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THE UNHONEYMOONERS

by Christina Lauren ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2019

Heartfelt and funny, this enemies-to-lovers romance shows that the best things in life are all-inclusive and nontransferable...

An unlucky woman finally gets lucky in love on an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii.

From getting her hand stuck in a claw machine at age 6 to losing her job, Olive Torres has never felt that luck was on her side. But her fortune changes when she scores a free vacation after her identical twin sister and new brother-in-law get food poisoning at their wedding buffet and are too sick to go on their honeymoon. The only catch is that she’ll have to share the honeymoon suite with her least favorite person—Ethan Thomas, the brother of the groom. To make matters worse, Olive’s new boss and Ethan’s ex-girlfriend show up in Hawaii, forcing them both to pretend to be newlyweds so they don’t blow their cover, as their all-inclusive vacation package is nontransferable and in her sister’s name. Plus, Ethan really wants to save face in front of his ex. The story is told almost exclusively from Olive’s point of view, filtering all communication through her cynical lens until Ethan can win her over (and finally have his say in the epilogue). To get to the happily-ever-after, Ethan doesn’t have to prove to Olive that he can be a better man, only that he was never the jerk she thought he was—for instance, when she thought he was judging her for eating cheese curds, maybe he was actually thinking of asking her out. Blending witty banter with healthy adult communication, the fake newlyweds have real chemistry as they talk it out over snorkeling trips, couples massages, and a few too many tropical drinks to get to the truth—that they’re crazy about each other.

Pub Date: May 14, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-5011-2803-5

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019

ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE

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by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 2, 2016

Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...

Hoover’s ( November 9 , 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.

At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.

Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016

GENERAL ROMANCE | ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

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by Sandra Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 15, 2017

As the plot grows more complicated, it also sheds believability, leaving sex and witty banter to carry the day.

Brown ( Mean Streak , 2014, etc.) ticks off the boxes that elevate her books to the bestseller lists in this sexy romantic thriller set in Texas.

Rock-jawed hero with a dark past: check. Strong-willed, beautiful woman who resists his charms: check. A Whitman’s Sampler of bad guys: check. And finally, a convoluted and not always plausible plot: check. In this latest outing, readers meet TV journalist Kerra Bailey, whose family was torn apart years ago by a hotel bombing that killed 197 people in Dallas. Just in time for the 25th anniversary, Kerra scores an interview with the notoriously private Maj. Trapper, who saved her life, among others, when he emerged from the blast to lead the survivors out of danger. There's an iconic, prizewinning photo of the major carrying a little girl from the wreckage, but the child has never been identified—until now, when Kerra goes public with the information that it was her. Just after they finish filming the interview in his home, the major is shot, and an injured Kerra escapes in the confusion. The major’s son, disgraced Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent John Trapper—a name M*A*S*H fans will appreciate—steps in, igniting a chain of events that leads to murder, intrigue, betrayal, and a series of dark revelations. As with most of Brown’s heroes and heroines, there’s palpable sexual tension between Trapper, whose taut rear occupies ample literary real estate, and Kerra, who when dealing with Trapper feels “like he’d lightly scratched her just below her bellybutton” when he’s not making her “pleasure points throb.” The complex plot plays out in a round of reveals that don’t always make a lot of sense, but that’s not why Brown’s fans read her books. They check in for the witty, pitch-perfect dialogue and fluid writing. A master of her genre, Brown knows how to please her most ardent readers but relies too often on the same basic formula from novel to novel.

Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4555-7210-6

Page Count: 432

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Review Posted Online: July 3, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017

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Book Review

The unhoneymooners by christina lauren.

by Amanda · May 14, 2019 at 3:00 am · View all 16 comments

The Unhoneymooners

by Christina Lauren

May 14, 2019 · Gallery Books

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Genre: Contemporary Romance , Romance

Theme: Enemies to Lovers , Forced Proximity (stranded, safehouse, etc)

The Unhoneymooners is an enemies to lovers romance set in a romantic destination. It has Christina Lauren’s trademark humor and wit, but a plot twist and tonal shift knocked me off balance and left me unable to regain my footing.

Ami and Olive Torres are twins. Ami is the lucky one, winning many of her wedding planning items from the dress to the food to even her honeymoon, through a mix of contests, sweepstakes, and agreeing to use her wedding as promotion. But when ciguatera toxin takes out the entire wedding, Ami and her groom Dane included, Olive and the man she hates most, Dane’s brother Ethan, are the only ones left standing. With the honeymoon nonrefundable, Olive and Ethan begrudgingly agree to pose as newlyweds to get to Maui and plan to spend 10 days in tropical paradise, separately. Things get complicated when Olive runs into her soon-to-be boss and Ethan bumps into his ex girlfriend, meaning that they’ll have to be a little more convincing as husband and wife. The all-expenses-paid vacation is dependent on their posing as Ami and Dane. If anyone gets wind that they aren’t who they say they are, they have to pay out of pocket for the cost of the entire trip.

Forced proximity, a gorgeous vacation, and rum-filled drinks give way to romance.

After finishing the book, I knew it was going to be a challenge to review and grade. As a romance reader incredibly familiar with Christina Lauren’s backlist, The Unhoneymooners felt off. Maybe my expectations were elsewhere, but this romance seems like a departure from what my Christina Lauren norm. A couple things stuck out: there were no explicit or really any on-the-page sex scenes and there was a huge emotional twist in the plot that I didn’t see coming.

Neither of these things are bad as an element in romance, but it was as if my favorite jeans designer changed their pants pattern. The fit doesn’t feel quite right, despite being super comfy.

I’m trying to reconcile whether I’d have different feelings about this book if were written by someone else.

Point of views in books are very subjective for readers and I’ll just tell you now that a majority of the book is from Olive’s POV. The exception is the epilogue, which is told from Ethan’s POV. Normally, I don’t mind only being in the heroine’s brain, especially in a Lauren book. I love their heroines. However, after reading the epilogue, I really liked being in Ethan’s awkward head and having his POV throughout would have offset some feelings I had about the Big Twist and its resolution.

The book is still wildly funny and has several little Easter eggs for fandom nerds. The rapid-fire banter between Ethan and Olive is top notch and yes, I did literally L-O-L a few times. One of my favorite scenes references one of my favorite movies: Fried Green Tomatoes. This is after they run into Olive’s soon-to-be boss and his wife as they’re leaving their vacation:

“I was serious about the spouses club,” Molly tells Ethan conspiratorially. “We have fun, if you know what I mean.” She winks. “Give us a call when you’re home.” The turn back to the reception desk, and we wave as we weave through the crowd toward the restaurant. Ethan leans down, muttering in a shaky voice, “I really don’t know what she means by fun.” “Could be innocent, like a bunch of wives drinking merlot and complaining about their husbands,” I tell him. “Or it could be Fried Green Tomatoes complicated.” “‘Fried Green Tomatoes complicated’?” I nod somberly. “A group of women looking at their labia with hand mirrors.” Ethan looks like he is literally fighting the urge to run down the curved driveway and into the ocean.

Olive and Ethan, though, really are good together. They’re adorable and when they aren’t sniping at each other, they have these lovely, pleasant moments. I mean, I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that they’re in Maui. That’d make any two people fall in love.

One of the first times we see their tentative companionship is during their snuba outing. If you’re like me, and hate any activities that require a bathing suit, snuba is a mix of snorkeling and scuba .

I don’t know how it happens, but one minute I’m struggling to swim faster and the next Ethan’s hand is around mine, helping me move toward a small cluster of gray-dotted o’ili. It’s so quiet down here; I’ve honestly never felt this sort of weightless, silent calm, and certainly never in his presence. Soon, Ethan and I are swimming completely in sync, our feet kicking lazily behind us. He points to things he sees; I do the same. There are no words, no verbal jabs. There is no desire to smack him or poke his eyes out–there is only the confusing truth that holding his hand down here isn’t just tolerable; it’s nice.

Their romance is such a joy until they leave Maui. Everything kind of goes tits up after the change of scenery, both for the characters and overall feel of the book.

Family plays a huge part in the conflict of the story, especially for Olive. She’s a twin in a large Mexican-American family. There are a gazillion cousins. Everyone is in each other’s business, but the way they rally around a problem or struggling family member made me cry. Twice.

Natalia is the fourth family member this week to just happen to stop by Camelia at exactly four o’clock. She said she wanted to say hi to David because she hasn’t seen him in forever, but I know that’s bullshit because Diego–who came by yesterday to hassle me using a similarly flimsy story–said both David and Natalia were at Tia Maria’s less than a week ago. As much as the size and presence of my family can feel oppressive at times, it’s the greatest comfort I have right now. Even if I pretend to be annoyed that they’re constantly checking up on me, they all see through it. Because if it were any of them struggling–and it has been, many times–I would find a reason to drop by at four o’clock where they work, too. “Mama, when we’re sad, we eat,” Natalia says, following me with a plate of food as I adjust the placement of two wineglasses on a table.”

My only complaint–and it’s the best complaint I can give–is that I wanted so much more of them. I’d petition for a whole book of the Torres family if I could.

The basis of Ethan and Olive’s dislike for one another hinges on a huge misunderstanding that happened years ago over some cheese curds. They met for the first time at the Minnesota State Fair and, at first, hit it off, but then Olive ordered cheese curds. The face Ethan makes is of revulsion and disgust, leaving Olive to believe he has some sort of issue with her body or diet.

Since then, they’ve had a relationship that switches between frosty and antagonistic every time they meet. All over some cheese curds. Body sensitivity and insecurity is a very real thing that many of us experience, and I can completely understand Olive thinking Ethan was a jerk for his “judgment” over what she chooses to eat. However, years of hatred from this unpleasant first impression was a harder sell. With Ethan already on Olive’s shitlist, everything he did and said was under bigger scrutiny. For their enemies-to-lovers relationship, I had wanted a meatier (no pun intended) foundation for their dislike.

Toward the end of Ethan and Olive’s fake honeymoon a big revelation hits the both of them. I didn’t really see it coming, but if you want to know, click that little spoiler bar!

Reader, he would do that.

