"The Honeymoon" by Shalini Boland

 

"The Honeymoon" by Shalini Boland is a unique psychological thriller told in dual timelines from the first-person perspective of newlywed Stella. The story alternates between past and present, before and after the honeymoon of Stella and her husband Austin.".

Stella, a dance instructor, and Austin, a successful business owner, have been together for four years before finally taking the next step and getting married. Austin appears to be the perfect husband—attentive, loving, and caring. However, their bliss is disrupted by his ex's attempts to drive a wedge between them and Austin's troubles with his business partner, adding to their stress.

After their marriage, they embark on their honeymoon in Italy, hoping to relax and leave their troubles behind. However, what was supposed to be the perfect time of their lives turns into a nightmare. On the first night of their honeymoon, Austin goes out to retrieve a credit card he forgot at a restaurant they dined at earlier and has not seen since. Stella's stress intensifies as she frantically searches for him to no avail. The plot thickens as curious tidbits emerge, and we delve deeper into the characters' lives

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. While I initially expected a typical disappearance plot, it was anything but. The suspense was expertly crafted, slowly creeping up on the reader. The author skillfully builds tension and atmosphere throughout the book. The ending was intense, keeping me on the edge of my seat, and the epilogue managed to shock me, despite suspecting some plot twists.

The story is mostly character-driven, focusing more on the traits and emotions of the characters. I found Stella likable to a certain extent. There is enough action that the reader is immediately drawn into the story with further details of past events dropped like breadcrumbs along the way. As I felt that some characters got away too easily with their actions, I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars. Nonetheless, I loved the book and highly recommend it to fans of slow-burn psychological thrillers with a bite.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "The Honeymoon" by Shalini Boland