Book Review: Honeymoon For One

By Sara Steven

When disaster strikes, paradise calls...

As a published novelist, Lila Rose has been writing about fictional weddings all her life. But disaster strikes on her own big day when she hears her philandering fiancé, Daniel whispering sweet nothings to someone else.

With her dream day shattered, all Lila wants to do is run and hide, so she decides to fly solo on her own honeymoon.

When Daniel arrives in the resort with his new squeeze, Lila strikes up a ‘showmance’ with hot new movie star, Freddie Bianchi. Freddie is perfect for the part and Lila soon relaxes into her leading lady role.

But as truth starts to merge with fiction, could real love be in the air? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

I really love the premise of Honeymoon for One. Not so much what happens to Lila that ends up becoming the catalyst for her to go solo on her honeymoon (I wanted nothing more than to suckerpunch Daniel), but the fact that she travels to San Valentino all on her own! It takes someone with a lot of guts and determination to go to a place deemed the perfect location for lovers, but Lila makes it happen through various cringe-worthy situations.

Probably the most cringe-worthiest moment of all is when Daniel shows up with a plus-one to the honeymoon. The ‘showmance” that forms between Freddie and Lila in response to that was the perfect leverage to all the awkwardness, and Lila soon learns that you really can’t judge a book by its cover, not even a hot movie star like Freddie. I loved the various moments that crop up in response to having Daniel around, because it showed us a more vulnerable side to Lila. Even amidst the chaos, it’s still hard for her to forget and attempt to erase the years she and Daniel were a couple. But with Freddie around, the possibility of it seems within reach.

MacIntosh has always had a knack for creating inventive, fun characters. Daniel’s love interest was very well-written and so well-executed, you couldn’t help but love to hate her, or hate to love the simplicity of her. Even when siding with the protagonist, I still felt badly for the girl who just can’t seem to catch a clue. Then there’s Freddie, reminiscent of Christian Gray from the Fifty Shades empire, but only in character. When he’s not working, he’s the total opposite, which makes him all the more appealing. Daniel really did create a “suckerpunch the guy” emotion with nearly every scene he’s in, and Lila is the perfect mix of vulnerability and strength, but not always at the right times.

Even though Lila knows what’s best for her, she’s still not entirely sure. That created a bit of a love triangle for her, and for the reader, too. While we get to delve into the drama, we’re also given an all-access pass to the beautiful resort-style locale that I could only dream of being part of, a nice backdrop to Honeymoon for One and well worth the five stars I’ve given it!

Thanks to Boldwood for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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