Tag: Christina Lauren

REVIEW: The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

REVIEW: The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Anna and Liam used to be married – in college, and in name only. Just to qualify for married student housing. She was friends with Liam’s brother, Jake, who came up with the plan that helped both Anna and Liam out of a jam. When they graduated, they divorced and went their separate ways.

Except there was no divorce. Because Liam being married triggered a family inheritance. And he needed to stay married for 5 years to keep it. So what Anna thought were divorce papers instead was an agreement to stay married until the 5 years were up. But 4 months before that deadline, Liam is forced to attend a family event. And his “wife” has to come with him.

Liam is desperate enough to pay Anna a lot of money for her time. And playing along with his wealthy, dysfunctional family is worth what Liam’s money will do for Anna and her family. But the stakes for keeping their secret are higher than almost anyone understands.

Review

Wow! This was SO good! I’ve been surviving a 2-month reading slump with re-read after re-read. But this felt like running into an old friend. I zoomed through it in two days, staying up past my bedtime on  a weeknight just to know how it was all going to wrap up.

This was the second book in a row that I read with toxic parents, and it’s not a trend I want to maintain. Those story threads are stressful! But the creation and execution of this particular toxic family is stunningly “good.” Wow!

There are fascinating interpersonal dynamics through the book. And the authors call it all out – the toxicity, the narcissism, the gaslighting, the “brokenness.” But there are also these fantastic moments between Anna and many of the book’s characters. And that’s because Anna is such a fantastic character. I loved her – her sass, her no f’s to give, her focus on caring for her father, her groundedness. She really sees people, and in the Weston family that’s unheard of, at least in positive ways.

While Anna brings a fantastic relationship dynamic to the whole destination wedding, it’s her relationship with Liam that really shows off who she is. I adored Anna and Liam together! I was so grateful for the extended epilogue to see what happens to these characters. The whole story is supremely satisfying! If you love fake relationships stories like I do, you won’t want to miss this one. And if you are a long-time Christina Lauren fan like I am, I’m sure you already have this on your TBR. Bump it to the top of the pile, friends, because you won’t regret picking this one up! If you haven’t tried a Christian Lauren story yet, I highly recommend starting here – this was excellent! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release on October 6, 2020.]

Summary

Maelyn Jones and her family spend each Christmas with her parents’ college friends and their families. Maelynn has been coming to this cabin since she was born. The rest of the “kids”in the group are her younger brother, Miles who is 17; the twins, Kennedy and Zachary who are five; Theo, who is Mae’s age, 26; and Theo’s older brother, Andrew, Mae’s lifelong crush, who is 30.

This Christmas, Mae and Theo enjoy too much eggnog and end up making out in the mudroom. Now, Mae is mortified. She doesn’t have those sorts of feelings for womanizing Theo. Thankfully she halted things before they went too far. But Theo is being a jerk about it all. And to make it even worse, Andrew saw them. He’s clueless about her crush and teases her about Theo.

The final straw to this awful 24 hour period is hearing that Theo and Andrew’s parents are going to sell the cabin. The one happy anchor in her life is going to disappear. So she asks the universe to show her what would make her happy. Right after that, the car she is in with her family is blindsided and everything goes dark.

When Mae wakes up, it is December 20th – again. She’s in the airplane on her way to the Christmas she already lived through once. As Mae’s personal Groundhog Day plays out, she’ll have to figure out what the universe is trying to show her.

Review

This is a fun holiday story with some laugh-out-loud moments. Mae and Andrew are great, especially together. They felt young at times compared to their stated ages. Maybe it’s because they are the second generation of this extended family group. I enjoyed the rest of the cast, too. The whole Christmas week at the cabin together was a fun set up for this.

The Groundhog Day story hits hard and fast, but then it almost disappears. Mae has 2 false starts at her do-over, but on the third it shifts from more do-overs to just anxiety about a reset coming and losing the progress she has made. It felt a little off balance.

The ending was good, and I enjoyed the epilogue that ties everything together in a satisfying way. If you enjoy the author’s other work or are looking for a Christmas romance, give this one a try. (Language, sex, LGBTQ+, references to tarot readings)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren

REVIEW: The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Carey has been working for Melly and Rusty Tripp for ten years. She was 16 when she started working in their shop in Jackson Hole. Now they are nationally recognized celebrities with TV shows and best selling books.

James applied to be the head engineer for the Tripps’ TV show. He needs this job because his last one went up in flames when the arrests started happening. He’s not exactly sure how he went from engineer to personal assistant, but that’s what role he falls into these days.

Carey and James had been looking forward to sending their bosses off on a long book tour so they could get a little break from the work – and the couple. But on the eve of the launch for the Tripps’ marriage and relationship book, Carey and James catch Rusty with another woman. The powers that be decide that Carey and James must go on the book tour, too. They have to wrangle the Tripps and keep the public and the media from discovering how fractured their relationship is. If Carey and James fail at this, everything the Tripps have built could go off the rails and leave the two assistants with nothing.

