This story is perfect for lovers of The Hating Game or Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Date and The Proposal. After a disastrous buffet at Olive and Ethan's sibling's wedding. These mortal enemies are given the chance to take the free {read nonrefundable} dream honeymoon of a lifetime. After some encounters that force the two to play the part of a happily married couple on a honeymoon, the hate between them begins to thaw. I loved their banter which was fast and fun. I disliked some of the issues between all the siblings. There was one part in particular where I feel the Olive forgave Ethan too easily, but overall these two are going on my "favorite romance couple" list.

What a fun and unique adventure this story takes you on. I was a little confused at first because I didn’t understand who was talking and why she was so irritated with Ami but as the story moves along I got a clearer picture of what was going on. I do with the snarky and mean dialogue between Ethan and Olive was toned down a little and we got to the heart of the misunderstanding earlier. Once everything blows up when they get back home the storyline gets really interesting! I loved their time in Hawaii together it was fun and the plane ride home was much better than the ride to Hawaii. Everything is looking up for these two and then Ethan is a jerk and has to go screw up everything. I love that Ami called out her husband on his stuff and how strong she was during the process. Olive getting a new new job was the best thing for her, she really found herself. I wish that Ethan would have tried to make an effort more than calling or texting after everything went down but the ending is pretty cute.

I can not get enough of Christina Lauren.  Olive is so freaking funny.  The banter between her and Ethan is top notch and will make you literally laugh out loud.  These two get into some crazy awkward situations that have them inadvertently getting to really know each other (much to their chagrin).  This is such great story with some really great characters.  I wanted stories about all of Olives crazy family and I Ethan and Olive were so real to me I definitely wished for more epilogues....wanting their whole life story is not asking to much, is it??

I requested a digital review copy of the novel The Unhoneymooners, by Christina Lauren, for two reasons:
- I had previously read Roomies by this author and loved the book. 
- I had heard great reviews about this novel from other book bloggers and bookstagrammers.

The cover was a gorgeous yellow, and the description of the book only sealed the deal. I was so excited when I was approved to read it on Friday that I started reading it right away. Two days later, I can happily report that I’ve devoured this book, and this is a five-star rating for me. As much as I loved Roomies, The Unhoneymooners is even better. 

Here is why:

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is a romantic comedy that I devoured in 24 hours. I could have read it in one sitting, but by the time I’d read 60% of the book, it was midnight and I was sick. Reason told me that my 4-year-old would wake up at 7:00 (if I was lucky) with no care in the world for my sleep-deprived state or sickness. So, I ended up picking my battles and going to bed. I managed to finish the book before noon the following day. I was a happy mommy with a happy kid playing beside her.

About this amazing book—the story is an enemy-to-lovers romance. The characters are flawed, witty, and funny as hell. Their progression in the book feels genuine, and, as a reader, you get attached to them fairly quickly. Their relationship is precarious at first, and you know it can unravel in many different ways. Sometimes love is not enough, but I felt this love was more real than the classic I-see-you-and-let’s-love-each-other-forever kind. 

The characters make mistakes and their love is tested. The stakes are raised when loved ones are involved. The situations they find themselves in are tricky at best, at times hilarious, and at times heartbreaking—but the characters remain true to themselves throughout it all.

In the spirit of criticism, there were some situations that I thought it lacked realism—but I loved how the author explained them. However, it was easy to overlook that issue. Quite frankly, I haven’t been so excited about a book in a while.
   
The story made me laugh and cry, and I highly recommend it. This is the perfect book if you are looking for a beautiful love story with guaranteed laughter and swooning moments. Christina Lauren has here written another great romance, and even if you have never read any of her books, I strongly recommend that you read this one. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I will now read her other books as well.

The Unhoneymooners was an adorable tale of two individuals who thought they despised each other. I’m normally not a fan of romance novels, but Christina Lauren did such an awesome job being quirky, cute, whitty and unpredictable. I was frustrated with their love stories, which shows how invested I was. 

The quick synopsis is that Oly’s twin is getting married. She is unable to take her honeymoon, and encourages her sister and new brother-in-law to go in their place. Oly’s attitude is so pessimistic and funny. She just does not doesn’t have the best outlook on life and people’s intentions. It ends up getting the best of her in a couple situations. 

