Geri Murphy is one of those women who dreamt of her wedding day as a little girl. Her childhood was consumed by visions of the perfect dress, the perfect fairytale castle, the love and the romance– the ingredients she thought were all she needed to create the wedding of the year.

But she omitted to set the same high standards for her bridegroom and so caught up is she in the thoughts of marriage that she fails to notice the faults in her boyfriend Gary, whose enthusiasm for the big event wanes by the day.

The more plans Geri makes, the more Gary withdraws, yet despite her niggling doubts and the warnings of her best friends Geri is determined to have her day and get her man up the aisle. And she does but that is just the beginning of her problems, because before the ink is even dry on the wedding certificate Geri learns that the honeymoon is over.

A mere couple of hours after the festivities, Geri comes face to face with the real reason behind Gary’s lack of enthusiasm– the long-limbed and tarty Jessica! She’s cruelly faced with the stark realisation that Gary has been having an affair with someone he met on their own pre-marriage course.

Throw in a hen night in Spain, the mother-in-law from hell, a lecherous father-in-law and an unplanned pregnancy and you have the perfect ingredients for an enjoyable summer read.

Geri’s journey from clingy bride-to-be to independent businesswoman and single mother is a delight to follow and the reader will find themselves cheering on the heroine as she struggles to overcome all the obstacles that come her way.

Annett Holliday’s novel is warm, humourous and the ideal read for these lazy, hazy days of summer. It is also tinged with sadness, as readers will note that Annett sadly passed away from cancer just after she completed this, her third novel for Poolbeg. ‘The Honeymoon is Over’ follows the success of her previous offerings, ‘A Life Like Yours’ and ‘Happy Every After’.

‘The Honeymoon is Over’ is published by Poolbeg and is available at all good bookstores.