In The Honey Don't List, Carey Douglas has worked for the Tripp's for many years from their startup to where they are today as TV show hosts and about to release a new book of marital advice. When Carely stumbles upon Rusty in a compromising position as they are about to go out on a book tour, she knows there's going to be trouble. Melissa and Rusty are in a constant state of drama and discontent that isn't going to play well as they try to sell their book.

Rusty's assistant James and Carey get tasked with keeping Melly and Rusty's indiscretions out of the public eye. Their close proximity has them getting friendly, and even more than that as they deal with this challenging task. As Carey and James learn more about each other in the process, a real relationship develops between them.

But when the Tripp's marital situation goes ballistic, some secrets are revealed that could have a serious impact on whether James and Carey's relationship will also survive.

This story was a fun read, in spite of the marriage-in-trouble aspect. I really liked the contrast of a relationship in decline with the budding relationship between James and Carey. The story of these two relationships keeps the story moving forward and I was completely engaged with the story throughout. James and Carey are an adorable couple. Kudos to shedding light on dystonia, an incurable movement disorder.

Overall entertaining and humourous, I enjoyed this story.

The Honey Don't List was a Good Book, dual points of view from Carey and James. I really love books by Christina Lauren this was worth reading but not one of my personal favorites.

I was captivated by this fun, emotional, and steamy rom-com right from the start! It begins with the police interviewing sexy engineering nerd, James and I needed to find out what was going on! It then tells the story of Carey and James and their job to keep a dysfunctional couple, Melissa and Rusty Tripp, from imploding as they promote their new book on marriage and their coming tv show. Carey and James come from different worlds, and are total opposites. Carey is creative, messy, and a pushover. Carey will do anything to help Melissa who gave her a chance when she was young and inexperienced. James is a talented engineer needing a fresh start from a past job. He is given huge promises but is frustrated in being a glorified assistant. He and Carey start off a bit rocky but soon bond over their messy situation. Their attraction grows stronger in close quarters, and they soon find the comfort and passion they both need. But just when they think they can build something more, the craziness of life on tour, and selfish employers could take them all down. I really loved Carey and James together. James noticed everything and he came when she needed someone to notice her most. She helped him not take himself so serious as well, they really were made for each other. I loved how artfully this story unfolded going back and forth between police interviews, present time and peaks into the book they were promoting. This slow burn, rom-com is filled with witty banter, awkward and hilarious situations, and an emotional, sweet and steamy story line with lots of heart, and I loved it all!

The book opens with Carey Douglas the assistant to Melissa Tripp. Really though she has been working with Melissa and Rusty for ten years since she was sixteen. They gave her a job in their first store when she was planning on dropping out of high school, they kept her going and were there for her when her own parents were not. She looks at the two of them as parents so she was doing more for them than she was for herself. She and her co-worker are giving the police statements of what took place you as the reader don’t know what has happened until you get towards the end of the book. Which is really a story that is being told.
Enter new hire, James McCann, a graduate of MIT and a recite employee of an engineering firm that was raided by the FBI. He is now just a glorified baby sitter for Rusty. That is until a night at a party when he can’t seem to find Rusty and asks for Carey’s help. Not wanting and yet does they or she finds him along with someone else in a room, not his wife.
After this, they are to go on a book tour where more is revealed about the marriage and also about Carey and just how much she does for the team, show just about everything. Going on the bus tour was not the best but it works for the story and leads you to where they are to go and be away from people for a time being but even that does not work out either.
I really liked Carey’s character you get to see her grow along the way and if it was not for her the story really would be a dud for me. Overall a good book.

