THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews * Publishers Weekly * Library Journal Named a “Must-Read” by TODAY, Us Weekly, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, Southern Living, Book Riot, Woman’s Day, The Toronto Star, and more! For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime–maybe even love–in … Toronto Star, and more!
For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime–maybe even love–in this romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling authors of Roomies.
Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin: from inexplicable mishaps to a recent layoff, her life seems to be almost comically jinxed. By contrast, her sister Ami is an eternal champion…she even managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a slew of contests. Unfortunately for Olive, the only thing worse than constant bad luck is having to spend the wedding day with the best man (and her nemesis), Ethan Thomas.
Olive braces herself for wedding hell, determined to put on a brave face, but when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. Suddenly there’s a free honeymoon up for grabs, and Olive will be damned if Ethan gets to enjoy paradise solo.
Agreeing to a temporary truce, the pair head for Maui. After all, ten days of bliss is worth having to assume the role of loving newlyweds, right? But the weird thing is…Olive doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, the more she pretends to be the luckiest woman alive, the more it feels like she might be.
With Christina Lauren’s “uniquely hilarious and touching voice” (Entertainment Weekly), The Unhoneymooners is a romance for anyone who has ever felt unlucky in love.
more
This was a predictable read, but cute!
Olive Torres and Ethan Thomas don’t like each other. When her sister and his brother get married, they must once again tolerate the other’s company since she’s the maid-of-honor and he’s the best man. When the buffet at the reception makes everyone ill, including the bride and groom, Ethan and Olive are offered the vacation of a lifetime—an all-expense paid trip to Maui. The catch? They must pretend to be married.
This standard trope is given new life at the hands of Ms. Lauren (who is actually two authors: Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings). Told entirely in first-person, present-tense from Olive’s point-of-view (don’t worry—if you find it distracting, give it a few pages; you’ll soon be so immersed in the story that you won’t notice), this is a fun, sexy, perfect summer read. Olive is wry, witty, and a girl you could easily be besties with. Ethan is sufficiently aloof … until he isn’t. You’ll fall for him right along with Olive. The chemistry between the two is palpable and combustible, the motivations for their actions believable, and you’ll enjoy a vicarious vacation while you’re at it.
Love books that make me laugh out loud. A fun read.
Olive’s twin Ami is getting married. Of course she is, she’s the lucky one. But when a fiasco at the dinner goes wrong, Olive gets to go on the honeymoon in the bride and groom’s place. The only problem is the groom’s brother Ethan is going as well and he doesn’t like her. So while she plans to spend the time alone avoiding Ethan, it’s still a free vacation for Olive.
This was a quick and easy read. I liked Olive’s klutziness because it made for some funny situations. I liked Ethan because he was sure of himself, he spoke what was on his mind. I didn’t much care for Ami, and I know people can become a bridezilla but she put a lot of her stuff on Olive which I thought wasn’t really fair. But I liked Olive and Ethan together, they worked well. A fun read.
Fun stuff!
I enjoyed the book but it was typical – a love story that happened to two people out of the blue. Very cute. Not really my kind of book but enjoyable.
Christina Lauren appears to have two sets of readers: 1. those who prefer their new stuff and 2. those who prefer their old. I fall into the first category, though I’m slowly making my way through the second.
The Unhoneymooners is yet another win in a long line of wins for category #1, and while I don’t love it *as much* as some of the other books in this category (Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, Roomies, Love and Other Words—for example), it’s still a solid fun & swoony five stars. If you’re a romcom fan, I highly recommend.
What a fun story. Lots of great laughs and fabulous banter. Maybe not the most swoony of this author duo’s work, because let’s face it, CL has mastered the art of swoon. But watching this antagonistic couple navigate an unexpected Hawaiian vacation together was romantic comedy gold. Another highlight was Olive’s family dynamics – a lovingly intrusive and supportive extended family. Overall, The Unhoneymooners was a great read that was hard to put down.
I smiled. I snort-laughed. I teared up a little. Like so many Christina Lauren books, The Unhoneymooners is like a hilarious post-date phone call from your BFF and, while she’s describing a litany of romantic flops and foibles, the whole time you’re just sitting there thinking… ‘yeah, she’s gonna marry this one’. So good.
.
The Unhoneymooners is set to release in May. It’s everything palm trees and island breezes and fabulous banter. It will be a perfect pool-side read. Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read an advanced copy.
