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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve never read a Shalini Boland book that I didn’t LOVE! The way she writes is just incredible, you really feel like you’re there living in the characters lives. She is the queen of plot twists, this one was a little less shocking than her other books but it didn’t make it any less amazing. I loved the setting and want to plan a trip to Italy now! Can’t wait for whatever she has in the works next!! Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Two beautiful families decide to house swap their homes for a well deserving vacation in different countries. Would anyone be comfortable letting strangers entering their abode and looking through their stuff? What secrets will they find about each other? Is it going to be the vacation of their dreams?
The Family Holiday is a fast paced thriller which though somewhat predictable is an excellent book. I finished this book in just under 4 hours so it's a quick read. All the characters in this book are pretty much defined and it's easy to predict who and what their nature is. I hated Niall and Amber. The ending is just WOW! Didn't see it coming.
Don't go into this book judging by its cover. The cover is not even remotely connected with the story. And do not read the full blurb! It gives away a spoiler.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. It's fast paced, interesting and keeps you engrossed in the story.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this novel.
Triggers: Infidelity
The Family Holiday is a fast paced thriller which though somewhat predictable is an excellent book. I finished this book in just under 4 hours so it's a quick read. All the characters in this book are pretty much defined and it's easy to predict who and what their nature is. I hated Niall and Amber. The ending is just WOW! Didn't see it coming.
Don't go into this book judging by its cover. The cover is not even remotely connected with the story. And do not read the full blurb! It gives away a spoiler.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. It's fast paced, interesting and keeps you engrossed in the story.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this novel.
Triggers: Infidelity
The Family Holiday is a psychological thriller about Beth and Niall Kildare who swap their cottage in Dorset with Amber and Renzo Mason's modern villa on the Amalfi Coast. It seems like a dream spring holiday for the Kildares - trading the cold, gray weather of England for the sun, swimming pool, and ocean views of Italy. Everything seems perfect, but then there are frustrating mishaps and scary break-ins.
It soon becomes clear that Amber has an agenda for this trip, and it was fun speculating about her motives. Heartbreaking secrets are revealed to Beth and eventually, there is a murder! This is a twisty thriller with some truly horrible people. I like Beth, but it becomes hard seeing her continually having to walk on eggshells around her volatile husband.
I was surprised by the way things turned out in the end. Just when I thought there couldn't be any more plot turns, there is one final twist that I never saw coming. The Family Holiday is a fast-paced, entertaining thriller.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Bookouture. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
It soon becomes clear that Amber has an agenda for this trip, and it was fun speculating about her motives. Heartbreaking secrets are revealed to Beth and eventually, there is a murder! This is a twisty thriller with some truly horrible people. I like Beth, but it becomes hard seeing her continually having to walk on eggshells around her volatile husband.
I was surprised by the way things turned out in the end. Just when I thought there couldn't be any more plot turns, there is one final twist that I never saw coming. The Family Holiday is a fast-paced, entertaining thriller.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Bookouture. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
Finished reading: March 9th 2022
"It sounds so easy. But I can't imagine anything will be that easy again. Not after tonight."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I've been a fan of Shalini Boland's psychological thrillers since my very first experience back in 2016 and while I did somehow miss three of her most recent titles, I read the rest of them without fail. I thought that it was about time I jumped aboard the Boland train again and what better way to start than with her newest psychological thriller? Especially since the blurb sounds extremely intriguing and I always love a travel element in my stories. And I have to say that reading The Family Holiday has definitely reminded me just why I enjoy reading her work that much!
The first thing that stands out is that we both have a dual setting and a dual POV structure. Part of the story is set in an English village in Dorset and part in a small Italian town on the Amalfi Coast... The descriptions of especially the Italian setting really made it feel as if I were sightseeing along with the main characters, and it made a great backdrop for the plot. The POV (with one exception) switches between Beth and Amber, the wifes of the two families who decided to swap houses together. While both women had traits that annoyed me (especially with Beth letting her husband treat her badly), as a whole they were exactly what was needed for this story to become a success.
The Family Holiday has a very strong opener, and you are left wondering what really happened as you slowly dive into the lives of Beth and Amber. I had my suspicions about certain aspects of the plot, and I can't say that I was happy with the whole cheating/love triangle element either. The way this element was incorporated into the plot made it easier to tolerate though, and thankfully the story will have plenty of twists, secrets and new developments ready to keep you distracted. The switching between the POVs is well handled and it really helped building up that intrigue and suspense. Especially once you start figuring out Amber's true intentions...
This story seems to be a bit of a mix between a domestic drama and a more crime-focused psychological thriller, and I really liked the balance here. The writing is just as engaging as I've come to expect from her books; I literally couldn't stop reading and had to stay up late just so that I could finish it. All in all, The Family Holiday ended up being a more than satisfying psychological thriller that has me hungry to return for her final pending backlist titles. Recommended if you enjoy the genre!
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5
i enjoyed this book, didnt want to put it down buuut i do wonder why it tells you that a character dies in the goodreads description when it happens so late on in the book.. (said character is the worst btw) i assumed this would be the main story line but still.. it was fine.
Anywhoo - a quick read, and i liked the ending
i enjoyed this book, didnt want to put it down buuut i do wonder why it tells you that a character dies in the goodreads description when it happens so late on in the book.. (said character is the worst btw) i assumed this would be the main story line but still.. it was fine.
Anywhoo - a quick read, and i liked the ending
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced