book review the unhoneymooners

Unhoneymooners #1

The unhoneymooners, christina lauren.

432 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2019

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I can treat this trip like an actual vacation on a tropical island. Yes, it’s with my nemesis, but still, I’ll take it.

“Ethan, I’m a terrible liar.” “Really? You hid it so well.” “It’s never been my strength, okay? Those of us who aren’t summoned by the Dark Mark consider honesty to be a virtue.”

“That’s the point of luck: it happens when and where it happens.”

“I want to say something sassy, but the only coherent thought that comes to mind is how insulting it is that eyelashes like his were wasted on Satan’s Errand Boy, so I just give a perfunctory nod and turn down the hall.”

“The problem with lying about relationships is that humans are fickle, fickle creatures.”

Whereas Ami is a four-leaf clover, I have always been unlucky.

I find myself smiling in the direction of the living room, and realize that staying firmly on Team I Hate Ethan Thomas is going to be more work than it may be worth.

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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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IT ENDS WITH US

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 Colleen Hoover

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THE IDEA OF YOU

by Robinne Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 13, 2017

A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.

When Solène Marchand takes her 12-year-old daughter to a concert by the hottest boy band on the planet, she doesn't expect to fall in love with one of the singers.

Middle-aged art gallery owner Solène hasn’t dated since her divorce, but when her ex-husband buys their daughter and a group of her friends tickets to Vegas and a backstage concert experience, then backs out at the last minute, she steps in as escort. The five guys in the wildly popular English boy band August Moon appeal to women of all ages, but Hayes, the brains behind the group’s success, flirts with Solène at the concert meet and greet, invites them to a party after the show, then pursues her once she gets back to Los Angeles. He’s only 20 and he’s incredibly famous; his attention is flattering and heady. The two fall into an affair that’s supposed to be light and easy, but before long they can’t ignore their intense emotional attachment. Solène is hesitant to tell her daughter, but when she procrastinates, Isabelle learns about it through an online tabloid, which damages their relationship and leaves Solène open to censure from her ex. Then, once the affair goes viral, she experiences the darker side of Hayes’ fan base. What started out as a jaunty adventure turns into an emotionally fraught journey, and Solène must decide what she’s willing to risk for her happiness and what she won’t risk for her daughter’s. Actress Lee, who appeared in Fifty Shades Darker , debuts with a beautifully written novel that explores sex, love, romance, and fantasy in moving, insightful ways while also examining a woman’s struggle with aging and sexism, with a nod at the tension between celebrity and privacy.

Pub Date: June 13, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-250-12590-3

Page Count: 384

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Review Posted Online: April 3, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017

ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Anne Hathaway To Star in ‘The Idea of You’ Film

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Nicholas Galitzine To Co-Star in ‘The Idea of You’

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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 .

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.

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.

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.

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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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Book Review: The Unhoneymooners – Christina Lauren

February 5, 2023

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.

This book is one of my all-time favs. I remember excitedly running to the door after receiving a notification that my book had been delivered. I eagerly opened the package and completely devoured this book in a day. I was so engrossed in the book that I spent the entire day reading it, not bothering with anything else. It was just too difficult to put down!

“The Unhoneymooners” by Christina Lauren is a whimsical and delightful romantic comedy that leaves you with a giddy feeling. The book tells a story between the main character, Olive, who swears that she was cursed with a lifetime of bad luck, and Ethan a.k.a. her nemesis, the brother of her new brother-in-law. Olive’s sister’s wedding is where everything goes downhill – everyone at the wedding gets awful food poising except for her and Ethan. Olive’s sister doesn’t want the honeymoon tickets to go to waste, so she forces Ethan and Olive to go on the trip in their place, even

though they can’t stand each other.

The whole trip is filled with bizarre circumstances, hilarious meetings, and overall a heartwarming journey as they navigate the ravishing (and romantic) island of Maui. Their witty banter is so engaging to read, and their slow-burn romance is sweet and swoon-worthy. The detail in which Maui is vividly described, makes the reader feel as if they are traveling alongside Olive and Ethan. Olive’s large though loveable family adds charm and depth to the love story.

“love is exhausting.” ~ Christina Lauren, The Unhoneymooners

A few criticisms of this book is the book’s plot being predictable and clichéd; it was a very familiar feeling reading the storyline with the enemies-to-lovers trope. I also felt as though the humor and banter between the two main characters, Olive and Ethan, was forced and unrealistic from time to time. I was also somewhat disappointed with the lack of character development, especially with Ethan. In my opinion, he is not fully fleshed out and his character felt very flat and one-dimensional.