The Unhoneymooners is an entertaining and sexy enemies to lovers romance. Olive and Ethan don’t exactly get along when they end up on the honeymoon meant for their newlywed siblings. Their unhoneymoon goes from a comedy of errors, like running from people they know in paradise, to unexpectedly enjoying all the experiences the resort has to offer together. They get to know each other and find they might like (or more than like) each other and discover a not-so-surprising chemistry. A relationship in paradise is easy compared to coming home to reality. Christina Lauren continue to develop humorous stories with heart, heat, banter, and characters and relationships you want to root for.
Laugh out loud!
This was my first Christina Lauren novel and it won’t be my last. I thought this book was so fresh and fun and original and I laughed out loud many, many times. Highly recommend The Unhoneymooners for awesome romance, great characters, original plot, and a very satisfying ending!
I finished The Unhoneymooners in a day and a half, and while I enjoyed it, I have to admit that I miss some of the heat that I’ve come to associate with the duo. I met (and fell in love with) them through the Beautiful Bastard and Wild Seasons series and this is the first book of theirs I’ve read since completing those. I liked Olive and Ethan and their chemistry was believable – the tension between them when they were enemies was as entertaining as their slide into coupledom. I REALLY liked how in Ethan is once they decide to pursue a relationship and to an extent, I also really liked how loyal he was to a certain character who will not be named because (#nospoilers). Honestly, the external drama might have been my favorite part of the book. But it’s also why I can’t commit to a full five wine glass review – the culmination of the drama and its resolution happen entirely too quickly. I could’ve marinated in that juiciness for at least two more chapters (which would’ve given us four instead of two). The epilogue was sweet and I appreciated finally getting Ethan’s POV (though I would’ve loved it even more had the whole book been told in both of their POVs). The Unhoneymooners is a fun and entertaining read and the motivation that I needed to play catch up and read the rest of the duo’s back catalogue so that I’m ready for Twice in a Blue Moon. 4 out of 5 wine glasses.
4.25 Stars
*Looking for a quick review? Scroll down to the Down & Dirty*
The writing duo of Christina Lauren has been a winner for me in recent years. I absolutely love their fun, real-feeling romantic comedies, and The Unhoneymooners is no exception. In fact, when I got near the end I had to put it down because I read it so fast I wasn’t ready for it to end.
(graphic on blog)
Olive and Ami are twins that couldn’t be more different in personality. Ami is the “beautiful”, lucky, happy sister who wins everything so much that she has learned to enter every contest to win free stuff—including her wedding and honeymoon.
“Whereas Ami is a four-leaf clover, I have always been unlucky.”
The free seafood buffet Ami won gives everyone a horrible case of food poisoning except the two who didn’t eat it, Olive and the groom’s brother, Olive’s nemesis, Ethan. Since they are twins, Ami gives Olive her free 10-day honeymoon in Hawaii, and her husband gave his trip to his brother.
(Graphic on blog)
But seriously, who would turn down a free all-inclusive trip to Hawaii? They will just avoid each other as much as possible and enjoy 10 days in paradise. Until they realize they need to look like a couple, especially when some surprises come along.
“I find myself smiling in the direction of the living room, and realize that staying firmly on Team I Hate Ethan Thomas is going to be more work than it may be worth.”
Ethan and Olive’s hate-but-really-like banter was adorable, and it is one of my favorite things Christina Lauren writes. But there were a few little issues I had. One part that I was very excited about was that the heroine was a bit plus-sized (or so it seemed). Her feelings about her weight and her curves made her seem plus-sized, but in the end, it seemed like the only thing big was her boobs. That part of the storyline just kind of fell away in the end.
It also felt a little like 2 books in one. We get the funny light romcom for the first half, and an angsty, more serious 2nd half. I would have liked a little more lightness in the second half and a little more serious in the first to even it out. Still, I really loved the connection between Ethan and Olive. I liked that we were only in Olive’s head, so we got to know Ethan as she did. I haven’t seen a single POV book in a while and it was refreshing.
“It was the kind of kiss that feels like fucking.” All the air is sucked out of my lungs, and I’m left staring up at him, speechless. I was expecting him to say something safe, not something that would send my libido spiraling out of any controlled orbit.”
Likes:
•I laughed and smiled through the whole book.
•Banter! I love banter!
•It was a quick read – not that it’s short, it’s page-turning and easy to get sucked in and read in one sitting.
•It was different having only her POV. It helped to really get in her head and only have his words and expressions to go by.
•Olive is half Mexican. It’s nice to have a little ethnicity in my books.
•The epilogue in his POV.
Dislikes:
•Some ridiculously over the top coincidences.
•His initial reaction to his brother’s assholishness.
•They tried to make the heroine plus sized (I think) but didn’t really. It was like a part of the storyline that got taken away but not totally. I was excited to have a plus-sized heroine, but in the end, it seemed the only thing plus was her boobs.
