Undercover Honeymoon: A spicy and hilarious enemies-to-lovers escapist beach read!

by Jo Watson

The next hilarious action rom-com from the author of Love at First Flight, perfect for fans of The Fall Guy and Mr and Mrs Smith.


💖 Fake Dating
💖 Rivals-to-lovers
💖 Action rom-com
💖 Forced proximity
💖 Second-chance romance
💖 Gorgeous holiday read


When Lizzie is hired as a Private Investigator to look into a cheating spouse, the last person she expects to run into is Cam, her ex - who she dated for a grand total of 6 hours - and the reason she left the Police Academy.

Something Lizzie definitely isn't still bitter about it.

Cam, while investigating a man for money laundering, once again finds himself on the opposing side to Lizzie, his old flame. As their searches takes them to the romantic and glamorous Seychelles, the pair are forced to masquerade as a honeymooning couple in love to cover their tracks.

When they find themselves caught up in a criminal conspiracy bigger than they expected, Lizzie and Cam must pretend to a loving couple to get off the island alive - but as old feelings resurface, are they really just playing the part?
_______________

Reader's can't get enough of Jo's books!

'If this doesn't speak romcom perfection I don't know what does!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Wow! This book would make THE most amazing romantic movie' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'OMG!!! I absolutely love, LOVE, LOVED this absolutely gorgeous book!!! I must say it has got to be one of the best romances I have ever read!!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'A laugh-out-loud novel with unique and realistic characters' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Why haven't I heard of Jo Watson before?!! Such a brilliant read and one that totally and utterly broke my star rating system!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Genres: Fake Dating

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 28, 2026

About the author

Best selling author of romantic comedies and young adult fiction

Reviews

[Dab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, no drama and no third-act breakup, what more can a girl ask for?

Lizzy and Cam were rivals in college. There was always chemistry between them, but they only acted on it after graduation. Unfortunately, their truce lasted only a few hours. A misunderstanding occurred, she stormed out, and they haven’t spoken since.

Now, six years later, they have to pretend to be engaged to speed up a criminal investigation.

My overall impression of this book is that it’s very simple and very light—perfect for reading on a tropical island, sipping a piña colada by the pool, which is exactly what I’ve been doing for the past two days 💅

The dynamic between Lizzy and Cam was very intense: they wrestled a lot, there was plenty of verbal sparring, and it always felt like they might either jump at each other’s throats—or start kissing.

Lizzy is portrayed as the one with trust and commitment issues, but I didn’t get the impression that she pushed him away that much. And if she did, he wasn’t giving up on her, which was very sweet. I absolutely adore heroes who don’t allow third-act breakups.

I’m not giving it five stars because it could use a little more depth, but I’d still recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

[Tia]

DNF @ 25%
Unfortunately this one was not for me, I just couldn’t get into the writing (bit clunky) and I really didn’t like the FMC - I found her to be so annoying 😅 she mentioned her big strong shoulders like 5 times in the first quarter of the book, plus she drives a muscle car and she doesn’t wear dresses, she’s obviously not like other girls okay!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Victoria | vicysboktips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Headline Eternal for a review copy of the book. All opinions are my own 😊

This book had a super fun romance. I loved the dynamic with the grumpy x sunshine vibes and I love a flirty mmc. The banter was hilarious and I really liked their bickering and competitiveness. Though at one point I became annoying at the fmc and her inner monologue because in one moment she wants him and in the next she talks herself out of it. It’s just very back and forth and not something I enjoy. I also did not like the diary-like entries from the mmc at the end of some of the chapters. Either have a double pov book so he gets his own interesting story to tell with some depth to it or drop it. I don’t need to hear his thoughts all the time which is basically only wanting the fmc. I already know that from his actions and the things he says to her. It became very repetitive and unnecessary in my opinion.