Overall. “The Unhoneymooners” is the perfect beach read that makes you laugh uncontrollably and feel good. It’s a story about love, luck, and how you can make lemonade out of lemons.

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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.

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

The Unhoneymooners

by Christina Lauren

May 14, 2019 · Gallery Books

More Info →

View Book Info Page

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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Everything about the best romance books

Enemies to Lovers
Fake Dating
Grumpy Sunshine
Office Romance

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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LIFE'S A PEARL

Exploring our reading lives with books that embrace the season, a healthy dose of romance, and nonfiction pearls of wisdom

Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

I read bestselling romance author duo Christina Lauren for the first time this year. The Unhoneymooners is the third book I’ve read from them and my favorite so far. I previously discussed The Honey Don’t List as part of my March Quick Lit . Back in January, I read their second chance romance, Twice in a Blue Moon .

The Rundown

Olive is the unlucky twin – in her career, her living situations, and her love life. Her twin sister, Ami, seems to have gotten all the good fortune, even piecing together her dream wedding for free from all the contests and sweepstakes she’s won.

When the whole wedding party, except for Olive, comes down with an awful case of food poisoning, her luck just might be changing. Now Ami is insisting Olive take her all expenses paid nontransferable honeymoon to Hawaii! Olive jumps at the opportunity before realizing that the groom’s brother and her sworn enemy, Ethan, is going along too.

The pair decide to put their differences aside and make the best of their shared vacation. Once at the resort though, unlikely twists of fate force them to pretend to be newlyweds. Soon they find themselves wondering why they hated one another in the first place…

Rating and Review

Rating: 4 stars

Steam Level: 2

I listened to this book on audio and it was hilarious. At a certain point near the beginning, I just couldn’t turn it off! Olive’s antics were addicting.

I loved all of the family connections

Though Ami is her only sibling, Olive is part of a huge extended family through her mother’s side. I adored how close all of the cousins were as well as the aunts. When something was wrong, the whole family would show up in shifts with food and support. It was so sweet!

I also loved how close Olive and Ami were and how real their relationship felt. They didn’t always get along which was refreshing compared to some twin stories.

I’m not a fan of the way siblings who are complete opposites are sometimes pitted against one another either. The Unhoneymooners never made the sisters’ relationship feel like that.

They respected and appreciated their differences while also being able to call one another out. The way they fought, took space, and then worked things out felt very authentic.

The stakes were higher than I expected

While this book is hilarious with many physically comedic scenes, it deals with some very hard issues. The main characters wrestle with whether or not to share secrets with their loved ones that they know will hurt them.

The book also deals with a lot of sibling issues. One issue hints at the dynamic of the good sibling versus the bad. The story plays with how far a person will go to believe in their brother or sister and support them above everyone else.

The Unhoneymooners is told entirely from Olive’s perspective so the reader really gets to know her. It was powerful to be inside her head and see her process of self reflection. By the end she truly has grown, developed confidence, and come into her own.

Since we don’t get inside Ethan’s head, some of his decisions were hard for me to understand. There is one in particular that a lot of readers seemed to struggle with according to reviews on goodreads .

I had issues with that one too and it nearly ruined this promising hero for me. His behavior didn’t feel justifiable and I don’t think he had to grovel enough. The epilogue was still satisfying for me though, mostly due to Olive’s growth.

Nerdy references and slapstick humor!

I also loved the nerdy Harry Potter references in this book. I think there was even a Buffy reference too! The Unhoneymooners is the funniest Christina Lauren book I’ve read yet. Scenes like changing in the bathroom on the boat and the couple’s massage leave a lasting impression.

Have you read any books by Christina Lauren? Who are your favorite author duos?

Hi, I’m Becca! A lover of romance novels, bookish candles, and seasonal TBRs. Grab your favorite drink and let’s gush about books!

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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

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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The Unhoneymooners Paperback – May 14, 2019

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Print length 416 pages
Language English
Publication date May 14, 2019
Dimensions 5.31 x 1 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10 1501128035
ISBN-13 978-1501128035
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Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallery Books; Standard Edition (May 14, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1501128035
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501128035
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.53 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 1 x 8.25 inches
#157 in Contemporary Women Fiction
#412 in Romantic Comedy (Books)
#1,416 in Contemporary Romance (Books)

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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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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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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.

