This book sounded interesting to me when I first requested it, then I immediately forgot the synopsis and was surprised when it wasn't some lighthearted romance read (completely my fault, the synopsis clearly says her fiancé died on their wedding day).

Maya Thomas, a 50 year old banker in the UK, meets and immediately falls in love with Jon, a new client of the bank. They easily connect over Jon's world travels - Maya just can't get enough of his stories. Six months later and they're getting married, except as soon as Maya reaches the alter, Jon gets a pained look in his eye and the day ends with his passing.

After the funeral, Maya is given Jon's planner which includes the paper trail of their honeymoon, which Jon was calling their magical mystery tour. Maya, who now doesn't have a job or a home, decides to go on this honeymoon in hopes of finding herself and ways to cope with her loss.

Horton does an incredible job of world-building. She takes you to an ashram in India and you experience the sounds and smells; you visit Hong Kong and experience the heat and humidity, along with the high-rise skyline. Not only do you experience the first impressions of the destination, but you also get to see it after Maya's experience (this was very apparent in the India description).

Horton also does a fantastic job of character-building. Maya is very obviously deeply upset over her fiancé's death, who wouldn't be? I think Maya is relatable to almost anyone in western society when you visit an ashram and you're expected to meditate for an hour at a time. But you also get to watch Maya learn and interact with other characters who shape her into who she becomes at the end of the book. You get to watch Maya open herself to things she wouldn't have normally been open to.

I think the only thing I didn't love about the book was how heavily it relied on travel. Yes, obviously it's a book about traveling, but I also felt like there was a piece of Maya and Jon's relationship missing. To me, it felt like Maya was completely in love with a man just because he was well-traveled. I would've liked to see a little bit more into their relationship.

Overall, Horton did a great job at giving you a travel experience without you leaving your couch or hammock. There was great world-building and character-building. The beginning of the book was heavier than the last half and it was fun watching Maya open herself to different and new experiences.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4) - I enjoyed the book and will recommend it to others.

CW: this was a very clean book - very little explicit sexual detail and the sad, depressing scenes didn't delve into details - mostly just sobbing.

It took me a little while to get into this book. The beginning was a bit confusing, throwing you straight into Maya's honeymoon alone and then slowly giving you backstory about her and her fiancé Jon. I also was surprised to discover that Maya was in her 50s, as the cover had led me to believe that she was a young woman (and the blurb hadn't indicated otherwise). I'm not opposed to reading a book about a woman of that age, I just had to readjust my expectations for this book.
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By about halfway though, I was invested in Maya's journey. I liked how she decided to take the "Magical Mystery Tour" honeymoon that Jon had planned alone, and it was good to see an honest portrayal of her grieving process. She had planned to spend the rest of her life with Jon, and now had to come to terms with her new reality. The post it notes from Jon were a sweet way for her to feel connected to him on her journey. It was nice to see her find healing, and discover how she could still find happiness.
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"This could be a fresh start. I could still hold Jon in my heart but live a whole new life. This could be my chance to move forward and my reason to start to live again."
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Thank you Netgalley for this advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Maya is heartbroken when Jon, her fiancé, drops dead at the altar- she'd waited so long to marry and now this. And his family is awful to her. She decides to take the honeymoon trip he planned for them and that's what made this a fun read for me. Yes this is about working through your grief but let's be honest, it's also about Maya's travels in India, Singapore, Hong Kong and so on. In a summer when we aren't traveling anywhere, this was a nice panacea. There are good descriptions of places and food, as well as interesting characters that Maya meets along the way. It's not deep, it's got some plot holes (and huge coincidences) but it's fun. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Oh, and I liked that Maya is a "mature" traveller.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Janice Horton for an advanced copy of this book via netgalley! This book took me away to India and I could put myself in Maya’s shoes. A heartbreaking start to the story, but Maya is thrown out of her comfort zone and grows from the experience. A book about self- love, growth, and just how short life is.

