Holly and Ivy decide to switch vacations after Holly gets dumped by her fiancé the night before there wedding. Ivy goes to Hawaii (what was suppose to Holly's honeymoon) and Holly goes to a secluded cabin in the woods in New York. Ivy falls for the hot bartender Oliver, while kindles a relationship with a Aiden (her old high school classmate). With this being a holiday book insta love is kind of a given its going to happen. But it makes it almost unbelievable both them find it within a 2 week time frame. Regardless, I still enjoyed reading it. 3.75 stars.

If you are looking for an enjoyable story full of friendship, holidays and love- look no further!!

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch tells the story of Holly and Ivy, best friends since college, who ironically are not huge fans of the holidays. When Holly’s fiance’ calls off their wedding last minute, Ivy is there for her. Holly convinces Ivy to take her nonrefundable honeymoon trip to beautiful Hawaii while she spends the holidays at the rustic cabin Ivy had rented in the Hudson Valley.

I knew I would enjoy this story- but I loved it even much more than expected! Between Holly and Ivy’s true friendship, their delightful romances, amazing locales and Christmas thrown into the misled- this book is a delight! I can only imagine what a wonderful Hallmark movie this would make!!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an advanced reader copy.

This book was hard for me to put down. I like the different points of view. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Give me any and all holiday books! This was a sweet one that gives you all the feels. It’s a fun light read that I would recommend to friends over and over again.

"And that's when I knew we were going to be friends forever"

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this sweet book! All opinions are my own.

A holiday read with settings both in Hawaii and a cozy cabin... I'm in!!

This one was cute and filled with tons of fun holiday vibes! Adorable best friends, Holly and Ivy end up switching vacations after Holly gets jilted by her ex the night before her wedding and can't bear to take her nonrefundable honeymoon alone. Ivy heads to Hawaii and Holly heads to a cozy cabin in the woods that was originally meant to be Ivy's artistic retreat but is now available for Holly to use while she mends her broken heart.

Honestly this book was almost like having two separate stories rolled into one and I enjoyed them both equally. I'm rarely a fan of instalove so if there is one fault with this one it is that there is not enough build up to either story and the cheesiness factor is high but overall I found it to be a sweet holiday read!

If you are a fan of the Hallmark channel during the Christmas season then this one will be right up your alley!!

This was such a sweet holiday read! There were times that I wanted more from the story (just an extra 20-50 pages would have been perfect), but it was still a perfect pre-holiday read!

I've never read anything by this author before - but I will for sure be picking up her books again.

I thought the characters were realistic, storylines flowed together perfectly, and it really gets you in the holiday spirit. Holly and Ivy remind me so much of my own best friend and so I was constantly turning pages to see what was next for them in this story. Best friends swapping vacations and falling in love?! I've never read something like this before and I was here for it.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

If there’s one thing about me, if it’s a holiday romance, i’m gonna read it. They are my kryptonite and I shall love them forever. This was is comped to The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren and the Nancy Meyers’ film, The Holiday. Two of my favorite stories! It was cute, definitely on the cheesy side, but the cozy settings and friendship really make it a perfect read for the festive time of year.

Synopsis:

“Holly Beech and Ivy Casey are bury-the-body besties. They’re so in sync, they even look alike. When Holly’s fiancé jilts her, leaving her in shock and with a nonrefundable honeymoon, Holly convinces Ivy to switch places. Ivy will go on the Hawaiian honeymoon her best friend can’t bear to take alone, while Holly escapes to Ivy’s rented Hudson Valley cabin to binge-watch holiday movies and heal.    But Holly’s wallowing is interrupted when her rugged Airbnb host turns out to be her high school academic rival who’s had a major glow-up. Meanwhile, Ivy’s (now Hawaiian) annual solo art retreat is upended when Holly’s ex-fiancé checks into the honeymoon suite—with a new woman. Raging and bed-less, the last thing Ivy expects is for the hot hotel bartender to come to her rescue. Against all odds, this Christmas might prove the most magical yet.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Premise—The Holiday is one of my all time favorite movies and I’m always looking for a bool that captures the same energy. While this doesn’t 100% feel like The Holiday, it did have some similar elements that made it enjoyable!

