What a wonderful read with all its twists and turns. How well can we ever know someone. For newlyweds Dan and Chloe it appears they have a lot to learn about each other. Dan is hiding secrets and decides to change their honeymoon plans at the last minute. I've never read a book this intriguing or slightly disturbing before. Don't miss the opportunity to read it.

Chloe and Dan fall madly in love. They marry after just a month and head off on their dream honeymoon! But is it their dream honeymoon?? And do they know each other as well as they think??
An absolutely addictive read!! Thank You Netgalley for allowing me to read this Arc.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

Oh boy, this was a rough read. If you ever want a textbook definition of 'idiot plot', then sadly this is it. I was pretty excited to read this book because it sounded like a brilliant atmospheric thriller. Having married a man after only two months with him, Chloe goes on her honeymoon and things take a scary dive. I expected from the blurb that this would be a book about a husband holding his new wife hostage and, while that's kind of true, that's not what the focus of the plot is on. Instead of a hostage story you kind of get a back and forth between Chloe being determined to try and make her marriage work and her almost freaking out at her new husband's behaviour.

I say 'almost' because the biggest problem this book has is without a doubt the characters. Not a single character acted how a real person would and it made everything very hard to swallow. So Chloe has just married Dan, a man she doesn't know very well. Immediately after their wedding, he changes their honeymoon destination without telling her. He then takes away her phone, refuses to let her open the windows and behaves very oddly in general. Chloe chronically undereacts to everything. Even when pretty life-altering stuff is happening later on in the plot, she never reacts more than someone would to discovering they were out of milk. This is not, as I first thought, an attempt to accurately portray how some women can act in an abusive situation. This is just poor characterisation.

The same goes for Dan. He repeatedly claims that he needs to 'keep Chloe safe' but refuses to explain anything to her, just so the reader can go on wondering if he's paranoid or if he really is a good guy. There is zero romantically appealing about him and that makes it tough to sympathise with Chloe to any degree. Chloe also has a gran who is possibly one of the most selfish people ever. When Chloe seeks her out having had some pretty awful things happen to her, her gran just waves her off back to her new husband and tells her to leave her alone. Granted her gran isn't meant to be ideal but she's a lot worse than the narrative seems to imply she is.

The real unbelievable nature of it all comes to light with the sheer amount of insanity that happens in the last few chapters. In the space of a few pages

SPOILERS

Chloe is threatened by a madman, kills him, has a child, gets back together with Dan, Dan murders her gran for the money, Chloe leaves him again and then Dan is hit by a car.

END OF SPOILERS

You keep expecting the story to end since it feels like it has come to its natural conclusion and then another thing forces the plot to keep on going.

Overall, I would sadly not recommend this thriller. Maybe it could have worked with stronger writing or characterisation but the plot itself is fairly weak and I'm not sure it would be worth salvaging. It's a shame because I love summer-themed thrillers but there are far better examples out there than this one.

Overall Rating: 1.5/5

I need to be up front, first and foremost, to say that I've only ever read two thrillers in my life. One, being a young adult, and now The Honeymoon. I wasn't sure what to expect, honestly, but the title, the blurb, and the author herself, sucked me in and had me requesting this title the second it went up on Netgalley. I'm blown away by what I just read, and still trying to recover, lingering a little world of wow-what-did-I-just-read, stemming to give-me-more-asap. The Honeymoon was a twisted tale of who's and what's and how's, and this normally-romance-only loving reader was so suckered into this mind boggling book, that I had to ignore all of my life duties just to finish it. Chloe had my heart in knots with what she was going through, and I just wanted to yank her into my arms and protect her from the second I got bad vibes from Dan. (ew. Dan. You're gross.) I highly recommend this fast-paced read, and am definitely a new fan of Ms. Halsall.

I really enjoyed Love You Gone so I was looking forward to reading this one.

It started well enough and I was really enjoying it but I felt it ran out of steam about halfway through. I was going to give up but decided to persevere. The final few chapters and epilogue pick up again but for me there were no unforseen twists and still a couple of questions unanswered.

Sorry but I just didn't get into this one.

Thank you to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Honeymoon’ by Rona Halsall in exchange for an honest review.

