It lacked depth for me, but it was a quick read that didn't take much thought or background knowledge.

This book was cute but this storyline has been done so many times and there was not anything unique about this book! I also found the writing to be a lot of telling instead of showing. Overall, this was just an average read for me.

I absolutely loved this funny, cute and exciting lovestory. It isn't full of clichees and is also really thrilling. I was not expecting to love it this much. But it could have been a bit longer!

The only reason I have rated this book 3 stars is purely because of the pacing. I felt the first half of the book building up Charley's life and how it gets to that moment in time was great but because the pacing here felt right the second half felt extremely rushed. I didn't feel the excitement for the romance of the relationship because it did feel very quick. I felt some chemistry between the characters but not a lot. I think to have felt excited for the relationship the honeymoon phase needed to occur quicker in the book (because tbh I didn't understand why the book was called this until 60% in).

This was a really great book, cute characters, storyline and a great writing style.

What a hilarious, sweet, relatable, modern, lighthearted and easy read from an incredible new-to-me author!

After learning that Josh, her boyfriend of 10-years, not only doesn’t understand, value or celebrate her for who she is, Charley comes to learn that he has also been unfaithful.

Phoebe MacLeod had me completely enraptured by her sense of humour as a bamboo toothbrush is the catalyst that disrupts Charley and Josh’s relationship. She writes the frustration and heartache of a breakup — particularly one in which a partner has cheated — with profound emotional depth. The first third of the book follows Charley through her post-breakup makeover complete with a shopping spree, new car and expensive hair transformation. Secondary character shoutout to Charley’s family and best friend Mads, all of whom have comic or sweet roles in propelling Charley’s transformation. I appreciated the detail with which Charley’s relationship grieving was thoroughly explored, however, it felt a little bit long considering the title of the book; I found myself questioning when we were going to get to the “honeymoon” portion of the book.

We arrive here later than I anticipated but with clever creativity I will allow you to discover for yourself. I really enjoyed the beautifully detailed descriptions of both physical scenery and emotional state, situating us perfectly in Charley’s mental/emotional/physical presence of being in Aruba. These felt thoughtfully constructed, and like an intimate peek into MacLeod’s own experiences and thoughts while on vacation. I really loved that!

Charley ends up enjoying Someone Else’s Honeymoon with Ed, an impossibly handsome, irresistibly charming and highly-successful divorce attorney. Through sweet dinners, water sport adventures and other vacation shenanigans I loved witnessing Charley’s personal growth and seeing their relationship develop.

The third-act misunderstanding was hilariously and creatively introduced, although I expected an equally clever source and resolution so when we reach the conclusion and learn the source of the misunderstanding is a frequently-used conflict device, it felt like a slightly missed opportunity and lack of creativity uncharacteristic to the rest of the novel.

Overall, I’m so glad this colourful cover and intriguing title peaked my interest and introduced me to Phoebe MacLeod. This is the perfect book for readers looking to immerse themselves in a cheeky, quirky and rewarding HEA vacation romance.

Thank you so much #netgalley, #boldwoodbooks and #rachelsrandomresources for allowing me to read this book.
I loved reading this book, although I felt it was a slow start, now that I have finished it, it was needed to set the foundation for Charley to attend someone else's honeymoon.

Charley is a dental hygienist who goes by Charlotte, Aunty Lottie, Lots and other variants of her name. She lives with her boyfriend Josh who changed and become a dedicated vegan. Their Christmas morning turns into a disaster and Charley ends up single, She moves back to her parents house where we meet mum and dad, her brother Simon, his wife Emma and their kids. Her former neighbour Mads takes her to Bluewater a gorgeous shopping mall I used to go to when I lived in Woolwich, to revamp her look and become a lot more womanly. She even buys a new phone and car, having been stuck in the dark ages for so long. Her parents invite her on an all expenses paid trip to Antigua, which is where she meets the handsome divorce lawyer and someone else's honey moon really begins.

Its a well captured story that let me to finish reading the book in one sitting. I found the MAFS angle endearing and I really needed to know how it ended for sure.

