Reviews: The Unhoneymooners + Red, White and Royal Blue

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

pub 5/15/19 by Gallery Books
Fiction - Contemporary Romance
Received e-ARC from pub for review

I don't know how Christina Lauren are able to churn out one entertaining book after another but I, for one, am thankful for it! The Unhoneymooners is about Olive, who feels she is unlucky in life, especially in comparison to her twin sister Ami, who seems to have it all. In fact she's about to get married and was able to fund her huge, lavish wedding by winning online contests. All Olive wants to do is make it through the wedding and her maid-of-honor duties unscathed. And.. without killing Ethan, the best man and someone she detests. (You know I love a good hate-to-love trope.) Of course on the day of the wedding, the entire party – including the bride and groom ‐ get food poisoning and the only two unaffected are Olive and Ethan. Which is how they end up going on the all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii in their stead. The set up is great so I was more than ready for Olive and Ethan hijinks. And they didn't disappoint because soon they're pretending to be newlyweds when they run into Olive's new boss and spending more time together than they expected to. But I don't know, something still felt like it was missing for me? Don't get me wrong, it was entertaining, sweet and sexy (except I'm not a fan of how they're doing all this "fade to black" now). In hindsight, I think it was the eventual conflict and how it played out that rubbed me the wrong way. I've read almost all of Christina Lauren's books and even with all the crazy chemistry and laughs, there's always some sort of heartfelt moment that cuts a bit deeper and gives me feels. I didn't get that here. And maybe it's because the conflict involved secondary characters that were very much in the periphery for most of the story. Not to mention a lot of the situations Olive and Ethan find themselves in on the island and later when they get back felt a bit too convenient and predictable.

Do I recommend? Like I said, Christina Lauren's books are always quick and entertaining and that was very much the case here. But it's not one of my favorites from them.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

pub 5/14/19 by St. Martin's Press
New Adult - Contemporary Romance
Received ARC from pub for review

Red, White & Royal Blue needs to be on everyone's must-read lists this year. There's been a ton of hype around it and it's 100% deserved. It's about First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry of Wales, two young men used to being in the public eye and who have always had a bit of a slightly contemptuous relationship.. until now. For Alex, he wants a life in politics and is well on his way there given that his mother, Ellen Claremont, is the president and he's one-third of the "White Hoouse Trio," which also includes his sister June and their best friend Nora, the VP's granddaughter. (Notice I said their BFF; I can't tell you how much I love the collective friendships and the individual relationships between them too.) It's while they're attending a royal wedding that Alex bumps into Henry yet again. Hilarity ensues except this time it gets leaked to the tabloids that they had a confrontation which threatens American/British relationships. To immediately squash these rumors, Alex and Henry are ordered to fake a friendship for the world. But as can be expected, it turns into a real one and then later, a secret relationship. The book is touted as a romantic comedy and while it certainly is that, it's also so much more. Yes, I laughed out loud and yes, I absolutely swooned over Alex and Henry's sexy and heartwarming romance. But it's also a very timely novel and addresses real-life issues in a manner that's smart and thought-provoking. It's diverse and has strong themes about family, discovering who you are, politics and more. It even made me cry more than once because of the earnestness of these characters. Honestly, I could go on and on about how much I loved it so trust me when I say buy this book today.

Do I recommend? YES YES YES. I can't thank DJ enough for giving me this ARC and putting this incredible book on my radar.