Cute, fun, and sassy! It gives The Holiday vibes with a fun tropical spin that kept me turning the pages. The characters are well-written, the story is fun and it's the perfect holiday read.

I really enjoyed this book, even if it was extremely predictable and pretty corny by the end. It was a fun, quick, palate-cleansing romance novel, perfect for the holidays (or anytime, as I read this one while on Spring Break) when you are too distracted to read something super deep and thought-provoking. I loved the main characters' friendship and watching them each fall in love. This is truly a fluffy, fun, feel-good romance that I do not regret reading!

I didn’t realize that Julia McKay is a pen name for Marisa Stapely and she is part of the writing duo Maggie Knox. I have read and enjoyed quite a few holiday books by Julia/Marisa/Maggie. I thought this was a fun holiday read. Two best friends, Holly and Ivy, end up switching vacations after Holly’s fiance breaks up with her after their rehearsal dinner just before Christmas. Ivy heads to Hawaii and Holly heads to the Hudson Valley in an off the grid cabin. After a few twists and turns they both find a new love interest and make it back to celebrate New Year’s Eve together. It was a fun beach read for the holidays.

I enjoyed this book. It was cute, light, and so easy to read. It gave me The Holiday vibes, except the main female characters are each other’s ride-or-die besties. The readers are treated to not just one, but two love stories, and an epic friendship for the ages. It's definitely a story worthy of a Hallmark holiday special.

I’d give it 3.5 stars, but I’m rounding up to 4.

Thank you for giving me access to The Holiday Honeymoon Switch. I appreciate the opportunity to read the book!

While I did enjoy some aspects of the story, I found it a bit challenging to keep track of all the characters and their individual storylines. There were moments where I struggled to remember who was who, especially with the different plot threads interweaving. It took a bit of time to get fully immersed in the story, and I found the beginning a little hard to get into. Once I got past the initial confusion, things improved, but it did take some effort to get settled into the rhythm of the book.

Overall, while the book had potential and some enjoyable moments, it could have benefitted from a little more clarity in character development and pacing. I sadly had to DNF.

Thanks again for letting me read it!

Holly and Ivy are best friends. They are always there for each other, no matter what. So when Holly needs a shake up after being left by her fiancee, the friends decide to swap vacations.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved both locations so much and wish I could visit both of them. While a romance, this was also a story about friendship which I really liked.

This is a funny and entertaining feel good holiday read. It’s the perfect book to read on a chilly day around the holidays.

Holly and Ivy are ride or die besties, so when Holly’s fiancé changes his mind the night before their wedding, Ivy is there to help Holly through it.
Ivy has a cabin in the mountains reserved for her annual art vacation, and Holly’s honeymoon in Kauai is paid for and non-refundable.

They decide to switch trips. Ivy heads to Hawaii and is shocked to find Holly’s ex fiancé there with his girlfriend. Suddenly Ivy has nowhere to stay until the hot bartender offers her a place.
Holly arrives at the cabin but has trouble with the heating. The caretaker arrives and it turns out he and Holly went to school together, and he always had a crush on her.

Romance blossoms between the two couples as they celebrate the holidays together. I love a good HEA ending and this delivered two of them! 4 stars.

This story plays with the tropes of Holiday Romance, Left at the alter and best friend identity switch. The plot is a bit rushed a predictable, but overall it is a cute story.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. This book was funny and cute and I absolutely recommend checking it out. The cover is also very beautiful.

I enjoyed that this was as much about friendship as it was about those two friends finding love. They both had their individual issues to work through in order to get to a place where they could be with the person they wanted, and it had a satisfying ending. The initial conflict that led to all the events of the book was not too over the top and I’m glad it was solved without too much trouble and villainous antics. Thanks for the ARC, although I’m not sure why I got one after the release of the book?

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is a charming, feel-good romance that delivers all the cozy, snow-dusted vibes you’d want in a holiday read. The premise—a honeymoon mix-up that forces two strangers into close quarters—sets the stage for plenty of swoony moments and witty banter. The chemistry between the leads crackles, making their slow-burn connection feel both believable and satisfying. Plus, the festive setting, complete with twinkling lights and holiday magic, adds an extra layer of charm.