Such an easy and light read, just what you need in this heat, a story to whisk you are and give you hope. I know my friend Grace would love this story with its humour and love. Definitely a recommended read.

Someone Else’s Honeymoon is a very light and quick summer read about re-inventing oneself and finding joy and romance after a break-up.

Charley (Charlotte for her Dad, Lottie or Lots for her nieces, Charley for almost enyone else) gets a nasty surprise at Christmas -her long-term boyfriend breaks up with her, which means she also needs to find a place to stay as soon as possible. However much heartbreak losing a ten-year-old relationship may have caused Charley, the truth is she was very unhappy and had been suppressing her real feelings and desires to avoid conflict.

Now Charley is suddenly single ….and free to change her life. Luckily, she has a great system of support- her feisty bestie Madison, her colleagues, and, course, her parents, who are happy to let her stay with them for as long as she wants. They even invite her to go with them on a holiday to Antigua, and, well…who can resist an offer like this? Charley is willing to embrace all this new life and new experiences that come with it and that includes a holiday romance which turns into something more serious! If you’re a fan of reality TV (‘Married at First Sight’ to be more precise), you’ll love her new love interest and all the drama this chance meeting brings into Charley’s life!

The plot focused so much on Charley’s self-reinvention that the romance took the second place (we don’t even meet Ed in the first 40% of the book) and I didn’t really mind. It was more about selling the idea of ‘There’s life after the end of a very unfulfilling relationship and this life can be very good, just believe in yourself’. Charley needs to take care of herself, something she has been neglecting for a long time, before she can have her happily-ever-after.

There’s a lot of detail- some of it seems excessive, some you might recognise from your own life experience if you have gone through something similar. personally, I loved the resort and all the extra activities Charley (and Ed) tried. I wasn’t sold on the romance or Ed himself (too good to be true?), but the rest was fun.

If you are looking for a quick beach read with a focus on self-love and without too much drama, Someone Else’s Honeymoon is a good fit. Sunshine, water-skiing, massages…the works!

I enjoyed about 30% of this book, and I’m really torn with how to move forward with this review. I’m just going to go in order.

For this to be a romance novel, it too way too long to get to the first meet. It didn’t happen until 47% of the book which is why most people have DNF’d it. The first half should’ve been cut down dramatically. Secondly, I enjoyed the initial chemistry between Ed and Charley; however, the last 35% of this book felt like it happened in 2001 rather than 2022 when the book is released. Lastly, this book didn’t have any real stakes at risk, so the HEA felt like it came out of no where, and I didn’t want it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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 loved this book! The story focuses on the main character, Charley, and how her long-term boyfriend broke up with her on Christmas Eve, after she discovered her had been cheating on her. With no other option, Charley moves back in with her parents whilst she gets herself back on her feet again.

With all her family being so supportive, as well as her best friend, Mads, Charley is soon starting to look to the future and starts making plans. She decides to change her car, get a place to live by herself, and even (with the help of Mads) has a bit of a style overhaul. Her parents decide to include Charley in a holiday they have booked to Antigua.

Whilst relaxing on the beach, Charley meets Ed. After chatting with him, she discovers that Ed is technically on his honeymoon – the one small problem is that his wife-to-be didn't turn up to the wedding! Ed decided not to waste the honeymoon, and after getting to know Charley better, he invites her along to do some of the events that were scheduled for the honeymoon.

This is where the story becomes so much fun, with Charley and Ed spending more and more time together, we see the chemistry between the two of them developing. But as Ed returns home before Charley does, will they be able to carry on their budding romance once the reality of normal life kicks in again? Someone Else’s Honeymoon is such a fun summer read – a perfect beach-read book this summer.

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.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read that kept me engaged. There were times though in the book that I wondered if we would ever meet the love interest.
When we meet Charley she is going through a tough breakup and a transformation. Her parents invited her on their two week vacation to Antigua, which is where she meets Ed.
Ed is on his "honeymoon" after he has been stood up on his wedding day.
We follow their budding relationship through their vacations.

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.

