I always enjoy Shalini’s books, and The Honeymoon is another great thriller. Stella is on her honeymoon with her perfect husband, Austin. She wakes on the first night and, still groggy, she finds him getting dressed and saying he needs to pop out... He should not have been gone for more than an hour or so, therefore when he does not return for several hours and Stella searches for him. What has happened to Austin? Will Stella find him? Is Austin really the perfect husband?
I absolutely inhaled this book, reading it in one sitting as I had to find out the truth of The Honeymoon. A great book which I would highly recommend to fans of Shalini, and those new to her works.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Stella and Austin marry and head off on their dream honeymoon until Austin disappears. Stella finds herself alone in Venice frantically searching for her husband. The secrets she uncovers make it unclear whether Austin abandoned her or is the victim of foul play. Stella begins to wonder who she married just as she realizes that she may be in danger herself.

My jaw is currently sitting on the floor, where it has been since I finished “The Honeymoon”.
The emotions you run through while reading, will leave you with a bit of whiplash. In the BEST way possible. The author has successfully established a solid plot, with no holes, and an emotional attachment to figuring out where it all went wrong. The further you get into the book, the more scenarios you are introduced to which make you go “OH THATS WHAT HAPPENED” but you would be wrong. I must have guessed ten times what happened, and all turned out to be very wrong.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and give it 5 out of 5 stars. I will additionally be purchasing a copy to have on my bookshelf.

Complex thriller with many twists and surprises. Multi faceted characters ,not particularly likeable or believable.

Stella and Austin are on their honeymoon in Italy. On their first night, Austin realizes he left his credit card at the restaurant. Stella insists he wait till morning but he’s adamant to go get it. Austin never returns to their hotel room. Stella calls the police, searches for him and an investigation begins. There are a lot of questions and secrets.

The story is told from alternative times: THEN, when Stella and Austin meet to the wedding. NOW, when they are on their honeymoon and Austin is missing.

The story was a slow burn. Though it wasn’t a long book, it took me awhile to finish reading it because I feel like it dragged and wasn’t exciting. The story was more about secrets than suspense. The twists came at the end and were surprising.

Thank you #netgalley and Thomas and Mercer Publishing
Publishing: June 13,2024

This was an excellent story with well thought out characters. I was engaged the entire time and would recommend this book to others.

Thank you to Netgalley, Homas & Mercer and Shalini Boland for the eArc of The HoneyMoon.

I've read a few of Stalini's books and alway love the twisty turns and this didn't disappoint.

Stella is away on her honeymoon and Austin, her newly wed husband goes to pick up his credit card at a local restaurant. Never to be seen an again!

This narrative is split into 2 timelines, the now and the months leading from when Stella met Austin. Both timelines are very clear and merge into present day very well. The fear, dread and other emotions are very much invoked as you are reading and the writing is very well paced. It definitely leads you up some very plausible paths and ending, only to twist back on itself. Really enjoyed the ending.

4 stars

Enjoyed this much more than I expected to. Thought it would be predictable but it wasn't. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Intense and twisty! I always love the way Shalini Boland writes and she's back with another totally bingeworthy thriller. I felt like I had whiplash with all the twists and could NOT figure out which way the story was going. Fans of this author and this genre will enjoy!

Thanks netgalley for this great thriller, and another wonderful book from Shalini Boland well done.
Stella and her handsome husband were in Venice for their honeymoon it was such a beautiful city and great hotel was amazing.
Everything was great on their first night they had dinner and went to bed. But later on Austin said he wanted to go out he thinks he lost his credit card and would not be long.
Stella wanted to go with him but the answer was I will not be long go back to sleep.
Stella woke up much later to find Austin had not gone back to bed, she got up and went looking for him to no avail.
In the morning Stella was getting worried and then called the police Austin’s parents and her parents to help to look for him but no success.
Where was he did Stella really know who she had married.

This was an okay read. It did feel a bit like it dragged , I didn't love as much as her other books but did enjoy. I found it to be a bit all over the place with characters and parts of it didn't flow well.

A romantic honeymoon in Italy slips into a shocking nightmare…

Stella and Austin are newlyweds and off to Italy to for their honeymoon. During the first night there Austin wakes in the middle of the night. He realizes he left his credit card where they dined earlier that evening. He’s adamant it can’t wait till morning and needs to immediately return to the restaurant and hopefully retrieve his card.

And Poof! Austin is never heard from again.

Stella is of course crazed with worry. Endless searches by her, the police and eventually both sets of parents prove futile. What happened to Austin?

Told from Stella’s perspective in both a now and then timelines. The storyline flows easily and quickly. And it will keep you guessing all the way to the end!

Nope! Did not see that coming! Well played!

