Normally, I love this author duo. I have enjoyed all the books I have read by these two very talented women. Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me.

James and Carey were very likable characters. I loved their backstories and I loved the two of them individually. Even though I could feel their chemistry, I thought their relationship was not as developed as it should have been. I thought it was just thrown together last minute and I didn't really get how they went from hating each other to being a couple. It was too fast for me. Most of the book revolved around Melissa and Russell, a dynamic home renovation duo who have a TV show, book deals, etc, etc. They manage to fool the public, but in private, they are very abusive people. Both Melissa and Russell were selfish and toxic. And yet, I did understand why Carey stayed with them for so long. She had been working for them since she was sixteen, before they were famous, so she thought of them as surrogate parents. I liked Carey's growth and her growing ability to stand up for herself. But honestly, the romance in this one was a bit underwhelming for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Christina Lauren for the opportunity to read their latest romantic novel - a fun way to escape from all the crazy world news lately. 4 stars!

The book is told in two viewpoints - Carey and James, working for a famous home renovation husband and wife team. Carey is the real behind-the-scenes designer but is only ever seen as the assistant to Melissa. James is an MIT graduate in structural engineering, looking for a way to salvage his resume after his previous company was embroiled in a nasty case of embezzlement, hired as an engineer but is actually just the assistant to Rusty, the husband. As they all set out on a book tour to promote the duo's new book on marriage and their new TV show, all is not well between Rusty and Melissa. Carey and James are tasked to babysit the couple to make sure everything stays on track. While at first not liking each other, they start developing feelings for each other as they go along. However, interspersing police interviews with the couple show us that not all is going to end well.

Just another ride for this writing duo that makes romantic escapism so much fun!

“... more than just seen, I feel visible for the first time in maybe forever”

I’ll be honest if took me a few pages to engage in this read. Once I did....I couldn’t put it down. Wasn’t sure if it was the book or just things going on in life that were distraction me. I usually devour these authors books from the start. Glad I kept with it ~or I’d have missed out on a great story.

“...focus on making plans rather than beating myself up about the past—and to start finding a way to make each of them happen.”

So many life lessons intertwined with humor, loyalty, frustration, self discovery,self worth, acceptance, beginnings and endings. I wish we could get a glimpse of a few years down the road to see where everyone’s journey takes them (hint, hint).

“Contentment comes in a trickle, though. It’s like a faucet dripping; slowly, my bucket is filling.”

3.5 Stars Rounded up to 4 Stars!

Like every other book I have ready by these two authors, The Honey-Don’t List is a fast and enjoyable read. It was more of a contemporary romance than romantic comedy, but it still kept me entertained. This book had drama, romance, and some serious tension between few of the characters. I loved Carey and James as a couple and I wish we got more story of their relationship and less of the tension between the secondary characters like Melissa and Rusty Tripp.

Overall, this was a great and relaxing read. I recommend it to all Christina Lauren’s fans even though it was not as much fun as The Unhoneymooners.

Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books, and the authors for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Carey Douglas works as an assistant to the famous home renovation duo, Rusty and Melissa Tripp. The couple has a seemingly perfect life on their show, as well as in their new book about their marriage. The only problem? They actually can’t stand each other. Carey and structural engineer, James are asked to tag along on the book tour so they can play referee to the bickering couple and help them keep up their loving facade. Can they help the Tripps rekindle the love they have lost? Or will an unexpected new love blossom in the midst of the chaos?

Here’s another lighthearted comfort read for you to add to your list during these crazy times! While this CLo book didn’t grab my heart as much as The Unhoneymooners did, I still really enjoyed it. I did have to try really hard not to picture Rusty and Melissa as Chip and Joanna. But I loved how the chapters alternated between Carey’s and James’ perspectives. So I guess overall, I liked this one and would definitely recommend it to Christina Lauren fans or to anyone who needs a quick, lighthearted read! Look for this one next Tuesday, March 24th! ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Simon & Schuster for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I can always count on this fabulous duo for a fun romantic romp. Plus with this one they bring together our obsession with renovation shows.

Carey has been Melly’s assistant for 10 years but she’s really more than that as we find out. James was hired to engineering but really he’s a glorified assistant. So when things go haywire between the dynamic duo, Carey and James are thrown together.

What we get is some fun and some serious but it always makes for a great read.