The plot also sounded super intriguing but unfortunately didn’t live up to my expectations. I liked the first 50% when the two main characters found themselves in funny positions and loved their rival dynamic and the setup for fake dating. But then from 50-90% ish nothing exciting relating to the investigation happened. Almost all the focus was on the main characters relationship. And then when things finally went down again around 88% it was over in a heartbeat and everything solved way too quickly and easily. I found myself spending longer on the last half and not wanting to pick it up as much even though I hoped something would happen soon. I really liked the assassin and he should have been more present. I would have liked to know how funny he was before the very end! I especially loved “Now hop, my little bunnies, hop” 🤣

So while I loved the couple in this book to a certain degree, I’m just disappointed it wasn’t more investigative and exiting. I feel the balance between those two aspects were not good. And the book itself felt very repetitive and back and forth.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ meets ‘Just Go With It’ in this romantic comedy with an undercover twist.

‘This dance is a bit Mr & Mrs Smith of us, don’t you think?’ he asked. ‘What does that even mean?’ ‘Mr & Mrs Smith. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie. The movie!’

Lizzy and Cam were rivals at the academy, briefly lovers and then back to enemies. When Lizzy goes to an exotic beach resort to do a job (she’s a private investigator) she doesn’t expect to find Cam there. And he’s after the same man. To make matters even worse, so is the mafia. So the only solution is for them to fake being fiancés so as to avoid detection and save their skin. With them it’s always a competition - who will come out on top this time?

“I’d only ever felt that way about one person in my entire life, but it had been incredibly short-lived, and now all I felt for Cam was hatred. Intense, searing hatred. In fact, if there was a word that meant more than just ‘hate’, I needed it to describe the depth of my feelings for the infuriating Cameron Anderson.”

He broke her trust years ago and ruined what they could’ve been. She never wanted to see him again and she can hold a grudge! He’s desperate for a second chance - to fix the mistakes he made all those years ago and he’s not letting her get away again.

“It felt like I’d been handed a second chance, gift-wrapped and laid out for me on the shiniest silver platter imaginable. There was no way I was going to let her go again this time. No matter how hard she fought it.”

I loved the tension between them! The way they argued added so much coal to the fire. And let me tell you - that fire was hot!! I was surprised by the spice in this, but in no way disappointed. This was a very spicy read!

Overall a fun romantic comedy with a twist - the perfect holiday read!

ARC copy provided by Headline Books & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lizzy Brown is a professional private investigator. Is your husband cheating? She'll find out about it!
So when THE Sharaz Venter hires her to catch her husband red-handed with a mistress, Lizzy never expected to see HIM again. Cameron. The guy who betrayed her... and now he wants to work with her? No way. Never gonna happen! Right?!

OH MY GOODNESS!
Undercover Honeymoon by Jo Watson was absolutely HILARIOUS, and I'd recommend it as the perfect summer read. ☀️🍹

Lizzy is such a badass woman! She's tough, sarcastic, and not the girl next door. Feelings? Nope. Not interested. And especially when it comes to Cameron!
Ooooh, Cam. He is the police guy who got the job she wanted... and deserved. He's such a sweet guy! I loved to get his POV as well and get to know more about his intentions.

So, 6 years later, they meet again. On a romantic island. To find out more about this guy, Victor, who’s got plenty of skeletons in the cupboard.
And speaking of cupboard. 🤭🤭🤭🤭 IYKYK.

Well, it'd be better to investigate as a fake couple so they won't get caught. Yeah, Lizzy isn't that happy about it, but she's also really ambitious, and so they've an arrangement. 🤝
Awwwwww! I LOVE THIS TROPE! ❤️ Fake marriage! PERFECT!
From the moment they meet again, the sparks fly! EVERYWHERE! 💖💖💖
I couldn't stop myself from laughing and swooning SO HARD! 🫠🤣🫠🤣🫠😅
Lizzy and Cam absolutely have this black cat and golden retriever kind of vibe, and I enjoyed every moment of their interactions!

