From the New York Times bestselling author behind the “joyful, warm, touching” (Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author) The Unhoneymooners comes a delightfully charming love story about what happens when two assistants tasked with keeping a rocky relationship from explosion start to feel sparks of their own. Carey Duncan has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and … 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…
From the “hilariously zany and heartfelt” (Booklist) Christina Lauren comes a romantic comedy that proves if it’s broke, you might as well fix it.
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This was a fun read about life behind the scenes with a home improvement TV starring couple, the Tripps. Main character Carey was an assistant to the couple, but as it turned out she was the one who did a lot of the work. She worked all the time and had no life outside the job. And the couple fought constantly, making their upcoming book tour a challenging venture. Carey is detailed to go along to try to keep the train from wrecking, along with the good-looking engineer who was hired to do real engineering but is being used as the other train-wreck preventer. It was fluffy escapist reading, especially if you enjoy HGTV makeover shows!
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.
When a book starts with a police transcript, you know you are in for a treat! The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren is the first I’ve read of this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love a good romcom, and this book delivers just that. America’s sweethearts, the Tripps, aren’t all they are cracked up to be. It’s up to Carey and James to keep them in line and hope that their fighting doesn’t end up front page news. The Honey Don’t List is a fast-paced, exciting read full of humor and unexpected romance.
Carey Douglas is twenty-six at the start of this book and realizing that she needs a change. She has worked for the same people since she was sixteen and feels she has nothing to show for it. Stuck doing everything the Tripps don’t want to do and doing all the work they take credit for, Carey is at her ends meet. I like Carey. She speaks her mind, works hard at everything she does, and truly doesn’t ask for much. I empathize with her work situation. She is the unseen force behind Comb+Honey, the company owned and run by Melissa and Rusty Tripp. Despite all she does for them, most see her as Melissa’s personal assistant and nothing more.
James McCann is new to Comb+Honey. Taking a job as lead engineer two months prior, he’s yet to do what he was hired to do. Instead he plays assistant to Rusty Tripp and takes his frustration out on Carey. I like and empathize with James. He is caught between a rock and a hard place. He needs this job to help his resume, but he feels that he’s losing his skills. He’s stuck just like Carey by the Tripps.
When Carey and James catch Rusty cheating on Melissa the night before they leave for their book tour, the two wind up on babysitting duty. Both were looking forward to ten days off while the Tripps went on their book tour. Now they are stuck going with them, making sure the couple don’t fight in public and continue to be America’s sweethearts. It would look really bad if their marital woes wound up as front page news while they are trying to sell a book on marriage. Together James and Carey work to keep their jobs intact and find they have more in common than they realized.
Overall I really enjoyed The Honey-Don’t List. Clearly Christina Lauren had the Gaines in mind when they wrote the Tripps, other than the cheating and in general not liking each other that is The Tripps are a trainwreck waiting to happen, and poor Carey and James are along for the ride. If you enjoy romcoms, I highly recommend you dive into this one. It will leave you smiling long after you finish.
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion or the content of this review.**
The Honey-Don’t List was just what I needed to push me through my reading slump. I was a little worried when I saw some fellow readers’ early reviews, but I really enjoyed Christina Lauren’s latest–and highly anticipated book. The problem is, they set the bar so high with The Unhoneymooners, readers keep expecting something similar. But do you really want something similar?? Just reread The Unhoneymooners!
Here’s what I liked about The Honey-Don’t List:
It’s a very “current” premise for a book, that I don’t believe has been done yet. I live in Texas where a very popular home improvement couple reside. I’m not one of those obsessed fans, though. I’ve only seen a handful of shows and never visited their Texas-size store. But I do browse their latest items at the local Target store. While I’m pretty sure they have a happy marriage (but like any of us could ever really KNOW), the idea of having to keep up appearances for your adoring public makes the perfect rom-com material. I would love to see this one as a movie.
But this story isn’t even really about the famous duo–it’s just the fuse that lights the match. Carey and James are the “assistants” given the impossible task of keeping the quarreling couple in line while they are on a book tour to promote the couple’s latest book–on how to have a happy marriage. I thought the characters of Carey and James were refreshing and unexpected. I enjoyed their backstories and what brought them to their current circumstances. Plus, James is a perfect book-boyfriend.
Something else unexpected–this book is basically a road trip book! And I love road trip books!
Pick this one up not expecting another The Unhoneymooners, but expecting something delightfully different!
I really liked James and Carey! I would have liked a little more of the little time jump breaks, as well as more of them being at odds at the beginning because a few things felt kind of glossed over, but it was very easy to root for them. And I will also say that I was fine with the Tripps being the sloppy and complicated bad bosses, but if you’re basically going to copy-and-paste Chip and Joanna, don’t also name drop them.
Also, reading this made me reevaluate some of the ratings I’ve given for other Christina Lauren books.
Right off the bat our authors, Christina and Lauren, have me laughing out loud with this exchange on page 4:
Carey: “Do I …….? Do I need a lawyer?”
Officer Ali: “That depends. Have you done something that requires a lawyer?”
Carey: “Ever?”
This police exchange is a preview of the final wrap up to a crazy road trip for Carey and James. Both trying to run interference for their bosses’ marriage on the rocks. After reading this fun and charming story, I have a great appreciation for the creativity of our “Rom-Com” authors out there. There are several “LOL” moments and the story line is very unique.
Carey and James are assistants to Melly and Rusty – drama queen and king of an HGTV couple remodeling show. (Axshually, James is the “director of engineering” – merely roped into Rusty’s assistant/babysitting position.) Our heroine and hero are thrown together on the remodeling couples’ “relationship” book tour with one task: keep the public from seeing the star’s crumbling “relationship”. What could go wrong?
As the bus tour progresses, Carey and James’ once disdain for each other, turns into flirting and almost “skinny dipping” encounters. Usually interrupted by one of the bosses oblivious to the budding romance of their assistants. While there are several funny situations, there is some touching drama, too. Carey needs the job for the insurance and James needs this job to outrun a bad previous position on his resume. So, they are stuck with each other and the crazy couple. Carey also suffers with some medical issues that James is there to help her cope. I genuinely liked Carey and James’ characters throughout the whole story and really, really disliked Melly. Her character was a well-written spoiled, narcissistic drama goddess.
The Honey Don’t List is a delightful, light-hearted, quick and easy read. More “funny – what will they do next” than “romancy – when are they gonna get together”. I enjoyed this book and love to read anything by our duo authorettes – if only for the LOL one-liners and the NO cliffhanger crazy. Pick this up for your “quarantine TBR list” and have fun reading it, too.
Side note: Make sure to read the author’s acknowledgement at the end of the book. This one was written by Lauren (Billings) of the author duo. Super sweet and touching shout out to her co-writer Christina (Hobbs) about their successful working relationship. She also gives more personal insight into the dystonia motor disorder that our heroine Carey suffers with throughout the book.
Content Rating: 18+
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult
Published: March 24, 2020, by Gallery Books
The Honey-Don’t List hit one of my favorite topics; the home remodeling shows- I watch them all, that is when I am not reading. This book was cute, and somewhat entertaining but unfortunately not memorable. There was a little bit of falling in love and a lot of the falling out of love. For me, the balance was off. I wanted more of the falling in love between the two main characters.
The Honey-Don’t List is about two personal assistants, Carey and James, who are thrown together for the sole purpose of accomplishing the impossible. It’s their job to prevent their bosses from a disastrous implosion of their marriage and, consequently, their business. Together with the help of Carey, they have built a successful home remodeling and design brand from the ground up. Melissa and Rusty Tripp were once head over heels in love. However, along the way, they have lost sight of themselves and their relationship.
“There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.”
Carey has had no life for the last ten years except for being Melissa Tripp’s assistant. But Carey is so much more than Melissa’s assistant. She has spent the last ten years being an integral asset, building the Tripp’s home improvement brand, Comb + Honey, into a multimillion-dollar company. Their relationship started well; however, slowly over the ten years, Melissa changed and took advantage of Carey. I kept waiting and hoping that Carey would finally grow a backbone.
After Melissa dismisses yet another one of her husband’s assistant, she hires James the cute nerdy engineer who knows nothing about home remodeling or being a personal assistant. James needs this job and will do anything to keep it- even babysit Rusty. And possibly along the way, he may make one of the worse decisions of his life.
“‘ You didn’t tell me,’ she says again, and the simplicity of that betrayal feels totally gutting.'”
The romance part of this book was a bit typical, boy and girl meet, they don’t particularly like each other, and then they do. Then they don’t, and then, well, you can probably figure it out from there. I liked Carey and James and would have liked to see more romance between the two of them. While Carey’s character was well developed, James’ character fell a bit short for me. There was too much of the ridiculous narcissistic, selfish behavior from Melissa and Rusty and it dominated this book. These two were over the top.
