Honeymoon for One

Honeymoon #1

by Lily Zante

Dumped by her fiancé six weeks before their Valentine's Day wedding, a jilted bride goes on her honeymoon alone.

She was looking to heal and find peace.
But in visiting Verona, the City of Love, her life takes on a completely different direction, especially when she meets the mysterious and handsome Nico Cazale.

Will her adventure give her the clarity she’s looking for or lead to more heartbreak?
Honeymoon For One is a second chance romance, feel-good inspirational romance featuring hot millionaire bachelor with a heart of gold, and a jilted bride.

** This is Book 1 of a 5 part romance series about the same couple **

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Ebooks, Amazon

175 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2014

About the author

Lily Zante is the author of over sixty contemporary romance and women's fiction novels.
After spending two decades working in IT, she decided to give writing another try. Given her love of The Walking Dead, she started off writing zombie fiction but quickly dove into writing romance instead.
She's glad she switched.

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UPCOMING RELEASES:
MATTEO, KNIGHT EMPIRE #5 - releases:
23 June 2026 on my direct store
30 June 2026 on all retailers

ENZO, KNIGHT EMPIRE #6 - releases:
22 September 2026 on my direct store 
29 September 2026 on all retailers

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thankfully this was a freebie. It's written in very basic language with a predictable plot. It may work for someone who needs a read without any concentration, but it's really very simple. As I've said before - life's too short for bad books!!

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a freebie which I surely would have DNFd except it was the only book I had downloaded and I had no internet. A Harlequin type romance with little relationship to reality.

I hate Big Misunderstanding scenes in general, but the incomprehensible Kiss on the Bridge scene in this one deserves a place in the pantheon of all time dopiest. Even the characters involved didn’t seem to quite understand what the problem was and so they proceeded as if it didn’t happen.

At least it was short - then I realized it was part 1 of 5. As if!

Full disclosure, I read the preview pages that were included for the second book, and I admit there was an interesting plot development.

[Ariel · Rating 2 out of 5]

So we start off by meeting Ava and hearing her awful news of Connor telling her that he doesn't think he loves her and can't marry her. This happens 6 weeks before they were too meet at the altar. So after careful consideration, *Insert Sarcasm*, She decides to continue on her honeymoon to Italy. After a crap flight she meets Nico. And really the story just unfolds from here. Nico getting to know Ava and vice versa. And really..that's all there is to it.

To be honest I was quite bored with this book. 100 something pages and it took me WEEKS to read. It wasn't interesting at all. The only reason I gave this book 2 stars is because I loved traveling to Italy. One day I might make it there!

[j l collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely read

I hadn't heard of Lily Zante before but what a beautiful story. Felt like i was in Italy with the characters in the book. I was hooked right from the beginning and am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

[Sally906 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet read - perfect for when you want to be entertained without having to think too much.

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good grief - a love story that takes 5 books to complete? I don’t think so! If it was a deep, literary work, then perhaps - but it’s not.

This first book was so boring and predictable and totally unoriginal.

I didn’t like the character of Ava and eventually I gave up and skimmed (what was already a short book) and then gave up in disgust when I realised that the story was to be continued.

Sorry, but this is not my cup of tea.

[Nola Arganbright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent contemporary romance

A beautifully written book. Ava receives a message from her fiance, just 6 weeks before her wedding, that he can't go through with the wedding. Everything is cancelled but the honeymoon and Ava decides to take the trip to Italy to find peace for her pain.
Great well developed characters, a strong storyline and soothing romance.

[Eldarwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book starts off on a terrible premise - terrible for the main character, I mean, because her stupid man dumps her, over the phone, on New Year's Eve while she's home sick, six weeks before the wedding.

The idea to not cancel the honeymoon and instead go on the trip by herself was actually not a bad one and I was hoping for this to unfold quite nicely. It was going to be a predictable story for sure, but sometimes that's quite alright.

