A fun holiday romance!

What I really enjoyed about this book was that it catered to different holiday tastes- we had a tropical setting, plus a small-town, Gilmore Girls-esque setting.

The romances and writing were average, but I truly think the settings made this book.

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I liked Holly and Ivy and the friendship they shared. The romance read like a cheesy hallmark which I mostly loved. The conflicts were silly and seemed not needed

I loved this book! The story deviated from the "usual Christmas romance" but that is one of the things I loved about it. You get two wonderful romance books in one with this heartwarming, funny holiday romance, plus they take place in two separate climates. An amazing, engaging romance for anyone who love adorable meet cutes and HEA.

I was so excited for this book but it pretty quickly became a disappointment to me and I ended up DNFing at 33%. I could not, for the life of me, tell the two main characters apart. They were both bland and offered nothing to the story, and the insta-love on both of their ends (especially when one of them was just dumped the day before her wedding...) didn't make much sense. I just had a really difficult time understanding who was who and finally gave up around one-third of the way through the book. Thanks anyway for the ARC.

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Sweet and Cheesy Escape

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is a delightful and heartwarming romantic comedy that embraces its cheesy charm. With its familiar holiday tropes and predictable plot, it's the perfect comfort read for the festive season.
Holly and Ivy, two best friends who could be twins, find themselves in an unexpected situation when Holly's wedding is called off. Their impulsive decision to switch honeymoons leads to unexpected adventures and personal growth.

While the story may be predictable, it's the characters and their heartwarming journeys that make this book truly special. Both Holly and Ivy undergo transformative experiences, learning valuable lessons about love, friendship, and self-worth. The supporting characters, from the quirky locals to the charming love interests, add depth and humor to the story.

If you're looking for a cozy and feel-good read, The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is a perfect choice. It's a lighthearted escape that will leave you smiling and ready to embrace the holiday spirit.

4 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #putnambooks #theholidayhoneymoonswitch #juliamckay

This was honestly a really fun and quick read. I mean it, I absolutely flew through this one. I also just overall had a really fun time reading it. It definitely gave me the Christmas vibes I was looking for, but ultimately I just kind of felt fine about it. I don't think this is one that's going to stick in my head for very long.
Let's start with what I liked about this book! I loved the friendship between Holly and Ivy. I just loved how their friendship was the centering force behind this book. I also just think it is a really strong friendship in general, and I truly loved it. I also loved the contrast between the two different vacation settings. I just loved going back and forth between them. I also really liked the cast of characters, and Larry in particular stole my heart (need a book about her and her fiancéé asap).
Now, what I didn't like about this book was the romances. To be fair, I also didn't really dislike them. I thought they were cute enough, and the set ups for them was quite interesting as well. My problem was more so that in between all of that I just thought they were extremely underdeveloped. That made it so I could never really get fully invested in them, and also just made this book fall a bit flat for me. I don't know.
I definitely would still recommend it for those who want a really fun, quick, palet cleanser this Christmas season. It's great for that. However, don't expect too much from this, I guess.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is a fresh take on a festive holiday read, reaching levels of hallmark-esque cheesiness that I only reach for around the holidays!

Holly Beech and Ivy Casey are the best of friends of near a decade, so in sync they even look almost identical. The night before Holly's wedding, her fiancé calls it off saying he's found someone else, leaving her in complete shock and stuck with a nonrefundable honeymoon. The girls come up with the brilliant idea to switch places - Ivy will go to Hawaii on her best friend's honeymoon and Holly will escape to the remote cabin in Hudson Valley.

I absolutely adored both main characters, as well as the supporting characters that are mixed in on both of their trips. I loved that both girls had such different journeys on their trips and were so perfect for what they needed (and didn't know they did) for their time away from their day-to-day life. The story also had more depth to it, mixing in new beginnings, introspection, drama, humor, and most importantly - the power of friendship. I found it to be the perfect intro into my holiday-season reads, not being overly Christmassy but still having some elements sprinkled in! I absolutely recommend people check this one out!

I love a holiday romance and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed the hallmark feel of Holly's experience alongside a more tropical story for Ivy. It kept me wanting to read and was able to finish in a day.