There's so much humour, but also attraction, emotions galore, and some unexpected depth!
I absolutely loved the story of Lizzy and Cam! ☀️🤗❤️‍🔥💃🍹

Thanks a lot to Jo Watson and Headline Eternal for this ARC via NetGalley.
This is my honest review in my own words.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book a lot, and it felt a bit different, definitely a bit more high stakes than other Jo Watson books, which I was totally there for.

Lizzy is in the Seychelles, as a private investigator trying to prove that Victor is cheating. The last thing she expects is to end up in a closet with her kind of ex, but definitely nemesis Cam, who it turns out is on the island to investigate Victor on behalf of financial crime team. What is very clear is that Lizzy and Cam have some chemistry, and that they both love to win.

They also had a 6 hour "relationship" many years ago which went sour just as fast, when Lizzy comes across something and fails to believe Cam. But yet they are now both trying to do the same sort of thing, and have realised the best way to get close to their target is to pretend to be in a fake relationship. It's also to try to detract attention from the Mafia man who is also on the island, attempting to get to Victor, but could potentially wish to harm Lizzy and Cam.

I always love any sort of fake dating type stories, and seeing Lizzy so far out of her comfort zone in so many ways was something I came to relish. And I loved the dynamics between this pair too.

Between getting to see some fabulous sights on the island, doing some great activities and trying to discover the truth there is plenty to love about this book. And I thoroughly enjoyed everything, although some of the sex was perhaps a tad rough for my own personal preferences!

Thank you to Headline Eternal and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Megan Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Undercover Honeymoon was an overall fun read and I enjoyed it.

I loved that the main characters where different from the "standard". Our MFC is a strong independent woman, personality wise and physically. Trained by the Police academy, very proficient in jiu jitsu and an avid rugby player, this girl is a powerhouse with a hatred for cheats and law breakers. So when the next job sends her to a tropical island to catch a cheater, she needs to swap out her practical pants and sneakers for stringy bikinis and sandals, what could possibly go wrong.

Then enters our MMC, a true blast from her past in the form of her Police academy rival and the only one who has been able to even get a glimpse of her heart. He is even more well built then she remembers, more infuriating, and defiantly more distracting which is not a good combination in her line of work. Through in 2 separate missions, 1 target, some diamonds and a (slightly under-represented) assassin, it is a recipe for a fun time.

Their banter is so funny and the constant competitiveness is sizzling. So many of my favourite tropes in one book (Fake Dating, Rivals-to-lovers, Forced proximity, Second-chance romance, Grumpy-and-Sunshine) with hilarious side characters!

You can see Jo started as a Screen Writer because this book is movie ready!

Thanks for giving me a chance to read and review this ARC Jo

[Marta thebookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

Thank you so much to headline eternal for kindly gifting me this book! 🫶🏻

WOW… this book was hot, hilarious and so entertaining from beginning to end. I loved how adventurous and seriously addictive it was too. I couldn’t put it down once I got started.

Lizzy is a fierce, capable private investigator who knows exactly what she wants and how to handle herself. She is powerful in her own right, but underneath that strength she struggles to trust others or let people get close to her. She keeps her walls high and doesn’t really believe in real love, which makes her emotional journey really compelling to watch as things unfold.

Cam who is playful, cocky, smooth and ridiculously flirty is a policeman and honestly… these two were PERFECT for each other even while driving each other absolutely insane 😅 Lizzy tried so hard to resist him, but the tension between them was unreal. He saw the real her right from the start. Their chemistry was electric from the beginning. The banter? Elite. The teasing? Constant. The bickering had me giggling so many times 😂

These two often had each other in chokeholds, pinned positions and wrestling situations, all thanks to their training of course 👀And the yearning !?…in was EVERYTHING.

I also loved getting Cam’s POV at the end of chapters because it showed his real feelings beneath all the teasing and honestly made him even more lovable. Seeing his devotion and hidden softness towards Lizzy was a highlight.

