The way the story is written makes the book intriguing. You don't know what happened until near the end but you do know that something went wrong. And with the turn of every page the storm keeps brewing. The first thing you feel is sorry for these characters because their job is brutal and draining. James and Carey are under appreciated, over worked and over stressed but that causes them to trust and rely on each other. Partners in misery and all that. But I guess that is what makes their connection more special. Tough times help them develop a sense of respect and admiration for the other. And besides being intriguing, the story becomes a little sad by showing how ugly people can turn when they allow material things change them and their priorities.

Carey Duncan has worked for Melissa and Rusty Tripp, home remodeling gurus, for all of her adult life. The Tripps have a new show about launch as well as a book on marriage, but Melly and Russ cannot stand each other. Carey and Rusty’s assistant James (who was hired on as an engineer for the show) are asked to accompany them on a tour for their new book to keep the Tripps in line. While doing so, Carey and James grow close; however, they are unable to keep Melissa and Rusty from imploding. Will all of their careers go up in b⁣
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I found this book to be cute, but it also touched on more serious issues — cheating, abuse, and disability. I feel like The Honey-Don’t List did a great job of balancing serious issues with feel-good romance. ⁣

2.5  (rounded up to 3)

Thank you to Gallery Books for the free review copy. All opinions are my own. 

I normally enjoy the contemporary romance books by this author duo, but unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me. However, I did enjoy different parts of the the book. I think that delving into the world of what the other side of a home renovation show looks like was fascinating. It's so easy to forget that these people that are seen on these shows have their own lives and issues going on behind the scenes. I think that the authors did a great job of highlighting how not everything is picture perfect like reality TV wants us to see it as. 

I liked the characters of Carey and James, but the buildup of their plot lines took forever in this book. I kept wondering when something was going to happen with the main characters, instead of only with the Melissa and Rusty, the home renovation couple. I also thought once things started happening, they were extremely rushed. The last chapter of the book did not feel complete like the endings of their other novels I have read. 

I do think that other readers will love this book because they do write unique plots every time. Their books have romance, some steam, and fun characters which usually make for a great storyline.

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren was a cute book that follows a pair of assistants to a renowned Home Improvement TV couple who are icons in their field. They're publishing a book on how to have a great marriage when their's has been falling apart for years. Hilarity ensues, but the character development is a bit weak and once again, as in many novels, the male character, James McCann is together and strong and the female lead, Carey Douglas is a mess and needs James to remind her of what she can be and do. The one thing I did like about this novel was that Carey had a disability and work, thriving despite of it and James was compassionate towards her regarding it. As one with an invisible illness, it was wonderful to see this depicted in a novel. Kudos to Christina Lauren!

Thank you to the author, Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel for my honest review.

I was so excited to get this book from Christina Lauren! I've been fans of this pairing from back in their Twilight fanfiction days. I've read most of their books without getting the ARCs.
This story was about two personal assistants to a married couple that has a home-improvement/tv empire. The couple hate each other and act like grown children. The two assistants are left to deal with all of their ridiculous requests and late hours. Carey basically grew up as a member of their family so it is hard for her to break away and become her own person. James is a recent hire who's in it for the engineering job that he hopes will come his way from contact with the empire.
James and Carey are forced to go on a book tour with the couple to try to keep them from killing each other and become attracted to each other quickly when they spend time together.
The reader knows that something dreadful happened because the story is interspersed with police interviews with both Carey and James lol.
I felt that Carey's emotional development could have used a little more time but overall an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Working for the Tripp’s is an all day and night task. As a married couple they have designed rooms, made furniture, wrote a book, and produced a show. All this success came at a cost. Josie and James are the two assistants who work to maintain the brand and the image.

Overall:
The story follows the lives of four characters. Two of the characters are assistants who work closely with the Tripp’s. The Tripp’s are the social media sensation married couple.
Essentially, the reader gets an unexpected romance brewing between two unlikely characters thrown together for damage control. This part of the story is cute and fun. In a nutshell your getting a work place romance .
The Twitter or online social media posts were confusing to read. Personally I got the gist of what these authors were trying to illustrate without the proof of the written posts.
I’m disappointed my wild imagination didn’t come to fruition with those interview transcripts. I thought the authors were leading the readers into a completely different direction. I was way off base.
Christina Lauren will always hold a spot at the top of my favorite list for writing Beautiful Bastard, Stranger, and Player. Unfortunately, those three books are the only books to grace my favorites list. Every book since those three have been a battle for me. Each book good, but not memorable the same way those three books were.

Smart and funny.
This is the first book I read from this author and would love to see more of this work. The story revolves around the life of a home design power couple, that are promoting their new show and a book about marriage. All looks well from the outside, but an incident will drag their personal assistants to referee and babysit the couple and maintain appearances.
In this process, a lot of things will develop for the main characters.

DNF Did not finish. Read 51% and quit.
Good premise that lost its steam & turned to sex to redeem story.
Will not leave any reviews on any sites.

Carey lucked into a job at sixteen that turned into working for Melissa and Rusty Tripp, the famous designers with books, tv shows, and fans galore. But being Melly’s assistant is starting to take its toll when Melly and Rusty’s marriage is on the rocks right before their marriage book tour and brand new solo show. Suddenly Carey and James (Rusty’s engineer, but really just his assistant) are forced to give up their long awaited week off to join the two on tour and keep their failing marriage under wraps. Easier said than done when the two are constantly fighting.