Olive agrees not to address it with Ami, at least not until they get back because it’s a conversation that really should be had face to face. Also, her sister JUST [italics] got married and of course she feels conflicted about blowing that whole thing up.

Furthermore, once Ethan and Olive get back to the Twin Cities, they agree to go on a double date with Ami and Dane. Ami hasn’t arrived yet and, while Ethan is in the bathroom, Dane makes a gross pass at her about switching partners.

Olive is distraught and disgusted and busts this whole thing wide open, but the saddest part in this whole book is that neither Ethan nor Ami believe her. They think she misinterpreted him or she’s just being bitter again.

Here is something Ami actually says to Olive during their heated discussion:

“I’m sorry, Ami. I don’t know what else to say to make you believe me. I never wanted–” “Never wanted to what? To ruin things between Dane and me? Between you and Ethan? That lasted what?” She laughs sharply. “Two whole weeks? You’re always so happy to believe everything just happens to you. ‘My life has turned out the way it has because I’m so unlucky’” she says, mimicking me in a dramatically saccharine voice. “‘Bad things happen to poor Olive, and good things happen to Ami because she’s lucky , not because she’s earned them.’” Her words carry the vague echo of Ethan’s, and I’m suddenly angry. “Wow.” I take a step back. “You think I wanted this to happen?” “I think it’s easier for you to believe that when things don’t go your way , it’s not because of something you did, it’s because you’re a pawn in some cosmic game of chance. But, news flash, Olive: you end up unemployed and alone because of the choices you make. You’ve always been this way.” She stares at me exasperated. “Why try when the universe has already decided that you’ll fail? Why put any effort into relationships when you already know you’re unlucky in love, and they’ll end in disaster. Over and over like a broken record. You never actually try .”

I get Ami’s hurt and broken heart had prompted to say things out of anger in this “come to Jesus” moment, but I never had the sense that Olive didn’t try. Sure, she felt unlucky; she said so many times. But she never read to me as a bystander in her own life.

In romances, there are things that have to test the main couple’s relationship and this was a big one, especially with Ethan caught in the middle between loyalty to his brother and the truth.

I expected so much more from the people who cared about Olive. It also was a large tonal shift from the majority of Ethan and Olive’s time in Maui. I know this was a matter of popping their paradise bubble, but this level of damage and emotional turmoil was unexpected and caught me completely off guard.

I was angry on Olive’s behalf over the apologies she received because I didn’t find them very satisfactory. Granted, what happened and the things that were said aren’t things that can be fixed with a simple “I’m sorry” or grand gesture. While I was confident that the characters would all get to a good place and heal, eventually , what we see was really the most basic groveling that could be done. This needed months of kind gestures, apologies, etc. because Olive was fucked over real hard. I wanted better for her.

I’m all over the place with this book. The way I feel about Christina Lauren is similar to the way I know some readers feel about Lisa Kleypas or other favorite authors. Even middling books by them are still really good. And the first three-quarters were exactly what I had hoped it’d be. The return to the continental U.S. is where everything went wrong.

Olive deserved the life and love she had while on her fake honeymoon and I hated how she was so readily abandoned. Honestly, my recommendation is to just close the book with Ethan and Olive leaving Maui because the pain that comes afterward was a markedly different experience than what I typically associate with Christina Lauren titles.

I so loved a majority of The Unhoneymooners : the humor, the banter, all the fun exciting things Olive and Ethan get to do! Their gradual dislike to like to love trajectory felt real and natural; I’m sure the fact they had ten gorgeous days in Maui had nothing to do with it. Where the book stuttered for me was the abrupt shift from bliss to THE SHIT HAS HIT THE FAN. The fallout was so awful for Olive and I wasn’t seeing what everyone else was, that she was cynical and angry and bitter. That wasn’t the heroine I had been reading.

With romance, I want the main couple to be at the best place in their relationship at the end of the story. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but I definitely don’t want to feel lower than when I started. By the end of The Unhoneymooners , I didn’t think Olive and Ethan were as happy as when they were in Maui. There’s an epilogue that gives them more of a nudge in that direction and indicates a passage of time, but to feel secure in their HEA and in Olive’s repaired relationship with her sister, I needed more on-page reconciliation and groveling.

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I actually loved this book – the humor, the sparks between Olive and Ethan, the Maui setting. Then again, I haven’t read any of Christina Lauren’s other books, so I didn’t have any particular expectations going in.

I was confused by a toxin “taking out” the entire wedding party since I assumed that everyone died. Seemed like a downer opening to a romance.

I really enjoy Christina Lauren’s books but do think they sometimes fail to really stick the landing – both Lobe and Other Words and Roomies, despite being totally wonderful the whole way through, didn’t feel like enough was done to really earn the happy ending. I’ll still read anything they put out though. Also, they seem to be getting away from the super explicit sex they were originally known for in their series. Not a bad thing, just a bit of a shift for their standalones. If you’re coming to Christina Lauren off their Beautiful or Wild Seasons series, it’s a little different, though I think in a good way.

But but does that Dane character gets his comeuppance? I need more spoilers here, because if he gets away with this I will not read this (even though it is on my list).

As a point of contrast, this was actually my favorite Christina Lauren to date. I always enjoy their books, but I felt like as a romantic comedy, this was a really stellar example. I agree that the twist is a big one (and I agree — could have done with more of a grovel [especially from her sister], but the time frame between the make up & epilogue convinced me they did the work to rebuild trust) & quite emotional, but it really worked for me. I liked the characters, there was great dialogue, funny scenes, and just generally I liked hanging out in this story.

I appreciate the perspective in this review, though– a great illustration that reader expectations and tastes make almost every book a case of YMMV

@Asfaroth – YES he does. And it is a perfectly petty scene that I found really satisfying.

Sorry, I get bogged down by details–did the plane tickets get changed to their names? Did they use their siblings ID to get on the plane (pretty sure a Federal offense)? To check into the hotel?

Christina Lauren is hit or miss with me, squee with pleasure or “meh”.

Thanks for the review!

@LMC: If I remember correctly, Olive was not about to pose as her sister for the flights, so she and Ethan arrived a separate flight together to Hawaii. Once at the hotel, Olive uses her twin’s ID. I think the hotel reservations just had the surname “Thomas” for them, which Ethan has, given that he’s Dane’s brother.

Hope that answers everything!

The last two or so CL books have been terrible to passably okay for me (I hated the heroine in their last book). This one was slightly above a C for me but not much better than your description entails. I wonder if they’ll ever get back to the promising heights of Roomies.

Thanks, Amanda!

I haven’t read this one but it seems to me that their latest books read more like chick lit than straight up romance.

Hmm. This is actually on my TBR list for this week. I’ve not clicked on the spoilers, & haven’t read the comments, but will post back later this week with my thoughts. Fake relationships are one of my “ooh! must read this!” tropes, so I’ve been looking forward to reading it, & the C grade is a bit worrisome.

@Deianira: Definitely interested to hear your thoughts!

Looking through my reading list spreadsheets (don’t judge me; I’m an accountant, & we love our spreadsheets), this is apparently the first Christina Lauren book I’ve read. Since there are some strong votes in the comments for them as authors, I’ll give them another shot, but this book didn’t do it for me. It should have: fake relationship, forced proximity… catnip. But no. So, recommendations are welcome!

First, a huge positive: I love their writing style. There are some wonderful descriptions in this book, from Olive’s bridesmaid dress (the shiny, flayed pelt of Kermit the Frog) to Ethan’s expression (Ethan looks at me like I’ve just suggested we go on a murder spree. “Together?”). I mostly read on Kindle, as it’s easier on my eyes, & the number of highlighted passages in a book is a good indication of how much I like the writing. There are 30 for this book. (OK, technically 29, because #30 is simply the authors quoting “Flames. On the side of my face.”)

Mentally, I’ve divided this book into three acts, which I call “Ami’s Wedding”, “Maui”, & “What the Hell?” Taken in order:

“Ami’s Wedding” firmly establishes the twins’ respective roles. Ami is the lucky one (& a bit of a bridezilla.. thank the gods this was not a thing back in my bridesmaid days). Olive is the introvert, the one making sure everything goes smoothly for Ami, & the one who gets mildly body-shaming comments from her own relatives for the dress her sister made her wear.

There is an excellent description of the difference between introverts & extroverts in Olive’s words: “My sister practically glows under the spotlight; I am more than happy to help direct the spotlight her way.”

I could have done with less graphic detail re: the effects of ciguatera toxin, but otherwise, this was a promising start.

“Maui” – the meat of the book – is generally lovely, & again, I very much like the writing here. Olive & Ethan make a really sweet couple.

But… “What the Hell?” Really, what the hell? The spoilers for this section are in the article above, but suffice it to say, both Ami & Ethan treated Olive very, VERY badly, & I really didn’t think they earned their forgiveness. The rest of the Torres family, though, seemed to be supportive & thoroughly Team Olive, so props for that. More Torres family please!

I am a huge Christina Lauren fan, and I feel the same way, that I’ll enjoy even a so-so book from them, and that’s where The Unhoneymooners falls for me. I loved Olive and her family, but Ethan felt almost underwritten to me. I think I would have enjoyed it more if we had gotten his POV throughout the book and not just the epilogue.

@LMC, They booked a last minute ‘cheap’ flight in their own names, but lied about who they were at the resort. This lie has severe real world consequences for Olive when they return to MN.

Yes … I agree … how do you get over that lack of trust .. I don’t think Ethan earned any forgiveness

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Review: THE UNHONEYMOONERS by Christina Lauren

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

THE UNHONEYMOONERS Review

I’m late to the Christina Lauren bandwagon. The Unhoneymooners is only the second novel I’ve read from this popular writing duo ( My Favorite Half-Night Stand was the first). After absolutely loving both of my first two reads, however, I can happily say that I’m firmly on the bandwagon and that I now need to go back and read every Christina Lauren novel that has been written. I love these reads so much because they’re just sexy, sassy, and so much fun!

Those who know me know that romance isn’t my go-to genre. That said, however, I do enjoy a well written enemies-to-lovers story and that’s what we have here with The Unhoneymooners , with a side of the fake relationship trope thrown in for good measure. The story focuses on Olive, who has got to be the unluckiest woman in the world. When we first meet her, she has just lost her job, her roommate, and is in the process of losing her apartment as well. To top it all off, her twin sister Amy has fitted her in the ugliest possible bridesmaid dress for her wedding.

