thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i really loved the friendship between holly and ivy. what cute forest-y names, too! both storylines were super cute with a lot of descriptive detail to make you feel you're right in the story.

You read it here first. The newest trend in holiday books this year is trading places/houses! Holly and Ivy are best friends who are so in sync that they look alike. When Holly’s fiancé breaks up with her the night before their wedding is supposed to take place, she is stuck with a nonrefundable honeymoon.

She convinces Ivy to go on the Hawaiian honeymoon so it does not go to waste. Ivy can take her art retreat on beautiful beaches and Holly can escape to a secluded rented cabin in the Hudson Valley where Ivy was supposed to go. Now, Holly finds out the Airbnb owner is her high school rival and Ivy meets a hotel bartender who comes to her rescue when she finds that Holly’s ex-fiance has already checked into the honeymoon suite with a different woman.

I love the relationship between Holly and Ivy; it is a true love that only best friends can give each other. I also loved that both Holly and Ivy were able to learn about themselves and what they each needed to make themselves happy while being true to who they are.

Unbeknownst to me this was written by one of my favorite holiday romance writers. This book is a great story of friendship and love. Holly and Ivy were introduced by their boyfriends, but they became the best of friends that always put boys second and friendship first.

Holly was set to be married to her long-term boyfriend that Ivy always found to be a bore. That is until the night before the wedding he called it off.

Holly gives Ivy her honeymoon so she can take Ivy's pre-planned art retreat. Little does Ivy know, Holly's ex-fiance beat her to the resort, with his new girlfriend.

This book is so cute and real without being outrageous. A great holiday read. 3.5 stars.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch was such a cute, fluffy non traditional holiday read. It was Christmassy without being too much.

Holly and Ivy have the best BFF meet cute, I really enjoyed their coming together. Their friendship was everything that female friendship should be and I loved it.
I really liked the dual POV and was equally invested in both stories so didn’t find myself wanting to rush through one to get to the other, which is always great in a dual POV.
I loved the settings both friends ended up in and found myself enjoying them being in their respective getaway spots more and more as their time there went on.
The romances were sweet and didn’t feel forced in any way, both felt true to the characters involved. We also got some great supporting characters that were so easy to connect to.

This was a really fun and sweet holiday romance that went outside the norm and I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, and Julia McKay for this eARC.
Publication date 10/8/24

This book was so cute and fun to read. I will definitely be recommending for anyone lookin for a fun Christmas book.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay
Standalone Novel
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5 Stars

This book follows two best friends Holly and Ivy. It starts out with Holly preparing for her Christmas wedding until the night before the wedding her fiance breaks up with her. Holly is devastated and needs a break to heal but can't bring herself to go on her honeymoon alone so she begs Ivy to switch vacations with her. Ivy was planning on staying in a nearby remote eco-cabin and painting for a week straight while Holly was supposed to go Hawaii for her honeymoon. So Ivy goes to Hawaii but one problem, Holly's ex-fiance, Matt, is there with his new girlfriend taking the honeymoon vacation. So Ivy goes to the bar to try to relax and drink and figure out what to do now, where she meets Oliver, the really hot bartender. Oliver is staying locally with a friend who happens to have an extra rental available for Ivy. Ivy and Oliver end up spending a lot of time together and finding out they have a lot in common. Holly on the other hand makes it to the cabin in the woods and has trouble with the heat but when the property manager shows up it is her old high school rival, Adrian, except once they spend more time together it turns out they just always had a crush on one another. This is a fun, funny, sweet story of friendship and romance. I did enjoy it and would recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Julia McKay for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story told from best friends, Holly and Ivy’s, POV.

Holly is blindsided when her fiancée ends things the night before the wedding and their 2 week honeymoon. Ivy is about to leave on a 2 week art trip to the snowy woods. They decide to switch trips to give each other time to focus on their needs.

Holly finds herself reuniting with someone from her past she always thought about but never really realized how much she thought of him.

Ivy finds herself without a hotel and staying with the hot bartender who made her shocking discovery much easier to deal with.

I loved the romance of it even if it was rather fast but what I really was obsessed with was the friendship love story between Holly and Ivy.

