I loved it!!!
I loved everything about it!!!!!
I shouldn't be so satisfied because the Tripp's are beyond manipulative and self-absorbed....and it took me quite a bit to warm up to Jim.
Still. Carey's journey was sooooooooo worth the "trip."
I loved all it's angsty head gameyness (yup thats a word).

Shel: Surely Christina Lauren wanted us to conjure up Chip and Joanna Gaines when we were reading about Melissa and Rusty, right? I mean sure the fictional versions were terrible to each other behind the cameras and only nice when they were in public, but isn't that what so many people suspect about the Gaines? That there is no way that they're as fun and sweet and loving as they appear to be?! The fictional version definitely opens up the fantastical possibilities of just how horrible reality tv stars can be. And while Melissa and Rusty weren't the main focus of this novel, they sure were an interesting side show to read about...and they definitely made me feel for their assistants, Carey and James. Court: These types of stories do make you wonder, especially when some reality stars whose last name starts with K always ends up being true of the rumors, it is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine to read this trope due to that exact reason. And then...the author's ability to really make a manipulative bunch and whoa...I saw this train wreck going off the rails and what a ride it was.

Shel: This enemies to lovers, work place romance had the romantic comedy feel that we've come to associate with Christina Lauren. The mishaps and inner monologues of these characters provided many smiles but the thing that really stood out to me was Carey's storyline. Her history with Melissa and Rusty and why she stayed with them, despite their obvious willingness to take advantage of her was not what I expected at all. Court: Nope. Not me either. I really liked her story, and her character because she is still true to herself and really using all of the tools that we sometimes forget we have to be able to grow as a person. She got herself where she needed to be with therapy, and self affirmation, and just trying to grow up and take control and be assertive and I really like how that was all written.

Shel: The Honey-Don't List will make you smile while making you wonder what really does happen behind the scenes of those famous HGTV stars. Court: We really flew through this one and definitely don't miss any of Christina Lauren's releases these days so check this one out too!

Rom-Coms are my jam and anything by Christina Lauren is definitely on my list of books to read. Funny and entertaining, I couldn't put this book down.

*Received an early digital review copy for an honesty review*
2/5 stars

So I've read other Christina Lauren novels and have mostly enjoyed them so I was looking forward to reading this one, but sadly this fell flat to me. First the concept reminded me of the Netflix film Set It Up which I really love (and recommend watching if you like the assistant trope) but this novel felt more like the assistants being the nannies/ children of divorce parents and I just couldn't stand it and push through this read. At first I didn't really see the connection between the two assistants, Carey and James, it didn't feel like a true match to me and a bit forced because of proximity and situation. The two bosses Melissa and Rusty were just annoying and honestly a bit emotionally abusive and sometime physically violent which I felt was glossed over as just like regular "fighting married couple" and it just didn't sit well with me, especially when Melissa, the power hunger business woman, was just horrible didn't really change or didn't receive much consequences from her actions. (Also, don't really get how the title played into the story). Overall, this romance novel was just okay and the romance itself was just okay.

I have given Christina Lauren so many chances now and I just don't get it. I never find myself connecting with the characters in anyway that makes me root for them and their love story. This was just meh. It wasn't bad but I really didin't need to waste a couple hours of my life ready it. I have In a Holidaze on my TBR for this month and this will be the LAST CHANCE I give these authors.
I received an ARC of this novel via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute and charming romance, however the characters didn't have very much chemistry. I feel that this authors series are much better than their stand alones.

This was an okay read. The story was okay, the romance was okay, and the characters.. actually they were more than okay. The characters felt real and relatable, and clearly a lot of thought was put into their backstories, which was great. Because it made everything more believable, and it was easier to feel invested in their lives. But honestly, this was not enough. Not nearly enough when everything else was pretty much meh.

I honestly really enjoyed Christina Lauren's books in the past, but some of the more recent ones are not packing the punch the initial books used to. So I am probably going to be more cautious about getting their future releases, especially if they have attracted mixed reviews like this one.

I love Christina Lauren! They create the best stories together. This is another hit for me and I can't wait for their next book already!

I have read a few books by CL and have adored them so much.
The premise is a couple starts from the bottom and works their way up, from small furniture store to now TV home stars. They have a book launching about how they can stay so happy and build a great marriage....shocker their marriage is falling apart. Each of their assistants is tasked with keeping up appearances until they cannot manage anymore and things spiral. The main story line is between the two assistants and how they fall in love during an awkward and stressful week. I really like the main characters and wish we had more time with them. A lot was focused on their bosses, who unfortunately seemed to be created after two big american TV home fixing stars. That connection made it really hard to pull me into the story. Also after the spiral things seems to just even out.....with not a lot of information on how things played out.

I will definitely read another by them and hope this is just a fluke read!

Carey’s life has revolved around Melissa and Rusty Tripp since she was sixteen. She started working with them in their first store, and has since, helped them build an empire. Fast forward ten years and they now having a TV show and a book coming out, which wouldn’t have been possible without her. James is an engineer, who’s life fell apart after a scandal at his company. He is now Rusty’s right hand man. Life is not as glamorous at the Tripp’s make it seem. It’s up to Carey and James to keep them together on their book tour.