Aside from the fact that I will automatically read anything Christina Lauren puts out, the premise of this book had me immediately interested. We have a couple, Rusty and Melly (essentially Chip and Joanna Gaines if they were awful human beings behind closed doors). And we have their assistants, James and Carey. Melly and Rusty are set to go on a book tour but, since they are at each other throats, James and Carey are forced to tag along and babysit them.

Like I said, I loved the premise here. I also enjoyed the little snippets of tweets, book excerpts, and even police interviews. And, as always, we had some romance and some steamy moments.

So, I’m sure you’re wondering, why is my rating so low?! And it hurts my heart to say this, but I did not love this one. There was so much focus on Rusty and Melly and I have never hated CLo characters more. They are toxic and I wanted less of them and more of James and Carey! I wanted everything I’ve come to love from CLo: all the snark, all the romance, and a stronger connection between the couple.

I liked the story overall and it did touch on some heavier topics. So, if you love Christina Lauren as much as I do, don’t skip this one! Just know what to expect going in. Also, don’t skip the acknowledgements at the end! I enjoyed the story slightly more after learning about Lauren’s personal connection to it.

I love Christina Lauren and I’ve read all their books, however, with The Honey-Don’t List I couldn’t connect with the characters, but the story itself I did enjoy and it had the typical Christina Lauren humor. Carey and James are personal assistants to two TV renovation stars whose marriage is imploding, however, while trying to keep their bosses sane they find love and support in each other.

I wanted to love Carey, I really did, however, she frustrated me so much. I constantly found myself yelling at my kindle for her to stand up for herself and get the attention she deserves. Towards the end I did like her more, but it took so long to get to that point. James, I did enjoy. He was hard working and supportive and just wanted to recover from the loss of his previous job.

Melissa and Rusty (the bosses) almost seemed like the main focus of this story at times instead of Carey and James, which took a lot away from the story. It was a slow burn, there was some romance, but this story felt more women’s fiction. Not saying I did enjoy the story, it just took me longer to read than most books because I couldn’t connect.

The duo behind Christina Lauren is one that I can depend on for delivering an enjoyable read and The Honey Don’t List is no exception.

Carey and James are the couple at the center of our story. They have the unenviable job of keeping TV’s “it” couple together while their “perfect” image unravels.

Both Carey and James were easy to like and fairly easy to relate to. I think almost everyone has woken up at one point and asked themselves “how did this become my life?” I appreciated the growth both of them went through. Carey’s was more internal and had a “why this and what’s next” vibe where for James it was more an issue of him starting to look outside himself and taking control.

Whether intentional or not, the Honey Don’t List includes several poignant messages for anyone. The ideas of standing up for yourself, looking out for others, and not losing the good things for the next thing are all woven into this well written and entertaining story.

reading about Rusty & Melly was truly DRAINING. they are both insufferable characters and unfortunately, I felt like most of this book was based on them & their drama. I didn't feel at all connected to Carey or James and didn't really feel any chemistry between them either. while reading this, I just felt frustrated most of the time.

The Honey-Don't List is an fantastic read. You will just love watching the chemistry between Carey and James. Both of them over qualified for their assistant jobs and yet their is just something about them that draws you in. Carey once you get to know her you get why she is so loyal to her job. I just love James and his ways. He will make you swoon for him by the end of this one. I can guarantee you will be smiling by the end of this one. I love how Christina Lauren take you on this journey of falling in love. You really need to read this one.

A nice feel-good type of romantic comedy involving two TV show home renovation stars and their assistants going into a road trip. The assistants embark on the journey together to try to make the couple stick together during a tour, but end up falling in love with each other. It's a nice entertainment read for the Spring.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

"The Honey-Don't List" by Christina Lauren is about Cary Duncan and James McCann, assistants to the Tripps, another Chip and Joanna Gaines-esque couple who remodel homes on HGTV. Melly and Rusty Tripp are about to launch their new brand, when PR disaster strikes. Rusty has been cheating and it threatens to blow up everything they've all been working towards. It's up to Cary and James to get the Tripps through a book tour without any major issues...

This book was delightful. Christina Lauren's writing is wonderful and brings life to real and unique characters. Cary seems like an average character, but then you discover that she is complex. James is more than meets the eyes. The Tripps seem like a picture perfect couple, but so much more is going on under the surface. By layering information on characters, each page holds something new to learn.

