Note: I received an ARC of The Unhoneymooners from Gallery Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are all mine.
Actual rating 4.5/5
This was my third Christina Lauren book and it was hands down my favorite. These two authors have really outdone themselves with this book. It is absolutely hilarious, I had a smile plastered on my face the entire time, the writing is smart and insightful, and I could not put the book down for two days straight. Both Olive and Ethan completely captured my heart, and I did not want to let them go.
Here are a few of my highlights:
Christina & Lauren do such an amazing job with their characters. Both Olive and Ethan are fully fleshed out characters with their own dreams, struggles, personality quirks, sense of humor, family issues, and personal issues that they are each trying to work through individually. Many romantic comedy novels do not always give a complete picture of who these individuals are apart from the relationship, but that is never the case with Christina Lauren, and definitely not the case in The Unhoneymooners. Olive is adorable, awkward, and a little salty at times, which is something that I really related to, but she is also so caring, thoughtful, and loyal. Ethan is really insightful and honest in a way that felt true to his character. It was so much fun watching them fall in love and overcome their “pride and prejudice” moment of misunderstanding.
The Banter – because this is an “enemies-to-lovers” story, there is seriously epic banter between Olive and Ethan. These two are so funny and smart that I was laughing the entire time. I can only imagine the fun that these authors had when they were co-writing this book.
The theme of luck/fate vs. choice- Olive struggles with the idea of luck at the start of the novel and the authors do such a great job of weaving this theme throughout everything that she experiences with her family, with Ethan, and with her job. Olive’s changing perception of luck vs. choices made this more than just a romance novel for me. It is also a journey of self-realization and understanding.
Realistic nature of family/relationships: Both Ethan and Olive are fiercely devoted to their siblings which is a quality that is really admirable in both of them. However, when these sibling relationships start to come between them, their loyalty to each other is tested. I thought that this portion of the plot was really realistically portrayed. Ethan and Olive have found something special, but it is often difficult to reconcile new love with family responsibility and expectation. None of these issues felt forced or exaggerated. It just felt very natural and honest, and something that we can all relate to.
If you enjoy a good rom-com in between some more “serious” reads, I can’t recommend this book enough. It is funny, heartwarming, honest, sexy, and just an overall fun escape. The Unhoneymooners comes out May 14th (just in time for summer vacation)!
Thank you so much Gallery Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this early edition. I absolutely loved it!!
- Goodreads rating – 3.98
- REVIEW – Erin