•The book was split into two very different parts: The fun and sexy banter-filled first half, and the second half filled with more emotion, heartache and family matters. It almost felt disconnected.
The Down & Dirty:
I love Christina Lauren’s romantic comedies and The Unhoneymooners was no exception. Hate-to-love is one of my favorite tropes because I love banter, and there was a lot of it here. The Unhoneymooners was a slow burn that had two pretty distinct parts, Hawaii, which was all fun and flirty and filled with build-up, then the part where they get home, which was much more serious. Told almost all from the heroine’s POV, it was a nice change to not know what was going on in the hero’s head, and to learn his feelings with Olive. At first we are led to believe that the heroine was a plus-sized latino character, and while yes, she was Mexican, it seems that the curves she mention are only in her bra, and that part of the story, sadly, didn’t really materialize.
Still, The Unhoneymooners is another solid romcom from Christina Lauren that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
Rating: 4.25 Stars, 3 Heat
I really enjoyed this book! Olive and Ami Torres are identical twins, they look alike physically, but they have completely different personalities. Positive things seems to come easily to Ami, whereas if something can go wrong, it does for Olive. Ami is getting married to dude-bro Dane and has entered and won everything for her wedding. A disaster hits the whole wedding when the seafood buffet is tainted. The only people spared are Olive, due to her severe shellfish allergy, and Dane’s brother Ethan, due to his aversion to buffets. Since the honeymoon is non refundable and non-transferable, Ami begs Olive to take her ID and go on the honeymoon. Of course, since Ami only gave a last name for the groom, Ethan is going on the trip as well. There is a small problem, Ethan and Olive get along like cats and dogs. Once they get to Maui, hilarity ensues with a chance run in with Olive’s new boss and Ethan’s ex and new fiancé. Both characters are flawed, but good people and I enjoyed seeing them get past their defensive behavior and become friends and more. This is a great beach read.
Olive Torres couldn’t be more opposite of her identical twin, Ami, who seems to be the one gifted with all the luck. Olive…not so much. It’s the occasion of Ami’s wedding to Dane Thomas and Olive isn’t looking forward to her pairing with the groom’s best man and brother, Ethan. Their first meeting didn’t go so well and it was just downhill since. What begins as a 24-hour tolerance turns into a 10-day honeymoon vacation when the entire wedding party suffers from food poisoning (bad shellfish) and Olive & Ethan replace the bride and groom on their non-refundable Maui trip. She’s allergic to shellfish and he won’t eat food on a buffet so they avoided illness. This is their start to what becomes a hilarious and unplanned romantic getaway in Hawaii.
I count on this writing team to craft interesting and often quirky characters that you love to love. They’ve done it again with Olive Torres and her equally fascinating twin sister, Ami. The events leading up to the wedding (almost free because of Ami’s skill at coupon collecting and luck with contest entries) had me in stitches. Olive and Ethan’s duplicity in having to pose as the newlyweds created some sticky moments while in Hawaii that served up some funny and often awkward situations, too. All of this created a foundation for these two to bond and explore each other in ways they wouldn’t and couldn’t have at home. The romance kind of sneaks up on you, which made that even better when it finally develops. Lest you think this is all laughs and frolics, the story does take a serious turn when they return home and face some unforeseen consequences and issues that test them individually and as a couple.
I loved Cynthia Farrell, the narrator who handled the entire book, told from Olive’s point of view, until Deacon Lee (one of my favorites) closed with Ethan’s narrative in the epilogue. She does humor really well and handled the transition to serious effectively. I continue to be impressed with the narrator selections for this team’s books.
I started listening to this book in the early evening and kept adjusting my stopping point agreement until I realized I only had an hour to go and finished it in the wee hours. There was just no way to put it down. I loved Olive but needed some warming up to Ethan, just as she did so I was obviously immersed in the story. It’s a delightful tale with some strong themes around family, loyalty and being true to yourself. The authors continue to be auto reads for me.
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
An enjoyable read. Easy, fast. Some really funny scenes, really funny banter, an ok story…
Olive is likeable, i understood her for the part where she doesn’t want to lie to her sister. She’s honest, with others and with herself, and when she is forced to lie she’s not good at it. I liked she assumes her curviness, her bad luck…
But there are details that didn’t convince me.
Before being lovers, Olive and Ethan are enemies. We have Olive’s pov but after a confrontation we learn the story behind this “hatred” from Ethan’s perspective and… i was disappointed. Ethan is too easily influenced.
At the wedding everyone eats sea food except our heroes… Everyone likes sea food??? I thought i was not the only one who didn’t…
When they are in Hawaii they meet TWO couples they know! They are far far away from their hometown, in one of many hotels of the island and they meet not one but two couples they know…
Ethan and his ex… they were not meant for each other but it feels like he’s still in love with her.