And can we talk about the assassin for a second?! 😭😂 Dangerous, yes. Unhinged, absolutely. But also weirdly funny and iconic. „Now hop, my little bunnies, hop” genuinely took me out .💀 The investigation itself was really interesting and I just wished the high stakes danger and action had lasted a little longer because I was having so much fun with the suspense.

Overall this was such a fun, fast-paced and steamy read that had me smiling, giggling and fully invested in Lizzy and Cameron’s friendship. Watching their fake relationship slowly break down their walls and bring all those old feelings back to life was so satisfying 🥹

@marta_thebookworm

[Booksushi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me on a rollercoaster of feelings, laughing at the characters antics, swooning over their romantic moments and just the anticipation of will they or wont they...

Jo Watson has such a unique way of making her characters totally unhinged but in the best way possible. I struggled to put this book down as I just needed to know what happens next.

We meet Lizzy who is a Private Investigator and she has been tasked to follow up on a local celebrity's husband to see if he is cheating...but the issue is...it is in the Seychelles, honeymoon destination! This throws Lizzy off as it puts her out of her comfort zone but just as she thinks she is onto something, her ex/blast from the past shows up and it seems he is on a similar mission.

Antics ensue now that Cam is on the scene, it messes with Lizzy in a big way as there is so much that is unresolved between them. A huge misunderstanding that has affected the last 6 years of their lives. But now they have to be fake engaged in order to dig further into the case... but lines are being blurred and what is supposed to be fake isnt so fake after all...

If you are looking for a fun, light-hearted read, then this is just the one for you!

[Marie-Hélène · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lizzy and Cam used to be the biggest rivals at the police academy six years ago, striving for the top spot and the fast route to detective, until one night, all their tension came to a climax - and subsequently everything fell apart. Not having seen each other since, they both built out a wonderful career, and Lizzy is now a renowned Private Investigator, on a case to figure out if another husband is cheating. When she arrives on the private island in the Seychelles, she realises Cam is there too - investigating the same man, for different reasons. Things happen and they have to pretend to be lovers in order to both save their respective covers, and luckily the chemistry is still there - but so is the hurt.

I really enjoyed the suspense in this book. The tension between Lizzy and Cam is undeniable, and I really wanted them to work together to fuck over Victor, because he’s a garbage human. On the other hand, Lizzy quite irritated me with her ‘not like other girls’-rhetoric about quite literally everything. The side characters and certain happenings in this book did make me laugh out loud, but Cam and Lizzy didn’t do it for me.

[Vee G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOOOOOVED IT!
It was full of BANTER, TEASING, and HUMOUR. I had the BEST time reading this story. Lizzy and Cam were constantly trying to outdo each other, and I absolutely loved the ridiculous lengths they went to just to have the upper hand. Their tactics, the competitiveness, the chaos — EVERYTHING was entertaining.

Lizzy’s POV was basically:
Why is Cam here? Why does he look so good? How do I get back at him? Why do I still love him? I hate him so much. I want to kill him. Also… why does he look so good?
She went through every possible emotion when it came to Cam, and it was glorious to witness.
Meanwhile, Cam’s POV was just him trying to figure out how to tell Lizzy he loves her without completely ruining everything (again), and honestly? His poetic, emotionally messy thoughts had my whole heart.
AND THE CHEMISTRY??? SIZZLING.

I also loved how they constantly ended up in situations where one had the other in a chokehold. Physical fighting as their love language was truly chef’s kiss. Their dynamic was chaotic, intense, hilarious, and somehow unbelievably romantic all at once.
I had an AMAZING time with this book. I absolutely devoured it.

[Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had everything I’d like on paper but it didn’t really work for me. I did enjoy the suspens part of it - the detective work and Lizzie and Cameron working together to solve their cases was quite fun, creating lots of laughable situations, but I would say it stayed quite light.

