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A review by paperbacksandsketchbooks
The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book gives off the perfect Christmas vibes but set in two different locations: a Hawaiian island and the Hudson Valley in New York.
We follow two best friends, Holly and Ivy, as they go on each other's vacations and end up meeting their soulmates. Holly goes to the Hudson Valley, staying in an eco cabin to decompress after her fiance leaves her for another woman the day before her wedding. Ivy goes to Kauai for her annual two week art retreat in lieu of Holly, as it was supposed to be her honeymoon destination.
This book started off fine. I liked Holly and Ivy, but over time I found their characters to be lacking depth. We really only hit surface level information with them - jobs, age, what they're currently doing - that it made it hard for me to care about them.
I also was not a big fan if the insta-love that was happening on both sides. Holly claimed to be so heartbroken but got over her ex-fiance very fast. And of course Ivy fell in love with the hot bartender in Hawaii the moment she saw him.
There were also some not-so-realistic things that happened (i.e. the car tires - that's just not how that works!!!) Honestly my favorite moment was when Holly found Mrs. Claws.
Overall, I found these characters to be forgettable but placed in memorable settings. The story just met my expectations - I wasn't blown away by anything. The writing style was also not my favorite as it was too much tell, not enough show.
Cute romance, and it definitely has its audience. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me.
This book gives off the perfect Christmas vibes but set in two different locations: a Hawaiian island and the Hudson Valley in New York.
We follow two best friends, Holly and Ivy, as they go on each other's vacations and end up meeting their soulmates. Holly goes to the Hudson Valley, staying in an eco cabin to decompress after her fiance leaves her for another woman the day before her wedding. Ivy goes to Kauai for her annual two week art retreat in lieu of Holly, as it was supposed to be her honeymoon destination.
This book started off fine. I liked Holly and Ivy, but over time I found their characters to be lacking depth. We really only hit surface level information with them - jobs, age, what they're currently doing - that it made it hard for me to care about them.
I also was not a big fan if the insta-love that was happening on both sides. Holly claimed to be so heartbroken but got over her ex-fiance very fast. And of course Ivy fell in love with the hot bartender in Hawaii the moment she saw him.
There were also some not-so-realistic things that happened (i.e. the car tires - that's just not how that works!!!) Honestly my favorite moment was when Holly found Mrs. Claws.
Overall, I found these characters to be forgettable but placed in memorable settings. The story just met my expectations - I wasn't blown away by anything. The writing style was also not my favorite as it was too much tell, not enough show.
Cute romance, and it definitely has its audience. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me.