bookperson
Written on May 21, 2019
'This rom com would be the perfect choice if you've had to cancel your summer holiday but still want to feel the sand between your toes' Beth O'Leary, author of The Flatshare
'Witty and downright hilarious . . . a perfect feel-good romantic comedy' Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient
*A NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER!*
________________________________The honeymoon of a lifetime . . . with her sworn enemy
Olive is always unlucky; her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. While she's about to marry her dream man, Olive is forced to play nice with her nemesis: the best man, Ethan.
Yet Olive's luck may be on the turn . . . When the entire wedding - except for Olive and Ethan - gets food poisoning, there's an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs. Putting their mutual hatred aside, Olive and Ethan head for paradise. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him spirals out of control.
Forced to play loving newlyweds, she and Ethan find themselves in closer proximity than they ever expected. Soon, Olive finds that maybe she doesn't mind pretending. In fact, she's beginning to feel kind of . . . lucky.
_______________________Find out why readers LOVE Christina Lauren:
'Pure joy' Sally Thorne, USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game
'Writing duo Christina Lauren are my go-to when I'm feeling sad. I read this one very recently, but it rose straight to the top of my list of favourite CLo novels ... Full of fierce arguments, sexual tension and slow-build romance, this rom com would be the perfect choice if you've had to cancel your summer holiday but still want to feel the sand between your toes' Beth O' Leary, author of The Flatshare
'What a joyful, warm, touching book! This is the book to read if you want to smile so hard your face hurts' Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal
'A sexy, hilarious rom-com . . . Perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Sally Thorne' Booklist
'Will we ever stop falling in love with Christina Lauren's fictional men? The answer to this is HECK NO' Fangirlish
'Christina Lauren hilariously depicts modern dating' Us Weekly
'Heartfelt and funny, this enemies-to-lovers romance shows that the best things in life are all-inclusive and nontransferable as well as free' Kirkus Reviews
'A perfect read for beach or poolside, this is one hot summer story not to miss!' Library Journal (starred review)
'Lauren brilliantly wields familiar rom-com tropes - enemies to lovers, fake marriage, even height differences - to craft a delightful romance that will have readers hanging on every word' Publishers Weekly (starred review)
- ISBN10 034941761X
- ISBN13 9780349417615
- Publish Date 14 May 2019
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 5 March 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
- Imprint Piatkus Books
- Format Paperback (UK Trade)
- Pages 432
- Language English
Reviews
Sam@WLABB
Written on May 8, 2019
It's official - Christina Lauren own me! It's just been a hit parade for me, when it comes to their books, and the hits keep coming with The Unhoneymooners.
Olive was the unlucky twin. She lost her job and her roommate in the span of one day, but her luck seemed to be improving, when she passed on the buffet and ended up being one of only two people, who evaded food poisoning. The other person was Ethan, the groom's brother and Olive's sort-of nemesis. As the only two in good health, they were gifted their siblings' honeymoon. Both were dreading the time together, but were surprised that this island adventure looked like it could lead to something they never anticipated - love.
Let me tell you, when people say this is a rom-com, they are talking capital C, O, M. As always, these ladies brought the funny. There was a lot of slapstick and laugh out loud moments, in addition to tons of fun and flirty banter. The boat, the massage, the mini road trip, paintball -- all the outings were fun filled and hilarious.
It wasn't just the situations that delighted me, I also adored both Ethan and Olive. Olive was a science loving, curvy woman with a sharp wit, who amused me to no end. The bulk of the book was told from her perspective , and I think it was the right choice. This was a rom-com, but it also was a personal journey for Olive. By being with Ethan, she was started seeing herself and her situations in a different light, and through this experience she grows a great deal. She came to some important realizations, made some big decisions, and I was ecstatic with the path she chose for herself. Ethan didn't need to grow as much as Olive, but he took some time to examine some of his relationships - romantic and otherwise, and this was an important step for him.
I am always up for a good enemies to lovers book, and CLo delivered it in spades. The barbs these two were throwing at each other had me grinning like a fool. But, then the author's sweetened the pot by putting them in a fake marriage and having them move beyond the banter to real communication. It's always a breath of fresh air to see a hero and heroine talking the time to build their relationship in a meaningful way, and I loved getting to opportunity to see beyond the surface with these two.
This book had a great setup, fantastic characters, and fabulous banter. It was funny, flirty, and even quite touching. I had a stupendous time with Olive and Ethan, and wish I could have spent more time with them.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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EBookObsessed
Written on May 3, 2019
Olive’s twin sister, Amy, is the lucky one, while Olive considers herself the polar opposite of her twin, and bad things always happen to Olive. Just an example of Amy’s good luck, is the fact that just about everything at her wedding, she obtained for free by winning contests, whether it was the stunning wedding gown, the rather hideous bridesmaid dresses, the all-you-can-eat seafood buffet or the amazing all-inclusive honeymoon to Maui. But it seems their fortunes might just be reversing when Amy’s seafood buffet makes all of the wedding guest sick from the toxic fish and the only ones not effected were Olive (who is allergic to fish) and Ethan (who can’t stand buffets).
