Cover Image: The Broken Hearts Honeymoon

The Broken Hearts Honeymoon

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Member Reviews

After cancelling her wedding, broken-hearted Charlotte sets out on the already paid-for honeymoon to Japan — alone. What follows is a journey of self-discovery and travel adventure...


This cute novel by Lucy Dickens had a great beginning and kicked off the story with its dynamic, personable narrative style. There was also a number of flashbacks that were often fun, but luckily stopped just when they were starting to feel overdone. Unfortunately, once Charlotte got to Japan and started her big adventure... I just couldn't get into the book. I liked Charlotte, but I couldn't find her or her travels interesting. And I love Japan!

Maybe the problem is that I'm not big on non-fiction, and to me, ultimately The Broken Hearts Honeymoon felt more like travelogue than fiction, and that's not what I expected when I started to read this. Also, I kept having a feeling that I'd enjoy it more if it really was an actual travelogue, and maybe with some photos added in. Another problem is, perhaps, that I had read several blogs about traveling in Japan and found them a lot more interesting than this story.

However...

This feels like a perfect book to read if you're getting over a breakup. The way Charlotte feels about suddenly going on an adventure entirely on her own feels achingly real. The way she gets through her breakup also feels healthy and inspiring. And there are some moments when you can feel how liberating it must be to go out into the world on your own and how your courage in doing so can reforge you into a better person.

It also feels like a good book to read if you want a feel-good story that will offer you a way to imagine you're traveling through Japan. There are lot of descriptions, and some of the places Charlotte visits are very soothing and inspiring.

There were some scenes in the book which I did find enjoyable and interesting (all the scenes with Charlotte's siblings, the initial trips with the honeymoon tour group, the karaoke, the sakura, the leaving toward the south...) I actually liked it more when Charlotte interacted with other people, but a lot of the time it was just her with her thoughts.

This certainly is a feel-good read with a likeable narrator and some lovely scenery, and in many ways it delivers what it promises. Just don't expect excitement, drama or romance — rather, imagine this as a relaxing little journey that might inspire you to someday go on an adventure of your own.

Rating: 3/5 💎 💎 💎

Feel-good: 4.5/5 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌷


With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.

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I went into this book with an expectation of rebound romance and light fluffy moments between two characters. That is not what this book is. I think you should know that right away because if you continue on into it like I had done, you'll be confused for a majority of the book (because it seems like nothing is happening).
Although, at first I couldn't quite figure out where the story was going, I slowly started to enjoy the setting and the slow pacing of the book. I think the pacing represented the entire theme of the story really well (the theme was discovering yourself and healing).
It has a quiet charm that sneaked up on me in the end. I really liked it.

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I loved this book. I have never been to Japan but had a very clear image of the country and it’s people.
Charlottes story and her characters development was fascinating to follow.

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Firstly, huge thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. 

The beautiful cover with sakura and Mount Fuji caught my attention, and when I read that this novel was pretty much my dream (the travelling Japan for a month bit, not the marriage being called off bit!) I was dying to get stuck in. 

As the name suggests, The Broken Hearts Honeymoon, follows Charlotte in the wake of breaking off her engagement. Not wanting to lose out on a non-refundable trip that she has wanted to do since she was a child, she decides to go on her honeymoon to Japan by herself. After being in the same relationship since she was a teenager, she thinks that this trip would be the perfect place to find herself and her own place in the world as a single woman. 

I liked Charlotte as the protagonist of the novel and felt that her reactions to her relationship breaking up, and making the decision to still go on her honeymoon, believable. I enjoyed how enthusiastic she was about experiencing as much as she could in Japan, and as a tourist she was really relatable too. I also really liked the relationship she had with her siblings, especially her younger brother Benny. Due to the plot of the novel, Charlotte is the only character you’re really able to form a bond with as most other characters only make fleeting appearances. Despite her being a good protagonist, I think she could have been more developed as there were a few instances where her actions and thoughts felt repetitive.

There were many moments in the novel where I got excited reading about Charlotte’s adventures, especially at the beginning in Tokyo, as I have done a lot of that myself so it was lovely to experience these things again through the eyes of someone experiencing it for the first time. It’s because of this that I think people who have been to Japan may connect with this book more as they are able to reflect on their own experiences and project onto Charlotte as, at times, it feels more like an informational travel book rather than a novel. That isn’t to say that other people won’t enjoy the novel, as I think Charlotte could make anyone excited by the prospect of travelling anywhere. 