While the plot is fairly predictable, the sparkling dialogue and endearing characters keep it fresh. It’s the kind of book that feels like a warm cup of cocoa—sweet, comforting, and just what you need on a winter night. Four stars for its heartwarming romance and delightful holiday spirit, even if you can see the mistletoe moment coming from a mile away.

I'm a sucker for a holiday romance. This one had a fun premise and I loved the cover. The drama delivered!! I really enjoyed how it was essentially two rom-coms in one. The dual plot was engaging.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch
Genre - holiday romance
Rating - 4⭐️

This was unexpected in the best way - it was sweet, a great holiday read, but also a great escape from winter. I couldn’t decide which holiday vacation I preferred but all I know is that the story made me want to ditch my holiday plans and head out on an adventure. The third act breakup lost me just a bit but quickly pulled me back in with the grand gesture. Overall a fun, substantive holiday read with minimal steam but maximum good feels.

Thank you NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. It was a light and enjoyable holiday read. I really enjoyed that I got the best of a both worlds setting for Christmas in the country quiet mountains with small town vibes, and you get a tropical destination Christmas. We got to go through long time friendships, rediscovering old acquaintances, and finding new love in unexpected places. Generally I prefer closed door romances, and while this had a little, I was thankful that the romance side of things was relatively brief.

My favorite holiday read of the year! The pacing was perfect, the storyline was unique, the characters were loveable! I loved that there wasn't a third act break up and that the communication was rooted in logistics rather than them being cowards. Recommend over and over and over again.

This book is a very fun time! Why read one romcom when you can have two happening at the same time! This book pairs well with a screw-top rosé, for those that like a little wine with their romance too.

Holly is dumped by her fiance the night before their wedding. With a no-refund honeymoon worth too much, Holly decides to give it to her maid of honor and best friend, Ivy, to go have an art retreat of her dreams. With that, Holly gets to wallow in her feels in an eco-cabin instead. At this point, we get the two wonderfully sweet stories of Holly and her high school academic rival Aidan, and Ivy falling for the too-hot, too-perfect Oliver in Hawaii.

While Holly struggles with mourning the life she had envisioned, she finds comfort in the small town of Krimbo and how tight-knit their community is. In Hawaii, Ivy explores why she feels the need for a stable 9-5 job while falling in love with a man that travels with the seasons.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is perfectly balanced between holiday romance and just an all around great story of friends supporting and ubderstanding each other through thick and thin.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing an eARC of The Honeymoon Holiday Switch.

“Even thinking about the approaching blank slate of a new year causes a twang of anticipation to thrum through her body. New day planner. New set of notebooks. New goals. New dreams. On New Year’s Day, anything feels possible.”


The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is an instant-love romance by Julia McKay. This book is written in the third person, but it's not written well. There was excessive use of "she" and way too many play-by-plays. Overall, I'm not a fan. However, if you like instant-love and third-person pov, this book might be for you.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, refreshing holiday read. Very well written and fast paced. The characters were so fun and engaging. I loved Holly and Ivy’s genuine friendship built on love and support. Highly recommend.

Premise was good but honestly didn’t love the execution. The characters were hard to connect to due to the actions they were taking and the ending felt a bit forced.

I thought this book was really cute, and I liked the premise a lot. It’s about two best friends Holly and ivy. Holly is all set to get married until her fiance calls off her wedding the night before. She can’t go on her nonrefundable honeymoon, so she tells her best friend Ivy that she should take the trip instead. Ivy has a two week art retreat planned, which ends up being exactly what Holly needs. The two switch places, Holly heads to upstate New York and Ivy heads to Hawaii.

There were some elements to this book that was a little over the top, but if you look past that, its a cute story that follows two people who are on their own journeys and meet some cute boys along the way.

The narrator of this book kind of drove me nuts, so if you plan to read it, i’d recommend reading with your eyes because yikes.