What do you think?
Rate this book
Someone Else's Honeymoon
Perfect for fans of Jo Watson, Mhairi McFarlane and Portia MacIntosh.
When Charley finds herself suddenly single on Christmas Day, it feels like her world has fallen apart.
Forced to move back in with her parents, she embarks on a journey of re-invention. When she meets Ed, who is on honeymoon alone after being jilted at the altar by a bride he's never met, it looks like her life may be taking a turn for the better.
Fate, however, has other ideas, and she and Ed are forced apart.
Will she find her way back to him, or are they just not meant to be?
When Charley finds herself suddenly single on Christmas Day, it feels like her world has fallen apart.
Forced to move back in with her parents, she embarks on a journey of re-invention. When she meets Ed, who is on honeymoon alone after being jilted at the altar by a bride he's never met, it looks like her life may be taking a turn for the better.
Fate, however, has other ideas, and she and Ed are forced apart.
Will she find her way back to him, or are they just not meant to be?
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2020
997 people are currently reading
1643 people want to read
About the author
Phoebe MacLeod
30 books409 followersPhoebe MacLeod is married and lives just outside Sevenoaks in Kent. She has two grown-up sons at university, and a disobedient dog. She enjoys reading, cooking, playing the piano and walking the dog. She’s also keen on vintage and classic cars and can often be seen behind the wheel of her own classic - a 1928 Ford Model A.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 539 reviews
July 16, 2022
When Charley becomes single and thus homeless on Christmas Day, she’s forced to move in with her parents, who are kind enough to invite her on their trip to Antigua. She inadvertently sits on a beach chair meant for newlyweds, but the man who takes the other seat was stood up at the altar. Ed suggests that Charley join him for the activities meant for him his new bride like windsurfing and waterskiing.
In terms of escapist fiction, this is cute enough, but unless I missed that this was set a while ago, it feels dated. Flight attendants are called stewardesses, and some of the jokes about things like online dating are worn out and not fresh.
I never felt the heat between Ed and Charley. Also, Ed is a successful lawyer in his thirties, and, after college, he had only one brief fling with a woman but has only had two sexual partners in his life? I don’t care how demanding your career and the fact you’re not normally a fling sort of person—you can find the time to date.
NetGalley provided an advance copy. This romance will be RELEASED AUGUST 9, 2022 in the United States.
In terms of escapist fiction, this is cute enough, but unless I missed that this was set a while ago, it feels dated. Flight attendants are called stewardesses, and some of the jokes about things like online dating are worn out and not fresh.
I never felt the heat between Ed and Charley. Also, Ed is a successful lawyer in his thirties, and, after college, he had only one brief fling with a woman but has only had two sexual partners in his life? I don’t care how demanding your career and the fact you’re not normally a fling sort of person—you can find the time to date.
NetGalley provided an advance copy. This romance will be RELEASED AUGUST 9, 2022 in the United States.
Read
July 29, 2022DNFed at 20%
Well, this is boring AH. Though I hate DNF-ing, this once I decided to do the right thing and stop wasting my time - I can't imagine it getting any better, it never does.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Someone Else's Honeymoon by Phoebe MacLeod in exchange for an honest review.
Well, this is boring AH. Though I hate DNF-ing, this once I decided to do the right thing and stop wasting my time - I can't imagine it getting any better, it never does.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Someone Else's Honeymoon by Phoebe MacLeod in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2022
What a fun flirty story! not only does Charlie get a toothbrush for Christmas from her boyfriend of 10 years, but she also finds a pair of panties that don’t belong to her under the bed. Newly Single Charlie moves back home with her parents and reinvents herself with the help of her BFF Maddie. we all need parents like Charlie‘s who take her on a all expenses paid trip to Antigua where she meets Ed. Ed was on a reality TV show similar to Married At First Sight where things did not go to plan and he is now on his honeymoon solo. Charlie was such a great character and I loved her glow up and her friendship with Maddie. I actually wish someone in her life had told her years ago that ex-boyfriend Josh was a complete tool, she was fortunate to get out of that situation. I love the part the reality TV show played in the book, I am a complete reality trash TV fan. ed was a great guy and I was definitely rooting for things to work out between Charlie and him. this was just a sweet feel good romcom that made me smile!
*** Big thank you to Boldwood Books for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
*** Big thank you to Boldwood Books for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
July 21, 2022
2,5/5 stars
I recieved this book as an ARC and thought it might be a cute, quick and easy read and that‘s exactly what it was. The writing felt a little rushed at times and I felt like there was depth missing and the story could‘ve been better over all. But all things considered it was okay. Some things didn‘t sit right with me but at the end the book was cute. Would I recommend it? Honestly I don‘t know, I feel like you could go without reading this one.
I recieved this book as an ARC and thought it might be a cute, quick and easy read and that‘s exactly what it was. The writing felt a little rushed at times and I felt like there was depth missing and the story could‘ve been better over all. But all things considered it was okay. Some things didn‘t sit right with me but at the end the book was cute. Would I recommend it? Honestly I don‘t know, I feel like you could go without reading this one.
November 30, 2022
3.5 stars
August 19, 2022
I like this book but I didn’t love it. In my opinion, it wasn’t too different to other romance reads and I thought the writer didn’t spend enough time on the actual theme of the story – the ‘borrowed’ honeymoon.
