Honeymoon For One

On the morning of her wedding, Lila finds out that her fiance is cheating on her, so she runs away, deciding to go on the honeymoon on her own. Unfortunately this is to an island desitnation very much aimed at couples. While she is there she meets Freddie, the only other person there on his own. She doesn't know who he is, which is a refreshing change for him, and they quickly start to spend more time together, especially when he ex and his new girlfriend also turn up on the island.
What will happen when it is time for the honeymoon to be over?

The second I saw the cover and title for this book I suspected strongly that I would love it. I was just so intrigued, who is going on a honeymoon by themselves, and based on the gorgeous colours just what hot and exotic honeymoon destination is it!

Well those questions are all answered within the first couple of chapters, so i can easily say that Lila, an hour or so before getting married to Daniel, over hears him talking to one of her friends and it is clear they have been having an affair. In her rush to get away, she decides to go on honeymoon by herself as after all its been paid for.

Well the destination would be been perfect for a honeymoon, not so much for a single person. It is an island resort called San Valentino in Italy, and its catered purely for couples - including the spa treatments and the bicycles. It sounds idyllic but not that fabulous for someone trying to get over their recent betrayal.

I took to Freddie on our first meeting of him, and my opinion of this rather sexy man improved scene after scene, and it was clear even if Lila couldn't work out what was going on, that I was definitely falling for the man!

There are so many moments that had me giggling and smiling throughout this book, and everything ramps up a great when there are some assorted extra people at the resort that Lila was really not expecting to see, which leads to some even more memorable scenarios.

Honeymoon For One really is a perfect summer escape sort of a book, it transported me to San Valentino, to some excellent Italian food, a large number of porn star martinis, and some simply wonderful scenes. I enjoyed every last moment of this book.

If you are a fan of Portia MacIntosh you will 100% enjoy this book too!!

Thank you to Boldwood Book and Netgalley for this copy which i have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Please note: I received an advance digital copy of this book through NetGalley from Boldwood Books in exchange for a honest review. This does not influence my opinions in any way.