I loved the ending, and I truly will be the first in line when this becomes next Valentine’s Day must see film. If you’re single, in a relationship, love comedy books, love love stories, looking for a new career, or always find yourself getting the short end of the stick, this book is for you! So basically, it’s for anyone who loves to read :) Take this one on your next vacation and you will not be disappointed.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review.   I adore Christina Lauren’s books and have read all of them, so I was excited to get my hands on an ARC of this story- and the only disappointing thing about it is that my friends haven’t read it yet so we can talk about it!

It is the story of twins Olive and Ami.  Olive believes that she is the unlucky twin and Ami has always been the twin that had good luck.  Well Olive’s luck is about to change when she is one of only two people that didn’t get food poisoning at Ami’s wedding reception.  The other person is Olive’s biggest enemy, Ethan Thomas.  It is a mixed blessing, then when Ami decides that she and her new husband are too sick to go on the free honeymoon trip that she won, so she gives the trip to Olive and Ethan.  How bad can it be?  

This is an enemies to lovers story, but Christina/Lauren just do a fabulous job with it!   I laughed out loud, couldn’t put it down and loved every minute of it!  Can’t wait for this one to come out!

Bravo, Christina Lauren, on another 5 star novel! The first book I read by this dynamic duo was "Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating", which easily became one of my favorite novels. Christina Lauren takes pop culture and hilarious references and somehow organically incorporates these within their narratives. As a millennial, I find their characters to be highly relatable, hysterical, and utterly real. A lot of times, I feel as though I read books that are trying too hard to capture what it means to be a 20something in the US, and with Christina Lauren, I feel like they didn't try, and they freaking nailed it. 

"The Unhoneymooners" follows the forever unlucky Olive, whose twin sister, Ami, falls ill and requests that her sister attend her honeymoon. To Olive's delight, Ami's new brother-in-law elects to attend as well, and Olive cannot stand him. The two are thrown together despite their resentment towards one another and are thrown into a romantic getaway... so as you can imagine, things get interesting. 

It was wildly sexy and hysterical. This may be my new favorite from Christina Lauren. I enjoyed "My Favorite Half-Night Stand", but I didn't love it the way I did Josh and Hazel... this feels more like a love connection to me!

When Olive’s identical “lucky” twin sister wins a free wedding and honeymoon, Olive has to come face to face with the grooms' brother Ethan, who is her ultimate nemesis. Olive has spent her life being “unlucky” but that luck starts to turn at her sisters wedding when at the reception, the entire wedding reception contracts an illness that makes everyone violently sick except for Ethan and Olive.  The two subsequently agree to take the free honeymoon trip , despite their animosity, instead of the bride and groom. It turns out to be the trip of a lifetime with many bumps along the way that bring Olive and Ethan closer than they ever thought possible. 

Christina Lauren is my favorite form of escapism and Unhoneymooners is classic Christina Lauren; hilarious, yet totally and wonderfully unbelievable.  I loved both Ethan and Olive because they weren’t too crazy or goofy like some CL characters. They felt very human, imperfect, and most important, authentic. The plot is totally unbelievable but it doesn’t even matter that it would never happen because the story reads like the best rom-com of your life. I loved every minute and I cant wait for what these two authors come up with next.

Christina Lauren has done it again with another cute, sexy, and hilarious romance! I laughed, I happy cried, I ugly cried, and it was amazing. The best kind of books make you FEEL something, and that was definitely the case with this one. A great read for fans of The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang!

I read a lot of romance books. Some trashier, some more quality, but I can definitely say I love me a good romance. The first time I ever picked up a Christina Lauren book was one of their earlier series, I didn't love the Beautiful Bastard series, but their most recent books have been on the top of my list when it comes to must-read romances. While having not read My Favorite Half-Night stand, their other books (think of Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, Roomies, Love and Other Words and of course Autoboyography) have really struck a chord with me. 

What is this book about?
The Unhoneymooners focuses on Olive, who has a lifetime of bad luck, or so she believes. Olive's identical twin-sister Ami is getting married to her fiance Dane, but Olive has one problem: she hates Ethan, the best man and Dane's brother. When nearly all of the wedding guests, including the bride and groom themselves suffer from acute food-poisoning, there are only two people who can go on their non-refundable honeymoon for them. Olive and Ethan are ready to start a cease-fire in order to cash in their free vacation, but what if this cease-fire ends up turning into something more? 