It wasn’t until nearly half way through the book do we see Charley meeting Ed. MacLeod spent the previous time of the novel establishing Charley’s character and going to great lengths to explore her separation from her long-term boyfriend. In the lead-up to her going on holiday with her parents, I think MacLeod gives unnecessary page space to describing her going to work, shopping for new clothes, when this could have been focussed on the meeting with Ed.
The time in Antigua passes too quickly. One minute Ed and Charley are bumping into each other, the next, they are taking their newly-established relationship to the next level. Suddenly, Ed is leaving Antigua and Charley is left on holiday with her parents. In this way, I didn’t feel connected to their relationship and was not convinced by their feelings for one another. After all, they barely knew each other and were very quickly considering the next step after the holiday. It certainly felt like a speedy relationship that moved too fast to be believable.
The last third of the book was back in England and I found this section of the story to lose pace. It was not as interesting and, if I am honest, rather too predictable. I felt a bit of book ‘deja vu’ and repeated plots from similar stories in the past: satellite characters prevent new relationships from developing and the rush to reconnect with one another. Furthermore, I think the writer focussed too much on describing the reality television show that Ed is involved with, especially the other contestants. I didn’t care in the slightest about them and was frustrated that not enough attention was being paid to Ed and Charley.
I enjoyed this book for the simplicity of the plot, even if there were opportunities it could be developed. Charley is a generally likeable character, although I could not believe how out-of-touch she was with technology and found this aspect of her personality difficult to accept. Also, I think she was a bit naïve when it came to trying to connect with Ed and think she could have seen the issues, rather than allowing her best friend to get involved.
I think this book makes for a great summer read because it offers pleasant escapism. It was also a great way to cool down from a hot heatwave, considering this book starts on Christmas day! (Fear not, it was only the first few chapters set in December, there is plenty of sun that follows.) Although I was not too convinced by the main relationship, it was an easy-going read with few complications.
With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It wasn’t until nearly half way through the book do we see Charley meeting Ed. MacLeod spent the previous time of the novel establishing Charley’s character and going to great lengths to explore her separation from her long-term boyfriend. In the lead-up to her going on holiday with her parents, I think MacLeod gives unnecessary page space to describing her going to work, shopping for new clothes, when this could have been focussed on the meeting with Ed.
The time in Antigua passes too quickly. One minute Ed and Charley are bumping into each other, the next, they are taking their newly-established relationship to the next level. Suddenly, Ed is leaving Antigua and Charley is left on holiday with her parents. In this way, I didn’t feel connected to their relationship and was not convinced by their feelings for one another. After all, they barely knew each other and were very quickly considering the next step after the holiday. It certainly felt like a speedy relationship that moved too fast to be believable.
The last third of the book was back in England and I found this section of the story to lose pace. It was not as interesting and, if I am honest, rather too predictable. I felt a bit of book ‘deja vu’ and repeated plots from similar stories in the past: satellite characters prevent new relationships from developing and the rush to reconnect with one another. Furthermore, I think the writer focussed too much on describing the reality television show that Ed is involved with, especially the other contestants. I didn’t care in the slightest about them and was frustrated that not enough attention was being paid to Ed and Charley.
I enjoyed this book for the simplicity of the plot, even if there were opportunities it could be developed. Charley is a generally likeable character, although I could not believe how out-of-touch she was with technology and found this aspect of her personality difficult to accept. Also, I think she was a bit naïve when it came to trying to connect with Ed and think she could have seen the issues, rather than allowing her best friend to get involved.
I think this book makes for a great summer read because it offers pleasant escapism. It was also a great way to cool down from a hot heatwave, considering this book starts on Christmas day! (Fear not, it was only the first few chapters set in December, there is plenty of sun that follows.) Although I was not too convinced by the main relationship, it was an easy-going read with few complications.
With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2022
Favorite Quote:
...she’s generally pretty chilled, but on the rare occasions I’ve seen her riled, she’s been terrifying.
My Review:
This was a refreshingly light, whimsical, and enjoyable read from start to finish. It was easy to follow and I didn’t mind the predictability of some of the plot lines as it proved to be just what I needed. Their route was still engaging and fun while remarkably remaining upbeat and humorous despite the inevitable bumps in their road. The writing was breezy and delightfully amusing as it laced the tale together with wry humor, a best revenge break-up make-over, and a surprisingly easy holiday romance. I enjoyed these endearing characters as much as their storylines.
...she’s generally pretty chilled, but on the rare occasions I’ve seen her riled, she’s been terrifying.
My Review:
This was a refreshingly light, whimsical, and enjoyable read from start to finish. It was easy to follow and I didn’t mind the predictability of some of the plot lines as it proved to be just what I needed. Their route was still engaging and fun while remarkably remaining upbeat and humorous despite the inevitable bumps in their road. The writing was breezy and delightfully amusing as it laced the tale together with wry humor, a best revenge break-up make-over, and a surprisingly easy holiday romance. I enjoyed these endearing characters as much as their storylines.
