4.5 stars, rounded up to 5!

So there I was, feeling a bit of withdrawal since it had been more than two months since I'd read a Christina Lauren book (I read four of their books in 2018, and one in 2017). Then, like a bolt out of the blue, I saw that NetGalley was offering advance copies of their newest book, The Unhoneymooners, and I literally pulled my car over into the first parking lot I saw and submitted my request. (True story. And I kept to my no NetGalley requests while driving rule.)

Of course, I was granted access to the title, and one day later? I devoured the book and will (kind of) patiently wait for their next one. (A long, long time ago I went to a book signing of John Grisham's for The Pelican Brief. I told him how much I liked the book and he said, "Man, Larry, I just finished this one. Slow down!") But once again, Christina Lauren doesn't disappoint, but gives me all the feels and leaves me giddy.

Olive and Ami are identical twins. As far as Olive is concerned, Ami has always been the lucky one, while Olive has recently been laid off from her job and had to move back in with her family when her roommate moved out. Plus, Olive's biggest achievement is getting stuck in an arcade claw machine when she was younger.

Ami is also lucky in love—she's about to marry Dane, who may be a little too frat bro-y for Olive's taste, but Olive is happy that her sister is happy. Ami has been able to put on her entire wedding and reception through contests and drawings (which explains the ridiculous, Skittle-green bridesmaid's dresses), but she's given Olive a number of tasks on the big day, most of which include interacting with Ethan, Dane's older brother—and Olive's nemesis since their first meeting took an ugly turn a few years ago.

"Too tall, too fit, too classically pretty. Never friendly, never trustworthy, never any fun. He puts on an innocent smile—innocent on the surface: a flash of teeth, a dimple, but in his eyes, it's all black-souled."

When Ethan and Olive are virtually the only two people not to contract food poisoning at the reception, Ami and Dane have a free honeymoon in Maui that is use-it-or-lose-it. Olive is certainly not going to let Ethan enjoy Maui by himself, so she agrees to go. They both figure there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the beautiful scenery—and lose the other. But when they realize they'll need to pretend to be giddy honeymooners for 10 days, it seems like a small price to pay for paradise, right?

When unexpected encounters with people from both of their lives force them to tear into their acting roles with greater passion, Olive starts to realize that she doesn't mind spending time with Ethan and pretending to be married to him. Maybe he's not as bad as she thought he was—and maybe she can't get enough of being with him. But what is real and what is an act? What will happen when they leave paradise and go home to Minnesota? Will they fall back into their antagonistic relationship?

The thing about Christina Lauren's books (other than terrific characters you root for, great emotions, humor, and hot sex) is that even though you probably can predict most of what will happen, you get so hooked on the story, and you're so charmed by it, that it doesn't really matter. Their books get me every time—like I said earlier, I get a little giddy, a little emotional, and I just want more.

If you're a fan of rom-coms, or just want a lighter book to divert you from brooding thrillers, Christina Lauren's books are just the ticket. Their book Love and Other Words made my list of the best books I read last year, while Roomies, My Favorite Half-Night Stand, and Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating were not far behind. (Plus, Autoboyography, one of their few YA books, is utterly AMAZING.)

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!

I wasn't really sure about this book at first because I love dual POV's and this book was majority Olive's. However, the further I got into the book it didn't bother me. Ms. Lauren makes sure that Ethan has a voice even though we don't have his monologue until the end of the book.

Olive and Ethan are sworn enemies. Olive and Ethan met 3 years ago when Olive's twin sister, Ami and Ethan's brother Dane started dating. Olive was interested in Ethan when they first met at the fair. She walked off to get some cheese curds and when she came back Ethan was rude and not the nice guy she had met minutes early. So Olive gave him the same treatment back because she had no clue why he had the sudden change of attitude.

This is a great book with great supporting characters. Olive's family is a hoot and will keep you laughing with their no boundaries philosophy. Ethan is great with his kind of nerdy self. I really enjoyed this book. I read it pretty much nonstop until I finished it.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

Fun, laugh out loud story. Unusual story that made for a great read. I didn't want to put it down ! I will look for this author from now on !

