Utterly delightful! This book is a cozy cup of cocoa wrapped in a fuzzy blanket—pure feel-good magic. While it’s set during the holidays, the charm and heart of this story make it a perfect read any time of year.

What truly shines is the beautiful bond between Holly and Ivy. Their friendship is the heartbeat of the story—strong, supportive, and refreshingly real. These women don’t need men to complete them, but the swoon-worthy romances they stumble into? Total bonus!

Julia McKay delivers a story that’s equal parts heartwarming and empowering. If you’re looking for a sweet escape with lovable characters and a friendship-first vibe, this one’s a must-read. Highly recommend!

B O O K • R E V I E W ✨
The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ivy and Holly, become friends in the most unique way… and switch places because they look similar. Insta-love? Say less they both find love instantly. Especially after one of them was left at the alter… 😮

It’s the perfect holiday/Christmas romance, I finished this ebook in one sitting. It’s written in third person which I don’t normally prefer but with this writing style that was not an issue.

It is one of the cutest holiday books I’ve read so far. It was fast paced, addictive and very clever!
Definitely recommend!

Thank you @netgalley for gifting me this ebook.

#netgalley #bookreview #holidayromance #christmasbook #bookrecommendation

A tale of friendship, love, and the journey we can go through in a short amount of time to find the perfect combination of both.

Two best friends. Two vacations. Two crazy experiences.

Holly and Ivy decide to switch vacations when Holly's husband leaves her at the altar. Holly goes to the Hudson Valley cabin rental and Ivy goes on the non-refundable Hawaiian honeymoon trip. Holly's trip is upended when her cabin host is an academic rival from high school and Ivy's trip is upended when Holly's ex-fiancé shows up at the resort with another woman.

A fun, holiday rom-com that will not let you down!

🎄✈️💘 Book Review: The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay 💘✈️🎄

A jilted honeymoon. A dreamy destination. A surprise plus-one. The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is a sparkling rom-com full of heart, heat, and holiday magic! Julia McKay serves up the perfect seasonal escape—with just the right amount of tension and tenderness.

What it’s about:
When Ivy is left solo on what was supposed to be her honeymoon, she’s shocked to discover the trip is non-refundable... and non-transferable. Enter Rowan, the grumpy-but-gorgeous best man who’s just as stranded. A shared suite, fake smiles, and undeniable chemistry? Let the holiday hijinks begin.

Tropes You’ll Love:
💔 Jilted bride
🏝️ Forced proximity
🔥 Grumpy/sunshine
💞 Slow burn with sizzling tension
🎄 Holiday romance

If you love witty banter, tropical vibes with a side of mistletoe, and the kind of chemistry that melts even the iciest hearts—this is your perfect holiday read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheHolidayHoneymoonSwitch #JuliaMcKay #HolidayRomance #ForcedProximity #GrumpySunshine #RomComReads #Bookstagram #HoneymoonHijinks #BookReview #SeasonalReads

I wanted to like this book. I really did. But the fact that it was written in present tense made it read more like a script than a book. I never quite connected with the characters and the emotions they were feeling felt off. Both Holly and Ivy never fully leapt off the page for me. Their actions seemed wholly unbelievable and the instalove felt forced and far fetched. This book was not for me unfortunately.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book was a cute easy read, but very surface level. I would've liked to see the characters develop more and a bit added to the plot.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay is a delightful, feel-good holiday rom-com that perfectly balances humor, heart, and just the right amount of chaos. If you’re looking for a story that feels like a warm hug with a dash of tropical sunshine and festive cheer, this one’s for you.

Holly and Ivy are the kind of best friends everyone dreams of—ride-or-die, hysterically witty, and willing to drop everything for each other. Their plan to switch vacations sets the stage for two perfectly tangled, swoon-worthy romances in totally opposite settings: Holly in a cozy Hudson Valley cabin facing off with her glow-up high school rival, and Ivy in Hawaii dealing with a surprise reunion with Holly’s ex-fiancé.

The dual storylines are equally engaging, full of sharp banter, heartwarming moments, and a cast of lovable, flawed characters. Julia McKay’s writing is effortlessly charming, and the pacing keeps the pages flying. I especially loved how both Holly and Ivy’s stories emphasized personal growth, forgiveness, and finding joy in unexpected places.

This book is a perfect pick for fans of friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, vacation romance, and anyone who loves a festive backdrop with a tropical twist. It’s light, funny, and sprinkled with just the right amount of holiday magic.