Cary is realistically the most interesting to watch. Her character growth is immense and doesn't finish until the last page. Cary seems to be dependent and nervous. She likes control, but also dreads the cost of it. Melly and Rusty picked her out of her old life, but at what cost? Cary grows into someone who knows what she wants AND what she doesn't want. 

I also love the hints of romance throughout the book. Some of it is a little bit too much, but the relationship that grows between Cary and James is sweet. Sometimes it feels a little fast, but also they've been working together for a long time, so it just feels quick because I didn't know the characters yet.

Overall, I loved this book. Love, love, loved it. It was a great read and I devoured it in a day. 5 stars!

Did you see the movie Set It Up? This premise reminds me of that movie crossed with HGTV, both things I’ve enjoyed. (I’m starting to think the Christina Lauren ladies and I must watch the same shows because I keep doing this. Josh & Hazel = Selfie and Half-Night Stand = Big Bang + Stranger Things.) Plus I love office romances so The Honey-Don’t List should have been perfect for me.

I found Carey’s situation of being stuck in the only job she’s ever had and not even realizing how hard she works incredibly relatable. She also has a chronic illness and a toxic relationship with her boss to deal with. And something about that dynamic with Melly was just too squicky for me. I just didn’t feel like Melly deserved the resolution that she got. (I felt the same way about the hero in The Unhoneymmoners. I seemed to be the only one though, so YMMV.)

That said I liked James and Carey. However, I might have liked some supporting characters with bigger personalities. None of them made me want to read more about them. In the end, The Honey-Don’t List was just okay for me. I’m going to have to keep looking for another Christina Lauren book that makes me as happy as my first one, Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating.

4.25 Stars!

The Honey-Don't List is a novel about 4 individuals or two couples. Melissa and Rusty Tripp are an HGTV sensation, however, their private lives are far from the perfection their audience sees. Carey Douglas is Melissa's assistant, and she has been working for the Tripps since she was a teenager. She is actually the hidden talent behind Melissa's designs, and the Tripp's success is largely due to her creativity. James McCann is an engineer and was recently hired by Rusty. James, sometimes called Jimbalaya or Jimbo by Rusty, was promised a career in engineering, yet assisting Rusty is what he ends up doing, at least temporarily. Melissa loves all the attention, while Rusty prefers to build amazing furniture.

The Tripps are in trouble. They no longer care for each other and they find it very difficult to work together. Carey and James have become their babysitters, preventing them from making spectacles of themselves in front of the media and in public. Carey and James both need their jobs, so putting up with the Tripps is their only option, at least in the short-term. Love and understanding come to Carey and James very quickly, and they are lucky to still be in love when all the secrets of the past come full-circle.

I enjoyed this book by coauthors Christina Lauren. I have read many of their novels and each one provides a captivating story. All the characters are interesting and engaging, however, Carey is the most fascinating. She lets Melissa walk all over her, until she lets her inner voice, in addition to the sound advice from her therapist and James, set her on the road to independence. Carey is quite relatable and she is easy to like. Overall, another solid and entertaining read from Christina Lauren.

I have only read Love and Other Words by this author duo and loved it. So when I was approved for this book on NetGalley I did a little happy dance. In other words I went into this book with high expectations.

Synopsis - The Honey-Don't List is a story of home remodeling icons Melissa and Rusty Tripp, their decade long assistant Carey and newly hired structural engineer James. The Tripps are about to become superstars with a new TV show and a new book release. The twist is that the Tripps can't stand each other. They are at each other's throat every chance they get. So when they go on a book tour, Carey and James are their babysitters. Their job is make sure the Tripps behave in public.

My thoughts - I binge read this book in 6 hours so this is definitely an easy read. There is lot of show biz drama if you like that. The plot is interesting but what did not work for me is that the focus of the book kept oscillating. There are too many main relationships in this book. We read about Melissa and Rusty, Carey and the Tripps, Melissa and Carey and finally Carey and James. It seemed like too many head chefs spoil the broth situation. Carey ended up being my favorite character. Inspite of her health issues, she gives everything to the job.

There's sweet romance and steam between James and Carey relationship. There's drama!! So if you like any of these give it a try. Book releases on March 24th.

Thank you NetGalley for this digital copy in exchange of my honest review.

Received through NetGalley for review.

Three out of five stars.

I couldn’t get into this one, might be me but the book couldn’t hold my interest.

