the honey-don't list finds assistants to a chip and joanna gaines-like couple in the middle of a marriage that is melting down right as a media empire is set to grow and they are the only ones holding everything together.

carey duncan has been melissa's right hand person from the start, in some ways, she's the whole reason melly and rusty have had the success they've found. james is new to the operation, but as he forced to spend some quality one on one time with carey, as well as melissa and rusty, he begins to see the truth too.

with a doomed bus tour as a backdrop, carey and james find support and a real partner in each other. and when everything comes to a head, the fallout from being in the blast zone of an imploding marriage will affect how they see things on the other side.

**the honey-don't list will publish on march 24, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/gallery, pocket, threshold books in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the idea of this book going in. An HGTV style couple who can't stand each other but act in love for the camera, sounded like something so interesting to read about. Then have it told from the perspective of the assistants who are falling for each other and just trying to keep everything from falling to pieces sounds perfect.

The book opens with transcripts from a police interview about and 'incident' that has taken place, we then spend the entire novel waiting to find out what this incident is. And I'll be honest, while I found the scene with the incident to be very intense, I was a little disappointed in the event itself.

As for the romance, I loved it! James and Carey are both very likable characters who put up with so much from Melissa and Rusty and are so supportive of each other. Overall, i loved their story but I did feel like the ending could have used a little more fleshing out. It didn't feel like we got a true ending and that it was just rushed though to end the book.

First book from this author I've read and it was wonderful! I was able to get this from NetGalley. I loved the forced proximity/enemies to lovers story. All in all I loved everything about this book

4.5 stars

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s always worth giving an author (or, in this case, authors) more than one chance. While I enjoyed the first book I read by them, I wasn’t exactly super gung-ho. Sure enough, when I gave them another try and read Twice in a Blue Moon a couple of months later I loved the story and fell in love with their writing style. That hasn’t changed with this book. I adored the characters and the storyline, and the author’s melded everything together beautifully.

There is a moment when Carey and James are first starting to see beyond their own noses to realize there is a connection between them that is so perfectly written. The analogy the authors use along with the flow of the story will speak to everyone, regardless of age or gender. It was a true delight to read.

Carey’s job is so stressful, and the events leading up to their road trip so outrageous, that you can’t help but feel sympathy for her. As for James, there is a bit of time I feel he brought things upon himself. After all, Carey tried to warn him. But in James’ head he is doing the right things and I can’t fault him for that. Eventually, even though he started the ball rolling on all of this, the tension they all have to live with is punishment enough.

I enjoy the way the story is pieced together with snippets of a police report and Twitter comments from random fans. The only problem I had was sometimes the voices of Carey and James weren’t clear. The story in alternating points of view and, on occasion, I’d forget whose chapter I was reading. Yes, this is a problem. But I still very much enjoyed the story and it didn’t happen too terribly often to take away from the story.

I know this writing duo has written a lot more stories than what I’ve read so far and need to eventually add them to my lineup.

Carey and James are working for the hottest duo in renovations. There job is anything but easy. They work together to hold thing together until their latest season is released. As they get to know each other they discover that they may have something, but are not sure they can pursue it, because they both need their jobs. A great story especially if you are a fan of HGTV.

I really didn’t know what to expect. Reviews of previous books by Christina Lauren were enthusiastic about their entertainment value, sass and humor. I can now fully attest that they were spot on. When I tell you THE HONEY DON’T LIST should be on your list of must reads listen carefully.

THE HONEY DON’T LIST is a tale about a career husband and wife team who have made a fortune with their creativity and brand. They are the Tripp’s. You know that expression you are a trip. I think that is what Christina Lauren had in mind choosing a name for this pair. Rusty and Melly Tripp’s talent is designing functional pieces that fit into apartments or small homes. Maximize available space. At this stage their brand is well known, admired and loved. However the so-called bloom is off the rose.

All is not well in the Tripp household and the couple’s two assistants Carey and James are charged with managing them. Sort of babysitting for two adults that have lost their ability to filter.

Early on you learn how this unlikely foursome seem to coalesce around work related issues. But it is the interpersonal events that have you laughing out loud.

