The Anti-Honeymoon

A lighthearted and fun read. Jenna decides to ditch her wedding and ends up in the wrong getaway car. From there on her life becomes an adventure. Zach becomes the unwitting accomplice as Jenna runs away. The characters, including Jenna’s elderly friends are delightful. These two turn a honeymoon into an experiment that leads to forever love. I loved the quirkinesses of Zach’s character which makes him even more lovable.

Full review appeared at Reader’s Edyn on 03/27/20

Jenna thought she was on track for the perfect wedding and marriage, but on the day of the big event, she begins to notice things she hadn’t paid attention to before and can’t shake the niggling feeling that she is making a huge mistake. Satisfied that she can’t go through with it, she high-tails it out of the church and ends up in Zach’s back seat, thinking he is her hired car. When he reveals who he is and offers his aid in helping her escape to her honeymoon getaway to clear her head and plan her next move, Jenna can’t resist, Zach ends up tagging along and pitching her the anti-honeymoon idea. Together, they will do everything opposite of what a newlywed couple would do. As passion rises, Jenna can’t come up with a valid argument against indulging in Zach for a while; especially with so much “smolder” making him irresistible. By the time the vacation is winding down, Jenna isn’t so sure she wants to simply part ways with Zach and head back home. But an unexpected visitor halts any happiness and has Jenna quickly reassessing if she can even trust Zach or not. If there is to be any chance for the two of them, she not only has to choose love, she must also work through her own insecurities. Given her track record, she isn’t sure she can even depend on herself.

Zach isn’t entirely sure what made his come to Elliott’s wedding. He doesn’t even like the guy and is suspicious of his motivations for inviting him. When Zach realizes he’s got the woman who was supposed to be the bride of his long-time nemesis in the back of his car, he can’t help but gloat just a bit. Elliott has a long history of screwing people over as Zach well knows and this unexpected turn of events serves him right. Despite the desire to claim retribution, he refuses to use Jenna as a pawn. But the more time he spends with her, the more he warms up to the idea of sharing this island escape with her. Zach is all about facts and statistics. Knowing Elliott’s habits, he deduces on his own a necessary adjustment on a pitch for a company both he and Elliott are vying for. A hardcore workaholic, this vacation of sorts is quite overdue for Zach, and he counts his blessings at his fortunate turn of events. But Jenna has been through a whirlwind and when the first inkling of suspicion surrounds Zach, she immediately lashes out. Thinking he’s lost her for good, he tucks tail and leaves. But fate isn’t through with Zach and Jenna and if he plays his cards right, he might be able to save their delicate relationship in a bid for something more permanent.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were a couple of things that annoyed me, but overall, it was a fun read packed full of humor. One thing that annoyed me is that Jenna puts herself inside a box and allows Elliott to run her over. She is so desperate for a connection to her parents, that she turns a blind eye to several red flags and continues on as if everything is rosy and on track for her life. Elliott is also much worse than originally thought and when every bit of the truth is revealed, I couldn’t help but feel relief that Jenna had opted to walk away. However, Jenna doesn’t possess much confidence and given her startling revelations with Elliott, she is quick to believe the worst of Zach. While I can see why she would have felt that way, I was also completely frustrated because their time together was the stuff dreams are made of. There was no way to compare Elliott and Zach because they were completely different people with just as contradictory motivations. She should have been able to decipher at least that much. Her lack of faith in Zack just annoyed me. Sure, things may have looked bad initially, but had she taken a moment to consider Elliott’s motivations and asked Zach some vital questions, she could have spared them both a bit of misery. Zach, however, has always been content inside his bubble of statistics and figures … until he meets Jenna. Numbers don’t lie, but neither does the passion that simmers between them. Rather than deal with his emotions and come clean, which is a foreign concept for him altogether, he attempts to woo Jenna with facts and lists. It takes one heck of a large skillet to the head (not literally, of course) to break through and allow him to see the error of his ways. His calculating may work in business, but matters of the heart and a whole different kettle of fish.

