Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Having read and loved Love and Other Words, I seem to hold all other Christina Lauren books to it as a comparison. Sometimes my current CL read lives up to the standard, and other times it doesn’t. The Honey-Don’t List falls in the middle for me. Definitely more enjoyable than Twice in a Blue Moon, but not on par with LAOW. I loved the book’s premise, but wish that James and Carey had been developed more, making their story more of a focus than that of Melly and Rusty. An okay story for me, but diehard CL fans will be happy with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review THE HONEY-DON’T LIST by Christina Lauren. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Five stars and here’s why:

LOVED IT! The authors did not disappoint! I’ve read a lot of Christina Lauren's books and this one is just as fabulous! Jack and Carey have chemistry in spades! While sparks flew and their love grew, their bosses’ marriage went completely haywire. It’s contemporary romance at its best! Highly recommend.

When I was on maternity leave, I devoured Fixer Upper and any home improvement show, oh HGTV. It got to the point, after watching 8 hours of home improvement, I wanted to shiplap my whole house and I mentally thought I could turn a dilapidated dresser into a beautiful TV stand. So the fact that Christina Lauren took my pipe dream passions and made it the bases of their book, meant I already had it in my pre-order shopping cart. Then they decided to add in an enemies-to-lovers trope, so naturally I automatically pushed “buy”.

I love how this is a bit dark and messy. Everyone at the beginning is the worst version of themselves. Carey is so resilient and humble, but she doesn’t know her own talent and refuses to believe in herself or even stand up for herself. She’s been broken down so much and she doesn’t see value in herself anymore which makes me so sad for her. James is a glasses wearer, engineer, who went to MIT, with a rocking body, and can cook. Basically my kryptonite (they basically described my husband), with the exception that he’s only out to get himself ahead and he’s shellfish in that respect.

Tension between Carey and James was sensational. I love how they live to push each other’s buttons. But it was sweet how they eventually become each other’s support system. It’s such a weird and unique situation that they are both in and only each other could understand. So them opening up and leaning on one another is such a sweet way to start their story.

They set up this book by slowly revealing a mystery through transcripts, excerpts, social media, and interviews that helps to enhance the structure of the plot. The mystery was so intriguing and intense. Having Melly and Rusty at the center of it and knowing how their characters unfolded, I wanted to keep reading, find out what happened. The writing was truly captivating.

It always baffles me that two authors are able to make one book flow so well. The way the scenes were described, I could see it, every emotion that every character felt, I could feel it. Christina Lauren was able to take the simple action of unbuttoning a coat and make it the most sensual act. Once the drama of Rusty and Melly got put into the background and Carey and James came to the foreground, that’s when I started to love the book. Rusty’s nicknames for James alone make the book amazing because they are reminiscent of Michael Scott and his nicknames for Jim Halpert.

It really is a heartfelt story about learning to love yourself and how to love others. It was a fun and entertaining story with a unique setup brought to life by the amazing writing talents of Christina Lauren.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I cannot begin to express how much I loved reading Never Enough by Kelly Elliott. The story was emotional, charming and angsty with characters I adored and a story I devoured. Brock Shaw broke my heart. He was a good man with a caring heart, but the past weighs heavily on him. Intent on forgetting this past mistakes, bull riding has become his escape. And yet he is full of guilt every time he leaves his son with his parents for work.

Lincoln is looking for a fresh start and this small town in Montana may just be what she needs. What she never expected was Brock and his adorable son to steal her heart. But Brock is not an easy man to love. Letting love in again was never his intention, but right from when they meet, the chemistry and connection is there. Can he learn to let Lincoln in?

I absolutely loved Never Enough by Kelly Elliot. It was emotional, angsty and heartwarming. I loved the characters so much and cannot wait to see what comes next in the series, though I have an idea! A great read and one I highly recommend.

Happy reading!