Thank You NetGalley, One More Chapter and Janice Horton for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
If you have ever wanted to follow in the footsteps of the women in the books such as Eat, Pray, Love and P.S. I Love You, then this book is also a book you will want to follow Maya and her adventures on her honeymoon throughout Asia. This book took me on the adventures of a woman, Maya, who after suffering a great loss decides to go on her honeymoon alone. Her honeymoon takes her through the countries of India, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Throughout Maya travels, she begins to face her feelings of grief, angry, sadness, friendships, self discovery, and the possibilities of new love. I found Maya to be a well developed and realistic character. I believed her emotional growth throughout this book were reasonable and heartfelt. I enjoyed her willingness to step out of her comfort in order to really find peace and a new outlook on her life, which included the next chapter of her life. It seems the author had a special connection to India because it seemed most of the beginning of the book took place in India, while the rest of her travels and time spent in the other stops on her honeymoon journey moved more quickly. I was well satisfied with the ending of the book. It had me almost tearing up! I was able to finish this book in less than one day because I really enjoyed the writing, I can't recommend this book enough to those who love travel stories. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

Today I’m pleased to share my review for The Backpacking Bride. Thank you to One More Chapter and Harper Collins UK for the digital proof copy via NetGalley – my thoughts are my own and not influenced by the gift.

This book starts with Maya arriving in India on the honeymoon planned by the love of her life, Jon, who collapsed and died at the start of the wedding ceremony just one week earlier. She is middle aged, grief stricken and suddenly in a bustling foreign country trying to find peace, to practice yoga and mindfulness and to come to terms with how quickly her life has changed.

We spend a week with Maya in India, before continuing the journey to Hong Kong and beyond. Maya meets a variety of people on her way, including other travellers and local people. However meeting Henri in Hong Kong, organised by the post it notes in Jon’s folder, makes Maya reassess her life yet again.

I enjoyed the travel aspects of this story – India and Hong Kong sound amazing. I didn’t understand why the financially astute Jon wouldn’t have organised travel insurance but then we wouldn’t have had the story.

The story moved slowly during the week in India, then suddenly the pace picked up in Hong Kong. Looking back I’m confused by the timelines – was the end of the book really only about three weeks after the tragedy at the wedding? I enjoyed lots of elements of the story but found the timings very far fetched. A 3.5 star read for me.

This book is filled with heart, hope, and healing. It sucks the reader in from the start and is unrelenting in holding on.

This author is a new read for me so i was surprised to find i really enjoyed it.
The story is about Maya’s journey through her honeymoon without her fiancé who decided to not take those vows. It was cute and a nice easy read, but I had some smaller issues with the how it was paced out. It seemed like her time in India was dragged out and then boom, everything enlightened on her final day. Felt a little unusual rather than it being spaced out so it was a little confusing for me. Honestly, you could have cut out most of the part where Maya was in the Ashram, kept the last day or two, and taken the story straight to Hong Kong and I think the book would have read mostly the same. It just didnt gel well with me but i dont know if thats because im new to this author.

It was not until about the halfway point that this story started picking up for me and I started really enjoying it. I usually give up quite quick but i didnt want to pout it down and once we reached halfway I was pleased with the way it turned out and felt like the major plot was resolved nicely.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK for providing me an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maya is the backpacking bride. She unfortunately has to live through her fiance dying during their wedding ceremony. She goes on their honeymoon on her own to help her move on and rediscover herself. Unfortunately I had a hard time sticking with this book. It moved too slow and I was honestly bored after the first 2 chapters. I tried to make myself finish the book, but I was unsuccessful.

Loved this from the start. Maya takes off on an adventure after her husband to be dies unexpectedly.. he's left details of a wonderful honeymoon trip and Maya heads off. Having been to India I loved the colourful descriptions of India and the fact that you just have to 'feel' India..her travels take her to other exotic locations. Life gives her the unexpected, which she embraces...and somehow things are just meant to 'be' for Maya. a great read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for an honest review. Maya's is set to marry and her husband to be drops dead! She decides to go on the honeymoon that he planned and you think oh my gosh this is going to be a sad book! I loved Maya's attitude, how she forged ahead and the people she met along the way, I loved this book. Very good.

A quick, enjoyable and easy read that takes you on a journey through India, Hong Kong and Singapore as Maya finds herself embarking on her honeymoon without her husband. Well written and with a great main character, I would rate this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.

