lauren novel and wowee...I LOVED IT! The Unhoneymooners was warm and sweet but also full of cold shoulders and spicy comebacks; a perfect combination!

Olive is the younger of a set of identical twin sisters...and the unlucky one. She once got stuck in a claw machine trying to rescue the bear that didn’t fall like it was supposed to. Her bridesmaid dress was absolutely horrible and to top it off, her new brother-in-law’s older brother was not cutting her any slack. Things are terrible....until everyone gets food poisoning except for, wouldn’t you know: Olive and the older brother, Ethan.

Cue the (toilet seat) bequeathal: Olive has to take her twin’s trip to Maui and she must take Ethan with her. Embarrassing word-vomit and flirty eyebrows are shared before the book’s end.

Christina & Lauren are an amazing duo of writers. I don’t know who writes what; couldn’t even tell the pen had changed hands. I think it’s safe to say I’m now a fan of their work and will be checking for their books at my next store perusal.

This was a sweet and engaging enemies to lovers romance. Christina Lauren has been on my “must read” list since Roomies and the Unhoneymooners did not disappoint! Olive and Ethan were the kinds of characters I love to read about. They were multifaceted characters learning how to be the best versions of themselves and somehow stumbling into love along the way. The fact that the bulk of the story was set against backdrop of Maui definitely added to the appeal of the story! The side plot between Olive and her sister Ami felt honest and kept me investested in the story until the end.

What a fun, engaging book! This was just what I was looking for on a cold, rainy weekend! Very entertaining and enjoyable!

I loved this! I've read Christina Lauren's last several books and thought this was the best one. Ethan and Olive's evolvoing relationship felt well-timed. It was very cute, but covered serious topics especially sibling relationships. I will highly recommend this and purchase it for my library.

I adored this book! Writing duo Christina Lauren definitely knows how to write fun and quirky rom-com style contemporary romance. The book follows chronically unlucky Olive and seemingly uptight Ethan (who don't even like each other) as they wind up on someone else's free nonrefundable Hawaiian honeymoon after everyone falls ill at Olive's twin sister's wedding. I found myself smiling and chuckling throughout this entire enemies to lovers tale! I loved all the secondary characters/Olive's large extended family that were introduced throughout and I hope we get to see more of them in future books!

This book just solidified Christina Lauren as an auto buy author for me. Olive and Ethan were lovely. Their classic love/hate banter was absolutely on point. I love how the book ended. I highly, highly recommend this one!

One thing I love about the writing duo, Christina Lauren, is how vastly different each of their books are. They've proven they are no one-trick pony with carbon-copy characters from book-to-book. Previous efforts into women's fiction since their erotic "Beautiful" series have been well done, The Unhoneymooers feels like their best yet. Dialog is snappy, both characters are loveable. Some of the coincidences are a bit unbelievable but we overlook it for the character reactions. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.

I LOVED IT SO MUCH! The enemies-to-lovers and fake-relationship are two of my favorite tropes. It's so good that it got me out of my reading slump! The writing style is perfect (it's very important to me that it's good or else I wouldn't finish it, no matter how great the story is.) The characters are totally delightful. Another thing I enjoyed is the humor in this book! I lost count the number of times I laughed out loud while reading it.

It's definitely my favorite book of Christina Lauren to date! I highly recommend it!

I absolutely loved this romance by Christina Lauren! The story of Olive and Ethan, sister and brother to a bride and groom who are hit with some serious illness after a food issue, takes them to Hawaii where these enemies get to enjoy a "honeymoon" together. Full of fun, romance and some snarky comments, I LOVED the way this story was written and how everything evolved. I loved the characters and the romance and I now need to get my hands on all of Lauren's other books! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion and thanks for the introduction to a new author I love!

This writing duo is responsible for my favorite contemporary romances and once again they delivered. While Roomies will probably always be my favorite this one is a close second.

Hold on to your hats, The Unhoneymooners is the next must read romantic comedy/enemies to lovers romance. 

The Unhoneymooners is an over the top, laugh out loud story that will hook you from page one and leave you gasping for more. The Unhoneymooners follows the story of Olive and Ethan. Olive has always been unlucky in life. Anything that could go wrong for Olive usually always does. And that burst of bad luck just had me addicted to Olive. Yes, some moments were over the top or awkward, but honestly, Olive was just a breath of fresh air. And when fate gives Olive's luck a change for the better, you know I just had to find out what would happen next for Olive...Yes, fate finally decides to cut Olive some slack, but the problem is, fate has Olive going to paradise with her arch nemesis, Ethan. And while she'd love more than anything to tell Ethan to get lost, she decides that she can survive ten days with the enemy. But, things aren't always as they seem. Ethan proves to be more than just a handsome guy with a charming, sarcastic personality. Fate seems to pulling out all the stops and soon Ethan & Olive will find themselves questioning everything they thought they knew.....

