I was so happy that the publisher and netgalley granted me this ARC of one of my favorite authors!! I love me some Christina Lauren! I will say that this particular novel deviated from their usual witty, sexy banter. It was in no way bad, just different from their usual stories. I enjoyed the premise and of course the writing was great. That being said, it wasn’t my favorite book by them, but I still liked it!

The Unhoneymooners, Josh and Hazel, and My Favorite Half-Night Stand are a few of my favorite CLo RomComs, and I was really looking forward to this one, especially after the let-down that TIABM was for me, but this too, was a miss.

This felt a lot like poking fun at Chip and Joanna Gaines and their Magnolia Empire which, alright, yes, I'm sure we all have wondered if their life is as great as they make it seem, myself included, but still. They were who I kept picturing while reading and it made things awkward.

As with every book this dynamic author duo writes, there will be plenty of people who love it. And as usual, I will be anxiously awaiting for whatever they write next.

Thank you for the chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review!

Another winner from the writing team of Christina Lauren.

Melissa and Rusty Tripp are home renovation and lifestyle powerhouses with a TV show, books and merchandise (think Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia dynasty). A marital implosion occurs right before embarking on a book promotional bus tour prior to launching their new Netflix series. Someone has to go along to babysit these two to keep their “brand” intact.

Part adopted daughter, part employee (all dysfunctional relationship), Carey is pressured to take on this chore and give up her only vacation in like 10 years. James, the recently hired Director of Engineering, which is his official title but he has begrudgingly become Rusty’s keeper, is also coerced onto the bus too.

Close proximity brings Carey and James together and makes Melissa and Rusty a powder keg waiting to ignite.

There is a transcript from a police investigation that pops up periodically foreshadowing something big is about to go down between all the characters sometime during this trip.

I would have liked an epilogue that was a few months or years into the future. I became invested in the charmingly flawed characters of Carey and James and wanted more about what the future held for them.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC

An absolutely stunning story full of sadness, hate, love and above all else hope! This is a story that shows us just how far some will go to achieve their goals but when it’s all said and done is it worth it?

Carey and James are trying to figure out that exactly! Is all this crazy worth it. Both want more, both DESERVE more but right now all they can do is keep the hot-mess that is the Tripp’s contained then they can work on their forever. Only one small problem; when you’re the person behind their success, leaving won’t be as easy as originally thought!

I absolutely loved the sparring between Carey and James but I also loved how they finally shed their exteriors and became friends! James could see through Carey’s tough facade just as Carey saw through his! For two months they worked for this “amazing” duo but they never saw the cracks in the other! Now working in close quarters has them both noticing things about the other that they just might like!

Christina Lauren have done it again with this one. Reading one of their books is like coming home. I loved the refreshing and unique plot of this novel. I love a good hate to love romance and it was even better when it was a backdrop to a celebrity couple going from love to hate.

The characters in this one were especially complex and I often found myself mad at what the protagonist forgave or put up with but that the beauty of the novel. Every decision and ounce of forgiveness propelled our MC forward into growing into the person she was meant to be. Her story arc was beautiful and inspiring.

This one has everything: Hate to love romance, drama, steamy encounters, and happily ever after.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

I loved this book! Carey was such a delightful character. I’m always a fan of Christina Lauren’s main characters, but Carey is my favorite. Carey Duncan is Melissa Tripp’s glorified assistant, but she pretty much runs the Tripp’s business Comb+Honey without any credit. In comes Rusty Tripp’s new assistant James McCann who is completely overqualified for the job. The Tripps marriage is on the verge of crumbling and that also means their business is at risk if Carey and James can’t work together to keep the Tripps from basically destroying themselves.
It starts with a police questioning and delves into the story from there. You are hooked straight from the beginning. I also appreciate reading from both character’s perspectives.

Christina Lauren has done it again! Another book that pulls me in, makes me laugh, and has me caring about the characters.. A story of loyalty, life, and love that I could not put down.

This book fell into the middle ground for me with Christina Lauren’s books. I enjoyed it a lot more than Twice in a Blue Moon but not as much as some of their previous ones. I always like the banter Christina Lauren creates for their characters. I thought the corner the main character felt backed into was pushed a little too far, or maybe given too much room in the story - the secrecy of it seemed played up a bit much at the beginning. I’ll continue reading their books, but am still looking for some of that emotional magic I found in their older books.

This was cute. The story line was engaging enough but I did skim at certain parts. This book reminds me of a made-for-Netflix movie starring only no-name actors. It’s cute and light.
Hgtv fans may enjoy the two “stars” in the book are like a fictional version of Chip and Joanna Gaines.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: contemporary romance is one of the hardest genres to pull off. Readers know a HEA is coming, unlike in other genres where the ending isn't guaranteed, which makes believable plot machinations that aren't too predictable or too stupid hard. It can be hard to generate conflict between characters that's believable and keeps you rooting for the ending. Christina Lauren are great at finding the plot and pulling it off!