A fun, romantic book taking place behind the scenes of a "fixer upper' kind of home remodel show. Christina Lauren always has great characters, both main, and supporting, and this book did not disappoint. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. It also has the forced close proximity which is almost as good a trope as only one bed. Overall, a highly enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

In the current entertainment era, reality-TV-meets-home-improvement tends to draw in top ratings. This book is especially timely. Rusty reminded me of Chip Gaines (especially with his "lovable" antics and grown out hair), and Melly was definitely the cray-cray that everyone tiptoed around. The romance part of the book actually took second place for me. In some ways, this is great...I enjoyed seeing Carey grow as a person and begin to understand her own value and priorities/goals. And I love that she took therapy seriously. But it also meant that her relationship with James, while nice, didn't feel quite as important. And maybe that's not such a bad thing. Carey didn't need a man to be fulfilled. She just needed to find her way. The ending left me feeling unsatisfied, and that although Carey had turned the corner, things were still very much unresolved.

Not my favorite Christina Lauren book, but this was so fun. Honestly, I didn't really care at all about the Tripps during my read of this, only Cary and James. The beginning took a bit to get going, the middle was amazing, and the ending with one thing was anticlimactic, but the other thing extremely satisfying.

Admittedly this is only the second novel that I have read by Christina Lauren but I plan to change that. I had heard great things from fellow bookstagrammers and went on a spree to purchase their books...now just to read them.

As a fan of HGTV and shows like Fixer Upper, this was right up my alley and allowed me to connect with the storyline quickly. Readers are introduced to Carey Duncan and James  McCann - Carey has worked alongside Melissa and Rusty Tripp for years assisting with their home remodels and design. She knows the ins and outs of their business and their personal relationship. Maybe even more than she wants to. James is an MIT graduate who joined the team hoping to focus his trade as an engineer but that hasn't seemed to pan out. 

Carey and James find themselves in an odd predicament when it comes to light that the Tripps marital problems may be worse than anyone knows. They find themselves having to work together to keep the secrets hidden from the public and along the way this brings them a little closer as well. 

Seeing the situations play out in their dual POV's was interesting and allowed me to form a connection to each of them in their own respective. I thought The Honey Don't List was a cute, quick read. Another light read to add to your list if you are on the hunt for one.

Carey is a trodden down assistant for Melissa and Rusty Tripp (which seem based on JoJo & Chip Gaines of Fixer Upper). They’ve written a marriage self-help book and are going on tour promoting it. Except the marriage is a sham and completely on the skids.

James has been brought with a lofty title but is in the same boat as Carey. He’s left behind a scandal that has rubbed off on him so he’s has no choice but to stick it out.

As their success grows so does the pressure to maintain appearances. It’s the beginning for how Carey and James end up being thrown together. Though, for me, it took too long to get to that point. Usually, I love a slow burn but this didn’t feel that way to me. I didn’t feel invested in this couple – at all. Too much Mel/Rusty and not enough Carey/James.

There were some funny moments and the story wrapped up in a pleasing way. However, it was not what I have come to expect from Christina Lauren. Having said that, I look forward to the next book from this dynamic duo as they’re past work has made them a favorite of mine.

LOVEEEEEE this. So excited for release day. This book was *chefs kiss* and I can’t wait to send alll the recommendations to my friends AND customers.

One of Christina Lauren's best!
I read this in two days (and was pretty distracted when I wasn't reading it). I think this is my favorite title from the author duo, up there with Roomies as one of their strongest books. I loved the sensitive, more beta hero, and the slow burn relationship. It reminded me a lot of the movie Set it Up, with two harried assistants slowly falling for each other.

Christina Lauren has done it again! I adored the Unhoneymooners so when this book became available I jumped at the chance to read the ARC. The Honey-Don't List was a funny, moving story about Carey and James, two people who ended up assisting the stars of a popular home make-over show. Melly and Russ are the "happily married" couple headed on a publicity tour to promote their new book on marriage as well as a new show about to be presented on Netflix. Unfortunately the happy marriage is all for the cameras - Melly and Russ can barely stand each other. Melly's assistant is Carey who has been working for the couple since she was sixteen and they had their first store in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Carey has a gift for designing one-of-a-kind furniture. Lately her job entails less designing and more "handling" Melly, arranging her schedule, completing the ever present Honey-Do list that Melly hands out, keeping her cool and putting out domestic fires. James is Russ's assistant - although he hates to be called that. James is a civic engineer who lost his job when his employers were shut down due to a financial scandal. James signed on with Russ and Melly to pad his resume in hopes of gaining an engineering job on the show. Instead he finds himself doing for Russ what Carey does for Melly . Now he's stuck on a tour bus on the west coast tasked with keeping Russ's and Melly's imploding marriage from their adoring public. As James and Carey are forced in to uncomfortable situations, they become more comfortable with each other. Their increasing attraction is becoming more evident and Melly will not have it.