When Carey tells James that the next time he feels the need to react toss a Jolly Rancher in his mouth. You smile. But when he does it that first time there’s no holding back a laugh.

So we are on a road trip tour bus to hawk the Tripp’s new book on relationships. There is nothing missing in this story. Christina Lauren is fastidious in her attention to detail and conversation. The chapters alternate between Carey’s and James impressions and reactions and provide great insight into these two characters. James is an engineer and Carey is Melly’s assistant. But they are so much more. And together well the possibilities could be endless. That’s the romantic in me coming out. Oh well. THE HONEY DON’T LIST is a joy to read with all the bases covered in what to expect in a Christina Lauren story. Humility, humanity and humor. A triumvirate of reading delight.

Another good name for this book could be Extreme Issues Call For Extreme Measures. Irony doesn’t escape the reader since ultimately Christina Lauren’s goal is to see if the Tripp’s can practice what they preach, making due in small places. In many ways obvious and others not so. Pretty ingenious if you ask me but if you want to experience it yourself then get your hands on THE HONEY DON’T LIST and see for yourself.

Looking for a great beach read THE HONEY DON’T LIST by Christina Lauren moves to the top. For fans of Christina Lauren THE HONEY DON’T LIST surely cements their affection. For newcomers I’ll wager it won’t be your last. THE HONEY DON’T LIST is filled with clever characters and situations from cover to cover. Some may see some similarities between the Tripp’s and couples in home design television shows. Comb+Honey - the Tripp’s show is well conceived and rather unique. The Tripp’s are Comb+Honey’s light-hearted home renovation power couple. THE HONEY DON’T LIST is written by the team of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings.

I must have misinterpreted the blurb about this book. I kept waiting for 'hilarious and zany' but never really saw that. Then with the police reports throughout, I kept waiting for a HUGE mystery. Nope. But it was a pleasant book with some good characters and an interesting storyline of 'what goes on behind the scenes' of reality shows. Should be a good beach read.

This was another consuming read by authors Christina Lauren! The main characters were engaging and well-developed and the antagonists were thoroughly unlikable but altogether human, The plot was interesting and the development was suitably fast-paced but detailed.

This was a highly anticipated read for me. It didnt disappoint either. This is a story about a tv house flipping kind of couple on the brink of destruction. To help salvage this rocky relationship their assistants try to keep things going when they fall into their own relationship.

Carey Douglas has worked for Melissa and Rusty Tripp long before they were famous. She stayed with them through ups and downs, and now, when they're at the cusp of megastardom, it seems like they're going to fall apart at last. James McCann was hired as a structural engineer, but he's been delegated to Rusty's assistant and kept far from design work. When the Tripp's marriage disintegrates before the ironic launch of their marriage-advice book, Carey and James are forced to work together to keep the ship sailing—and neither can quit because they both need their jobs.

Can the two work together and keep America's Home-Designing Sweethearts from murdering each other?

3.5 stars

"I live for other people's drama."


That was the one highlight I made in this ARC, and dammit if it's not true. There's a reason I love well-done alternate history royal romances. I love the shade!

And, welp, I'm a sucker for sly jabs at HGTV's most picture-perfect couple, too, and um, this was definitely it. Plus a cute romance among the assistants—shout out the people who really run the world—and some solid disability rep.

All is clearly not well in the state of Home-Renovation at the beginning of the book, which is a wrap for the Tripp's mega-successful show—which was a collaboration with other designers that catapulted the Tripp's to stardom. Carey is reeling from exhaustion and looking forward to taking her first vacation (a staycation) in five years, and is literally counting down the hours before she can escape Melly and go home. James, on the other hand, is trying to figure out where Rusty went, and convinces a reluctant Carey to help him.

And of course, they find Rusty balls-deep in the show's former Miss America co-host, and the shit hits the literal fan—prompting Carey and James to accompany the Tripps on their book launch tour to prevent anything from happening...and well, shit happens. From parking lot screams to vase throwing to frosty stillness to more baseball than anyone should ever healthily consume in a lifetime to a literal house burning down, shit definitely happens.