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

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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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 , and The True Love Experiment . 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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Book Review: Short story anthology ‘The Black Girl Survives in This One’ challenges the horror canon

This cover image released by Flatiron shows “The Black Girl Survives in This One” horror stories edited by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell. (Flatiron via AP)

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Ahh, the Final Girl — a point of pride, a point of contention. Too often, the white, virginal, Western ideal. But not this time.

“The Black Girl Survives in This One,” a short story anthology edited by Saraciea J. Fennell and Desiree S. Evans, is changing the literary horror canon. As self-proclaimed fans of “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” and “Goosebumps,” the editors have upped the ante with a new collection spotlighting Black women and girls, defying the old tropes that would box Black people in as support characters or victims.

The 15 stories are introduced with an excellent forward by Tananarive Due laying out the groundwork with a brief history of Black women in horror films and literature, and of her own experiences. She argues with an infallible persuasiveness that survival is the thread that connects Black women and the genre that has largely shunned them for so long.

These are the kind of stories that stick with you long after you’ve read them.

“Queeniums for Greenium!” by Brittney Morris features a cult-ish smoothie MLM with a deadly level of blind faith that had my heart pounding and my eyes watering with laughter at intervals. And “The Skittering Thing” by Monica Brashears captures the sheer panic of being hunted in the dark, with some quirky twists.

This image released by William Morrow shows "City in Ruins" by Don Winslow. (William Morrow via AP)

Many of the stories are set in the most terrifying real-life place there is: high school. As such, there are teen crushes and romance aplenty, as well as timely slang that’s probably already outdated.

Honestly, this was one of the best parts: seeing 15 different authors’ takes on a late-teens Black girl. How does she wear her hair, who are her friends, is she religious, where does she live, does she like boys or girls or no one at all? Is she a bratty teen or a goody-two-shoes or a bookworm or just doing her best to get through it? Each protagonist is totally unique and the overall cast of both characters and writers diverse.

And even though we know the Black girl survives, the end is still a shock, because the real question is how.

The anthology has something for everyone, from a classic zombie horror in “Cemetery Dance Party” by Saraciea J. Fennell to a spooky twist on Afrofuturism in “Welcome Back to The Cosmos” by Kortney Nash. Two of the stories have major “Get Out” vibes that fans of Jordan Peele will appreciate (“Black Girl Nature Group” by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite and “Foxhunt” by Charlotte Nicole Davies). If your flavor is throwbacks and cryptids, Justina Ireland’s “Black Pride” has you covered. Or if you like slow-burn psychological thrillers and smart protagonists, “TMI” by Zakiya Delila Harris.

Overall, it’s a bit long and the anthology could stand to drop a couple of the weaker stories. But it’s well worth adding to any scary book collection, and horror fans are sure to find some new favorites.

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Out of the Darkness The Germans 19422022 by Frank Trentmann.

Out of the Darkness , by Frank Trentmann (Knopf) . Germany’s postwar transformation into Europe’s political conscience is often cast as a triumphant story of moral rehabilitation. This book points to the limitations of that narrative, arguing that, in the past eight decades, German society has been “preoccupied with rebuilding the country and coming to terms with the Nazi past” rather than with confronting its obligations to the broader world. Trentmann draws from a wide range of sources, including amateur plays and essays by schoolchildren. These lend intimacy to his portrait of a citizenry engaged in the continuous process of formulating its own views of right and wrong as it debates issues from rearmament to environmentalism.

Whiskey Tender A Memoir by Deborah Jackson Taffa.

Whiskey Tender , by Deborah Jackson Taffa (Harper) . This vibrant memoir recalls the author’s childhood on the traditional lands of the Quechan (Yuma) people on a reservation in California, and in a Navajo Nation border town in New Mexico. The move to New Mexico, in 1976, reflected Taffa’s parents’ desire for their children to “be mainstream Americans.” As a young woman, however, Taffa sought to link her identity to figures from her ancestral past, such as a great-grandmother who lectured and performed for white society. In her account, Taffa regards the broad tapestry of history and picks at its smallest threads: individual choices shaped by violent social forces, and by the sometimes erratic powers of love.

The Best Books of 2024

Read our reviews of the year’s notable new fiction and nonfiction.

