The Honey-Don't List

by Christina Lauren

'Joyful, warm, touching' Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author

'Full of well-placed reminders that everything will be ok' BookPage

Set It Up meets The Proposal in this brand new love story from the bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners . . .
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From the New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren comes a delightfully charming love story about what happens when two assistants tasked with keeping a rocky relationship on the rails start to feel sparks of their own.

Carey Douglas has worked for design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade, 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 favourite couple can't stand each other.

James McCann, 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 can 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, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses' secrets hidden. 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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Find out why readers LOVE Christina Lauren:

'Witty and downright hilarious . . . a perfect feel-good romantic comedy' Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

'Pure joy' Sally Thorne, USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game

'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: 1982123915
• ISBN13: 9781982123918
• Publish Date: 24 March 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: The Gallery Press
• Imprint: Gallery Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[The Romantic Comedy Book Club]

There is nothing like starting a book with a police investigation to get you to sit up straight and pay attention! A huge fan of The Unhoneymooners and Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, I couldn't wait to dive into the The Honey Don't List. To be honest, I was slightly disappointed. While the start of the story had my curiosity peaked, the overall pace was exceptionally slow. In fact, if the story had started any other way, I am not sure I would have finished it but knowing something/someone was being investigated is what kept my attention until it resolved. In either case, The Honey Don't List is a reminder to not believe everything you see on TV, the brightest smiles may be hiding the darkest secrets.

 

Take everything you know about Joanna and Chip Gaines, flip it on its lid, and you have the “Anti-Gaines” - Melissa and Rusty Tripp: Decorator and Carpenter from a small town who have hit it big and have lost their minds! At the helm, trying the rein them in with their dear lives are Carey Duncan and James McCann. Carey has been with Melly and Rusty since she was 16 years old. For 10 years, they have been like family to her. She helps Melly design for the show and Rusty brings those designs to life. Through it all, she has never questioned their intent or loyalty to her and she has been blindly devoted to all things Comb + Honey. She would do anything for them, even attempt to cover up a secret she accidentally discovers when James, Rusty’s Structure Engineer (read personal assistant) recruits her to help locate him the night of their launch party. One loose thread from unraveling everything the Tripp’s have worked for and the remarkable future that is just about to kick off, James and Carey are forced to be placed on babysitting duty. They have one job and one job only, keep the Tripps from killing each other on a multi-city book tour and convince the world they are as loving to each other as they appear to be on TV. Stuck together for what seems like an impossible task with no way out, James and Carey find themselves growing closer and closer. It is true, misery really does love company.

 

This was an unexpectedly cute story. The entire time I read it, I kept pictures Rusty as Chip Gaines - mainly because my knowledge of HGTV hosts is limited but when they do make a reference of Joanna, it confirmed that they were trying to paint a picture of a couple who would have the same personalities on the outside but be polar opposites behind close doors. I enjoyed the antics of the trip and the overall absurdness of the situation. Again, I would have thought the story was slow but starting out with James and Carey having to do police interviews, I was hooked immediately and wanted to know what finally got so bad that the police had to be involved!

 

The verbal and nonverbal communication between James and Carey were the bread and butter of this story. Two people who hardly ever talked to each other, were never in the same room, but were aware of how much they loathed each other were able to put all of that aside just by taking the time to actually have a conversation. It is amazing how impactful first impressions or assumptions can be. When they let down their guards and understood they either would survive together or drown apart, they realized in more ways than one that they were perfect for each other and more alike than they initially assumed.

 

As for the spice factor, the few times Carey and James got together were pretty steamy. While brief in description, the heated moments impacted the overall story - not only allowing the characters to let loose and blow off steam, but allow Carey and James to see a side of each other no one else knew.

 

Overall, the book was a nice reminder to find your voice, stand your ground, and never let someone believe you have no other options when stuck in an impossible situation. While this book wouldn't be on the tip of my tongue if asked for a recommendation, I invite those who enjoy a nice HGTV-type farce to dive in and hang out with this over-worked, over stressed bunch.

[pagingserenity]

I'm giving this 4 stars for now but it's pretty close to 3.5 star territory. I might drop the rating after I sleep on it a bit. I think my expectations might have been too high and that was the biggest downfall. I dunno, the banter just wasn't as funny as expected, the romance wasn't as swoony, and the characters didn't have as much chemistry as I'd like. I think there was too many things going on in the story that nothing felt truly satisfying, if that makes sense. Overall, it was still a great fun book to read. It had moments that made me smile and I liked both of the main characters (their bosses are a whole other story though).