Where Olive has no luck, Amy apparently has ALL the luck and has won everything for her wedding, including the aforementioned hideous bridesmaid dress and an all-expenses paid honeymoon trip to Maui, from a variety of internet contests she had entered. Olive is way overdue for some good luck, and when food poisoning strikes at the wedding and Olive is one of the only ones to come away unscathed due to a seafood allergy, she thinks her time has come when Amy begs her to go on the honeymoon trip in her place so the free trip doesn’t go to waste. There’s a catch though, of course. Olive has to go with the groom’s brother, Ethan, her arch-nemesis, and they have to pretend to be Amy and her new husband so as not to be caught committing fraud. What a dilemma for Olive. Is a free trip worth having to spend time with the person she hates most in the world? But it’s Maui (!) so Olive reluctantly agrees to go.

The sparks fly immediately and this is where Christina Lauren’s novels suck me in. I loved the sarcastic banter between Olive and Ethan as they both navigate this strange fake relationship territory. They volleyed barbs at each other left and right, but even though Olive swears she loathes Ethan with every fiber of her being, I could still sense some sizzling chemistry lurking beneath the surface. For that reason, it was just so much fun to get to know each of them better as they’re finally getting to know each other better and setting aside assumptions they had made early on when they first met.

All of that sarcastic banter, coupled with their fake relationship escapades as they tried not to blow their own cover as fake honeymooners, made for a quick and hilarious read. I literally laughed out loud several time along the way and was left with a smile on my face long after I finished reading.

Sexy and fun, The Unhoneymooners is the ideal read to put in your beach bag this summer.

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS: Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Amy, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man. Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs. Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of… lucky.

About Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The #1 international bestselling coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced fourteen New York Times bestselling novels. They are published in over 30 languages, have received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, won both the Seal of Excellence and Book of the Year from RT Magazine, named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year, a Lambda Literary Award finalist and been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. They have been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Washington Post, Time, Entertainment Weekly, People, O Magazine and more. Their third YA novel, Autoboyography was released in 2017 to critical acclaim, followed by Roomies, Love and Other Words, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, and the Publisher’s Weekly starred My Favorite Half-Night Stand, out in December.

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Book Review: The Unhoneymooners By Christina Lauren

Last Updated on August 20, 2023 by Louisa

When you’re in the mood for something lighthearted and fun, then a romantic comedy is always a good choice.

I first came to read The Unhoneymooners after it was raved about online, and who doesn’t love a fake relationship romance?

It was listed as the Best Romance on Amazon in 2019, as well as nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in the same year.

On paper, it sounded great. But what was the reality? Here’s my honest book review for The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren….

Affiliate Disclosure : This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through any of these links.

The Unhoneymooners By Christina Lauren Review

The Unhoneymooners is a romantic comedy novel written by Christina Lauren. The story follows Olive Torres, who is forced to go on her sister’s honeymoon with her nemesis, Ethan Thomas, after everyone else at the wedding falls ill due to food poisoning. Not wanting to let a trip to Maui go to waste, or be enjoyed by her nemesis, Olive tags along. Only they must pretend to be the honeymoon couple in order to receive all the perks…

By Louisa Smith

An enjoyable read that’s well written, lighthearted and fun. It would be the ideal book to read on a beach or if you’re looking for something to inspire wanderlust in you.

What I liked…

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is a marvelously written romantic comedy that features an enemies-turned-lovers plot.

The humor in the book is on point that had me laughing out loud at times. What I loved about this book is how well the premise of enemies-turned-lovers was executed.

The chemistry between Olive and Ethan was undeniable and had me entertained throughout the book.

The story is a quick and enjoyable read, and I found it difficult to put down.

The Unhoneymooners is a feel-good book that can be enjoyed by anyone wanting a light read with a dash of romance.

It’s a well-written and humorous book that will leave you with a smile on your face.

What Could Have Been Better:

Despite the book’s strong points, The Unhoneymooners’s plotline could be sometimes predictable.

I found some conflicts between Olive and Ethan to be forced or unnecessary, making the characters feel slightly underdeveloped.

It’s also not steamy at all, so if you want a romance book that has some heat, then this isn’t for you. It’s more about the budding relationship and the building of trust than it is about steam.

What It’s Similar To:

The book that immediately springs to mind is The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, which is another enemies to lovers, fake relationship romance about two nemesis’s being forced together in a forced proximity setting.

Read more: Books Like The Unhoneymooners

The Unhoneymooners Trigger Warnings

There are no trigger warnings in The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren.

Romance Tropes

Opposites Attract Romance
Enemies-to-lovers
Fake Relationship Romance
Grumpy Sunshine Romance
Slow Burn Romance
Forced proximity

Where to find it?

You can find The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren in most major bookstores. Or you can purchase a copy from any of these links.

View it on:

The Verdict: Would I Recommend It?

I would recommend The Unhoneymooners to anyone looking for a light, enjoyable read with a heartwarming romance.

It’s not the most unique story out there, and at times it does feel a little predictable, but I felt the execution was flawless and it will leave you with a smile on your face.

Have Your Say…

Now you know what I think, it’s time to let the society know what you think. Have you read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren?

Share your opinion in the comments.

The Details:

Pub Date: May 14 2019
ISBN: 1501128035
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Gallery Books

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About Louisa Smith

Editor/Founder - Epic Book Society

Louisa is the Founder, Editor, and Head Honcho of Epic Book Society. She was born and raised in the United Kingdom and graduated from the University for the Creative Arts with a degree in Journalism. Louisa began her writing career at the age of 7 when her poetry was published in an anthology of poems to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. Upon graduating university, she spent several years working as a journalist writing about books before transitioning to become a Primary School Teacher. Louisa loves all genres of books, but her favorites are Sci-Fi, Romance, Fantasy, and Young Adult Fiction. Read more Louisa's story here .

BOOK REVIEW: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Synopsis: Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Amy, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man. Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs. Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky.

It PHYSICALLY pains me to say that this is not in the running for one of my favorite Christina Lauren books. You better believe that I had been stalking NetGalley for the last few weeks, hoping to see this cover pop up. I was SO excited to find out that I was approved on the first day in YEARS that I had a snow day, too. I loved Olive and Ethan and when I first read the synopsis about this being a hate-to-love featuring a pretend marriage…mmmm…I figured this would be a recipe for perfection.

That wasn’t exactly the case. Overall this book was still good and I still laughed out loud many, many times. I mean during a good chunk I was actually rocking my daughter, trying to get her down for a nap, and it was getting physically hard to hold in my laughter and not wake her up haha. I loved reading about their time in Hawaii together. The banter and their chemistry was great as always. The only part about this book that caused me to pause and knock off a star..maybe a star and a half, was purely a personal preference thing. It was a situation towards the end involving “the conflict” between Olive and Ethan..and even Olive’s sister..that really rubbed me the wrong way. View Spoiler » Olive’s sister’s husband cheats on her (and hits on Olive) and NEITHER ONE OF THEM BELIEVE HER!!!!! Like I guess I can see Ethan initially wanting to give his brother the benefit of the doubt but why would Olive have lied about him hitting on her??!?!? Also, her sister said some pretty terrible things to her when Olive told her she thought the husband was cheating and it just did NOT sit well with me…… « Hide Spoiler This similar type of situation bothers me in every romance though, so there’s a good chance that it won’t affect a lot of people’s views on the book overall. Like I said, still a hilarious, sexy, finish-in-a-day because of the addictive writing kind of book…it just wasn’t meant for me like most of their other ones!

Also, random side note–I am obsessed with this cover. Even though it wasn’t one of my top favorites I think I still need to buy it to brighten up my bookshelves at home, lol.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this eARC that was given in exchange for an honest review! ♥

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Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Editorial note: I received a copy of The Unhoneymooners in exchange for a review.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is a cute romantic comedy that is heartfelt and full of depth. An ideal beach read!

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. While they’re the authors of several books, this is the first one I’ve read from them and I just love their writing style! There’s an easy to it and the dialogue is both hilarious but also believable.

In The Unhoneymooners , the authors find a way to add a new dynamic to the familiar rom-com trope—enemies to lovers. Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin while her sister is the eternal champion . . . she even managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a slew of contests. Unfortunately for Olive, the only thing worse than constant bad luck is having to spend the wedding day with the best man (and her nemesis), Ethan Thomas.

However, the entire wedding party gets food poisoning and the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. Suddenly there’s a free honeymoon up for grabs, and if “luck” will have it—Olive and Ethan decide to go together.

Agreeing to a temporary truce, the pair head for Maui. After all, ten days of bliss is worth having to assume the role of loving newlyweds, right? But the weird thing is . . . Olive doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, the more she pretends to be the luckiest woman alive, the more it feels like she might be.

Olive’s journey

The story is told from Olive’s first-person narrative. She’s somewhat fearful—she believes that bad luck follows her no matter what she does. And she thinks this is especially true when she’s forced to pretend she’s married to Ethan in order to get the free honeymoon that her sister won (don’t think too hard about that; just go with it). But then, she receives a job offer right before the trip and when they land, she’s immediately taken in with the gorgeous Maui scenery. She thinks what could go wrong here? Well, if you know romantic comedies—plenty can go wrong. But also much can go right.

Despite the “light” tone, Olive does have an interesting arc. Her believing that bad luck always strikes her doesn’t just impact her daily thoughts; it also effects how she treats others. I thought that was an interesting concept that is explored. She learns much and grows quite a bit.

But through it all, Olive is strong and while she experiences romance, it’s not easy ride either. But the most important thing is for her to remain true to herself, no matter what is thrown her way—and there are plenty of curveballs.

The romance

Sometimes the enemies to lovers storylines can feel a bit old. But I really enjoyed it in this story and reading the love story develop between Olive and Ethan. However, just because they have found love doesn’t mean it will be an easy road for them. I liked how there was a balance of vacation life to their real lives back in Minnesota. It’s so easy to fall for someone when you’re in somewhere like Maui but the real test is when you’re back home.