A perfect weekend read!
I always enjoy books by Shalini Boland and this was no exception!
Looking forward to more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer

A great thriller with a shocking ending! I love Shalini’s books- they are always enjoyable and there is always a twist that I never expect! Story flowed great and I enjoyed the characters. Her books are always quick reads for me- I start it and can’t put it down. Definitely recommend! Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Shalini Boland for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now that I have lifted my jaw off the floor to The Honeymoon which is Shalini Boland’s latest thriller , I can proceed with my review. Wow!!!! What a book!!!! Stella and Austin get married and go on their honeymoon to Italy. This is told in different POV’s - before the marriage and during the honeymoon. All I can say is that Shalini knows how to tell an awesome story. The ending and the epilogue (EACH ONE IS A SHOCK!) have me literally speechless! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. This is Shalini’s best book yet. To be published June 13, 2024.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of The Honeymoon by Shalini Boland. I’m not sure why I keep reading Boland’s books, because they’re like potato chips - fun to consume but no real substance. This was another easy read, but for some reason I lost interest in the story about halfway through because Stella’s POV got tedious and the Then and Now transitions were clumsy. The reveal was good, so if you like surprises you might love this one.

Thank you,NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC.

I found this story interesting but it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat. I didn't feel it was suspenseful as I thought it was going to be. I wanted to know what happened to Stella's husband and there was a mystery surrounding his disappearance, I just felt this story was missing something but I can't put my finger on what it is.

The ending was interesting and not expected. I just felt like the epiligue was a letdown. I did enjoy the book but wish there was more to it.

Stella and Austin are honeymooning in Venice when he goes out and doesn't come back. Stella spends her days looking for him and being stalked. Meanwhile, Austin and his business partner have had a falling out-each saying the other one has been stealing from the company. Stella's parents and Austin's parents join them in Venice to hunt for Austin. Without giving too much away, a friend back home gives Stella and the police a lead. I did not expect the ending to be what it was. This was a good book, but I feel like her last three books that are with a different publishing just aren't on par with her previous books.

Stella and Austin go to Venice for there honeymoon.
Stella woke up to Austin all dressed and ready to go out as he left his credit card at the restaurant they went too.
Stella waited for Austin to return but he never did. Stella should be doing honeymoon things but instead she is handing out photos of Austin. She goes to the police to report him missing, she also thinks she is being followed. Austin mum and dad come to Venice to help look for him.
Austin business partner turns up and Stella thinks that he might have something to do with Austin going missing as Austin and Bart his business partner have had a falling out as Austin accused Bart for taking money from the business.
The book is told in two different times lines - then and now which I really liked.
I thought I knew how the story might go but how wrong was I. I loved the twist and turns but omg the epilogue I did not see coming. Loved the read and would definitely recommend it, five stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Shalini Boland for the advance copy for exchange for an honest review.

Stella and Austin are in Venice for there honeymoon. After having a nice together Stella took a nap. She woke up suddenly to her husband dressed and ready to head out. He left his credit card at the restaurant. Stella waited in bed for his return only he never returned. Now Stella wanders the foreign streets of Venice alone searching desperately for her husband.
…
They met online. Dated for four years. Austin proposed after dating for three years. They spent one year planning the wedding despite Stella’s protest so that Austin was an entitled arrogant guy who always got whatever he wanted.
…
Austin runs a business with his long time friend Bart. Bart and Austin got into an argument over money blaming each other for skimming money from the business causing a rift between them.
…
Shalini Boland writes about a newly married woman who went to Venice for her honeymoon only to discover that her husband went out and never returned. Stella should be doing touristy things with her husband instead she’s searching for him, putting up posters, and talking to the police. Thrilling isn’t a word I would use to describe this book. Basically it falls within that category where someone is hiding secrets while the other is trying to uncover them. These types of stories take time to come together. It’s a slow steady climb to the top with many characters involved. Shalini Boland alternates between the past and present by showing readers who Austin and Stella were as a couple and the family dynamics of combining families.
…
Building a compelling concept takes effort. Building a story off the theme of secrets is tricky. Readers will have to wait until the end to learn the secrets which means your time and patience is of the essence. The progress was slow with not a lot to work with. It was hard to get excited about reading with very little activity. I kept getting distracted.
…
Overall, the unveiling of this secret was monumental and quite unexpected. The second secret in the epilogue was rather easy to guess. While I was blown away by that conclusion I unfortunately wasn’t compelled by the journey to get there. This is why writing stories about secrets is tricky because the best part of the story is revealing the secret.

Book Title: The Honeymoon
Author: Shalini Boland
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: June 13, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars!
Pages: 267

Story is told “then’ before the Honeymoon and ‘Now’ after the Honeymoon.

Stella and Austin first day of being married ends with a delicious dinner at the ‘La Terrazza di Stella’; a family own restaurant that Austin picked because of the name of his Bride. After the couple goes to bed, Austin gets a phone class from the restaurant that he left his credit card on the table. He tells Stella that he is going to go get it and will stop at the supermarket to pick up a phone charger as he left his at home and the phone need charged.
Austin does pick up his card stop at the restaurant only vanishes and never makes it to the supermarket.


I love psychological thriller and whenever I see the blurb
‘An absolutely gripping psychological thriller packed with jaw-dropping twists’.
I take it as a challenge.
This blurb did NOT state that- However it was
An unputdownable, psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping ending.

A story written by Shalini Boland is automatically put on my TBR shelf ~ Yep! I am a fan ~ this is number twelve! Shalini Boland is one of my favorite authors.
Ms. Boland does not disappoint. I knew to expect the unexpected and yet, I was still surprised.

Also want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 13, 2024