July 15, 2022
Someone Else's Honeymoon started off really well. The whole toothbrush debacle and everything that proceeded was quite humourous and unexpected. However, I'm really just referring to the first chapter, as after that things went downhill. Everything that followed just narrated the very mundane things that the main character, Charley, did. And honestly it was quite boring. When we finally get to the part where the main love interest, Ed, comes it, almost half the book has gone by.
Speaking of love interests, I felt that there was very little connection between Ed and Charley. And there was a strong 'insta-love' vibe to their connection, which, if you know me, does not sit well with me. Another thing that bothered me is that the author just mentioned them "making love" and did not detail said love making. This in a romance book does not endear me to the book or characters. Yes, you don't want the smut to be the main story line, but the smut makes it more exciting. It is almost like a reward.
Overall, in my opinion, it was too short and lacking in character development.
I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
WARNING! POSSIBLE SPOILERS!
There were another two things that I can't resist commenting on. Firstly, the cover. It makes no sense to me. Why are there three people on the cover? I assume that one is Ed and one is Charley. Is the third person supposed to be Sarah, Ed's fiancé that left him? Is the woman in the blue swimsuit and white hat supposed to be Charley? because she looks nothing like she was described in the book. Secondly, Charley spent money like she was a millionaire. Buying a new car, a whole new wardrobe, getting her hair done, a new phone and moving into a new apartment all in a very short space of time. That just doesn't seem realistic even if she has a "nest egg".
Speaking of love interests, I felt that there was very little connection between Ed and Charley. And there was a strong 'insta-love' vibe to their connection, which, if you know me, does not sit well with me. Another thing that bothered me is that the author just mentioned them "making love" and did not detail said love making. This in a romance book does not endear me to the book or characters. Yes, you don't want the smut to be the main story line, but the smut makes it more exciting. It is almost like a reward.
Overall, in my opinion, it was too short and lacking in character development.
I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
WARNING! POSSIBLE SPOILERS!
There were another two things that I can't resist commenting on. Firstly, the cover. It makes no sense to me. Why are there three people on the cover? I assume that one is Ed and one is Charley. Is the third person supposed to be Sarah, Ed's fiancé that left him? Is the woman in the blue swimsuit and white hat supposed to be Charley? because she looks nothing like she was described in the book. Secondly, Charley spent money like she was a millionaire. Buying a new car, a whole new wardrobe, getting her hair done, a new phone and moving into a new apartment all in a very short space of time. That just doesn't seem realistic even if she has a "nest egg".
August 7, 2022
Someone Else’s Honeymoon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 8/9/22
Author: Phoebe MacLeod
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Pages: 231
Goodreads Rating: 2.96
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Boldwood Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: When Charley finds herself suddenly single on Christmas Day it feels like her world has fallen apart. Forced to move back in with her parents, she embarks on a journey of re-invention. When she meets Ed, who is on honeymoon alone after being jilted at the altar by a bride he's never met, it looks like her life may be taking a turn for the better. Fate, however, has other ideas, and she and Ed are forced apart. Will she find her way back to him, or are they just not meant to be?
My Thoughts: I thought this was a cute quick read. This had mixed reviews, so I went in blind and I am glad that I did. The mixed reviews was surprising to me because I thought this was a great cute read. The story is narrated by Charley, from her perspective. The characters were well developed, they had witty banter, there was an instant connection between Charley and Ed, and were creatively written. I immediately connected with Charley and despised Josh. Then story was more than romance, it did not get to the true romance until the halfway mark, the first half of the book is the suddenly becoming single, and building relationships with others. The author’s writing style was complex, intriguing, emotional, and brilliant. The writing was easy to follow and get lost into. This would be a perfect beach read on a summer day. This book publishes Tuesday and I highly recommend picking it up!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 8/9/22
Author: Phoebe MacLeod
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Pages: 231
Goodreads Rating: 2.96
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Boldwood Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: When Charley finds herself suddenly single on Christmas Day it feels like her world has fallen apart. Forced to move back in with her parents, she embarks on a journey of re-invention. When she meets Ed, who is on honeymoon alone after being jilted at the altar by a bride he's never met, it looks like her life may be taking a turn for the better. Fate, however, has other ideas, and she and Ed are forced apart. Will she find her way back to him, or are they just not meant to be?
My Thoughts: I thought this was a cute quick read. This had mixed reviews, so I went in blind and I am glad that I did. The mixed reviews was surprising to me because I thought this was a great cute read. The story is narrated by Charley, from her perspective. The characters were well developed, they had witty banter, there was an instant connection between Charley and Ed, and were creatively written. I immediately connected with Charley and despised Josh. Then story was more than romance, it did not get to the true romance until the halfway mark, the first half of the book is the suddenly becoming single, and building relationships with others. The author’s writing style was complex, intriguing, emotional, and brilliant. The writing was easy to follow and get lost into. This would be a perfect beach read on a summer day. This book publishes Tuesday and I highly recommend picking it up!!
August 11, 2022
1.5⭐️
This book felt like if you watched a montage and claimed it was a feature-length film. There’s no depth to the relationships among the characters, particularly the romantic dynamic between the two protagonists. They don’t even meet until literally half-way through the book, and then pretty quickly the heroine (who has a name, I just don’t remember it despite finishing this book this morning) says “I think I’m falling in love with him.” And I thought…you’re doing what now? You just met this guy! Nothing has happened! It feels like all the interactions happen off the page but you’re still supposed to buy into the relationships, but that just doesn’t work.