The Honey-Don’t List is a well written cute read, but it just didn’t rock my book world. I wanted a lot more of the sexy romantic elements that these two authors usually have in their books. It lacked in direction, trying to be too much, but in reality, not enough.
*Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published*
**I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. **
4.5 Stars
One of my favorite author duos have done it again. Christina Lauren delivered another fabulous book I couldn’t put down.
I watch HGTV all the time so it was really fun to have a story that reminds me of that. Carey has been working for Melissa and Rusty since she was 16. Now ten years later she is Melissa’s (Melly) assistant. She has watched the Tripp family’s fame grow in their home improvement ideas. Most people know who the Tripp’s are from their tv show and their books.
James is hired on as an engineer but quickly becomes Rusty’s assistant. He keeps hoping he will eventually start doing the job he was hired for. James and Carey are the glue that hold the Tripp’s together. From the outside looking in you think they are one big happy family. Carey and James don’t get along but finally decide to when they end up on the book tour together. If these two can survive the trip maybe their newfound relationship can survive.
The Honey-Don’t List is a fun quick read.
The Honey-Don’t List is yet another success in the vast Christina Lauren oeuvre. It’s a story about two personal assistants (Carey and James) who are thrust together to save their respective bosses’ book tour. It’s kind of an enemies-to-lovers meets close-proximity story, with a lot of rich details and character development. I love how Carey’s dystonia is normalized and is just a part of who she is; its depiction isn’t exploitative or sensationalized in any way.
Not only are James and Carey interesting and fully actualized characters, but the reader also gets a lot of insight into the Tripps and their dynamic. In all, this is a story that is entertaining, a little bit heart-wrenching, and totally inspiring. A must-read for Christina Lauren fans.
This was a cutesy read… I will be honest, Melly and Rusty seriously grated on my nerves and I kept finding myself totally annoyed and frustrated that Carly never stood up for herself or just went off on these two. I found myself feeling a bit sorry for Melly at first with Rusty’s cheating but the more this story went on I honestly HATED Melly. I was so annoyed with them I found myself hoping the book was about to conclude just so I could stop reading about how annoying a shitty they were…ugh!
The book opens with Carey Douglas the assistant to Melissa Tripp. Really though she has been working with Melissa and Rusty for ten years since she was sixteen. They gave her a job in their first store when she was planning on dropping out of high school, they kept her going and were there for her when her own parents were not. She looks at the two of them as parents so she was doing more for them than she was for herself. She and her co-worker are giving the police statements of what took place you as the reader don’t know what has happened until you get towards the end of the book. Which is really a story that is being told.
Enter new hire, James McCann, a graduate of MIT and a recite employee of an engineering firm that was raided by the FBI. He is now just a glorified baby sitter for Rusty. That is until night at a party when he can’t seem to find Rusty and asks for Carey’s help. Not wanting and yet does they or she finds him along with someone else in a room, not his wife.
After this, they are to go on a book tour where more is revealed about the marriage and also about Carey and just how much she does for the team, show just about everything. Going on the bus tour was not the best but it works for the story and leads you to where they are to go and be away from people for a time being but even that does not work out either.
I really liked Carey’s character you get to see her grow along the way and if it was not for her the story really would be a dud for me. Overall a good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars Follow us at http://www.1rad-readerreviews.com
When you read the blurb on this one – you practically salivate with the potential deliciousness of it all, right?
And I felt like, for the most part, Christina Lauren delivered on that deliciousness. Not so much in the romance department – although the romance between James and Carey was super sweet and adorable – but in the sort of “ripped from the headlines” storyline of what goes on behind the scenes for “America’s Favorite Couple” and the media hype that follows them.
This was a fun and interesting read. I loved Carey and James – and maybe would have liked to have done a deeper dive on their relationship. I loved their banter and the way their feelings sort of snuck up on them. But I felt like they got lost in the drama of the chaos going on around them sometimes.
To that end, I think I would have liked a little more comeuppance for the Tripps. Man, those two caused my anxiety to flare more than once. And while there were some scenes that were incredibly touching toward the end, I felt like Carey never got her due, and – well, neither did Melissa. After all the drama, I felt like I needed a little more satisfaction in the closure.