Since the trip to Maui is non-transferable and cannot be rescheduled, Amy convinces Olive to take the vacation–actually, she wouldn’t have convinced Olive to go except for Amy’s new husband offers the honeymoon to his brother Ethan, and there is no way she is going to allow her nemesis to enjoy a free vacation while she passes it up.
The more time she spends with Ethan, the more she realizes he is not the jerk she thought he was. She had always thought Ethan hated her, so she made no effort to be nice, but they have a great time enjoying the events the hotel and the island have to offer. And once they stop swiping at each other, the more they realize they are very attracted to each other.
But, the more they talk, the more confused Olive becomes. You see, it seems like Olive’s new brother-in-law was talking her down to his Ethan and making sure that his brother stayed far away from her, rather than asking her out like he once wanted to do. Why would he actively try to keep Olive and Ethan apart unless there is some reason he doesn’t want them to talk to each other. Talk about things like why Ethan is always taking his brother away on thrill seeking adventures leaving Amy alone on holidays, when Ethan doesn’t even like to fly? Things aren’t adding up and the more Olive works on the problem, the more concerned she is about her brother-in-law’s motives. But as much as she wants to confront him, Olive fears that asking the hard questions will not only destroy her relationship with her sister but her new blossoming relationship with Ethan.
I was excited about this story since I enjoyed the last few Christina Lauren novels and I generally like the snowbound trope where characters are forced to spend time together. Unfortunately, while Ethan and Olive had a lot of fun together on Maui, they didn’t have any spark. For the better part of the story, I couldn’t make up my mind if Ethan really didn’t like Olive or maybe he was hiding his attraction because he thought it was one sided. I also have to a agree with Ethan’s brother’s assessment of Olive–that she is a very angry, bitter person. Olive turns everything dark and it is no wonder that she believes that her sister Amy is so lucky and she is so unlucky. Some people are simply of the glass-half-empty mindset, and that was Olive. She tries near the end to change her ways, but it was no wonder there was no great spark between her and Ethan.
It could have been so much more but the Unhoneymooners turned out like a great Hollywood movie where bad casting took over and the actors never really connected. Olive and Ethan have no spark so the whole thing falls flat instead of being a great rom-com.
Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
kimbacaffeinate
Written on Apr 14, 2019
First Date: The story begins at the wedding of Olive Torres twin sister, Ali. Olive is the maid of honor, and the groom’s brother, Ethan Thomas is the best man. Olive can’t understand why Ethan dislikes her, but the two trade barbs as easily as siblings with enough spark to ensure you they are not. Despite, her hideous bridesmaid dress all goes well until everyone who partook in the seafood buffet ends up horribly sick. Everyone except Olive and Ethan. When Ali talks Olive into taking their ten-day honeymoon in Hawaii with Ethan..fate puts them on a plane posing as the married couple. Humor, snark and wicked chemistry have me all in….
Second Date: Welcome to Hawaii! Can I just take a moment to say I am jealous? I would gladly share the honeymoon suite with my enemy. The two work towards being amicable and even help each other out when they run into new acquaintances and past lovers. I loved what unfolded during their ten days in the sun. I laughed and fell hard for Ethan. I enjoyed seeing Olive happy and watching her loosen up. We learned some things that kept me flipping the pages.
Third Date: The honeymoon is over! The last third of the book dealt with the continued growth of their relationship, which is complicated by family and careers. The drama was realistic, and I felt for all sides. Ethan found himself in a hard position. I ended up feeling sorry for him. I loved the pacing and buildup. The relationship felt genuine, and I needed an HEA. I admit I wasn’t letting anything interrupt me as I finished their last date. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
whisperingchapters
Written on Mar 23, 2019
Olive's sister and Ethan's brother are celebrating their wedding when at one point everybody who ate from the free seafood buffet at the wedding start getting sick, except Olive and Ethan, who had special food made for them. Olive's sister insists she goes on the honeymoon to not waste it because it was non-refundable. Olive is very hesitant because she hates Ethan with a passion, but she's definitely up for some vacation time.
I can treat this trip like an actual vacation on a tropical island. Yes, it’s with my nemesis, but still, I’ll take it.
I actually enjoyed this book quite a lot. It's a little bit funny here and there (mostly, I was just smiling, not really laughing). I expected more on the enemies-to-lovers front. There wasn't a real hate behind all the bickering. Olive's reason for hating Ethan is so childish. It's like a "he hates me, so I'll hate him" type of thing. And Ethan doesn't even hate her, he just likes bickering with her, which was what added to the fun, thankfully.
I want to say something sassy, but the only coherent thought that comes to mind is how insulting it is that eyelashes like his were wasted on Satan's Errand Boy, so I just give a perfunctory nod and turn down the hall.
One of the things I loved the most was the family/friendship dynamic. Olive's family, especially her mom and her friend Diego, were the highlight for me in the story. They are both so fun! I wish Diego gets his own book because I'd totally be into it.