Update: her name is Charley. Just remembered. 🫠
This book felt like if you watched a montage and claimed it was a feature-length film. There’s no depth to the relationships among the characters, particularly the romantic dynamic between the two protagonists. They don’t even meet until literally half-way through the book, and then pretty quickly the heroine (who has a name, I just don’t remember it despite finishing this book this morning) says “I think I’m falling in love with him.” And I thought…you’re doing what now? You just met this guy! Nothing has happened! It feels like all the interactions happen off the page but you’re still supposed to buy into the relationships, but that just doesn’t work.
Update: her name is Charley. Just remembered. 🫠
August 12, 2022
I love an unexpected surprise, Someone Else’s Honeymoon by Phoebe MacLeod was definitely an unexpected and delightful surprise, I was expecting just your average romance, full of heart and some laughs (these are involved don’t worry, not the average bit though ) instead I got a lovely story about Charley finding growth and self-belief and love. I’ve seen some reviews say it’s slow to start and we don’t meet Ed until around halfway through, but I thought this was a plus, I wanted to go on a journey with Charley, find out who she was and how she would be before some kind of quick fix romance which is never the way. I loved that she took care of herself, learnt who she was and what she wanted throughout the course of this book.
Phoebe has given us a really well written and genuine story, with fantastic characters, other than Charley and Ed who are perfect, I have to admit I loved Madison as much as Charley, she is so amazing, I want her as my bestie. I hope Madison gets her own book too in the future. There are so many lovely and romantic scenes, just the right level for this story, I think too much spice would have just felt out of place and wrong, so I do think Phoebe got that just right, along with the lack of too much drama, I loved the fact we didn’t go all around the houses over miscommunication and misunderstandings, this is such a lovely read, the perfect summer read to me (even if it does mention Christmas it’s Antigua ! ) If you looking for escapism, nice romance but with a little bit more self love and friendship this is the book for you.
Thanks to netgalley , Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for a free ebook in exchange for an honest opinion.
Phoebe has given us a really well written and genuine story, with fantastic characters, other than Charley and Ed who are perfect, I have to admit I loved Madison as much as Charley, she is so amazing, I want her as my bestie. I hope Madison gets her own book too in the future. There are so many lovely and romantic scenes, just the right level for this story, I think too much spice would have just felt out of place and wrong, so I do think Phoebe got that just right, along with the lack of too much drama, I loved the fact we didn’t go all around the houses over miscommunication and misunderstandings, this is such a lovely read, the perfect summer read to me (even if it does mention Christmas it’s Antigua ! ) If you looking for escapism, nice romance but with a little bit more self love and friendship this is the book for you.
Thanks to netgalley , Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for a free ebook in exchange for an honest opinion.
August 8, 2022
It took me a bit to get into this book, but I think that had more to do with life than the writing itself. There was some predictability to this but most romance books are. Do I still devour them and get overly excited when there is a HEA at the end? Of course!
I really enjoyed Charley’s character and her growth. They way she reacted to her heart break was pretty normal and would be how most react. Life refresh and a beautiful vacation? Check. Then came along Ed. And he was the perfect restart to her love life. Or so we think. I wish we could have gone a bit deeper into his character outside of the “show”.
Phoebe did a beautiful job with this story and I loved every minute of it! I would have finished in a day if I didn’t have work getting in the way! I enjoyed her writing and I think this book can be loved by many! Definitely a good summer/beach read!
Highly recommend if you enjoy:
Holiday romance
Strangers to Lovers
HEAs
Good Banter
*Thank you NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review*
I really enjoyed Charley’s character and her growth. They way she reacted to her heart break was pretty normal and would be how most react. Life refresh and a beautiful vacation? Check. Then came along Ed. And he was the perfect restart to her love life. Or so we think. I wish we could have gone a bit deeper into his character outside of the “show”.
Phoebe did a beautiful job with this story and I loved every minute of it! I would have finished in a day if I didn’t have work getting in the way! I enjoyed her writing and I think this book can be loved by many! Definitely a good summer/beach read!
Highly recommend if you enjoy:
Holiday romance
Strangers to Lovers
HEAs
Good Banter
*Thank you NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review*
January 5, 2023
Cute ROM com....nicely packaged ending
4.5 out of 5 stars
Love lost then found while on vacation. Nice easy book to kick off 2023
4.5 out of 5 stars
Love lost then found while on vacation. Nice easy book to kick off 2023
April 19, 2023
This book is amazing! I binged it in a few short hours, and I want more! I laughed and swooned over the characters. The story is so fun, and the characters are relatable and loveable. Great read for romance readers!
August 13, 2022
I thought this was going to be fun and romantic but, it turns out that I was wrong.
I would say there were a few hits and many missed here as well topics that really didn't sit well with me and something that I would consider to be traumatising, especially that scene with the parents.
Aside from that, the characters and the romance really didn't appeal to me until the very end which disappointed me so much.
Overall, this is just a NO for me, the writing did sounds a pretty good in some parts but overall, it just didn’t live up to my expectations.
*Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc*
I would say there were a few hits and many missed here as well topics that really didn't sit well with me and something that I would consider to be traumatising, especially that scene with the parents.
Aside from that, the characters and the romance really didn't appeal to me until the very end which disappointed me so much.
Overall, this is just a NO for me, the writing did sounds a pretty good in some parts but overall, it just didn’t live up to my expectations.
*Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc*
September 26, 2023
i really thought this would be a 4 stars review but the ending threw me off. Wish things ended differently.
charley is better than me fr cause i’d never let some things slide like she did
charley is better than me fr cause i’d never let some things slide like she did
August 9, 2022
After a decade together, they break up on Christmas Day,
Charley goes home to her parents wondering what they'll say.
What she never expected was this is her chance to start anew
With a friend's support she gets new clothes and a new look too!
A time of change, new car and a dream holiday follow on
To Antigua with her parents and the past is left and gone.
There Charley meets Ed, who is on honeymoon alone
After being jilted at the altar by a wife-to-be he's never known!
Should Charley risk her heart again or not take the chance?
Is this a holiday fling or could it be romance?
With a nasty twist to tear these two apart
How can they heal their broken hearts?
If you enjoy romcoms set in a beautiful resort
This book is one to read that you really ought!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.
Charley goes home to her parents wondering what they'll say.
What she never expected was this is her chance to start anew
With a friend's support she gets new clothes and a new look too!
A time of change, new car and a dream holiday follow on
To Antigua with her parents and the past is left and gone.
There Charley meets Ed, who is on honeymoon alone
After being jilted at the altar by a wife-to-be he's never known!
Should Charley risk her heart again or not take the chance?
Is this a holiday fling or could it be romance?
With a nasty twist to tear these two apart
How can they heal their broken hearts?
If you enjoy romcoms set in a beautiful resort
This book is one to read that you really ought!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.
August 8, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an eARC
This book was actually really fun. It had a good supportive family relationship, a well wormed female friendship, and the romance was well built up and believable.
It is Christmas, and Charley and Josh have been together for over 10 years. Josh is super into sustainability and gets Charley an eco toothbrush as a gift. Charley gets upset with a gift she feels is quite thoughtless and they argue. They end up agreeing to break up and she also finds out he has been cheating on her. She goes to live with her parents while she figures her life out. Her parents take her on a vacation where she meets Ed. Ed is supposed to be on his honeymoon but is there on his own, and they get to know each other.
This book didn't do anything new or exciting but it was fun and the perfect light summer read.
This book was actually really fun. It had a good supportive family relationship, a well wormed female friendship, and the romance was well built up and believable.
It is Christmas, and Charley and Josh have been together for over 10 years. Josh is super into sustainability and gets Charley an eco toothbrush as a gift. Charley gets upset with a gift she feels is quite thoughtless and they argue. They end up agreeing to break up and she also finds out he has been cheating on her. She goes to live with her parents while she figures her life out. Her parents take her on a vacation where she meets Ed. Ed is supposed to be on his honeymoon but is there on his own, and they get to know each other.
This book didn't do anything new or exciting but it was fun and the perfect light summer read.
April 12, 2023
Younger Bridget Jones esk vibes. Charley meets Ed on his honeymoon where his wife left him before the alter. I liked the take on married at first sight 🤣. A funny rom com. 3-3.5*
February 9, 2025
Read this in one sitting!
November 28, 2024
This isn’t generally a book I would pick up but I wanted to give something other than thrillers a read to see if they were my cup of tea. The story of Charley’s life pre breakup made me laugh, Josh kind of reminds me of myself with my eco-friendly lifestyle. While I didn’t love this book, I liked it enough to recommend to others, it has a fun, goofy and predictable storyline.
July 30, 2022
The premise of this book was amazing and it had so much potential.
Charley becomes single and homeless on Christmas Day as she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating for sometime now. She moves in with her parents, who are kind enough to invite her on their trip to Antigua.
On the first day of the trip itself she meets a man who is on his honeymoon alone. As all the honeymoon activities are paid and should not go to waste, Charley joins Ed for activities like windsurfing, waterskiing and couples massage.
This had a lot of potential to be super funny, cute, and chill. And it mostly was, but it left me wanting for more.
Charley becomes single and homeless on Christmas Day as she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating for sometime now. She moves in with her parents, who are kind enough to invite her on their trip to Antigua.
On the first day of the trip itself she meets a man who is on his honeymoon alone. As all the honeymoon activities are paid and should not go to waste, Charley joins Ed for activities like windsurfing, waterskiing and couples massage.
This had a lot of potential to be super funny, cute, and chill. And it mostly was, but it left me wanting for more.
August 1, 2022
A nice and light rom com. It does seem a little dated as others have said. I would remove the reference to a family visiting breeders for a puppy, at least send them to a rescue or something. It was nice that the leads family have a healthy relationship with no drama. The friendship between Charley and Mads was nice too. The romance was cute as well. Easy afternoon read.
July 27, 2022
I actually REALLY enjoyed this one?!!!
It was light and cute and perfect and it helped me get out of my reading slump???
Very enjoyable and fluffy and while there were a few problems, those are easily overlooked because the premise of the book, I felt, was self-care??
When you've been with someone so long, without breathing room and breaks, it makes you lose yourself in it. While I understand this, I think it could have been a bit better represented.