The focus of the book seemed to be about Melissa and Rusty not Carey and James. James studied to be an engineer but both he and Carey were more like minions. (Pick up always-seltzer and plain white undershirts...) I feel like the book needed an epilogue into the future, I’m all about epilogues.

This one wasn’t a winner with me but to each their own. It won’t stop me from reading more from this author duo.

I absolutely love Christina Lauren. I think everything they write is equally amazing, yet wildly different.
I went into this book expecting something a little different, I had a romantic comedy in mind but it wasn’t quite comedic. There was a moment or two that made me chuckle, yes, but overall I don’t think i’d classify it as a rom com.
It was enjoyable, though. The main character, Carey, reminded me a lot of Chloe- who is a character in Christina Lauren’s previous novel(s) Beautiful Bastard. Having loved Chloe’s brazen character, I did really enjoy Carey’s. She was a pushover, sure, but she was alienated to be that way. Until James comes into her life and points it out to her. Once she realizes the true nature of the way Melissa Tripp has been treating her, she grows that unstoppable force that I love seeing in Christina Lauren’s characters.
I loved that the power couple who employs Carey, Melissa & Rusty Tripp, are loosely based on Chip & Joanna Gaines- I say loosely because I highly doubt Chip would do half the things Rusty does in this book. Nor do I think that Joanna has any of the nasty traits that Melly has. It’s very clear that the authors did a shit ton of research for this book as far as designing a home and the behind the scenes of it all. They really seemed to know what they were talking about.
The authors definitely have their audience hating Melly for the most part, and having some sort of weird love/hate relationship with Rusty. Hate how he acts, how selfish he is, and how he cheats on his wife, but also love that he stands up for Carey, is honest in his feelings, and ultimately does the right thing.
It read more like a romance novel, with just a touch of steam. I definitely appreciated the focus on the plot line than the hot, steamy sex- but I also wouldn’t have minded more Carey/James intimacy.
I really did enjoy this book, it was very cute and it ended in a way where everybody has a semi happy ending, but it’s ultimately not my favorite by Christina Lauren.

This story follows two couples: Rusty and Melissa Tripp, a celebrity couple who are famous for their home decorating show, books, and TV personalities- similar to Chip and Joanna Gaines. And their assistants Carey and James, who accompany the Tripp’s on their upcoming book tour.

There were some cute moments but the focus was too much on Rusty and Melissa’s relationship. Maybe because of the toxic relationship between Melissa and Carey, it was hard to enjoy the new romance between Carey and James. The chapters were long and many times I felt confused as to who was talking. Almost every chapter begins with a police transcript, which gave readers a sense that something big happened, when really it wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped.

2.5 Stars. Interesting idea but not my favorite from this author. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC.

While this wasn’t my favorite of their books, it was still a lot of fun.

Carey and James work together for two of the biggest home decorators in the US. Think Chip and Joanna Gaines big. But Melissa and Rusty Tripp’s relationship is not everything it appears to be. They have just written a book on how to have a successful marriage but there is falling apart. Carey has been working for them for 10 years, whereas James is new. They end up forming an unexpected bond when they are forced to babysit the Tripps on their book tour.

The interesting thing about this book is that it has a similar feel to a Liane Moriarty book. It starts with Carey and James being interviewed by the police regarding some event that happened. They then go back to the beginning to talk about how they ended up at this event but it is still interspersed with flash forwards to present day.

While I liked Carey, I felt like this format didn’t work for me to build a romance. I also wasn’t crazy about James and I don’t know if that’s due to the writing style, or if it was just James. I do like this book better than Twice in a Blue Moon, but it didn’t have that Christina Lauren spark that I loved in Josh & Hazel or The Unhoneymooners.

It’s not that it’s bad by any means. I enjoyed the book a lot and flew through it. I think I just automatically compare it to their other books and it falls a little short. It’s a little bit more serious than their previous novels.

I did like that Carey had a lot of layers to her story. I found her relationship with Melissa Tripp to almost be more interesting than the one that developed with James. The history that they had and the dysfunction that it led to was interesting and I would have gladly delved into it more. The relationship between James and Carey seemed like one of convenience and while James was nice enough, he was very vanilla.

While this isn’t one of my favorite Christina Lauren novels, it is still a solid three star read. If you’re looking for a silly or light hearted romance, I would recommend some of their other books, but if you want something with a little bit more weight to it, then you should check this one out. The writing and the characters are still solid and I will definitely continue to read and enjoy all of their books.