Christina and Lauren do it again! Not that I had any doubts that they would! This book was cute, funny at times, cringe worthy at other times, and overall just a great read! While I wanted to smack Melly and Rusty at times, I also got a kick out of their insane antics, and loved watching Carey grow and learn to stick up for herself a bit. Another highly recommended book from this author duo! This was my final book of 2019 and I couldn’t have picked a better book to end on!

I always enjoy titles from this author. However, this one felt a little weaker than some of her other books. This is maybe due to the fact that the main characters are taking care of a couple whose relationship is on the rocks. This rocky relationship takes away from the main characters. I also found the female protagonist to be a little weak for my liking. Also, the male protagonist was a little less dreamy than most. That said, it was still an enjoyable read and I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think I could have chosen a better book to start the new year (new DECADE) off with than this! As with everything Christina and Lauren do, this book is wonderfully written. There's a real-life grittiness to the whole thing that I appreciated. Not a single character in this story was in any way perfect. They were all flawed human beings and I adored the realness of it all. Most romances seem to ignore reality and the ones that do try to include it often seem to miss the mark. It is refreshing to read something so grounded in genuine human experience.

I found the plot fairly unique while still being topical. Home improvement shows are trendy and reading this story felt like a sneaky peek behind the curtain. I felt like I was getting an exclusive look into that world. Everything fit and made sense and was executed brilliantly!

I loved Carey. She's beautiful and self-conscience and has her own struggles and is a great person. Her character arc is lovely and I was incredibly appreciative of how real she remained throughout. I feel like it's rare to find, especially in this genre.

My only complaint is how the whole thing started. It starts with a partial transcript of a police interview. I knew right away that something big had happened. Not too far into that transcript is mention of Laramie, Wyoming. Now I love when stories begin in medias res but this particular set of circumstances - police interview and Laramie, WY - put me in a certain state of mind because I know some of the recent history of Laramie. I immediately had an idea of what the story could be about. That idea was totally wrong; it could not have been further from the truth. And that was problematic for me because it took a while to a) figure out that my assumption had been wrong and b) correct my mood for the lighter plot it ended up being. But that's my only issue and it was a fantastic story!

I would recommend this to anyone who:
- wants to read a wonderful romance
- likes a unique, relevant plot
- adores Christina Lauren!

Christina Lauren knows how to immerse you completely in a book. You feel the characters' stress and desire, and the romance flows through the pages and into your soul.

God, I wanted to punch Melly in the face. It was visceral. The ending was abrupt, but otherwise I loved it.

This book was fun to read. Rusty and Melissa were very much in love but when their furniture and room designs, television program, and book took off; their love for each other suffered. Carey is hired to keep Melissa organized and James does the same for Rusty. Trying to keep the two from fighting in public once their book on their love relationship comes out, proves to be difficult. James and Carey, once a bit annoyed with each other, suddenly find they have a lot in common and they become each other's best confidants. Their relationship blossoms and becomes the most important piece of their lives. The author does a great job exposing all of the characters and sharing how events in one's life can destroy love. Getting caught up in life and letting it dictate how you treat others can ruin a career as well as a marriage. Insightful moments that speak to everyone.

What happens when the couple you work for, who are promoting a book on happy marriage, are at odds with each other? This is a fun story of two people who find themselves in this situation and try to keep the public from knowing the truth. Enjoy.

Loved it. Very well written and amusing. Just enough romance with an abundance of memorable characters.

This was a cute and fun read. I have never read this author but she is apparently well known in the rom-com genre readership. It was a behind the scenes look at a home decorating duo and the aides that make it work. Their relationship grows as the duo's falls apart. Enjoyable afternoon.

Christina Lauren delivers a story that illustrates new love built from shared experience and old love that falls apart. The contrast pushes the reader to think more about love and relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I love Christina Lauren and this one was no exception. It was super cute and a quick, easy read. I read it in just a few hours! It kept me interested and I give it 4/5 stars.

This is my first Lauren Christina novel, and I enjoyed the fun,light-hearted feel of this novel.

It follows the story of Carey, a talented designer, who works for Melissa and Rusty Tripp, a once down-to-earth husband and wife design team that has now made it big.

Right off the bat there’s the typical assistant-boss awkwardness, that quickly drags Carey into a trip she doesn’t want to take. She doesn’t have to take it alone, as JAmes, Rusty’s assistance is also charged with attended the trip.

Carey and James hit it off in the midst of trying to navigate life on the road (for barely a week!) with Melly and Rusty.

The story isn’t without shockers, and through it all, it becomes a nice, redemptive, read about valuing yourself and learning what (and who) you truly love.

If you enjoy rom-coms, light hearted fiction, and quick reads, I highly recommend this one.

AND THEY ARE BACK! Okay this one certainly hit the post right on the red. I was giving up a little with CLo and was planning on taking a break from their books but yet again, I was drawn in by this incredible cover and thankfully it did not disappoint. You should not expect less from CLo especially when dealing with emotional complex characters that are just meant to be. MUST READ!