Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

When things in my life are getting too serious, too dramatic, too real and overload and conflicted with emotions and work (which, in my case, should be avoided at any price), the escape of romantic books is my answer to stress. I half cheat, as there is not always a relief from stress but equally a refuge when I am making an effort to understand something about my relationships.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (pen name of a writing duo, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings) was rather a spontaneous choice, out of a Kindle full of romantic alternatives. Call it the temptation of a colourful cover, which at the first sight may relieve a little bit of stress as well.
The reading went so easy, not high intellectual challenge, the kind of book it is lovely to have with you during long commuting to the other part of the city, but well written enough to do not consider the lecture a complete waste of time.
Ethan and Olive are stucked to spend together a honeymoon of ten days in Maui. Olive´s twin sister just got married with Ethan´s brother but a food poisoning ruined the wedding and as the honeymoon was a free win, why not taking the chance and going on, using the advantage of the same family name. The thing is that it seems that the two of them do not have too much in common and, at the limit, they even hate each other. Will they survive to tell the story?
Until the end of the story, everything changes, due to multiple twists that make an otherwise predictable story enjoyable. I was expecting that happy ending, to be honest, but nothing prepared me for the ways in which it was achieved, thanks to the carefully crafted story. The characters also do have their complexities, dark and shiny sides, most of the interactions being focused on the brothers-sisters dynamics. There are plenty of sensual moments and moderate graphic descriptions of sex.
The communication between Olive and Ethan was my favorite part of the book, as it reminded me how important is not only to talk with your partner, but openly share your concerns and bring clarity into the story, especially in connection with previous relationships and family peer pressure.
Although moderately excited about The Unhoneymooners, I will recommend it as a pleasant weekend and relaxing read in general. There is always something to learn about, especially when it comes to relationships and there are a couple of smart tips to think about in this book.

Rating: 3.5 stars