And with reading other reviews, it sounds like the authors tend to write pretty steamy content. There are some steam scenes but overall I felt it was more women’s fiction (character development), less romance (graphic descriptions of sex).

Also, can more books take place in Hawaii? I immediately wanted to jump on the plane to Maui after reading this. In fact, despite some unbelievable aspects (hey, it comes with the terrority with rom-coms), I thought the most was when Olive was happy to be back home after Maui. Who doesn’t want to stay in Maui for good, right?

Overall, this is a charming romance that will make you laugh and also smile.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren | Book Review

Posted January 23, 2020 by Jana in Adult Fiction , Book Review / 4 Comments

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man. Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs. Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky.

I read The Unhoneymooners almost a year ago, and I loved it so much that I didn’t want to review it because it’s hard to review a book that you love EVERYTHING about and hate NOTHING. I didn’t even dislike anything. I instantly added this book to my favorites list and put it on my wishlist to own a physical copy for my bookshelves. It was just so perfect. BUT I’m reviewing it because it deserves to be reviewed. And I’ve talked about it so much on Twitter and here on the blog, so it’s time to explain my love of it (or at least list out the reasons why I love it). As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. Right off the bat, that synopsis sold me. I know this author duo well enough to know that they would do this story so well. I mean, the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from a bad seafood buffet at the reception and the ONLY two people who came out of it unscathed (because of an allergy and an aversion to buffets) go on the bride and groom’s honeymoon because why let it go to waste? So, even though they hate each other (or so they think) they dash off to Hawaii together. And hilarity ensues.

2. Why does hilarity ensue? Because they have to PRETEND they’re the bride and groom because the trip was non-transferable. Enter the fauxmance, which is my favorite trope as I’m sure you know. So these two people who hate each other have to be all mushy and lovey dovey and do all these coupley things (like a couples massage) in order to not get in trouble. It’s so perfect and hilarious, because there’s definitely tension there and a mutual attraction but they avoid it all costs because they hate each other.

3. Olive is amazing. She’s spunky and smart and capable. She’s also totally comfortable with herself and has so much confidence. She also has the worst luck ever. I want to be her friend and I want her to teach me how to not care about what anyone thinks.

4. Ethan is pretty swoony. Where Olive is high-strung and emotional Ethan is level-headed and soothing. He’s also pretty snarky and never calls Olive by the right name. They’re such a great match!

5. Their chemistry is explosive , and they can argue like nobody else. There is so much snark and contempt between the two of them, but as they spend more time together they realize there’s something more there.

6. Olive’s family is wonderful. I love her twin sister, Ami (the bride), and their bond. They are so devoted to each other. The entire family is awesome.

7. The writing *Italian chef finger kiss*. I hope these two never quit writing, Their rom-coms give me life.

All in all, read this. Read. This. Book. It’s the perfect romantic comedy with all the tropes I love. Christina Lauren can do no wrong.

By Christina Lauren
Gallery Books

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4 responses to “ The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren | Book Review ”

I listened to this one earlier this week and loved it as well. I loved Ethan too and the ending was amazing. Great review Jana. Carla recently posted… Top Ten Tuesday: Last 10 Books Added to my TBR, January 21, 2020

I really enjoyed this book too; I just read it a couple of months ago and thought it was hilarious. Joanne recently posted… Encouraging Hearts and Home– Give Me All the Hearts

Sounds fun. Thanks!

I loved the story too! But I felt she changed in the second part of the story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

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The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren: Book Review

January 8, 2021

The Unhoneymooners

By christina lauren.

The Unhoneymooners Synopsis:

Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin: from inexplicable mishaps to a recent layoff, her life seems to be almost comically jinxed. By contrast, her sister Ami is an eternal champion…she even managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a slew of contests. Unfortunately for Olive, the only thing worse than constant bad luck is having to spend the wedding day with the best man (and her nemesis), Ethan Thomas. Olive braces herself for wedding hell, determined to put on a brave face, but when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. Suddenly there’s a free honeymoon up for grabs, and Olive will be damned if Ethan gets to enjoy paradise solo. Agreeing to a temporary truce, the pair head for Maui. After all, ten days of bliss is worth having to assume the role of loving newlyweds, right? But the weird thing is…Olive doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, the more she pretends to be the luckiest woman alive, the more it feels like she might be.

The Unhoneymooners Review:

I kinda picked up this book because of the cover. It’s so pretty! Overall it was a decent read. Olive and Ethan are likable characters that are well developed with their own problems. I loved the dynamics between Olive and her sister and Ethan and his brother. I felt like they were real relationships. The setting is to die for: Hawaii?!? Plus the whole premise of winning a honeymoon and the consequential faking of a relationship was fabulous. Ethan and Olive’s bantering was enjoyable, and Ethan had a bunch of cute moments. The evolution for Ethan and Olive’s relationship was slow and believable; I really liked it. It wasn’t a changed-my-life read, but I liked it. It’s one of those that perhaps you’ll forget that you’ve read it until you scroll back through GoodReads or Instagram to see that you have.

The Ending : I promise there are no spoilers here! I loved that Christina Lauren actually finished a book that solved the problems that were presented throughout the novel. Like there’s a solid 50 additional pages that went on to resolve issues rather than cutting things off and moving on to the next book. Thank you! Problems were addressed that were brought up earlier in the book, characters were allowed to be fully formed and changed at the end of the book.

Plot : I really appreciated all of the twists and turns that came up in this novel. I’m not saying that this was the ultimate twist and turner thriller or anything, but rather that there were enough events that occurred that made it enjoyable. There was constant movement. Plus the ending with everything was so freaking good (see Ami bullet point). I mean the book is somewhat predictable but honestly it’s the little nuances of the plot that really sell it for me.

Ami : At first she annoyed me. She reminded me of my cousin whom I do not have a good relationship with. She too put me in a horrendous dress for her wedding (that I was the sad, older, hella single cousin to…). I digress. Ami grows on me throughout the novel as we learn more about her life from Olive and as she texts Olive. But she really shines at the end when she’s the most amazing badass woman in the book. I’m sorry Olive, but Ami kicks ass. She’s like a scorn country singer woman. Ugh. I love you, Ami.

This Enemies to Lovers : I like this trope. I love it when it’s well done, with both sides have to overcome the thing that once divided them. This version of it? Not my favorite. I’m tired of miscommunication and then relentless prejudice that separates the two people. I’m also so tired of the “I hate you/myself because I like you bullshit.” And guess what happens. I just feel like authors should be beyond this aspect of the trope by now or at least make it believable, especially ones that have written as many books as they haven.

PhD – So before this book I read their other one, My Favorite Half-Night Stand, and both times both female main characters have PhDs and I am really confused as to what they think doctorates involve. Like all of sudden half way through the book Olive states that she has a PhD in biology but is basically a pharmaceutical representative? And how is she not in a ton of debt and what exactly was her specialization in? Because they only say ‘viruses’ especially the flu. Ugh. Seriously? Why did she get a doctorate? What made her pursue it? Stop giving the female main characters PhDs just for the sake of making them ‘smart’ or idk. People don’t just happen upon PhDs!!!!

Long Story Short:

I would recommend The Unhoneymooners to someone who wants a cute read with good dialogue, a beautiful setting, and a whole lot of miscommunication. It was great for me because I read it during a time that I needed a simple, happy book. I didn’t want to think that hard and I definitely did not want any death in it. Christina Lauren provided a great rom-com with enough plot and character to keep me entertained for roughly 400 pages. I enjoyed the twists and was provided a HEA that I desperately needed.

If You Liked This One…

If you liked this book, I would highly recommend Faker by Sarah Smith as it has enemies-to-lovers that are coworkers. Additionally, Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood would be another good option as it is enemies-to-lovers with a STEM twist! Shipped by Angie Hockman also features a coworkers situation! As is Falon Ballard’s Just My Type . Christina Lauren have many books out there that would also make sense to pick up! All of these are contemporary romances.

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Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost for you!

Alright so let me guess, you’ve been on a rom com book run and are looking for your next read and want to check out some reviews of The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren?

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

As you might know, I love a good rom com book and this one checks out a lot of boxes.

In this review of the The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, I tell you everything you need to know about the book, the tropes, what I loved about it and the things I didn’t like so much.

I will also answer all your questions about the book and help you decide whether that’s a good read for you or not.

The Unhoneymooners Cover and Quick Introduction

Author : Christina Lauren

Published : 2019

Number of pages : 395

Category : Contemporary Romance

Themes and tropes: Fake Dating, Enemies to Lovers, Travel, Opposite personalities, Reverse grumpy sunshine

Set in: Hawaii (Maui) and Minnesota

Where to buy: Amazon

Rating : ⭐⭐⭐

Boyfriend Rating: 💍💍

Likelihood of reading a sequel: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Unhoneymooners Summary

The unhoneymooners back by Christina Lauren

The Unhoneymooners is the story of two enemies: Olive and Ethan.

It all starts at Olive’s twin sister’s wedding. As expected from a twin sister, Olive is the maid of honour and has a long list of things to do for her sister.

The only issue is that she keeps bumping in her nemesis, Ethan who is the groom’s brother.

At the end of the wedding, the buffet food makes everyone at the wedding sick except for Olive and Ethan.

This is when the newly weds offer their honeymoon (that is starting the day after) to them. Obviously none of them want to go with the other but since it’s a free vacation, they decide to go.

When they get to Hawaii, they end up bumping into people they know and start saying that they are indeed married and on their honeymoon.

They argue a lot but eventually start getting close and enjoying spending time together.

They eventually get back home and reality kicks in when they discover some things about their siblings they were not expecting.

The Unhoneymooners: Is it for you?

The unhoneymooners book by Christina Lauren

Now that you know what it is about, let’s see if that’s a book you should be reading.

Yes it is for you for if you love:

Enemies to lovers and grumpy sunshine tropes
Funny rom com books with a fun female character (who is actually the grumpy one in this case)
Romance book with a focus on travel

No it’s not for you if you don’t like:

Romance book with little spicy scenes
The idea of two sisters dating two brothers

I also wouldn’t recommend it if you are triggered by the following topics: cheating, fat-shaming, food poisoning.

