The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren Published by Gallery Books on May 14, 2019
Pages: 416
Format: ARC
Genres: Romance, Romantic Comedy
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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.
I have become such a fan of Christina Lauren’s work that I eagerly add each new book to my to-be-read list without even reading the synopsis. Fortunately, with The Unhoneymooners they have proven once again that I am in safe hands.
Some enemies to lovers stories lean so heavily on the “hate” aspect that they leave a bitter taste in my mouth, but this is a total joy. It boasts wickedly funny comedy and winsome characters set against a gorgeous Hawaiian backdrop.
The entire story is written from unlucky Olive’s perspective, and I had forgotten just how much I enjoy a single point narrative. It was fun trying to guess Ethan’s thoughts, and I loved being stuck inside Olive’s self-deprecating, quirky, and rather pessimist mind. She’s a strong heroine, and her willingness to show vulnerability made me love her all the more.
The snarky banter between Ethan and Olive is absolutely hilarious, but it’s their honesty that makes this couple so endearing. It’s refreshing how forthcoming they are, and it lends maturity to their relationship. Their transition from foe to friend is both enjoyable and believable. The book paints a vivid picture of Maui, and it’s almost as if the little slice of paradise is another character in their love story.
I’ve read some pretty darned spicy Christina Lauren books, but The Unhoneymooners is very PG. There is no cursing or dirty talk, and the sex scenes are of the fade to black variety. This should appeal to readers who prefer to leave some things to the imagination.
The story is witty and creative, and although it may be a bit on the long side, every chapter is highly entertaining.
Recommended for fans of:
All you can eat buffets
Weddings
Hawaiian getaways
Large families
* I received a complimentary copy from the publisher to voluntarily read. *
Buy The Unhoneymooners
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About Christina Lauren
Yes, there are two of us! Lauren (on the left) and Christina (on the right).
Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The 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 multiple starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal, been selected as one of NPR’s Top 100 Swoon-Worthy Romances, and won both the Seal of Excellence award and Book of the Year from RT Magazine.
Lauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, bestie to a shoe-stealer, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance.
Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. These days you’ll probably find her on tumblr. She is married and absolutely not old enough to be the mom of a 16 year old (right??), thinks she’s the luckiest person in the world to write books with her best friend, and is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter. She also likes to steal Lo’s shoes.
You’re right, it was very PG. I hadn’t even noticed that until someone I was talking to pointed it out. It didn’t bother me at all. I still loved this one.