Melly and Rusty were two people who had once been in love, but who let the fame get to their heads. Melly transformed into a power-hungry demon with the kind of ambition that lets no one else around them succeed—but Melly has a deep, dark secret that is fueling her motivation. And that deep, dark secret is her longtime assistant Carey. And Rusty, of course, is over it and wants to go back to the simpler times—albeit, while still keeping the trucks and jet skis and other toys won through fame—and being his usual goofy self.

If you're thinking...hmmm, picture perfect, highly ambitious and talented woman with A Plan and the goofy, oddball husband with a heart of gold, who both own a saccharinely sweet store with mega-branding (like Comb+Honey)...does that sound like anyone I know in HGTV?

description
Some people just know that things can't be so perfect, because it's not possible. Some people are me.

I truly felt for Carey, who had started working with the Tripps when she was sixteen. She had had a really bad childhood, and because she literally didn't know any better at the time, she fell into a situation where the Tripps exploited her labor, talent and creativity for their own personal gain, and then continuously emotionally abused her to keep her quiet, pliant and productive.

While Carey realized some of the dysfunctional situation with the Tripps and her relationship with them, she truly didn't understand the extent of their emotional abuse (while Melly is the main perpetrator, Rusty was an enabler and didn't stand up for Carey until the very end) until it was pointed out to her by an outsider.

Because of her small-town roots, lack of education and disability, Carey was kept down by Melly and told that she would only ever be able to work for her because where else could she go? She had no other talents (mild spoiler: she had many talents).

James, on the other hand, was equally entrapped by the Tripps, ensnared by his desperation to get away from the stench of his former employer, which had been famously shut down for doing illegal things. He needed work experience to hide his previous job, and would take literally anything despite his stellar pedigree.

Anywho, all this is to say that there is a lot of personal dynamics happening, and much of it happens in frosty silence in a tour bus that's really too small to handle all of the shit Melly throws at people. I really, truly feel for Joe, the beleaguered assistant hired to shepherd them all through the book launch tour. He went from thinking he'd won the job of a lifetime—ushering the most romantic "opposites attract" couple in home design—to realizing that he'd entered a hellswamp.

I enjoyed the hell of this book up until the very end. Without spoiling it (too much), I was annoyed that justice was not served and that the two people who should literally be on other sides of the country and moving on with their own, separate lives, decided to try to stick it out and refocus on what mattered—saving a marriage.

Look. Divorce is good and sometimes you just gotta leave.

And sometimes you gotta write a snarky book about picture-perfect TV relationships that have a stinky underside.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Awesome book! I thoroughly loved it! Carey and James are wonderful characters! They have to work together and one thing leads to another! This was funny and sexy! There was also a lot of shenanigans going on. The authors really know what it takes to make you love a book! I had so much fun with this book!

This is a fine, light and breezy romance read. The main characters are young professionals who start off barely tolerating one another, but of course they're going to fall in love! Their bosses, celebrity home renovators Melly and Rusty, are simply awful, but it's pretty funny to see how much this seemingly perfect couple detests one another behind the scenes, and how hard their assistants have to work to get them to keep up appearances.

An enjoyable, upbeat spring read.

Funny, sweet and cute rom com. Not my favorite CLO book but it’s in the top 3. It’s comparable to Josh and Hazel’s guide to now dating. Carey and James have a great relationship although I’m not sure it was developed enough in the book, but they understood each other and complemented each other very well. They worked great as team once they stopped “hating” each other. If you like HGTV shows, you’ll enjoy this book for sure!

I loved this duo's last novel, Twice in a Blue Moon, but The Honey Don't list was just an OK read for me. I really liked Carey and James, but couldn't stand Rusty and Melly. While I love Chip and Joanna Gaines (clearly who Rusty and Melly were modeled after) their characters and story line in this book just didn't work for me. I feel like this could've been 1) a really sweet story of a 40 something married couple going through struggle but making it through) or 2) focused more on Carey and James without all the Rusty and Melly drama. While I did fly through this book (quarantine reading, anyone?) it definitely wasn't my favorite of theirs.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the free advanced copy of The Honey-Don't List, which is out now!

The Honey-Don't List is the fourth Christina Lauren book I've picked up in the last year after falling in love with The Unhoneymoonerslast summer. The book's start quickly reminded me of Big Little Lies, opening with a partial transcript of an interrogation/questioning of both James and Carey being questioned about their account of what happened the night prior.