If you are looking for hyper-realistic romance, this is not for you. Both characters magically falling in love in less than 2 weeks is not really real life BUT that is not what we read holiday romances for. If you are looking to get caught up in a story, this is perfect. While also representing a real friendship between two people who do not do things perfectly but are always doing their best for each other. It was very cute.

Thanks to NetGalley and Julia McKay for the ARC!

I am 100% already in my holiday romance era and loving it! This book reads like the most idyllic, cheesy Hallmark movie and I mean that in the best way. Ivy and Holly are two besties who look alike, have holiday names, and both happen to dislike Christmas. When Holly is dumped on her wedding day, she offers up her nonrefundable honeymoon to her bestie Ivy. Instead of getting the name changed on the reservation, she gives Ivy her ID to check in as her. Let’s just pretend this isn’t utterly ridiculous lol So while Ivy is taking Holly’s place on her honeymoon, Holly is going to the winter cabin Ivy had booked for her solo weekend art retreat. I loved both settings in this book. There’s something so cozy and Christmas authentic about the eco cabin. And then I also loved the idea of Christmas in Hawaii. Holly encounters an old high school frenemy aka the owner of the cabin. Ivy ends up meeting a cute bartender who helps her out of a sticky situation (Holly’s ex fiancé showing up on his honeymoon with the girl he cheated on Holly with). We basically get two adorable love stories in one. Yes, it’s very insta lovey. But it’s Christmas (coming from someone who doesn’t typically do insta love)!! Anything is possible at Christmas. It’s adorable watching Holly and Aiden reconnect. And even cuter watching Ivy and Oliver act like they don’t like each other when they so clearly do. Both stories were very fluffy and sweet and I ate them up. It is technically open door, but it’s all very surface level and doesn’t go into much detail. My only issue with the book happens towards the end. A heartbroken Holly calls Ivy crying her eyes out, begging her best friend to come home to help with her broken heart. Broken heart or not, this felt super selfish to me. Not only that, she fails to call Ivy back when she realizes she was overreacting and her heart isn’t broken after all!! And then has the nerve to get upset with Ivy when she learns about some stuff Ivy was keeping from her (for her own good). I also wasn’t crazy about the third person writing, even though it was also dual POV. Aside from that, I really did enjoy this fluffy holiday romance. Oliver and Aiden are both top tier MMCs. This book would make a fantastic movie. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

I really enjoyed this book. It does have a Christmasy feel to it but you could really enjoy this one anytime of year with the way it’s written. I’m giving it 3.5 stars just because with 2 romantic plot lines I felt like both relationships were very superficial and rushed whereas if the focus had been on just Holly or Ivy’s story we could’ve seen more character and relationship development. That said, I did really enjoy this one!!

✨ The Holiday Honeymoon Switch ✨

“𝘐 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘫𝘢 𝘷𝘶. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

This was such a fun holiday read- plus you get two romances in one book! Think 'The Holiday' just with best friends and a sprinkle of 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'. Plus the double HEA that gets delivered still has me smiling! I fell for Ivy and Holly's friendship immediately! (They bond over being totally over a frat party...um yes please) When Holly's fiancé jilts her the night before her wedding, she can't bring herself to take their insanely expensive honeymoon. Instead, she decides to switch vacations with Ivy. When they each arrive at their destinations, they go on their own adventures where they learn more about themselves, what they really want from life, and maybe even find love. (PS- I adored both men that pop up in their lives SO MUCH)

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦...𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘥𝘰. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘎𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?”

✨ Holiday Romance
✨ Second Chance
✨ High School Rivals to Lovers
✨ Best Friends
✨ Friends to Lovers
✨ Mutual Love of Art
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Slow Burn

📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️ (on the lighter side)

🎧 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼...
I had so much fun listening to this audiobook! Brittany Pressley did a fantastic job narrating this audiobook. Her voice is so easy to listen to and she brought all the banter to life. If you like listening to audiobooks, I highly recommend this on!

Thank you so much to Julia McKay, Netgalley and PRH Audio for this gifted arc and audiobook.

Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ spicy content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️‍🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla

This was a cute story. Even though it was pretty predictable and at times clichéd, it kept me reading and rooting for the love stories to work out. The characters are well drawn and deeper than you might think on first glance. The story didn’t have a ton to do with Christmas itself, but there’s enough that I think it should be read during the holiday season. 3.5 stars.

