The Holiday Honeymoon Switch

by Julia McKay

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The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay
I DIDN'T FINISH!

Summary

When doppelgänger best friends trade one’s cabin Christmas vacation for the other’s Hawaiian would’ve-been-honeymoon, both might just find love they weren’t expecting.

Holly Beech and Ivy Casey are bury-the-body besties. They’re so in sync, they even look alike. So 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 bedless, 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.

[summary provided by GoodReads]
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GoodReads:3.59
My Score:DNF
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My Review

Stopped the audiobook around the 30% mark. 1-star based on the portion I read.
1 star based on the portion I read.

This cringey romcom did not work for me at all. I found the two main female characters difficult to connect with, and their behavior often felt grating. The overall tone of the writing felt very juvenile, making it hard to stay engaged. The story relied heavily on an insta-love attraction angle, something I usually do not enjoy, and it quickly became a huge turnoff.

I also struggled with the preachy messages on climate and environmental themes, which felt more like lecturing than natural storytelling. For a book marketed as a Christmas read, there were almost no festive elements. It barely felt seasonal at all. The frequent cursing and crude language added to my frustration. In the end, this story was simply not a good fit for me.