[Linda]

4.5 stars

*I received a free copy of The Honey-Don't List from Gallery Books via Edelweiss. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review which is honest and unbiased.*

Christina Lauren have a certain way with words, and The Honey-Don't List was both spicy and tender, and the narrative was very original. I loved Casey from the very beginning - and the way she was able to stand up for herself was amazing.

[girlinthepages]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy for review!*

Recently Christina Lauren books seem to have taken a turn from predominantly romance focused stories to stories focused more on the career and self-exploration of their 20-something protagonists- and I am here for it! I still love their original stand-alone romance stories (Roomies, Love and Other Words, etc) however there's something refreshing and original about their new perspective, and I truly enjoyed The Honey Don't List, zipping through it in just a few days when my previous read had left me in a little bit of a slump!

The Honey Don't List plays on the popularity of home renovation shows and follows Carey and James, assistants to a popular celebrity home-improvement couple (Melly & Rusty) who are honestly like a twisted, darker version of the beloved Chip & Joanna. It was so intriguing to take a premise that is so relevant to today's entertainment for millennials and explore what it would be like behind the scenes if dysfunction was at the core of the relationship. Of course, Carey and James are rivals who can't stand each other (which gave me vibes from The Hating Game) and yet are forced to work together to keep their bosses marriage from falling apart right as they launch a Netflix show and (ironically enough) publish a book on marital advice.

I really liked Carey as a protagonist. She was quiet yet resilient, and had a less than traditional background and her own reasons for staying loyal to Rusty and Melly despite their exploiting behavior of her (including medical ones). When James enters the picture and can't fathom why Carey puts up with her crazy job, the story does a good job showcasing a situation where someone can't just walk away from an employer despite some pitfalls. There was some juxtaposition of privilege between Carey and James that was refreshing to see, and it was nice to see how they both came to understand the unique predicaments they were each in when it came to their careers, financial situations, and personal lives.

One of the elements of the story that most intrigued me was the relationship between Melly (the wife of the home improvement duo and the main driver between the couple's success) and Carey (her assistant). James ruminates several times about how their relationship is toxic and abusive, which isn't something I've seen many novels tackle, the imbalance between boss and employer, mentor and mentee. Some of the scenes between Melly and Carey were hard to read, from the ones when Melly was freaking out when something went wrong and attributing blame to Carey for things she could not control, to the scenes where she would step in and check on Carey, one of the only ones privy to her medical condition. It was heartbreaking to see how Carey was so dependent yet so belittled by one of the only people who truly knew her, and I feel this was an important area of the novel to explore. The story really focused on how Melly and Rusty had changed over the years and how it had impacted their relationships that they had before, with those such as Carey, juxtaposed against their relationships with those they met after their success, such as James.

Obviously a Christina Lauren story wouldn't be complete without a romance, and Carey and James make a fine pair. I didn't dislike their romance, it just took a backseat to me in comparison to the other, larger themes and more important relationships that this story chose to focus on (at least in my eyes). It was a nice addition but not totally necessary- I really think Carey's story could have been successful no matter the outcome of her romantic involvement with James!

Overall: A more serious Christina Lauren novel about finding yourself stuck in a career in your mid/late 20s and questioning the overlap of your working and personal relationships, this story really scratched an itch I didn't know I needed in adult fiction!

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages

[EBookObsessed]

A great idea but could have been so much more.

Who hasn't watched the couples on those home improvement shows and envied the happy camaraderie, working so closely together to make something beautiful, and thought, I want that.   But is everything as wonderful as we are made to believe?

In The Honey-Don't List, our dream couple, Mel and Rusty Tripp have long ago given up on their marriage, at least privately. Publicly, they are just about to start their own spinoff series as well as the promotion tour on their new self-help book for a happy marriage. If only the two of them can spend more than five minutes together without fighting so that they can keep fooling their adoring fans.

As the book tour starts, the producers of the new show insist that their assistants, Carey and James go on the tour with them to keep them in line and keep their fights out of the public eye. Of course, being trapped together on a small bus with a couple who can't stand each other will be a fun time for all concerned and as things devolve, will they be able to keep it together long enough to get the new show renewed with a second season or is the whole thing doomed from the moment they take that first step on a their own personal highway to hell?