The Settings—I am not a “spend the holidays somewhere tropical” person but since I read this pre-pub in the Summer, it was fun to visit there through the pages! But I loved the small town in the Hudson Valley and all the small town characters.

The Festive Elements—There’s no doubt this book takes place at Christmas! A great easy, festive read that’s a little different than the usual cozy romance.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

The Writing/Voice—It was a little too cheesy for me and I wanted things to be a little more grounded in reality.

The Epilogue—A lot of telling vs showing and I did not vibe with it.

Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 3/5

Content Warnings:

infidelity

Best friends since college Ivy and Holly has never kept anything from each other. The night before Holly's wedding Matt show up to inform her that he is having an emotional affair with someone from work and calls off the wedding. The two week honeymoon in Hawaii is non refundable and Holly decided to switch her honeymoon with Ivy's yearly art honeymoon. Ivy will never get a chance like this again so she decides this will be perfect. Holly just wants to hide in seclusion. This was a fun and cute read with some steamy romance in this book. It also has great movie quotes throughout the book. I would like to thank both NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and for PENGUIN GROUP Putnam providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.


The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay is a delightful holiday romance that follows best friends Holly and Ivy as they swap vacations after Holly’s fiancé abruptly calls off their wedding. Holly heads to a picturesque cabin in the Hudson Valley to recover, while Ivy takes Holly’s nonrefundable Hawaiian honeymoon. Each woman embarks on her own journey of self-discovery and romance, finding unexpected love in the process.

As Holly navigates the snowy charm of her new surroundings, she reconnects with an old high school rival who’s now surprisingly charming. Meanwhile, Ivy, in sunny Hawaii, encounters a handsome bartender who becomes her unexpected knight in shining armor. Their parallel adventures are both heartwarming and entertaining, offering a fresh twist on the classic holiday romance.

McKay’s storytelling balances humor, romance, and the power of friendship, making it a perfect read for the season. Though some plot elements might feel a bit coincidental, the book’s cozy charm and the strong bond between Holly and Ivy make it a satisfying escape for fans of feel-good holiday tales

Such a good read! It's a cozy Christmas season type of book... But not too heavy on the Christmas portion. It's giving The Unhoneymooners vibes here and there, and I LOVE it!

Ivy and Holly are the definition of what a friendship should be. I was genuinely happy to see how the story turns out for both of them. All the main characters are so likable.

I don't really have many negatives to list. Some of the coincidences were a bit too coincidental if ya catch my drift. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though for this type of book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of The Holiday Honeymoon Switch in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute low stakes holiday romance. Two best friends each go on a 2 week holiday and meet the men for them. The book was pretty simple and straightforward, I didn't feel too engaged with either romance, but also it was a simple easy read, and better than some other holiday romances I have read.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay is a lighthearted rom-com about two friends who swap vacations after one gets jilted the night before her wedding. Lots of slow burn and just a bit of spice add to this double romance that's perfect for fans of the movie The Holiday and contemporary holiday reads such as The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk and Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss.

Overalll: 3.5
Spice: 3

A holiday carol to love and friendship.

Holly & Ivy are ride or die best friends, even though the combo of their names leads to many bad jokes. Their friendship is put to the test when Holly's fiancé calls off their wedding the night before. Holly sends Ivy on her honeymoon so it doesn't go to waste and Holly takes Ivy's reservation in a rustic cabin in upper NY. On their respective trips, they tackle their feelings on work, life and love. Local boys help them explore that last topic.

I love reading holiday set books throughout the month of December, and I would recommend this one for that time of the year. It so pulled me in to the holiday setting that I would look up and forget that it was summer outside. The best part of this book is the focus on Holly & Ivy's friendship. They support one another through difficult family members and life's heartaches. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves closed door holiday romances.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. This book gave me The Holiday vibes. You know, the movie where Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz trade homes over Christmas and ultimately fall in love in their new space? So good!

🎄🌊❄️“The Holiday Honeymoon Switch” by Julia McKay was such a festive, fresh, and lighthearted read PERFECT for the holiday season!

