Well this was just the most lovely and adorable holiday romcom!! It had everything you’d want… best friends who are platonic soulmates, cute Christmas loving small towns, coincidences that seem too good to be true, but are… dual points of views *and* happily ever afters! I loved every minute and had several “LOL” moments as well as “aww” moments! The perfect combo!

Sometimes you want something light and fluffy and it comes with a holiday theme all the better. Holly and Ivy are truly the best of friends. Holly was recently left at the altar and can’t bring herself to go on her planned honeymoon. Ivy has rented a cabin in the Hudson valley for a two week painting retreat. The pair swap places, sending Ivy to paint in Kauai and Holly to recover in the mountains.

Keeping track of the two storylines is easy. The romances are quick as they take place in just a week’s time. Holly finds the owner of her cabin rental is Aiden who she went to middle and high school with. Ivy meets Oliver who is a photographer. For a simple romance there is plenty of background given on all of them. I had a preference on the storylines but enjoyed both of them. And I loved the feeling of friendship that shines through the story. Even though they are apart most of the book you know that Holly and Ivy are each other’s ride and die friend.

Such a cute holiday romance! I loved the backstory of their friendship and how it progressed throughout the story. I also loved the back and forth between two different trips, in two different climates around Christmas time. It kept it interesting and made the book fly by. The only thing for me was that the ending felt a little short and quick, I would’ve liked to see a little bit more of each of the couples adjusting to their new lives together. Otherwise, this is a great read for the holiday’s. It’s short, sweet, and gives off all the cozy holiday season vibes!

Thank you to NetGalley, Julia McKay, and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the eARC.

I feel like this book would make a perfect romcom movie! It makes me think of The Holiday. Ivy and Holly are such amazing friends and I really enjoyed reading about their friendship. I also really enjoyed each of their trips and seeing them each fall in love with new holiday traditions. A perfect Christmas read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Penguin group for the eARC!

3.5⭐ - This is the perfect romance book for getting into the holiday spirit!

This story follows best friends Holly and Ivy. We hear about how they met in 2016 and their close bond. Fast forward to present day, Holly was supposed to be going on a beautiful honeymoon in Hawaii. Instead, she switches vacations with Ivy, who originally planned on renting a cabin in snowy New York for artistic inspiration. Both of them never dreamed of finding potential love.

I really enjoyed both of the main characters and they are so sweet and thoughtful. This was a slow burn romance and a fast paced read with a cute ending.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for the opportunity for review. All opinions are my own.

The perfect pre- holiday read. This lighthearted, adventurous novel was a quick and easy read, but kept me constantly interested!

The characters were likable. The romance, although predictable, felt fresh and believable. And I found myself rooting for both Holly and Ivy as they explored what they really wanted and needed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A wedding gone wrong results in best friends Holly and Ivy swapping holiday plans. Attorney Holly ends up in a cabin, very unlike her typical way to unwind, while Ivy takes a trip to Hawaii.

Along the way they get to know a cast of characters and discover themselves in a different light... a holiday escape read with great changes in scenery.

I enjoyed some of the holiday books that Julia McKay cowrote, and this didn't disappoint!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

I discovered Julia McKay here on NetGalley, and I am so glad I did! Holly and Ivy are best friends who happen to look alike. Holly's fiance jilts her right before their Christmas wedding, and the two friends decide to switch places, with Ivy going on Holly's honeymoon (solo) and Holly taking Ivy's place on a solo art retreat. Both women are strong leads, and it was a delight reading their holiday romances unfold.

Nothing like hating Christmas with the name Holly or Ivy, but these two grinches still count the Christmas party where they met as the best day of their lives! They are so close they even look alike! But when Holly is left at the alter by her frat boy she can't stand the thought of going on her non-refundable honeymoon. It just so happens that Ivy has her annual art getaway to an ecofriendly cabin in NY planned at the same time, so what is there to do but switch vacations and maybe find love at the same time. Fate works in mysterious ways when we are least expecting it.

This was a really fun Christmas romance! The two main characters are so diverse and lovable. The author is able to really capture each of them and do each of their stories justice, while maintaining a fluid storyline. There was no disjointedness to the stories and each was wonderful in their own unique ways.

This is a Christmas romance, so the timeline is very sped up to fit the timeline. For me it makes it slightly less believable, but understandable given the niche genre. The stories are cozy while still having some behind the scenes sexy times. If you want a book with a lot of spice than this probably is not the book for you.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this quick and fun Christmas story. It is a 2 for 1 deal and I can't decide which story I like best! I liked how original the story was while still playing to the beloved Christmas tropes we wait all year for. I will be sharing this one with all of my holiday romance lovers!

This book was sugar, spice, and everything nice. It was both cozy and tropical. Julia did a great job with the dual POV and storylines. It was easy to follow and kept it exciting to read. I did find myself enjoying one of the stories more than the other, but I loved all of the MCs and would definitely recommend this book (especially as a Holiday read!).

This was a very easy and light hearted romance read with minimum spice levels. The novel leans heavily on Ivy and Holly’s character development, as well as their friendship. Their respective journeys on figuring out what they really wanted in life, and gaining the confidence to go after those things was very inspiring.

Some of the one liners in this book had me chucking. The story really hooked you in and started off strong.