It has been awhile since I have read a Christina Lauren book. I do want to praise the authors for adding diversity into this book. Although I am not Mexican, I do know their traditions and big extended families can be all up in your business. Murphy's Law really happened to Olive's identical twin sister's wedding. The only two people to come out of it unscathed, was Olive and Ethan, her new BIL's brother. Whom by the way she hates, or so she thinks. Her twin Ami and her new husband makes sure they honeymoon is not all lost, and sends Olive and Ethan on their behalf. Eventually hate turns into love. So many miscommunications regarding their first time meeting. Ethan turns out to be the sweetest.

Although very funny a certain times, I was going a little nuts with how Olive would immediately think the worse of Ethan without communicating, until well she eventually would. There was a lot of fade-to-black scenario which I don't necessarily mind, but if the authors are making this into a contemporary romance, I think some readers would expect some more heat, or maybe it's just me.

Overall, I was entertained and was upset for her twin towards then, but eventually things work out.

*An ARC was received via Net Galley for an honest review.

I will never be able to unravel how this amazing duo is able to write such funny, interesting, laugh out loud enjoyable, dynamic and entertaining novels together, but I cannot get enough of their mind-blowing mastery. They knock it out of the park every. single. time. Seriously, these quirky stories that dare to include relatable characters and the guts to throw in bukkake into their storyline—I mean come on! These two women write like we all wish we could bc they write with a realness that cannot be denied or faked. This story was charming and quirky and funny and sweet and infuriating at times, but it was amazing!

I have loved all the other books the dynamic duo Christina Lauren has created and this one certainly didn't disappoint. I honestly think that this one may have actually been my favorite so far! I loved the hate to love relationship in this novel and the hawaiian setting. CANNOT wait to see what they come up with next and am so thankful that I was allowed this arc for review.

Once again this awesome writing duo has be busting out laughing and majorly swooning. There is a reason they're some of my favs and on my must read list. To say I was a little excited about receiving this ARC for their new book is an understatement!!!

Right off the bat I was laughing out loud. I couldn't help but read parts to my husband because they were so much fun! I will never get tired of the Enemies to Lovers trope. They mentioned in the foreword that it had The Hating Game vibe and I could totally see that. But yet the plot was still so different.

Starting off at her sister's wedding was so fun to read. I've never been a huge believer in “luck” but I definitely enjoyed hearing how Olive consider herself unlucky…and I'll admit the poor girl has many reasons to think that!!

I loved the banter between Olive & Ethan. They played off each other so well and were both so funny!!! One of my favorite scenes was when they're on the airplane and the boat!! It definitely reminded me of the movie the Proposal!

I always wanted a twin growing up and this book reminded me why. I adored her relationship with her family especially her sister!! I'm more of an optimistic person but yet felt I could relate with Olive. I was frustrated for her at some parts too because it's annoying when people don't take your serious.

This was such a joy to read. When I get so swept up into a book and end up snort laughing in public I know it's a good one. I really wanna go on vacation now! I highly recommend this if you love a feel-good, funny, enemies to lovers read! It'd be perfect vacay read too!

*Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

4.5 stars
I loved, loved, loved this story! A romantic comedy is just what I needed and this one did not disappoint! It was funny and sweet and hysterical at times and sad at other times!!
Loved Olive and Ethan!!

➳Christina Lauren have brought another romance filled with enemies to lovers type of ambiance, that will sometimes have you questioning whether Olive and Ethan are meant to be...

➳When it comes down to anything that it written by Christina, there is no denying that I will do anything to get my hands on anything written by them. Maybe it's because the novel was hyped up, and also maybe because I am not the biggest fan of enemies to lovers kind of romance, but I was not the biggest fan of this novel. Which does indeed disappoint me because I wish I could have given it a five stars review. This review in general is still positive because the story in general is one that did catch my eye and did make me laugh every so often. Olive is yet again another character that has that quirky side to her that had me connected to her as an individual.

➳With Ethan however... I am not sure just yet how I feel about him. Listening to his brother to get the "best" of him? And deny the attraction he has towards Olive? Hmmm... I guess that makes the story a little bit better, but in reality I would have punched him in the face for denying his one true love, especially with someone such as Olive. I guess this makes the overall point of view and also change of plot in the story, but I don't like there being internal denial on a character. Ethan is described as a mysterious individual but I don't see him that way. Whatever way I think of him, I will keep it to myself because I still have not been able to grasp my true opinion.

