Review:The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren

Published: Simon & Schuster/Gallery (Mar 24, 2020)
Category: Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Series: Standalone

Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together… 

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What I thought about The Honey-Don't List

 

In The Honey Don't List, Carey Douglas has worked for the Tripp's for many years from their startup to where they are today as TV show hosts and about to release a new book of marital advice. When Carely stumbles upon Rusty in a compromising position as they are about to go out on a book tour, she knows there's going to be trouble. Melissa and Rusty are in a constant state of drama and discontent that isn't going to play well as they try to sell their book.

Rusty's assistant James and Carey get tasked with keeping Melly and Rusty's indiscretions out of the public eye. Their close proximity has them getting friendly, and even more than that as they deal with this challenging task. As Carey and James learn more about each other in the process, a real relationship develops between them.

But when the Tripp's marital situation goes ballistic, some secrets are revealed that could have a serious impact on whether James and Carey's relationship will also survive.

This story was a fun read, in spite of the marriage-in-trouble aspect. I really liked the contrast of a relationship in decline with the budding relationship between James and Carey. The story of these two relationships keeps the story moving forward and I was completely engaged with the story throughout. James and Carey are an adorable couple. Kudos to shedding light on dystonia, an incurable movement disorder.

Overall entertaining and humourous, I enjoyed this story.

An ARC was provided. This is my honest review.

About the Authors

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The #1 international bestselling coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced fifteen New York Times bestselling novels. 

They are published in over 30 languages, have received multiple starred reviews, won both the Seal of Excellence and Book of the Year from RT Magazine, been inducted into the Library Reads Hall of Fame, named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year, a Lambda Literary Award finalist and been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. 

They have been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Time, Entertainment Weekly, People, O Magazine and more. Their third YA novel, Autoboyography was released in 2017 to critical acclaim, followed by  Roomies, Love and Other Words, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, My Favorite Half-Night Stand, and the Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, and Library Journal starred The Unhoneymooners, out May 2019.


Lauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance.
 
Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. These days you can find her at her desk, writing or watching BTS videos. She lives in Utah with her husband and daughter, thinks she’s the luckiest person in the world to write books with her best friend, and is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter.

You can follow their shenanigans at:
@lolashoes (Lauren) & @seeCwrite (Christina) on Twitter, and @ChristinaLauren on instagram.

For official information about their books, events, interviews, movie/TV news and more, follow @christinalauren.