However, Ava is a mess of a character. And so is her mother. Neither are properly developed and there is a lot of going back and forth on what they're both saying. First the mum tells her to go and that it would be good for her, but somewhere down the line, the mother is constantly worried sick and calling Ava a million times a day. Uhm.. ok.

Both the main characters, Ava and Nico, have no clear personality. They're constantly fluctuating and their thoughts are so muddled that I sometimes wondered if the author really knew what she wanted to do. The changes in mood are too abrupt, the lines of thinking make mountain racing seem like a Sunday drive. One moment they're thinking and doing one thing, the other they're doing the complete opposite.

Don't get me wrong, conflict and confusion are all nice and well but it has to make sense. At least somehow. A tiny little bit. Preferably. There was just a lot missing in between, as though the author had written a general outline of what she wanted to do and then just never went back to fill in all the blank spaces.

The one time I really liked Nico was when he told Ava he didn't think she'd be such a drama queen, because oh my gosh, that was exactly what she was!! And a hypocrite. For someone holding back information (or secrets as Ava likes to call everything people might not want to display publicly) herself, she sure gets in a huff when Nico doesn't lay all of his life and past out in front of her right away.

What I did enjoy in the book were some of the descriptions and settings.

For the rest, meh.
1.5 stars

[Shamima · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received a free copy of this book for honest reviews**

5/5 stars.
Great character development.
You really see the heroine grow as the story continues on and the relationship between her and the hero grows naturally. Its not forced or described for the author but its something the reader picks up on as they continue reading the book.
Responses are realistic.
Of course this is a romance book and some of the situations need to be taken with a grain of salt but I liked how the heroine remained true to herself and questioned her feelings and the hero's motives as they went along. It made the characters seem more real and showed that they weren't perfect.
Other mentions:
~This is a feel-good story; won't cause undue heartache.
~Not a standalone book; its part of a series but it doesn't cut off with an annoying cliffhanger.
~ITS FREE; if you subscribe to Lily Zante's newsletter you get this book (as well as others) for free.

I can see this being a great summer vacation/spring break read. Did I mention its free? Seriously. Go get your copy and read it :)

[Diana Hockley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Ms Zante, I have now been to a small part of a country I always wanted to visit, gorgeous Italy. I enjoyed the well-written descriptions of the countryside.

I enjoyed this light, pleasant read. The characters are charming without being over the top, there is no screaming, rampant sex which goes on for page after page(which makes a change)and the ending is satisfactory - of course!

A nice afternoon read - could have been a little longer - and good fun :)
________________________________________

[C Jia Ming · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm all up for some jilted bride action. There just wasn't much kick to it. Wanted to give it a 4 stars but I'm pretty sure there are better books out there that deserves that 4. Still loved this book tho!! <3
-
I really wanted to know what happens during Ava and Nico's honeymoon in book 2 but I can't freaking read it cos it's freakish kindle edition -.-

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Honeymoon for One" was a good book for the beach. It's a little sad and a bit hopeful. Nico and Ava have a bit of sadness to their background ... a good amount of drama too. I love that Ms. Zante creates stories that are on the shorter side, mostly feel good stories too. I'll definitely be picking up the second installment int he Honeymoon series.

