Book Review: "The Honey-Don't List" by Christina Lauren
“The Honey Don’t List” by Christina Lauren
Synopsis: 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. - Gallery Books
Rating (out of 5): 4*
Trigger warnings: chronic illness, asshole bosses, cheating, cute men that are too good to be true
Review: My dog only barks when she’s scared, and she also barks at President Trump — I promise this is relevant! In an attempt to assuage my Taff-mom guilt, I leave the TV on for her when I go to work, and I used to leave it on the news. One day during the 2016 primaries, one of my neighbors pulled me aside to ask if everything with Taffy was okay because she had been barking so much. I was concerned, but I assumed she was just seeing birds out of the window — that is, until I was teleworking one day, and I saw her rouse from a solid nap and bark at the TV when a Trump ad appeared. After that, I started leaving the TV on HGTV to lower her personal stress levels.
Is that a long way to say that I’ve watched a lot of Chip & Joanna Gaines? Sure. But I just wanted to give you the mental image of an elderly cocker spaniel barking vociferously at a TV screen, and also give you an insight to many moments of my quarantine. You’re welcome.
Melissa and Rusty Tripp are the biggest stars in home-construction TV, and they are starting an empire: books, new Netflix show, fame and fortune and all that accompanies it. Their brand is built on their marriage — she’s the one with a list, the one that wears the pants in the relationship, and he’s a clownish good old boy that likes to play with wood.** You’re not imagining the resemblance to Chip and Joanna Gaines, except for the fact that their marriage hasn’t been brought to the brink of ending (well….that we know of). It’s terrible timing, especially as they are about to start a book tour for their book about relationship advice.
Enter: Carey and James. Carey is Melissa’s right-hand woman of over a decade, and she’s basically a member of the family — in many ways, she’s the most essential member of the team (you’ll see what I mean when you read it). James has only been working for Rusty for two months, and he’s an engineer turned reluctant keeper. They are sent on the book tour to ensure that everything goes smoothly, and naturally, sparks fly and hijinks ensue.
The book opens with an “incident” and we end up going back in time to see how our heroes get there — it’s a good narrative trick, as it definitely got me hooked. I didn’t see many of the plot developments coming - yes, I knew Carey and James would fall in love, and I figured that Melly would be kind of a monster while Rusty was a philanderer, but other than that, I let myself be surprised by the story. I didn’t try to figure it out ahead of time, and it was such a lovely brain break.
Yes, it’s a little formulaic, but honestly, I find that comforting right now. Everything in the world is uncertain at this exact moment, so I loved knowing that there was a happy ending coming my way. However, even though the conceit is familiar, that doesn’t mean that it’s not still a snappy piece of writing. I find all of Christina Lauren’s books to be clever and well-written, which definitely applies here. They have a gift for drawing characters that are not only recognizable and lovable, but also quick-witted in a way that I can only aspire to be.
To be honest, the most compelling part of the story for me was the Melly-and-Rusty dynamic; yes, I was invested in seeing Carey and James fall in lust (let’s be real, that’s what that is), but it wasn’t the best part of the story to me. Usually, Christina Lauren are heavier on the romance for the plot, and I felt that it was a little different with this one. In no way is it a complaint; it was still a compelling story — I did just want to raise that, just in case.
All in all, I really enjoyed this read, and I am so happy that it released at just the right time. If you’re in a quarantine-induced reading slump, I’d recommend this one. Pro tip: best enjoyed with a glass of wine in the tub.
TL;DR: An escapist and charming romance, with steamy scenes, horrible bosses, and HGTV vibes.
If you liked this, try these:
“The Unhoneymooners” by Christina Lauren (Moira’s review here!)
“Get a Life, Chloe Brown” by Talia Hibbert (my review here!)
“Don’t You Forget About Me” by Mhairi McFarlane (Shannon’s review here!)
*note: I wavered between a 3.75 and a 4 on this, but I got through this book in one sitting after not reading any thing for a week, so I rounded up!
**yes, I totally meant the double entendre.
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