Additionally, I found the use of flashbacks to be quite unnecessary and felt that it disrupted the pacing of the novel at times. Whilst it was nice to learn more about Charlotte and her past, I feel it didn’t add a whole lot to her current story as it had already been explained well already. I did enjoy the use of social media and emails through the novel, they were nice little reminders that there is a world outside of her travelling which gives you another dose of reality whilst reading this novel and also how her adventures were personal but were also helping her take steps towards achieving her dream job. 

Overall, I think due to my own experiences I am a little biased. The novel was a nice read that had me reminiscing a lot on my own travels to Japan and gave me several new places that I want to discover myself when I next visit.

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Charlotte after calling off her wedding decides to go on what supposed to be their honeymoon by herself, little she knew that this trip would change her life completely.

The story narrated in first person by the main character is presented as an introspective diary with some flashbacks to her life which help underline Charlotte growth throughout the book.
The book is set in Japan, and the author has been describing every single place and presented the culture of this country in such a wonderful way that I wished I could be right there experiencing that adventures with the protagonist.

Perfect for people looking for a light hearted read!

The review will be posted on Amazon, Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads

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Charlotte and Matt have been together for forever, school, university and now panning to get married and move to London to start their careers together. 3 weeks before they get married they call off the wedding. Charlotte decides to go on honeymoon to Japan by herself as Japan has always been on bucket list.

The novel flits from her current journey to back to memories with Matt. It is a very charming story about self reflection and falling in love with yourself. There is the concept of "Forest Bathing" and I think I would like to try that for myself. It is basically being in nature and being mindful of the sights and sounds around you notice things stop and see. I loved the incite into Japanese culture and the off the beaten track aspect of her adventure.

Read in 2 sittings (I only stopped because, midnight).

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my copy to review.

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The Broken Hearts Honeymoon is about Charlie who is going to get married in 3 weeks but had to cancel off the wedding.

She thought that going for a honeymoon alone would be a great decision a first. But first few days, she's just sleeping on the bed and got nothing in her mind. Then, she decided to break apart from the Honeymoon Highlight and go for a solo trip. There, she found herself and experienced a great adventure.

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I love this story. I love how the author developed Charlie's character. I love how Charlie rise up, found herself and enjoys her life to the fullest.

I love her siblings too. Mara, Gray, Marissa and Brienne. They are so supportive, caring and loving. They always there for each other. I just love their relationship. #siblinggoals

Im hoping that this book will has a sequel later. I really want to know what happen to Charlie once she's back from Japan. I also intrigued to know what had actually happens to Brienne.

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When Charlie, a young woman aspiring to become a writer, calls off her wedding, everything around her seems to fall apart. Knowing she needs to rediscover herself, she decides to move forward with her honeymoon trip in Japan, alone.

I’ve read this book with a huge smile on my face.

I have enjoyed following Charlie’s adventures, and I am forever grateful to her for bringing back all the memories from my own adventures in Japan.
What a magical country!
If you haven’t had the pleasure of travelling the country of rising sun, fret not, Evans does a fantastic job describing its people and country, and for sure your mouth will water with with every morsel of Japanese food that Charlotte has!
This book is perfectly timely. If, like me, you are spending your summer stuck at home, it will let your mind wander, as if you were too discovering Japan and living your own adventures.
Charlotte goes on a journey of discovery after a heartbreak. Not only does she heal, but also grows and learns to love herself

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I really enjoyed the book immensely and I hope there is a sequel to this to find out what happens to Charlie.

This book is about Charlie and 3 weeks before she gets married the wedding is called off. The only thing is they cannot get a refund on the honeymoon so Charlie decides to go.

This story is about how Charlie finds herself and decides to not go with the honeymooners on the trip that she paid for and branch out on her own which is really brave to do.

She encounters things in Japan that she hadn't planned to do and go out her comfort zone.

I could not put this book down.

I would recommend this to readers to read this as it tells you about Japan.

