This holiday read was just cute as it could be! I really enjoyed it! I was hooked in from the very first few chapters and it kept me hooked the entire time

This one started so strong - I tore through it and was really enjoying myself. Unfortunately, it fell quite flat for me in the second half - it felt a bit repetitive and obvious. The final conflicts didn't feel strong enough, and I wanted more for the characters

thank you to netgalley and penguin group putnam for this arc!

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY ↡
🫶🏻 best friends
👥 dual POVs
🌴 THE UNHONEYMOONERS
🌊 vacations in hawaii
❄️ winter staycations

i was excited about the concept of this book: two best friends switching vacations last minute and each falling in love! i appreciated holly and ivy’s dynamic as best friends and loved that their loyalty to one another was a common thread in the plot. the story fell a little flat for me at times and i thought the epilogue was very forced. glad i could squeeze this in as my final holiday read of the year!

4 ⭐️

What a perfect end to the Christmas season!! Thank you @netgalley for my ARC even though I’m beyond late reading it.

I really enjoyed the dual POVs and locations, as well as the dual romances and the side characters (Larry). I loved the Christmas town in NY and I LOVED the level of female friendship.

I would have really liked more into Oliver and Aiden’s back stories, as well as a little more depth into the side characters.

This won’t be my last book by Julia McKay! Highly recommend if you’re looking for a quick romance with minimal spice and lovable characters.

Sụch a sweet holiday romance! It was a super cute story, and I enjoyed the premise. The friendship between Holly and Ivy was very positive! I love seeing supportive female relationships like this one. The only problem was that with the story being split in two, there wasn't enough depth to the new romantic relationships. It was all very instalove.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A very Holiday/Hallmarkesque story! If you're looking for a friends swap holiday vacations, fall in love and heal on the journey this is for you! Thank you to Julia, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons!!

What to Expect:
⭐ Switched places at Christmas - Think The Holiday!
⭐ Forced Proximity
⭐ Second Chance Romance
⭐ Holiday Romance
⭐ Hawaii vacation + Vermont Christmas Cabin
⭐ Best friends helping each other heal

My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved the premise of this story. It is a 100% feel good cozy holiday book to be read when you're in a slump or around the holidays! The fact that the two best friends and main characters (Ivy + Holly) are really just there to support each other, heal and move forward in their journeys is a testament to their friendship. I can't imagine being dumped before your wedding, rolling in to the holidays but then dealing with the fall out of what a weasel her ex is. Finding out he went on the honeymoon your parents paid for with his new girlfriend! That they both knew he was going to call off the wedding before he did. All of it 10/10 icky.

That said somethings else to know is there is a bit of an insta love vibe. The story takes place over the holiday so roughly 9 days. They both on their separate trips fall in love, which isn't always my favorite storyline for romance. It just feels unlikely and not true to life BUT if you love Hallmark movies you will 100% be in love with it.

All in all I really enjoyed it. It's an easy quick read to get you in the holiday spirit OR have you ready to make travel plans to Hawaii!!!

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.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay is such a delightful holiday tale about two best friends finding their own happy-ever-afters.

If you love the movie The Holiday, and any story about friendships, you will adore this one. I loved the friendship between Holly and Ivy, it was so refreshing and rang so true. And their respective journeys on both discovering what they really want in life, and with who, was fantastic.

It features two storylines: one in Hawaii and the other in Hudson Valley. This was fun to read the warm, beach Christmas to the wintery, cozy New York Christmas. Truly loved both storylines!

Another wonderful holiday story! You have friendship, romance, and two scenic locations. This one felt like a movie in so many ways, and I hope they adapt it to a film version one day. I would love to see these two characters again in a sequel.

3.5 / 5 Cute cozy Christmas rom-com

Holly and Ivy are besties who meet in college at a cliche frat party and bond over their dislike of Christmas (despite their names,…or because of them) and preference for new years. Fast forward, Holly is getting married to her college sweetheart Matt who is actually a cheating sleazeball and he leaves her the day before their wedding. Obviously brokenhearted, Holly can’t fathom going on her honeymoon alone and has the idea for them to switch trips. Ivy goes to Hawaii on the prepaid honeymoon and Holly goes to the snowy mountains in upstate NY where Ivy had actually rented a eco-cabin for a 2 week art retreat. Cue in the meet cutes. Loved Aiden and Oliver. This book read like a cozy Hallmark winter holiday movie with a HEA…though minimal Christmas vibes. There’s not much depth in the characters but it was wholesome and you were rooting for both FMC and MMC and loved to see the hate towards Matt. Cute read for an evening.

Thank you NetGalley and author Julia McKay for the ARC!

This was cute and atmospheric, loved the snow vs beach locals, and the friendship between the women was beautiful. The side characters were fun as well, and I loved all the MCs, it was just a little too insta-lovey.

