THE HONEY-DON'T LIST is a standalone romantic comedy penned by writing duo Christina Lauren. Unfortunately, in this book, the horrid dramatics of a secondary couple manage to overshadow the main romance couple, and turn this book into a downer for me. The main couple has a lot of their own issues, too, some of which are rather depressing. This is probably my least favorite of all of Christina Lauren's books.

Our main couple is Carey and James. Carey Douglas started work for the awful married couple, Melissa and Rusty Tripp, back when she was 16-years-old. Carey has self-esteem issues due to her lack of schooling and her poor backwoods childhood. She also has a serious medical issue that makes her desperate to not rock the boat so that she can keep her health insurance. Oh my goodness, do I feel bad for Carey! On top of all her own numerous issues, she has to deal with the toxic duo who are her bosses, who are taking advantage of her and gaslighting her to boot.

James McCann is a slightly uptight engineer who the Tripps are also completely taking advantage of. The Tripps have forced James to work as an assistant instead of doing the engineering work he was hired to do. When the Tripp's marriage rightfully starts to go off the rails, James and Carey are coerced into becoming the Tripps' minders. The amount of frustration engendered by Melissa and Rusty's noxious behavior and the unfair pressures put on Carey and James made me so angry that it significantly diminished my enjoyment of their romance.

I cheered when a character points out to Carey that Melissa Tripp is an abuser. It's not at all satisfying to see the outcome of the Tripps--I wish there were much more severe consequences for their behavior. A romance where my primary wish for the ending is punishment for the secondary characters is not a satisfying rom-com. Although THE HONEY-DON'T LIST missed the mark for me, I will still eagerly await the next Christina Lauren book, as they typically hit the right spot for me when I'm craving some silly fun and a sweet romance.