Review

I thoroughly enjoyed this! The premise is terrific. The Tripps are a hot mess of ego and expectation, manipulation and malice. And at the start, Carey and James feel completely stuck. By the end the reader realizes that Carey is less stuck by her circumstances than she thinks she is. Maybe her issues are more learned-helplessness related. She thinks the abuse and manipulation is what she has to endure because she doesn’t think she has any other choices in her life.

James and Carey are a delight. They might be my favorite Christina Lauren couple from the books I have read so far. They go from strangers to “misery-loves-company” coworkers, before the chemistry between them evolves. And it’s terrific.

There are notes from a police interview scattered throughout the book. I’m not convinced they were essential to the story. They foreshadow that something big is coming. And they also made for something of a division between “before” and “after.” But I think the story would have worked without it, too.

Fans of this writing duo’s work should be sure to check this one out – as should fans of general contemporary romance. This one was a lot of fun to read! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

REVIEW: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Olive has known Ethan for a couple years now, since her twin Ami started dating his brother, Dane. She’s never particularly liked Ethan. There’s usually a simmering hostility between them.

When Ami and Dane plan their wedding, Olive and Ethan are right there, maid of honor and best man. And while Olive considers herself a bad luck magnet, Ami is the opposite. She loves entering sweepstakes and contests, and she often wins. In fact, most of the wedding – and the 10 day honeymoon in Maui – are things Ami has won.

Olive and Ethan are the only two people at the wedding who don’t partake of the seafood buffet at the reception. Therefore, they are the only two who do NOT get food poisoning. Since the honeymoon trip is a contest prize, there is no way for Ami to postpone the trip. So she begs Olive to take her place and enjoy the vacation. And Ethan is going, too. Now Olive has to pretend to be married to her nemesis in romantic Hawaii. How is she going to pull that off?

Review

This is laugh-out-loud hilarious, at least for the first half of the book. It’s an absolute delight. Olive completely cracked me up – so brash and honest. It’s fantastic. I love a story that makes me laugh.

This would be perfect as a Hallmark movie. You’ve got the enemies-to-lovers situation as well as a fake relationship, two of my favorite romance tropes. And if you have a story where people have to hide who they really are, there’s always a moment where things fall apart. When that happens, the humor of the story pulls back and leaves room for other emotions. And this book hits those emotions just right.

Through everything – the snarky, hilarious beginning, the blossoming romance, and the dumpster fire when everything falls apart – Olive shines. I loved her. She tries to learn from her mistakes. She’s honest to the point of almost blowing their cover multiple times. And she evaluates and stands by her instincts, even when they cost her almost everything. While the whole story is a treat, I stayed with this one because of Olive. Don’t miss her story! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

REVIEW: Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Tate was 18, she and her grandmother left their small town behind for a couple weeks and flew to London. While she was there, Tate met Sam who was there with his grandfather. Every evening, Tate and Sam would hang out in the hotel garden, talking. After a few nights, Tate shared her biggest secret.

Tate’s parents had been actors in LA. Her father was especially well known. When her mother had had enough of his infidelity, they left town. It was national news – Ian Bishop’s wife and daughter “disappeared.” Where did they go? What were they doing now? Tate kept the news mostly to herself and never pursued a relationship with her father. Her mom and grandmother told her to never tell another person.

As Tate and Sam spent more time together in London they grew closer. Their friendship became more and more romantic, and their relationship turned physical. Then suddenly, one morning, Sam was gone. In his place were crowds of reporters who suddenly knew her true identity. And all the secrets she shared with Sam were in every tabloid and newspaper.

Fourteen years later, as Tate is getting read to star in her seventh feature film, the first she is making with her father, Sam unexpectedly comes back into her life.

Review

I enjoyed this. I was surprised – and pleased – with how much time was devoted to the first part of the story. Expecting something much shorter, I found the extended focus really gave me a lot of time to get to know the characters. The London betrayal had a bigger emotional punch because I was invested in both characters.

I would have loved to know more of what Tate did in the 14 year gap, but I was happy with how the authors conveyed an older, more mature Tate. The reunion was obviously coming, but Tate’s shock was perfect. I was drawn into all the emotions Tate was working through on the set of the movie – with Sam, with her father, with her acting career, with the character she was playing, etc. Not only does she have the anger and hurt from Sam’s betrayal and the shock of his appearance, but she is also self-conscious about her career. Is she ready for this kind of role? And her relationship with her father is easily as complex as the one with Sam. All of these pieces kept me turning pages.

This is a solid romance with fascinating characters in an interesting situation. If you are a fan of contemporary romance or the authors’ other work, be sure to check this one out. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½