Title:  The Vacation 			 		⠀⠀⠀
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Author: T.M. Logan
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Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


”Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Four women (Kate, Izzy, Jennifer and Rowan) who have been best friends for as long as they can remember making the most of a luxurious villa in the south of France.
Kate has a secret: her husband is having an affair. But hold up it might be one of her best friends. Ladies and gentlemen let the fun begin.  

What I Liked:
- There are many points of view but the majority is from Kate. 
- Other than Daniel and Izzy, I didn’t like any of the characters in this book. I love it when an author is able to keep me interested even though I can’t stand the characters.
- The story is a lot more than Late finding which of her friends is riding her husband. It took a dark turn I wasn't expecting at all. 
- I really enjoyed the writing style. Logan did a great job with leaving puzzle pieces here and there but it all comes together at the end. 


What I Didn’t Like:
- The last 5-10% of the book wasn’t realistic because of everything I learned earlier in the book.
- I wish the chapter were longer. I guess it was supposed to create a cliffhanger but it only got annoying.

 If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller filled with lies, betrayal, twist, and dark secrets.

This book was 3.75 rounded to 4 stars.


Thank you St.Martin’s Press and Netgalley for a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Four best friend and their families housed together for a week in a beautiful place that includes a pool. Sounds like the perfect vacation, right? What could go wrong? 

Well, just about everything, it seems. Combine a bunch of secrets and lies, plenty of tension, squabbling adults, a few bratty kids, some teenage angst for good measure and you have a week that is anything but the perfect vacation.

It starts out relaxing and peaceful enough and then things start to ratchet up. With each turn of the page, the reader gets drawn into the drama. This story took twists and turns that I wasn't anticipating—but then, that's to be expected with books by this amazing and creative author. 

The Vacation is an exciting thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. And an ending that I thought about long after I closed the cover.

Summary: Several long-time friends, along with their families, go on vacation in a secluded villa in France to celebrate the women’s fortieth birthdays. They almost all carry secrets with them.

Sean and Kate are on this vacation with their teenage daughter, Lucy, and nine-year old son, Daniel. Recently, Sean has been acting oddly and Kate suspects he’s having an affair. Jennifer and Alistair are there with their two teen-aged sons, Jake and Ethan. Jake has a history of disturbing behavior. Izzy arrives alone, her fiance having been killed by a bus years ago, but she hints at a new illicit relationship. Rowan, the successful businesswoman whose client owns the villa, arranged the vacation, making her less wealthy friends feel both grateful and inadequate. Her husband, Russ, drinks too much. Their five-year-old- daughter, Odette, is the youngest of the group and the only one with nothing to hide.

Based on a text she saw on her husband’s phone, Kate spends most of her vacation obsessed with figuring out which one of her friends is having a relationship with her husband. But when she learns what is really going on, it is far more disturbing.

Comments: The Vacation is full of characters that I’m glad aren’t my friends. The most likeable ones were the two youngest children, Ethan and Odette. Reading it was like watching the proverbial train wreck. I really wanted to slap several of the adults for being selfish twits.

I really loved two other books that I read by T.M. Logan — Lies and 29 Seconds. While still a decent entry into the suspense genre, I felt that The Vacation wasn’t quite up to those standards.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on July 21, 2020

I have never read any of this author's books before, but Wow this one I really had wrong from the start I didn't see it coming until close to the end of the book. This book was so well written, and I basically didn't like any of the characters yet the author kept me reading with the storyline. I would recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press, and all opinions expressed here are my own.

This book was somewhat interesting. I enjoyed it in parts. I was invested in the beginning and enjoyed the main characters point of view. Unfortunately some the parts were very long which made this book a slow burn. I was expecting more depth overall, and was left feeling meh at the end. A premise that has been done before, but just needed more execution to make the story stand out. Thank you NetGalley  and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is not a book that you would want to start late at night because you won't want to put it down. It all starts with secrets. The trip that Kate so looked forward to with her family is no longer a dream vacation. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love that this book is told from multiple points of view, but it only gives you glimpses of what is really going on. This book starts with a secret and turns into a thriller. The story was so gripping that I read almost the entire book in one day.

I've had my share of miserable vacations but they were nothing like Kate's long holiday with her family and three of her oldest friends. The vacation kicks off in the worst possible way with Kate discovering that her husband is having an affair with one of her friends and things start going steadily downhill from there on. 

I feel like there were too many red herrings and they actually distracted me from the main story but that could be just me. All in all, it's a good read for a long weekend.  

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This is by first novel by this author and I would be interested in checking our their previous work. I think most fans of domestic suspense will feel right at home here. The scenery is incredible here. You feel as if you are with the characters in this French village surrounded by vineyards and olive trees. That is about the only thing that set this one apart for me and I think this book just wasn’t for me. 

I did find it hard to relate to Kate. I kept wishing she would stand up for herself and confront her husband instead of worrying about everything that may or may not be wrong with her. It’s a standard plot line we’ve seen a lot of.  Thankfully there were stronger characters to balance her out and the pacing was perfect. I think most thriller lovers will enjoy the twists this novel takes.