What did I think of The Unhoneymooners?
The premise for this book is what initially pulled me in. I've slowly been coming around to the hate-to-love trope, and I'm gradually enjoying more of them (if written well). I've said numerous times that this trope isn't for me a lot of the time, but I've been branching out and trying more of them recently. This, and the fact that Christina Lauren's recent books hold a special place in my heart is why I felt a pull towards this book and couldn't wait to read it.

I'm gonna start off by saying that I the apprehension for the execution of this trope was completely unnecessary. I loved everything about this. The banter between Ethan and Olive was funny and had me laugh out loud at times. Their dynamic, while hostile at first, turned comical and love-y pretty quickly, which I really liked, but it didn't turn into an insta-love type situation. The pacing of the story was pretty perfect, with equal amounts of time for relationship moments and build-up. 

I loved Olive's character. She was funny and I loved her take-no-shit attitude. She was also terribly relatable at times. Ethan, too, was a likeable love-interest, but I did have a few problems with his behavior. The biggest problem I had with the book (which didn't terribly bother me but since this is a review it is nonetheless worth mentioning) was the conflict at the end. I do understand why the authors felt the need to create some kind of escalation, but I thought the issue at hand felt a little contrived. The fact that Ethan broke up with her over something like that instead of taking stock in her opinion felt a little forced and had me frustrated at times. I did really enjoy the book, I just wish the drama at the end wouldn't make me roll my eyes at Ethan's character for a few seconds.

However,  I loved this book as a whole. The epilogue at the end had me DYING of cuteness, and the Unhoneymooners gave me a definite Hating Game vibe (in a good way!) which is my favorite romance of all time. I adored the relationship between Olive and Ethan, and the comedic undertone in Christina Lauren's writing made this a very cute, quick, and enjoyable read!

I'll for sure be adding this to my never-ending list of growing Christina Lauren favorites. This is a solid 4,5 star read for me and I can't wait for their next novel!

Christina Lauren did it again. They wrote the perfect rom com that has the right mix of romance, friendship and family. They wrote a hate to lovers romance that meet all of the right things. 

I really loved this book. I read it in two sittings. I loved that the story was set mostly in Hawaii in a beautiful vacation that make me longed to book my own trip. 

Thank you Gallery for letting me read and review this book! It was such a treat.

A more in depth review will be posted on publication date on What to Read Next Blog.

The Unhoneymooners starts off a little farcical--and ends pulling on your heartstrings.  Olive is the maid of honor for her identical twin Ami's wedding to bro-dude Dane, and has to contend with Dane's best man and brother Ethan, who hates Olive for reasons unknown to her.  Olive and Ethan are the only two at the wedding that don't eat the buffet food served--and are therefore spared the food poisoning that every person gets.  They are urged to take the non-refundable honeymoon in place of the bride and groom, and while there, they find out all is not always what it seems.  Maybe Ethan doesn't hate Olive, and maybe she doesn't hate him back.
Much like her other books, this was full of funny moments, along with the bitter sweet ones.  I love how Olive had a major transformation in how she saw herself and others around her, and how Ethan helped her to do that.  There were parts that made me laugh out loud and choke up with tears--just like any great book.  I highly recommend this.

I LOVE LOVE LOVED this book!

It was so sweet and funny and such a quick read. I managed to finish it in a day because I just couldn't put it down. Ethan and Olive were so funny together. Their banter was so witty and I laughed out loud many, many times. If this wasn't an ARC I'd provide some examples, but alas I cannot.

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and this one definitely didn't disappoint. Olive and Ethan's chemistry was off the charts and the sexual tension was palpable. Olive was such a great h. She was incredibly smart, but was a little bit of a loose cannon. I liked how she recognized her flaws when someone pointed them out, but then stuck to her guns when she knew she was right about something. Her loyalty to her family and friends was very admirable and I also loved reading about those relationships.