I started the book at midnight one night and finally put it down about 4 am. It was a great, fun read with excellent characters and hilarious dialog. Carey and James are so cute together - you have to root for them even when the odds are against them. You find out during the course of the book that Carey has a neurological disorder which the authors handle with respect and dignity. All this in a background of home design, publicity and production. Read this book - its a great escape during these uncertain times but it would be an excellent read whenever. Steamy sex scenes make this unsuitable for younger readers, but adults will love it as I did!!! Be sure to read the author's notes for added insights to the characters. Enjoy!!!

I liked this book. The story was a entertaining blend romance, reality, humor and emotions. Carey and James were interesting characters and I thought quite relatable. I found the chemistry between this couple good and I liked how they originally didn't like each other but then that whole enemy of my enemy (or in this case my enemy that has to put up with the same difficult bosses that are annoying) is my friend works it's magic and their relationship moves in a different direction. A fun read that is a mad-cap romantic romp.

The Honey-Don’t List is was a nice Enemies to Lovers story. While I did enjoy reading it, I don’t believe that it lived up to the other works that Christina Lauren have written. I was good and sweet but didn’t give me any overall strong feelings.

The Honey-Don't List is a contemporary romance about two characters finding a connection while working for two of the biggest home and design stars. Although I did enjoy reading the book, it's something new from the duo.

I always get so excited when Christina Lauren comes out with a book, so I was so excited to read it. As I began reading, I didn't feel a connection with the story. That is something I am not used to with this duo. The story follows assistant Carey Douglass and structural engineer James McCann as they work for Melissa and Rusty Tripp. They aren't the easiest people to work for because they are portrayed as the perfect couple yet in real life they hate each other.

Carey and James don't have the luxury of leaving the job and so they stick it out. But they start realizing that they make a great pair both personally and professionally.

I felt like the plot had the potential to be really good but again I didn't feel a connection or captivated by the story. As much as I hoped, this did not have the signature Christina Lauren charm.

I give The Honey-Don't List 3 stars. I feel like any Christina Lauren fan will enjoy the book but will miss their signature writing style. I really wanted to like this one more!

Let me start by saying how much I love how these authors write. I think because of the other books I've read by them, expectations of a funnier, rom-com type feel was expected and instead we get something a little bit more serious, which I was totally fine with. This was still an easy, binge read!


Oh boy.. the Tripps… ugh. Just ugh. I did not like this couple at all, but you're not supposed to. They epitomize that couple that grew quickly within their field and then became entitled pricks because of it. I did like the characters of Carey and James but their relationship seemed very rushed. Like with all contemporary romance type novels, we see instaloves a lot but these two worked together just for a couple of months and then when forced to be in the same vicinity for two weeks, it's a roller coaster of things turned into... well, that escalated quickly, let me tell you! I wish there had just been a little bit more development here. The same formula is at work here so we know what's going to happen.


I do appreciate how the authors incorporated dystonia disorder and showcased how botox can be used for something other than repressing the emotions on your face. ;) But seriously, this is a disorder I didn't know about before and reading about it in the acknowledgments portion made me appreciate this within the book itself. Big props for this education.


While this may not have been my favorite by this duo, it's still a well done and entertaining read. It's not quite as comical and doesn't give you the belly laughs some of their prior works have but it still holds that Christina Lauren touch that we do love...

Christina Lauren prove that they're once again the best dynamic duo when it comes to contemporary chick lit! Loved this newest addition. I found myself laughing hysterically, then crying, then laughing again. This is a must have for any Christina Lauren fan, but also anybody who loves interesting characters, crazy situations, and just good fun!