The story itself is delightful to read. There are just some inconsistencies, and it can get kinda boring at times and repetitive. This is definitely not my fave from the duo, but it's good, nonetheless. If you're looking for something to read super quick and escape to Maui for a while, then you might just like this book.
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girlinthepages
Written on Feb 9, 2019
Ever since I finally jumped on the Christina Lauren train in the second half of 2018, I've been obsessed with their stand along romance novels. They're always sure to be full of witty banter, fun premises, and hilarious side characters. The Unhoneymooners checked all of those boxes, with the added bonus of being the first wedding-themed read by them that I've encountered, which is always perfect materials for a romantic comedy.
Initially set in snowy Minneapolis, the story opens with protagonist Olive (love her name!) serving as the maid of honor in her twin sister's got-everything-for-free wedding. While the idea of "free wedding" seems pretty great, her usually lucky sister's luck runs out when the "free" seafood buffet ends up making everyone in attendance violently ill, with the exception of Olive and best man and brother of the groom Ethan (one of the many, many reasons I do not eat seafood). Unified only in their health (as they generally have a strong aversion to each other), Olive's sister Ami insists that she and Ethan take their free honeymoon and pose as the newlyweds, because why waste an all expenses paid for trip to Hawaii when you can totally pose as your identical twin sister? 100% logic that I can get on board with.
As expected, the romance unfolds across the course of the ten day vacation in paradise with Olive and Ethan initially wanting to throw each other off the balcony but eventually coming to a begrudging tolerance and then eventual desire (as is the case in most hate to love stories). I really enjoyed seeing how Ethan and Olive slowly untangled the threads at the root of their animosity toward each other over time, realizing a revising of history was in order as both had huge misconceptions of the other's perception of them. It was also fun to see this happen across the course of various vacation activities, from spa appointments to boat rides to paint balling (although to be honest they were much more adventurous in their vacation extracurriculars, when I'm in Hawaii I spend about 95% of my time on the beach with a book).
The story doesn't end in paradise, however, and the last 20-25% of the book takes place back home which I appreciated as it didn't have a neat "happily ever after" feel as Olive and Ethan had to deal with the repercussions of their newfound relationship back on the mainland as well as address some deep family drama that had come to light during their Hawaiian vacation. I actually found that this was one of my favorite parts of the book, getting to check in with Olive's overwhelming yet well meaning Latinx family that readers only spend a few moments with at the beginning of the story. Though they were very much periphery characters, I loved how they were always in Olive's business for better and for worse, from letting themselves into her apartment and cooking dinner unannounced to conjuring up jobs at the family restaurants whenever a relative fell on hard times. I feel like in romantic comedy stories it's rare to see such a big family system (usually it's just the snarky mom or cynical sister, etc) so it was super fun to read about this loud, loving family.
Though I loved Olive, I didn't fall for the romance as much as I have in the past for Christina Lauren's couples. Ethan never felt fully fleshed out to me the way their other male protagonists have, and I didn't like how he handled the major plot conflict at the end of the book (and which felt explained away/forgiven by Olive a little too easily). I also had trouble feeling like his and Olive's relationship had achieved a depth to it before the end of the novel. Despite these concerns though I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about their courtship (especially how they purposefully would call each other by the wrong name for the first half of the book, something about that was just so perfectly petty and hilarious to me).
Overall: Christina Lauren delivers exactly what I want every time I pick up a romance novel: a fun, quick read with a protagonist I want to root for and a touch of depth to make me fully invested even if the outcome may be predictable.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
Linda
Written on Feb 6, 2019
Oh my. The Unhoneymooners once again cements the writing genius that is Christina Lauren! From enemies to tentative friends to lovers, to tentative enemies and maybe back to lovers... Yeah, that's a mouthful, but it's true!
There is a lot of humor here, and there is also quite a few assumptions. And you know what we say about assuming, right? The romance was both hot and fun, and I felt like I spent a little while in Maui (thank you!! I needed a beautiful vacation!).
FRC
Leigha
Written on Feb 5, 2019
Two enemies learn their attraction just may get in front of their hatred in this cute, if predictable, romance.
Christina Lauren has slowly worked their way into auto request territory. I’ve read more of their work in the last year than I have since they started publishing. Some of their books I’ve loved, like Roomies. Some of their books I didn’t like, like Love and Other Words. This book falls somewhere in the middle – I enjoyed it, but it didn’t invest me.
It took me a while to grow into the protagonist, Olive. She’s not necessarily likable at the beginning of the novel, but the story goes to great lengths for her growth. By the end of it, she seemed more centered. If there is one thing CLo nails in all of their novels, it’s how choices impact our lives. The choices we make and the choices made for us. Olive learns her choices, rather than her luck, defines the majority of her life.
Ethan and Olive had some great chemistry! Their relationship grew from enemies to lovers in a heated, believable way. While most of the novel is set in Hawaii, the later half of the novel focuses on their relationship back in their home environment. I’m glad some time is spent developing them outside of the extreme circumstances. I even liked the subplot between them and their respective siblings.
tl;dr An enjoyable romantic comedy full of humor, romance, and character growth from the CLo team.