Ethan was an equally great H. He was funny, flawed, and not the alpha jerk that I expected him to be. I loved the added drama of Sophie because it was funny reading about his reactions to her (no this is not a love triangle). I loved how he treated Olive, even when they were bantering, and I especially loved reading about how his feelings developed for her.

There were a lot of external elements to this story and I felt like all of them added another layer to the MCs. The relationships both characters have with their siblings was interesting and really helped to round out their personalities. The story flowed really well and I was happy to see that the story went further beyond the "unhoneymoon".

Christina Lauren may have moved into the category of must read Author or Authors I guess I should say. This is my first 5 star read of the year and I'm already ready to read it again. If you loved any of their previous books, you will absolutely love this one.

Olive and Ethan do not like each other. Their siblings are getting married and they are forced to spend time together. She thinks he’s pompous, he thinks she’s a pessimist.

But it’s hard for Olive to feel otherwise. She feels that her twin sister Ami got all the good luck. Her sister is known for winning prizes. When she got engaged, she made it her personal mission to get as many freebies as possible.

And on Ami’s wedding day, every single person except Olive and Ethan gets violently sick from the seafood buffet.

The honeymoon was a prize and if Ami doesn’t go, there’s no getting it rescheduled. She insists that Olive goes and pretends to be here. Meanwhile, Ethan’s brother recommends that Ethan take his place.

Suddenly these two people who can barely tolerate each other’s company are on their way to Maui together. To the honeymoon suite, to their fake honeymoon.

Things get even more complicated when they both run into people they know at the resort.
Rather than their original plan of going in two different directions, they have to spend time together  pretending to be in love.

The more time they spend together, the more ridiculous their activities get. And the more they start to wonder why they hate each other...if they hate each other...and if maybe they actually like each other.

Cute story. Funny. Likable characters and a nice plot. I felt bad for how some of the characters treated Olive. But she seemed self aware enough to realize when they were judging her unfairly.

I got to read an early edition of this e book from NetGalley. Thanks!

"Books are life, they are brain food, they bring joy, and relief, and connection." 

This quote is actually from the Acknowledgements section of the book but it was too important not to include. This writing duo gets it, they understand how magical books can be and how lucky they are to do what they do.

The Unhoneymooners was a riot. It was sweet, with some heat 😆 The plot may sometimes be a little far fetched and situations not completely feasible but it was still a great, fun, light and feisty read. The plot sounded very similar to The Hating Game (which I did not like at all) but this book was everything that that one wasn't! The tension was believable, the chemistry was completely evident, and the characters were likable.

This is my third book by them and one thing I've noticed is they excel at developing their characters. You truly get to know the characters and begin to care for them!

Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for this book in exchange for an honest review!

Almost with amazing regularity, these authors write some of THE BEST couples in romance. So far, I've adored all of them, and Olive and Ethan are one of their best to date. This is real talent. Creating characters that mesh so well with each other, that it feels effortless.

I'm a HUGE fan of enemies to lovers. The animosity, the tension, and the banter is what makes me come back for more. Combine this trope with brilliant writing and unique subplots - and you got yourself a winner.

Olive was delightful.

Spunky, sassy and never lost for words, Olive owned my heart! Supposedly she had the worst luck ever, poor girl, and some of her stories were hilarious but also kinda sad. The claw machine incident was my favorite - you'll know when you get to it. But all of the bad luck didn't bring her down, she had an attitude that could have conquered everything.

Ethan was a gem!

Level headed, well balanced, and just the right amount of alpha to keep Olive grounded, he was her match. Ethan was boyfriend material - no question asked. He was adorable, extremely supportive, and just an all-around good guy.

Olive's bad "luck" finally took a break when she was forced to go on a honeymoon with her "enemy" Ethan. Interestingly enough, those two really clicked well - especially personality wise - when they both started opening up. And from there on I was in LOVE with them. Olive and Ethan were #couplegoals. They were like yin and yang. And their time together felt effortless. I'm truly honest when I say this -  I was JEALOUS of how easy and comfortable their relationship was. Beautiful, touching, funny - they had it all.

It's really astounding how well these authors write their couples. They are always down to earth, charming, genuinely likable, funny and smart. A CL couple is by far my most favorite of all. Always well balanced and just awesome in everything that counts. I know I'm gushing, but I have a real crush on Olive and Ethan. That's just fact!!

