Does the following actually contain spoilers? View at your own risk.

Listen. I read this book in maybe three hours. I don't really have coherent thoughts at the moment. I will say...I was waiting for the other shoe to drop THE ENTIRE TIME. And I thought some scenes weren't fleshed out enough? It felt really short and sweet. But I'm Shatter Me trash and I'm here for it. All of it. Let's go.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC of this novel. Regardless of the way I acquired the novel, the thoughts, opinions, and views stated in this review are completely unbiased and one hundred percent my own.

I’m not sure why it’s taken so long, but this is my first time reading a novel by Christina Lauren, despite her being on my radar for years now!

I’m so happy my first dip into her pool of work is The Unhoneymooners, because I am a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope. Our two main characters felt so real and fleshed out, that it was easy to connect with them moment to moment. Another big, big fantasy plus for me was our destination: Hawaii! I’ve only been dreaming about going there since forever, and it definitely added to the overall quintessential-summer-book vibe.

I really connected with the way Christina Lauren wrote these characters, portrayed emotions, cataloged the setting, and set up certain snafus within the plot. *Slight diversion ahead* You know how in a suspenseful movie, the actor will open the refrigerator, and the killer will be standing right behind the door as the main character closes it? That’s what Lauren’s writing reminded me of; instead of screaming in terror, I was giggling out loud in delight as our characters time after time rain into an unexpected guest or situation.

The story itself didn’t have an incredibly unique plot, but one that kept me engaged. This is a character driven story, that focuses a lot on the character development and change within our two main characters. If you’re ready to be swept off your feet into what seems like a fairy tale romance, and then *spoiler* thrown head first back into the real world with real family drama, then I’d say give this one a hearty go. This book made me laugh out loud at 11:30pm, throw my fist into the air, grimace, and feel all the feels. I was incredibly pleased by each character, how handled their plot lines, and how they evolved as our story ended. I’ve heard rumors that Lauren has written books that are even better than this one, but I’m not sure how that’s possible! What I do know for sure is that this will not be the last of her books that I dive straight into, leaving all my cares and worries behind on the shore.

Edit: I'm just now learning Christina Lauren is TWO AMAZING AUTHORS who co-write books. I feel so silly. Please know when I mention "her writing/her book/her __" I now mean their! Ack! What a snafu. ;)

This is not a healthy relationship. No one should *aspire* to this type of relationship. Just so we're clear. The main female character did not deal with trauma from her past. The main male character is super weirdly toxic and scary if this were real life. I cannot emphasis this enough: this book is (imo) a list of what not to do in real life.

With that out of the way, and knowing this is a work of fiction, I loved the heck out of it. All of it. Oh. My. GOSH. Wow, wow, wow. This might become my favorite book of the year? Am I really making that claim?! It was just so good. I was hooked from the very first page. No, let's back up. I was hooked from the time I read the synopsis. This book delivered in so many ways. Angst. Sex appeal. Cute. Romance. Territorial. Weird parent relationships. Misunderstood pasts. Hot. Steamy. And a puppy! I was glued to my seat the minute I turned the first page. I want to read it again. Right now!

I skipped Walking Disaster and started this new series (because my library didn't have Walking Disaster >.<). I really noticed a difference between this book and Beautiful Disaster. I don't think the story or the connection between the two main characters was nearly as strong or explosive. The plot seemed like mostly filler so we could see more of Travis handling his heartbreak and relationship with Abby from a new POV. I didn't dislike this story (obviously from my star rating) but I was disappointed that it fell a little flat. Not to mention that some of the 'secrets' I had already guessed in Beautiful Disaster, and didn't end up with a shocking ending as anticipated. That in no way deterred me from continuing with this series, but I wish this first book had been stronger. Or I'm just a total sucker for Travis and Pigeon and they're my OTP, so everything pales in comparison?

Book two of the Maddox Brothers series was much better than book one, in my opinion. I thought our MCs had much more chemistry, and a more intriguing plot. I felt like we hit the climax of the story a little too early, and it left the ending feeling pretty bland. Overall I enjoyed it, but I'm still missing that thing that made me fall in love with Beautiful Disaster.

Um? Definitely not my favorite, but not my least favorite either. This one kind of kept me guessing, which I appreciated. Seeing all the stories get woven together and knowing information ahead of time or being left in the dark is a trip in and of itself. I definitely enjoyed the chemistry between these two characters, and the chase. The drama they get into together and separately left me feeling heated, pissed off, but content at the ending. I initially gave this three stars, but I think I'm bumping it up to four. I have been devouring these books, and feel consumed by all things Maddox. At this point it's hard to keep it all straight. lol

Such a good story. I was really hesitant at first because I so strongly disliked our main female character. I even went so far as to check some of the reviews, and everyone mentioned to push through, that her development throughout the book was astounding, AND BOY WAS IT! I am so happy I got to witness her character arc and how this Maddox brother treated her. This story had so many fun elements that kept me interested: working with the guys at the fire station and in the field, becoming a photographer, and overcoming addiction. This is a 4.5 star rating from me. Very happy with it.

I AM SO MANY EMOTIONS. Before I started reading this book I thought I knew who the funeral was for, and I was wrong and THEN I WAS RIGHT (but not even close to the way I imagined it)?! What a wild ride this was. It was so great to see all of the characters shine in one book together, and separately with their own growing families. It did bother me that most of the book they spent fighting with each other, but grief and lies were the catalyst, so it's not like those emotions were out of place. The last chapters of this book, TORE. ME. UP. Oh. My. Heck. I'm so sad we didn't get to see more of Travis and Abby as their older selves, or dive more into their motivations. I'd love a book just on their family. I'm currently reading Walking Disaster, so this Maddox brothers world isn't completely closed off to me yet, but I don't know how I'll be able to say goodbye. These characters punched and cuddled their way right into my stupid heart.

I read Beautiful Disaster, and then proceeded to devour the entire Maddox Brothers series before reading Walking Disaster. I think this was a good way to pace the story. Reading BD and then WD back to back may have been too much, and too repetitive. But I did really enjoy seeing things from Travis' POV. I hope we get more novels about this family ASAP!!!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC of this novel. Regardless of the way I acquired the novel, the thoughts, opinions, and views stated in this review are completely unbiased and one hundred percent my own.

I am so happy I decided to pick this book up. I knew this was a romance going in, but I was PLEASANTLY surprised by how steamy this book got. Wow-wee!!! This wasn't exactly an enemies to lovers, or even friends to lovers, but a best friend's younger sister to lovers troupe and I ate it up!

This novel dealt with so many important issues seamlessly. We watch as a group of women learn to support one another, and see a man battling through toxic masculinity that had been ingrained in him since childhood. I loved that we got to see these two characters grow in the context of their relationship and individually as people. Our male MC was a former pro baseball player, dealing with rejection from the sport and trying to outgrow his sportsman persona. Our female MC is the youngest sibling in a family who doesn't take her or her life seriously. We watch as these two support one another fervently throughout the novel.

Did I mention this novel was steamy?! And in a healthy consensual way?! What a gift, honestly. I could not swipe the pages of my kindle fast enough during those hot and heavy scenes. The writing style throughout the novel was so well paced, and engaging. Not once did I feel like an outsider or a reader, I truly felt like I was part of the story with these characters. And their love story felt real. The chemistry was there for me, and how they each feel into each other felt organic, and not forced due to circumstances or literary climaxes.

Overall this was very well done: a sweet and sexy romance, and a story of two people coming into their own authentic selves. Bravo.