Where the closure REALLY satisfied? Was with James and Carey. I absolutely adored their ending. All the butterflies and heart eyeballs and swoons I could ask for and so – in the end, this was a little uneven, perhaps, but still a super satisfying read for me! ~ 3.5 Stars
4.5 stars
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s always worth giving an author (or, in this case, authors) more than one chance. While I enjoyed the first book I read by them, I wasn’t exactly super gung-ho. Sure enough, when I gave them another try and read Twice in a Blue Moon a couple of months later I loved the story and fell in love with their writing style. That hasn’t changed with this book. I adored the characters and the storyline, and the author’s melded everything together beautifully.
There is a moment when Carey and James are first starting to see beyond their own noses to realize there is a connection between them that is so perfectly written. The analogy the authors use along with the flow of the story will speak to everyone, regardless of age or gender. It was a true delight to read.
Carey’s job is so stressful, and the events leading up to their road trip so outrageous, that you can’t help but feel sympathy for her. As for James, there is a bit of time I feel he brought things upon himself. After all, Carey tried to warn him. But in James’ head he is doing the right things and I can’t fault him for that. Eventually, even though he started the ball rolling on all of this, the tension they all have to live with is punishment enough.
I enjoy the way the story is pieced together with snippets of a police report and Twitter comments from random fans. The only problem I had was sometimes the voices of Carey and James weren’t clear. The story in alternating points of view and, on occasion, I’d forget whose chapter I was reading. Yes, this is a problem. But I still very much enjoyed the story and it didn’t happen too terribly often to take away from the story.
I know this writing duo has written a lot more stories than what I’ve read so far and need to eventually add them to my lineup.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Behind-the-scenes reality TV romance
Carey Duncan started working for the Tripps ten years ago when she was 16 years old at their flagship store in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Since then the Tripp’s careers have skyrocketed and made them the home remodeling/design sweethearts and they’ve taken Carey along as an assistant to Melissa Tripp. The only thing is that Carey never gets the credit for all the major things she actually does for the shows.
James McCann, an MIT graduate, was recently hired as a structural engineer by the Tripps but is mighty peeved when he is actually expected to be Rusty Tripp’s assistant.
What the whole TV viewing world doesn’t know is that Melissa and Rusty’s marriage has been on the rocks for a long time. Now they are expected to be their best lovely-dovey best to each other on a bus book tour and Carey and James are thrown together to try to keep the cracks from showing.
The story is told in alternating chapters from Carey and James’s points of view. I liked the slow burn of their romance and the way Carey comes into her own.
I wasn’t sure how I’d like this book because I’m not much of a reality TV fan but enjoyed the story, even the parts about the lives of the Tripps, a lot.
I received this book from Gallery Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
This is my first book by Christina Lauren and will not be my last. Thoroughly enjoyed this light rom-com, many laugh out moments but still on the serious side of marriage and the budding romance of Carey and James. Loved the dual point of view. If you love HG TV, this is the perfect read for you.
The Honey-Don’t List is not your typical Christina Lauren book. I had a bit of a time getting going with this one but after reading more about the characters it was easy reading. This story brings Carey and James, two assistants to a couple struggling to keep their fame afloat. The couple, Melly and Rusty, are headed on tour to promote a marriage book while theirs is falling apart. Carey and James are tasked with babysitting and craziness ensues! I really did like Carey and James together and overall this book was a good one.
I was captivated by this fun, emotional, and steamy rom-com right from the start! It begins with the police interviewing sexy engineering nerd, James and I needed to find out what was going on! It then tells the story of Carey and James and their job to keep a dysfunctional couple, Melissa and Rusty Tripp, from imploding as they promote their new book on marriage and their coming tv show. Carey and James come from different worlds, and are total opposites. Carey is creative, messy, and a pushover. Carey will do anything to help Melissa who gave her a chance when she was young and inexperienced. James is a talented engineer needing a fresh start from a past job. He is given huge promises but is frustrated in being a glorified assistant. He and Carey start off a bit rocky but soon bond over their messy situation. Their attraction grows stronger in close quarters, and they soon find the comfort and passion they both need. But just when they think they can build something more, the craziness of life on tour, and selfish employers could take them all down. I really loved Carey and James together. James noticed everything and he came when she needed someone to notice her most. She helped him not take himself so serious as well, they really were made for each other. I loved how artfully this story unfolded going back and forth between police interviews, present time and peaks into the book they were promoting. This slow burn, rom-com is filled with witty banter, awkward and hilarious situations, and an emotional, sweet and steamy story line with lots of heart, and I loved it all!
