Editorial note: I received a copy of The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay is such a delightful holiday tale about two best friends finding their own happy-ever-afters.
I’m officially a huge fan of holiday stories. And nothing beats reading a holiday story during Christmastime! It really has helped me get into a more festive mode, which I’m already a Christmas person to begin with, but this is a nice added touch.
As I write this, Christmas is not too far away, and I actually did not know if I would be able to fit in another holiday read before family comes in to town. But I just had to add one more to the mix, and so happy I chose The Holiday Honeymoon Switch. BTW, if you’re looking for more festive reads, check out my 2024 holiday book list.
If you love the movie The Holiday, and any story about friendships, you will adore this one. I loved the friendship between Holly and Ivy, it was so refreshing and rang so true. And their respective journeys on both discovering what they really want in life, and with who, was fantastic.
It features two storylines: one in Hawaii and the other in Hudson Valley. This was fun to read the warm, beach Christmas to the wintery, cozy New York Christmas. Truly loved both storylines!
What’s the Story About
Holly and Ivy are best friends, and they’re so in sync, they even look alike. When Holly’s fiancé abandons her right before the wedding, Holly convinces Ivy to go on the nonrefundable honeymoon alone (just roll with it, haha). Whereas Holly will escape to Ivy’s rented Hudson Valley cabin to heal.
However, Holly’s plans change when it turns out her Airbnb host was once a high school academic rival. Ivy’s Hawaiian plans are upended when Holly’s ex-fiancé checks into the honeymoon suite. But luckily, the hotel bartender will come to her rescue.
Two Storylines
Sometimes in these dual storylines, I have a big preference for one or the other. But similar to the movie The Holiday, I enjoyed both of these storylines quite a bit. While Holly and Ivy look alike, they are pretty different people, but also learn from each other as well.
I loved reading Holly running back into Aiden, who was her academic rival in high school. Of course, we know where it will lead but I really enjoyed their journey. At first I was unsure about Holly jumping into a new relationship so quick, but when reading her analysis of her relationship with her ex-fiancé, it did make sense. It seemed she was more focused on checking off boxes, rather than romance and compatibility.
Whereas Ivy craves stability at work, but not with her romantic relationships so it throws her for a loop when she is so drawn to Oliver. I found her journey intriguing as well.
The Settings
While I personally love a warm weather Christmas like we have in San Diego, I also quite appreciate the cold but beautiful, snowy ones as well. So this was a great balance to have both kinds of Christmases. I especially liked it took place in Kauai, which made those Ivy’s scenes so vibrant and exciting.
This is one of those novels where you want to jump straight to both locations! Hudson Valley sounds quite lovely too, and I liked the small town charm (similar to a Hallmark Christmas movie).
The settings served as another character, which helped make this one unique too.
Verdict
Another wonderful holiday story! You have friendship, romance, and two scenic locations. This one felt like a movie in so many ways, and I hope they adapt it to a film version one day. I would love to see these two characters again in a sequel.
For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.