The story around Olive’s sister is… so obvious, not surprising at all. And i didn’t like how Ethan reacts to it. And at the end he doesn’t grovel enough for my liking. Olive forgives too easily.
Ethan has qualities but nope… i didn’t fell for him. Not smart enough, a little blind, not so honest and manipulated.
I love enemies to lovers stories, i don’t regret reading this one, i really loved the banter but that’s not my favorite CL’s book.
First off I love the cover of The Unhoneymooners due to the beautiful bright colors. It looks like spring/summer, which happens to be my favorite seasons. I would say this would be the perfect book to read on vacation or visiting the beach this summer.
One of my favorite tropes happens to be Enemies to Lovers, and this book had that trope until a particular secret came out between the main characters. Here’s the gist between the two main characters: Olive and Ethan. Olive’s twin sister Ami is marrying Ethan’s brother. Ami has had some excellent luck with winning contests and items, especially for her wedding. The wedding is going well until the bride, groom, and guests end up getting sick from the buffet. Olive and Ethan didn’t eat from the buffet, so they didn’t get sick. Ami encourages her sister Olive to go on her honeymoon for her since it was a contest she won and unfortunately, she can’t change dates for the trip to Hawaii. Olive ends up going with her enemy Ethan. Ethan and Olive go on the trip and end up enjoying each other’s company, even though they hate each other.
These two together are adorable even though they hate each other at first. I loved how Christina Lauren (both authors) wrote these two characters and how their stories come together. Olive is the complete opposite of her twin sister, and readers can tell immediately. Ethan is a hard character at first to like to how he treats Olive (he calls her different names, instead of Olive.) Although, he wins me over, once I got to know him in Hawaii. He’s scared of flying and buffets, which made me want to know him more since he was scared of certain items that I found strange.
Poor Olive ends up dealing with several things in the story, especially in Hawaii, and then when she got back home. I felt for her character. I liked how her family watch out for her in the story and step in to help her. Ethan also has something happen in Hawaii, which both Olive and Ethan work out together.
The only reason why this book is getting four stars, instead of 5 stars is how Ethan reacted to a specific part in the book. I feel he should’ve believed Olive in the book when she told him something about one particular character. He decided not to believe her, and it drove me crazy. I also didn’t like how another character acted when Olive told that character. All the signs were presented in the book, and everyone chose not to believe Oliver. Although, one of the characters did redeem themselves towards the end of the book. (Sorry so many mentions of ‘character,’ but I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone.)
Overall, this was an enjoyable book to read, and I adore how the authors kept me laughing with Olive and Ethan’s trip to Hawaii to spend time on their siblings’ honeymoon. (Olive’s twin sister and Ethan’s brother who were supposed to go to Hawaii.) This may not have been my favorite book, but I did enjoy the moments of Olive and Ethan in Hawaii. These two together were adorable, even though they hated each other. They hated each other for the wrong reasons, though. I’m glad though that there was a HEA at the end of this book.
Story Rating: 4 stars
Steaminess Rating: 3 stars
Standalone or part of series: Standalone
Do I recommend this book? Yes.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes.
Tropes/Elements: Enemies to Lovers
Enjoyed this easy read – finished it in two days – fun plot, interesting characters. Recommend for mindless enjoyment.
Enemies Olive Torres and Ethan Thomas are best left to ignoring one another. Unfortunately, she’s her twin sister’s Maid of Honor and he’s his brother’s best man, so they are forced to endure one another – at least until the wedding is over. Unfortunately for them, the wedding ends on a decidedly sour note. When twin Ami tells her sister she will lose the all expenses paid wedding package to Hawaii she’s won in a contest, somehow Olive and Ethan are suddenly the ones going on the trip – as husband and wife.
The trip should be a no-brainer for each of them to enjoy as long as they steer clear of one another. Unfortunately – again – things don’t go the way they should. Olive’s brand new boss and his wife are staying at the same hotel as are Ethan’s ex-girlfriend and her new man. Now, to keep up the charade and not be charged with fraud the enemies have to pretend to be man and wife and worse – like one another.
What starts out as I hate to love you turns into I love to love you pretty quickly.
I enjoyed this book so much more than the last Christina Lauren book Josh and Hazel’s guide to not Dating. This book is told in the POV from Olive’s eyes, but for some weird reason, the last 20 pages or so switched to Ethan’s POV. That knocked me out of the story for a bit because it was jarring – we didn’t hear Ethan’s voice at all in the rest of the book, and these scenes really could have been told just as well in Olive’s POV.
Having said that, it was an enjoyable read.