The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren

Synopsis (via 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 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…

From the “hilariously zany and heartfelt” (Booklist) Christina Lauren comes a romantic comedy that proves if it’s broke, you might as well fix it.

From the New York Times bestselling author behind the “joyful, warm, touching” (Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author) The Unhoneymooners comes a delightfully charming love story about what happens when two assistants tasked with keeping a rocky relationship from explosion start to feel sparks of their own.

"I am very clearly the Pigpen to his Schroeder."

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

First of all, I want to point out that the synopsis says Carey Douglass, but the story I read had a Carey Duncan. I'm not sure if it's a typo, or if the authors decided to change the main character's last name after the review copies were sent out. 

The Honey-Don't List was enjoyable, but not my favorite book by this duo. I dislike it when the main conflict arises due to a lack of communication or secrets, and that's basically all this book is. Melly and Rusty don't communicate, Rusty is keeping secrets from Melly, Melly and Carey don't communicate, Melly and Rusty are keeping secrets about their business and Cary's involvement, and James doesn't communicate something that eventually turns into a secret. From the moment he said, "I'll tell her later," I knew it would be what came between their relationship. Nobody likes to be kept in the dark, especially when there's no reason for it.

I thought Carey's relationship with the Tripps was really unhealthy. I hate that she stayed with them for so long and let them get away with stealing her ideas and claiming them as their own. It's not really a spoiler, since you learn about it pretty early on (and it's alluded to in the synopsis), but it was a big issue for me in this book. Why didn't Rusty say something, if he felt so bad about it? How was their relationship able to continue the way it did for so long? How had no one ever bothered to tell Carey that she was in a parasitic relationship (before James)? It just wasn't believable that Carey spent 10 years of her life with these people, and they never fully appreciated her or acknowledged how she contributed to their success. 

I hated both Melly and Rusty, so following them around the entire time was not a fun experience. Additionally, there's very little time spent between James and Carey, so it was hard to feel invested in their relationship. It was adorable watching them go from teasing co-workers, to hesitant friends, and then eventually lovers, but there wasn't really anything solid between them. At the beginning James mentions his sister and nephews, and I wish we'd delved more into their respective backgrounds. I thought their individual lives were interesting, and think more shared information would have helped them build a stronger connection. The L word was said way too soon, in my opinion. They've known each other for months, and most of that time was wrapped up in other people's craziness.

"Right now I’m looking at Carey’s face, thinking it’s like a song I’ve heard a few times now, and every time I hear it again I like it more."

I like home makeover shows, so I thought that aspect of this book would appeal to me more, but it's not really a focal point. It's always there in the background, but we mostly see the Tripps on tour promoting themselves and fighting. Always fighting. I think seeing some of the behind-the-scenes interactions would have been an awesome addition to the story. Their respective interviews with police officers started off well, but I felt like their questions led you to believe something bigger would happen at the end. After everything was said and done, those snippets felt unnecessary. 

The ending really bummed me out. Carey still doesn't know who she is, or what she wants to do. James is back where he started, so it feels like everything he went through was for nothing. Carey's relationship with the Tripps is still complicated and exhausting to experience, and I was left feeling exasperated instead of elated. It wrapped up nicely, sure, but it didn't have any of the resolutions I was hoping for. (★★★⋆☆)