➳This novel overall has it's potential of love and admiration. I give full pledge honors to Olive for that, because without her latina spark I would not have been able to thoroughly enjoy this novel. Thank you so much to Gallery Books for sending this beauty over, looking forward to reading more reviews on this novel.

It PHYSICALLY pains me to say that this is not in the running for one of my top favorite Christina Lauren books. You better believe that I had been stalking NetGalley for the last few weeks, hoping to see this cover pop up. I was SO excited to find out that I was approved on the first day in YEARS that I had a snow day, too. I loved Olive and Ethan and when I first read the synopsis about this being a hate-to-love featuring a pretend marriage...mmmm...I figured this would be a recipe for perfection.

........................unfortunately that wasn't exactly the case. Overall this book was still good and I still laughed out loud many, many times. I mean during a good chunk I was actually rocking my daughter, trying to get her down for a nap, and it was getting physically hard to hold in my laughter and not wake her up haha. The only part about this book that caused me to pause and knock off a star..maybe a star and a half, was purely a personal preference thing. It was a situation towards the end involving "the conflict" between Olive and Ethan..and even Olive's sister..that really rubbed me the wrong way. This similar type of situation bothers me in every romance though, so there's a good chance that it won't affect a lot of people's views on the book overall. Like I said, still a hilarious, sexy, finish-in-a-day because of the addictive writing kind of book...it just wasn't meant for me like most of their other ones!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC that was given in exchange for an honest review! ♥

Olive Torres wouldn't know good luck if it hit her smack dab in the face. She's used to not getting her way. As a twin, she's always been the one that loses, while her sister, Ami, is always winning. Contests, sweepstakes, free stuff--she's even managed to pull off a nearly free wedding to her dudebro fiancé, Dane.

And wouldn't you know it that this wedding, and the free seafood buffet it includes, is what sets everything into motion for this story. Olive finally finds a stroke of luck when her allergy to shellfish keeps her away from the bacteria laden—free—buffet. Because while every other guest has suddenly come down with a nasty bout of food poisoning—during her maid of honor speech, no less (including the bride and groom)—Olive manages to come out unscathed.

She’s not alone though. DudebroDane’s older brother, and Olive’s archnemesis, Ethan Thomas, also skipped the buffet.

Because buffets are gross.

In the aftermath (full of puke and sickness), Olive’s sister, Ami, is insistent that Olive take her and Dane’s free honeymoon to Maui. It can’t go to waste. While unbeknownst to Olive, Dane also insists that his brother take the trip. Which inevitably forces two people who’ve been at odds for the last three years—damn cheese curds—to be thrust into paradise together where romance is everywhere you turn. They’re even sharing the honeymoon suite—which only has one bed.

What follows is everything we’ve come to expect from Christina and Lauren’s books: hilarity, swoons, misunderstandings, sweet, sweet lovin’ and all the feels when things turn upside down over a misunderstanding. And it’s so freaking good. Who didn’t guess that though? Even though the enemies-to-lovers trope has been done and redone, these girls—I don’t know what it is about them, but they have gold in them thar brains--managed to make it their own. And no matter how many of their books I read, I am never disappointed by their characters or the amazing ability they possess to get me invested in two fictional lives.

I am so sad the book is over now, and the anticipation is gone, but I’m so thankful I got to read another one of their amazing tales and I’m most definitely looking forward to what’s next from them!!

<i>*ARC graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*</i>

LOVED this book! Another hit for CLo - the banter was so fun, and the emotions were real. I loved the MC's character development and the slow burn of their romance.

Will post review closer to publication date.

What to do on the 2nd of 3 cancelled school days? READ! This one is classic @christinalauren! It’s lighthearted, fun, flirty, has elements of surprise added in, and has characters with layers!! I anticipated much of the book would consist of the “unhoneymoon” and was pleasantly surprised when much of the drama unfolded after that. It’s funny how things aren’t always what they seem.....this was the underlying theme and I loved it! This one was on my TBR list for when it releases in May and I’m so glad to have to chance to read an early copy from @netgalley and @gallerybooks! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So, I stayed up until 2AM to read this, and I have zero regrets. This story had me laughing out loud, and I literally worried I was going to wake up my husband in the middle of night.

One of the amazing things about Christina Lauren’s stories is that they pack so much into them—it’s a love story filled with family, humor and situations where I can absolutely see myself in. The sibling relationship in this one is compelling and it seriously made me wish I had a twin.