There was only one subplot that rubbed me the wrong way. And that's more a personal preference than anything else, but it almost ruined the last 1/3 of the book for me. The resolution felt satisfying but I'm just not happy that it happened in the first place. But that's just me.

Except for that  I adored this book. And the cover is beyond gorgeous!! My most favorite CL cover so far and I can't wait to get my fingers on a paperback copy, it's a MUST to have one on my bookshelf. *heart eyes emoji*

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Threahold, Pocket Books for letting me read an advanced ebook copy of The Unhoneymooners. I think this is my favorite Christina Lauren book so far. I just absolutely love Olive and Ethan. Their chemistry was amazing and I adored their love-hate relationship. 

I started this book last night and could not put it down. I was rooting for Olive and Ethan so much. The problems they faced were very real especially the part with their siblings. I thought it was handled very well. I was also very proud of Olive for standing her ground. 

Overall, this book just amazed me. My type of romantic comedy exactly. I will be buying an actual print book when it is released.

This was my first Christina Lauren book and when I saw this ARC on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it IMMEDIATELY. I've heard so many wonderful things about her books and let me tell you... THEY DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

It was such a fun read and I absolutely loved it! Christina Lauren did a wonderful job creating fun characters with an entertaining story, using amazing dialogue. Even the random side characters had me cracking up! The Unhoneymooners was steamy, spicy, funny, heartfelt, and so entertaining! I could not stop reading it! 

Olive and Ami are twin sisters who are identical on the outside but completely different on the inside. Ami is getting married and at her wedding, EVERYONE but Olive and her nemesis (the groom’s brother) and end up taking the couple’s honeymoon vacation in their place. Imagine going to Hawaii with someone you absolutely can’t stand! And not only that, but you are forced to pretend to be a married couple on their honeymoon! 

One of my favorite parts of the book? The family. I love how Christina Lauren emphasizes Olive and Ami’s large and close-knit family. It makes me laugh because I can relate to having a large and close family who is ALWAYS in each other’s business. Their undying love and support for one another is a wonderful theme of the book. 

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review!

For me Christina Lauren is always a hit or miss. "Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating" and "Autoboyography" are two of my favorites!!! But every other Christina Lauren book (including this one???) kind of.......sucks. I'm so sorry. For myself. Because I JUST WANT MORE JOSH AND HAZEL! Unfortunately this story wasn't written with nice pacing, or characterization, or anything that was J+H. I felt nothing for these characters. 

A full review to come on my blog !!!

The Unhoneymooners is the newest one from Christina Lauren and man did they deliver again. Ami and Olive are twin sisters and the book begins at Ami’s wedding to Dane. Dane's older brother Ethan has always had a particular disdain for Olive since they met and now they are forced to interact as best man and maid of honor at the wedding. 

When food poisoning spreads like wildfire, Dane and Olive are the only two spared as they opted not to eat from the buffet. With everyone incredibly sick, it becomes abundantly clear that Ami will not be going on her honeymoon she won and there’s one problem, it’s nonrefundable. Ami begs Olive to go and Dane urges Ethan to take his spot. Despite their dislike of one another they both decide to go figuring they could each enjoy a nice vacation once there separately. They arrive in Hawaii determined to each enjoy the vacation of their dreams, however they find circumstances keep forcing them together and it’s a thin line between love and hate...

I read this in one sitting and I loved it. CLo is perfect at building tension at just the right pace to keep you invested and waiting for it to just explode. I completely related to Olive and her insecurities about herself. I often have a running inner dialogue in my head and it really shed light onto how wrong our first impressions can be. Ethan had times where he irked me but in a completely realistic and flawed way. His devotion to his brother ruined the “perfect” image in my head of what I wanted him to be. At first it bothered me but then I thought about it more and really realized just how accurate it was. People don’t always make the decisions that we hope they do. They disappoint us and make mistakes. People screw up when we’re hoping they are better than that. When I reflected on it more I really appreciate the level of realism that CLo infused into the characters in this book. I can’t wait for this one to come out May 14th, 2019. Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel, Gallery Books and Christina Lauren for the advance copy for an honest review. I loved it!