While this was a great premise for a story, it didn't make it all the way through to a good romance. I liked how the story is broken up with quick chapters that are basically police interviews of either Carey or James. Something big happens on this bus trip, and you need to know what happened that landed them under police inquiry--assault? murder? I wanted to know where that was heading. And you would forget while we read tge story of what was happening between Rusty and Mel but then you'd get the end of a chapter and remember, that's right they're telling the police what happened. It was a good hook but not enough to make up for an overall ho-hum story.

Because the real story isn't truly about Mel and Rusty, the focus of their story is their assistants: Carey and James. This is an enemy-to-lover story, but we never really get the whole enemy thing down. It is more James thought he was too good to be an assistant and Carey just didn't like him because of his attitude but secretly she admitted that he was too smart/good looking to be on the same level as her as simply an assistant. I think where it didn't work for me is that both James and Carey felt stuck in their jobs and the last straw was being forced to babysit the Tripps on this bus tour. Problem is that I couldn't get behind their feelings of being boxed in with these jobs.

James was an engineer and worked several years after graduating with a firm that just went through a scandal for stealing pensions. While we never get real details of what James engineered, we know for certain he didn't engineer their finances. James applied for a job as an engineer with the home improvement show (again engineering what? don't know) but Mel saw him and hired him as James's assistant with empty promises of doing engineer work. James jumped on it because he couldn't get another job at an engineering firm. What? He was an entry-level employee at a firm where the CEO stole the pension. No one is going to hire a young engineer with talent because his boss stole money? He probably never even met the big boss so how should this effect him? A smart company would grab up all the talent when this big firm when belly up.  James felt trapped in this assistant job because he needed something on his resume besides the big scandal job.  It's not like  James's whole life was in rural Wisconsin and he had no where to go.  James is from New York.  That's where his family is.  There has to be somewhere that doesn't care about the big NYC firm scandal.  We should also note that James didn't really do much assisting, leaving Carey to handle most of the couples schedule.

Carey has been working for the Tripps since she was 16, working at their first home good store. After ten years, Carey has just about had it with the Tripps and their escalating drama but she fears leaving because she has no other work experience and no college degree. She tried to leave once but Mel freaked out after she was called as a job reference. I could understand Carey's loyalty to Mel if Carey had no family and was treated as a member of Rusty and Mel's family all this time.   Take a kid with no connections and give her a feeling of family, of course she would be loyal. But that didn't seem to be the case. While Carey was not close with her family, she still kept in touch with them and Mel and Rusty had grown children but didn't seem to include Carey as one of their own. By this point in their relationship, Mel was definitely used to Carey doing for her and didn't want that to end. We eventually see why Carey has become so important to Mel. But Carey should have used this to her advantage either to improve her situation with her job, or as things deteriorated between the couple, why couldn't she use Rusty as a job reference?  He seemed to support Carey.  Even if she has no other experience and no reference, Carey's been with Mel 10 years from their first store until the height of their career -- must mean something, right? And after ten years, do you think a reference from your current boss might be skewed because they don't want you to leave? Carey was also paid very well by Mel and Rusty all these years and lamented not going to college (this is why she felt James was so above her and an assistant job). Why didn't she look into leaving to attend college either to study what she was good at or something new?

Sometimes you read a story and you know that the downtrodden character is stuck under someone's thumb and in this case, the only thing forcing these characters to stay is money. Money is important but I would only stay at a crappy job long enough to get a new job.  Neither of these characters were putting much effort into moving on, just whining and lamenting about their situation.

Romancewise, there wasn't much to their connection except bitching how much they hated what was happening to them and their new babysitting duty. Carey thought James and gorgeous but full of himself, but she also believed that he was overqualified to be just an assistant. And James didn't think too much about Carey until one day when he actually looked at her and realized she was actually pretty and suddenly he takes notice of her and her situation and wants to date.

This was a great idea which simply wasn't fulfilled and as a romance, didn't really ring the bell because there wasn't much to the connection between James and Carey except having sex with the only person available when you are stuck at the constant beck and call of your boss.