As someone who had never heard of Christina Lauren until relatively recently, and then having seen this writing duo being recommended all over the place, I was intrigued to jump into this, looking for a fun read to escape from the real world for a little while. And this proved to provide just that - a quick, charming read that warms the heart.

Carey and James are assistants to the Tripps, hosts of a home makeover show whose apparently perfect marriage is falling apart. The book focuses on Carey and James' developing relationship as they try to stop everything imploding. With plenty of laughs, likeable characters in Carey and James, a gently unfolding romance and some clever additions such as police interviews and social media comments scattered throughout the book, it left me with a much-needed smile on my face. I will certainly be picking up more from this talented writing duo.

There are a few things I always tell people I LOVE about Christina Lauren books - that they write some witty, fun, and intelligent women, and that I always end up laughing out loud. The Honey-Don't List did not disappoint! I really enjoyed this story,

James and Carey were a fun couple to read. There were a couple of times that I wished we got even more of them just being them and less of the Tripps, but the relationship building was still fantastic and felt real. I also really loved the slight mystery going on with the police interviews. I really had no idea what to expect from this one! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light romance with some unique storylines.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read this one!

Recently Christina Lauren books seem to have taken a turn from predominantly romance focused stories to stories focused more on the career and self-exploration of their 20-something protagonists- and I am here for it! I still love their original stand-alone romance stories (Roomies, Love and Other Words, etc) however there’s something refreshing and original about their new perspective, and I truly enjoyed The Honey Don’t List, zipping through it in just a few days when my previous read had left me in a little bit of a slump!

The Honey Don’t List plays on the popularity of home renovation shows and follows Carey and James, assistants to a popular celebrity home-improvement couple (Melly & Rusty) who are honestly like a twisted, darker version of the beloved Chip & Joanna. It was so intriguing to take a premise that is so relevant to today’s entertainment for millennials and explore what it would be like behind the scenes if dysfunction was at the core of the relationship. Of course, Carey and James are rivals who can’t stand each other (which gave me vibes from The Hating Game) and yet are forced to work together to keep their bosses marriage from falling apart right as they launch a Netflix show and (ironically enough) publish a book on marital advice.

I really liked Carey as a protagonist. She was quiet yet resilient, and had a less than traditional background and her own reasons for staying loyal to Rusty and Melly despite their exploiting behavior of her (including medical ones). When James enters the picture and can’t fathom why Carey puts up with her crazy job, the story does a good job showcasing a situation where someone can’t just walk away from an employer despite some pitfalls. There was some juxtaposition of privilege between Carey and James that was refreshing to see, and it was nice to see how they both came to understand the unique predicaments they were each in when it came to their careers, financial situations, and personal lives.

One of the elements of the story that most intrigued me was the relationship between Melly (the wife of the home improvement duo and the main driver between the couple’s success) and Carey (her assistant). James ruminates several times about how their relationship is toxic and abusive, which isn’t something I’ve seen many novels tackle, the imbalance between boss and employer, mentor and mentee. Some of the scenes between Melly and Carey were hard to read, from the ones when Melly was freaking out when something went wrong and attributing blame to Carey for things she could not control, to the scenes where she would step in and check on Carey, one of the only ones privy to her medical condition. It was heartbreaking to see how Carey was so dependent yet so belittled by one of the only people who truly knew her, and I feel this was an important area of the novel to explore. The story really focused on how Melly and Rusty had changed over the years and how it had impacted their relationships that they had before, with those such as Carey, juxtaposed against their relationships with those they met after their success, such as James.

Obviously a Christina Lauren story wouldn’t be complete without a romance, and Carey and James make a fine pair. I didn’t dislike their romance, it just took a backseat to me in comparison to the other, larger themes and more important relationships that this story chose to focus on (at least in my eyes). It was a nice addition but not totally necessary- I really think Carey’s story could have been successful no matter the outcome of her romantic involvement with James!

Overall: A more serious Christina Lauren novel about finding yourself stuck in a career in your mid/late 20s and questioning the overlap of your working and personal relationships, this story really scratched an itch I didn’t know I needed in adult fiction!