By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

Book Review | The Backpacking Bride by Janice Horton

Book Description

Publisher: One More Chapter
Publication Date: July 10, 2020
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers

When her walk up the aisle leads to disaster Maya Thomas must forge a new path…

Saying ‘I Do’ was meant to be the start of her greatest adventure, but when Maya’s fiancé drops dead just moments before he’s set to kiss the bride, her life is spent spinning out of control.

Now, as Maya travels a path she never expected to take, setting off on the mystery honeymoon her fiancé had planned for them, she finds that there is life after loss, that fate has its own way of helping you heal and that those with the courage to grasp love will never go lonely…

click on the graphic for information on my rating system

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Backpacking Bride is a heartwarming story about how to reconnect and move on after tragedy.

What I Liked

I loved watching Maya’s journey through the grief process as she took her planned honeymoon alone. It read so genuinely and naturally that I felt like I was on the trip with her.
The beginning is one of those situations that is unbelievably bad, but what took place afterward is what makes the story the inspirational tome that it is.

The setting is exotic and beautiful, as Maya lands first in India and spends five days at an ashram. First, she only focuses on the things that make it dirty and undesirable. Still, once she decides to give it a real chance, she discovers the beauty in the spirituality reflects on the land so that the positives begin to stand out. Her next stop was Hong Kong, China, where Maya’s new, positive outlook enhances the exotic beauty. I was then able to experience Macau and Shanghai as she traveled on to those places as well. It’s not the vacation I ever wanted to take, but I cannot help but admire all that is beautiful about the locals.

Through first point of view, the narration is done by Maya, who is delightfully developed into a relatable and genuine teller of her tale. The support characters are intriguing and intricate, from Belle, who can never see the positive to Henri, who taught tai chi in the park and competed in sailing races. All the support characters serve a purpose on Maya’s journey, and that purpose is evident without ever feeling that you are being told rather than shown what their importance is.

To Read or Not to Read

If you are looking for a heartwarming and inspirational story and exotic locals, this is a book you won’t want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

19 Replies to “Book Review | The Backpacking Bride by Janice Horton”

  3. R A I N says:

    AHHHHH!! This sounds like such an awesome read! The title + the pretty cover + your review are making me too excited about this, Tessa! 😍🦋

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Teri Polen says:

    Love the cover, then I read about the fiance – didn’t expect that. It would be fantastic reading about all the places she visits. I read a book set in Turkey that mentioned a lot of the local food – drooled my way through it!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tessa Pulyer says:

      It’s definitely not what I’m usually drawn to and I wonder if that’s why I just liked it and didn’t love it. But it’s a great story and it is very well written with lovely locals.

      Like

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