Carey has worked for Melly and Rusty, a couple a la HGTV's Fixer Upper for almost ten years, since she was in high school. She's seen them rise from small time store owners to celebrity designers, but there marriage hasn't stayed the same. James hasn't worked for them long, but needs this job after the last company he worked for imploded, leaving a stain on his resume. When the two of them are forced to go on book tour with Melly and Rusty to try to keep the public from knowing the true state of the marriage, can they succeed?

The Dynamic Duo is BACK!!! Christina Lauren returns in 2020 with a romance on set of a reality TV fixer upper show - a la Chip & Joanna Gaines - but the catch here? The stars are not the romance pairing, it's their assistants! Carey & James are trying to get by and make names for themselves, despite their respective bosses behaving very badly and somewhere along the way, sparks begin to fly.

The Honey Don't List is more of a contemporary romance than a romantic comedy, it has heart, tension & drama.and all the things I've come to love from CL novels. While this one didn't take over the top spot on my list of their novels, I still enjoyed every single world and will eagerly be awaiting their next!

If you’ve ever looked at the super-sweet, shiplapped-folksy design duo of Chip and Joanna Gaines and wondered if things are really so country-chic perfect behind the scenes of Fixer Upper, this is the book for you. Melissa and Rusty Tripp are the famous couple and design gurus with their own media empire. The world loves their HGTV show, their interior decorating books, and their adorable and long-lasting marriage.

Only a few know the truth, including Melly’s longtime assistant, Carey, and Rusty’s reluctant new helper, James, who barely tolerate each other at work. When the two employees are forced to go on tour with the Tripps to tout their new relationship book (irony alert), they grow closer while wrangling the stars and attempting to avert disaster.

This was a surprisingly sweet and redemptive story about letting go of your past and learning to speak up for yourself. I didn’t love Christina Lauren’s last effort, so I was pleasantly surprised at how charming and fun and heartfelt this book was. And without spoilers, there’s a character living with a rare medical condition that the authors treat with dignity and respect, giving insight into a real issue I’d never heard of. Overall, this one’s a win.

<i>For more of my reviews, please visit:</i>

</b><a title="Star-Crossed Book Blog" href="http://starcrossedbookblog.com/""target="_blank"><img height="200" width="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/IBTEtkl.jpg" alt="descriptive text here" /></a> <u><b> </b></u>

<a title="Instagram" href="https://www.instagram.com/starcrossedbookblog/"target="_blank"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Ggr0pZY.png"></a> <a title="Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/starcrossedbookblog"target="_blank"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Lg4LEND.png"></a> <a title="Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/starcrossedblog"target="_blank"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Yvmy82T.png"></a> <a title="BLOGLOVIN" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/star-crossed-book-blog-13035961"target="_blank"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/5603QB3.png"></a> <a title="RSS" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/starcrossedbookblog/METU"target="_blank"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/0PuSHHG.png"></a>

I absolutely devoured this book. This was such a fun premise. Two assistants working for a home renovation power couple fall in love, as their bosses lives fall apart. I thought that the build up to the Carey and James romance was a little quick, but I think their character development was off the charts! So good.

This was another adorable romantic comedy from the talented writing duo Christina Lauren! I enjoyed this book all the way through, and thought it was so clever how the authors made it seem so realistic, basing it on a celebrity couple and how you really don't know what goes on behind closed doors. This was a fun, enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Holy hell, Christina Lauren has done it again. This Fixer Upper-esque rom-com with hunky nerds and charming designs and SEXUAL TENSION out the wahoo cleared me skin, made me believe in love again, and made my plants bloom. I am whole again, but also sad, because now I'm SO eager to read their next book. Seriously, this book went up on edelweiss on October 17th and I began reading it that evening. Twice in a Blue Moon wasn't even out yet. I admit it, I'm addicted.

Carey Duncan and James McCann work for Melly and Rusty Tripp- a Fixer Upper style HGTV couple with a little less joy because...their marriage isn't the best right now. But no one can know that--not with a book on marriage coming out and a Netflix show about to drop. So Carey and James join the Tripps on their book tour to keep up the optics. But close quarters end up pushing these two, who have wildly different backgrounds, together on the road. The pool scene---my god, the pool! It's sweet, sexy in places, has a lot of heart, and I love the little mystery of what the "event" is that the police are asking about at the very beginning.

Seriously, I know I say this everytime, but I think this is one of my favorites. Love & Other Words holds a special place because it's very similar to my own love story--but this one, wow. It's got a great set-up story with the HGTV show background, James is the cutest little nerd, I LOVE how Carey learns to stand up for herself, and the ending made me tear up. There's also some great dystonia rep (personal to the authors) and I love the way they use excerpts, interviews, tweets, etc. A 10/10 read for me! 5 stars! Fingers crossed everyone else picks this up when it comes out because I'll be raving about it for months.