The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Greetings, Bookworms!
As you know, I’ve been blogging sporadically (at best) lately, so I haven’t been accepting review requests or seeking review copies of new books from publishers. If there was any author(s) who could get me to dust off my old NetGalley account and beg for a book, it’s Christina Lauren. I’ve burned through nearly all of their standalone novel back list at this point, and patience is not a virtue I possess in abundance. If it wasn’t obvious, I received a complimentary digital review copy of The Unhoneymooners
Olive Torres is chronically unlucky. Her love life, career, and relationship with arcade claw machines have all been tainted by her endlessly bad luck. Her twin sister, on the other hand, wins EVERYTHING. In fact, Ami has funded her entire wedding with the fruits of her winning streak. Dresses, hotel, honeymoon, reception buffet- free, free, free! Unfortunately for Ami, her perfect luck turns on her when food poisoning from tainted seafood fells the ENTIRE wedding party and guest list. Well, the entire wedding party EXCEPT for Olive, whose “unlucky” shellfish allergy required her to steer clear of the seafood buffet. Because Ami and her new husband are down for the count, she pleads with Olive to go on her Honeymoon in her place. The only thing worse than paying for something is getting something for free and then wasting it, I guess. But Olive’s luck wouldn’t just allow her a magical free Maui vacation- she’s got to take the only OTHER guest who didn’t get sick with her- her arch nemesis Ethan.
Ethan, brother of the ill-fated groom, and Olive have never seen eye to eye and have been hostile toward each other throughout the entirety of their siblings’ courtship. Now they have to pretend to be newlyweds in order to take advantage of the free vacation and not drive each other bananas in the process. Things get off to a rocky start when the pair keep running into people they know on Maui while they’re assuming the identities of their siblings. Who knew so many Minnesotans booked the same resort? However, Maui will be Maui. As the trip progresses, Ethan and Olive thaw from outright dislike to grudging tolerance to something approaching fondness…
It’s a rom-com, so I think it’s pretty obvious where this is heading. It’s a heck of a fun ride! I now desperately want to take a Hawaiian vacation (that I don’t have to pay for.) Ethan and Olive’s banter is witty and delightful, and peppered with Harry Potter references. The way to my heart is casually accusing your love interest of hiding his horcruxes in paradise, apparently. I enthusiastically recommend The Unhoneymooners
If you make a purchase through a link on this site, I will receive a small commission. Text links go to Amazon digital versions, but if you prefer paper books and it’s within your budget, please consider shopping your local indie bookstore through this link, by clicking on the book cover, or in visiting in person.
by Christina Lauren- I loved absolutely EVERYTHING about this book. The protagonist is a successful 
Hollywood agent who meets her love interest by accidentally wearing coordinating Harry Potter costumes to a Halloween party. Of course, he couldn’t just be a cute guy she happened to meet at a party. He’s another Hollywood agent and the two unexpectedly find themselves working together and in direct competition. Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuun! This book literally had me from scene 1. You know how when you’re texting you “LOL” when it’s really more of a quick exhale and sly grin? I legit guffawed while reading some of these scenes. This book was my Christina Lauren gateway drug and I’ve since read almost all of their standalone novels. This is still my favorite, but they’re all pretty great, so pick up whichever one finds you first.
by Sandhya Menon- This is easily the best YA rom-com I’ve ever read. I read it while I was still pregnant 
with Sammers and have meant to give it its own glowing review for ages, but have never figured out a way to appropriately capture its brilliance. That’s not a good enough reason to keep it to myself though, so READ THIS BOOK. Dimple is a driven, brilliant, teenage computer coder whose parents secretly try to set her up with Rishi, a suitable Indian boy en route to a suitable career. It is all very suitable. Except Dimple wants none of it. Only Rishi is a total dreamboat of a guy so, well, she maybe kind of falls for him? Nothing more annoying than having your traditional, overbearing parents be right about something, you know? It’s so, so sweet. And there’s a sequel that should be out soon which I am more than a little excited about. Eeeeep!
by Alyssa Cole- THIS IS THE SECOND BOOK IN A SERIES. You will want to start with 
is also excellent, but since I started out of order, this will always be my first Alyssa Cole and therefore I shall always love it a little bit extra. Our protagonist is bright and charming, but hasn’t quite figured out what she wants to be when she grows up, so she applies for an apprenticeship with a Scottish swordmaker. As one does. Of course, #swordbae is all dashing and handsome in a rugged, bristly, blacksmith sort of way. And he might have a royal title he’s unaware of. These things happen sometimes.
by Alyssa Cole- This is a novella and part of the aforementioned Reluctant Royals series but it is my super favorite 
of the bunch and I can’t even. The protagonist from 
by Ashley Poston- I’m honestly awed by what must go into crafting any book plot, but when an author manages to create 
a whole plot within a plot I’m doubly impressed. I’ve seen it done before (shout out to Rainbow Rowell’s 
(
(
by Helen Hoang- Imagine, if you will, the plot of 
, only way, way better. Stella has a brilliant 
mathematical mind, but her devotion to the job she loves has left her with little in the way of a social life. The fact that she has Aspberger’s and imagines kissing as more nature documentary than sweeping romance has also hampered her dating life. Being extremely logical, Stella decides that the solution to this conundrum is that she needs professional help. From an escort. Enter Michael Phan, outrageously handsome gentleman caller. This book is equal parts sweet and steamy. I turned into an actual heart-eye emoji while reading it.
