The Backpacking Bride by Janice Horton is a light summer-read, pure escapism! Somehow, I seem to need some escapism these days, looking at my past reads… oh well! Is anyone surprised? I was happy to be taken on a fictive trip to places I have no chances visiting in real life these days.

When I saw that this was the third book in a series AFTER downloading it, I got a little scared, but it turned out that you need no prior knowledge in order to read this novel.

Fun fact: Did you know that the author Janice Horton is known as the backpacking wife? I was concerned that this was a true story when I read this, but luckily it was not. Yet, Janice and her (very much alive) husband sold their house in Scotland as well as the majority of things and travelled around the world, visiting over 50 countries. So cool! She knows what she is writing about.

This was such a cute book! I enjoyed the characters so much! Initially, based on the cover I thought this was going to be a breezy, romcom but it was so much more than that!

This was not a novel I was expecting. I was expecting a light romance comedy in which she travels around the world. However, this was a very depressing read. This, the synopsis and the cover was misleading.

I was sadly disappointed by this book. The cover made me think of a cheerful romantic story, and this was definitely not that. Also, the writing left a disconnect for me. It was a good book, but not something I'd pick up again.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an impartial review.

I so loved this book. I was drawn to it, the first instance I glanced at the cover! This is a lightread which I dearly welcomed at the end of a busy day. Definitely recommend!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and found it a total page turner. I was transported to India, Hong Kong and Singapore and I so hope that Maya’s story will continue!! A beautiful read that is immersive beyond words.

The Backpacking Bride by Janice Horton.

I was all set to really enjoy this but it was rather disappointing. However It was very good regarding the travel aspect. Although this was supposed to be about a 50+ woman adjusting to the death of her fiancé just before he said I do she seemed a tad immature more like a 20/30 something person .

I feel there could have been more of a back story at the start regarding Maya and Jon and ultimately she didn’t appear to grieve for very long!

This checked off everything I look for in a book. Was not disappointed. Really enjoyed this book. I will read more from this author.

When Maya's fiancé dies at the alter, she finds her life changing in more ways than one. When she decides to go on the honeymoon he'd meticulously planned, it becomes a healing journey - in more ways than one.

Generally, I enjoyed this book. We don't know enough about her life with Jon before he dies to really feel her grief, so the event which rocks Maya's life, barely causes a ripple to the reader. That being said, the travel and escapism of the novel were lovely, and there were some real moments of tenderness from the characters she encountered.

Some of the later plot I found a little hard to believe, but it was still very readable. I'd recommend for a cosy day in where you want to be transported across the world.

I have been loving this series, and I was so excited for the newest book. I enjoyed this one just as much as the rest of the series! This is such a moving story. I loved following along with what would happen next. If you haven’t read this series, I recommend checking it out!

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

Although this book is the third in the Backpacking Bride series, it can quite easily be enjoyed as a standalone novel too.
Just when Maya thinks she has found her happily ever after with Jon and they begin to plan the rest of their lives together, along with all of the adventures they intend to go on together, tragedy strikes.
When Jon suddenly passes away whilst they are saying their vows, Maya can't even begin to see a way forward from this.
When she discovers the itinerary that Jon had meticulously planned out for their much anticipated honeymoon, Maya's mind is quickly made up, and she sets to packing up her bags and preparing for this adventure. Following the many notes Jon has made, Maya pushes aside her grief and embraces this new experience.

The author has done a truly beautiful job of bringing this story to life for the reader. You truly feel as though you are travelling along with Maya, and I felt so much emotion alongside her as she dealt with her grief.

Full of intriguing characters and a truly unique storyline, this is a gorgeous read.


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Unfortunately I was unable to finish this one, I just couldn’t get to grips with the storyline or connect to the main character. An intriguing premise, Mayas fiancé dies before they can get married and she takes off on a journey around the world to deal with her grief. Unfortunately I found it a bit too depressing a story to continue with it.

After becoming a dedicated "career" woman, at 50+, Maya finds herself falling for a man who wants to show her the world. Quickly, her life focus has changed and she and Jon will spend their days travelling and enjoying the things she never knew she wanted. When Jon dies as they are saying their vows, Maya is left with her dreams crushed and unable to see a way forward. With no plans for her future, her decision is made for her when she receives the itinerary Jon had planned for their honeymoon. As she follows his notes to Asia, she must put aside her grief and step into her future. India, Hong Kong and Singapore all come to life as the notes Jon left for her make it seem as if he were there. Along the way, she will meet Jon's friends and find herself on the edge of a new life that she never would have believed possible.

The Backpacking Bride is #3 in the Backpacking romance series where each volume is written as a stand alone. Janice Horton has done an excellent job of taking this reader on the trip with Maya. She built a beautiful story full of life and acceptance while also giving us clear, detailed "pictures" of the countries Maya visited. Reading her books is like taking a vacation of your own.

the backapcking bride is a super fun summer read! i loved reading this one this summer and it really made me want to travel during these times of covid. duh.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. When I saw this cover, I thought it would be a happy and cute romance story. However, it wasn't really that. In this book, we follow a middle aged woman who lost her fiancée on her wedding day. He died in her arms and instead of grieving with their families, she decides to go on their honeymoon he wanted to surprise her with. She goes to India first and ends up in Hong Kong where she meets another man.

Overall, I didn't connect at all with the writing and the story. I didn't really like how this book ended as she was already prepared to have a life with someone else and perhaps marry him. It also felt like the FMC could only be happy now that she was with Henri. I don't know... I just didn't like this book and I didn't enjoy the traveling even though I thought I would.

<i>(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Saying ‘I Do’ was meant to be the start of her greatest adventure, but when Maya’s fiancé drops dead just moments before he’s set to kiss the bride, her life is spent spinning out of control.

Such an adorable book!! This book revolves around Maya who goes on her honeymoon as a pilgrimage to her fiancé who died on their wedding day. This book reminded me a bit of Eat, Pray, Love - it was written really beautifully and Mayas journey - both her trip and her spiritual journey was wonderfully documented. I would’ve loved an epilogue with what happens next but otherwise, I would highly recommend this book who needs a good cry, a good laugh and all the things in between.

4.0 out of 5 stars Vicarious vacation book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2020
I enjoyed this book and how it dealt with accepting and moving on from loss. The travel descriptions were incredible and made me feel like I was there. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

I felt my heart fill with love and I knew I was truly happy again.

This is a lovely quote which I feel summarises Maya's metaphorical and literal journey to heal after an unexpected event occurs in her life. There were some lovely descriptive elements in Singapore and Hong Kong and I enjoyed these more than the chapters in India which felt a little clichéd. I was quite surprised two thirds of the way in to discover her age was not what I thought it to be (it felt more like she was in her 20s), and for me this really changed my reading of her character and the narrative as a whole.

At times it felt a bit rushed or to take sudden turns in a way that made the story feel a bit jumpy and am curious to discover it is one of a series by the same author, so perhaps this is only a snippet of Maya's journey...?

Overall it's a nice light read with a feel good element, and will make you want to travel.