A feel good start to my holiday reading! When best friends Holly and Ivy decide to switch holiday vacations neither had any idea that they would both have a chance at love! I really enjoyed that the vacation destinations are total opposites, the dual POV is great and I was rooting for both Holly and Ivy the whole time. If you love holiday rom-coms and happily ever afters then you will love this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Julia McKay for the ARC!

Ivy Casey and Holly Beech are the best of friends! I loved their friendship! No matter where they are in their lives they always support one another.

Holly’s fiancé calls off their wedding and leaves her with a non-refundable honeymoon trip to Hawaii. Ivy already has a two-week cabin trip booked in the Hudson Valley to get away to focus on her art. Holly convinces Ivy to switch, leaving Ivy to go to Hawaii and Holly to go to the cabin.

When Holly gets up to the cabin she finds out that the owner is her high school rival, Aiden. When Ivy arrives in Hawaii she finds out the room is already taken because Holly’s fiancé is in there with another woman. There are no rooms left so she debates going home until she meets the hotel bartender Oliver. Oliver is so nice and welcoming and offers her a place to stay. We learn much more about Aiden and Oliver as the story goes on.

I really enjoyed the dual POVs of Holly and Ivy’s trips. It was very easy to get pulled into both stories and see them both fall in love (rather quickly) while meeting new people along the way.

This is a must-read for the holiday season!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4/5 ⭐️ 1/5 🌶

read if you like:
holiday romcoms
Hawaii
meet cute

Such an adorable holiday romance read about Ivy and Holly. After Hollys fiancé leaves her the night before the wedding, the two best friends switch vacations. While at the new vacation/ not honeymoon, they meet these wonderful men. I really enjoyed the book. It's almost like two novellas put together to make a whole story between the two best friends. Thank you to netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me to read and honestly review.

I thought this was a really cute holiday read. I really enjoyed the concept of them switching vacation locations, and I loved all of the relationships throughout the whole book. This book was very good!

This is an adorable, heartwarming book to get you in the Christmas spirit. I loved the friendship Holly and Ivy share… the premise was super fun- predictable. But fun nevertheless… would definitely recommend to a friend!

I enjoyed this festive fast read, but the romances were very "instant love" and a little rushed. Of course a festive Christmas read is probably going to be a bit unrealistic, but Holly had literally just got left at the alter but then was obsessed with the new guy. I did enjoy the cozy vibes of the upstate New York cabin contrasted with the tropical setting of Hawaii. A quick Christmassy read!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a cute holiday romance to give you all the holiday vibes. Holly and Ivy are best friends. When Holly gets left the night before her wedding, they decide to switch vacations, with Holly going to Ivy’s painting retreat in New York and Ivy going to Hawaii on Holly’s honeymoon. Could it be they both happen to fall in love on their vacations? This was told in duel POV perfectly. This was perfect for any Hallmark holiday movie lovers with all it’s cozy feels. I absolutely loved Holly and Ivy’s friendship and the love they have for each other. If you are looking for a cute romance this holiday season, this is definitely for you.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay
Holiday Romance
Pub Date: October 8, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am going back and forth between fall books and holiday. I was so excited to get a copy of this one from Netgalley and @putnambooks and then it expired 😅 but luckily I was able to request from @prhaudio to finish it!

This is the story of Ivy and Holly two best friends who met in college. They are doppelgängers whose boyfriends knew they had to meet. Ever since then they have been inseparable.
We are now on the eve on Holly’s Christmas Eve wedding, when her fiancé lets her know he isn’t going to go through with it, he loves someone else. Holly begs Ivy for her to switch her reclusive holiday cabin in Hudson Valley for Holly’s Hawaiian honeymoon. Ivy of course will do anything for Holly.
Holly plans on wallowing and watching Christmas rom-coms, little does she expect her Airbnb host is her handsome high school rival.
Ivy lands in Hawaii ready to enjoy her alone time and work on her art. When checking in she realizes Ivy’s ex fiancé has checked in with his new girlfriend. Luckily Ivy is saved by the sexy bartender who has an extra room in their house.
The holidays may not be what they expected but even better. I enjoyed this one, it has a cute Hallmark vibe. Which is exactly what I like in my holiday books! I loved all the main characters and the vibes of both locations. I love to be stranded in either location!

If you were stuck spending the holidays along where would you pick to do it?