I received this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren Published by Gallery Books on 2020-03-24
Length: 308 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2020, 2020 New Release Challenge, COYER All Year 2020
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Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.
James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.
Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…
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.
About Christina Lauren
Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced fourteen New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 30+ languages.
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