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. ( )