Free courtesy of Netgalley

I normally love Shelia O'Flanagan's books but I am not sure what I feel about this one. It was well written and the story was good but it felt a little flat for me. I'm not sure if the last one I read of hers (The Woman on the Bridge) was so amazing, or that I just didn't like any of the characters in this book. I didn't feel I connected with any of them and that is a shame.

The book is centred around 3 main characters, Izzy, who is on her honeymoon with her cousin after being dumped just before the wedding, Charles a renowned writer, who is in the Caribbean to try and get rid of his writers block and produce another best seller and Ariel, his ex wife and agent. Izzy and Charles meet on the holiday and pursue their relationship when they get back to Ireland, but with Ariel still very much in Charles's life, it makes it difficult for a new relationship.

The book is worth reading but it wasn't my favourite of Sheila's but I still think she is one of my favourite authors ❤️

I felt this story was a bit bland. I didn't buy into Charles and Izzy's romance. I really felt for Ariel being so badly treated by Charles. I was actually hoping for more for Ariel at the end. There's very little action and the pace is slwo. There was just enough there to hold my attention. I was surprised by the ending and had been hoping for something different. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Honeymoon Affair by Sheila O’Flanagan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 9 May 2024
Tropes: Age gap, slow burn.


After her fiancé calls off the wedding at the 11th hour, Izzy has no choice but to spend her honeymoon with her cousin, there she meets author, Charles Miller, and just like that an unintended holiday romance begins.

The characters were well written and the story was engaging. I often found myself relating to both the characters and situations.

The Honeymoon Affair is the perfect book to pick up before you head out on a holiday of your own.

Highly recommended.

What an absolutely fabulous read. I really enjoyed this book. The characters where perfect and matched the story well. Definitely didn’t want to put this book down and for it to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Review for my copy of The Honeymoon Affair by Sheila O’Flanagan.
Izzy is reeling after her fiancé calls off the wedding at the last minute. They had planned a small wedding in the Caribbean and that’s where she now is with her cousin for company. When she meets Charles Miller, they’re on his own to concentrate on his latest book, she’s interested but not ready to move on. But there’s something.
I think this is the first book by Sheila where I haven’t laughed out loud or cried but that could be changes in me rather than the writing.
But I defy any woman to say they haven’t been in one of these situations or said any of these things.
It really rings true.

I adored this read from O'Flanagan. The plot is simple; we follow a younger woman, an ex-wife and the man caught in the middle of the two and we see how Izzy and Charles get to know each other and progress, what Ariel thinks about this and the relationship between the three of them and how this is navigated. As I have said, the plot is simple and a part of me did keep expecting something to happen but when I reflected on it, this was perfect just as it is and the simplicity of the plot really allows the reader to get to know the characters and understand them. I loved getting to know them and following them on the ups and downs of life.
I was completely captivated by this read and enjoyed immersing myself in their world. I particularly liked the different locations used which allowed me to feel as if I was on holiday as well as the different quotes O'Flanagan uses at the start of each chapter.
'The Honeymoon Affair' is a mesmerising read and I will remember this for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for an advance copy.

I enjoyed the latest novel from the very versatile Sheila O'Flanagan. Iseult - Izzy - goes ahead with her honeymoon after being jilted, but takes a friend instead. She meets writer Charles, 20 years her senior. Their romance continues when they return home, to Izzy's surprise. She discovers that his former wife, Arial, who's also Charles's agent, is very much still around.
Izzy and Arial are both strong women. Charles is charming but an arch manipulator. On paper he and Izzy are an unlikely match. She is a customs officer and has no involvement with the literary world. I wondered how the plot could sustain an entire book, but there were plenty of twists and turns. Charles evolves to become less selfish as he realises he needs to up his game to keep Izzy interested.
The only thing that grated was the constant use of hashtags. I realised with a sigh that yes, Izzy at 30 would indeed be littering her feed with #luckiestgirlalive and so on!

Really enjoy all Sheila's books and this lived up to my expectations. The book follows the izzy from a broken hearted fiancee to a newly engaged fiancee and further. I wasn't fond of the ex wife slash agent character. Love the dramas and plot lines Sheila weaves

Another great piece of writing by Sheila O’Flanagan.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review it.

This book was an easy read. Perfect as a book to take on holiday.. It was easy to figure out where the storyline was going, but enjoyable anyway. I felt like I knew the characters personally and became invested in their relationships. Definitely recommend if you like predictable romances.

Another fabulous Sheila O’’Flanagan book! Izzy was supposed to be getting married in paradise; but instead she’s on her honeymoon with her cousin. Charles is staying in the same luxury resort alone: writing his next novel. Abbie is his agent/not-so-ex-wife. . When Izzy and Charles’ holiday romance goes further than either intended; can true love really conquer all when there is a 20 year age gap; the not so ex wife is constantly lurking; and an ex-fiancé decides he’s made a mistake. A really great read that devoured in two days.

Little slow to get going but I was soon gripped by the characters as the story developed - I would agree Charles is complicated and the book is thought-provoking, but I feel like I would have liked a little more mystery and twists - an enjoyable read and a good ending but maybe I need a sequel to bring it all together for 5 stars!

A little slow to start with but i did eventually enjoy the story. Well written with engaging characters. I haven't read anything from this author for a long time. For me this is a book for by the pool, nothing to taxing and mainly enjoyable. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

This book was a bit of a slow burner but once I was a few chapters in I loved it and was totally engrossed .
This story is all about Izzy and how she rebuilds her life after being dumped by her fiancé .
I really liked Izzy as a character and enjoyed watching her grow as a person.
I liked the way that the story was told from multiple points of view and felt this added to the story
The ending was exactly what I hoped for and I am holding out for a sequel to see what happens.
Thanks to Netgalley,Sheila O’Flanagan and Headline for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the story line all the way through right up to the end !! There needs to be a follow up though .

This was a slow burner for me. It took me a little while to get into it, but once I did, I really enjoyed it.
I became totally absorbed with the characters and loved the ending. I finished it a few days ago, however it’s really stuck with me.
It’s well written and engaging.

It is one of those books that transports you making you forget about real life and full of fantastic characters that spring to life. I actually felt like I was there in the story with them ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm going to leave a bad review, but it's my own fault really...I think I somehow blanked that this was a romance (I think?) novel, and that's so not for me. I'm not a fan of romance so maybe I just didn't get it, but the infatuation between Charles and Izzy was so flat I kept thinking there was going to be a dark twist and that one of them had an ulterior motive because they had no chemistry or spark. It seemed he liked her simply because she wasn't afraid to be honest with him, but she wasn't ever particularly warm towards him. And he didn't tell his ex, who he has a good personal and professional relationship with, that he was planning to propose to another woman? And I really couldn't cope with the constant referring to Ariel as the 'agent-slash-ex'. Eeek! Sorry!

Seeing the relationships develop and fall apart with the explosive consequences made it a very exciting and tense read throughout.