A cute, sweet holiday romance that gives you not one, but two love stories! Ivy and Holly met at a party in college and instantly became life long best friends. When Holly’s fiancé cancels their wedding, Holly finds herself needing to get away but can’t bring herself to go on their honeymoon. So she devises a plan to switch holidays with Ivy. Holly finds herself on a snowy mountain in an eco friendly cabin with none other than her high school academic rival Aiden. Ivy finds herself in Hawaii, where she meets Oliver, a bartender and photographer, who may be just who Ivy needs to meet to discover her true passions in life.

This story had it all rivals to lovers, fated mates, he falls first, it was always you, and so much more! Read this one if you’re looking for a cute, swoon worthy holiday romance!

Thank you to Net Galley, the author Julia McKay and Putnam for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review!

This book is the best of both worlds! You get a tropical Christmas and a blustery, snowy, white Christmas! I loved the dual timeline and thought the pacing was really good especially considering this is a debut novel! The writing was a bit cheesy at times but that just adds to the Hallmark-esque charm!

Two best friends, two Christmas love stories. This was exactly what a holiday romcom should be- fluffy, entertaining and sweet. I'm a huge holiday romance buff and therefore can be picky about holiday books, but this was just the perfect amount of fun and cute. I really felt the author did an exceptional job of executing the story and pacing the dual story lines that neither POV was ever boring. As a matter of fact it kept me itching for the next chapter.
While each of the characters individual romances were both sweet and steamy, the real focus of the book was on their strong friendship in additions to some self rediscovery for both women that I found really refreshing and well written. Both love interests were sexy and perfect for Holly and Ivy.
I truly enjoyed this book. it was easy to read- read in less than a day- and think that it will be a great book to read around the holidays.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book in advance.

This is a very cute holiday romance. It gives the best of both worlds…Christmas on the beach in Hawaii and in upstate NY in a snowy cabin.

Not only does this book have 2 romance stories, but it is also has the sweetest friendship. I loved all the characters and my favorite part was the friendship between Holly and Ivy.

Overall a feel good holiday romance with the best settings and a heartwarming friendship.


Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This reminds me of a certain movie staring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz... and I'd read it again every year. I laughed way too hard. It was a quick and easy read. Not everything was smooth, but it made me laugh. This was such a great romance read.

3⭐️

This one was pretty cute but just not for me. I tried really hard to get into this one but I never really connected with the writing style.

I did really enjoy the premise of friends switching trips after a wedding goes wrong. There just was a lot of telling and not showing.

This was a super cute and quick read. It was full of all the holiday vibes and it was too fun to have best friends switch places and fall in love. This is a good one to add to your list of Christmas reads this upcoming season. I enjoyed the dual points of view of the two main character best friends. It was paced really well and gave great insight into each woman.

Blurb: 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.

🎄 Christmas setting
🏖️ Enemies to lovers
🎄 Doppelgänger besties
🏖️ Attractive bartender
🎄 Second chance romance
🏖️ Terrible ex-fiancé

Spice: 🌶️.5

Thank you to the author Julia McKay, PRH Audio and NetGalley for the electronic advanced copy and audiobook.

Great story! Holly is at a college frat party with her boyfriend Matt when she meets Ivy. The girls spend the night chatting and become best friends. Eight years later, it's the night before Holly and Matt's wedding and Matt comes to a realization and cancels the wedding. Holly needs to get out of town to be by herself and so she and Ivy swap their vacations. Ivy goes to Hawaii for Holly's honeymoon and Holly takes Ivy's trip to the Hudson Valley. What happens in the next two weeks changes both their lives. 4 1/2 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam. This was such a great story to start my Holiday reading. While it is during Christmas and New Years it is much more than a "holiday story" This is about the friendship of Holly and Ivy over 8 years. It is 2 POV Holly and Ivy they are each on a trip Holly is out in the mountains and Ivy is in Hawaii. This story just flowed together and turned out to be such a great read.

This was a cozy, heartwarming, loving-love read.
I needed to read something that filled my heart and let me enjoy a sweet romance.

Great story a best friends being there for one another. Holly gets dumped the day before her wedding. Best friend Ivy switches vacation for honeymoon destination. Holly goes to NY and Ivy to Hawaii! Holly finds her high-school friend Aiden lives in tje small town she is hidon out in, can Holly get over her prior ex fiancee and give love a chance? Will Ivy find her happily ever after when she is in Hawaii? Enter fellow artist Oliver. Oliver is a bat tender/ photographer. Who offers Ivy a place to stay when she learns she doesn't have a hotel room.

This was soooo good oh my god ! Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley as always for letting me read this!!!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.