Ours , by Phillip B. Williams (Viking) . In this ambitious début novel, a Harriet Tubman figure possessed of supernatural abilities founds a town in Missouri, whose first inhabitants she has rescued from slavery. Magically concealed from the outside world, the community is ostensibly a haven, yet the weight of its inhabitants’ pasts and the confines of safety prove to be difficult burdens. In lush, ornamental prose, Williams, who is also a poet, traces many characters’ entwined journeys as they seek to understand the forces that assemble and separate them. The novel is an inventive ode to self-determination and also a surrealistic vision of Black life as forged within the crucible of American history.

Worry , by Alexandra Tanner (Scribner) . This dryly witty novel centers on Jules, a twenty-eight-year-old aspiring novelist turned study-guide editor living in Brooklyn, and her younger sister, who has just moved in with her. Jules swings between irritation and compassion toward her sibling; she notes that “having a sister is looking in a cheap mirror: what’s there is you, but unfamiliar and ugly for it.” Jules is just self-aware enough to admit that chief among her joys in life is feeling superior to others. She spins a fixation on her Instagram feed as research for “a book-length hybrid essay” on feminism, capitalism, antisemitism, and the Internet. As Tanner’s novel explores these topics, its depiction of Jules’s relationships also highlights absurdities of contemporary culture and the consequences of self-absorption.

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'lilith' cuts to the heart of the gun debate and school shootings.

Gabino Iglesias

Eric Rickstad's Lilith is one of the most uncomfortable novels you'll read this year. Full of sadness and rage, this timely narrative cuts to the heart of the gun debate and school shootings with a scalpel of words.

Lilith forces readers to look at one of the ugliest parts of U.S. culture, a too-common occurrence that is extremely rare in other countries. This is novel that acts like mirror; it shows you society with love and great insight into what makes us tick, but also with brutal honesty and under a stark, unwavering light.

Elisabeth Ross is a single mother and teacher raising her son Lydan by herself. One morning. Lydan wakes up with an "icky" feeling about the day and begs Elisabeth to stay home. But working mothers rarely take a day off, so even though she wants to stay at home and spend the day with her beloved boy, she takes him to school and gets to work. That day, a man breaks into the school with a powerful rifle and kills a lot of people, mostly kids. Elisabeth breaks the rules and manages to get some of her kids out and then goes back in to rescue Lydan, who suffers devastating injuries that leave him almost dead.

In the aftermath of the traumatic event, Lydan is a shadow of his former self. He becomes strangely haunted in many ways, often talking about dark things and saying he's already dead. After leaving the hospital, the boy spends his days limping around the house with injuries that will change his life forever, taking pain meds to get through the day, and dealing with PTSD. Meanwhile, Elisabeth must deal with bosses that want to fire her for breaking the rules — and with the simmering rage that's threatening to boil her alive. The system is broken. Evil men make money from every tragedy. Elisabeth needs her insurance more than ever and her bosses want to give her a six-month suspension without pay.

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Then something clicks. Someone must do something, and she's the perfect person to do it. Elisabeth morphs into a persona she names Lilith, the first wife of the biblical Adam, a woman who refused to serve a man. Elisabeth, well, plans revenge and then must face the consequences of her actions. Is she a hurt, loving mother doing the right thing or no better than the man who shot up the school? The answers to the questions her actions raise aren't easy, and they make the core of Lilith a truly emotional conundrum.

Reading Lilith is an endurance exercise. Lydan's destroyed body and psyche, the unreasonableness of Elisabeth's bosses, and the growing pain and anxiety add up to a powerful novel you can't look away from, but that hurts you with every page. Rickstad, with impeccable pacing and economy of language, delves deep into the gun culture that uses every school shooting as an excuse to celebrate guns and sell more guns. Also, he gets to the core of how misogyny is part of not only that culture but also of everything Elisabeth has ever experienced. As Elisabeth develops her plan and becomes Lilith, the unkindness and abuse history has shown women become something that's always present, and the men who insist on perpetuating that become something she wants to fight against: "They shape the world through violence and conquest, pillaging and rape and genocide, oppression and control; they use their own language to mold a world that's male dominant, male centric, male first."

Perhaps the most powerful thing Rickstad accomplishes here is that he never spells out any answers while constantly presenting the right questions. Yes, we know school shootings are awful and this country's obsession with guns — and the push by some to completely deregulate them — is unhealthy and dangerous, but the anger we feel and the violence we wish upon those who don't seem to care about dead children is no better. The person who shot up the school doesn't matter here; he is a symptom of a much larger disease. Elisabeth and Lydan matter. They are the heart of this narrative, and that serves as a reminder that the discourse exists, but that the people behind it, those who suffer and die as well as those whose lives change as they become caretakers, are more important than any political discussion. This is a brave, timely novel that goes straight to the damaged soul of this country.