This book was so much FUN!! It was sweet, romantic, cozy, funny, and purely enjoyable from start to finish. The two story lines meant the plot was incredibly fast paced and there was never a dull moment. I adored the friendship between Holly and Ivy, I loved how they were both there for each other without question and how they resolved their disagreements with respect and honesty. The romance plots were so sweet and fun to watch unfold. I loved the conflict resolution for both couples, it felt very realistic and mature which I loved to see! I can’t wait to be able to handsell this one, it’s such a great choice year round due to the dual snowy/beachy vibes!

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2, rating down

This book is about two best friends named Holly and Ivy. Holly is getting married to her long term boyfriend despite the fact she doesn’t feel any spark with him. Long story short, he breaks off their engagement the day before their wedding, which happens to be at Christmas time. Barf. Jerk. Instead of going on her honeymoon, she gifts her vacation to Ivy in exchange for Holly’s upstate NY two week vacation. So yes, the friends switch places. One in Hawaii and one in New York. The book gives off strong holiday vibes, but since half of it takes place in Hawaii I feel like it’s a good book to read any time of year (equally strong summer vibes). While on their separate vacations they meet new friends and potential lovers. Was this a 5 star book? No. But it was cute, light, slightly funny, and a relaxing read targeted towards NA readers. I could definitely see this being made into a cozy little Hallmark movie with mild spice.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with this free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is available now for purchase.

pretty fun and cute romance that i kinda liked. the instalove was a hair annoying but was generally workable. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This was a sweet Christmas rom-com that you can enjoy any time of the year (because who says holiday cheer has an expiration date?). You've got doppelgänger besties swapping Christmas cabins—one of which was supposed to be a honeymoon, no big deal—and both of them unexpectedly stumbling into love. It’s the kind of feel-good read that warms you up like a mug of hot cocoa with extra whipped cream. Cozy, charming, and just the right amount of chaos!

Festive, funny, and full of heart, this holiday rom-com delivers a delightful dose of escapism with a clever twist on the classic identity swap. Holly and Ivy’s friendship is the warm, beating heart of the story, grounding the chaos of honeymoon hijinks, surprise romances, and awkward run-ins with exes. The dual storyline keeps things lively, balancing snowy cabin coziness with tropical mishaps. While the plot stretches believability at times, the charm and chemistry more than make up for it. A feel-good, holiday treat perfect for fans of friendship-forward romance with a touch of holiday magic.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this early copy!

What a fun little holiday Romcom. This would make a cute Hallmark movie. If instant love is your thing then this book was made for you.

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Putman, and Julia McKay for this ARC.

This book was enjoyable, but not anything memorable. The quality of the writing is fine, but I probably wouldn’t seek out anything else by this author. The two main characters are likeable as are their love interests. I think anyone looking for a light, Christmassy romance might enjoy this. It’s predictable in a way that you sometimes feel in the mood for, especially when looking for a book around the holidays.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

Ooh, this was cute! It was such a light read with fun holiday charm, reminiscent of the rom-com The Holiday movie. Holly is jilted just days before her holiday wedding and in turn convinces her best friend, Ivy, to go solo on what was to be her honeymoon trip. Holly, in turn, vacations in the mountains of Ivy’s secluded cabin. Each woman unexpectedly finds the perfect man for them in the most heartwarming, sweetest of ways. I adored this closed-door romance where true friendship and loyalty also plays a major part in the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this copy.

This was a fun, lighthearted book about friendship. There’s some love, but the true love story is the story of Ivy and Holly and their beautiful friendship. There’s dual point of view and how they each celebrated the Christmas season, learning to love Christmas and heal from heartaches, was perfect.

This was an absolutely adorable read! I enjoyed it so much, I finished it in one session. Zero spice, which I am totally okay with and total cuteness oveload! This was a mix of a couple of my favorite books, People We Meet on Vacation & The Pumpkin Spice Cafe. Half disgraced honeymoon and half small town romance. Easy 4 stars from me!!
This was my first Julia McKay read but with definitely not be my last.

Loved this story! Best friend's and friend family loyalty versus domineering and deceitful fiancé. Beautiful descriptions of traveling to sunny beaches in Hawaii and snowy wonderland in the north. Trusting your gut and finding love is always a cozy read. Recommend!

Rating: 3.5/5

Overall, I enjoyed this book up to the epilogue and that was only because it felt too short and instead of showing, there was a rushed scene where we were told what happened since the end of the book. I also think that one couple was better developed and had better scenes than the other one which was kind of a bummer. Then again, I might feel that way because I liked one couple better than the other one. The side characters were fun and I would have liked for them to be more present but since this was a book that happened in a short span of time, I understand why we didn't get more of that.