Yo! What's up, Hivers? It's me, makiyumee. How's your day going? Take a minute and relax as you read this new blog of mine which is about a book that got trending on TikTok. Today, for the new part of Maki Reads blog series, I am going to be reviewing another contemporary romance novel which is entitled The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. Alright, let's dive into it now!
Olive had known she didn't like Ethan, the brother of her sister's fiancé, since they first met. Olive is forced to make the difficult decision to either pretend to be her twin sister and go on the all-expenses-paid honeymoon to Hawaii with Ethan or to let her fiercest competitor enjoy the dream trip alone after everyone else at her sister's wedding, save for her and Ethan, becomes ill with food poisoning. Olive unwillingly agrees to the proposal because she doesn't want to miss out on such an amazing opportunity.
Olive and Ethan decide to act like a happily married couple in order to avoid causing any trouble for the resort staff. But as they get to know one other better, acting like newlyweds begins to seem unexpectedly realistic. The boundaries between acting and reality are becoming increasingly erased as what starts out as an unpleasant arrangement gradually becomes something none of them anticipated.
The pen name Christina Lauren is the result of the collaboration of two longstanding literary partners and best friends, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. Thanks to their #1 worldwide bestsellers in both adult and young adult fiction, this dynamic combination has grown to become an important presence in the literary world. Twenty of their books have been published by the New York Times bestseller list. (Source)
The Unhoneymooners is a standalone contemporary romance novel that was published on May 14, 2019, under Simon and Schuster Publishing Company. The novel gained recognition as Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee Best Romance od 2019 and many more.
Just like The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, this book was also a trend on TikTok. I found out about it when I was looking for a similar book to The Spanish Love Deception since during pandemic, I was really hooked and addicted to the enemies to lovers trope. I remembered how I always slept so late and until dawn just because I couldn't put down the novel that I was reading.
At first, I was really unfamiliar with this novel because unlike The Spanish Love Deception that went overhyped on TikTok for like a couple of weeks, this book got trending for maybe only a short time and there weren't really interesting TikTok videos that I found explaining about the book. That's why I decided to give the book a chance and read it.
The first few pages of The Unhoneymooners immediately got me hooked to the story. It's just so funny how Olive would describe herself and the things that surrounded her. It was also so funny how angry she was at Ethan when she saw him with the other guests at the wedding of her sister.
Olive and Ethan have a really humorous dispute, and their exchanges are packed with wit as well as humor. There were a few instances where I laughed so hard I started crying. Regarding the romance, it's fantastic. With precisely an appropriate amount of suspense and thrill, it's a classic enemies-to-lovers tale that will have you waiting impatiently for their eventual moment of getting together.
I love how Ami and Olive were so close. Aside from being twins and having opposite characteristics with each other, they still had each other's back. I also love how the family connection was given attention in the novel because it just showed how strong their bond was and it just so sweet.
The book has an easily understood pacing that draws you in and keeps you turning the pages. It is written in a way that is understandable. It's lighthearted and fun, with just the proper amount of flirtation, especially in the romance scenes. The writing is captivating and grabs your attention right away. If you want a cute romance with lots of hilarious moments and clever exchanges, The Unhoneymooners is a perfect choice. Even if there are a few awkward moments, it's still a great fun experience all around.
Though the chapters near the end were a but unexpected for me, the author still managed to end the story in a very satisfying way which was a plus point for me.
Of course, my book review won't be complete without my favorite lines from the book and here they are!
"I am a homebody through and through, and there's nothing like being home"
True, girl! I agree with Olive. There's nothing more satisfying than being at home and lying down in bed.
"And I get it. As much as I hate him...I think I am starting to like us."
Uh-huh! This is screaming development yiee!
"I think I would have been delusional to think I could ever get this lucky."
Sometimes if I get lucky for the whole week, I also start to think if I was just being delusional or not, was everything just a coincidence or not?
"When someone doesn't like us, it's natural to not like them in return, right?"
This one's true and it exists in our society today. We easily judge others especially if they don't like us first without even knowing their reason.
"Ethan Thomas is doing something weird to my emotions."
Another development screaming! Ah!
"Think out loud with me."
He doesn't want her to keep her words to herself! What a smart man! Haha!
"You don't get to choose the circumstances. That's the point of luck: it happens when and where it happens."
Yup, no disagreement here.
"I wouldn't go on a fake honeymoon with you if I had a girlfriend."
Ya'll I screamed at this line. I totally screamed for life!
"It's so exhausting pretending to hate you."
Another line that got me screaming!
"I like to think I can be affectionate, but some things are infinitely better when they happen behind closed doors."
I don't know what to say anymore haha!
"Nothing is harder in a relationship than not respecting the person you're with." He leans his chin heavily into his hand. "I didn't like myself with her. I was willing to try to be the guy she wanted rather than who I really am."
True, Ethan. Be yourself! Don't pretend to be someone else, there are already a lot of them in this world.
That's it for my book review on The Unhoneymooners why Christina Lauren. I hope you had fun reading this blog and I also hope that you'll give this book a try without clouding your judgement with my words because remember that we are all unique and we are free people who have our own rights and opinions. I'll see you all again on my next blog, bye!