Christina LaurenThe Unhoneymooners

This author (actually, a writing duo) is incredibly uneven in the quality of their books. THIS ONE IS GREAT. A good story, realistic, flawed but likeable characters, not exhaustive internal monologue which I've seen in other of their books. (Bonus points for excellent, and accurate!, references to Minnesota!)Of course there are hiccups, but the only one worth mentioning is the questions regarding time lines. [spoiler alerts ahead!]How long are Olive and Ethan home before Olive starts her job?How long until Olive tells Ami about Dane?How long is it that Ami doesn't speak to Olive?[Spoiler alert over!]But those questions don't detract from the book overall.It's also refreshing to read about a large Latin family that is all kinds of supportive. I wasn't sure if the representation of extended family being so ... invasive? meddling? involved, but loving! -- was overdone, but it appears the authors did their homework. So I'll accept it, and enjoy this loud and colorful group.

I’m a HUGE fan of enemies to lovers. The animosity, the tension, and the banter is what makes me come back for more. Combine this trope with brilliant writing and unique subplots – and you got yourself a winner.Olive was delightful.Spunky, sassy and never lost for words, Olive owned my heart! Supposedly she had the worst luck ever, poor girl, and some of her stories were hilarious but also kinda sad. The claw machine incident was my favorite – you’ll know when you get to it. But all of the bad luck didn’t bring her down, she had an attitude that could have conquered everything.Ethan was a gem!Level headed, well balanced, and just the right amount of alpha to keep Olive grounded, he was her match. Ethan was boyfriend material – no question asked. He was adorable, extremely supportive, and just an all-around good guy.Olive’s bad “luck” finally took a break when she was forced to go on a honeymoon with her “enemy” Ethan. Interestingly enough, those two really clicked well – especially personality wise – when they both started opening up. And from there on I was in LOVE with them. Olive and Ethan were #couplegoals. They were like yin and yang. And their time together felt effortless. I’m truly honest when I say this – I was JEALOUS of how easy and comfortable their relationship was. Beautiful, touching, funny – they had it all.It’s really astounding how well these authors write their couples. They are always down to earth, charming, genuinely likable, funny and smart. A CL couple is by far my most favorite of all. Always well balanced and just awesome in everything that counts. I know I’m gushing, but I have a real crush on Olive and Ethan. That’s just fact!!There was only one subplot that rubbed me the wrong way. And that’s more a personal preference than anything else, but it almost ruined the last 1/3 of the book for me. Ethan's reaction, his decision not to believe Olive didn't sit well with me. I was so mad at him!!! I wanted to shake him and give him a piece of my mind - it was so frustrating. The resolution felt satisfying but I’m just not happy that it happened in the first place. But that’s just me.Except for that I adored this book.

Great book! Laughs, sexy and keeps you intrigued!

STORY | For her entire life, Olive Torres has been the “unlucky” one. The twin of a sister who’s the exact opposite, Olive is about to stand beside her sister, Ami as she says her ‘I Dos’ at a wedding made possible because Ami won it all almost entirely through contests or raffles. But things go from perfect bliss to worse when Ami, her new husband, and the *entire* wedding party and its guests become ill with food poisoning. Well, all except for twopeople.Olive is sparred, and Ethan, the best man, brother of the groom, and the one man Olive cannot tolerate. But Ami begs Olive to go on the honeymoon trip she is unable to take (because obviously, the trip is non-refundable), and just pretend to be her. Sounds doable, but Olive isn’t so keen on the idea (she cannot lie). Then Ethan is also urged to go, and he does… which in turn makes Olive change her mind. After all, she’s not about to let Ethan have all the fun!As the first book I’ve read by the team Christina Lauren, I’ll be honest and say I didn’t really know quite what to expect. I *liked* this one, but I don’t think I can say I <em>loved </em>it. Is it fun? Absolutely. But the payoff comes a little *too* late in my book. The novel begins in a kind of only-in-the-movies (or in this case, a fictional novel) would this scenario happen and morphs into a story that tries to be one part deeper character study.REVIEW | Like its cover art, "The Unhoneymooners" is a fun, frothy and silly little story written by the author duo that is Christina Lauren. With its summer-y vibes and a plot that sounds straight out of a laugh-out-loud romantic-comedy, this is one of those novels that is (or this is my image of the setting) perfect beach reading.I’m all for a novel that digs into something that packs more of an emotional punch (when needed), but I’m not sure this one does it quite right. I’m glad it goes down how it does with the ultimate conclusion (because, <em>really</em>, the dude in question needed to be given the business), but it falls a little flat for me. That said, what is fun about this one *is* quite fun.I like Olive and Ethan fine, and in fact feel like Olive is a smart, but sassy heroine unlike anyone I’ve met recently on the pages of a novel. Ethan is likable, but I cannot say I have feelings that are good or bad towards him either way. He does come full circle, which gives him a gold star, but I don’t really love how the whole we-have-to-break-up pages before the end trope goes down.Despite what this tirade may sound like, I did enjoy "The Unhoneymooners". It takes place in a really pretty setting, and features characters we can root for (along with one or two we loathe – for good reason!), and has a conclusion I suspect any reader will feel happy with. Do I think I’ll go out and purchase all of Christina Lauren’s books? No, but I also will give another of theirs a chance. Hopefully with a story that works a little bit better.Content note: The Unhoneymooners is secular fiction, so it’s a hard PG-13 rating. There’s sex, innuendo and other suggestive comments or descriptions. The F-word is used at least a dozen (probably more) time over the 350+ pages (both in and out of context), there’s other uses of profanity like sh*t, etc. The story deals with lying, and being unfaithful as well.