When I first saw the cover of THE HONEYMOON and then the plot description, I knew I had to read this book! And that tagline just grabbed me - marry in haste, repent at leisure. I knew I was in for an emotionally thrilling ride. I was not wrong!

Honeymoons are meant to be beautiful romantic getaways from reality in the post-wedded bliss of getting to know each other. But for Chloe it was anything but. She had met Dan just two months ago when he brought his mother in for physiotherapy and theirs was a whirlwind romance. A month after meeting, he proposed. Another month after that, they were married. A bit too soon? Chloe didn't think so...at the time.

Chloe is a physiotherapist working and living in Brighton. She is a part time carer for her gran, who was prone to chest infections, and Chloe stopped by twice a day - before and after work - for physiotherapy and to make her tea. After the death of her mother almost a decade before, Chloe has been racked with guilt that it was her fault. Her brother and sister also blame her for their mother's death and have not spoken in years. So in an attempt to relieve some of that guilt she looks after her gran, whose barbed comments seem to reflect that she too blames Chloe for her mother's death. She was, after all, her gran's daughter. It only reiterates Chloe's guilt.

Then Chloe meets Dan. It isn't long before she is besotted with him. And after a whirlwind romance, they marry. While she organises the wedding, she leaves the honeymoon in Dan's capable hands. He is, after all, paying for it so it only seemed fair. But Chloe had one stipulation. She had always dreamed of a honeymoon in the Maldives (I don't blame her - I would too) and white sandy beaches with huts on stilts, being waited on in paradise. So when they arrive at the airport and she discovers at the boarding gate their destination is Menorca, she is confused. But Dan reassures her it was a last minute change and they will have a great time at the secluded villa he has rented in Menorca.

But things begin to happen that makes Chloe question how well does she really know Dan? Not long after their arrival, she discovers she has lost her phone. Despite looking everywhere, even where she knew she kept it, she can't find it. And Dan seems to have morphed into another persona. Since their arrival at the villa, he keeps Chloe a virtual prisoner but tells her he is doing so to keep her safe. And then he announces they are not returning to the UK but are staying in Menorca. End of discussion. What is going on? Does she even know Dan at all?

Chloe begins to plan her escape. When Dan is asleep one night, she stealthily tosses a few things into her rucksack, ensuring she has her passport and money, climbs out an open window (because the door is locked) and hurries to the village where she has a taxi waiting. She doesn't relax until she is on-board the plane and in the air bound for home.

But once she gets there, things only get more puzzling. Her key won't fit in the lock of her apartment. When she calls the estate agent they inform her that they received notification that she was vacating and the locks were changed, which was normal procedure. But what about all her belongings? But the place was empty when they took possession, so where is her stuff? She tries to make a purchase; card declined. She goes to the cash-point (ATM) to withdraw cash; it takes her card. She calls the bank; that account was closed and all funds were transferred to another account. What the? And then when she calls her work, she discovers they had received an email from her last Monday to say she would not be returning to work. Is this Dan's doing? She knows he wants them to move to Menorca, but would he go this far?

Then when she calls Dan's number she is informed that the number is no longer available. Her social media accounts have all disappeared, as has Dan's. All her online accounts, her emails - everything. GONE! It seems she no longer exists. And when her gran informs her doesn't want her living there Chloe realises she is homeless with no money, no job - nothing. What is going on?

Her gran says there is only one thing to do. She must go back and stand up to him. Find out what's going on. Chloe can stay the night and her gran will pay for her return with a little extra money the next morning. All the alarm bells started going off in my head and I was screaming at her - DON'T GO!!

But when she married him after only two months, it was never going to end well, was it?

I liked Chloe. She reminds me a bit of me. She is not a strong person, but she has strong ethics and moral code. Her questioning of Dan's motives did niggle at me a bit because I didn't trust the man, but I guess in her position we'd probably think and feel the same...wanting to believe the best in people. Dan, I didn't like. I didn't trust him the moment he started exerting control. I don't like someone who thinks they know best by cutting off all their means, despite protests. He claimed they were now married and a partnership, yet he showed no signs of a partnership but rather a dominant over a subordinate. And that alone rings alarms bells for me. But then...it wouldn't be a very interesting psychological thriller if he didn't exert some of "the bad guy". Even if to throw us off scent...or not.

