WOWZA!! I can't believe I have been over here living my life without reading a book by Shalini Boland. Not only is The Honeymoon action packed, the twists at the end are mind blowing! 🤯 I suppose some readers will be able to figure out one of the twists, but it shocked me, and I didn't see it coming. This reminded me (just a little bit) of The Last Thing He Told Me along with another book I read in the past and can't remember the name of, but the similarities only go so far, and that jaw-dropping ending is all Boland.

I listened to this one on audio and I was a huge fan of Clare Corbett. She made Stella's panic so palpable that I felt like I was right there with her, and the tension jumped off the pages thanks to her narration along with Boland's engaging writing style. I felt pretty ambivalent about the characters in The Honeymoon, and while I didn't hate them, I didn't love them either. Though I did like Stella the most. Read this if you enjoy bookish roller coaster rides, vanishing husbands, and dual timelines.

Thank you Netgalley and Brilliance Audio for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

It was the perfect romantic honeymoon. Until her husband disappeared. Now Stella must grapple with the possibility that her husband isn’t who she thought he was.

A fun, twisty thriller with excellent narration. Highly recommend on audio.

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

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was amazing! The book was a fast read/listen with lots of twists and turns. The ending was surprising and I loved every second of the book. Highly recommend this one as well as the author in general.

If you have hung around my blog long enough you will know that I am a HUGE fan of Shalini Boland.

I don't think I have yet to read a book that has left me disappointed and I mean, can I really complain?

Boland, is back with another sure to be bestseller and I am SO here for it. The Honeymoon is going to be everyones mind long after concluding, including mine.

I went in blind, there is never a reason to read a synopsis when it comes to a book written by Boland. I know without a doubt I would love it.

Twisted
Juicy
Deceitful

Everything needed for a sure to be grand slam of a thriller. This book exceeds all expectations

I promise, you do not want to miss this, here is a little teaser :

It was the perfect romantic honeymoon. Until her husband disappeared.

It was supposed to be the happiest time of their lives. But for newlywed Stella, the dream honeymoon has turned into a nightmare overnight. Her perfect husband, Austin, has vanished without a trace.

Alone in Venice, Stella frantically searches for him. But as fear turns into confusion, she finds herself questioning everything she knows about the man she married. Has Austin really abandoned her, or has someone from his past finally caught up with him—the business partner he threatened to sue? The obsessive ex-girlfriend who refuses to let go? When Stella becomes convinced someone is following her, panic sets in.

As hours turn into days and clues start to unravel dark secrets, a terrified Stella can’t help but ask herself: is her husband who she thought he was at all?

The Honeymoon by Shalini Boland and narrated by Clare Corbett is the absolute epitome of a psychological thriller. I don't want to get into spoilers, but the twist at the end is what makes clear the machinations of the mind of a perpetrator.

Stella is blissed, in love, on her honeymoon. That is until she wakes up in the middle of the night to see her husband is not in bed. He has had a call from the restaurant to go pick up his credit card and insists he won't be long and she should stay in bed. But after 2 hours, he is still not back and Stella decides to go out and find him

Clare Corbett narrates the audiobook and the performance is bellissimo!

Boland has written a straightforward plot that looks deeper into the psyche of the perpetrator. As readers, we are always looking to work out whodunnit and looking out for the minutae of details, especially when we are trying to establish who the villain is, but it is not always as cut and dried as it seems. A great listen

Thank you to Netgalley, Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio, Shalini Boland and the narrator Clare Corbett. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Wow! What a great book! It had my attention throughout as the story went back and forth from past to present. But the twists!!! Never saw them coming. I literally gasped!
Characters 5 /5
Plot 5/5
Pacing 5 /5
Enjoyment 5 /5
Unable to put down 5/5
20/20

It started real strong, ended up stronger but the chapters in between needed extra mystery. The reason of the killer needed more I don’t know.. reasoning?
Anyways, the epilogue was a shocker enough for me to demand a sequel 🥹

Shalini Boland sure knows how to write a good story! THE HONEYMOON kept me entertained from start to finish. I was eagerly waiting to find out what happened to Austin, how could he just disappear on his honeymoon? Well, I thought I had it figured out and was not expecting more. However, when I got to the very end, there was a huge twist. I'm a huge fan of surprises, so this one was a winner for me!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for my gifted ALC.