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This book was amazing ! I did not expect to love it as much as I did ! Honestly when I first read the back of it, I easily thought she was going to redefine herself with another man to get over her breakup! BUT NO!!! Instead she goes solo on her honeymoon, in order to find herself! And that was so refreshing!!!

There is so much to love in this book, not only is this book about a young woman struggling to figure out herself which is so relatable ! It is also a love story to Japan!! Dickens does such a great job with her descriptions that I felt I could taste, see and hear everything that was being described to me ! And Charlie is just such a fun and great character to read about !! I honestly am thrilled with the conclusion, but I would love to see another book about her and her travel adventures!!

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publishers for this amazing read!! It is going on my favourite books of 2020!!!

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Charlie and Matt the quintessential high school sweethearts, joined at the hip all through to adulthood. Now, they are going to take their relationship to the next level and are due to get married in three weeks. sounds perfect doesn't it?
Brace yourself for ominous background music:

Matt has a proposal for his sweetheart : "A holiday/break from EACH OTHER to "sow some wild oats" and confirm that getting married to each other is the RIGHT THING TO DO. All this happens during a dinner with friends, how ROMANTIC! Poor Charlotte's heart plummets and she is suddenly having identity crisis. Well, obviously Matt was her other half for the last decade and more and she couldn't imagine herself or her life without him .
So, she CALLS OFF THE WEDDING BUT GOES ON THE HONEYMOON, ALONE.

Charlotte always wanted to be a travel writer and one place she was agog to visit was JAPAN. Thats where she was supposed to be honeymooning, but after the bomb Matt dropped on her, she decided to still go by herself and this honeymoon turned into a SOUL SEARCHING AND SELF LOVE EXPERIENCE.

This book reminded me of EAT, PRAY , LOVE at times and it was great as I love that movie. The first half of the book was a page turner, immersive but after that the story had unnecessary details going on for pages. So I have an amalgamation of the good and not so good moments with the book.

What I liked about it:
- Soul searching, empowering
- Relatable protagonist and scenarios
- Positive and inspiring
- vicarious JAPAN travel
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What I didn't like:
- Abrupt and unnecessarily long winded flashbacks
- character development was shallow
- it felt like reading a travel journal for JAPAN more and novel less
- probably a short epilogue about when she returns back to UK.

Nonetheless, its a sweet and uplifting book perfect for in between intense reads.

Thankyou NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an e ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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This was a really delightful book on self-love and learning to find yourself again. Charlotte was extremely relatable and I'm sure an inspiration to those, like myself, who would love to solo travel. Lucy provides the most in-depth storyline between Charlotte and her new found love for Japan, it has made me extremely desperate to visit myself and Japan is not often on my list of places I would like to travel. From the food, the locations, the people, it was all detailed perfectly and descriptively.

An extremely cute read and if you are in the same position as Charlotte, a great book to inspire and motivate those next steps.

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3.5 Stars! This was really cute and I really enjoyed it. It was light and cute and made me want to go to Japan so bad. I felt like I was there. Charlotte was relatable and made me want to go on a solo trip again. Was it mind blowing 5 stars? No. But was it worth the read and really enjoyable? 100% It was filled with great self help vibes about finding yourself and I really needed it.

My only thing I could have lived without is a couple of those flashbacks. Besides the wedding planning in the beginning with Matt, I didn't think they were needed. i was much more interested in the present story line rather than the past.

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Summary

The book has some funny verging on crazy moments; for example all the hangers on coming along to look at wedding venues, including Matt’s parents’ nosy neighbour Evie!

I love that Charlotte goes to a Tokyo alone and I love the descriptive narrative; at times it became all immersive. I love that the author has either been to Tokyo or has done her research. I was able to google things she mentions like Steve McQueen popcorn buckets or green alien mochi and see what they really look like! I found myself pretty immersed in the idea of travel in Japan and started struggling to put the book down.

I started off feeling great empathy for Charlotte, but my feelings were organic and by the end of the story I felt nothing but admiration for this books main character;  put in the same situation as Charlotte, many people would just crumble. The way she triumphed over adversity was an excellent example for all women out there.

I am about 3/4 of the way through this book and I am finding it hard to put down. The thing is,  I can’t really tell where the plot is going and I am finding that refreshing. We are not going down that tried and tested route of girl meets boy, there’s a bit of a problem, it gets sorted, they go off into the sunset together........saying that I don’t really know where the storyline is going - fantastic.


Finished at last. I have been struggling to put this book down. I loved the character that was Charlotte and I love the unorthodox ending. Highly recommended.

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Three weeks before her wedding, Charlotte's fiance suggests that they take a week to sow some wild oats. They've only ever dated each other since they were 14 and he wants to make sure that they are doing the right thing. So they break up. While cancelling all the wedding hoopla, Charlotte decides to take the honeymoon to Japan by herself.

This book should have been for me, England, travel, heartbreak but growth. It 100% wasn't. The writing style turned me off in more than one way. The characters were childish and not well fleshed out. The constant flashbacks in italics that we REALLY didn't need were annoying. I found that by the time she was on the plane for Japan I didn't care what happened in the rest of the book and promptly decided to move on to the next one. Too many good books in the world to waste time on ones that aren't.

I don't recommend this book. To anyone.

Thanks, netgalley, for the chance to read this one.

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After Charlotte’s relationship ends she decides to do something for herself. Finally taking the plunge and actually going on that long dreamed about trip to Japan. Let’s just say I was willing Charlotte on every step of the way! Charlotte’s journey certainly provided me with an emotional, heartwarming and fun story that was so lovely to experience. I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved every moment of this story. It was so easy to be whisked away on an adventure with Charlotte. From being completely immersed in the sights to the new experiences that Charlotte discovered along the way. At first glance this book may look like a romance but there is so much more to it. There is only a hint of romance and it actually made a refreshing change to not be the main focus.

The Broken Hearts Honeymoon completely wrapped me up in a warm and comforting bubble that was the perfect escape from everyday life. I really do love a book that will whisk me away and give me that experience of travel all while I’m sat cosy on my sofa. The Broken Hearts Honeymoon offered this in abundance. I do think this story felt even more special because while I was reading travel just seemed so out of reach! Japan was well and truly brought to me with Lucy Dickens creating a story that kept me invested the whole way through. It was the perfect book at the perfect time and as I turned the final page I couldn’t keep the smile from my face! I’m so very glad I picked this book up.

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Charlotte calls off her wedding after her fiance wants a break to 'sew his wild oats' before the wedding. She is heartbroken and goes off on the month long honeymoon to Japan. Along the way she realises she learns more about herself as finds out more about Japanese culture.

I wouldn't really say this is a romance novel though.

An enjoyable read - Japan seems like an amazin country and this book makes you want to visit.

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As the blurb says “A feelgood tale that will transport you to the cherry blossoms of Tokyo”. Charlotte and Matt are getting married and going to Japan for their honeymoon but when the wedding is called off, Charlotte decides to still go - on her own.
This is a lovely trip through Japan, covering all sorts of things from karaoke to snow monkeys, from temples to cherry blossom, forest bathing to snorkeling. The descriptions of the Japanese scenery are beautiful and this book will make you want to have your own adventures in the Land of the Rising Sun. I also found it very interesting when talking about meditation and self-discovery on a deeper level than just as a romantic, feelgood novel. Well worth reading.

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Oh, how I loved this book. 😍. This is my first Lucy Dickens novel, but I won't hesitate to read her works in the future.

This is the story of a young couple about to be married. They have only ever dated each other and they have been together since early teenage years (~10 years). The jackass groom (Matt) decides to tell his bride to be (Charlotte) three weeks before their wedding that they should take a one week break. So he can sow his oats with a chick at his gym without technically cheating on Charlotte. Afterall, he's only ever been with Charlotte so how is he totally sure that she's "the one"? And he told Charlotte this in front of all their friends. I'd kill him right then and there. Charlotte does the right thing and calls off the wedding - I mean, who wants to be married to someone that feels that way???

Charlotte decides to take their honeymoon to Japan as a solo traveler. And it was beautiful. I really haven't ever wanted to visit Japan before, but after the detailed descriptions and places Charlotte visited, now I want to visit Japan. Seriously.

This is a story about growth and healing. Charlotte's mission was to "find herself" and discover who she wanted to be - we had the pleasure of traveling with her on this journey and I loved every minute of it.

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions states above are mine without biases.

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I really enjoyed this book.
I love the theme of this book. Really enjoyed travelling through Japan with Charlotte.
Loved it.
4/5

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