At the age of thirty, Chloe Black is a physiotherapist and also the principal carer for her grandmother. One day Dan Marsden walks into her life and she is quickly swept off her feet in a whirlwind romance. Within two months he has proposed and they are married and heading for their honeymoon.

Chloe’s gran has warned “marry in haste, repent at leisure” though poor Chloe hardly has any leisure before it becomes clear something is very wrong. As they are at the departure gate to leave on their honeymoon, Dan announces that rather than a hotel in the Maldives as planned they are going to Menorca and a self-catering villa. I really felt for Chloe as who wants to cook on their honeymoon!

As Dan’s controlling and paranoid behaviour increases, Chloe feels more and more concerned. Then at the end of their week away Dan announces that they are not returning to England! It certainly doesn’t bode well and Chloe’s troubles continue.

This was such a page-turner and enjoyable while chilling. I really felt for Chloe and caring about a protagonist is key for me in feeling engaged in their story. There were plenty of twists and turns alongside strong characterisation.

I have not read Rona Halsall’s previous psychological thrillers but based on this novel certainly plan to add them to my wish list and look forward to her future projects.

I really don't know what to say about this book. I kept reading but I'm not sure why. I really disliked the main characters, not because they were bad people but because nothing they said or did made sense to me.
Chloe was probably the most wishy washy person I've ever read about. Strong one minute, doing the right thing and then doing something so dumb it was unbelievable. One thing is sure, she loved Adam. It was on every. single. page!
Adam was kind of a non character, we really never know anything about him except that he has a temper and is very controlling.
The plot is good and this could have been a great book if there had been more background info on the characters and if the story had been a bit more believable.

A whirlwind romance, a dream honeymoon…but what if that dream turns out to be a nightmare?

I have to say, UK psychological thrillers are always wild rides, and this one was no exception! The characters in this are really something, and at one point I truly had NO idea what I thought was going on. A total mind-trip!

I’m going to keep this short because I want to stop before any twists (and let me say, there are a LOT of twists!). Chloe and Dan have only known each other for two months when the story begins with them on their way to their honeymoon.

Chloe instantly falls for Dan. Chloe has a broken family life. Her mother passed away, her siblings can barely stand her, and though she tries to take care of her Gran, it’s clear to her that her Gran can’t forgive her for what happened…

Chloe’s family are really a puzzle in this book! I was so intrigued—why are her siblings so mad at her? Well, trust me, you will find out! And her gran also seems to not really like Chloe all that much, even though Chloe does everything she can to care for her.

When Dan comes along, it is easy to understand why Chloe falls hard and fast. Dan clearly loves her, and Chloe is so alone. She has almost no friends, and her family is less than supportive of her.

I really loved Chloe! But every other character in the entire book I was suspicious of at one point. And that’s a fun part about psychological thrillers, right? You either trust everyone and are surprised at the reveal, or you trust no one and are still surprised at the reveal!

I read this one with my friend Berit and we both had that same feeling of “what is going on and why is everyone in Chloe’s life acting so bizarre??”

And the twists through the book and at the end—fun, delightful, and wild! Do not skip this one!

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy. Opinions are my own.

The Honeymoon by Rona Halsall, published by Bookouture was released yesterday, 06/07/19.

After knowing Dan for less time than I take to decide what book to read next, Chloe marries him. It's her dream wedding, and she truly believes this is her forever. As they relax on the beach for their honeymoon, Dan jokes that they should remain on the island forever. Then he doesn't let her leave...

This book was INSANE. I couldn't put it down, and found myself sending texts every 20-30 minutes with my thoughts to a friend who read this before me. Chloe met Dan, dated him for a month, and then MARRIED HIM. Did she really expect things to be totally normal and for nothing to hit the fan? Girl. COME ON. I felt myself cringing and silently screaming at her throughout the entirety of the book.

As for Dan, I expected he was full of it right away. Who shows up LATE to their own wedding? God bless my fiance if he tries to do this. 😄 I won't say anything else about him because I don't want to take away the shock of reading about two characters like Dan and Chloe.

The end was slightly predictable, probably because I read 3-4 thrillers a week. I really enjoyed the ending, and if you don't read as many thrillers as I do you're probably safe from the risk of guessing it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It would make for an unbelievable movie. This is another crowd-pleaser from Bookouture. Be sure to pick this up and take it to the beach or pool this summer!