I usually love an author and read everything or I simply don't enjoy their writing and walk away. I even have a love-hate relationship with J.R. Ward and her BDB series. (I seriously need an intervention.) The odd thing about Christina Lauren is that some books I really like and some, like this one, I just don't, but I have to read each new story so I can weed out the ones I enjoy. It's an odd thing for me to pick up an author's book with trepidation not knowing where it's going to fall but I have had enough of the enjoyable that I don't want to walk away.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See more at EBookObsessed.com

[Lindsey Gray]

4.5 Stars

Carey and James are both in a bind. They can’t get out from under the famous duo of Melissa and Rusty Tripp. Carey has worked for the couple for ten years and has no education to help her move on in her design career if things blow up. James thought working for the Tripps as an engineer was a godsend after his last employer got caught breaking the law. Neither can leave the couple’s employ and are desperate to keep them together just a little bit longer.

The duo of Christina Lauren has another best-seller on their hands. The story of James and Carey desperately trying to save their employer’s marriage and careers is told with several twists and turns. We get so much story in this novel from several different places. We get a peek into the minds of Carey and James with chapters written from their point-of-view. What I also found wonderfully refreshing is the way the ladies dropped in police interview transcripts from both Carey and James, as well as Twitter feeds and other entertainment news. These all together told a fun and vibrant story of opposites falling head over heels in love. From a bargain hotel to a luxury tour bus, Carey and James have plenty of shenanigans to keep readers entertained throughout.

I received The Honey-Don't List for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Sam@WLABB]

The Tripps were America's favorite home designing couple. People admired their work and their seemingly stable marriage, but their relationship was full of cracks. With both a book on marriage and new series soon to be released, their assistants, Carey and James, had been recruited to keep the scandals from becoming public knowledge. Along the way, the pair developed a fondness and appreciation for each other, which turned into more, but would this relationship survive outside the Tripp bubble?

This was another solid rom-com from Christina Lauren. As always, I laughed a LOT, and I was such a fan of the book's structure. It starts after some event, which required police intervention. So, throughout the dual POV narrative, I was getting these peeks at what was coming up. They also including press releases, articles, book excerpts, and social media posts, which were well placed and really added to the story.

Though most of the book revolves around the quartet on their road trip, the stars for me were James and Carey, both of whom, were sort of trapped in their jobs. James was a well educated engineer, but he was struggling to find a new position, because his last company was shrouded in scandal. He thought a year with the Tripps would be exactly what he needed to make himself marketable once again. Carey had been with the Tripps since she was 16, and believed she would not be able to find another job due to her lack of education, and the fact that she was "just an assistant". In reality, she did a LOT more than the normal assistant duties, she just didn't get credit for it. However, she was stuck, because she needed the health insurance for her medical therapies.

The two bonded over this, and the ridiculous situation they were stuck in. They went from being enemies to partners in crime, working together to keep Rusty and Melly from any and all public meltdowns. It was fun watching them navigate some sticky situations, and seeing them form a team of sorts. There were many, many funny moments, with some even being of the slapstick variety, but the situation between Rusty and Melly made me a little sad. I hate to see something that was once beautiful fall apart, but at least something beautiful grew out of the ashes.

I really enjoyed watching James and Carey fall for each other. They would show their affection in these little ways, and they quickly became each others' friend, confidant, and champion. Obviously, there were some missteps, but I was really happy with the way Lauren resolved it all. The moments they shared were sweet, lovely, tender, and sometimes very hot. I do wish we got to see more of these moments, but I will say, that I adored all the ones Christina Lauren gifted to us.

Overall, I had a great time on this disastrous book tour, and look forward to reading more from Christina Lauren.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Leigha]

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Carey and James must help a famous couple appear happy in this absolutely wonderful adult contemporary romance.

I don’t always like CLo books, especially when they wander into maudlin territory. While this book does look at some complex issues (infidelity, emotional abuse, etc.), it never went too dark. It’s a nice blend of drama and humor – exactly what I need when I want to sink my teeth into something, but not be overwhelmed by the topic.

Carey and James are likable characters, although they both struggled with personal issues of self-identity and self-worth. Carey, in particular, could be incredibly frustrating. And yet, I think her story illustrates the back and forth of toxic and unhealthy relationships (particularly long term relationships). Her relationship with the Tripps is complex, and it takes the entire novel for her to come to terms with it and them. It’s worth the effort to get to her clarity.

Their romance is cute. I’d say their individual stories are the foundation of the story, but their romance is the rest of the building. It’s sweet and steady, a counterbalance to the toxic relationship between the Tripps. The ending is the perfect Happily Ever After moment after their trials in the novel.

tl;dr My favorite CLo book yet with a perfect mix of humor and drama, enjoyably characters, and an interesting story.