Melissa and Rusty Tripp are cut from the same DIY supercouple cloth as "lifestyle" celebs Chip and Joanna Gaines. While they're pushing an Instagram happy image and promoting a book about how to have a happy marriage, secretly, it's falling apart. Their assistants Carey and James are helping them keep up the facade as they head out on book tour.

The Honey-Don't List was a little too LA, too reality show for my taste. The assistants, Carey especially, are treated terribly and taken advantage of. All of Melissa and Rusty's drama overshadows the budding romance between Carey and James. It may appeal to Chip and Joanna Gaines fans, but it just wasn't my favorite.

I normally love Christina Lauren's titles but recently I have found that I haven't been resonating with them as much as I have with titles in the past

Once again, Christina Lauren has offered a fast, wonderful story with remarkable characters that I would recognize and love to know. For ten years, Carey has designed for and managed a chimerical home design team of Melissa and Rusty Tripp, living unacknowledged and taken for granted in the interest of harmony and supporting a couple who feel like family. Searching for a way to get past scandal at his former job, James joins the company just as its hitting the big time. The pressures of a new show and a book tour blow up the stale fantasy of a blissfully married business couple -- and complicate Carey and James' already fraught work lives. Carey and James fall for one another just as the carefully constructed unreality of their work lives explodes. This book hits the marks for integrity, believability in an unreal world, and rock solid emotion.

3.5 Stars

I bumped The Honey Don’t List to the top of the queue thinking it had already been published and I was late to the party. After I finished I realized it doesn’t come out until mid-March so yay to me for being such an overachiever. Christina Lauren is a duo that I request every time I see a new release. While their stories don’t necessarily knock my socks off, they are always a decent way to kill some time – especially when life gets too lifey and I need something light.

This kicks off with a fictionalized version of HGTV’s resident sweethearts. Married 26 years with two adult children, Rusty and Melly Tripp built a home remodeling dynasty in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on nothing but hard work and turned it into the Comb + Honey brand found at local Targets and Walmarts nationwide. Melly is known for making the most of a tiny space by utilizing modular design. Rusty is known for – well . . . . . cutting himself within five minutes of starting a project and being a cut-up.

Now the couple is getting ready to launch a brand new television series. The only problem? What if instead of things being picture perfect, behind the scenes things look more like take your shiplap and stick it where the sun don't shine (and much much worse).

Enter James and Carey – Rusty and Melly’s personal assistants. Their job is to basically babysit the duo in order to keep the truth of their failing marriage out of the press until the launch of the new series.

Notice how I talked ZERO about the main characters who are destined to fall in love? Yeah, this one will either work for you or it won’t. It was light on the romance as well as the angst and kind of written for a specific audience – those who are obsessed with Chip and Joanna Gaines (a/k/a me). I read it from start to finish yesterday and had a fine time doing so. I thought James was a bit of a pussy, but since I’m a gal who generally seeks out grunting cavemen motorcycle riders to be my book boyfriends, you should probably take that opinion with a grain of salt.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Utterly delightful. This was my first Christina Lauren book; I promise it won't be my last. Funny, emotional and romantic. Would totally recommend!

This light read with the predictable ending is just right for a short escape from reality, perfect for a beach weekend. Capitalizing on the current enthusiasm for DIY and home improvement shows, Lauren gives us a cast of characters dealing with a successful TV show, an unsuccessful marriage, a last-ditch effort to save a new career, and self-esteem. Carey Douglas has worked for Rusty and Melissa Tripp for years, starting in high school. In many ways, they've been like parents for her. As their fame has soared, their marriage has crashed and Carey, who has long been the master mind behind the designs, now has her hands full trying to cover up the cracks in the marriage until the new TV series is signed, sealed, and delivered.

James McCann, recently hired MIT engineering grad struggling to save his own career after starting work with a company being investigated for all sorts of malfeasance, finds himself signed on to be the other half of the 'save the face of the marriage' team. Carey and James have a near impossible task on their plate but valiantly try to meet the goal.

Christina Lauren does it again! This dynamic duo has written a truly compelling romantic comedy. The Honey-Don't List is a smart, witty commentary on an odd facet of modern society: our obsession with home decor, everyday designers becoming overnight sensations and the powerful influence of fame on a marriage.
This novel holds such a clever premise--reigning lifestyle gurus who appear to adore one another yet their lives beyond the spotlight paint a much different picture. The role of the celebrity couple's personal assistants adds another layer of entertainment to this already enjoyable novel. These two characters are the hero and heroine of the novel, tasked with keeping the superstars on track during their whirlwind book tour, while making sure the adoring fans never find out the truth. Of course that's an impossible task given every human carries a recording device and the most unfortunate situations trend on social media in a hot minute.
I thought the dialog was well-written, the characters either appropriately deplorable or easy to love, and the pace kept me turning pages quickly. Fans of Christina Lauren will gobble this one up.