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars

I requested The Honeymoon because I like, if not love, Rona Halsall's previous book Love You Gone. Love You Gone was filled with riddles and layers up to the end, but unfortunately, The Honeymoon failed in both aspects.

I gave it two stars because, well, some might like it and it wasn't <i>that</i> bad; it couldn't hook me up and I could careless for the protagonist.

I dislike the characters, the plot, the so-called twist, and even after the resolution part, the book still have some pages left to put another twist (one that I didn't even care) a la Love You Gone.

IDK why and what happened, but Rona Halsall I need you to put your magic back.

As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew this was a thriller I needed to read. The title and tagline were both pretty alluring, too.

The story was just as enthralling as I knew it would be. Rona Halsall did a brilliant job of slowly drawing me into the plot, capturing and commanding my attention with her superbly drawn characters and their secrets, while adding in clever twists designed to throw me.

"The Honeymoon" was a truly thrilling and utterly engaging novel, I would recommend it as an ideal holiday read for this Summer.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This was just middle of the road for me. I kept seeing reviews for this on Goodreads, so I became interested enough to request it. I liked it at first, when they meet and get married within 2 months of knowing each other. You know secrets are going to get discovered when you’ve only know each other for that short of a time! When they go on their honeymoon, things start going south. I
thought Chloe was naive. Dan obviously had secrets but kept fluffing her off by say “I love you so much babe”, & she was like I know he’s doing these things, but I do love him. I don’t know......it became a little boring? The secrets weren’t mind blowing either. By the end I just wanted it it to be over. I also thought Chloe’s grandma was very rude & didn’t seem to care that these things were happening to Chloe. Not very loving, that’s for sure! This was just ok.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Book 117 towards my goal of 265! 3/5 stars for this contemporary thriller. I received this ARC for honest review from Netgalley. I initially requested it based on the cover, and the fact it was a thriller. This book was a bit slower paced than I usually enjoy. It took until around 80% to really pick up, but once it did, I enjoyed it. There were a few times I wanted to reach into the book and shake the main character. I did enjoy where the story went, I just hated it took so long to get there. When asked to recommend a thriller, this won't be one that jumps to mind.

Review will also be posted to Goodreads and Instagram.

"It's all about guilt...the poisonous emotion was the common denominator, a deadly catalyst..."

Dan Marsden woos and marries Chloe in a whirlwind courtship that lasts about 2 months. The first signs of trouble appear as the two are boarding their plane for the honeymoon. Chloe had dreamed of the Maldives but suddenly she learns that they are actually going to Menorca. What?? Turns out that this is not the first time Dan has taken her by surprise, and when they arrive at their destination, Chloe finds out that nothing is anything like what she had expected. Dan has just informed Chloe that they are not going back home to Brighton after all. NO SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed the fast pace and the writing in the first half of the book as tension built and I was trying to figure out what was actually going on. It was fun guessing about Dan's motives and getting annoyed with Chloe because she's got to be pretty stupid as she dithers about and makes the dumbest choices a woman could make. Since I couldn't relate to any of the characters and the whole crazy plot, I really had a hard time at the end as everything is revealed. Unbelievable to a degree that defies even my superpowers of suspension of disbelief when reading psychological fiction. Alas, I was disappointed with the explanations and the conclusion. The most interesting part of the novel was the description of the island as I had to go find it on a map. It definitely was a book that begs to be read in a single sitting.

I've read other books by this author, and I'll give her next book a try. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

The Honeymoon by Rona Halsall is an exciting thriller, that I enjoyed. Chloe and Dan get married after a whirl wind romance, and are honeymooning on a beautiful island. At first Dan hints they should stay on the island forever, than as time goes on he won't let her leave. Both Chloe and Dan are hiding secrets. Will she ever be able to leave the island? The story moves at a fast pace and kept me guessing til the end with all the twists and turns! I recommend this book for people who enjoy thrillers.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

Having loved Rona Halsall’’s Love You Gone I was looking forward to The Honeymoon and due to the sunny setting saved it to read on my holiday in Spain. I was gripped in the first chapter when Chloe’s dream honeymoon in the Maldives takes a serious turn and for me it was a page turner. Realistic characters with good dialogue made me care what happened - one of those books where you are mentally urging characters not to do certain things! Loved the mystery surrounding Chloe’s family and the twist at the end. Good writing and a satisfactory conclusion - highly recommended.

