Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of this arc in return for my honest review.

This book was okay for me! It somewhat had cozy Christmas vibes, plus some good romance and a fun story.

I liked the way the book had two completely different Christmas love stories, one set in a snowy winery and the other in a warm, tropical paradise. I enjoyed Holly’s story more and was excited to read her chapters. Ivy’s, on the other hand, felt like it was missing something, and her relationship felt rushed and random.
The pacing was slow at first, which I liked, but by the end, everything moved way too fast. Both romances happened in just three days, and suddenly, they were saying they were in love. Holly’s relationship made more sense and felt cuter, so I enjoyed that one more. One thing I didn’t like was the friendship between the two main girls it felt toxic and unrealistic. Also, a lot of the things that happened in the story were so over-the-top that they didn’t feel believable.

Overall, I did enjoy getting to experience both love stories!

This was cute! A little cheesy, but that fit the topic and time and of year. I loved the men they ended up with and the two beautiful settings. There wasn’t a ton of depth to the characters but I enjoyed the story and found it entertaining.

What I Liked:
-The premise- friends switch holidays and find romance on their respective trips? In theory, it sounds like a great time.
-The female friendship- I absolutely love the friendship between these two women. It felt very authentic, and I think it's so important for women to have someone who is there for them through thick and thin
-The romance between Ivy and Oliver - this felt very authentic. They had common interests; it didn't seem rushed and I liked how he showed her around the island to his favorite places to create art.
-The journey of self-discovery that Ivy goes through. She never imagined that she could do her art full time and I love that this trip and her budding relationship with Oliver had her questioning if she really could follow her dreams.

What Didn't Work for Me:
- The romance between Holly and Aiden - it felt very awkward, rushed and unrealistic. She has literally just been left at the alter and a week later she is falling for someone else?
- The writing- overall this one felt a little juvenile for me. It felt a lot more like telling instead of showing, if that makes sense

Overall, this one just wasn't for me. I was really vibing with one storyline but as it is an alternating book - I really found myself wanting to skip over Holly's story. 2.5 Stars

When you are still hanging on to the holiday spirit you pick up a cute holiday romance to keep the magic alive.

This was a cute, quick read that was a perfect palette cleanser from all the fantasy I have been reading lately.

Features dual pov, forced proximity and the perfect best friend switch-a-roo!

This story was a nice palate cleanser to the heavy I had been reading! Will look at finding other things by this author. I am grateful for the early access, thank you to those that allowed it!

This book is a great holiday/winter read! The setting is everything that you would want in a winter read, cozy retreat. It was a very fun, romcom read, with great vibes!

If there’s one thing worse than getting dumped right before Christmas, it’s getting dumped and being stuck with a nonrefundable honeymoon. That’s exactly where Holly finds herself, staring down a tropical getaway for two with only heartbreak for company. Meanwhile, her best friend Ivy is heading to a quiet snowy cabin for some peaceful holiday solitude. So, what’s a pair of besties to do? Swap vacations, obviously. Holly heads for a solo cabin stay that—whoops—comes with a grumpy but weirdly attractive host from her past, while Ivy lands in Hawaii, only to immediately run into Holly’s terrible ex flaunting his new girlfriend. Good thing there’s a charming bartender ready to provide some holiday distraction.

This book doubles down on the holiday romance vibes, giving you both a cozy, flannel-clad, snow-covered retreat and a sandy, sun-soaked escape. It’s two Hallmark movies in one, complete with forced proximity, old flames, and romantic tension dialed up to holiday magic levels. Holly’s chemistry with her reluctant host? Deliciously prickly. Ivy’s romantic rebound in Hawaii? Equal parts flirty and fun. But with two romances running at the same time, the story sometimes moves too fast, and there were moments I wished we could spend a little more time with each couple before switching back.

I’m giving “The Holiday Honeymoon Switch” 3.5 out of 5 stars! It’s festive, fun, and full of swoon-worthy moments, even if it leans a little predictable. If you love best-friends-to-lovers, opposites-attract romance, or the sheer chaotic energy of running into your ex on vacation, this one’s got plenty to enjoy. Just be warned—you will want to book a getaway immediately after finishing.

I really enjoyed this book. I really liked the characters. The plot was great. Would definitely recommend.

Thank you for the eARC of this book! I found this to be a really cute read - very reminiscent of a *good* hallmark Christmas movie. I loved the sisterly bond between Holly and Ivy and though in 2025, it may not be as easy as switching a flight to someone else, I found the story to be mostly realistic / believable. Aiden and Oliver were refreshing MCs and I thought the overall pacing of the book was great.

While I enjoyed following the two stories, I think it made it hard to fully develop each relationship since only so much time could be dedicated to them. Despite that though the book followed two sweet love stories and one great friendship story. Bonus points for the most hate-able ex possible being included! It was nice to switch between the two locations too, switching between the warmth and the cold helped distinguish the two stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Holiday Honeymoon Switch
by Julia McKay

dual POV
forced-proximity
holiday-themed
second-chance-romance
minimal spice

Dumped before her wedding by her fiancé, Holly swaps her Hawaiian honeymoon plans for Ivy’s winter cabin in the Hudson Valley. Meanwhile, Ivy takes Holly’s place in Hawaii.
I only feel like it wasn't enough time to focus on both storylines but great Christmas feel
overall I enjoyed it

a hallmark movie in a hawaiian setting. need i say more?

