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Review: ‘The Holiday Honeymoon Switch’ by Julia McKay

March 4, 2025

Review: 'The Holiday Honeymoon Switch' by Julia McKay

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from Netgalley, the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: ‘The Holiday Honeymoon Switch’ by Julia McKay

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch

by Julia McKay
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on October 8, 2024
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 350
Source: Netgalley, the publisher
Audience: 18+/Adult
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three-half-stars

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.


The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is a fun holiday romance story about two best friends who discover love after swapping vacations. Holly Beech was all set to go to Hawaii for her honeymoon, but her groom abruptly decided he didn’t want to get married and left her. With a non-refundable honeymoon reservation, Holly instead chooses to send her best friend, Ivy Casey, on her honeymoon trip while she takes Ivy’s winter vacation to have some time alone after the heartbreak. While both friends are on their vacations, they don’t plan on seeking love but it seems romance finds them both unexpectedly. 

I felt terrible for Holly Beech, who had her heart broken by her ex-fiancé, someone who didn’t deserve her love. Fortunately, while on her winter vacation, she reconnects with someone from her past who is ten times better than her ex. However, I found her storyline less interesting than that of her best friend, Ivy. Holly’s story seemed to revolve around instant love, which didn’t quite resonate with me, especially given that she had just experienced a heartbreak. On the other hand, Ivy’s storyline is much more engaging; she finds someone who shares similar qualities with her and seems perfect for her. This made Ivy’s story a lot of fun to read. Plus, poor Ivy has to deal with someone on her vacation that she didn’t expect to be there, but she gets to find out the truth about why this person broke her best friend’s heart. 

I loved the idea of best friends swapping vacations and discovering love while away. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie, both in terms of the story’s settings and how it ended. If you enjoy Hallmark movies, this book might be right up your alley. It does contain some open-door romance scenes, but they aren’t overly steamy. The story is told from a dual point of view, but only through the FMCs’ perspectives; there are no insights into the MMCs’ thoughts. Overall, it’s a fun holiday romance read, and I would give it 3.5 stars. 


What to Expect:
🌲Holiday Romance
🌲Instant Love
🌲Found Family
🌲Dual POV – Best Friends POVs Only


About Julia McKay

JULIA McKAY is the pen name of Marissa Stapley, a former magazine editor and the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club Pick Lucky, as well as many other international bestsellers, including The Lightning Bottles. She has co-authored several holiday rom coms, including bestseller The Holiday Swap, writing as Maggie Knox. Many of her novels have been optioned for television. She lives in Toronto with her family.

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FranJessca
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I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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