Different .. so very different, and such a fantastic read!

Chloe has a settled life, but the one thing missing is romance. She dreams of finding her ideal partner, settling down and living happily ever after. She despairs of it ever happening for her, and then her next elderly patient is accompanied by her grandson  - and he is HOT! And he asks her out. Dan is warm, kind, funny and very loving and their relationship moves on at speed, resulting in a wedding followed by - of course - a honeymoon. Will it be happy ever after for Chloe and Dan?

I wondered at the start where this one was heading, but I needn't have worried. It turned into an engrossing and gripping read which unfolds slowly and tantalisingly. It's one of those books that I have both muttered under my breath and shouted at and, it has to be said, enthralled by. Finding out about Chloe's past little by little magnified the intensity  of the story, and I debated inwardly where it was headed throughout; I need not have worried, as the ending was not only well worth waiting for, but it was quite surprising and rather magnificent. An amazing read, and one I'm delighted to recommend and give five shiny stars. Superb!

ᴡᴏʀsᴛ. ʜᴏɴᴇʏᴍᴏᴏɴ. ᴇᴠᴇʀ.

This was a fast-paced addictive read that left my head spinning! Girl meets boy. Girl goes out with boy. Girl falls in love with boy. Girl marries boy after only knowing him for two months. And what follows is the honeymoon from hell! Chloe and Dan Mary after a two month whirlwind romance. What transpires is Chloe on an island with a man she doesn’t even know. Her sweet loving fiancé has turned into a controlling husband, and he claims it is for her own safety. But what is true and what is a lie? Chloe knows way too much about secrets because she has one of her own.

If your child ever comes home wanting to marry somebody after only knowing them for a short time hand them this book, they will probably change their mind. Dan what a weirdo! I had no idea what his agenda was, what he was up to, if he was telling the truth or telling lies, but something about him just gave me the heebie-jeebies. Chloe I felt so bad for her. She was caring around so much guilt and that really made her so vulnerable, so right for the picking. For the majority of this book I had no idea what direction it was going in. Every time it zigged or zagged I was surprised. I and just when I thought everything was all good... Think again!

A wonderful quick absorbing story, perfect for those lazy afternoons by the pool. A wild tale full of crazy characters that will completely intrigue you!

*** Big thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

What an incredible roller-coaster ride! The Honeymoon was full of twists and turns and I simply could not put this one down! I loved the author's writing style and how she transformed a picture perfect honeymoon destination into something twisted.

Some characters we loved and others we loved to hate. This book really makes the reader see what can happen if you marry someone without fully getting to know your partner. Both Dan and Chloe had something big to hide from each other and the way it all exploded was crazy! Some things I was able to predict while others I absolutely did not see coming at all. And the ending was truly shocking! A must read for sure!

This is a better than average domestic thriller. I really liked the way the main character, Chloe, is always questioning and rationalizing her thinking when it comes to her husband Dan. She knows that things are wrong and instead of blindly going along with it she stands up for herself. Sometimes, it feels like too much rationalizing on her part but overall I think the author, Rona Halsall, does a good job of not making Chloe a doormat. Chloe and Dan’s relationship was definitely rushed but at the same time it felt authentic. I fully believed that Chloe loves Dan and I could feel her pain and confusion over what was happening.

In the beginning of the book there are flashbacks and I didn’t like that it didn’t continue throughout the whole story. If you are familiar with my reviews you know that I am big on how a story is formatted. I would have preferred for the book to keep the same flow throughout the story. Also, there were a few times where there were flashbacks within flashbacks and I didn’t find them necessary.

I enjoyed the bulk of the story from when the honeymoon starts until the ending. It was well paced and I liked all the revelations that came out. The ending felt a bit over the top for me but it was still a fun read. I also really enjoyed the whole character arc for Chloe and the growth that she makes as a character. The unpredictably of Dan made the book very suspenseful as well because I was never quite sure what he was going to do or how far he was going to go.

I think that a lot of people would enjoy this book. If you are a fan of romance and/or thrillers then I definitely suggest you check this book out. It does a fabulous job of pushing the limits on what seems like a basic domestic thriller.