This review will be shared on Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to pub date.

The perfect honeymoon in Venice turns sour when Stella's husband Austin disappears. Where is he?
Shalini Boland's books are always great popcorn thrillers. This was a short read, at just over 250 pages but it sure did pack a punch. The audiobook kept me intrigued with clear concise narration. I should have seen the twist that came at the end but had no idea and was left stunned.

Another good thriller from this author with good narration! It’s one of those books you can’t put down and need to know what happens next.
When Alex disappears on the first night of their high net moon in Venice, Italy, Stella is distraught. She goes out searching for him before notifying the police. As the story continues, she continues to search for him as the police investigate his disappearance and his parents fly in to join the search.
Secrets are discovered and doubts surface as the suspense builds. The story is fast paced and entertaining with big twists and surprises to the very end! I definitely had a jaw dropping moment lol. A very good listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance publishing the arc of the audiobook. I leave this review voluntarily.

4.5 rounded up. A wicked good time!

Premise - a woman’s husband goes missing on their honeymoon. As she tries to find him, she learns she didn’t really know him…

The only thing holding this back from a true 5 is the first person perspective problem with an unreliable narrator - I love to be led astray, but I don’t like to feel lied to by their inner voice (ie: they shouldn’t ask questions internally that they know the answer to, those should only be asked aloud). Still, it’s so well-told otherwise that 4 stars didn’t feel like enough.

If you like big drama, wronged woman tales, domestic intrigue, relationship chaos, BritsBeingBad, etc. run, don’t walk, to buy this book!

Thanks, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Honeymoon is a fun, addictive, fast paced popcorn thriller. This was truly entertaining and I enjoyed the ride. I loved how the author wove in the suspense, slowly making the anticipation grow. Always dropping little twists and turns.

The characters were very well crafted and developed. I believe it was more of a character driven book, as we do get a lot of the feelings, emotions and traits of the characters. But it still worked really well for this book. I had no idea who to trust.

Towards the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure it all out, I thought I did but once that epilogue hit, Boland truly made my jaw drop to the floor. Good light fun popcorn thriller !

🎧 The narration by Clare Corbett was great, i really enjoyed it. I had to be more attentive due to the accent but I felt she did a great job at playing the characters and portraying the emotions.

✨️ Thank you to @netgalley, @brilliancepublishing & @shaliniboland for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

4.4 ⭐️
There’s nothing like a great popcorn thriller and this is definitely that!

On the first night of their honeymoon, Stella realizes her new husband Austin has gone missing

This fast paced, easy, light read was a lot of fun. What I really liked is that there was zero gaslighting and everyone was so supportive of Stella. So often, women are not believed, but this was exciting and fun

The before and after storytelling helped us get to know the characters and I loved that there weren’t too many

Wonderful narration by Clare Corbett on the audiobook, and as this is my first Shalini Boland thriller, I’ll definitely be reading her back catalog

Thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review

The audiobook itself was well done, the story itself unfortunately didn’t work too well for me.

I felt the story itself was pretty straightforward with a few suspects throughout. However, the reveal was frustrating to me. It didn’t make sense how the FMC would not only lie to everyone around her but also lie to herself… like her inner monologue was dishonest which isn’t how it would actually be.

Of course I didn’t guess the twist, because I was being lied to the entire time. Disappointing.

The Honeymoon by Shalini Boland is an emotional and thrilling rollercoaster of a book that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! The story follows a couple on their honeymoon in Italy when one of them goes missing one night after leaving the hotel room. This book was so gripping and intense, with twists and turns that I never saw coming. The storyline totally blew me away! This book kept me hooked from start to finish, dying to know what would happen next. Boland's ability to create suspense and build tension is truly unrivalled. I found myself emotionally invested in the characters and I would love to see more of their journey.