4.75 stars

Gosh, I had a huge grin on my face as I read this book! Lila and Freddie were simply adorable!
Lila is all set to marry Daniel, her boyfriend of five years. He's a safe bet, being financially stable and not prone to dramatics, despite what her best friend Ali thinks. But on the morning of her wedding day, Lila discovers he’s been cheating on her with her friend, Eva. Horrified and devastated, she leaves the venue, and since their honeymoon was already paid for, she decides to go on it alone to hide away and sulk in misery. Only she bumps into Freddie, a new movie star unbeknownst to her, who accidentally catches her in embarrassing situations much to his amusement. To make matters worst, Daniel arrives with Eva, his new partner, and move into the suite next door. So when Freddie suggests he and Lila pretend to be a couple to level the playing field and annoy them back, Lila takes him up on his offer. She has noting to lose and everything to gain. But as they play pretend, Lila finds how much of herself she was compromising to be with Daniel and finds herself developing very real feelings for Freddie. Does he really like her back? Or is he just a really good actor?
Lila and Freddie’s cute-meet(s) were hilarious! Though Lila was oblivious to his movie star status, thinking he’s just a barman (and later pool boy), it’s made quite obvious to us through Freddie’s subtle reactions. It left me grinning, gasping, and even burying my face in my hand right alongside with Lila.
Lila is a brave woman. Finding out your fiancé is cheating for almost a year on your wedding day is tough, and seeing them together constantly for days on end would be a nightmare. But she pulls through without growing bitter towards love or couples. I liked her friendship with Ali, a clever foil to her friendship (or lack of) with Eva. I especially loved all her interactions with Freddie. They make me smile so much. Despite coming from different social centres, countries, and financial backgrounds, they complimented each other so well. With Freddie, Lila realized she almost settled for less that she deserved, sacrificing things that made her happy for Daniel and getting almost nothing in return.
Freddie is an absolute sweetheart. Despise being a new star, he’s pretty down to earth. Wanting to escape his new found stardom, he goes away on a vacation only to end up alone and bored until he meets Lila. Her not recognizing him was undoubtedly a breath of fresh air. I love how charming and caring and fun he was, always making Lila smile. But most importantly how respectful, giving Lila the space she needed to grieve, but always having her back when she needed him. What a gentleman! I think I might’ve fallen in love with him right alongside Lila. I do wish we got to see his point of view, but I understood why we didn’t, that would’ve taken away the mystery of whether or not his feelings are genuine. Still, I feel the author did a brilliant job getting his feeling and thoughts across clearly.
Their banter was so much fun to read! Even when they were upset with each other. <spoiler> This passage literally made me laugh out loud:
<blockquote>
“What happened?” Arnold asks.
“I tried to kill her,” Freddie says.
In perfect synchronization, both Victoria’s and Arnold’s jaws drop.
“Usual couple stuff,” I say, deadpan, before quickly clearing things up, so they don’t call the Carabinieri. “He accidentally nearly fed me something I’m allergic to.”
The second these words leave my lips, I realize just how daft they sound.
“I can’t believe you think I still think about Daniel,” I say to Freddie.
“We’re literally taking part in a competition against him, just so we can win,” he reminds me.
“Which you have been more than happy to take part in,” I point out.
“And then today... ‘Oh, Daniel. Oh, Daniel. Daniel, you’re my hero.’”
“Is that suppose to be my voice?” I ask him. “You sound like Dick Van Dyke.”
“So do you.”
</blockquote> </spoiler>
I also want to mention Ali, Lila’s best friend. She’s a wild party girl who hides her age. After the whole incident with Eva, I’m glad the author included Ali, having her end up joining Lila on her honeymoon. At first, I’ll admit I wasn't too happy since that would cut into Lila time with Freddie, but having Ali join them only brought Lila and Freddie closer. And most importantly, it showed how a true friend should act compared to Eva, since I hate reading girl-on-girl hate. I also liked the little character arc Ali got with her views on marriage and herself changing after meeting Marty, without changing who she is at her core.
I hated Daniel, Lila’s ex, which means he was a good antagonist. I liked how he was a regular, every day guy and not made out to be some evil asshole. I’m glad Lila realized how unhappy he made her, how she deserved better than settling for him.
And lastly, I just have to mention Kevin and Jen, the random couple Freddie and Lila meet in their group therapy session. They made me literally laugh out loud with their dynamic (with him obsessed with Lord of the Rings and her plain annoyed) and it was wonderful to get an deeper insight into their problems and to learn all worked out for them too. I loved how the author ties this back to Lila and Freddie, reminding Lila that all relationships are work. The two people involved have to be willing to put in the effort.
It’s funny, with this being a romance novel, but I feel I should also mention the world-building here. San Valentino, the resort island off the coast of Naples, felt like such a real honeymoon destination, I actually looked it up multiple times and found nothing. (Someone please correct me if I’m wrong!) Also, I love the Italian cuisine, words, and phrases dropped about throughout the novel. It really filled me with nostalgia and wanderlust.
I did have a couple small, tiny problems, which stopped me from rating this 5 stars. I found some sentences awkwardly worded and had to reread them to fully understand what the author was getting at. But I think that could be because of my Canadian English and with this being written in British English. I also felt, with all the blatant hints to sexual acts (with the sex toy gift, loud moaning though paper thin walls, the erotic film) I felt pretty surprised and admittedly a little disappointed their intimate scene was fade to black. Oh wells. At least their kisses was pretty hot.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book! I would definitely recommend it if you’re in a mood for a romcom and a light, summer read. I will definitely be checking out more works by this author. Thank you so much to Frankie Collin, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for this opportunity.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I have never read any books from this author. From the minute I started reading this I could not put it down. I laughed so much it is hilariously good. A bunch of brilliant characters and gorgeous location. It really is the perfect summer read. This is one hot read!