Book Review: "The Honey-Don't List" by Christina Lauren

Some people make their assistants do everything, even save their marriage!

Rusty and Melissa Tripp are the darlings of the design world. They’ve taken the world by storm with their designs and their coupledom, starring in a hit show and becoming their own brand. Things are about to take off for real though, as they’re about to release a new book about marriage as well as a new show of their own.

Carey has worked for the Tripps since she was 16, starting out in their first store in Wyoming before anyone knew their names. Ten years later, although officially she’s Melissa’s assistant, her contributions to the Rusty and Melissa brand are far more immeasurable than most know or will acknowledge. And in many ways, she needs the job about as much as they need her.

The thing is, the Tripp’s’ marriage isn’t as solid as it appears. In fact, Rusty wants out, and is doing everything he can to sabotage their relationship. But Melissa will let nothing derail her ambitions, not even her husband. With so much riding on the book and the show, it’s up to Carey and James, the handsome engineer who has become Rusty’s assistant, to protect their image and save them from a public meltdown before the television show premieres.

Stuck working together, little by little they overcome their initial dislike and misconceptions of each other. And as camaraderie grows into something else, just as the Tripps seem to be publicly imploding, Carey and James have to decide—is their own chance at happiness more or less important than saving their jobs and perhaps the Tripps' relationship?

I love the way Christina Lauren writes. (If you've never heard of them before, it's actually two writers behind the Christina Lauren name.) I love how they mesh humor, steam, and emotional depth. While I enjoyed The Honey-Don't List and tore through it, it didn’t really move me like their others. But it’s still fun and sexy.

If you've never read Christina Lauren before, I'd encourage you to read, in particular, Love and Other Words, Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, The Unhoneymooners, and My Favorite Half-Night Stand. They're a great team.