I personally could have done with better development of both of the romances. Both romances had undeniable chemistry, but I wish both had been drawn out more, where we got to see the characters interact and actually develop their connection further. It all felt a little too rushed. I fell in love with Ivy and Holly, but I wished we saw more Aiden and Oliver, and more about who THEY were. It wasn’t enough and I think the story would have been stronger.

This also is a very christmas heavy novel and it feels a little too early in the season for me to be getting in the Christmas spirit. It’s SPOOKY season, Putnam!

Overall I did enjoy the story and I appreciate getting to read it early!

I recommend this for fans of The Holiday (2006 movie).

When Holly’s wedding is called off, she decides to swap getaways with her best friend Ivy who was supposed to have a snowy art retreat, while Holly would’ve had a sunny honeymoon in Hawaii. Holly needs time to regroup and wallow, and the cabin vacation seemed like the perfect place to isolate.

I enjoyed how both Holly and Ivy’s stories unfold separately but all came together at the end, and how their solo vacations led to soul searching and unexpected romance. It was what they both needed in this stage of their lives.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC of this book.

Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. When I saw that this gave off the same vibes as The Holiday, I immediately knew I had to get my hands on this book! I loved the dual POVs of a White Christmas and a Green Christmas, even better that the two switching up locations are friends who go on their own journeys. This felt very hallmark and cozy, which is what you need in a good holiday book.

A Hallmark Christmas movie with a little bit of spice! The perfect way to describe "The Holiday Honeymoon Switch" by Julia McKay. It may have been October when I read this book but it still made me yearn for the holiday season and crave some Christmas fun. Such a fun, fast read, that I recommend to anyone looking for a light and fluffy holiday-inspired reading romp.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy of 'The Holiday Honeymoon Switch" in exchange for my fair and honest review.

It was such a cute and fun holiday book! I really enjoyed the premise of this book. It follows Holly and Ivy who switch destinations for the holiday.
It was the perfect book for a cozy season!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

I am honestly surprised how much I enjoyed this book! Sometimes I feel like holiday books become too overly cheesy but this was the perfect amount of holiday cheese with some drama!

I absolutely adored Holly and Ivy’s friendship. This book has romance but the best love story is their friendship. This really feels like it could make for a great Hallmark movie…once you remove the little bit of spice. I’m rating the spice 1 🌶️ out of 5.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

One of my favorite holiday movies that I watch year after year is the Holiday and the Holiday Honeymoon Switch generally reminded me of that movie (meaning I smiled the entire time I was reading), but with more emotional twists and even greater character depth because the Holiday Honeymoon Switch is anchored in friendship between the two main female leads. I loved that Ivy was an artist and Holly's recovery from her heartbreak to finding love (albeit in just a few days) was so sweet. The two male leads were everything you would want for our female leads- interesting, sweet, romantic and strong. A great holiday read!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the fun ARC.

This was like the Holiday Swap. Us both sides of the novel are great! I enjoyed Hawaii but also the environmental cabin in a small town. This was a nice balance of two best friends finding exactly what they need. It starts off tough with a broken engagement but the story is so cute. Definitely want to see this as a hallmark movie.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is a cute story about a cancelled wedding that ends up in two new romances for best friends. After Holly’s fiancé calls off their wedding the night before, Ivy sends Holly to an eco cabin in the woods to recover and Holly insists she that Ivy takes her place on her honeymoon in Hawaii. They both end up meeting the one, but how to make the long distances work out?

I could not get enough of this lovely romance. It’s the first book that I stayed up late reading and finished in two days. It broke me out of my reading slump. The story is full of silly tropes and cliches, but it’s exactly what I needed to brighten up my surgical recovery.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay, when Holly‘s lavish wedding is called off her best friend Ivy is there for her not because Holly is crying and brokenhearted due to her fiancé Matt confessing he was in love with someone else but because Ivy is always there for Holly. she is rational thinks it through and ultimately decides she will let Ivy go on her Hawaiian honeymoon while Holly goes to stay in the Echo Lodge in upstate New York. When Ivy arrives in Hawaii however she learns Matt and Abby have already checked into the room and are using the honeymoon is their own vacation but once again Ivy doesn’t confront him on behalf of her best friend Holly but instead hides out from the couple. Thankfully she meets a kind bartender in Oliver, who offers her a room in his beach cottage at the same time the landlord Aiden who owns the winter getaway Holly is staying in there soon figure out they knew each other in high school and we’re actually each other’s intellectual rivals but on her snowy getaway despite her wedding was just canceled days before she starts to really like him and sees him differently. This is where I usually say something like Lil Holly get over her heartbreak but it seems Holly was over it before the heartbreak even happened I think that is my biggest complaint about this book is there was no fire I mean even when Ivy confronts Matthew and his girlfriend Abby in Hawaii she didn’t even have great put downs for him as a matter of a fact she came off looking crazy after the whole exchange. I hate to be cool about any book because I know the love and the tension and time that goes into writing one but I felt like this one was just generic not to mention I didn’t feel like I could root for either girl they were so lame… I guess. I love a good Christmas story and did love George and Mrs. clause in the town of Grimble but everything else was just a miss for me. #NetGalley, #PutnamAndSons, #JuliaMcKay, #TheHolidayHoneymoonSwitch,