[Chrissie · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 ✨

[Cindy Caron · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute story! Fall in love all over again with this wonderful story from Lily Zante. Already feeling like death warmed over, struggling with a flu and high fever, Ava wakes up on the couch as the New Year countdown is in progress on the television, alone and wondering where her fiance is. When she finally manages to call him, after wishing him a happy new year, he blurts out that he can't go through with it. When asked with what? he replies the wedding. The wedding that is supposed to happen in six weeks. He's not in love with her anymore. Unable to comprehend or say anything, she hangs up and falls back asleep, thanks to the medication she took. When she wakes up the next morning, she realizes it's wasn't a nightmare, and slowly tries to put her life back together, while cancelling all the wedding, except the honeymoon. She's decided that she needs a break from her friends and family, and as the trip is already paid for, she might as well go and try to enjoy herself, after all, Italy was always a dream destination for her. Nico has just finished dropping his father off at the airport, and is picking up some signs that their hotel manager forgot there, when the most beautiful woman he's seen literally runs into him. She looks sad and tired, and the airline have lost her luggage, so when she mistakes him for the hotel driver, he plays the game and delivers her to the hotel. But, for some reason, she doesn't know who his is, and for once in his life, he isn't the rich playboy that all of the women are trying to trap, and he like the feeling that he could be liked for himself and not his money or prestige of his family. Can these two find love after all of the reasons to stop believing they've recently experienced? Perhaps this trip will prove it's worth for Ava and Nico after all, even though it hasn't started off too well.
A great story that leaves us hanging slightly from a hilltop, and totally looking forward to reading more from this couple....can't wait.

[Timothy Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. The overall story of the book is about Ava Ramirez who was dumped just weeks before her Valentine's Day Wedding and on New Year's Eve of all nights. And she had to call him only to have him dump her. What a Dirt Bag. The story about how she copes with this situation and the new love she finds. However there is another story inside the overall theme of the book. It is the story of Nico Cazale. He is the one that makes Ava forget all about her dirt bag fiancé. However he has his own issues that he has been dealing with. In the past he had been sort of a Playboy of sorts. However after the death of his Mother he is trying to leave that lifestyle behind and be more responsible. He is trying to prove himself to his Father and he is having a difficult time making his Father and others believe that. He is hoping to take over the Hotel/Resort business from his Father. His Father has agreed to give him two years. But still he is having to work real hard to ensure that his Father does that. And he has had his issues with love interests as well.

The book is very well written. The pace of the book is good and all though there is a cliff hanger I think you could leave it there and feel good about the book; but I want to find out what happens next so I plan to read the next book in the series very soon.

To me this would make a real good Hallmark story. I would watch it.

[Lisa McBrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It's really a shame the sequels are not currently available. My only complaint, and why I can only give this 4 stars, is that the main premise is one that has been overused in Romance & Chick Lit lately. Nico is yet ANOTHER millionaire businessman who keeps his identity a secret from Ava, a vounerable woman who's in Italy on her solo honeymoon after her jerky fiancee dumps her 6 weeks before their wedding...on New Year's Eve...when she is sick alone in her dumpy apartment with the flu!!! NICE!!! Luckily for Ms. Zane she did not rest on cliche, she crafted a wonderful story full of mishaps, misunderstandings, and a few heartwarming moments in locales people like me can only dream about. Thankfully, there is no immediate HEA! I would have been all over it if there was. It's just too bad that for now, I won't get to experience the next stage in Ava & Nico's adventure. Just a note: When you guys post 1-3 star reviews over stupid stuff or just to use Nook for chat or sexting, you drive down the seller's overall rating. The result is that BN or Amazon discontinues books or refuses to sell sequels or new titles by the authors you lowball. That means honest reviewers or people who actually like these people don't get the chance to read their works. So in a sense, your immaturity RUINS it for everyone. Stop it!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first read by Lily Zante and I will read more of her books. I really enjoyed this book as it was interesting, exciting and about Italy which is one place I’ve visited and love.

The story is about some women, Ava, who’s wedding is canceled because he decides he doesn’t think he loves her. So she cancels everything except the honeymoon and decides to go on her own to Italy. When she arrives, the person she thinks is the driver but really the son of the owner of the hotel she’s to stay at, Nico, is there and offers her a ride to the hotel. She finds him attractive and attentive and he finds it great to find someone who doesn’t really know who he is. The story goes on about her stay in Verona with Nico showing her the sights around town and their feelings of desire for each other undeniable. The author makes you want to visit Italy with the descriptions of the area. She also does a wonderful job of describing the characters to make them real. But Robin just got dumped and Nico’s in Italy. Does she really need to get in a dead-end relationship and for Nico, does he want to get involved with someone who isn’t sticking around? Well, maybe love might have something else to say about it.