Despite this book dealing with some rather serious content such as the runaway bride herself, devious motivations, loneliness, and stunted emotions, this story contained a good amount of levity to keep things light and entertaining. We may not all be able to identify with Jenna as a runaway bride, but we can identify with the loss, loneliness, and insecurity she grapples with. Likewise, for Zack and his brain for business. It isn’t a far reach to identify with concealing one’s emotions and sticking to what is familiar as a defense mechanism. Simply put, there is a least one part of each of the main characters that will be relatable and relevant, helping to solidify the connection between Zack, Jenna and reader. At least for me, there was. I also enjoyed the introduction of Zach’s family. He’s been so busy with making his business successful and providing what he feels he should for his family members, that he loses sight of his family’s love for him. Materialistic items are great, but they aren’t a substitute for interacting with those who care deeply for you. Ironically, Jenna suffers much the same difficulty. Her situation is a bit different because her parents have passed away, but she has created a family of her own at the assisted living facility that she works at. Rather than cling to those who love her, blood or not, she clings to the memory of her parents and nearly ruins her entire life in the process. I also very much enjoyed Zach’s secretary. Marcy, of everyone, recognizes the fundamental shift Zach experiences while with Jenna. Loathed to see him regress back into that shell of a boss who used to just mechanically go through life successful, yet alone, she takes action. She’s also quite skilled at keeping Zach in check with phrases such as, “Mr. Ruiz. Always nice to speak to you after ten p.m.” In fact, there could almost be a story for Marcy herself at some point. Almost.

One hilarious addition to this book were the several cheesy names they gave the honeymoon suite. It’s basically a studio apartment but with the bed as the focus. I lost count, but there were probably a dozen or so names they came up with such as the hump hut and bang box. I found it quite comical to read what they would come up with next and looked forward to each clever new nickname. Overall, this is a story about second chances. Understanding that you do not have to follow the most obvious path in front of you. That sometimes taking a drastic detour is the absolute best decision to be made. That settling is never a good idea and going after what you know will make you happy is essential. That when you find that special someone, you need to fight with everything you have, even if the odds seem insurmountable. And that, at the end of the day, family always has your back and best interests at heart. For those of you who enjoy contemporary romance with some seriously sinful sexual encounters along with two main characters who must discover themselves before they can attain that elusive HEA, THE ANTI-HONEYMOON is guaranteed to please.

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/Entangled in exchange for an honest review.

Who are Elliot and Jenna? What decision does Elliot make that has Jenna angry? What does she threaten? Why? Who prompted Elliot’s decision? Oh, Zach is so much fun! I like him! Oh my, the hut names and room service food names are over the top! Of course, going to a resort called ‘Fantasy Island’ means you should probably have some of those sorts of names. I could not stop laughing at the sip and paint adventure. My favorite line of the book was…. “Jenna leaned in to whisper to Zach, ‘I think we broke her.'” Jenna and Zach are a hoot together. How do they meet? Who betrays Jenna and how? What does she do? Okay, the ending had me going “Awwwwww….”

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin’ With M. Brennan.

Jenna was already having doubts about her fiancé and his latest antics just pushed the boat to far with her making a run for it. Jenna mistakes Zach for a driver and together they make a dash for it. No spoilers: this is a definite must read, you will not be disappointed. This is a well written tale which is light-hearted, fun, humorous, steamy, and with a tad drama and secrets which all lead to an all-round entertaining read. I was totally captivated throughout this addictive page turner, and I highly recommend for all.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I’m left wondering why Bethany Michaels has not crossed my path before now. I loved The Anti-Honeymoon, it was everything I expect in a five star read, great characters that you can relate to and a great plot with lots of feels.
Jenna has finally come to the end of her tether and just before she walks down the aisle she realises what a big mistake marrying her fiancé Elliott would be, so she becomes the runaway bride with the help of Zach who happens to be pulling up to the wedding just as she plans her escape …….
Jenna is determined to have her honeymoon and Zach becomes the man to make it all possible, what follows is a fun, entertaining read with this couple working through her honeymoon list or should I say the Anti-Honeymoon list.
I loved the connection Zack and Jenna has, I smiled and I laughed along side of them and what about the scorching hot chemistry, it was off the charts and I really didn’t want their story to come to an end. I highly recommend this book and I will certainly be searching out other works from this author.

This is the first book I have read from this author and I absolutely plan on reading others. The Anti-Honeymoon was humorous, steamy and very entertaining. The book is about Jenna, a soon-to-be bride, who bolts from her wedding. She jumps in a car with a man she mistakenly believes is a valet and orders him to drive. Later she learns that the man is not a person hired to park cars, but a wedding guest named Zach.
Zach accompanies Jenna to Florida when she decides to use the reservations she made for her honeymoon as a cooling off period while she decides her next step. Thus the anti-honeymoon is born. Instead of romantic activities, Jenna and Zach replace them with some hilarious choices, like Bingo for adults.
I would classify this book as women’s fiction because it is so much more than a rom-com. It is the story of two people who discover that life with the right person is a great adventure!