But anywho! A full 5 stars for me!!
*** I received this as an ARC from NetGalley ***
It was light and cute and perfect and it helped me get out of my reading slump???
Very enjoyable and fluffy and while there were a few problems, those are easily overlooked because the premise of the book, I felt, was self-care??
When you've been with someone so long, without breathing room and breaks, it makes you lose yourself in it. While I understand this, I think it could have been a bit better represented.
But anywho! A full 5 stars for me!!
*** I received this as an ARC from NetGalley ***
July 17, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this advanced reader copy.
The premise of this book (and the cover) seem delightful. Charley a recently dumped woman moves back in with her parents after her 10 year old relationship comes to an end. Her parents decide to whisk her away on a beach vacation where she can get her mind off of things. This is where she meets Ed, a man left at the altar by a woman he has never met before. Naturally they bond over their unfortunate previous experiences and become quite close. However, while this book had some good things going for it some of the issues where in the execution.
So right in the first few pages we get some very aggressive slut shaming against a teenage girl for being interested in a teenage boy (I.e. she got what she deserved for getting accidentally knocked up at 16 for liking someone else’s boyfriend. Is 2022, we don’t shame women for getting pregnant anymore). It seems unnecessarily harsh and kinda set the tone for the rest of the book. Where women, besides Mads, are generally seen as villains set out to thwart Charlie’s plans. Or they are just “bad guys” in general, which is just overdone.
Here’s a problem: Mads is more interesting that Charlie. Charlie comes across at times like a wet paper towel. She critiques women for being “doormats” without acknowledging that she essentially was one in her relationship with her ex. Her character growth is adequate for such a short book but she’s not that dynamic and her spark with Ed was entirely lackluster.
It is a little odd to wait until 43% to introduce the love interest. I genuinely thought I was reading something more in the “woman fiction” versus an actual romance because I couldn’t see a romance plot line coming for almost half of the book. Finally he is introduced and they definitely fall into the “instalove” category and they really didn’t spend a lot of time cultivating their relationship. They spent less than a week together in total but they really didn’t have the connection that I was hoping for.
Ed’s dialogue isn’t authentic sounding at all, it felt very formal and at times robotic. Charley on the other hand sounds like she is his therapist and not a girl suntanning on his private beach chairs. The whole first encounter was clunky and very info dumpy. The conversation felt so stilted and it sounded more like people pretending to have a conversation than an actual one.
The author should have created a scene beforehand where we actually see Mads and Charlie watching the show and commenting on it so it isn’t just another info dump to find out that she’s a big fan of the show that we find out in retrospect. It’s one of those plot devices that feels very convenient and not entirely thought through. It’s shoehorned in to make the plot progress without actual character work to explain it.
The story seemed really promising but the chemistry between the characters isn’t there and I find it highly unlikely that 6 months after the characters spent less than a week together they still have this unbelievable spark. By now he would definitely have been shacking up with someone else (seriously, he only has two sexual partners? That is the most far fetched part of the story), and she would undoubtedly have accidentally stumbled into the man she was subletting her apartment from and they would have started dating. Ed felt more like a rebound than a leading man.
Also… why are there two women on the cover? This isn’t a love triangle story at all and that doesn’t make sense at all.
The premise of this book (and the cover) seem delightful. Charley a recently dumped woman moves back in with her parents after her 10 year old relationship comes to an end. Her parents decide to whisk her away on a beach vacation where she can get her mind off of things. This is where she meets Ed, a man left at the altar by a woman he has never met before. Naturally they bond over their unfortunate previous experiences and become quite close. However, while this book had some good things going for it some of the issues where in the execution.
So right in the first few pages we get some very aggressive slut shaming against a teenage girl for being interested in a teenage boy (I.e. she got what she deserved for getting accidentally knocked up at 16 for liking someone else’s boyfriend. Is 2022, we don’t shame women for getting pregnant anymore). It seems unnecessarily harsh and kinda set the tone for the rest of the book. Where women, besides Mads, are generally seen as villains set out to thwart Charlie’s plans. Or they are just “bad guys” in general, which is just overdone.
Here’s a problem: Mads is more interesting that Charlie. Charlie comes across at times like a wet paper towel. She critiques women for being “doormats” without acknowledging that she essentially was one in her relationship with her ex. Her character growth is adequate for such a short book but she’s not that dynamic and her spark with Ed was entirely lackluster.
It is a little odd to wait until 43% to introduce the love interest. I genuinely thought I was reading something more in the “woman fiction” versus an actual romance because I couldn’t see a romance plot line coming for almost half of the book. Finally he is introduced and they definitely fall into the “instalove” category and they really didn’t spend a lot of time cultivating their relationship. They spent less than a week together in total but they really didn’t have the connection that I was hoping for.
Ed’s dialogue isn’t authentic sounding at all, it felt very formal and at times robotic. Charley on the other hand sounds like she is his therapist and not a girl suntanning on his private beach chairs. The whole first encounter was clunky and very info dumpy. The conversation felt so stilted and it sounded more like people pretending to have a conversation than an actual one.
