Date of Completion: 09/02/2021
It’s official, I am #TeamOliveandEthan!
Don’t threaten me with a good time
‘The unhoneymooners’ is the perfect example of the enemies to lovers trope done well! It’s funny, sweet, and (largely) realistic.
Right from the first chapter, the embarrassing and ‘unlucky’ incidents Olive recounts really help make her character easy to connect with. We’ve all had embarrassing events happen to us, and while they might be awful to experience, they are a lot of fun to read or watch. Thankfully, the dynamic duo that is Christina Lauren strike the right balance as the storyline progresses, and these embarrassing incidents are not completely over-the-top or too numerous that they became irritating. Instead, these incidents combined with Olive’s wit and humour make her narrative very relatable and enjoyable.
Despite Olive’s initial impression, Ethan is also a lovable character who is charming and sweet. I absolutely love the bickering and teasing that takes place between these two. Their conversations had me giggling and chuckling like a teenage girl flirting with her crush. Honestly, both characters are so well developed and depicted that I found it hard to put this book down. Even when they are ‘enemies’, the sparks flying off each page is enough to start a raging fire.
Another thing I love about this book is that Olive and Ethan get to form a solid friendship and communicate openly with one another before dating. Sure they have some miscommunication issues to work through, but these are not too many or dragged out for long.
The additional themes of cheating, pessimism, family and friendships touched on in this book add extra layers of depth to the storyline. Olive’s close relationship with her twin sister and extended family is one filled with much love and support which is lovely to see. Other romance authors need to take notes – it’s okay to not have broken and traumatised characters that have been to hell and back!
I don’t think I’ve ever liked myself more than I do now. It’s the strangest feeling to be proud simply because I’m taking care of me and mine.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book! I can proudly say that I finished reading it without eye cramps from rolling my eyes. Olive and Ethan are sweet, relatable characters with strong chemistry. Additionally, Christina Lauren do a great job of keeping things interesting throughout and at no point does the storyline stall or drag. I will definitely be checking out more of their work whenever I feel the urge to pick up a romance book.
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[…] At the end of the day, I really enjoyed ‘Honey & Spice‘ despite the shaky start. The storyline and characters proved to be much more complex and fun than I initially believed, making this one of my favourite contemporary romances. For another funny romance novel with the fake-dating trope, I would recommend The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. […]