The Unhoneymooners was such a fun ride. After a week of craziness, this over the top, laugh out loud, funny book was just what the doctor ordered. From being down on your luck to finally catching a break. To spending a week with your arch nemesis and discovering that maybe he's not as bad as you thought. To misunderstandings that could turn anyone's world upside down. To an unlikely pairing that leaves you breathless for more. This story hit all the marks for me. The Unhoneymooners is like a burst of sunshine on a cloudy day. It's a romantic comedy that owns the enemies to lovers troupe.

If you're looking for a book that is hilarious and that will make you swoon, look no further and grab your copy of The Unhoneymooners today. This book was so much more than I ever anticipated. I was taken on one heck of ride and loved every single crazy moment of it.  I hope Ethan & Olive's story will leave you in stitches and will have you falling in love with Ethan & Olive just as I have.

Opening lines: In the calm before the storm—in this case, the blessed quiet before the bridal suite is overrun by the wedding party—my twin sister stares critically down at a freshly painted shell-pink fingernail and says "I bet you're relieved I'm not a bridezilla. She glances across the room at me and smiles generously. "I bet you expected me to be impossible."

It is a statement so perfectly dropped in the moment, I want to take a picture and frame it.
Reason I picked up the book: I'm a huge Christina Lauren fan and have reviewed most of, if not all, of their books.
And what's this book about?
Olive 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.
Recommended for: Anyone who enjoys an easy read and/or a good love story, or who enjoys "chick lit."
Favorite paragraph: Whereas Ami is a four-leave clover, I have always been unlucky. I don't say that to be theatrical or because I only seem unlucky in comparison: it is an objective truth. Google Olive Torres, Minnesota, and you'll find dozens of articles and comment threads dedicated to the time I climbed into one of those claw crane arcade games and got stuck. I was six, and when the stuffed animal I'd captured didn't drop directly into the chute, I decided to go in and get it.
Something to know: Nothing. I'd love to see this book made into a movie, though!
What I would have changed: Nothing I can think of.
Overall rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.
Where can I find this book? Click here to pre-order on Amazon - it will be online and in stores on May 14, 2019.

5 Sweet, Endearing, Laugh-out-Loud Stars!

Christina Lauren: “You Make Me Smile!”

Are you in the mood for a book that will make your heart soar and will have you laughing almost from the get go? One that will have you breaking into a smile with all of the humorous sarcastic back and forth comments, but won’t make you “cover your eyes?” (lol). If so, “The Unhoneymooners” by Christina Lauren is for you! I thought it was Pure Perfection!

Olive and Ami are identical twins. Ami is about to get married to Dane and has planned everything to the T. The best part of course is that Ami has gotten everything for free - she wins internet contests and is simply lucky in life. Olive however is extremely unlucky. Bad things happen to her constantly - she’s like a magnet. Worst of all, Olive is going to have to spend her sister’s wedding with Dane’s older brother Ethan, who treats Olive like a bug who got stuck on the bottom of his shoe. Then it happens. Just when Olive thought she was the one with the bad luck: everyone except she and Ethan get shellfish poisoning at the wedding and she and Ethan are forced to go on the honeymoon planned for Ami and Dane. The catch? They have to pretend that they are the Honeymooners. Maybe Olive isn’t so unlucky after all.

Olive is a gal who has never given herself a chance. What she needed was a little push. Looks like she got one. And he’s quite cute too!

While I wouldn’t call myself a believer, these books sure make me want to. After reading Christina Lauren and other rom coms, I break into smiles in public, laugh more often and dance alone in my kitchen. What better response is there?

I can attest to the fact that my book buddy Kaceey and I laughed a lot during this one and that is the best medicine possible. So glad we read this one together Kaceey and that we have added women’s fiction and rom coms to our repertoire.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books and Christina Lauren for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on Goodreads on 2.18.19.
*Will be published on Amazon and Twitter on publication date.
Excerpt to be published on Instagram.

This one, like a lot of Christina Lauren's more recent novels seems like it's written to be a screenplay already. I enjoyed this one, even though it swayed into the unlikely coincidences more than once. It felt a little weak on the character development. I wish it had given Ethan's perspective throughout the whole book or not at all, it threw off the rhythm of the book a bit.

✨Book Review✨
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Thank you so much @gallerybooks for my free copy via @netgalley for review.
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It’s official! @christinalauren are auto buy authors for me! I could not put this book down! I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. 🙈
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It was such a fun, light read. I was laughing out loud, rooting for Olive and Ethan, loving their banter and shenanigans. This author duo have mastered the art of the romcom my friends! I couldn’t get enough! I’m going to be gushing about this one for a while. If you’re a fan of romantic comedies, or looking for a fun read or reading palate cleanser, well look no further! You should all mark your calendars for this one! It comes out May 14!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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