The author should have created a scene beforehand where we actually see Mads and Charlie watching the show and commenting on it so it isn’t just another info dump to find out that she’s a big fan of the show that we find out in retrospect. It’s one of those plot devices that feels very convenient and not entirely thought through. It’s shoehorned in to make the plot progress without actual character work to explain it.
The story seemed really promising but the chemistry between the characters isn’t there and I find it highly unlikely that 6 months after the characters spent less than a week together they still have this unbelievable spark. By now he would definitely have been shacking up with someone else (seriously, he only has two sexual partners? That is the most far fetched part of the story), and she would undoubtedly have accidentally stumbled into the man she was subletting her apartment from and they would have started dating. Ed felt more like a rebound than a leading man.
Also… why are there two women on the cover? This isn’t a love triangle story at all and that doesn’t make sense at all.
July 23, 2022
A fun and heartwarming Rom-com - you can devour Someone Else’s Honeymoon in a day! Which is exactly what I did.
Our MC Charley is great, I loved how she was written and thoroughly enjoyed following her story. However I was sad that we didn’t really meet our main man until nearly halfway through the book. He had so much potential to be a great book boyfriend but there was quite limited build up to the relationship so it all felt a bit rushed rather than that building anticipation I love.
Overall a strong 3star read - in my books not a rom-com hall of fame but still worth a read for sure!
Our MC Charley is great, I loved how she was written and thoroughly enjoyed following her story. However I was sad that we didn’t really meet our main man until nearly halfway through the book. He had so much potential to be a great book boyfriend but there was quite limited build up to the relationship so it all felt a bit rushed rather than that building anticipation I love.
Overall a strong 3star read - in my books not a rom-com hall of fame but still worth a read for sure!
July 31, 2022
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and I'm very thankful I was given the opportunity to do so!
I was really excited about this book. Upon reading the description, it gave me a similar vibe to The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, which is a favorite of mine. I was actually really excited to start reading it and honestly the first couple chapters had a strong start.
The first chapter was actually hilarious. Charley our FMC is given a toothbrush for Christmas from her super eco-friendly/vegan boyfriend which sets off the fight she's been putting off for quite a while. Realizing how unhappy she's been with his choices and actions, she rants to him about where she's been frustrated, leaving him to ask for a "break." As she's packing for said-break, she discovers panties that definitely do not belong to her and leads to her breakup, sending her back to her parents' house and trying to make sense of her life.
I thought the book started off on such a strong note. This chapter was so funny and really hooked me, however, it quickly became very slow. The book starts giving full chapters of Charley just doing mundane activities, such as getting her hair done, shopping for a bra, buying a car, looking for an apartment, etc. We don't even meet Ed, the love interest, until 43% through the book! And even then, I still wanted to give it a chance, despite the "insta-love" / "I'm falling in love with this man" after two days. Once we meet Ed on Charley's vacation, there are extremely long descriptions of their activities (windsurfing, etc) as well and it all seemed very rushed. It didn't even seem like she was on "someone else's honeymoon," instead, it felt more like "3 days with Ed." I also just didn't get the whole jealous personal assistant aspect, because that also felt just disconnected and rushed through.
I really wanted to love this book. I didn't hate it, but I feel like it missed so much of its potential. If those hair appointment and shopping chapters were cut, and we meet the love interest a lot sooner- giving the reader a chance to also fall in love with Ed, I feel like the story would've been so much stronger. I gave the book 3 stars for the parts I enjoyed, but I do think it could've been even better had a different direction been taken.
I was really excited about this book. Upon reading the description, it gave me a similar vibe to The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, which is a favorite of mine. I was actually really excited to start reading it and honestly the first couple chapters had a strong start.
The first chapter was actually hilarious. Charley our FMC is given a toothbrush for Christmas from her super eco-friendly/vegan boyfriend which sets off the fight she's been putting off for quite a while. Realizing how unhappy she's been with his choices and actions, she rants to him about where she's been frustrated, leaving him to ask for a "break." As she's packing for said-break, she discovers panties that definitely do not belong to her and leads to her breakup, sending her back to her parents' house and trying to make sense of her life.
I thought the book started off on such a strong note. This chapter was so funny and really hooked me, however, it quickly became very slow. The book starts giving full chapters of Charley just doing mundane activities, such as getting her hair done, shopping for a bra, buying a car, looking for an apartment, etc. We don't even meet Ed, the love interest, until 43% through the book! And even then, I still wanted to give it a chance, despite the "insta-love" / "I'm falling in love with this man" after two days. Once we meet Ed on Charley's vacation, there are extremely long descriptions of their activities (windsurfing, etc) as well and it all seemed very rushed. It didn't even seem like she was on "someone else's honeymoon," instead, it felt more like "3 days with Ed." I also just didn't get the whole jealous personal assistant aspect, because that also felt just disconnected and rushed through.
I really wanted to love this book. I didn't hate it, but I feel like it missed so much of its potential. If those hair appointment and shopping chapters were cut, and we meet the love interest a lot sooner- giving the reader a chance to also fall in love with Ed, I feel like the story would've been so much stronger. I gave the book 3 stars for the parts I enjoyed, but I do think it could've been even better had a different direction been taken.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2022
You know when you watch old episodes of Sex and the City and you internally cringe because it didn’t necessarily age very well? This book has a lot of those moments (slut shaming, lack of empowering other women, dated jokes, etc.) despite being written in the present day and with none of the nostalgia re-watching Sex and the City episodes gives me. If you can get past these moments the overall premise is honestly fun.
