Book Review: The Accidental Honeymoon by Vivian Wood

Title: The Accidental Honeymoon

Author: Vivian Wood

Published: March 3, 2025 by Vivian Veritas Publishing

Source: ARC received in exchange for a review

Type: e-copy

Blurb:

Faking forever never tasted so sweet.

When Calla Nikolakis gets the cake commission of her dreams, she’s in love… with how much exposure she’ll get from doing ultra-hot lifestyle guru Jay Rustin’s wedding.

Smash cut to twelve hours later. She wakes up buck naked next to Jay, wearing a ring on her finger and sporting a Jay bird brand-new tattoo. In case anyone’s counting, that’s two bad decisions for the price of one.

The next thing she knows, a viral post of her and Jay saying “I do” spreads like wildfire. Everybody and their mama has seen her become Mrs. Jay Rustin.

Normally, Calla is known for being calm in any situation. But one look into her now-husband’s panty-meltingly blue eyes, and she’s anything but cool and collected. Before she can freak the geek out, Jay makes her a new proposal.

Stay married for three months. Go on a crazy hillbilly honeymoon to appease his sponsors. Convince everyone they’re the real deal.

In exchange, Jay promises to boost her business to guarantee that her bakery stays afloat. She can hardly say no. Besides, with the opportunity to spend weeks sleeping in Jay’s bed… why would she want to decline?

There’s just one thing she promises herself: absolutely no falling in love. No looking at his sculpted muscles as they hike. No peeking beneath the covers just out of curiosity. And absolutely no swooning when he feeds her buttercream with his fingers.

It’s all for show to convince the world they’re a dream couple. It should be no problem… just as long as he doesn’t accidentally love her back.

Check it on Amazon & Goodreads

Introduction

“The Accidental Honeymoon” felt refreshing, in a way. It’s the first book I’ve read about an influencer and it was interesting to see how things are handled behind the lenses of a camera. There is a mix of passion and struggle and the overwhelming feeling that one’s life is public knowledge.

Summary

Calla Nikolakis’ desire to grow her baking business pushes her to accept creating Jay Rustin’s wedding cake. He and his future wife are Instagram’s most notorious couple. The publicity she could obtain may push her in the right direction. Little did she expect to wake up with a massive hangover and MARRIED to the groom!

Characters

Both characters are well developed, even if I must admit I liked Jay more. His social media image is not fake, he is sweet and carrying and does this entire influencer thing with a passion. I liked how he appreciated his followers and how spontaneous he was with some of his posts. His wedding to another social media celebrity was supposed to be the event of the year. Well, it ended up being such, but for different reasons. After being left at the altar, Jay finds a friend in Calla and, with more time spent together, he becomes more and more intrigued.

“Love is like baking,” she says, and I raise an eyebrow. Baking? “You need the right ingredients, and you have to follow the recipe. But even then, it takes time and patience. You can’t rush it. You have to be willing to put in the effort, even when it’s not turning out the way you hoped.”

Calla accepts to remain Jay’s wife, knowing she can benefit from the social media promotion that he can offer. However much she’s try, she cannot keep her heart out of the deal. Juggling between her business and being there for Jay’s engagements, she tries to fit in his world of cameras and livestreams.

Their initial attraction will become more, with every little moment they spend together. But the doubt is still there: can their fake marriage actually become real? What starts as a physical thing, becomes more with every appearance they have for Jay’s social media, until both forget they are supposed to use one another only.

Themes

The social media obsession is the predominant theme in the book. Jay has already a good fortune from his public persona, but he still has to answer to sponsors and investors. Every content is planned in advance, so there is no room for a misstep. The amount of money that is involved in every deal pushes Jay into a fake marriage.

Love is messy. It’s not always going to follow a recipe. You have to be passionate and adaptable. Sometimes, the best relationships come from the biggest mistakes.

Having a dream and making almost anything to see it reality is also part of the story, with Calla having a business and working toward making it a success. Family and the knowledge that one can always count on family’s support is beautifully included and visible especially toward the end.

Writing

There are a lot of funny moments, so this is definitely a light and relaxing book. But along the way, there are several confusing situations and there was one that threw me off, when both characters admit their feelings while caught in a moment, but as soon as it’s ended, they just brush it off. There are several “love me, love me not” instances, that made their relationship dragging a bit. I think the best part is how the author made room for book two and how she left us wanting to read the next one as soon as possible.

When you get down to it, we’re on different wavelengths. She sees love as a calculated risk. Like it’s something you can plan for and manage. I see it as a leap, a blind jump into the unknown.

Reflections

Behind those super influential … influencers there is a team and there is a life behind the public image. Depending on the content, of course, one can get lost in the magnificence of their public persona, until they start craving reality. Knowing how to keep closer the people who appreciate the real person and who are in for the long run, not for the benefits can be a challenge. If I’m left with a thought after reading the book, this is the one.

Cover Review: somehow, the cover looks wedding-y enough. But the cake is about to fall and that’s not really how it happens. Still, it’s funny and it gives rom-com vibes.

Favorite Quote: Love isn’t something you can measure out with cups and spoons. It’s force, a hurricane that sweeps you up, whether you’re ready for it or not.

Conclusion

All in all, I enjoyed Vivian Wood’s story. It was fun, easy to read and with a lot of interesting challenges that Jay and Calla have to face for social media. There are a lot of expectations thought for the next book, so I am looking forward to it. If you’re in the mood for a rom-com, consider “The Accidental Honeymoon” as well 😊

Let me know in the comments if you have read or would like to read it and also, what are your thoughts on influencers and their job? It is easy or hard, or both?

Until next time, happy reading!