**I received a copy of The Anti-Honeymoon from Entangled Publishing and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. The opinions below are mine alone and not solicited in any way**

The Anti-Honeymoon by Bethany Michaels was a pleasant book with a bride who realizes that her wedding to fiance who love publicity because it will look good. Thankfully she realizes her heart knows that it would be a mistake to go through with it. How does she make her getaway? Her now ex’s old business partner, Zach.

What I loved the most was Jenna’s “family” who lived at the assisted living place she’d worked at Aggie, Tommy, Chuck who had their quirks but I loved them all. How Zach found anti-honeymoon activities to do was precious as well. With the reveal of what made Zach and Elliot part from their business did make Jenna break away from him but in the end with Zach’s family coming for an “intervention” I loved her well stocked purse! Plus when Marcy who put her two cents in this book is well worthy for a 4 star rating.

This book was very predictable but so worth the read. The book was a fun and quick read. Jenna is more of a laid back take life as it comes and Zach is a type A personality everything has to be planned out, in this book everything is tossed in the air and nothing goes as planned for either. I really like Marcy she had a small part in the book was she was mighty. I would love to read her story next and see what trouble she gets into. This book has curse words and sex so may not be suitable for all. Over all this book was quick read and well worth it. I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a review and have given my honest opinion

This book started out with me laughing and I don’t think I stopped until the end of the book. This was a new author for me, and I loved the author’s style of writing. The story flowed smoothly, and the witty banter kept me laughing and reading the story until the end. I loved the funny descriptions of the wedding dress and the honeymoon resort. They were so vivid and easy to picture. The characters were interesting, and the storyline was unique. Not only did Jenna, the bride, run away from her marriage but to run away with Zach, the ex-friend of the grooms? Then to go to the honeymoon resort and do anti-honeymoon activities? What a hoot! I am certainly a new follower of this author after reading this book.

The Anti Honeymoon by Bethany Michaels

Description…..

No groom? No Problem.

When her fiancé tries to turn their wedding into a publicity stunt, Jenna ditches the nuptials, and the groom she shouldn’t have been with in the first place and skips straight to the honeymoon. The getaway driver, her ex-fiancé’s former business partner, Zach, is the perfect guy to help reshape her romantic newlywed itinerary into an anti-couple, anti-romance, anti-honeymoon adventure for two.

They trade couples yoga for kickboxing lessons. Five-star dining on the beach for pizza and beer at a dive bar. Forget couples massage, Jenna’s getting that tattoo she’s always wanted, and dares Zach to get one, too. And those naughty boudoir pics she took in place of romantic sunset snaps? Those aren’t going in anyone’s wedding album. Not that Zach will forget them anytime soon.

As each item on Jenna’s anti-couples list is checked off, the anti-honeymoon with Zach feels more and more like the real thing, and she wishes the list was just a little bit longer…and even steamier.

My Review…..

The anti-honeymoon by Bethany Michaels is a funny book…..

Poor Jenna feels like the whole of her wedding is a publicity stunt, the dress is horrid, the shoes too tight, but when her fiancé puts her two favourite people in the world in a tiny corner, Jenna’s had enough. It doesn’t feel right and after talking to Aggie (one of the people she invited) Jenna has some serious thinking to do…..

Zach doesn’t know why he’s come to this stupid wedding, he and Eliot haven’t been friends for a while, and when his ex-best friend walked away with the company they both worked on, that was the final nail in their friendship. Was Elliot trying to reach out with an olive branch? Or was it something else?
But before he can pull away, the back door of the car opens and a pile of while lace falls in…..

Zach helps Jenna to escape from the wedding. He then helps her get to the resort she’d booked for the honeymoon.
Zach hits a snag, he’s beginning to really like Jenna, would it be inappropriate for him to hit on the ex-fiancée of his ex-best friend?

Jenna and Zach seemed a much better fit than Jenna and her ex.
The “to-do list” Jenna has compiled made me chuckle, from couple yoga to kick boxing. It’s all in the name, it’s the opposite of whatever she had written.
I got the feeling that Jenna and Eliot were more of a parents wish for them to be together (they’d also known each other for years, until he’d asked Jenna to marry him)
Jenna and Zach are totally different, both into each other, ready to have a laugh and complement each other.

With both hoping that the anti-honeymoon will last for just a little longer…..

But what happens when the Anti-honeymoon is over? Where will it leave them both?
And is Zach using Jenna for information on a failing company that he use to half own?

I must admit it’s the first time I’ve heard of any of those things being done on honeymoon. But it did have me chuckling at odd moments.