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an arc!

3.75 This cute book reminded me a bit of the movie the holiday and I really had a fun time with it. In this book we follow two friends Holly and Ivy, Holly engagement breaks off the day before the wedding instead of going on her honeymoon Holly decides Ivy will go on the honeymoon while she will take her art trip to Ny. Trying to help her best friend Ivy agrees and heads to Hawaii. The two friends discover what they want in life and find some romance along the way. I really thought this was a cute entertaining book there were a few slow points that made me lose interest in the middle but overall I enjoyed the writing characters and pacing. This is my first book from this author but I would definitely pick up more from her in the future. I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is hands down one of the cutest books I’ve ever read! This story was a such a rollercoaster of humor and love. I absolutely LOVED Holly and Ivy’s friendship, they were so in sync and their bond was the true heart of the book. These two are literally "bury-the-body" besties, reminded me of Mary Ann and Wanda from the song Goodbye Earl! Their dynamic was hilarious and heartwarming.

When Holly’s fiancé leaves her with a nonrefundable honeymoon, she convinces Ivy to switch places with her and go in her place so she can work on her art. Holly’s decision to escape to Ivy’s rented Hudson Valley cabin for some much-needed healing was very relatable. We all need a little get away here and there to heal! The plot twists with Holly's ex-fiancé had me turning the pages faster and faster!

The romance in this book was so swoon-worthy. I especially loved Holly’s encounters with her rugged, glow-up high school rival turned Airbnb host. The chemistry between them would light a fire in any furnace and Ivy's holiday escape to Hawaii turned out to be much more than she expected, thanks to a super-hot hotel bartender who saves the day in the most unexpected and charming way.

This book is 5 stars without a doubt!

Loved the dual stories going on and how each friend found love when not looking for it. The hilarious situations in Hawaii - I could just see jumping behind bushes and got such a great kick out of it.

Then the old school rivals... but make him all grown up, hot and successful. So many things going on in the book but they all made sense together. Having the best friends on 2 very different adventures made for a very fun read.

All I want for Christmas is a super smutty, well written, not cheesy, fun holiday romp. Sadly, this wasn’t it. This book was decent enough…but “decent enough” won’t compel my body to produce enough dopamine to make me feel happy and alive. Bah humbug!!

The main characters here are named Holly and Ivy. Insert roll eyeball face here. Holly is planning a big dumb wedding to a big dumb frat boy with lots of red flags (the biggest being that she doesn’t really like him that much). He dumps her the night before the wedding and Holly tells Ivy to go on her honeymoon in Hawaii, while Holly goes to upstate NY to stay in Ivy’s holiday Airbnb.

Before you get too sad for Holly and her lame ass upstate NY vacay- the airbnb owner is a totally hottie who just happened to go to high school with Holly AND had a huge crush on her. What are the odds??? In about 17 seconds Holly is all “Frat Boy Who?” and immediately inserts herself into the little upstate town like she’s lived there for her whole life. Calm down bortch, you’re on vacation. In Hawaii, Ivy tries not to get down and dirty with a babelicious bartender/photographer/surfer/gypsy (he prob has an std), but eventually gives in and turns her vacation into a sexcation. Honestly, nothing much really happens besides theses two women finding vacay snacks and going to town on them, but it was still sorta boring bc I am dead inside and apparently need a lot of filth wrapped in tension tinsel and heated by giant yule logs to feel anything this holiday season.

If you have a soul and like a sweet little holiday romance with zero tension, you may enjoy this one.

Smut- 1.78 stars
Romance- 3.21 stars
Story- 2.98 stars
Expecting a cheesy Christmas romance to hit all the dopamine receptors- neg 6.83 stars

This romcom had a super unique setup and I actually really loved that it jumped back and forth between two different love stories, as well as their friendship! This gave me the best holiday/winter vibes with there being two completely different locations and it makes me want to take a tropical vacation. This gave me hallmark movie vibes.

"The Holiday Honeymoon Switch" by Julia McKay offers a fresh spin on post-wedding cancellation chaos. When Holly's fiancé calls off their wedding, she and her best friend Ivy swap their planned holidays. Holly retreats to Ivy's booked cabin in the Hudson Valley for solitude, while Ivy takes Holly's nonrefundable Hawaiian honeymoon.

The switch becomes complicated when Holly's ex appears at the Hawaiian resort with his new girlfriend. Determined to protect Holly from further hurt, Ivy keeps this development secret, even as she finds herself homeless at the resort – until a sympathetic bartender steps in. Meanwhile, Holly's retreat is disrupted when the cabin's owner turns out to be her high school rival.

McKay skillfully balances both storylines, weaving them together while vividly depicting both locations. Her rich descriptions transport readers from Hawaii's beaches to the Hudson Valley's serene landscape.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam.

A fun holiday dual POV read.

At times felt a little to insta-love and had me hoping for a little more depth from both main characters and their storylines.

Cute holiday romance. Liked the dual point of view. Loved the characters names! Perfect for a holiday romance. I liked that it wasn’t just your typical romance but also about the love of a friend