I was slightly disappointed with the ending because it left you hanging and have to read the next book. That’s not always a good thing.

[Babs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ava is dumped by her fiancé' before their Valentine weeding he doesn't love her anymore and has been sleeping with someone else. Devastated she cancels all the wedding plans with the help of her sister. She does however keep one thing, her honeymoon plans. Why not go to Italy and forget what happened? She shows up to the airport and the driver ( Nico ) or so she thinks, from the hotel is there to pick her up.

Nico is captivated by this woman Ava and wants to make her happy. He drops her off at the hotel and orders her some clothes as her luggage was left behind but would arrive sometime the next day. He wants her stay to be nice as he could see she was upset over something.

During the time Ava as at the hotel Nico takes her where she needs to go and offers new places to visit. He also helps with her business. Ava is falling for Nico but knows he is holding back.

The book was good I liked reading it. Editing needs to be done more on this book. The Cliffhanger was for the series but it was a bit of a let down. I will read book 2 as I would like to see what happens.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Zante hit a home-run for me on this one. I needed a little bit of romance today and this book was exactly that.

Ava is engaged and planning her wedding. With 6 weeks left, she is sick and Connor is supposed to visit her. Instead, he leaves her worrying about him and goes to a party. Think that's inconsiderate? That's not all he does. When Ava calls him worried about his safety, he is at a party and breaks up with her over the phone. The nerve of some guys, right? Too bad this is a sad reality for some women. They date men who don't have a compassionate bone in their bodies.

Ava is left heartbroken as she cancels all the wedding plans. There is one thing left to cancel: the honeymoon. She decides to go on the honeymoon by herself. Go girl!! Italy, hot Italian guys and lots of tourist attractions to see- sign me up!

This book was full of romance, heartbreak and so much more. This book left me wanting to go to Italy myself. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ava Ramirez has been dumped by her fiancé weeks before the wedding date. So it was quite bold that she decided to go on her honeymoon anyways. Well, who wouldn’t? A trip to Italy? I’m SO there!

But it’s true though: You don’t need a man to validate you.

Ah, vacation in Italy. Yay!

Unfortunately, her vacation doesn’t start off so well: horrible flight, lost luggage, and a rude driver from the hotel. But Nico is not quite the hotel’s driver. In fact, he’s the hotel owner’s son. Good-looking and rich? Oh, yeah! I mean, who doesn’t dream of landing a rich, Italian lover?

I enjoyed the landscapes of Italy (Verona, Venice) as well as the love story between Ava and Nico. A simple and clean story.

[Judi Easley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite good! A bride dumped just weeks before her wedding, goes on the honeymoon by herself. Well, why the heck not?! Take a vacation and get away from your problems for awhile. It's already paid for and all you have to do is go and have a great time. Right? Well, you could if the airline hadn't started things off on the wrong foot by losing your luggage so that you landed in beautiful Italy with only the clothes you're wearing. At least the hotel was good enough to send a driver, so you can get some sleep. Can't you? Didn't they? What's really going on on this vacation? Read this first book and find out! I think I'll go get the second book and find out what happens next in Honeymoon for Three.

[Mrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Romantic, Very Nicely Done; A Quick Read

This enjoyable romance was well written, light, mellow, and an easy to read distraction. I wanted a change of pace from thrillers or deeper reading. The scenery of Italy was not very detailed but gave a very nice feel to the story. It was satisfying to have the ending resolve the plot. There were a few errors in wording but otherwise great editing, making the reading experience enjoyable. I liked it well enough to be interested in what happens next, but I'm not sure her writing style will smooth out enough to make the sequel worthwhile. There was too much recap and explaining, as if this was a series with installments and we would forget from one chapter to the next what it was about. A nice diversion anyway.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying that this is a short beach read. It reminds me of the Harlequin short stories. The main character is Ava. It starts out with her at home sick on New Years Eve, only to have her fiancé missing. She calls him and wishes him a " Happy New Year ", and he answers her by telling her that he can't marry her. They were suppose to marry 6 weeks later on Valentine's Day. She goes on her honeymoon by herself after canceling everything else. It may have been predictable, but it was a nice little story. The ending was a little rushed and could have made the book much better had it been fleshed out.