When it comes to writing duos Christina Lauren is most definitely the cream of the crop. However with the last few books I’ve read I either fall deeply, madly in love with the story and want to shout about it from the rooftops or I like it well enough but it just doesn’t get me overly excited. This one fell in category 2. I liked it and had no trouble reading it but I felt Carey and James really didn’t get their time in the spotlight and they should have since the book is supposed to be about them. There was just too much Rusty and Melly that was extremely over the top.
It really wasn’t a bad book by any means. I had no problem reading it and whipped through it in no time. I just wanted more for Carey and James and a whole lot less drama from the others.
**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed **
3.5 stars. I rounded up because I loved James and Carey so much. I enjoyed the romance aspect of this book a lot, the issue I had was with Melissa and Tripp. The crash and burn (pun intended) was hard to read at times. This book shows the background of what happens when you let fame and greed lead your intentions. That being said, I loved Carey and James. I wish there was more of them in the book instead of them being so wrapped up and lead by their bosses issues. The reason I rounded up to a 4 was because at the end of the book James gave me all of the feels. There were butterflies because of him and I consider that a win. This was a cute, low drama (for the main characters) book and it was a super quick read. If you are looking for a fun read, this is for you.
3.5 stars
The Honey-Don’t List jumps on the increasingly popular home improvement train, which is certain to draw the HGTV fans. It is a fun idea, and there are some great moments of wit and humor as I’ve come to expect from the duo that is Christina Lauren. That said, it has a different feel than what I expect to find when I pick up a CL book. It leans more toward women’s fiction or chick lit than the RomCom I was looking for. That’s not to say that this one isn’t a good read – it really is, and I did enjoy the story. We do get the wonderfully developed characters that this duo does so well. They’re rich and colorful, and they bring out all the emotions that pull you in and before you know it, you’re invested in the story. I would’ve liked a bit more on the romance side of things, but the Tripp’s stole the show here, leaving Carey and James to be almost secondary characters. I realize that all of this sounds like I didn’t care for this one, but that really isn’t the case. In the end, this one wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be, but it was still very worth the read, and I’ll be watching for whatever Christina Lauren does next.
***I received an ebook copy from the publisher at no cost***
I loved this story. I laughed. I raged. I wanted to cry. I had warm fuzzies one minute and the some characters drove me crazy the next. This was the perfect book to read whilst away on a winter vacation and one I’ll be recommending to all my fellow wordaholics.
Melly & Rusty Tripp are the country’s poster-child couple. The two started a store called Comb+Honey and rose to fame from there. The first thing I thought of when I started reading this was Chip and Joanna Gaines (think: Magnolia Table vibes). Carey Douglas has been with the Tripps since they started and over the years became Melly’s assistant. The Tripps are family to Carey. Rusty was there for her in the absence of her own father and the couple took a chance on her and helped her grow into the woman she is today.
James McCann was hired to be the engineer for the Tripp’s new show, but has ended up fulfilling the role of assistant and handler to Rusty. He’s a non-nonsense guy, doesn’t want to deal with any drama, and seems pretty strait-laced and put together. He hates being cast off as an assistant and makes this known.
The Tripps are preparing to embark on a multi-state promotional tour for their newest book, which is all about the success of their marriage and how others can have that success too. Oddly enough, the Tripps marriage has been falling apart for years and when things come to a breaking point, Carey and James are thrust into the middle of everything and forced to work together to keep up appearances and make sure the Tripps image stays sparkly and clean.
There were a few storylines going on in this book. Carey’s journey is really the focal point. What started out as a wonderful relationship with the Tripps has slowly turned into something toxic. Melly constantly takes advantage of Carey and Carey is forced to deal with it because she needs the healthcare coverage that comes with the job. She also has to worry about Melly destroying her reputation if Carey chooses to leave. My heart went out to her and this aspect of the story made her more relatable. She’s perfectly flawed and Christina Lauren bring readers alongside Carey’s journey of self-discovery and growth, which takes place over the course of the book.
Romance lingers throughout the story. The more time Carey and James spend together the closer the two get, and it’s clear by about 1/3 of the way into the book that these two have chemistry and there are underlying sparks. It’s a slow burn and it’s not an overnight, easy going kind of romance. I liked how things flowed between these two.
I won’t spoil this but there is angst in this book. Things take a turn that I wasn’t expecting and I was devouring each page so fast by the time I near the end of the story. I appreciate how Christina Lauren wrapped things up and the ending they gave us was perfect.
Four stars to this novel!