Unfortunately, I just didn’t enjoy the characters. Lizzie was just very displeasing for most of the book, starting with her strong “I’m not like other girls” vibes by emphasising that she liked fast cars, enjoying sports and is soooo muscular, she doesn’t like animals or kids, never wears dresses or make-up and just repeats how men react to her because she’s such a non-feminine person with non-usual hobbies, and like yeah we get it, you’re so different… Cam was better, but honestly not so interesting either. The way they were fighting each other was a bit funny at first but they kept going and it got old really fast.

*I received an ARC of this book, this is my honest opinion*

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book, in exchange for my honest review:

3 stars! ⭐️

The premise of this book was so promising, but unfortunately I couldn’t really connect with the story. I found the FMC quite annoying to be honest. The whole dynamic between the two main characters felt a little weird to me, with their fighting all the time. Like I get the idea, but it didn’t really hit how it was supposed to. The story also felt a little slow at first.
Normally I love dual POV, but I found the parts from Cams perspective at the end of each chapter a little irritating, they didn’t really fit with the rest.

So unfortunately this was only a 3 star read for me. Although, I did enjoy the vacation part and the investigation part of the story and found these quite enjoyable and fun!

[Andrea Hancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was an entertaining read that provided many laughs, however something about it missed thel mark for me.
The FMC and MMC are extremely competitive (I know that's their thing), but the constant back-and-forth and playing games with each other did get a bit tiresome.
There are chapters that flash back to the past every now and then, so be aware of the time jumps. Each chapter is told from the FMCs point of view, and ends off with a "diary entry" style from the MMC. I quite liked this take rather than the more traditional dual POV chapters (although I do like those too!).
Overall, this book was enjoyable. Thank you to Jo Watson, and the Pen To Platform team for providing me with this ARC copy!

💓 Undercover Honeymoon will be officially be in the wild from 28 May 2026!

[tallie (◕‿◕✿) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dunno.. just didn't hit as much as it could?! Like I Wanted to like it so badly but it felt flat...

I really didn't like Lizzy at all.. she was borderline exhausted and while I get ( not 6 years worth of struggle) her bad feelings for Cam.. her whole i hate you vibe for the whole book exhausted me.

And Cam .. honestly how little do you like yourself?! If my ex/ not ex would be rude to me the whole time?! I wouldn't even want a second chance..


Still thanlful to netgalley for this arc, but it really wasn't for me

[Samantha Fenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to be given an ARC of this story.
Cam and Lizzy
The banter, the sarcastic comments and the attitude between these two is so moreish.
I ate it all up and just kept craving more of it.
It is fiery and keeps you on your toes.
It is the epitome of Rom-com, it had me giggling and smirking ALOT.
I have read every book that Jo Watson has released and they just keep getting better and better.
An easy 5 stars from me!

[Balthazarinblue · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I was all in on Lizzy from the start. She's giving Sandra Bullock 'Miss Congeniality' at her most hostile. She even gets a makeover montage! But it took me awhile to warm up to the story as a whole. This has a very exposition heavy opening that made it a bit of an uphill slog. Once we got to the Seychelles and the hijinks began to ensue, I had fun with it!

UNDERCOVER HONEYMOON is spicy and silly, with moments of genuine emotion.

[Harps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lizzy is a private investigator who runs her own business and gets hired to catch cheating spouses. Cam, a long-lost acquaintance, is in the middle of a money laundering case, and they both end up in the Seychelles. In a romantic and glamorous setting, they have to put their differences aside and work together to catch the same guy.

I liked Cam, I thought he was genuinely trying, whereas Lizzy had her guard up a lot more and was a little frustrating at times. The moment Lizzy realised Cam was on the island too was really funny, and from there the flirty banter started.

The whole investigation side of things was a bit meh for me, but I wasn’t expecting a super deep plot considering it’s a romcom. It was a little predictable, but still a really enjoyable read that gives you that escapist Seychelles island vibe.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy.

[Aroosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review incoming!!!

First of all, thank you to Headline Books for the early copy!!!

But all I can say is that this book had me in all the feels, and CAM IS THE STANDARD!! To be obsessed by a man like Cam is the dream 😍

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Another great holiday romance with humour and heart.