When I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to read it!

You have so many good tropes in here:
Enemies to lovers
Found family
Unexpected hero
Beautiful locations
A fun holiday twist

Honestly, there is so much here! Anyone would enjoy this book. Check it out!

This was such a fun romance! It’s pitched as The Holiday meets The Unhoneymooners and it definitely gives off those vibes. Highly recommend.

This was really cute and I enjoyed it. I don't have a best friend like how Holly and Ivy are best friends so at times they seemed a little close and clingy, but I liked their stories and how they intertwined. However, there's no way I'm flying from Haiwaii to New York based on one phone call, nor would I expect my boyfriend/date to do the same thing. (I mean I get that's it a grand gesture, but still.) Also, the petty person in me really wanted Ivy to call out Holly's ex more. Holly's parents were the ones that paid for the honeymoon, not his, and Ivy should have been able to use the honeymoon not him, so that really bothered me. But the stories were cute and I liked Holly and Ivy and Aiden and Oliver a lot.

In The Holiday Honeymoon Switch, two best friends named Holly and Ivy are days away from Holly's Christmas wedding when Holly's fiancé confesses that he's been having an affair with a co-worker and now wants to call off the wedding. Holly's parents spent thousands on an expensive Hawaii honeymoon that Holly absolutely cannot face. Ivy was preparing for her annual two-week-long art retreat in the mountains, and is worried about leaving her best friend alone at such an emotionally devastating time, so Holly has a suggestion: they will switch places. Ivy can do her art retreat in Hawaii, and Holly will take Ivy's place in the mountains for a long, isolated cabin retreat with ramen and all the sad movies she can handle. But of course nothing goes according to plan: when Ivy arrives in Hawaii she discovers that Holly's ex-fiancé took the honeymoon suite with his new girlfriend, and Ivy is rescued at the last minute by a handsome, travelled bartender named Oliver. Meanwhile in the mountains, Holly finds that her cabin is owned by Aiden, an old high school crush who is even more smart and handsome than she remembers.

The novel flashes back and forth between Holly and Ivy's perspectives, and the narratives almost mirror each other in pacing. I think that worked incredibly well here - I was always invested in the stories, and I loved how the changing perspectives gave me the opportunity to see the characters from different angles. The romance formula can be reassuring or overly predictable depending on how it's presented in each book, and I think that it worked well in this one. Of course I knew what would happen, but there was so much chemistry and just enough surprise in the narrative that I looked forward to seeing it all play out.

Overall, this is a fairly standard holiday romance, but it was just so sweet, with well-developed characters and interesting, contrasting backdrops that it works just the way that it is. I really appreciated the way that the romances between Holly and Aiden and Ivy and Oliver developed: of course there is an initial spark of physical attraction, but then the rest of the story develops them as likeable characters who admire one another and enjoy each others' company, showing them build a long-term relationship that feels believable rather than feeling shallow. In particular, I appreciated the history between Holly and Aiden. I was reluctant to see Holly get into any kind of relationship so soon after her marriage was called off, but by giving them a history that was already meaningful to Holly, it felt less like a rebound and more like a relationship with a pre-existing foundation.

In all, I'll give The Holiday Honeymoon Switch an 8 out of 10. This is a great romance with sweet characters and a lot of chemistry, and I think romance readers will love the journey.

The Holiday Honeymoon Witch is a festive and heartwarming friends-to-lovers and swapping-places romance that delivers all the cozy, feel-good vibes of a Christmas rom-com. Holly Beech and Ivy Casey, best friends who are as close as sisters, decide to switch up their holiday plans after Holly’s engagement implodes. With Holly reeling from heartbreak, Ivy heads to Hawaii for a solo retreat in Holly’s place, while Holly finds herself at a secluded Hudson Valley cabin for some much-needed alone time. Perfect for the holiday season

3,5 rounded to 4


Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not a bad read! I enjoyed Holly’s story more than Ivys and felt that Hollys story was more fleshed out while Ivys felt a little repetitive and one dimensional. I’m a sucked for second romance stories hence why I liked Hollys more and it felt more Christmassy than the Hawai setting.
Still a fun read though and I loved the ending when it all came together!!!

Cute. Christmasy. Predictable. You’ve probably watched this and read this before… but it is still worthy of a read during the holiday season.

If you’re looking for something that takes place during the holidays but isn’t overly Christmasy, this is the book for you! Such a fun, easy read but full of all the things I look for in a romcom….good pacing, great characters with chemistry, beautiful settings, and humor. Definitely recommend!

This was such a fun quick read. The concept is super fun! Two best friends switching vacations and the love they find.

I love that we don't spend too long on the confusion of the switch and so it doesn't feel like it's all about the miscommunication.

The romance the two friends find themselves in was also so sweet and cute.

