Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

“I am a homebody, through and through, and there’s nothing like being home.”

― Christina Lauren, The Unhoneymooners

In this funny and swoon-worthy romance from the pair behind Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating and Roomies, two sworn rivals discover that anything can happen on the trip of a lifetime to Hawaii, including love. This funny comedy of coincidences is a stunning solo contemporary. Lauren skillfully employs well-known romance clichés, like rivals to lovers, false marriages, and even height discrepancies, to construct a charming romance that will have readers turning the pages.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky.

My reaction to this novel...

I'm really not sure what made me decide to read this book. The story that will take place in my imagination while reading this is completely unknown to me because I have never heard of it or even read any reviews about it before. After watching drama series for a few days straight, I had grown weary and wanted to read anything that would make me laugh out and elevate my spirit. That's why I started looking for a comedy novel when I started this one. This book's cover caught my attention, and I decided to read it right away.

I can tell that while reading the book, I couldn't stop giggling, applauding, and swearing like no one was watching. If I had really read this while on vacation—say, while sunbathing on the beach with my sunglasses on and a glass of juice in my hand—it would have been the ideal getaway book. Their sisterly closeness was undoubtedly wonderful to witness, but I just can't fathom their bond since I can't imagine what it's like to have a twin sister. The exchange of words between Olive and Ethan was funny to read. Even though they truly don't get along, I actually like how willing they are to communicate with one another.

This book quickly became one of my favorites for me because of the mix of adversaries to lovers and a fictitious romance, as well as the excellent characters, amazing writing, and slight twist. It is filled with warmth, laughter, and a ton of charm. Though I have a few of Christina Lauren's novels on my shelf, I honestly can't recall if I've ever read one of them. I'm not sure whether I ever read them, but after reading The Unhoneymooners, she quickly became one of my top picks.

Although this novel followed the standard rom-com plot, I really liked that the romance level was not overtly cheesy. It also felt intriguing and refreshing. Although I knew they would definitely end up together, these fresh plot twists kept the novel interesting since I was unable to predict how or what was going to occur next. I'm also pleased to say that the narrative ended nicely, and I loved how it came to a finish. I'm not a huge fan of rom-coms since I always thought some of the novels were just so corny and had no real plot, but this did not match that description.

All things considered, this would make the sweetest romantic comedy film in the future (assuming there is still no adaptation; I was unable to search for one). It's undoubtedly a book that brings me warmth, and I heartily suggest it to anyone who wants to read something upbeat, humorous, and easy. This was an emotional rollercoaster that was also hysterically amusing. I really love it.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨(4.5/5)

“You don't get to choose the circumstances. That's the point of luck: it happens when and where it happens.”

What will happen to us is beyond our control—we cannot even decide on it. Actually, I just believe in blessings; I don't believe in luck. This means that we have no control over what blessings will come our way; all we can do is have confidence in God and expect the best through His time and grace. 

Where to buy this book...