Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
“And now here I am, about to come face-to-face with my nemesis, Ethan Thomas, while wearing the shiny, flayed pelt of Kermit the Frog.”
The Basics
Title: The Unhoneymooners
Author: Christina Lauren
Published: 2019
Publisher: Gallery Books — Simon and Schuster
Pages: 395
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fiction — Contemporary fiction, Romance, Contemporary romance
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Book Synopsis
Ever since she first met Ethan, the brother of her sister’s fiancé, Olive has not liked him. So, when everyone, except her and Ethan, gets food poisoning at her sister’s wedding, she finds herself with quite the dilemma – pose as her twin sister and go on the all-expenses-paid honeymoon to Hawaii with Ethan or let her archenemy go on his own. Unwilling to concede such a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Ethan, she opts for the former. To prevent any suspicion of fraud from the resort staff, Ethan and Olive agree to act like a newlywed couple, but it doesn’t take long before their pretending stops feeling like pretending.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: A cute romcom that is the perfect book to either curl up with on the sofa or lounge with on the beach.
Prior to picking up The Unhoneymooners, I was in a bit of a reading slump. I had just finished a book that fell far short of my expectations, and as a result, I was hesitant to start another book. The description on the back of The Unhoneymooners, however, sounded intriguing, so I decided to give it a go. And I am so glad that I did, because The Unhoneymooners was precisely what I needed to get out of my reading funk.
It is such a charming, feel-good book with a cute love story and a healthy dose of humor. While reading it, I was almost always laughing, or at the very least, smiling. Olive and Ethan’s banter is hilarious, as are their interactions with one another. There were a couple of scenes that had me laughing so hard that I actually started to tear up.
With regard to the romance, it is perfect. It is an enemies-to-lovers romance (i.e., the best romance trope), and there is a tantalizing buildup to when they will get together. The two of them have great chemistry, so you know it is just a matter of time before they wise up and realize it too. The lush, Hawaiian setting further adds to the romance. I mean, is there a better backdrop for a love story than a tropical paradise?
The book is written and paced in such a way that it is very easy to read. Moreover, at least in my edition, the book has fairly large font and spacing, so it is also a quick read. I cruised through it in a little over a day.
The not so good
No complaints from me. The Unhoneymooners ticked all of the romcom boxes for me.
Overall
The Unhoneymooners is the perfect romcom book. A cute romance? Got it. Witty banter? Check. Laugh-out-loud moments? Yep. It has it all. So, if you are looking for a good romance recommendation, here it is.
Have you read The Unhoneymooners? If so, let me know what you thought of it in the comments section below.