I loved the two leads, particularly Olive who’s sense of humor brightened the entire story. Ethan was a sweet cinnamon roll and I loved getting to know him. If this story were a movie it’d be a romantic comedy—lots of laughs, banter and heart. I highly recommend this book!

These writers are an auto-buy from me and I can’t wait to read what’s next. Honestly if they wrote their next book on toilet paper, I’d buy it.

CHRISTINA LAUREN DOES IT AGAIN! I LOVED this book. I could not put it down. I ignored all adult responsibilities until I finished - it was laugh out loud funny to the point I was sometimes cackling. The romance was sizzling and once again I have a new favorite male protagonist... Ethan *heart eyes*

Okay. I LOVE CHRISTINA LAUREN BOOKS! While I love some of their books more than others, I consistently know I will get a creative romance read no matter what. This book didn’t remind me of any other book I’ve read, which is saying something since I’ve read hundreds of romance books.

When it come to characters, an element I love is close families. Olive’s family may annoy her at times, but at the end of the day, they are the family that supports and loves each other. Something I appreciated about Olive, was that she is still growing. She’s hilarious, and I totally related to her. I always joke that I have the worst luck. Also, I have an affection for bad liars, it really makes for some great comedy! Ethan, Ethan, Ethan. I really wish I had gotten more from him, but I think that is mostly due to it all being in Olive’s perspective. He does give some amazing apologies, so that is a definite plus in the pros column.

Plotwise, this is a damn rollercoaster, and I loved it! You’d think with so many things happening, it would be overwhelming, but the authors did a beautiful job of weaving all of the elements together. I was engrossed in this story and stayed up until 4am to finish it. Yeah, not smart, but it just couldn’t be avoided. I just needed to know what happened! So, I read this book in one sitting, and would definitely recommend it to my fellow romance readers!

Special thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Unhoneymooners doesn't release for quite a while, so I debated on whether or not I should read it right away or not. But Christina Lauren is GUARANTEED to captivate this reader with an unputdownable, refreshing romance and those types of reads have been so few and far between these days... so it'll come as no surprise that I just couldn't wait to dive in. 

Well, captivate they certainly did with The Unhoneymooners. This story was fun and different, sweet but peppered with a good dose of angst and heartache. It swept me away from the polar vortex of NY to the sultry Hawaiian sands in an unexpected enemies to lovers romance that was packed full of humor and delicious sexual tension. I seriously couldn't get enough of this book. Everything from the characters to the story felt fresh and unexpected and I loved every second. 

I absolutely LOVED Ethan and Olive. They are perfectly imperfect characters, riddled with flaws and assumptions that make for a roller coaster dynamic. Their families are fascinating, their banter is sharp and hilarious, their course is unique and different and complicated. I was consumed. I can't say enough good things about this one. The Unhoneymooners is a delightfully sharp enemies to lovers romance and I couldn't have loved it more.

3.5 stars! I enjoyed this book but I didn't like it as much as I liked the last 2 books released by Christina Lauren. The story reminded me a little of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne but I didn't feel like Olive and Ethan had as much chemistry as the characters in that book. It dragged a little for me towards the end and It was cleaner romance than I thought it would be. I wasn't sure how I felt about the whole Dane storyline and all the miscommunication going on. Overall, it was entertaining but I didn't love it.

Olive is unlucky- in almost everything she does. Her twin sister- not so much- Ami wins at everything- including a free wedding- which goes off without a hitch until the entire party is struck down with food poisoning- the entire wedding- minus two people- Olive and her arch-nemesis, Ethan, otherwise known as the Best man and brother of the groom. They agree to take the (FREE) honeymoon and what follows is a comedy of errors. Truths are exposed, secrets come to light, and lots of fun to be had makes this one of my favorite Christina Lauren books to date. You'll love Olive and Ethan and Olive's crazy, overbearing family.

I downloaded this book this afternoon, and read it one sitting. I loved it! Olive and Ethan are enemies.... or are they?
When circumstances throw Olive and Ethan together on a trip to a tropical paradise the sparks fly. I laughed out loud reading about Olive's misadventures, and the banter between her and Ethan is hysterical.
This is a funny, sweet romance that I think would make a great romcom film.
I will definitely be purchasing this title for my library.
Thank you NetGalley for the great afternoon reading and laughing!!