This is my first book by these authors and I will definitely be on the lookout for more from them! 5 stars for this one!
Carey has worked for the Tripp family since she was sixteen, now nearly a decade later, she's still working for them but on their show, in the back ground and as Melissa's assistant. And she's content being there sometimes. When Rusty hires a new assistant, James, Carey loves to tease him because he's an engineer doing an assistants job fetching dry cleaning and coffee.
When Carey & James are forced to go on the Tripps book tour to keep the peace between them, will they be able to fight the attraction they have? Read along and find out!

The Honey-Don’t List had so much potential, but unfortunately there were quite a lot of missed opportunities.

On the one hand I loved the topic. I’m a big fan of remodeling shows, and I can spend hours on Pinterest going through interior design boards. And I definitely love the assistant co-worker trope. Usually it comes with forced proximity, which makes for fun times.

But I must admit, this book will be the one CL book that I didn’t connect with at all. I would also say, that if you’d asked me in six month what the story was all about, I couldn’t even tell you.

For me, the main issue was that the plot didn’t spent enough time on the main couple Carey and James. Instead it was all about the mess that their employers Melissa and Rusty Tripp brought with them. Because of that I didn’t feel the chemistry, connection or sexual attraction that I would have hoped to get from a couple falling in love. The I love you‘s at the end of the novel came out of the blue for me. Because IMO their relationship never grew out of the budding romance stage.

I also felt that the book was a bit all over the place. There were some elements of interview style, tweets (about the Tripps), and excerpts of a book that had nothing to do with Carey and James (again the Tripps). There was too much behind the scenes of a TV series and book tour that concentrated on the Tripps and took the focus away from the main couple.

So yes, it hurts me to say, but The Honey-Don’t List didn’t work for me as much as I hoped it would.

Now, good news, as soon as I’ve read a new book by CL I’m already excited about the next one. Let the waiting begin.

A fun and hearteining read of two assistants helping out two married celebrities as they experience the collapse of a marriage empire. The foibles, truimps, and basic intricacies of b yo ilding a relationship are humorously presented.

Move over Chip and Joanna Gaines - there is a new DIY couple (and their assistants) in town. This book was such a great hit focusing on Americas latest hobby of home decorating, plus featuring a diverse character with a disability (with proper representation that did not feel forced), plus a slow burn enemy to lovers story. What more could you ask for.

I don't know if it's just me, but I've been really struggling with the last few Christina Lauren books that I've read and same goes for this one. I was never very invested in the story as much as would have liked. I liked Carey but never really warmed up to James as a character. Also the interviews that would sometimes break up the chapters were distracting and didn't really add much to the story for me. I found myself skimming through most of them. It was frustrating to me that they kept staying in their respective jobs even though they were abusive, especially Carey. Not the best Christina Lauren book I've read.

Despite its super-fun premise, this isn't high up on my Christina Lauren list. I never really invested in these characters, especially James. I think this is probably just a personal preference. Both lead characters are given sort of implausible reasons for why they can't move on from their current jobs, despite the jobs being highly abusive, and it's distracting enough that I don't care if they get together romantically because it's more important that they solve their professional issues. There's also the weird structural device with the police interview transcripts that never really pay off? Given how spectacular so many of their books are, this seems like a slightly undercooked showing from Christina Lauren.

Oh yesssss. I got one of my favorite romance duo’s books and celebrating with happy dance (I made a change and forced my mother in law and husband dance for me this time which was pathetic experience. They don’t know what the meaning of rhythm is!!!) but well, I got a little disappointed from my read. This is definitely not I was invested for….

FACTS ABOUT THE BOOK:

You want to send friend request to those beautiful characters and wear BBF bracelets:

Lately I read “Twice in a Blue Moon” and I think so far that was the worst book of the duo. I couldn’t believe that was the work of this incredible couple. Thankfully this book is not a big disappointment like that one because we have likable hero and heroine and their back stories are perfectly developed. It’s impossible not to feel for Carey, a small town girl, started to work for couple when she was only 16, they slowly replace the place of her family. They became partly her mother and father, uncle and aunt, close friends etc. So she formed an emotional bound with them. She has her own insecurities, secrets and she needs this job so bad because of her personal reasons but after 10 years, the relationship balances changed between her and the couple. They turned into spoiled kids meet dictatorial narcissistic maniacs and she is trapped with the couple who hate each other passionately.