Gabino Iglesias is an author, book reviewer and professor living in Austin, Texas. Find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @Gabino_Iglesias .

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‘Boy Erased’ Author Returns With a Historical Novel About Forbidden Love

Garrard Conley makes his fiction debut with a story about a queer affair between a reverend and a doctor in Puritan New England.

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This illustration shows two Puritan men approaching a house situated in a New England town. Most of the illustration is rendered in shades of green, giving the impression that the image is a historical screen print.

By Tom Crewe

Tom Crewe is a contributing editor at The London Review of Books. His first novel, “The New Life,” has won four literary prizes and was chosen as The Sunday Times’s novel of the year.

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ALL THE WORLD BESIDE , by Garrard Conley

Like Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter,” on which it is modeled, Garrard Conley’s “All the World Beside” begins after the fact. When the novel opens, it is 1730, in the recently established Puritan town of Cana, Mass., and the Rev. Nathaniel Whitfield (who founded the town after leading a religious revival) and Arthur Lyman (a doctor who followed him there) have already committed their crime against the moral order, just as Hawthorne’s classic takes place after Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne’s illicit tryst. Somewhat unexpectedly, there is a baby here too, who is both the relationship’s proof and symbol.

Alas, Conley — whose first book was a memoir, “Boy Erased,” about his time in gay conversion therapy — has neither Hawthorne’s clarity of intention, nor his skill. Hawthorne chose his setup because it allowed him maximum space for psychological exploration. An absence of action was the precondition of success; it allowed him to emphasize the dramatic, hidden changes taking place on the level of conscience and personality.

Conley’s book is equally short on action, but without a compensating depth of character analysis. “All the World Beside” is ostensibly about two Puritan men’s adulterous relationship, and its repercussions for them, their families and their town. But over a 15-year period, Nathaniel and Arthur contrive neither to have a full affair, having sex only twice, nor to ever truly break with each other. Nor do they, until the very last moment, face any real danger because of their relationship.

Instead they have some dialogues about how to reconcile their love with faith and family, but these read as dutiful airings of the issues rather than convincing products of an anguished human relationship. Neither man gleams with individuality. The tiny amount of sex that does occur is blurred with generalities and lacks intensity: “The word, ‘abomination,’ redefines itself with each second that passes, so it seems to lose all meaning, for what they are doing now is more than a word.”

The weakness of the central situation affects other aspects of the book. Much of the novel is given over to Nathaniel’s wife, Catherine; his daughter, Sarah; and his son, Ezekiel. But because Nathaniel and Arthur’s relationship is discovered early on — and hardly develops — these characters have little to react to. Catherine’s sadness manifests as an overwhelming lethargy, and she sleeps through many pages. Sarah hardens against her father and finally challenges him by attempting to lead a second revival in Cana (this is an awkwardly joined and underwritten plot point). Ezekiel is attracted to women’s clothing and turns mute. The perspectives of Arthur’s wife, Anne, and his daughter, Martha, which might offer complicating contrasts, do not fully engage Conley’s attention.

I can see what Conley was aiming for. There is promise in the idea of two families growing and warping around the secret of queerness, in such a time and place. Yet its development here is circular and shallow. This is how Conley conveys Catherine’s realization of her husband’s sexuality: “She will not even think to herself what she now suspects to be true, for it is unthinkable; it is unknowable, impossible. She has never heard of such a thing, not really, only rumors of court cases with that horrible word, ‘sodomy.’” Later, when she confronts Nathaniel, Conley writes: “Shock. She has shocked him.”

This trite flatness is typical. When Conley does try for an effect, his figurative language is often confused: “Behind every facade, I imagine I can see the secret life beneath it, just waiting for someone to open its doors.” Other times, it’s silly: “Sarah feels as though her head has been stabbed with a spear.” And sometimes it’s both: “Within the relentless rags of time, they will require diversions.”

These are symptoms of a larger problem with the prose. Sensibly, Conley doesn’t attempt to recreate the speech of 18th-century Puritans; anachronism has to be forgiven because authenticity is intrinsically beyond reach. The issue with his dialogue is that it’s undifferentiated, every character sounding the same. And what can’t be forgiven is his profligacy with verbal cliché: “You should have thought of that earlier”; “Arthur can hardly believe his luck”; “the logical next step.” Crawling across this prose desert, the reader pants, thirst unslaked, for a pleasurable sentence, a fresh image, a dynamic scene, a single sign of genuine life.