There are a few criteria that make or break romance for me— thankfully, this book checked all of the boxes. Holly and Ivy were such vibrant, likeable, and loving characters. I ADORED their friendship. Despite being well-balanced as a duo, they each had their own distinct personalities that came across naturally in each of their chapters. McKay not only did a stellar job creating their characters, but also excelled in making them feel realistic. (Specifically, what I mean by that is that their characters didn’t feel limited or flat; the friend who wants to “settle down” wasn’t boring or stuck-up, but empathetic and kind. The friend who only really had flings wasn’t unstable and shallow; rather, she was artistic, supportive, and unfailingly loyal. They both broke their typical archetypes in romance and their characters felt much so much more realistic for it).

Respectively, their choices in romantic interests made so much sense and McKay did an excellent job of keeping each couple/love interest unique. Plus, the holiday vibes were such a great setting for this story!

But, to steal McKay’s own words from the acknowledgments, this story is really “a love letter to friendship.” I 100% agree— Holly and Ivy’s friendship was the key that made this story so special.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall vibe: Fun, light, optimistic. Christmassy without being aggressive about it.

Pros: I loved the friendship as the central point of the story. I enjoyed getting two sweet love stories woven together (two for the price of one in this book) and the two different lovely small town settings.

Cons: I think this book should have been 50 pages longer to give us some exposition on a few moments — particularly in the ending— that felt really rushed.

Rating: 4 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC early.When doppelgänger best friends trade one’s cabin Christmas vacation for the other’s Hawaiian would’ve-been-honeymoon, both might just find love they weren’t expecting.This book has Hallmark rom com vibes. It was really good and I couldn't put it down.

I loved this book! It had everything you want in a holiday romance. Because the book followed 2 friends, you got 2 love stories in one. I loved how the chapter bounced from Ivy to Holly's POV, keeping you invested in each story. If a feel-good holiday romance is what you are looking for, this book is for you! Thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book gives off the perfect Christmas vibes but set in two different locations: a Hawaiian island and the Hudson Valley in New York.
We follow two best friends, Holly and Ivy, as they go on each other's vacations and end up meeting their soulmates. Holly goes to the Hudson Valley, staying in an eco cabin to decompress after her fiance leaves her for another woman the day before her wedding. Ivy goes to Kauai for her annual two week art retreat in lieu of Holly, as it was supposed to be her honeymoon destination.
This book started off fine. I liked Holly and Ivy, but over time I found their characters to be lacking depth. We really only hit surface level information with them - jobs, age, what they're currently doing - that it made it hard for me to care about them.
I also was not a big fan if the insta-love that was happening on both sides. Holly claimed to be so heartbroken but got over her ex-fiance very fast. And of course Ivy fell in love with the hot bartender in Hawaii the moment she saw him.
There were also some not-so-realistic things that happened (i.e. the car tires - that's just not how that works!!!) Honestly my favorite moment was when Holly found Mrs. Claws.
Overall, I found these characters to be forgettable but placed in memorable settings. The story just met my expectations - I wasn't blown away by anything. The writing style was also not my favorite as it was too much tell, not enough show.
Cute romance, and it definitely has its audience. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

***Trigger Warning: Cancer***

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch follows Holly and Ivy who are best friends. Holly’s fiancé breaks up with her a day before the wedding. Not only is Holly left in shock but she is also stuck with a nonrefundable honeymoon in Hawaii. Ivy has rented a cabin the Hudson Valley. They decide to switch places Holly will go to Hudson Valley and Ivy will go to Hawaii. Holly finds out that on her high school friends Aiden owns the cabin that she is staying in. Soon Holly and Aiden reconnect and start falling for each other. Meanwhile Ivy meets someone named Oliver and the two hit it off and they fall for each other.

This book was so cute!! This author writes under the name Maggie Knox and I LOVED both of the books I read by her. So when I found out this book was written by the same author I had a feeling I was going to love it and I did. I loved that this book focused on the friendship between Holly and Ivy. I also loved the romance aspect of this book. This is a Christmas book but felt different from any Christmas book I have read. This was just such a cute book. I highly suggest this one.

Thank you Julia McKay, G.P. Putnam’s Son, and NetGalley for the ARC of this cute book.