And James: nerd hottie engineer of your dreams is also trapped in this job (he wasn’t even hired for engineering skills, they wanted him to babysit Rusty- flirty, adventurous, childish-) because the previous company he worked for got involved into a scandal so he didn’t have too much job choices. He just dived into this one and made the mistake of his life.

So many resemblances with Netflix’s “Set it up” movie:

At “Set it up” two corporate executive assistants suffered from their exploiter, workaholic, selfish bosses’ never ending demands and they decide matchmaking them to get their lives back. In this story, those selfish assholes are already married and two young assistants are stuck with their childish, illogical demands, doing their best to make them not throat each other for the sake of their work.
I think if Jen Aniston and Brad Pitt would stay married, they could turn into real versions of Rusty and Melissa. Their character development matched so good with them.

Romance parts are failed for me because they were haphazard, sudden:
They never attracted each other but after spending only few days, they were smitten and I couldn’t process how they fell in love and of course something James did (I’m not gonna spill the beans) wasn’t so forgivable for me. We wasted so much time about their work environments and this asshole couple’s non-stop spoiled brat acting. When we finish the first half of the book, we barely see the attraction of James and Carey.

OVERALL: I gave 3.25 stars but it is solid 3 stars read for me. The resemblances of the Netflix movie (I’m sorry to say but movie was better rom-com, at least asshole bosses are more likable. Oh, please! We’re talking about Lucy Liu and charming Taye Diggs!), lack of hot chemistry and emotional parts shaped my decision about this quick read. As a humorous fiction, this book worked for me with its satisfyingly fair ending but romance parts failed for me. I love this duo so so so so much. If I have a time, I still want to reread some of their works including “Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating” but this is not as good as their previous works and I expected more and more!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Galley Books to share one of my favorite duo’s book’s ARC COPY in exchange my honest review.

** I received an e-arc of The Honey Don't List by Christina Lauren via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own! **

Christina Lauren does it again! The Honey-Don't List is another funny, sexy, and feel-good romance and the newest from CL's repertoire. If you enjoy contemporary romance and/or novels with a female protagonist learning how to speak up for herself, then you'll enjoy The Honey Don't List. Jack and Carey are two spit-fire leads, and I loved watching their sparks fly and love blossom, even as their bosses' marriage goes off the rails.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that this is my first book by the authors Christina Lauren! I’m also kicking myself because I enjoyed it so much! Christina Lauren will be on my auto-read list from here on out!

The Honey-Don’t List is quirky and compelling with an exceptional writing style. Starting in the present with a police interview alternating between the two narrators of the book, James and Carey, it moves on to past history that brought me to the present. James and Carey work for a married couple, Melissa (Melly) and Rusty, that host a home renovation show, own a very popular home décor store, and are authors of a new book. Carey works for Melly and has for a while and James is fairly new to assisting Rusty. Melly and Rusty are not the easiest of people to work for and maybe their perfect on-camera marriage and personas aren’t so perfect? Throw in a bus tour with them all - what could go wrong?

The characters are well written and believable in their roles, Carey is snarky and so bright, I really loved her. The rest of the characters are equally enjoyable in their roles. This was an extremely quick read for me, mostly because I had a hard time putting it down. There is romance, comedy, a little mystery, and heart-felt emotion in The Honey-Don’t List, making this such an enjoyable read.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Christina Lauren for providing me with a copy of The Honey-Don’t List in exchange for my honest review.

I wasn't thrilled with <i> Twice in a Blue Moon</i> when it came out a few months ago. It just didn't have the same spark that Christina Lauren books normally do, so I was a little worried when <i>The Honey-Don't List</i> followed so quickly on its heels. I shouldn't have worried. <i>The Honey-Don't List</i> is just as much fun as <i>The Honeymooners</i> and <i>Love and Other Words</i>. The characters are well-developed and fun, and made me read the book much faster than I intended.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of the book.

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.