The Unhoneymooners Review: My Opinion

The Unhoneymooners is a fun book and I really enjoyed reading it. Here is a quick recap of all the things I liked (or not)

Things I loved about The Unhoneymooners

Firstly, I really like the main female character, Olive. She is portrayed as a grumpy girl but I actually found her very funny and entertaining. She is clumsy and puts herself in impossible situations but it makes her very relatable.

I loved the way the book was written, it was a very quick read. You get hooked very early on and can easily read the entire book in a couple of days (or even one sitting).

I absolutely loved the part in Hawaii and all the travels they do. It was very fun to read about all the activities they do and it kind of makes you want to go to Maui as well.

I also enjoyed the fact that the book was featuring two twin sisters. It’s something that is quite unique and doesn’t happen very often in romance books. Yet, I guess all people who don’t have a twin are sort of curious about it so it was nice to read something with this topic included.

Things I didn’t like about The Unhoneymooners

I would have liked the book to be a bit more spicy. All the potential steamy scenes were a bit brushed off but it could have really added to this honeymoon vibe.

I also think that Ethan could have been portrayed in a better way. Even if he did this grand gesture, he is still not the best book boyfriend I can think of.

I would have liked to see him more smitten with Olive.

The Unhoneymooners Review: The Characters Ranked

Olive. She was a lot of fun. She is quite sarcastic and says things as they are. She can be very funny and is really the character who carries the whole book.
Ami. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I won’t say what she did but this girl has some balls!

Best The Unhoneymooners Quotes

Here are some of my favourite quotes from The Unhoneymooners

“I can appreciate my body in a bikini and still want to set fire to the patriarchy”
“I can hear you thinking about one word and reading more into it than I intended. You look great. You always do”
“It’s so exhausting pretending to hate you”
“That’s the point of luck: it happens when and where it happens”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time”

FAQs about The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Now that you know everything about our review of the book, it’s time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about The Unhoneymooners.

What is the genre of The Unhoneymooners?

The Unhoneymooners is a contemporary romance novel written by Christina Lauren with a enemies to lovers trope.

Is The Unhoneymooners part of a series?

No, The Unhoneymooners is a standalone novel and is not part of a series. In that having been said, if you liked it, there are a lot of other books by Christina Lauren you can read.

Is The Unhoneymooners a spicy book?

Not really. The Unhoneymooners does contain some romantic and passionate scenes, but the level of spicy scene is quite low. There is only one chapter that is a bit more steamy but most of the love scenes are not explicitly described. It is not typically classified as a “spicy” book compared to some other romance subgenres.

Can a 14 year old read The Unhoneymooners?

While The Unhoneymooners can’t really be considered a spicy book, it does contain a bit of a steamy scene that would not be appropriate for a 14 year old.

What age is the Unhoneymooners appropriate for?

We would recommend the Unhoneymooners for readers that are at least 16 year old.

What are the trigger warnings for the Unhoneymooners?

The main two trigger warnings for the Unhoneymooners are fat-shaming and cheating.

What is the plot of the Unhoneymooners?

The Unhoneymooners tells the story of Olive Torres and Ethan Thomas, who find themselves thrown together on an unexpected honeymoon.

When Olive’s sister, Ami, and Ethan’s brother, Dane, have a wedding disaster due to food poisoning, Olive and Ethan, who dislike each other, are the only two people unaffected.

In an attempt to salvage Ami and Dane’s non-refundable honeymoon trip to Maui, they agree to go in their place, pretending to be newlyweds.

What is the spice rating for the Unhoneymooners?

The Unhoneymooners contain one passionate scene but it’s still not very spicy. A rating of one 🌶️ for The Unhoneymooners would be a reasonable spice rating.

Do Ethan and Olive end up together?

Of course they do! They break up before coming back together (after Ethan’s grand gesture at her work) and then eventually decide to get married in the epilogue.

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The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

A Romantic Comedy Worth Falling in Love With

Title: The Unhoneymooners

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Gallery Books

Genre: Contemporary romance, Chick Lit

First Publication: 2019

Language: English

Major Characters: Olive Torres, Ethan Thomas, Amy Torres

Setting Place: Minnesota (United States); Maui, Hawaii

Book Summary: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Olive braces herself for wedding hell, determined to put on a brave face, but when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. Suddenly there’s a free honeymoon up for grabs, and Olive will be damned if Ethan gets to enjoy paradise solo.

Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Olive and her sister Ami are identical twins who couldn’t be more different! Where Ami is confident, Olive is most comfortable under the radar. Where Ami is sleek and thin, Olive is a ‘curvy girl” Where good luck always seems to sway Ami’s way – well, you get the picture. Olive’s twin sister, Amy, is getting married and everyone but Olive and her soon to be brother in law Ethan (the groom’s brother) get violently ill after eating the buffet.

Amy is incredible at winning giveaways and one of the best she has ever won is their honeymoon in Hawaii. After everyone gets sick Amy insists that Olive take her place on the trip while Ethan is equally getting pressured to take Dane’s place.

They decide that a trip to what sounds like paradise, especially during the Minnesota winter, is enough to force them to take the trip . They will, of course, have to pretend to be married, as this was a honeymoon giveaway with strict rules. Starting as soon as they arrive in their suite Olive is very confrontational with Ethan

I am a homebody, through and through, and there’s nothing like being home.

If you’re looking for a cute, funny, heart-felt read this summer then The Unhoneymooners is definitely worth adding to your TBR’s. It will have you laughing out loud while sitting on the beach, at the pool, or let’s face it, inside in the AC all day.

The characters in Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, Olive Torres and her equally fascinating twin sister, Ami are crafted interesting and often quirky. Olive and Ethan’s duplicity in having to pose as the newlyweds created some sticky moments while in Hawaii that served up some funny and often awkward situations, too. All of this created a foundation for these two to bond and explore each other in ways they wouldn’t and couldn’t have at home.

The romance kind of sneaks up on you, which made that even better when it finally develops. Lest you think this is all laughs and frolics, the story does take a serious turn when they return home and face some unforeseen consequences and issues that test them individually and as a couple.

The writing is witty and engaging, with clever banter and laugh-out-loud moments. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with Olive’s insecurities and Ethan’s vulnerability making them both endearing and realistic. The tropical setting adds an extra layer of charm to the story, making readers feel like they are on their own mini vacation.

Overall, “The Unhoneymooners” is a must-read for fans of romantic comedies. It has all the elements of a great beach read, including humor, romance, and a picturesque setting. It’s a perfect escape from reality that will leave readers feeling happy and satisfied.

Readers also enjoyed

Yellowface by r.f. kuang, the paradise problem by christina lauren, funny story by emily henry, table for two by amor towles, the hotel nantucket by elin hilderbrand, popular stories, one day, life will change by saranya umakanthan, most famous fictional detectives from literature, the complete list of the booker prize winner books, book marketing and promotion services.

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Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

“I am a homebody, through and through, and there’s nothing like being home.” ― Christina Lauren, The Unhoneymooners

In this funny and swoon-worthy romance from the pair behind Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating and Roomies, two sworn rivals discover that anything can happen on the trip of a lifetime to Hawaii, including love. This funny comedy of coincidences is a stunning solo contemporary. Lauren skillfully employs well-known romance clichés, like rivals to lovers, false marriages, and even height discrepancies, to construct a charming romance that will have readers turning the pages.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

My reaction to this novel...

I'm really not sure what made me decide to read this book. The story that will take place in my imagination while reading this is completely unknown to me because I have never heard of it or even read any reviews about it before. After watching drama series for a few days straight, I had grown weary and wanted to read anything that would make me laugh out and elevate my spirit. That's why I started looking for a comedy novel when I started this one. This book's cover caught my attention, and I decided to read it right away.

I can tell that while reading the book, I couldn't stop giggling, applauding, and swearing like no one was watching. If I had really read this while on vacation—say, while sunbathing on the beach with my sunglasses on and a glass of juice in my hand—it would have been the ideal getaway book. Their sisterly closeness was undoubtedly wonderful to witness, but I just can't fathom their bond since I can't imagine what it's like to have a twin sister. The exchange of words between Olive and Ethan was funny to read. Even though they truly don't get along, I actually like how willing they are to communicate with one another.

This book quickly became one of my favorites for me because of the mix of adversaries to lovers and a fictitious romance, as well as the excellent characters, amazing writing, and slight twist. It is filled with warmth, laughter, and a ton of charm. Though I have a few of Christina Lauren's novels on my shelf, I honestly can't recall if I've ever read one of them. I'm not sure whether I ever read them, but after reading The Unhoneymooners, she quickly became one of my top picks.

Although this novel followed the standard rom-com plot, I really liked that the romance level was not overtly cheesy. It also felt intriguing and refreshing. Although I knew they would definitely end up together, these fresh plot twists kept the novel interesting since I was unable to predict how or what was going to occur next. I'm also pleased to say that the narrative ended nicely, and I loved how it came to a finish. I'm not a huge fan of rom-coms since I always thought some of the novels were just so corny and had no real plot, but this did not match that description.

All things considered, this would make the sweetest romantic comedy film in the future (assuming there is still no adaptation; I was unable to search for one). It's undoubtedly a book that brings me warmth, and I heartily suggest it to anyone who wants to read something upbeat, humorous, and easy. This was an emotional rollercoaster that was also hysterically amusing. I really love it.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5)

“You don't get to choose the circumstances. That's the point of luck: it happens when and where it happens.”

What will happen to us is beyond our control—we cannot even decide on it. Actually, I just believe in blessings; I don't believe in luck. This means that we have no control over what blessings will come our way; all we can do is have confidence in God and expect the best through His time and grace.

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The Unhoneymooners

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About The Book

About the author.

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the New York Times , USA TODAY , and #1 internationally bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Autoboyography , Love and Other Words , Roomies , Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating , The Unhoneymooners , The Soulmate Equation , Something Wilder , The True Love Experiment and The Paradise Problem . You can find them online at ChristinaLaurenBooks.com or @ChristinaLauren on Instagram.