[Mary Roya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this story very entraining. I enjoyed Ava's heart break and how brave she was to go on the honeymoon for one. Nico, he appears as I would think a rich Italian would act. I did like how he changed to be with Ava.

The one thing I didn't like was that Ava allow him to change her mind about places to go. If she wanted to see that leaning tower building or Milan then she should have gone.

The story didn't really end as cliffhanger, however it left it open for more. So I did like that. The next two books are out so that is a plus. I hate waiting and waiting and waiting. Although I do know the creative process can be slow.

Good read.

[Kayla Willemkens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Italian romance

In the effort to escape her heartbreaking break up with her fiancé, Ava embarks on what was to be her honeymoon in Verona and Venice, Italy. There she enjoys the beauty that Italy has to offer, which of course includes the ever so handsome son of her hotel's owner, Nico. As much as they enjoy their time together they both have secrets they are hiding.
I liked this book. It wasn't mushy romance yet it was a sweet story and enjoyable, although I was hoping for more description of her surroundings as I love Italia. I'm going to read book #2 and probably the 3rd once it's released.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite an entertaining work by Lily Zante and I really enjoyed reading it. Ava finds herself dumped by her fiance only a few weeks before the scheduled wedding. Devastated and needing a much required break she decides to stick to the original plan and goes on her honeymoon ... alone. And that's when things become interesting.

I liked the chemistry between Nico and Ava. I also liked Lily's writing style. There was room for improvement but the story is light and engaging and you tend to go with the flow, even if it disrupts a couple of places. Overall a good story and worth the time.

[Megan Fields · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story, but would have loved it to be longer. The characters were relatable and the story romantic, but I'd have liked more and would have liked there to have been a sex scene. I know it's not all about the sex but when you connect with the story and the characters and are hoping for a HEA you want the sex lol

There were some grammatical errors in this book, which I'm surprised at as they should've been caught at the editing stage. I know that no book is perfect though and it doesn't detract from the story.

I like Lily Zante and look forward to reading more of her work

[Caro · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a slow moving book. I got this as a freebie. For some reason this book felt kinda like it dragged along. The characters were ok and their personalities were good, but overall the whole book just felt a little bland to me. Kinda like pancakes without the butter or syrup. This is part of a series but I'm honestly not going to read the rest of the books. I think this was written correctly and it flowed pretty well, but I just couldn't get into the characters. There's definitely potential and maybe I just like more fast-paced reading, but I'd consider this a just-ok book. Good Luck

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

My First Book by Lily Zante

Ava is alone and sick on New Years Day when her fiancée tells her their Valentine's Day wedding is off. After canceling all the wedding plans except the honeymoon, Ava decides to go alone to Verona, The City of Love. Arriving at the airport she meets Nico. His attraction to Ava is instant but she thinks he is just the hotel driver. He actually is the hotel owners son. A Honeymoon For One is a must read! This is my first book by Lily Zante, but it won't be my last. Enjoy the Honeymoon Series!

[Tracey Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm surprised at some of the bad reviews for this book. It really wasn't that awful. I've enjoyed some other titles by this author and thought I'd get this since it was in Kindle Unlimited. I enjoyed the story and yes, it was a little unbelievable but that's what this kind of book is supposed to be isn't it?

My only complaint was the cliffhanger ending. I felt like there was a bit more story that should have been in this volume. I'm far more likely to read subsequent volumes if each book is a really decent read on its own.