At the age of 16, Carey scores the job of a lifetime working for Melly and Rusty at their family store where they sell and design home furnishings. Ten years later, they're the story's version of Chip & Joanna Gaines with a hit tv show, best selling books, and a bright future ahead of them. Or at least, that's how it looks from the outside. Behind closed doors, they appear to despise one another 25+ years into their marriage. Things can't be more tense for the two of them, except Carey and James are dragged right into it with them.

I really enjoyed Carey and James as characters but felt that Melly and Rusty fell a little too far into the background. I would've liked a little more character development for them and they felt a bit too much like a knockoff far from perfect Chip and Jo.

Given my love for the brilliant duo Christina Lauren, I was a tad disappointed by my lack of pure joy reading the book. I would definitely reach for one of their other books to recommend for a friend as a first read, but this book wasn't bad by any stretch of the word either. I just prefer some of their other books more, but you can still count on me grabbing their next book when it hits shelves.

I wanted a book to escape the current reality of our world. While this book did distract me from reality, this book was just lacking.

The supporting characters (Melissa and Russ), their business etc were too similar to a real life couple in the spotlight. Yes of their problems were not like the real life couple but even the goofiness of the husband was too much like the real man.

I have always found Christina Lauren's books to be well developed but this one just didn't hit the mark.

My dog only barks when she’s scared, and she also barks at President Trump — I promise this is relevant! In an attempt to assuage my Taff-mom guilt, I leave the TV on for her when I go to work, and I used to leave it on the news. One day during the 2016 primaries, one of my neighbors pulled me aside to ask if everything with Taffy was okay because she had been barking so much. I was concerned, but I assumed she was just seeing birds out of the window — that is, until I was teleworking one day, and I saw her rouse from a solid nap and bark at the TV when a Trump ad appeared. After that, I started leaving the TV on HGTV to lower her personal stress levels.

Is that a long way to say that I’ve watched a lot of Chip & Joanna Gaines? Sure. But I just wanted to give you the mental image of an elderly cocker spaniel barking vociferously at a TV screen, and also give you an insight to many moments of my quarantine. You’re welcome.

Melissa and Rusty Tripp are the biggest stars in home-construction TV, and they are starting an empire: books, new Netflix show, fame and fortune and all that accompanies it. Their brand is built on their marriage — she’s the one with a list, the one that wears the pants in the relationship, and he’s a clownish good old boy that likes to play with wood.** You’re not imagining the resemblance to Chip and Joanna Gaines, except for the fact that their marriage hasn’t been brought to the brink of ending (well….that we know of). It’s terrible timing, especially as they are about to start a book tour for their book about relationship advice.

Enter: Carey and James. Carey is Melissa’s right-hand woman of over a decade, and she’s basically a member of the family — in many ways, she’s the most essential member of the team (you’ll see what I mean when you read it). James has only been working for Rusty for two months, and he’s an engineer turned reluctant keeper. They are sent on the book tour to ensure that everything goes smoothly, and naturally, sparks fly and hijinks ensue.

The book opens with an “incident” and we end up going back in time to see how our heroes get there — it’s a good narrative trick, as it definitely got me hooked. I didn’t see many of the plot developments coming - yes, I knew Carey and James would fall in love, and I figured that Melly would be kind of a monster while Rusty was a philanderer, but other than that, I let myself be surprised by the story. I didn’t try to figure it out ahead of time, and it was such a lovely brain break.

Yes, it’s a little formulaic, but honestly, I find that comforting right now. Everything in the world is uncertain at this exact moment, so I loved knowing that there was a happy ending coming my way. However, even though the conceit is familiar, that doesn’t mean that it’s not still a snappy piece of writing. I find all of Christina Lauren’s books to be clever and well-written, which definitely applies here. They have a gift for drawing characters that are not only recognizable and lovable, but also quick-witted in a way that I can only aspire to be.

To be honest, the most compelling part of the story for me was the Melly-and-Rusty dynamic; yes, I was invested in seeing Carey and James fall in lust (let’s be real, that’s what that is), but it wasn’t the best part of the story to me. Usually, Christina Lauren are heavier on the romance for the plot, and I felt that it was a little different with this one. In no way is it a complaint; it was still a compelling story — I did just want to raise that, just in case.