Product Details

Publisher: Gallery Books (May 14, 2019)
Length: 432 pages
ISBN13: 9781501128035

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Raves and Reviews

Praise for The Unhoneymooners "What a joyful, warm, touching book! I laughed so hard I cried more than once, I felt the embrace of Olive’s huge, loving, complicated, hilarious family, and my heart soared at the ending. 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

"Witty and downright hilarious, with just the right amount of heart, The Unhoneymooners is a perfect feel-good romantic comedy. Prepare to laugh and smile from cover to cover.”

– Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test

"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 (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)

“Sassy and appealing, writing duo Lauren’s ( My Latest Half-Night Stand ) latest endeavor is sure to please. A perfect read for beach or poolside, this is one hot summer story not to miss!”

– Library Journal (starred review)

"Lauren's (after Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating , 2018) latest is a sexy, hilarious rom-com that offers a look into the bonds of a large Mexican-American family and between twin sisters as well as at whether blood is thicker than water. Readers will laugh out loud… Perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Sally Thorne.”

“Lighthearted, laugh-out-loud funny and all too accessible (as the many Torres aunts and cousins keep butting into Ami's and Olive's lives), The Unhoneymooners is delightful. Olive's initial dislike of Ethan, tempered by her slow realization of his good qualities, makes for a charming and enjoyable romance.”

– Shelf Awareness

Praise for My Favorite Half-Night Stand "A funny, sexy page-turner that warns: Keep your friends close and their avatars closer.”

– Kirkus Reviews

"This is a messy and sexy look at digital dating that feels fresh and exciting."

"You can never go wrong with a Christina Lauren novel... Yet again, Christina Lauren offer up a delectable, moving take on modern dating with My Favorite Half-Night Stand, reminding us all that when it comes to intoxicating, sexy, playful romance that has its finger on the pulse of contemporary love this duo always swipes right."

– Entertainment Weekly

Praise for Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating "With exuberant humor and unforgettable characters, this romantic comedy is a standout."

"In Lauren's hilarious standalone... Lauren finds the perfect balance between charming moments and sultry episodes."

– Publishers Weekly

"Lauren (Love and Other Words, 2018) has penned a hilariously zany and heartfelt novel... the story is sure to please readers looking for a fun-filled novel to escape everyday life with."

"The story skips along…propelled by rom-com momentum and charm.”

– The New York Times Book Review

Praise for Roomies "This book has everything that makes romance novels great: a heroine's journey to self-discovery, a leading man worthy of a woman's love, and plenty of misty tears and full-on belly laughs along the way. Another knockout by Lauren."

"Lauren’s standalone brims with authentic characters and a captivating plot."

“For decades, the tale of a marriage of convenience that becomes something more has inspired countless romances. With Roomies, Christina Lauren put a fresh, modern spin on the trope with their completely un-put-down-able green card romp…. Lauren masters rom-com banter and plotting, while also reminding us that the best entries in the genre are all about recognizing our own value regardless of relationship status. One of our 10 best romances of 2017. A+.”

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The Unhoneymooners Paperback – January 1, 2020

Purchase options and add-ons.

Print length 400 pages
Language English
Publisher Piatkus
Publication date January 1, 2020
Dimensions 4.88 x 1.26 x 7.72 inches
ISBN-10 0349417598
ISBN-13 978-0349417592
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Piatkus (January 1, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0349417598
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0349417592
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.88 x 1.26 x 7.72 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #375,208 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books )

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About the author

Christina lauren.

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the New York Times, USA TODAY, and #1 Internationally bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Dating You / Hating You, Autoboyography, Love and Other Words, Roomies, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating,The Unhoneymooners, The Soulmate Equation, Something Wilder and The True Love Experiment. You can find them online at ChristinaLaurenBooks.com, @ChristinaLauren on Instagram, or @ChristinaLauren on Twitter.

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Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren books

The Unhoneymooners

Amazon Best Romances of 2019
Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee Best Romance of 2019
Kirkus Starred Review
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Library Journal Starred Review
Indie Next List
Audible Best Romcoms of the Year
Bookbub Best Romances of the Year

For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime—even love—in this witty and swoonworthy romance from the New York Times bestselling duo who “hilariously depict modern dating” ( Us Weekly ) and authors of Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating and Roomies .

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Amelia, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of…lucky.With Christina Lauren’s “uniquely hilarious and touching voice” ( Entertainment Weekly ), The Unhoneymooners is a fun and charming romance that is perfect for anyone who has ever felt unlucky in love.

The Unhoneymooners has been optioned for film by BCDF. Joseph Muszynski adapted the novel and BCDF Pictures’ Claude Dal Farra and Brian Keady are producing with Kelsey Law.

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“Heartfelt and funny, this enemies-to-lovers romance shows that the best things in life are all-inclusive and nontransferable as well as free.” – Staff Reviewer , Kirkus

“This dazzling standalone contemporary from Lauren (My Favorite Half-Night Stand) is a hilarious comedy of coincidences. Olive Torres is a notoriously unlucky woman, but her luck seems to change after her twin sister Amelia’s wedding ends with almost everyone sick from food poisoning. The only ones who dodged it are Olive and Ethan Thomas, the brother of Amelia’s new husband. Olive and Ethan can’t stand each other, and when Amelia insists that the two of them enjoy the prebooked Hawaiian honeymoon, which would be wasted on the unwell newlyweds, Olive is sure this will be the worst vacation ever. Instead, she finds herself having fun and rethinking her enmity with Ethan, who slowly reveals himself to be a genuinely decent guy. 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. ” – Staff Reviewer , Publishers Weekly

“Olive Torres has always had a fair amount of bad luck, so when her twin sister’s entire wedding party suddenly run for the bathrooms, Olive figures she’s next. But fate sends Olive a curveball, specifically in the guise of her hot and hunky archenemy Ethan Thomas, who is the only other member of the wedding party not puking and therefore the de facto groom to her de facto bride on the nonrefundable luxury honeymoon. Is Olive’s luck about to change, or will this fake honeymoon be just like the rest of her life—a total bust? Being thrown together as husband and wife for massages, dinners, and trips creates instant chemistry, and Olive can’t keep her thoughts away from her new (pseudo)husband. With classic themes of luck, fate, and opposites attracting, this light romance is fun. Olive is the best kind of heroine—smart, determined, and quick—and Ethan is the perfect bad (not-so-bad) boy to sweep her off her feet. VERDICT Sassy and appealing, writing duo Lauren’s ( My Latest Half-Night Stand) latest endeavor is sure to please. A perfect read for beach or poolside, this is one hot summer story not to miss! ” – Judy Taylor Garner, Library Journal

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The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren | Book Review

PLOT: 4/5 CHARACTERS: 4.5/5 WRITING STYLE: 4/5 CLIMAX: 3.5/5 ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 4.5/5

“I can appreciate my body in a bikini and still want to set fire to the patriarchy.”

~ Christina Lauren, The Unhoneymooners[/perfectpullquote]

Maybe it is because of the dreadful situation that we are currently in or because of my recently renewed interest in all things girly, the year 2020 has seen me reading more than my usual number of romances.

I have been quite lucky too, having read romances that I found both entertaining and heartwarming.

After reading books like How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway and When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon , I was fortunate enough to have stumbled upon The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren as my next read.

Read on to know more about my thoughts on the book and how was my experience of reading it.

What to expect?

Expect a book that is a light and fluffy read, perfect for a lazy afternoon or a cozy night in. Expect a book that is a heartwarming summer romance.

Expect a book that has a bit of drama and humour in addition to the romance. Expect a book that is lengthy but effortlessly so. Expect a book that is best suited for chick-lit and romance lovers.

And finally, expect a book which is as much about brotherly and sisterly love as it is about romantic love.

Who can read?

Since the book is written in a simple and breezy language, it can be easily picked up by a beginner level reader.

Let’s talk about the storyline

The Unhoneymooners tells us the story of Olive, a girl who has always considered herself as unlucky – be it in her job, career, love or life in general.

Olive has an identical twin sister Ami, who is exactly her opposite when it comes to luck. Ever since they were little girls, Ami has been blessed with extremely good luck while Olive has had none of it.

So, when Ami succeeds in finding her perfect guy in Dane and manages to finance an extravagantly lavish wedding by winning a series of sweepstakes and internet contests, it doesn’t really surprise anyone.

Even the exotic honeymoon package, that she wins for herself and Dane, doesn’t come as much of a shock, given Lady Luck’s propensity to bestow her abundant gifts on Ami.

While Olive can only feel happy about Ami’s good fortune and upcoming wedding, she feels mild disgust at the prospect of spending an entire day with Ethan, Dave’s elder brother who also happens to be the best man at their wedding.

Not wanting to spoil things for Ami on her big day, Olive braces herself for a day of torture and mild horror.

Things, however, take an entirely different turn when during the wedding, all of the guests including the bride and the groom get sick from food poisoning because of eating bad shellfish.

And as the newly married lovebirds lie in bed nursing their stomachs, the honeymoon vacation is up for grabs.

Non-negotiable, non-transferable, and all expenses paid, the package will expire if Ami and Dane do not take it. But given their current situation that’s a highly unlikely scenario.

So, when Dane nudges Ethan and Ami convinces Olive, the two reluctantly set their differences aside and decide to fly away to the exotic islands of Hawaii.

Determined to part their ways as soon as they land, the duo plan out the entire fake honeymoon as a solo trip. But there is a slight issue.

When Olive runs into her future boss and Ethan meets her ex-lover, the two have no choice but to continue playing this Mr. and Mrs. game a little longer.

Will trouble shake their solo paradise? Or will everything go as planned?

How good is the writing style?

The writing style is amazing. The humour comes easily and the romance doesn’t seem forced. I have a thing for ‘love to hate’ romances and the book delivers it perfectly.

I think the authors (there are two authors here – Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings) have done a wonderful job of making it a fun-filled read.

Of course, some of it is too good to be true and some of it is quite predictable too, but when it comes to romances of a certain sort (the non-tragic ones) there are always a few constraints that you’ve got to work with.

What about the characters?

The characters are what makes this book so great. Both Ethan and Olive are believable, likeable and gorgeous in their own understated ways.

This unawareness of their own attractiveness makes them much more adorable. Their subtle yet intense chemistry is the stuff dream romances are made of.

