I was so excited to get an early copy of The Honey Don’t List because I’m a huge Christina Lauren fan, and I can’t tell you, with that happy glow you get after finishing one of their novels, that this one does not disappoint.

Like, Twice in a Blue Moon, the romance is a major focal point of the plot, but there’s a lot of story wrapped up in the secondary characters and forces outside the couple. You would probably classify this book more as women’s fiction than romance. In fact, the romance wasn’t even my favorite part of this novel (I like my romances to be more angsty and all-consuming, I.e., Love And Other Words.) Although the relationship between Carey and James is adorable and definitely relatable, the parts of this book that kept me turning pages involved Melly and Rusty: the Chip and Joanna Gaines characters (who although Christina Lauren make an effort to call out are not Chip and Joanna, but I couldn’t stop picturing Chip and Joanna.) The dynamics between the four characters made the whole book very entertaining.

Overall, it’s a great read. If you are already a Christina Lauren fan, this novel is the level of superb entertainment you’ve become accustomed to. If you are new to this dynamic writing duo, I highly recommend you try Love and Other Words or Twice in a Blue Moon next because if you are like me, once you’ve finished your first Christina Lauren novel, you’ll be searching for your next.

Christina Lauren's newest book focuses on the put-upon assistants of the Tripp renovation empire as the foursome tour the Tripp's newest book about marital bliss.
In this story, I was more taken with the Tripps; what fame and social media "branding" did to their relationships and self-perception than Carey and James' strides toward coupledom. That said, Carey and James still had an interesting story, and the way their career choices and Carey's chronic illness impacted their lives both individually and together created a new depth to Lauren's writing.
I wish this book had been one of their more somber adult fiction stories than cutesy romance, it has so many plot threads that could've been better served without the HEA obligatory ending the romance genre requires. It is still an enjoyable light read, but a lot was left unexplored to make it so.
Thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a copy for review. This has in no way influenced my opinion.