If I was going to pick a holiday book I would want to see turned into a movie, this would absolutely be at the top of the list! I saw a comment that said this was a perfect combination of #theholiday movie and #theunhoneymooners book, and I can't deny how accurate that comparison is. This story gave us a tale of two women, best friends, who trade vacations after one of them is dumped the night before her wedding. What ensues is each of them learning more about themselves, their next steps in life, and finding love in the most unexpected places. This book was full of humor, sweet friendship, a touch of spice, and so much Christmas sweetness. While it may only be October, I'm already feeling the Christmas spirit thanks to this read. The only struggle I had came during the epilogue as I felt the characters were just listing off what had happened, and it didn't feel authentic, but other than that, I was pleased from start to finish and will absolutely be recommending it for the holiday season!

I thought this was such a fun listen. Who doesn't love a little parent trap sort of Trope? Looking for a fun twist on holiday love, grab yourself a copy of #theholidayhoneymoonswitch.

I absolutely adored this book! The writing had me hooked from the beginning! This book is the perfect holiday romance without being way over the top holiday. The dual povs truly made the story! I loved that although this is a romance book, the story also spoke to friendship in such a real and raw way. This book honestly got me through a reading slump and I couldn’t stop thinking of the characters when I had to put the book down.

I wasn’t sure about this book at first but I’m so glad I continued with it. This was such a cute little book and I loved all the characters, main and side. I think I might be giving this another read as it gets closer to Christmas.

This one definitely has a Hallmark movie feel to it. In fact, the focus is just as much on the loving friendship between Holly and Ivy than the two romances. If you’re looking for a feel-good, low angst Christmas story, this is a good one to check out.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

For a more in-depth review watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9S4bEV6wJw


Ivy and Holly have been best friends for over a decade. On the eve of Holly’s Christmas wedding to her long-term boyfriend, she is unceremoniously dumped. Holly persuades Ivy to take her all-expenses-paid honeymoon to Hawaii while Holly escapes to an off-the-grid cabin Ivy had booked for the week after Christmas. Once they are both on their vacations, they make connections with romantic strangers and begin to realize where their lives should go next.

I am a big fan of anything Christmas-related, but this book didn’t quite work for me. The plot was uneven. The Ivy parts felt like a chore, and I just wanted to go back to Holly. Also, the intro was a little too instant for my liking. If you are looking for a quick and fluffy holiday romance that doesn’t require a lot of thinking, this book is perfect, but if you want something a little deeper, you should probably look elsewhere.

I received eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on November 2nd, 2024. Links provided.

Holly Beech and Ivy Casey share a deep friendship that thrives on their uncanny resemblance and unbreakable bond. When Holly is blindsided by her fiancée suddenly calling off their wedding and leaving her with a costly honeymoon she can’t bear to face, she persuades Ivy to step in and take the trip for her. Ivy heads off to Hawaii to enjoy the trip while Holly retreats to a cozy cabin in Hudson Valley, hoping to heal through a marathon of holiday films. However, her plans take an unexpected turn when she discovers her rugged Airbnb host is actually her former academic rival, who has turned into quite the catch. Meanwhile, Ivy’s solo art retreat in Hawaii is thrown into chaos when Holly’s ex-fiancee shows up for his honeymoon with a new partner, leaving Holly stranded and without a room in the hotel. Just when things seem hopeless, a charming bartender steps in to save the day, leading both friends toward a holiday season that might just prove Christmas magic is real.

I really loved this book! I thought the writing was wonderful and I really loved all of the characters. I felt the book was funny, sweet, warm-hearted, and also had moments of personal growth for both of the main characters. I loved reading the book with alternating chapters between Holly and Ivy’s points of view, watching how both of their stories developed. For me, this was a perfect rom-com story that was a fast and easy read. If you love the movies The Holiday and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I am sure you will also love this book!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of The Holiday Honeymoon Switch in return for my honest review.

This was a great holiday romcom Marie. I really enjoyed the premises about the book was supposed to be about and found that it actually had so much more awesome plot twist, and it once I started. Both characters were phenomenal. I enjoyed both of the main female leads, and their journey to Romance. The author created a story that's perfect for the holiday or just a sit down. Feel good read.

While this book was a sweet read, it was highly predictable (& somewhat unbelievable)

It came with a lot of drama and not necessarily the good book kind.
Some of that I found myself skipping over.

This is what I call a palate cleanser, something light and fact paced to read after something heavy.

This was so fun. It was a quick read and the perfect Christmas/Holiday book. It was not very believable but it still made for a fun easy read.

Just not the book for me.
Both female leads were immature and annoying.
Seems like all they cared about was sex.
This was such a great plot line- had great possibilities but I didn’t enjoy the characters and their actions.