Let me warn you beforehand, Ethan and Olive are going to set fire to your couple goals and make it absolutely impossible for you to stay in touch with reality.

What did I like?

Mostly everything. Barring a few things mentioned in the following paragraph, the book is likeable in all other aspects.

What did I not like?

While reading the book, there seems to be a certain disconnect happening between the first and second parts.

The writing, and more importantly the vibe of the book undergoes a sudden transformation when moving from the fake-honeymoon to post fake-honeymoon period. This transformation is not as effortless as the reader wants it to be.

Also, the second half is much less fun (I do understand, but I miss the humour terribly) and seems to drag on for a while. Needless to state, this reduces the pace of an otherwise flawless read.

Is the climax good enough?

It is predictable to a certain extent but that’s quite obvious from the very start, isn’t it? The book does end on a befitting note and I certainly can’t imagine it ending any other way.

It all boils down to the entertainment quotient

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that The Unhoneymooners is packed with entertainment.

With high doses of drama, tricky but comic situations, a warm gooey romance and an endearing cast of characters – the book manages to keep the readers engaged and entertained at nearly all points of time.

In the end, The Unhoneymooners will prove to be a perfect comfort read for someone looking for a fresh voice and breezy narrative.

The sultry exotic location, fake honeymoon thingy, hate to love relationship, a heartwarming romance and an adorable set of characters, together make this book a great read.

The final verdict

Pick the book if

You are looking for an easy-breezy read.
You like romantic reads or chick-lit.
You enjoy books about ‘hate to love’ situations or books that are set in exotic locations.
You like books that make your heart melt and go soft with warmth.
You enjoy books about love – both familial and romantic love.
You are looking for a good and humorous entertainer.

Skip the book if

You don’t like romances.
You don’t like lengthy reads.
You are looking for a more serious and literary kind of read.
You don’t like chick-lit.

Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of The Unhoneymooners using the link below.

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About the Author

Sankalpita singh.

Meet Sankalpita, the bookworm extraordinaire! 📚 With an insatiable appetite for reading (over 100 books annually!), she embarked on her book blogging journey in 2013 to share her boundless love for books. What started as a quirky hobby has blossomed into India's top-tier book blog, bookGeeks – the reigning champion for five consecutive years! 🏆 With a whopping 7,00,000 loyal readers monthly, Sankalpita's blog is like a literary wonderland. 📖✨ But that's not all – she's not just conquering the written word but also ruling the YouTube realm with her channel, bookGeeks India, dedicated solely to the art of book adoration, and boasting a fan base of over 24,000 subscribers! 🎥📚 Her ultimate goal? "To serve a nation through literature." 🇮🇳 With a passion for Indian literature, she's on a mission to ignite the reading spark in both kids and grown-ups alike. 🔥 When she's not nose-deep in a book or typing away, you'll find her brainstorming with her hubby or captivating her 8-year-old daughter with enchanting tales. And every now and then, she indulges her creative spirit through painting and nurturing her garden. 🌻🎨 Join Sankalpita on her bookish adventure as she brings the world of literature to life, one page at a time!

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Shedding his Lemony Snicket persona, Daniel Handler lets off some steam

In his new book, “And Then? And Then? What Else?,” the author of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” explores the joys, frustrations and ironies of the writing life.

Writers lead messy lives, constantly condemned to days of lousy first drafts, failed ideas and chronic misstatements. Daniel Handler feels this deeply throughout his kinda-sorta memoir, “ And Then? And Then? What Else? ” Eventually it reaches a boiling point. Late in the book he abandons his quirky-cool demeanor — he’s best known as Lemony Snicket, author of the offbeat children’s books “A Series of Unfortunate Events” — and lets fly with an f-bomb-laden rant about cancel culture and the pressure writers feel to be everything to everyone.

It’s a fierce cri de coeur at a time when books — especially kids’ books — are targeted on the right and writers who misstep on the inclusivity front get targeted on the left. (Oddly, Handler doesn’t mention his own moment as a near-cancelee. Onstage while emceeing the 2014 National Book Awards, he directed a racist watermelon joke at Black author Jacqueline Woodson ; after a social media pile-on, he apologized.) Handler isn’t interested in wading far into the politics of writing today — elsewhere his prose tends toward the gentle, sprightly and personal. Still, it’s not hard to see why he made room for the tirade: He wants to encourage you to give up seeking easy answers about who writers are and how writing works.

“And Then?” — the title comes from a poem by Baudelaire, the namesake of the “Unfortunate Events” siblings — doesn’t have a subtitle to explain itself. But a good one might be “A Memoir of Writerly Confusions.” For Handler, the writing life means forever stepping into frustration and strange ironies. He recalls writing nine drafts for the “Unfortunate Events” movie before being fired from the job — and then being asked to consult on the script, without pay. “Previously I had considered these people innocent,” he says of the moviemakers, “and then maybe dumb, and then maybe a pack of vicious demons. I understood, too, that they were, at least obliquely, the reason I owned a house.”

Plainly, embracing the mess has made him a success: He recalls how some young Lemony Snicket fans were so excited to see him at readings that “bookstores began to have contingency plans for when a child, excited to meet me, threw up.” (The life of a reader can get messy, too.) So understandably, he’s fully embraced the idea of mess-as-process, that successful writing means wrestling with demons. On that front, he’s had a few. In one chapter, he recalls that during his college years he was stalked by visions of malevolent figures, accompanied by seizures that briefly sent him to a psych ward. Recovery wasn’t conquering those visions but making a kind of peace with them: “I still, to this day, see these figures, frequently but not frighteningly, not anymore,” he writes.

That experience has fueled a sensibility in which he does best when he’s open to strangeness. He takes inspiration from the melodrama of opera but also finds joy and insight in tacky kitsch like “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.” His polestars as an artist are art-film figures like Guy Maddin, who tweaks silent-film conventions, and, most obviously, Edward Gorey, whose not-for-kids-but-really-they-are illustrated stories inspired the Lemony Snicket books’ mordant brilliance. Still, he keeps his heroes at arm’s length: Recalling sending Gorey a fan note, he writes: “I never heard back from Gorey, but shortly afterward he died. I like to think that I killed him.”

Lines like that reflect the sort of tone we want from writer’s guides — intimate, self-deprecating. But these days, we also want them to be practical. The most prominent modern example remains Stephen King’s memoir “On Writing,” and countless others since have borrowed its tone and intention. George Saunders’s “A Swim in the Pond in the Rain” invites us to study classic Russian short stories. In “Essays One,” Lydia Davis brilliantly dismantles her own stories like a car engine. Handler’s book belongs in that company, but he’s skeptical of how much he can offer in terms of practical tips: Whenever he hears the word “process,” he writes, “I wish I could lay my head down on a table.”

Yet there are moments when Handler warms to the role of advice giver. Like every author, he encourages you to read a lot — he recalls the teacher who introduced him to Muriel Spark, the perfect writer for him at just the right time. And he encourages writers to abandon bespoke notebooks and keep it simple; he describes his (yes) process for gathering and reshuffling notes into stories, and how he forgives his sloppy drafts. He’s taken a lesson from his occasional musical collaborator, Magnetic Fields frontman Stephin Merritt, who’s “a devout corraller of happy accidents, encouraging musicians to try the wrong approach, the bonkers note, anything to fill the blanks.”

But all this — Spark, Gorey, B-movies, weird troubling figures in the corner of your eye — doesn’t solve the problem of producing good writing. As for what does, Handler recalls working on a script for a director who sent his draft back pockmarked with the letters “DB,” short for “do better.” Handler was infuriated at the vague note, but he took the lesson: “Now I write it in my own margins all the time, shorthand for I don’t know what’s wrong here but it needs to improve. I want to write better, but I usually don’t know how. Nobody does, really.” For Handler, knowing there’s no right way to do it is the most liberating advice of all.

Mark Athitakis is a critic in Phoenix and the author of “ The New Midwest .”

And Then? And Then? What Else?

By Daniel Handler

Liveright. 240 pp. $26.99

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Adultery Gets Weird in Miranda July’s New Novel

An anxious artist’s road trip stops short for a torrid affair at a tired motel. In “All Fours,” the desire for change is familiar. How to satisfy it isn’t.

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By Alexandra Jacobs

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ALL FOURS, by Miranda July

Erica Jong’s Isadora Wing feared flying , but womanned up to attend the first psychoanalytic conference in Vienna since the Holocaust. Fifty years later , the unnamed heroine of Miranda July’s new novel, “All Fours” — let’s call her Amanda Huggenkiss — can barely begin a cross-country road trip.

Huggenkiss — aah, never mind — the anonymous narrator is five years from 50 herself: a “semi-famous” artist with a desk that’s a little wobbly and a career to match. “I worked in so many mediums that I was able to debut many times,” she recounts. “I just kept emerging, like a bud opening over and over again.”

She’s married to a music producer, Harris, who divides people up not into hedgehogs and foxes but Drivers and Parkers. The former, like himself, are functional and content. The latter, like his wife, are bored by ordinary life but, craving applause, thrive in tight spots and emergencies.

One was the birth of their baby, Sam (a nonbinary “ theyby ”), after the kind of fetal-maternal hemorrhage that often results in stillbirth. Mrs. Harris is ecstatic about her child, now a second grader — taking weekly candlelit baths with them, she weeps with love — but she feels her parenting efforts, which include massaging kale for a five-part bento box lunch, go underrecognized or criticized. And her sex life, which is dependent on fantasy, a.k.a. “mind-rooted,” has suffered. Sometimes when she delays initiating, she can hear her body-rooted husband’s penis “whistling impatiently like a teakettle.”

After a whiskey company unexpectedly licenses one of her saucy sentences for $20,000, she decides to splurge for her birthday on a room at the Carlyle, the fancy-pants hotel on New York’s Upper East Side. But, starting from Los Angeles, she only makes it as far as a motel in the nearby suburb of Monrovia. And that’s when things get weird in that Miranda July way that some critics find the ne plus ultra of twee (Harris twee?) and I happen to enjoy very much, with a few caveats.