THE HONEYMOON may be one honeymoon you don't want to take, but you won't be able to put the book down! It is thrilling, engaging and utterly intriguing. Filled with secrets and lies, it shows you how little you can know someone and that no matter how much you think you know them, it makes you question how well you really do.

I was 60% through THE HONEYMOON before I called it a night at 3am then picked it up the next day to finish...and what a race to the end it was! The style was easy to read, despite the excessive description (which I don't normally favour) rather than dialogue, but I still surprisingly found it an easy read. And by the time the big reveal came, I admit I was a little disappointed by the reality of it (as I was hoping for another outcome), but it soon made up for it as the shocks and the twists kept coming long after that. And that ending!! WOW! Way to go, girlfriend!!

THE HONEYMOON is the first book by Rona Halsall I've read but if this book is anything to go by, I will paying a lot closer attention to her in the future. Definitely recommend!

I would like to thank #RonaHalsall, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheHoneymoon in exchange for an honest review.

A good book with lots of twists and turns, which I was able to read quickly and with tons of interest! I think some of it was a bit unbelievable leading to 4 instead of 5 stars, but definitely worth reading! Will definitely read more by this author!
I will recommend to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub!

I wanted to read The Honeymoon because of that beautiful cover. After reading it, the cover is still my favorite part.

I thought the concept for the book was really interesting. It sounded like great, soapy drama and I was crossing my fingers for some crazy twists. Unfortunately, it left my pretty disappointed. There were some things that I *think* were supposed to be twists, but they all seemed pretty cliched and obvious to me.

I thought the pace was far too slow for about the first 75% of the story. There were several chapters where pretty much nothing happened but Chloe wondering what Dan is lying about and how dare he lie to her and how she’s trapped. Just around and around with absolutely zero happening to move the plot forward. I also kept waiting for Chloe to be revealed as a real psycho. From the very beginning she comes across as a pretty unstable person and I thought it was all building up for her to do something crazy, but it never really went where I wanted it to.

Overall, The Honeymoon just wasn’t for me. It had a gorgeous cover and a promising concept, but the story was pretty underwhelming. However, I have seen some good reviews on it, so it might still be worth the read for some.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 2 Stars

I was lucky enough to be sent this book by netgalley free of charge in exchange for a honest review. If half marks were available it would be a 3.5. Overall I enjoyed the story, it gripped me and I looked forward to picking it up each time I sat down to read it. I thought that the storyline was quite unique which was refreshing and I liked that the author kept throwing in twists. I liked how there was some truth amongst all of the lies and how justice was served in the end. The only things which I’d critique would be the naivety of the main character. Who in the real world gets married after two months, some would say she got all that she deserved. Also I didn’t understand the point behind him fathering his friends child nor did I find it believable how quickly and efficiently he could get rid of parts of his wife’s life. There were a fair few holes which could be picked at in terms of the story being realistic. However that said it was an enjoyable story, Spain sounded beautiful and it was full of twists and turns from start to finish, even if some were a little bit unbelievable. Def worth a read, it’s something a bit different.

When I heard Rona Halsall had a new book coming out, I had to read it. I have read her previous two books Love you Gone and Keep you safe and I loved them, so I was excited to get my hands on a copy.
Chloe has been living with guilt after the death of her mother. So, to try and relieve some of that guilt she looks after her grandmother. Her brother and sister also blame her for their mother’s death so much, that they do not talk to each other.
Chole meets Dan and after a world wind two-month romance they marry. Choe is dreaming of her honeymoon in the Maldives but they arrive at the airport she realises they are going to Menorca instead. Dan reassures her that they will have a great time in Menorca. But things happen that makes Chloe wonder if she really knows who Dan is. Dan virtually keeps her prisoner and then tells her that he is doing it to keep her safe. Chloe must virtually blackmail him to find out what really is going on. She found out that he is protecting her from something he did in his past.
This is a cleverly written novel from Rona Halsall that gripped me from the start. It had a great plot and characters. Although a bit unrealistic towards the end, it had a good twist that I wasn’t expecting. 4 stars from me.

