Quickie Review: The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren

  

Publication: March 24, 2020

Publisher: Gallery Books

Source: Publisher

Synopsis:

Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…

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I liked the concept of this book. And I loved Carey and James. They have a great chemistry. Even though they never gave each other the time of day before, once they are forced to work more closely together, they quickly discover how much they enjoy each other’s company. They learn to appreciate what the other can do, and their dislike swiftly turns into attraction. The only thing I wished I got in this story was more Carey and James! The story revolved mainly around the Tripps…. mostly Melissa, whom I could not stand at all. Her character is pretty mean, and she didn’t get much better as the story went on. It would have been great to see the Tripps take a bit of a backseat to Carey and James. 

The Honey-Don’t List is more of a contemporary romance than a rom-com to me, but it was an enjoyable and easy read...great for the upcoming holiday weekend.

RATING: 3½ OUT OF 5.

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My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

Publication: December 4, 2018

Publisher: Gallery Books

Source: Publisher

Synopsis:

Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship...but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

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My Favorite Half-Night Stand centers on Millie and Reid, two UC Santa Barbara Professors and their small group of close-knit friends, Alex, Chris, and Ed.

Even though they are all pretty tight with each other, Mille and Reid’s relationship has always been…different. They understand each other better and there is a subtle flirting that goes on between them. Their friendship is tested however when one night after a little liquid courage, Millie and Reid sleep together. Is it easy going back to just being friends only? Or do they want more from each other?

Millie, a criminologist, is smart, pretty, and successful. Though she has great friends, she never likes to share much about herself or her past. She’s pretty closed off and being her friend, you understand that dealing with emotions isn’t really her strong suit. She oftentimes frustrated me, but I still liked her character. 

Reid, a scientist, is successful and easy on the eyes. He works a lot, but always makes times for the people he cares about. Unlike Millie, Reid loves to communicate and open up about himself. He oftentimes tries to get Millie to tell him more, but he is rarely successful.

Wanting to make a good impression at a very important school banquet, they decide to join a dating app. Hoping to not only find a date to the banquet, but possibly someone they want to pursue an actual relationship with.

When it’s time for everyone to create their dating profiles, they all suck according to Millie. So she reluctantly agrees to re-write the dating profiles for them. When she is finished, she has made the guys sound very appealing. Well everyone except for herself. Her profile is found to be a little lacking. Even though Millie doesn’t divulge much in her profile, that doesn’t stop her from getting lame messages and inappropriate pics from weirdos. In an attempt to start fresh, she creates a secondary profile under her middle name with a somewhat blurry profile pic. 

With the new profile ready to go she unexpectedly discovers that she matches with Reid. They begin talking to each other through the app, but Reid doesn’t know that it’s Millie he is opening up to. After some time, Millie finds herself being more open about her life and past experiences as she talks with Reid through the app. And it feels good to finally be able to talk to someone about what she is going through. But how open is Millie being with Reid if he doesn’t even know it’s her? And what happens if he wants to meet her?

Told in dual POV’s, My Favorite Half-Night Stands is a sweet contemporary romance that goes into the world of modern day online dating and the adventures that can come from that. I loved the dynamic between all five friends. They are different, but their friendship works. They have each others back no matter what. Being able to see their online chats was a nice addition also. The story was very easy to get into and the writing was solid. Not to mention the characters were likable. I couldn’t help but root for Reid and Millie through the whole book.

RATING: 3½ out of 5.

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Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren Book Blitz

Publication: April 14, 2015

Publisher: Gallery Books

Beautiful Secret is the fourth book in The Beautiful Bastard Series and tells the story of Niall (Max’s brother) and Ruby. I’ve seen a lot of people raving about this book already, even though it was just released on April 14th. Have you checked this one out yet?

AN UPTIGHT BRITISH EXECUTIVE. AN ADVENTUROUS AMERICAN NEWBIE. A SEXY INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL IN THE MAKING. New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Christina Lauren’s Beautiful and Wild Seasons series hook up in Beautiful Secret for an erotic intercontinental romp that celebrates the best of both worlds! When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice. Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?

EXCERPT

A silence fell over the table as everyone turned to watch Ruby leave the bar and head upstairs to bed. She had been utterly charming throughout dinner, and the group had groaned in unison when she’d excused herself because of our early morning. I, too, had been quite sad to see her go.

“Well, well.”

I looked up to see my brother’s smug expression.

“Now that we’re alone,” Will began, “I think we can all agree to drop any pretense that we’re not ruined for civilized conversation, yes?” Each of them nodded in agreement and beside me, his glass now refilled, Will raised his tumbler to take a small swallow of scotch. “I also think we can all agree Bennett will be an important consultant on this case.”

Max snickered.

“The conference?” I asked, confused.

“It’s an all-too-common predicament,” Bennett added dryly. “Knockout intern. Boss in denial. I’ll draft up a step-by-step plan of containment.”

I blinked, swallowing thickly as I realized what they meant. “She’s not my intern. I have absolutely no say in her career.” I shook my head, frustrated because it was exactly the wrong thing to say. “I’m not . . . that is to say, she’s not interested. Nor I.”

All four men laughed.

“Niall,” Will said, leaning his elbows on his knees. “She nearly dropped her drink in your lap when George asked if she was interested in anyone.”

“Was going to say the same thing,” Bennett said.

“And something tells me she’d be first to volunteer to clean it up,” Will added.

“Well, maybe that’s because she’s interested in someone who works with us at R-C.”

“Yeah. You.” Max lifted his glass and finished the last of the amber liquid.

“Sincerely,” I said, fighting a smile. “She’s a fantastic girl, but she’s certainly not a romantic option for me.”

Tilting his head, Bennett asked, “What color are her eyes?”

Green, I didn’t say. I shook my head as if I didn’t know.

“What was she wearing?” Will asked.

A blue dress that hit just above her knee, I didn’t say. A delicate gold chain around her neck and a ring on her right ring finger that I had to resist asking her about until George bulldozed in and asked about a boyfriend.

I rolled my eyes, and my brother laughed again, this time pointing his drink at me. “Blokes don’t notice these things unless they’re interested.”

“Or George,” Will added, and George reached over to grab the back of his neck and try to pull him in for a kiss.

“Well, it’s apparent I needn’t think on this any further,”

I said. “You’ve all decided for me.”

“It’s what we do,” Will said, adjusting the skewed collar of his shirt as he settled back into his chair. “It’s a sickness, we know.”

“I thought we’d lost that muscle, honestly,” George said.

“It’s a relief to know we still have it in us. The ladies will be so proud.” Max rapped his knuckles on the table as he made to stand. “Alas, I’d best be off. New routine: Sara gets the baby to sleep; I do the midnight bottle feeding.”

“Finally taking a bottle from you then? Guess you smell like a woman, too,” I said to Max, reminding him of the little dig he’d thrown my way on my last visit.

Max laughed and patted me on the back, and we all stood, a silent agreement in place that we were ready to call it a night. I watched my brother gather his things and say his goodbyes, feeling the same mix of pride and longing for what he was headed home to: a wife, a daughter. A proper home.

“Kiss the girls for me,” I requested as he made his way out of the bar. He waved a hand, retreating, and then disappeared from view.

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