Angst about the change of life — what Jong would call “ Fear of Fifty ” — seems a family curse. At 55, the narrator’s paternal grandmother had fatally flung herself out the window, first considerately placing herself in a garbage bag; an Aunt Ruthie followed; and her own mother is cognitively impaired and hard of hearing (while her father perpetually occupies a “deathfield” of depression and panic). But she is most immediately concerned with losing her looks and libido: of falling off, what she sees on a graph of shifting hormones over a life span, the “estrogen cliff.”

She blows her windfall to redo Room 321 in lavish and idiosyncratic style, carpeted in New Zealand wool and scented with tonka beans, then begins a torrid and all-consuming romance with the decorator’s husband, a hip-hop hobbyist named Davey who works at Hertz and resembles Gilbert Blythe from the “Anne of Green Gables” series. (Blythe and a Grand Parterre Sarouk carpet are the kinds of allusions July drops for her cultivated audience without explanation.)

A few words about the sex in “All Fours,” which is titled for what the narrator’s best friend, a sculptor, calls “the most stable position. Like a table.” (Well, not a wobbly one.) It is gaspingly graphic, sometimes verging on gross (urine, tampons and a suspected polyp — “hopefully benign”— all come into play), and supplemented with masturbation galore. Compelled to read these definitely not twee-rated passages, I briefly considered filing a complaint with human resources. Then I remembered the protracted and messy sex scenes released with such fanfare into the culture by Philip Roth, Harold Brodkey, et al., and decided I was being discriminatory and prudish.

Jong popularized the idea of “zipless” intercourse (more snappily than that); July’s term is “bottomless.” Her perimenopausal protagonist’s desire is insatiable, unfathomable, roving across genders and generations: a kind of supernova of lust preceding what she anticipates will be the black hole of senescence.

Even more than this adulterous appetite, her casual ageism, in a milieu where preferred pronouns are sacred, can shock. “Nobody except the doctor knew — or could even conceive of — what was going on between her legs,” she thinks of a woman in her 70s glimpsed in the gynecologist’s office, imagining “gray labia, long and loose.” ( Paging Arnold Kegel !) And, buying a 1920s bedspread from a “free spirit” at an antique mall: “Sometimes my hatred of older women almost knocked me over, it came so abruptly.”

Hatred is fear-based, of course — and you come to understand that the main character’s real journey will not be on Route 66, but the path to self-acceptance. In order to ride shotgun comfortably, though, you have to accept her preoccupation with the reflection in the rearview mirror; her indifference to any current affairs but her own.

When this unnamed She spray-paints “CALL ME” on a chair for the now-estranged Davey, it’s like John Cusack’s boombox serenade in “Say Anything.” When she posts a wild dance on Instagram after firming her own body at the gym, frantically seeking his Like, it’s like the boombox turned up to arena volume.

Are the mental-health professionals back from Europe yet? One pops up late on Harris’s arm, as the marriage reconfigures, but otherwise they’re strangely absent from “All Fours,” whose woman on the verge of chronological maturity has the intense focus of an artist, sure — but also a yearning adolescent.

ALL FOURS | By Miranda July | Riverhead | 336 pp. | $29

Alexandra Jacobs is a Times book critic and occasional features writer. She joined The Times in 2010. More about Alexandra Jacobs

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COMMENTS

The Unhoneymooners (Unhoneymooners, #1) by Christina Lauren
This wasn't my favorite CL novel but it did the job! It felt a little safe and formulaic-- I like when CL pushes the boundaries and goes in an unexpected direction, but I still found The Unhoneymooners a satisfying read! I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books in exchange for an honest review.
THE UNHONEYMOONERS
The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author's note at the end that explains Hoover's personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read. Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors. 889.
Unhoneymooners Series by Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners (Unhoneymooners, #1) and The Honeymoon Crashers (Unhoneymooners, #1.5) Home; ... Book 1.5. The Honeymoon Crashers. by Christina Lauren. 3.60 · 35232 Ratings · 4764 Reviews · published 2023 · 4 editions. 4 hours, 47 minutes A perfectionist maid of honor ...
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners is an enemies to lovers romance set in a romantic destination. It has Christina Lauren's trademark humor and wit, but a plot twist and tonal shift knocked me off balance and left me unable to regain my footing. Ami and Olive Torres are twins. Ami is the lucky one, winning many of her wedding planning items from the dress to ...
Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
My Review & Overall Thoughts. TLDR: A cute romcom that is the perfect book to either curl up with on the sofa or lounge with on the beach. Prior to picking up The Unhoneymooners, I was in a bit of a reading slump.I had just finished a book that fell far short of my expectations, and as a result, I was hesitant to start another book.
Review: THE UNHONEYMOONERS by Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren Also by this author: My Favorite Half-Night Stand, Twice in a Blue Moon Published by Gallery Books on May 14, 2019 Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Romance Pages: 432 Source: Netgalley Amazon Goodreads. FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. THE UNHONEYMOONERS Review
Book Review: The Unhoneymooners By Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is a marvelously written romantic comedy that features an enemies-turned-lovers plot. The humor in the book is on point that had me laughing out loud at times. What I loved about this book is how well the premise of enemies-turned-lovers was executed. The chemistry between Olive and Ethan was undeniable ...
BOOK REVIEW: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks Add to: Goodreads Synopsis: Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Amy, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world.
Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Editorial note: I received a copy of The Unhoneymooners in exchange for a review. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is a cute romantic comedy that is heartfelt and full of depth. An ideal beach read! Join the Book Club Chat Newsletter. Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren Published by Gallery Books on May 14, 2019 Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance Pages: 400 Format: eARC ... The Unhoneymooners almost a year ago, and I loved it so much that I didn't want to review it because it's hard to review a book that you love EVERYTHING about and hate NOTHING. I didn't even ...
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren: Book Review
The Unhoneymooners Review: I kinda picked up this book because of the cover. It's so pretty! Overall it was a decent read. Olive and Ethan are likable characters that are well developed with their own problems. I loved the dynamics between Olive and her sister and Ethan and his brother. I felt like they were real relationships.
The Unhoneymooners
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews * Publishers Weekly * Library Journal Named a "Must-Read" by TODAY, Us Weekly, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, Southern Living, Book Riot, Woman's Day, The Toronto Star, and more! For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime—maybe even ...
Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners does contain some romantic and passionate scenes, but the level of spicy scene is quite low. There is only one chapter that is a bit more steamy but most of the love scenes are not explicitly described. It is not typically classified as a "spicy" book compared to some other romance subgenres.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. Olive and her sister Ami are identical twins who couldn't be more different! Where Ami is confident, Olive is most comfortable under the radar. Where Ami is sleek and thin, Olive is a 'curvy girl" Where good luck always seems to sway Ami's way - well, you get the picture. Olive's ...
The Unhoneymooners: Lauren, Christina: 9781501128035: Amazon.com: Books
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews * Publishers Weekly * Library Journal Named a "Must-Read" by TODAY, Us Weekly, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, Southern Living, Book Riot, Woman's Day, The Toronto Star, and more! For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime—maybe even ...
Aug 5 Book Review: "The Unhoneymooners" by Christina Lauren
With Christina Lauren's "uniquely hilarious and touching voice" (Entertainment Weekly), The Unhoneymooners is a romance for anyone who has ever felt unlucky in love.—. Simon and Schuster. Rating (out of 5): 4.25 stars. Review: If you've been following for a while, you might recall that I'm a Romance skeptic.
book review: the unhoneymooners by christina lauren
about the book. For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime—maybe even love—in this romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling authors of Roomies. Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin: from inexplicable mishaps to a recent layoff, her life seems to be almost comically jinxed.
Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
"I am a homebody, through and through, and there's nothing like being home." ― Christina Lauren, The Unhoneymooners. In this funny and swoon-worthy romance from the pair behind Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating and Roomies, two sworn rivals discover that anything can happen on the trip of a lifetime to Hawaii, including love.
The Unhoneymooners
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews * Publishers Weekly * Library Journal Named a "Must-Read" by TODAY, Us Weekly, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, Southern Living, Book Riot, Woman's Day, The Toronto Star, and more! For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime—maybe even ...
The Unhoneymooners
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews * Publishers Weekly * Library Journal Named a "Must-Read" by TODAY, Us Weekly, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, Southern Living, Book Riot, Woman's Day, The Toronto Star, and more! For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime—maybe even ...
The Unhoneymooners: Christina Lauren: 9780349417592: Amazon.com: Books
The Unhoneymooners. Paperback - January 1, 2020. by Christina Lauren (Author) 47,968. Best Romance. See all formats and editions. From the international bestselling author of DATING YOU, HATING YOU comes a new, unmissable standalone novel. 'A smart, sexy romance for readers who thrive on girl power' Kirkus Reviews on DATING YOU, HATING YOU ...
The Unhoneymooners
The Unhoneymooners. For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime—even love—in this witty and swoonworthy romance from the New York Times bestselling duo who "hilariously depict modern dating" (Us Weekly) and authors of Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating and Roomies. Olive is always unlucky: in ...
The Unhoneymooners
In the end, The Unhoneymooners will prove to be a perfect comfort read for someone looking for a fresh voice and breezy narrative. The sultry exotic location, fake honeymoon thingy, hate to love relationship, a heartwarming romance and an adorable set of characters, together make this book a great read. The final verdict.
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May 16, 2024, 4:35 p.m. ET. This week's recommended books include two memoirs by writers recalling their parents: "The Whole Staggering Mystery," by Sylvia Brownrigg, digs into her father ...
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Daniel Handler, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket, the best-selling author of "A Series of Unfortunate Events," in Oxford, England, in March 2022. (David Levenson/Getty Images) Writers lead messy lives ...
Book Review: 'All Fours,' by Miranda July
Fifty years later, the unnamed heroine of Miranda July's new novel, "All Fours" — let's call her Amanda Huggenkiss — can barely begin a cross-country road trip. Huggenkiss — aah ...
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Psaki's book is the latest instance of current and former Biden administration officials downplaying or misrepresenting controversial episodes from the Afghanistan withdrawal ahead of the 2024 election. Driving the news: In her new book "Say More," Psaki writes that "the president looked at his watch only after the ceremony had ended. Moments ...

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The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Book Summary: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

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