by Jasmine Guillory- Meet cute in a broken elevator? Yes please! Alexa and Drew happen upon each other by 
chance and she impulsively agrees to be his last minute date to a wedding, so he can save face in an awkward situation. Obviously, they both catch feelings, and, well. Romance. It’s a super fun read with lots of extremely delicious-sounding takeout.
by Jenny Han- This book is SO PURE. Lara Jean writes letters to her crushes as her way of dealing 
with heartbreak. When the letters are mysteriously mailed to all the recipients, shenanigans ensue. This book kicks off a 
which is wonderful, but the first book is where it’s at for peak swoons. I haven’t seen the Netflix movie, though I hear it’s amazing and getting the sequels it so rightfully deserves. Lara Jean gets me, I tell you what.
by Sally Thorne- I love a prickly female protagonist, and Darcy is one of the best. She’s also a steaming HOT MESS 
which is something I can appreciate. She’s been in love with her twin brother’s best friend since childhood, but knows he’s “off limits.” So, she takes her hot mess self on a worldwide tour of general self destruction only to end up back where she started, embarking on a home renovation with the object of her affection. It’s a slow burn with lots of tension and tons of snarky dialogue. Bonus points for the BFF who designs comfortable underwear with profanity emblazoned across the seat.
by Christina Lauren- Irish guitar virtuoso love interest. IRISH GUITAR VIRTUOSO LOVE INTEREST!!! Sorry, got ahead of myself 
for a second. Our girl Holland has a mad crush on this hottie who plays guitar for tips in a subway station. Because he’s insanely talented, she lands him an audition for her uncle, a super Broadway producer guy. It’s all going great… Until it’s discovered that Calvin (the Irish guitar virtuoso, natch) massively overstayed his visa and will be deported to Ireland if he accepts above-board work on Broadway. Which obviously means… Sham marriage time!
by Sonali Dev was an absolute treat.
Mili Rathod is a married woman in the least conventional sense. To start, her marriage took place when she was a mere four years old, and she hasn’t seen her husband since the event took place 20 years ago. The situation is less than ideal, to say the least. Still, Mili’s marital status has afforded her opportunities almost unheard of for girls in her village. She managed to convince her grandmother to allow her to leave India and study in the US for 8 months in order to mold her into the perfect modern wife. You know, so she can lure her childhood husband back. It’s complicated.
by Rebecca Powell? *Full disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration from the author. The following review reflects my honest opinions.*
Determined to honor her husband’s final request, Judith embarks on a trip from London to Brazil with her reluctant daughter in tow. The trip turns out to be a bit more than Judith bargained for as she begins to uncover secrets to her husband’s past. She soon encounters Ricardo, the dreamboat/human rights lawyer/activist who helps Judith unravel the tangled web of her husband’s life in Brazil. All of this is set against the backdrop of Brazil’s favelas, corrupt city officials, and familial drama.
by Ayisha Malik (thank you to 
Finding love in London has never been the simplest endeavor, but dating while also being an observant Muslim adds a certain level of complexity. At 30, Sofia Khan has been hearing the old “hurry up and get married” line from her family for years. But Sofia is not one to settle. Just ask her recently jilted for being too close to his parents boyfriend. (And really. Can you blame her? I have a fabulous relationship with my in-laws, but I still wouldn’t want to move in with them indefinitely.) During a bout of dating frustration, Sofia finds herself roped into, of all things, writing a book on Muslim dating.
, a little 
, and a lot of wonderful. If you’ve got a soft spot for romantic comedies, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Fans of Sophie Kinsella, TAKE NOTE!
by Sophie Kinsella (
by Graeme Simsion (
by Amy E. Reichert (
by Helen Fielding– I read this book for the first time when I was in high school and I have adored it ever since. Bridget is the quintessential hot mess who finds love in spite of herself. Timeless. Adorable. Someone get me some vodka. And Chaka Khan.
by Rainbow Rowell (
by Ruth Reichl (
by Sophie Kinsella (
by Heather Cox & Jessica Morgan- I haven’t officially reviewed this one yet, but holy smokes. For a book that is basically Prince William and Kate Middleton fan fiction, it was clever, quippy, and downright charming. I unabashedly loved this book.
by Jennifer Crusie (
by Sarah Addison Allen (
! *OH yes, I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration from the publisher through NetGalley. I still have integrity, swearsies.*
, tainted, simply because certain associations it aroused in my psyche…My word, I’m digressing before I’ve even started. *Before further tangents take wing, I should inform you that I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.This in no way hampers the honesty of the following review, as you will no doubt notice in short order.*
where the song plays, and I can’t help but associate it with skeezy 60s men of mystery. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the 
on the Disney Channel? I was WAY too old to be watching it when it was on, but I used to binge watch Disney shows to combat hangovers in college. No real rationale behind this, it just was a thing my roommate and I did. In any case, the title character Raven was psychic, and every time she’d have a vision, they’d do a weird closeup on her eye and it would be all melodramatic and crazy-like. Every time Jane’s vision went blurry, I heard the 
might just discover a new favorite in 
by Lisa Van Allen. I saw comparisons to Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman and simply could not help myself. *I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. May I be stricken with a wicked case poison ivy if I lie in the following review.*