This was a cute story. It wasn't particularly exciting, but it was what I expected it to be. The characters were likable and the relationships, both romantic and platonic, worked well enough for the genre. It didn't have that extra something (for me that's usually a strong sense of humor or a real connection to the characters) that fully pulled me in, but it was a sweet holiday story with a solid female friendship - always a plus.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay (pen name for Marissa Stapley) delivers a delightful, fast-paced read with a dual setting that added variety and charm to the story.
The Holiday Honeymoon Switch offers an engaging and propulsive tale of two best friends navigating unexpected turns in their lives. The novel's premise-a honeymoon swap between sweet, people-pleasing Holly and her artistic best friend, Ivy-sets the stage for a dual narrative that alternates between the sunny beaches of Hawaii and the snowy landscapes of a secluded Hudson River cabin.
Holly's story of self-discovery and healing, set against a wintry backdrop, is both heartfelt and relatable, especially as she confronts her high school nemesis and reevaluates her carefully laid plans. Meanwhile, Ivy's Hawaiian escape is equally compelling, with her artistic growth, encounters with Holly's ex-fiancé, and budding romance with a multifaceted bartender-photographer adding layers of drama and romance.
The contrast between the warm, vibrant activities in Hawaii and the cozy, snow-laden charm of the cabin is a highlight, providing readers with a sensory feast that immerses them in both locales. The culmination in a New Year's dinner in New York City serves as a fitting, celebratory finale to the friends' transformative journeys.
With its mix of romance, personal growth, and atmospheric settings, The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is a joyful, seasonal read perfect for fans of heartwarming stories about friendship and fresh starts.

On the surface this book is a cozy holiday romance but at its heart is a story of female friendship and self discovery. Fun side characters, though 2 characters have VERY similar names (Sidra & Shira) which had me concerned there would be a dramatic twist. I still was expecting it until the end because the names are so similar. An unnecessary distraction.

The prologue and epilogue didn't flow for me. It was very bullet point like getting the details out disguising it as conversation when it felt so unnatural.

Great read for those who liked The Holiday and strong female friendship.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch was the perfect holiday book! I loved the characters, their storylines and the pacing of the book—enough details where it doesn't feel rushed and you get to know the characters, but still moved along well. Definitely recommend the book, and would recommend it to anyone wanting a festive and sweet book for the holidays. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

Holly and Ivy, destined to be best friends thanks to their kismet names, meet each other in college, and are inseparable from there. Holly's fiance dumps her the day before the wedding, and the friends trade vacations. Ivy goes on Holly's honeymoon, Holly goes to Ivy's mountain cabin rental for some solitude. Of course, things aren't as simple as that. The mountain cabin has a very attractive caretaker, and the honeymoon hotel in Hawaii has a hunky and sweet bartender. Though neither friend is looking for love, or even a fling, the universe may have different plans.

I thought this one was very cute. Fun stories on both sides of the switch, and a nice friendship to boot. Some opportunities for forced proximity, friends to lovers, and more. Definitely a nice festive romance.

Thanks to @netgalley, @putnambooks and @marissastapley for the #gifted copy of this book.

Summary: Holly and Ivy have been the best of friends since that fateful day they met. When Holly's wedding is called off by her fiancee the day before the wedding, she is left heartbroken and with a nonrefundable honeymoon in Hawaii. Holly proposes a honeymoon switch with her best friend: Holly will take the snowy cabin to watch movies and patch up her heart and Ivy will take the Hawaiian honeymoon. Could this be a better Christmas than Holly and Ivy expected?

My Thoughts: This was a cute and perfect story for the busy holiday season. I love the theme of finding yourself even after a total life disruption, e.g., your wedding being called off blindsiding you. It was fun that Holly was able to reconnect with an old classmate from high school and get to know him this time around. Ivy had quite the experience of discovering a new path in her life, even though she thought she was happy.

Again... this was the perfect book to entertain you with all the holiday prep.

Read if you love:
🎄Holiday Romance
🤩Discovering who you want to be
👯‍♀️Lasting Friendships

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch perfectly captures the energy of a fun holiday movie you watch with your best friend with a cup of spiked hot chocolate. Holly and Ivy are two best friends, and that friendship is at the forefront of this book. Yes, it's a holiday rom-com, but Holly and Ivy's friendship is the real focus. these two will fly across the country at the drop of a hat for each other. To me, the best part of that is that even they are also not safe from the third act (friendship) break-up.
The two male romantic leads are straight out of hallmark ( I say that with love I LOVE hallmark), one man is a child hood/smalltown/ billionaire mashed all up into one eco-superman, and the other is a bartender/artist from Hawaii.
It was cute! I had fun!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam Sons for providing this fun read for my honest review. I absolutely love this book and had a great time reading it. It’s a great holiday read and for anyone who enjoys holiday rom-coms. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you again for allowing me to review this sweet book.

In The Holiday Honeymoon Switch, a woman’s fiance breaks off their engagement right before their holiday wedding so she gives her best friend her honeymoon ticket to Hawaii and she takes her best friend’s 2 week vacation in a cabin. Both woman head to their separate trips and find themselves and find love. This was formulaic, of course. But sweet and fun and just comforting. I loved all of the Hawaii references since I have been to Kauai so many times. I loved the small town holiday traditions straight out of a hallmark movie. And really, work is so stressful these days that this was like a warm hug to read before finally going to bed at night.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

What a cute holiday read! This was perfect for the season!

This is such a wholesome holiday romance. Holly is jilted the night before her wedding and her and her bestie Ivy decide to swap trips to have some place to getaway and heal. While each leading lady has a love interest in the story, this book is also a love letter to true friendship. This story was paced well and held my interest throughout.