This vacation swap storyline was an absolute blast. Holly is left at the altar and convinces her best friend Ivy to go on her honeymoon in her place. In return, Holly takes Ivy’s cabin in upstate NY for a quiet place to lick her wounds.

This is a quick, easy read that is sure to leave you loving all four main characters. I loved both settings: the beaches of Hawaii compared with the snowy cabin in the woods. Holly and Ivy have such a sweet, dedicated friendship.

I do have to say that insta-love isn’t my favorite, and I didn’t find these relationships to be that believable outside of vacation flings. Especially in Holly’s case–you’re probably not going to fall in love just a few days after being left at the altar. Regardless, it’s a fun read and both men are sweeties.

This book doesn’t scream Christmas or holiday, so if you’re looking for a rom-com with just a hint of holiday vibes, this one is for you.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch was a sweet romance with two best friends, Holly and Ivy switching vacations when Holly’s fiancé dumps her the night before their wedding.

Ivy goes on Holly’s honeymoon trip to paint picturesque scenery in Kauai, which doesn’t go exactly as planned and instead of painting and drawing alone, she ends up making friends with a sexy bartender and his bestie.

Holly takes Ivy’s artist retreat vacation in the Hudson Valley mountains in an idyllic, small winter-wonderland-of-a-town. She intends to heal and binge watch Christmas movies, but her plans change when an old high school academic rival shows up, all grown up and gorgeous.

The story is reminiscent of the movie The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, a movie I now want to watch all over again!

This was a cute book and the length for a light holiday read was perfect. I also read the audiobook along with the e book and I really enjoyed the narrator. Though it was 2 POV I was able to easily know who's perspective it was based on what was going on (sometimes that is difficult in dual POV for me). The book felt fast paced and though it was insta love for them both and predictable that was what I was looking for in a Christmas book! I enjoyed it!

DNF @ 13%. The writing is not for me — “ the beating of her sensationless heart…” No. I still want a book to be readable even if it is a light, fluffy romance.

Thank you to Putnam Books for this free digital review copy. This was an enjoyable and quick read but most of the characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out. Holly and Ivy’s friendship and backstories were fun to read about and the premise was much like The Holiday.

While there were various conflicts, they felt contrived and too quickly resolved. The ending was clunky, I’m never a fan of an epilogue delivered primarily by dialogue between two characters who supposedly are very close but supposedly feel the need to discuss every new detail in their lives in one conversation… Despite that, this was a good short read to finish out the holiday season.

This was a sweet holiday romance. It was fast-paced and a quick read.
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I really enjoyed Holly and Ivy's friendship. Their bond was so sincere that it kept me reading. Their love interests were also sweet, and I loved how supportive they were of each other.

I will admit I'm a little Christmas-romance'd out for the year, but this did not stand out to me among all the other holiday romances I've been reading. I've enjoyed some of this author's collaborations, but this one fell pretty flat compared to those. There was nothing actually wrong with this book, but the characters didn't feel super fleshed out to me and I found myself a little bored while reading.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch was a fun holiday read, with a story about 2 besties and a whole lot of instant love mixed in. I enjoyed it and it was a quick, easy read, but I never felt like I got much depth from the characters, and would have loved a bit more.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

What a cute read. Matt is a wanker but Holly and ivy were absolutely delightful. Holiday romances are the best.

Fans of the movie The Holiday will enjoy this one! I loved the different settings- it added some depth to the story. The characters and their friendship was so lovely. This was a fun holiday read!