In an afterword, Conley criticizes, with belated zest, those historians who have hesitated to name gay desire when they have encountered it, often claiming “romantic friendship.” He is right that heterosexuality has not been relativized with anything like the same insistence. And he is right that the challenge of writing queer history lies in “expanding the way we think about the past, the way we make assumptions, in opening up possibilities.” Certainly, “All the World Beside” does not represent a failure of sympathy. It represents a failure of art.

ALL THE WORLD BESIDE | By Garrard Conley | Riverhead Books | 336 pp. | $28

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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. 877.
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.
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 ...
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 ...
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.
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 ...
Book Review: The Unhoneymooners
"The Unhoneymooners" by Christina Lauren is a whimsical and delightful romantic comedy that leaves you with a giddy feeling. The book tells a story between the main character, Olive, who swears that she was cursed with a lifetime of bad luck, and Ethan a.k.a. her nemesis, the brother of her new brother-in-law.
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 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 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 ...
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.
BOOK REVIEW: The Honeymoon Crashers (Unhoneymooners #1.5) by Christina
The Honeymoon Crashers (Unhoneymooners #1.5) by Christina Lauren Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks Add to: Goodreads Synopsis: A perfectionist maid of honor and a carefree, surfer-bro best man team up to plan a wedding and end up finding a spark of their own in the first audio original from author duo Christina Lauren, a full-cast sequel to their New York Times bestseller The Unhoneymooners.
Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
I read bestselling romance author duo Christina Lauren for the first time this year. The Unhoneymooners is the third book I've read from them and my favorite so far. I previously discussed The Honey Don't List as part of my March Quick Lit.Back in January, I read their second chance romance, Twice in a Blue Moon. The Rundown
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 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.
The Unhoneymooners: Lauren, Christina: 9781501128035: Amazon.com: Books
Christina Lauren 4 Books Collection Set (The Unhoneymooners, The Soulmate Equation, Love and Other Words & Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating) ... ― 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 ...
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
― 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. ... My reviews reflect my utmost sincerity. I paid for the books I review here out of my ...
Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. By Heather Caliendo. Published: May 14, 2019. 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!
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
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 Rating
1 likes, 0 comments - dedicated.reader on January 1, 2024: "Book Review The Unhoneymooners Rating : 2.5/5 Spice : 2/3 Liked - Humour - Enemies to lovers, fake married troupe - Buffy & Harr ...
Book Review: Short story anthology 'The Black Girl Survives in This One
Ahh, the Final Girl — a point of pride, a point of contention. Too often, the white, virginal, Western ideal. But not this time. "The Black Girl Survives in This One," a short story anthology edited by Saraciea J. Fennell and Desiree S. Evans, is changing the literary horror canon.
Briefly Noted Book Reviews
Worry, by Alexandra Tanner (Scribner).This dryly witty novel centers on Jules, a twenty-eight-year-old aspiring novelist turned study-guide editor living in Brooklyn, and her younger sister, who ...
Book Review: 'Reading the Constitution,' by Stephen Breyer
Breyer explains that he wrote the book to counter the rise of "textualism," a form of judicial interpretation that fixates on the text of the Constitution and often shades into "originalism ...
Book review: Eric Rickstad's 'Lilith' on guns and school shootings
Eric Rickstad's novel is full of sadness and rage; it forces readers to look at one of the ugliest parts of U.S. culture, a too-common occurrence that is extremely rare in other countries.
Book Review: 'All the World Beside,' by Garrard Conley
Tom Crewe is a contributing editor at The London Review of Books. His first novel, "The New Life," has won four literary prizes and was chosen as The Sunday Times's novel of the year.

Unhoneymooners #1

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Book Review: The Unhoneymooners By Christina Lauren

The Unhoneymooners By Christina Lauren Review

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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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Book Review: The Unhoneymooners – Christina Lauren

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Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

The Unhoneymooners Cover and Quick Introduction

The Unhoneymooners Summary

The Unhoneymooners: Is it for you?

The Unhoneymooners Review: My Opinion

Things I loved about The Unhoneymooners

Things I didn’t like about The Unhoneymooners

The Unhoneymooners Review: The Characters Ranked

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Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

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I loved all of the family connections

The stakes were higher than I expected

Nerdy references and slapstick humor!

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Review: THE UNHONEYMOONERS by Christina Lauren