Christina Lauren | The Honey-Don't List

The Book:

The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren, 2020

The Characters:

Carey
James

The Plot (from Goodreads):

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 a 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.

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The Review:

I loved Josh and Hazel so much that I had to pick up another Christina Lauren right after it. While it doesn’t top Josh and Hazel, The Honey-Don’t List is another adorable romance that perfectly fits CL’s style.

I’m a fan of those HGTV fixer-upper shows, so it was pretty neat to get a behind-the-scenes look through this book. The Tripps are picture-perfect to the rest of the world, but Carey and James know they secretly hate each other.

I wanted to like Carey, because she seemed like a creative badass and I enjoyed learning about her motor disorder, but I mostly just found myself getting frustrated that she wouldn’t stand up for herself. James was sweet and likable, and I liked the two of them as a couple.

This was a quick and interesting read, but I don’t think it will stick with me quite as much as Josh and Hazel will.