Content warning: I'd characterize the heat level as medium with occasional open-door scenes.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions shared here are my own.

4.5 Stars

Carey and James are both in a bind. They can’t get out from under the famous duo of Melissa and Rusty Tripp. Carey has worked for the couple for ten years and has no education to help her move on in her design career if things blow up. James thought working for the Tripps as an engineer was a godsend after his last employer got caught breaking the law. Neither can leave the couple’s employ and are desperate to keep them together just a little bit longer.

The duo of Christina Lauren has another best-seller on their hands. The story of James and Carey desperately trying to save their employer’s marriage and careers is told with several twists and turns. We get so much story in this novel from several different places. We get a peek into the minds of Carey and James with chapters written from their point-of-view. What I also found wonderfully refreshing is the way the ladies dropped in police interview transcripts from both Carey and James, as well as Twitter feeds and other entertainment news. These all together told a fun and vibrant story of opposites falling head over heels in love. From a bargain hotel to a luxury tour bus, Carey and James have plenty of shenanigans to keep readers entertained throughout.

I received The Honey-Don't List for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I don't know if Christina Lauren is capable of writing a bad book. Everything I've read of theirs is fantastic!

Carey and James are each assistant to half of a home-renovation power couple, Melissa and Rusty Tripp. Carey has been working in her job for 10 years, and cares for the Tripps like family. James is new to the whole assistant gig, and is not a fan. The Tripps are on a nonstop roll, with one reno show ending, a book being published, and a new Netflix-exclusive show coming out. The pace is exhausting, and taking a toll on everyone. As Carey and James work together to try to keep the Tripp's marriage from publicly imploding, they begin to grow closer.

If you read and liked The Unhoneymooners, you'll like this book. The romance isn't as slow to develop as in the former, but it's also not as hot and heavy. It seems sweet and genuine, and the author gave the female protagonist a medical affliction I had never heard of, so it was interesting to learn more about that. You know right from the start that SOMETHING happened in the book, as it opens with James and Carey giving vague police statements. As you read, you start to hope that it wasn't a murder, but that's not the kind of writer we're working with here!

Carey has been a personal assistant and surrogate daughter to Melissa and Rusty Tripp for 10 years but is undervalued and often verbally abused. Her job is to keep the Tripp's happy as they become the "It" couple of home improvement reality TV shows. Somewhere over the years, their marriage has imploded so it's up to Carey and Jim, Rusty's new personal assistant, to make their latest book tour work. If social media finds out how they really feel about each other, their how-to-have-a-great-marriage self help book is doomed, not to mention season 2 of their hit TV series. Humorous, but sometimes painful, this is an enjoyable story of relationships and finding one's self. Recommended.

What a fun read! Of course it made me think of a certain Texas couple who does home remodel :) I really enjoyed the writing and the characters and thought it was a fun insight into this world.

This was such a fun read! I've never read a Christina Lauren book before but I'll definitely be picking up more from this duo after reading The Honey Don't List. The characters were super fun, and as someone who is obsessed with all things home renovation, I found the subject matter to be super entertaining. The only thing I would've liked better was if Carey and James had more buildup, and wouldn't have gone from 'you annoy the crap out of me' to 'I love you' within the course of a week. Other than that though, this was gold!

Enjoyed this book very much. A story of Carey who dedicated her early work years to two selfish people who did design and a tv show so casing their “ so called designs” Carey tried to keep things under control for her sake and the star couple Melly and Rusty. Their marriage has been in trouble for years but the tv world doesn’t know this.
Carey tries to keep them from killing each other but it takes a tole on her own health, love life and her own inspirations.

The Honey-Don’t List is the ninth (!) novel I’ve read by Christina Lauren. This novel has a premise straight out of a romantic comedy: two assistants (Carey and James) are set to the task of making sure the couple they work for (Melissa and Rusty Tripp, who happen to be famous for remodeling homes and furniture design) act like they’re still happily in love in public, even if their relationship has deteriorated to antagonism behind the scenes. Much like any romantic comedy, The Honey-Don’t List is liberally sprinkled with funny shenanigans, those standout dramatic moments, heartbreaking confrontations and plenty of romantic tension. But, in the end, it was our main couple, Carey and James, that solidified my overall enjoyment of this story. Carey is immediately likable, a small-town girl who is extremely capable, emotionally bonded with her bosses (they’re like family to her) and who stays in her job for personal reasons. James is also easy to like, an engineering nerd whose former job circumstances resulted in him having to accept this position (though he thought he would be an engineer, and not a PA). Their chemistry grows gradually and authentically, and I appreciated that development happening alongside the way they both challenge the other’s perspective in their encounters. Though it does get a bit over-the-top in the drama department at times and the resolution feels a touch rushed, I still thought The Honey-Don’t List was a fun addition to the Christina Lauren collection.

