The Honey-Don't List

By: Christina Lauren

Narrated by: Patti Murin, Jon Root

From the New York Times bestselling authors behind the “joyful, warm, touching” (Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author) The Unhoneymooners and Love and Other Words comes a delightfully charming love story about what happens when two assistants tasked with keeping a rocky relationship from explosion start to feel sparks of their own.

Carey Duncan 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…

From the “hilariously zany and heartfelt” (Booklist) Christina Lauren comes a romantic comedy that proves if it’s broke, you might as well fix it.

Critic reviews

"Look no further for your next listening escape! Narrators Patti Murin and Jon Root portray Carey Duncan and James McCann. The pair work for Melissa and Rusty Tripp, America's favorite couple and HGTV design gurus. When Carey and James go on tour with the couple, they're tasked with hiding the fact that the Tripps actually hate each other and their marriage is falling apart. Melissa and Rusty are so dysfunctional that you can't help but laugh out loud at their antics. As their marriage implodes, Carey and James begin their own romantic adventure. The story starts a bit slowly, but Murin and Root are charming and funny as they voice a large, engaging group of characters. A perfect summer listen."

My Kind of Story

Yes, this is a romance. Two people meet and fall in love. And they didn't even like each other at first. And they come from completely different backgrounds and are totally different. And yet, there is a "happily ever after."

But this is more the story of a very talented young woman whose designs are the backbone of a successful brand, but whose contributions are a well-kept secret. This brand is fronted by a married couple whose aspirations differ widely from one another, and whose success is marred by the disintegration of their ability to communicate with one another while attempting to present the now false image of a loving pair.

I really loved this story, not only for the romance and the excellent narration, but for the way it advocates for the assistants who manage the stars, who allow them to appear so easily presentable and attractive to audiences, in order to create the illusions that sell the brand.

Sweet love story & growth

Loved their slight rivals to friends to lovers theme and even liked the third act breakup because it gave Carrie the perfect window to do something independent just for herself. Even the celebrity part of it wasn’t super cringey (except for the twitter threads - please god stop doing that). Young people navigating sticking up for themselves while growing together.

Calling all HGTV Fans!

The dynamic duo has done it again. They haven't written a thing I haven't at least liked. I love how they keep banging out these great books for me to fall in love with. Great characters and world-building. I wish I could say it was unique but this seems to be an up and coming trend. This one was exactly the RomCom they claim it is but all in all another great story.

Loved every minute.

Remarkable story and narration. Each novel of Christina Lauren’s gets better and more complex. Yet delightful.

Classic Romcom Fun

Overall: just a really fun, light listen- especially great for a distraction during chores/commute and such.

I especially enjoy the two voices narrating, and both are great. Every once in a while (and especially when life feels heavy), a romcom is exactly what I need. The Honey-Don’t List suits perfectly for that- 5 stars for: engages quickly, interesting characters, and great narration. Bonus points for some nuance that will remain unspecified to avoid spoilers- but perhaps you’ll notice them too.