Author: Gemma Rogers
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Year of release: 2024
Release Date 18/10/24
Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis
In a split second, your whole world crashes around you…
My wedding was the perfect whirlwind of a day. The happiest I’d ever been. That was until I discovered my beloved husband, Ryan, tucked away in a compromising summer house clinch with Liza, his best friend’s wife.
Reeling with this ultimate betrayal, my world in freefall, with nowhere to turn, I flee my own wedding unable to face anyone, not even my family. I just want to escape this nightmare.
With our flight, to our luxury honeymoon leaving in a matter of hours, could ten blissful days of Cretan Island life, minus my cheating husband help me figure out my future? It couldn’t be this easy, could it?
After a few blissful days of sunshine, my peace is shattered with the arrival of my husband, denying everything.
It seems he’s got secrets. Big secrets. More than I could ever have imagined.
With my marriage all but dead I just need to get through the honeymoon and then it’ll all be over… won’t it?
Review
Kelly is having the wedding day every little girl dreams about. She’s certain she’s never been happier; everyone she loves is there, and nobody objected when it came time to say, “I do.” However, when Kelly goes in search of her husband, she finds him. Unfortunately, Ryan is wrapped around his best mate’s wife in a compromising position.
Coming to terms with what she is witnessing proves difficult for the first-time bride. She knows one thing for sure – she cannot stay at the reception and pretend with Ryan or her family that everything is fine. She decides she has no choice but to flee her own reception.
Kelly realises there’s only one place far enough away from this dream day turned nightmare. She hopes to leave before Ryan sobers up enough to notice she’s gone anywhere. After all, Ryan wasn’t the only one working for their honeymoon. Watch out Crete, here comes the jilted bride!
Will the honeymoon turn out better than the wedding and reception, or will Crete be the deadliest decision Kelly ever makes?
The promise of a wedding gone south, a luxury holiday, and a potential murder. Count me in.
Gemma Rogers has crafted believable characters that I could easily relate to. I found it impossible not to form a strong connection with Kelly, our protagonist, especially when she decides to stand her ground with Ryan, particularly once the truth he was so desperate to hide is exposed. Kelly’s determination reaches new heights, and I found myself cheering her on. As a reader drawn to strong female characters, this is one of the most notable strengths of The Honeymoon.
By the time the novel reaches its resolution, Kelly is no longer the same woman we met in the opening chapters. It became clear that she now knows who she is, what she wants, and, more importantly, her worth, making Kelly the most developed character in the novel.
The minor characters are effective in keeping the story moving rather than acting as unnecessary elements or roadblocks. Gemma has done a great job in giving them each a solid backstory and making them just as believable as Kelly. Even if I didn’t grow to love most of them, I did enjoy Kelly’s mum, even though she only played a small part.
Reaching the end of The Honeymoon, I couldn’t help but want to know for sure what happened to some of the characters and what was left of their relationships. The epilogue does well in tying up most details, but I still felt like a few subplots were missing in the closing chapters that would have satisfied my curiosity as a reviewer. However, this in no way detracts from the enjoyment of reading this mystery thriller.
From the moment I started reading The Honeymoon, I didn’t experience any lull in the pace of the story, which can sometimes happen with novels in the Mystery Thriller genre. I really appreciated that I found it hard to put the book down. The short chapters were effective in building conflict and tension throughout the story, which is the reason behind my five-star rating
I believe the short chapters also allowed the main plotline to be fully resolved, rather than leaving the reader guessing. More importantly, I found myself fully absorbed in the story, my mind never wandering off, nor was I ever left wondering when the book would end.
I must confess, I was expecting The Honeymoon to reach an abrupt and typical ending for this genre, but thankfully I was wrong. Without giving away spoilers, I can say I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the direction the story took, especially in the conflict and closing chapters. I’ll be looking into more books by Gemma Rogers soon.
Subplots and tropes included in The Honeymoon:
- Sisters
- Secrets
- Lies
- Close family
- Financial trouble
- Discovering the truth
- Threats to home/safety
- Breakdown of friendships/relationships
- Sick parent
- Death
- Potential new love
- New friendships
- Self-doubt
- Self-discovery
- Not who you thought they were
I highly recommend this book to mature audiences, especially readers of the Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense genres, who should check out this author and title.
With continued thanks to Boldwood Books, author Gemma Rogers, and NetGalley for the digital copy to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.