Carey and James work for home renovation moguls, Melly and Rusty Tripp. Managing these two is demanding and stressful so what better environment for a bond and an attraction to bloom?

Much of the first 40% of this book was used to set up the story, so I finally felt my interest pique about that point. I really liked Carey and James together but felt irritated and distracted by the rest of the story. Melly and Rusty (but especially Melly) were not at all likable characters and, unfortunately, their anger at each other distracted me from the heartfelt spark between Carey and James. I did like the ending but not enough to raise it another star.

3.5 stars (4 for the steamy love story and 3 for the rest of it)

Location: Jackson, Wyoming

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book was as "charming" as "shiplap" and sweet as "Magnolias"! Modeled after a couple of America's sweethearts, this book takes you on the adventure of what happens when things get to be just too much. While I certainly do not hope that this type of breakdown is going on behind the scenes in real-life, it was interesting to consider the what-if. And to follow the lives of two people who want nothing more than to selflessly support the imploding couple... nothing short of entertaining. This is the kind of book that I love to relax with after a long day. Somewhat predictable, but light and charming... something that you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride! Loved it!

The world behind the scenes at a home makeover show is just what you would imagine in The Honey-Don't list. Watching the delightfully flawed lives of the show's hosts and creators unravel from the point of view of the assistant who quietly makes things happen is very satisfying, especially if you enjoy a bit of righteous indignation and I-told-you-so's along with a side of Christina and Lauren's satisfying trademark steamy romantic entanglements.
I usually dive into their delightful collaborations headfirst and finish with a strong 5-star review. With this advance review copy, however, I felt like the main characters weren't quite as fleshed-out or compelling. If you're new to Christina Lauren's books, they're a collaboration between two best friends who do a magical job of challenging each other as they take turns weaving their stories. Pick up one of their other's first (The Unhoneymooners comes to mind as does My Favorite Half-Night Stand as two of my super-favorites) and then read this one as a sorbet or dessert once you've been fully introduced...

I’m officially OBSESSED with the “fixer-upper” type shows – but only the couples ones. With the ‘designer’ wife who is artistic and has a specific design aesthetic, the goofy but talented and hard working husband, and the many different ways they look at these houses. Less interesting but more fun (if for the arguments and whinging over budgets) are the ‘prep the house to stay or sell’ shows – they just make me wonder just how difficult the ‘stars’ are. And Christina Lauren took their powers of two and dove in. Carey has worked for Melissa and Rusty Tripp since the beginning, and done every job. Now she’s an integral part of the ‘team’ and spends most of her time calming the storm that is Melissa, while trying to manage her own issues with a muscular-skeletal disorder, which is worsened by stress and lack of sleep – two key components of her job. Perhaps the real twist for Carey here is that the salary and the health insurance she gets is stellar, and as Melly and Rusty know of her issues – they allow her the time to go to the doctors for treatment – but she can’t leave because of the insurance.

James is a structural engineer – hired on the spot by Melly after his firm went into the headlines in spectacularly bad fashion, and he’s set to ‘wrangle’ Rusty, with vague promises of engineering work to come. He bristles at the jibes that Carey throws his way about being an assistant – his education and background are suited for so much more. But he’s sharp and clever, and soon is bristling at the way Melly treats Carey, the frequent kerfuffles he has to drag Rusty out of, and finally, trying to help the two maintain the appearance of a happy marriage when it is anything but – AND they are on a book tour to promote their book on marriage.

A bit different from the other books from this duo that I’ve read, the reveals were a bit predictable where Carey was concerned, but having James be the one who is crushing on Carey, and her pushing him away is a twist that I didn’t see coming, even as she will admit that he calms her and sees her for who she is – despite her trying to always stay in the background. With some epic “uh-oh” moments that the two of them are involved in, and a police interrogation, it’s going to take some spectacular fireworks for Carey to find her own two feet, and for James to take a stand. There’s plenty going on here, and Carey’s medical condition and struggles with it, and subsequently her self-esteem, are cleverly portrayed and depicted, and there really couldn’t have been a better ending for this light, quick read that provides a lot of laughs – if for the ridiculous imagery brought up in the moments of utter tension and marital strife.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aE2 /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I had a hard time reading this book without envisioning a certain HGTV power couple at the center of the drama. Christina Lauren's latest romance involves the power couple's long-time assistant and their newest employee who are tasked to keep the home renovation superstars' marriage troubles under wraps and find love in the process. While the premise was fun, this story lacked the magic of earlier Christina Lauren books like Twice in a Blue Moon and the Unhoneymooners. It's still worth a read, but maybe go in with lowered expectations if you're familiar with their other work.

I am such a Christina Lauren fan and this book is just another brick on the scale of why- funny and heartwarming, every page was a pleasure!!!