Wow,karma certainly came back on Dan. Gripping read. Such a rollercoaster of a journey for Chloe. All through greed and money.

First the bad. Chloe is annoying at times. There, I said it. She's like one of those women in a Lifetime movie, that keeps doing things that are crazy even though there are SO MANY red flags.

But the good outweighs the bad, just like that Lifetime movie. I loved how creepy Dan is and how I really didn't have any idea what was going on until the end. I thought I had things figured out but I totally did not.

There's a whole backstory in this book that gives you a bigger picture, and even when you get that part you still don't know everything.

I have to say that the end did it for me. I struggled with Chloe's behavior so much but at the end of the day she came through and seemed to learn from her experiences.

This book will be an EXCELLENT summer read!

What starts off as Dan joking they never leave their honeymoon spot chloe thinks nothing of it. As their honeymoon goes on Dan becomes very adamant they stay and he wont let Chloe leave. I enjoyed the book. Like the suspense.

This is one of those books where the burb is better than the read!
Annoying characters and quite an unbelievable story line.
There are many better reads out there. Sorry just not my cup of tea.

I struggled with this book, and did consider not finishing it. It was very slow, nothing really seemed to be happening until quite late in the book. Although it was mildly interesting I didn’t find that it gripped me.

The Honeymoon by Rona Halsall was overall a quick, enjoyable read. The beginning of the story starts off with a fast paced romance between the protagonist and her newly acquired fiance. Her dream honeymoon of vacationing in the Maldives soon turns ominous as her now husband starts to show controlling tendencies. She starts to wonder how well she really knows her husband, but after all how well does he know her. I would recommend this book for a day at the beach or lounging around the pool.

I started reading this and wasn’t very keen on the way it was written for the first few chapters. I was considering not finishing but I carried on... and I’m so glad I did! It just gets better and better as the book progresses. The story picks up pace and you really want to find out what happens!

Please, did I spend hours reading this bad trope of Washington Square? You know, the old movie where Olivia de Haviland somehow is made to look ugly, next to handsome Cliff Montgomery?
This is Chole, continually worrying about what she did to upset her handsome husband, who, gasp, wants to marry her? Oh my, I cannot believe she was so stupid, as to sign something without reading it, then finds out, when it is too late, her money has been wiped out, her grandmother doesn't love her, neither do her vile brother, and sister, snif, snif! Oh no, someone maybe following her, her husband, who has stolen her phone, lied to her repeatedly, he could not possibly have done it, could he?
Please, someone, take my tablet away, I am nauseous! Chole is 5 feet 9 inches tall; she does physiotherapy, she knows exactly where to hit someone to make them hurt, yet, here she is, whining again, Oh no, it's a forest, I don't want to walk through there! If the walk to town is only fifteen minutes away, how long is it through the woods, three minutes, tops?!
Here is the real deal breaker for me, she is just as selfish as he is and just as much of a sociopath!
Did she admit to anyone, including the police as to her actions with her Mother, or Liam? No, which makes her morally guilty! I think they deserved each other!
Not for me! I don't like stupid women!
Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

Another gripping story by Rona Halsall! I've read a previous book by the author and am already looking forward to see what she comes up with next. A great summer read, too!

The Honeymoon by Rona Halsall was a good book and when I began it, I thought it was going to go off in one direction but it went in another which I didn’t expect. If I were writing a book like this, I’d make it very sinister and dark. I was anticipating something different than what it was but still, a good book that kept me reading late into the night.

There was all kind of red flags going off when Chloe and Dan get married especially when he switches their honeymoon destination without telling Chloe. Dan’s behavior is also weird and if I were Chloe, I think I would have turned around and come home.

The plot:

Chloe had a dream wedding. Dan is her perfect man. They haven’t known each other for long, but as she walked down the aisle and saw him standing by the altar, tears glistening in his eyes, she knew this was forever.