This is a British rom com where the MC Charley has recently been broken up with by her boyfriend of ten years and her parents invite her along (expenses paid) on their trip to Antigua. Naturally, she says yes and joins them on this trip. While on this trip Charley meets Ed, who has recently been on a reality show where you get married to someone you’ve never met, except he was left at the altar and chose to take the honeymoon alone.
Ed and Charley go from 0 to 100 very quickly and definitely fall into the “instalove” trope.
There’s a particular comment from Charley’s friend while looking at Ed’s LinkedIn profile where she says that none of the romantic strolls or star gazing together counts if the sex was bad and that comment really, really put me off. Those sweet romantic moments are not negated by this, ever. There are so many kinds of romantic relationships including those that have and enjoy sex and none of the other moments get canceled out by how good or bad or how much or how little sex you’re having. Sex is so deeply personal to individuals I find this kind of exclusionary comment enraging.
The jealous woman stereotype that Ed’s PA plays into also wasn’t something I loved nor was the constant miss of communication.
Overall, I’m giving this one 2.5 stars. There’s good bones in there of something that has potential to be a great story but it just fell flat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a British rom com where the MC Charley has recently been broken up with by her boyfriend of ten years and her parents invite her along (expenses paid) on their trip to Antigua. Naturally, she says yes and joins them on this trip. While on this trip Charley meets Ed, who has recently been on a reality show where you get married to someone you’ve never met, except he was left at the altar and chose to take the honeymoon alone.
Ed and Charley go from 0 to 100 very quickly and definitely fall into the “instalove” trope.
There’s a particular comment from Charley’s friend while looking at Ed’s LinkedIn profile where she says that none of the romantic strolls or star gazing together counts if the sex was bad and that comment really, really put me off. Those sweet romantic moments are not negated by this, ever. There are so many kinds of romantic relationships including those that have and enjoy sex and none of the other moments get canceled out by how good or bad or how much or how little sex you’re having. Sex is so deeply personal to individuals I find this kind of exclusionary comment enraging.
The jealous woman stereotype that Ed’s PA plays into also wasn’t something I loved nor was the constant miss of communication.
Overall, I’m giving this one 2.5 stars. There’s good bones in there of something that has potential to be a great story but it just fell flat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2023
1.5 stars rounded up to 2.
Someone Else's Honeymoon follows Charley's journey as she unravels what her life is like without her boyfriend of 10 years after she finds out that he's cheating on her. The story is filled with transformations and a grand vacation that allows Charley to spend time away from everything she has ever known.
The book honestly has a great premise. From the get-go, you can expect a light and quick read that will never feel heavy at any point. I got exactly that and I enjoyed that about this book. However, it feels like that's all there is to it: a quick, mindless read. You shouldn't take this too seriously because there isn't a lot of depth to the story and characters.
I feel like the story focused too much on unnecessary things, so we never got to see the interactions between the love interests. It was really hard to convince myself that Charley and Ed were the "end game" because... there's just no chemistry and not enough story there.
If this book was fleshed out more to showcase how Charley grew after the relationship that held her back, maybe it would have worked better. But it's a romance and the romance part just doesn't do it for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Someone Else's Honeymoon follows Charley's journey as she unravels what her life is like without her boyfriend of 10 years after she finds out that he's cheating on her. The story is filled with transformations and a grand vacation that allows Charley to spend time away from everything she has ever known.
The book honestly has a great premise. From the get-go, you can expect a light and quick read that will never feel heavy at any point. I got exactly that and I enjoyed that about this book. However, it feels like that's all there is to it: a quick, mindless read. You shouldn't take this too seriously because there isn't a lot of depth to the story and characters.
I feel like the story focused too much on unnecessary things, so we never got to see the interactions between the love interests. It was really hard to convince myself that Charley and Ed were the "end game" because... there's just no chemistry and not enough story there.
If this book was fleshed out more to showcase how Charley grew after the relationship that held her back, maybe it would have worked better. But it's a romance and the romance part just doesn't do it for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 14, 2021
Such a fun read!
This is a great romcom with likeable, well drawn characters and I loved the reference to a popular TV show. I found the eco-stuff very comical, especially the toothbrush and deodorant. I loved the fact that Ed was such a hopeless romantic that he was prepared to marry someone he’d never met – glad he didn’t actually get to do it though – not a spoiler.
The setting is idyllic and, since we can’t go on holiday at the moment, this book served as a perfect proxy holiday; sun, sea and romance.
Lovely happy ending which Charley and Ed both deserved. Recommended!
This is a great romcom with likeable, well drawn characters and I loved the reference to a popular TV show. I found the eco-stuff very comical, especially the toothbrush and deodorant. I loved the fact that Ed was such a hopeless romantic that he was prepared to marry someone he’d never met – glad he didn’t actually get to do it though – not a spoiler.
The setting is idyllic and, since we can’t go on holiday at the moment, this book served as a perfect proxy holiday; sun, sea and romance.
Lovely happy ending which Charley and Ed both deserved. Recommended!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 539 reviews