All in all, I really enjoyed this read, and I am so happy that it released at just the right time. If you’re in a quarantine-induced reading slump, I’d recommend this one. Pro tip: best enjoyed with a glass of wine in the tub.

I really enjoyed this one! It's not like I'm that surprised, it is a Christina Lauren book after all, but every time I pick up another of their books I think, "Can this one be as good as the others?"
Spoiler alert: It is!!

This book follows the behind the scenes lives of HGTV's biggest stars, who secretly hate each other, and their assistants. (Imagine Chip and Joanna Gaines, but their love is fake and put on for TV-- I know, THE HORROR 😨)
Their assistants are sent with them on their book press tour as they gear up for the release of their new Netflix show to basically babysit them and make sure they play nice in public.
I thought the plot was fun and the main characters (who are the assistants, not the HGTV stars) are pretty likeable. There was good character development, and of course some romance.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun, rom-com read!
It's available now wherever you buy your books!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Author: Christina Lauren

Genre: Romantic Comedy/Fiction

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

THDL is light, fun, humorous, and just a wonderfully easy read. This is my first by the duo (Christina Lauren being the names of two wonderful ladies), and I can’t wait to read more from them! If you’re looking for fluffy romcoms right now – this one is for you! It’s out now, so…order it online? (Sob).

The storyline is fairly straightforward: Carey and James work as assistants/do everything people for powerhouse design/home remodeling couple Melissa and Rusty Tripp (think Chip and Joanna Gaines). Melissa and Rusty just published a new book on how they make their marriage work and are setting off on a book tour…but there’s just one problem: they aren’t making their marriage work. While they did love each other, fame seems to have ruined them as a couple. Carey and James are forced to tag along on the book tour to make sure the couple keeps up a good face for the public…and along the way realize they might actually like each other…and maybe even more than like each other. But will they be able to make their own chemistry work as they’re constantly focusing on the bickering Tripps AND trying to figure out their own futures?

RATING BREAKDOWN

Plot – 2/2: I loved this story. I’m a huge Chip and Joanna Gaines fan – well, I was a huge Fixer Upper fan at least – and it was fun to imagine what it might be like if they really weren’t the happy couple they seem to be. Not that I hope it’s true! Just a bit of a flip on reality. And I adored Casey’s story arc – I felt like I could be best friends with her.

Writing – 2/2: Christina Lauren has such an easy flow. I was able to just sit and read and read and read, not stopping for anything, because the writing was so inviting. It didn’t over complicate anything, I got an amazing sense of the characters and story through dialogue, and I never felt bored or disconnected.

Characters – 3/3: Like I already mentioned, I loved Casey. I related to her on so many levels She’s worked with the Tripps for 10 years – since she was 16 – and while incredibly talented, is also a bit lost. She isn’t very confident in herself, but as the book goes on, we see that confidence grow. Some of this is because of James – an engineer, so hello, instant connection to my own love – and his belief in her, but a lot is also because she starts to realize that she has her own dreams that are also worth something. The Tripps…well, I loved to hate them, honestly.

Feel – 3/3: This book was a cocktail of warmth and feel-good moments for me. It had all the characteristics of a romcom that I live for: love-able main characters with their own small flaws, which eventually cause a big conflict, but it’s okay because you know a happy ending is coming. Side-characters that drive you crazy, but it’s okay because the craziness adds to the love-ability of the main characters. All of the feels!

The Honey-Don’t List is a perfect book to either read on a beach (but not right now. Sob.) or curl up with on a rainy day and read cover to cover. I hope you get a chance to check it out soon! All the points. All the stars.

Happy reading!

This was an alright read. I liked the premise of the book. Two married television hosts, two assistants, and a book tour, oh the possibilities that can arise. While there was some interesting parts, the ride wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. I wanted more of the connection and development between Carey and James. There just wasn't enough of them together. There are other parts of the book that made the story more interesting but the romance lacked. I wanted to like The Honey-Don't List because of the backdrop but overall this was an okay read.