Later, as they relax on a beautiful island, settling into their new married life together, they congratulate themselves on their lovely wedding day, and Dan jokes that he’d like them to stay there forever. But as the honeymoon goes on, he becomes increasingly adamant. They shouldn’t leave. In fact, he won’t let her…

I like the twists in this book, parts of it definitely kept me guessing!

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Ooh, I love him - but does he love me as much? Ooh, he smiled - but wait; his lip curled ever so slightly. What did I do to make him angry? Oh, silly me - a bug must have flown up his nose. But why didn't he tell me, and why didn't I see it fly out? I know I'd have sneezed, so why didn't he? Silly me again because I still love him. Don't I? Ah, but if he lied about a bug, what else is he hiding from me?

And there you have it - at least two-thirds of this book. So suffice it to say that with a main character this insecure, it'll never make it to my list of favorites. But bear with me: There's also a pretty good story in here - a thrilling one, even - it's just that after the first chapter, all I cared about was throttling Chloe's incessant second-guessing to the point of hoping that Dan not only wanted to do her in, but would be successful. Put another way, if my new (or in my case, old) husband treated me anywhere near the way Dan treats Chloe, he'd be toast. And waste even a second worrying whether his self-centered, controlling behavior toward me was MY fault? Fuhgettaboutit!

Still, the writing is excellent, and done in such a way that it's very easy to read. There's a rather chilling plot, beginning with Chloe's whirlwind marriage to the man of her dreams (well, depending on which hour you ask her) and a honeymoon that takes her away from her physical therapist job and caring for an ailing grandmother who would rather she didn't. But her longed-for honeymoon could put things right; that is, until Dan pulls a last-minute hustle that takes her to a place she didn't know they were going and doesn't want to be. And then, for reasons he doesn't want to reveal, he insists that they stay there. Forever.

Clearly, Dan isn't the man Chloe thought she married - and now she fears the worst (that part's nothing new; I'm sure she'd have feared the worst even if he'd taken her to Disneyland). And putting the blame on him goes only so far; it seems she's brought a few secrets of her own to their secluded location. Twists and turns as the end nears add some spark - once I got to the last quarter of the book, I didn't put it down till I got to the last page.

Overall, then, it does have thriller appeal - and I'm sure many readers of this genre will love it. Even if it's not quite my cup of tea, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

I’m not sure why this is described as “gripping.” There was too much internal dialogue, too much telling instead of showing, and very little action. I felt this was slow. Neither main character was likable, particularly Chloë. Characters were flat and the gaslighting trope was unoriginal. I wasn’t a fan.

The premise for this book sounded interesting. Chloe marries Dan, a man she has only met 2 months earlier. They go on honeymoon and immediately things go wrong. Dan has booked Menorca rather than the Maldives which causes Chloe to go into a massive huff. Much more worrying is that he starts to show controlling behaviour: her phone and bag vanish leaving her dependent on him. Both have secrets which turn out to be not that interesting.

I didn't enjoy this book. The story was very one dimensional and characterisation was thin. It didn't help that Chloe acted like a spoiled child throughout meaning you could have little sympathy for her plight. There are twists but they leave you unmoved.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Honeymoon sounded so good and I was excited to get my advanced copy from Netgalley but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. It had a lot of promise because it is one of those situations that with a little more subtlety could have played out really well. Unfortunately the husband was outright weird and it was hard to understand Chloe’s reactions/actions to him and his behavior. Another thing that was over the top and didn’t work for me was Chloe’s the relationship with her family; just can’t see all of them having the same feeling and need to be hateful to one person. I feel like I am being hard on this book because it was so close to being really good but none of the characters acted in a way that seemed close to realistic. On the positive side it had some good tension, a decent plot and it was a quick read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.

The Honeymoon was an enjoyable read for me. I finished it in about 24 hours. I wanted to shake the main character, Chloe, many times! Some of the ideas or actions are a little unrealistic, but overall great, quick read that I enjoyed. Also the cover is gorgeous!! Perfect for this story.
Thank you NetGalley, author and the publisher for an advanced copy. 3.5/5 ⭐️