Janice Horton's The Backpacking Bride is a book in the tradition of Eat, Pray, Love. When Maya's husband-to-be dies unexpectedly on the day of their wedding, Maya is left unmoored. Without a home or a plan, she takes her surprise honeymoon solo to India, Hong Kong, and Singapore. This book has all of the ingredients of what would be a favorite of mine, but the pace was a bit too slow for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Thank You NetGalley, One More Chapter and Janice Horton for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
If you felt enlightened reading Eat, Love, Pray and felt the love in P.S. I Love You, then The Backpacking Bride needs to be your next book! I fully expected a light and fluffy romance read but instead we got so much more. First of all, a middle aged character is a breath of fresh air. Her age meant she was more mature and had already made some of the more cliche romance book mistakes. This book takes readers through Asian countries discovering the food, the sights and what it means to find yourself. A must read!

I sadly DNF'ed this book at 10%

I was just so, so bored. I think I went into this book thinking it was going to be a lot different than what it actually was.

I mean, I love travelling but the first 10% was dragging on about how she was on her way to India and how she is doing everything her deceased husband would have wanted. It's very descriptive, with not a lot of action and I don't like the writing style. I understand that it's great to have a lot of description, especially when you are talking about other countries and landmarks, but this was too descriptive. I learned nothing about the main character in the first 10% (3 chapters) aside from the fact that her husband dropped dead at the altar. I have a feeling that the rest of the book is going to be just as slow, and I would rather read another book on my TBR that is fast-paced.

The cover and the premise of The Backpacking Bride by Janice Horton caught my eye. Overall, there were enjoyable elements in this book, and the locations, traditions, and detailed descriptions felt like I was transported to the destinations mentioned.

The story is about Maya, whose soon-to-be husband passes away on the day of their wedding. She decides to go on their honeymoon that Jon had planned for them so she can feel closer to him as she also mourns his death. She travels to India, Singapore, and Hong Kong. While she is traveling to these places, she is forced to face things that she would rather avoid, so I liked this part of the story as it shows how vulnerable we can all be in difficult times and how we have to find within ourselves the strength and courage to keep moving forward.

However, I did have difficulty getting through this book as it felt like the story was plodding along and felt a bit flat with the character’s interactions and conversations. I found myself skimming over several pages. The last third of the book does pick up and get very exciting with the storm and the ships being in danger. The part was my favorite part of the book.

If I could change any part of the book, it would be to develop Maya more surrounding her emotional reactions to the places she travels. Being in a new place and having to deal with immigration, transportation, a different culture can be overwhelming, and I felt Maya was a bit flat in how she experienced this part of her journey.

Overall, an okay read for someone wanting to read women’s fiction that is a bit predictable.

I think the writing style just wasn't for me on this one. I couldn't connect with the main character and found myself forcing myself to pick it back up.
While the genre is usually fairly predictable anyway, this book kept in theme with that so i'm not too surprised but because I just didn't like the character or feel for her journey - I just didn't enjoy that element of it either.

Perhaps it's aimed at a more mature audience.

Maya is due to marry Jon when he literally drops dead when they are the altar. She is left homeless so when she is given all the details and tickets for the surprise honeymoon that he had arranged she decides to go on her own.
With a mixture of a spiritual discovery in India to a luxurious stay in Hong Kong and Singapore the author really managed to bring these destinations to life for me. I can relate to how difficult it is to travel on your own when you're not used to this,especially in crowded train stations etc. I found her journey, both spiritual and physical, engaging. Not the type of book to keep you on the edge of your seat or chuckling to yourself but heartwarming following Maya's voyage of discovery both geographical and emotional.

This read had everything I wanted in it. It made me smile, laugh, and cry. I thought I knew what I was getting into when I requested it, but I was wrong. Take the time to discover the adventure of a lifetime and feel yourself heal along with the main character. I didn't know I needed this book, but I did. It will stick with me for a while and I'm sure I will come back to it again later in life and get something totally different from it. It reminds me of the journey from The Alchemist. You could read it every year and take something different from it.

I loved the set up and premise of this story. A few points fell flat to me: like having travelled around the world, I know what that confusion of immigration/luggage/busses and where to go feels like. I needed more emotion from Maya. I needed some tears of overwhelming frustration.

The beginning was a little slow, but then it began to pick up and I’m glad I stuck with it!

👏🏼👏🏼For Maya being middle aged. Move over 20 somethings!👏🏼👏🏼

Even though the book is part of a series, it is fine as a stand alone!