After reading a few below average reviews I went in with low expectations but I was impressed. Fun writing style. Flowing chapters, abit rushed in places but overall I really enjoyed it.

The story begins when Charley’s boyfriend shows his true colours on Christmas Day Charley’s world starts to fall apart. Who buys their hygienist girlfriend a toothbrush for Christmas. The story charts Charley rebuilding her life post Josh.

An easy read. Enjoyed it

Reading Someone Else's Honeymoon was a refreshing change in pace from drama and romance fuelled novels I've grown accustomed to reading.

Charley goes through a big life change, leading to a journey of self discovery and acceptance of how she had grown compliant in her unhealthy relationship.

I enjoyed this self-discovery as sometimes heroines become shells of their former selves. Charley did the opposite of this. Her new relationship with Ed was product of her self-care and self-respect.

Another aspect of the novel I enjoyed was Charley's relationship with her parents. It appears common that book characters have fractured or non-existent relationships with their parents. I can't relate to this as I'm close with mine so seeing the respect Charley had for her mum and dad was really lovely to read. They acknowledged and respect her difficult times and although they were never keen on her ex, Josh, they allowed the relationship to play out in its own way, however hard that may have been.

MacLeod's book had the right amount of spice for the setting and although I read lots of romance, including very sexual novels, I found this had the perfect balance of plot, character development and sexual description.

This was my first book by Phoebe and I really enjoyed it.
Thanks so much to Boldwood for the opportunity to read and review this ebook. I'll have a blog post with more graphics etc soon.

Synopsis 📖
Charley finds herself dumped and homeless on Christmas day resulting in her moving back in with her parents. She starts a journey of reinvention following the end of her 10 year relationship. After not being abroad for a holiday in years her parents invite her to go with them to Antigua where she meets the lovely Ed who all alone is on his honeymoon after being jilted by the bride that he never met. When things look like they might be finally turning around for Charley, her and Ed are forced apart, but will they find each other again?
Rating: 4 ⭐️

Thoughts 💬
I loved the classic romcom vibes of this and would love to see this as a film. It was a really quick read and despite it startung ay Christmas it worked well as a summer read. I loved the fact that the book firstly focused on Charley being single and working on herself before the romance was introduced. It helped her character have more depth and we get to see her character's growth throughout the book. Ed is a great love interest and the dynamic between him and Charley is perfect. I highly recommend this if you want a book to escape in for a day or two.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood books for my ARC in exchange the review.

Wonderful story with plenty of emotion. Thinking back after I had finished this book it made me smile and wish it could have been even longer but it ran its course and came to a lovely end. Worth plenty of stars but can only give 5.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

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.

SOMEONE ELSE’S HONEYMOON

REVIEW💕
AUTHOR: Phoebe Macleod
GENRE: Romance
RATING ⭐️⭐️

“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.”

When I started this book, I knew what to expect, a typical cliché romance story. However, the whole story felt "meh".

I really liked the characters, Charly is a great main character, and they all felt quirky, relatable, and fun. The book had some fun stories and great ideas, but the plot felt very simple. Too predictable for a romance story (impossible, I know) and for most of the book, I skipped whole chapters of non-relevant information. Do I really want a whole chapter on what a typical day at work is like for a dentist?

Overall, the story had potential and the writing is good, but I felt deeply bored and disappointed.

eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an Honest review.

𝕋𝕚𝕥𝕝𝕖: Someone else’s honeymoon
𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣: Phoebe Macleod
ℙ𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥: 399 pages
𝔸𝕧𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: Available now
ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤
🫧The ending was fairly nice and wrapped up the story well

🫧I loved the characters particularly Ed and Charley.

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

🫧 Too much information dumb that we could’ve learned as we move forward

🫧The book is draaaaaging onnnn I’m on like 26% and nothing is happening yet. I’m just going through rounds of endless days with the character hope it pick up soon

🫧 we meet the “guy” at around 50% it’s not a big book but it’s a lot of percentages to wait for the story to actually happen

🫧 it’s either too much dialogue or too much description I feel like a bit of both each time would’ve made a far more balanced read