This book was a fast and enjoyable read, but it was not one of my favorites by my favorite author duo. The book was more of a contemporary romance versus their usual romcoms. I loved both Carey and James and their relationship, though I wish there was more about them. It was told in dual POV from Carey and James, which I loved. I thought the book was good, it had drama, romance, and some LOL moments. If you’re a fan of design and fixer upper shows, I would recommend checking this book out!

This book was so satisfying on so many levels. A peek inside those HGTV power-couples (even if it is fictional) revealing that everything is definitely NOT as put together as it seems. The drama, the love, the setting - in my opinion, this is Christina Lauren at their juicy best!

This book had similar problems that a lot of Christina Lauren's stand alone titles have. The main characters didn't have a lot of chemistry, and they couldn't keep my interest. It is still a good basic romcom book, so I recommend it for a fun read, but it is not their best.

A charming HGTVish romance that brings all kinds of feel good moments between the main characters. Once again the dynamic duo that make up Christina Lauren bring a sexy, sweet, and swoony story to life. I enjoyed seeing/reading the love story between James and Carey unfold in all kinds of fun and quirky ways!

I am a sucker for anything written by Christina Lauren. Throw in an HGTV’esque backdrop for the story and I’m IN! And they delivered, yet again, with THE HONEY DON’T LIST. I LOL’d at Carey and James’ banter and their chemistry was off the charts. The plot itself reminded me a bit of the Netflix movie “Set it Up”, but 100 times funnier. A fun and quick read!

RECOMMENDED!

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I adore Christina Lauren's books. However, this was just not my favorite. It was an interesting premise for sure (and obvious WHO Melissa and Rusty Tripp were based off). I like the interior design aspect and the high jinx between James and Carey. I do like them together. I think Carey's reasoning for sticking with the Tripps and up with the abuse just didn't felt lacking for me. The writing was good and there were funny parts.

This was an okay book for me, I finished it because I wanted to read something on the nights I couldn’t sleep. In reality this was a let down especially after Unhoneymooners. I felt like it could have been so much better but instead it was about drama more than romance. Not for me tbh.

This was an okay book. I am not the biggest fan of Christina Lauren, so I don't know why this is the third book of theirs that I've read, but they're usually so hyped up that I can't help myself. While this was set up differently, I was disappointed in the ending. I also find that the plots to their books are usually too far-fetched for my taste in contemporary, which is how I felt with this one, as well. So this was probably the last book I'll read by these authors but I can see the appeal, and would recommend it to fans of the authors.

Mileage varies heavily for romance, but, for me, this was better than the last couple of CLo books. My personal favorites were back in their erotica days, and my interest has waned as they've veered into plot-focused romantic comedies and put their character and relationship development in the backseat to that. This is very much that, but there's enough charm and shippiness to keep me fairly happy.

The plot is sort of The Hating Game lite lite lite but set in the world of reality TV and with a dose of comedic police procedural. The plot takes a lot of development time away from the romance, which is a shame, because, while it's good, it could have been phenomenal. I'm starting to wonder if CLo aren't getting edited for content as heavily as they once were, because I feel like this could have used another round of edits at least.

The police interviews really need to go. When I got to the end of the book, I honestly could not understand what the point of them had been, since it felt like very little actually happened??? I get that they served as a hook to catch the reader's interest at the start, but a hook that ends up having no real relevance is known as a gimmick.

That said, I genuinely liked the ship in this one. They went for a hate-to-love thing between rival assistants, which is my catnip. Be aware that the hate part isn't particularly convincing, because the book skips over a couple years of their relationship, so they hate each other for like two chapters. But the romance is very convincing, the thing that was missing entirely from Twice in a Blue Moon. Carey and James are adorable together, and that kept me interested.

I actually also liked the reality TV stuff, and Carey's complicated relationship with Melly and Rusty. It's not groundbreaking stuff, but I thought Carey's emotional landscape was handled very well. At least right until the end where Melissa has a very sudden and unexplained change of heart which felt unconvincing without any foundation. Still, overall, I was really into this aspect of the plot, and it's probably the most complex, nuanced relationship in the book.

I got through this one in just a couple of sittings, and I had a fun time with it. There were some good things and some puzzling things. Reviews have been very mixed and I can see precisely why that is.

This was fine. I'm in the majority here when I say this is not Christina Lauren's best book, and it's honestly probably their worst book. I didn't feel like these characters had a lot in common, like their relationship built over time, or like there was any basis for their loving one another. They felt thrown together based on the fact that it would probably make for an interesting story rather than that they seemed to have any chemistry. It was an insta-love, no chemistry book that I think I would've liked more if it featured Melly and Rusty trying to save their marriage rather than James and Carey magically falling in love. I don't really have much else to say other than that. I read it (after putting it off for six months because of bad reviews) because I read all of CL's books, not because I particularly wanted to. So, if you're not super dedicated to reading their catalog, you can def skip this one.