**Thank you to Putnam Books for this free digital review copy.**

This story was almost my beloved trope of home-switching (is this a trope? I don't know) but not quite, since the trips were always meant to be vacations and neither character lived permanently in either setting. But still, the whole time I read, I knew the characters were only in their environments temporarily, and that was at times frustrating when it came to romantic entanglements. It was cute and a quick read, but fell a bit flat for me (especially in comparison with other books I have read by this author). The romantic relationships didn't seem realistic, but the redeeming factor was the friendship between Holly and Ivy, which was very sweet, and I appreciated how their friendship was not negatively affected by their various romantic endeavors.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch is a perfect fun and easy read for the holiday season. The story follows best friends Holly and Ivy who decide to switch honeymoons around Christmas. Holly ends up in New York, where she reconnects with someone from her past, while Ivy ends up in Hawaii meeting a bartender on her first day. I liked how effortless the romances were, and really enjoyed Holly’s story. Despite Holly and Ivy spending the majority of the book apart, their friendship stood out and I loved how they were there for each other throughout the entire story. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a Christmas read!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

3.5/5 stars
This was a cute holiday romcom. I really enjoyed the 2 different POVs and settings and kept thinking - would I prefer a Hawaiian Christmas or one in the snowy woods of NY.
I would have loved to hear more about Ivy’s parents’ cash free living. That’s such an interesting way of life!!
I think the girls looking so much alike was not necessary, it didn’t really do anything to add to the story IMO. But otherwise, I really enjoyed their friendship.
Overall, this was a super quick read, and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a holiday read with a bonus of double romances.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

SIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH please I cannot with the insta love whether its a cute holiday book or not

Julia McKay’s Holiday Honeymoon Switch is a heartwarming and delightful romance that had me hooked from the first page! When Holly’s wedding is called off at the 11th hour, her best friend Ivy steps in to help her navigate the heartbreak—and things take an unexpected turn when Holly gives Ivy her honeymoon and take her yearly art retreat in her place. A hilarious and heartfelt holiday adventure, complete with a swoon-worthy connection that’s impossible to resist.

The characters are wonderfully relatable, and McKay masterfully blends humor, emotional depth, and sparkling romance. Holly and Ivy’s friendship is beautifully written, showing the power of support during tough times. With vivid descriptions of the dreamy holiday setting and a fresh, fun storyline, this book is the perfect escape.

If you’re a fan of uplifting, feel-good romances, Holiday Honeymoon Switch is an absolute must-read. Perfect for the season. I can’t wait to see what Julia McKay writes next!

This is so cute! I really enjoyed it and it makes me want to go watch 'The Holiday' movie!

I loved the contrast of the Hawaiian trip with Ivy and the snowy Hudson Valley with Holly. Kauai is one of my favorite Hawaiian islands so that was fun to read about too. The characters were great -- even the side characters. Definitely worth reading for the holiday season! This was a new-to-me author and I will look for others from her!

Wow this holiday rom.com really rugged at my romantic heart strings. I lovvvbedddd the chemistry between Oliver and Ivy and Holly and Aiden. It definitely reminded me of the movie “The Holiday”. Highly recommend it to all romance fans.

There was so much I loved about this distant interpretation of one of my fave holiday movies - The Last Holiday. I loved the friendship between Ivy and Holly, I enjoyed their respective love interests, and I did feel the holiday spirit! That being said, I continue to feel uncomfortable by novels set in Hawaii where there is zero engagement with Native community. The pacific islands are not a mere backdrop for white people to find themselves or their loved - I just wish the author had grappled with this!

This book had potential, but it didn’t fully deliver. The overly long descriptions felt like filler, and there was too much telling instead of showing, which hurt the pacing and emotional impact.

The romance was hard to buy—falling in love after five days felt rushed and unrealistic. Aiden’s sister was unnecessarily mean and didn’t redeem herself, while Holly was an unlikable and unsupportive friend to Ivy.

The standout was Oliver, who was by far the most compelling and likable character. He brought charm and balance to an otherwise frustrating story.

An intriguing premise, but it lacked the depth and character development to make it memorable.

This was such a sweet holiday book. Two friends switch vacation/honeymoon plans when one of them gets left the night before her wedding. This book was heavy on the insta attraction/like (no one said I love you in the "too short" time frame, which I see as a win), but was still such a fun, cute read. It was also a love story to their friendship and how important friends are in your life.

Thank you, NetGalley and Putnam Books, for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.