4.5 stars.

The Vacation by T.M. Logan is an intriguing domestic mystery with an idyllic setting.

  Kate, her husband Sean and their kids, sixteen year old Lucy and nine year old Daniel, set off for a vacation with old friends.  Kate’s friend Rowan secured their lavish holiday home and she is accompanied by her husband Russ and their five year old daughter Odette. Jennifer, her husband Alistair, and  their teenage sons Ethan and Jake are also part of the holiday makers. Sean’s childhood friend Izzy rounds out the group of friends who are hoping to reconnect as they escape their regular lives. But as Kate soon discovers, her problems have accompanied them and she soon views her friends with a very suspicious eye.

  Kate works as a criminal analyst with the Metropolitan Police and she harbors suspicions that Sean is having an affair. All of the signs are there and after snooping in his phone, Kate is dismayed to discover that his mistress is one of her friends. Throughout their stay, she casts an eye on each of them as she tries to figure out the person who has betrayed her.

  Rowan is a successful business owner with a lucrative deal in the making.  While she is busy keeping on top of the merger, Russ spends the most of his time drinking heavily. Odette is annoying as she vies for her parents’ attention. Kate wonders if Rowan could be who Sean is seeing due to his dissatisfaction with their social standing.

  Kate has always viewed Jennifer and Russ as mismatched but they seem happy enough. Jennifer also works at her sons’ school and she is very involved in their lives. So Kate initially discounts her as a possibility. But once she catches a surprising glimpse of them together, she cannot help but transfer her suspicions her way.

  Izzy might be Sean’s childhood friend, but she is open and forthcoming so Kate really does not believe she would cheat with another woman’s husband. But at the announcement she is giving up working out of the country, Kate cannot help but wonder why. After Izzy reveals she is in a relationship then remains cagey about the person’s identity, Kate believes she could be Sean’s mystery woman.

  Meanwhile, Kate realizes something is amiss with Lucy. But like all teenagers, Lucy is not exactly open to confiding in her mother. But Kate cannot help but notice her daughter is clearly upset about something but she becomes preoccupied with her own troubles. Jennifer’s sons are up to mischief right from the start and young Daniel gets caught up in their shenanigans throughout their stay. Odette remains a bit of a thorn is everyone’s sides with her whining and everyone is generally miserable while in her company.

  The Vacation is an engrossing domestic mystery with a creative storyline and plenty of secrets. The characters are well-developed with distinct personalities and some are more likable than others. With the tension ratcheting higher with each chapter, T.M. Logan brings this mesmerizing domestic mystery to a twist-filled, shocking conclusion. A brilliant mystery that I enjoyed and recommend to fans of the genre.

What begin as a vacation in France to celebrate the 40th birthdays of 4 college friends is anything but relaxing. The women are keeping secrets and they just might destroy them. Add in husbands and children and instead of an idyllic holiday it is a recipe for disaster. What relationships will survive the week?

This is the first book I have read by T M Logan and I was pleasantly surprised.. The story did not go where  I expected it too. I had no idea what was really going on until the very end. This is definitely one to read if you like trying to work out who did what. I will be putting more of this authors books on my tbr pile.

I realised that I had already read this book. It is also called the Holiday. My review is below.

Overall this was a good read. It was just a bit of a slow burner. It seemed to take a long time to get into the story,

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I finished The Vacation in an evening. To call it a fast read would be a gross understatement. I was completely unable to put it down without finishing it. It's perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and other domestic thrillers.

This was a slow burner but very well written. Good characters. Full of suspense. Would definitely read the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

A thriller with 4 friends on a holiday? And how secrets are suddenly out in the open?.... Bring it on!

This was a good, intriguing and twisty thriller. The four friends, Kate, Rowan, Izzy and Jennifer are interesting and unlikeable characters which makes the story and the plot that much more real and thrilling!

I don't want to reveal too much of the plot but suffice it to say that the story moves along at a great pace, the plotting is excellent as at one time or another everybody acts suspicious and you keep wondering what is going to happen next. Lots of people, things going wrong, secrets out in the open, strange behaviour, red herrings kept me engaged throughout the story.

This is a good thriller which keeps you thinking and hooked.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Vacation was a book filled with interesting and complicated characters. Throughout the story I tried to piece together the puzzle to figure out exactly what was going on and who was responsible. Just like T. M. Logan's other books, The Vacation kept me guessing up until the very end. A rollercoaster of a literary ride worth enjoying. A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't a big fan of this book.  The story was okay.  It took a while to get used to the switch of narrator in the book. The author tried to give us an insight into every character, but I found it awkward.  I tend to like books that I can identify or like the main characters.  I didn't like the characters in this book.  I didn't dislike them either, but I didn't feel connected.  The book did have lots of twists and turns before we get to the conclusion.  I received a copy of the book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

So it took me forever to finish reading this book. When I got half way through I just couldn't read anymore. I didn't like the people in the story or why they were acting the way they were. I finally finished this book and the ending was better than I thought it was going to be. I won't say more but it's not what I expected. So if you get to the halfway point and don't want to finish take it from me and finish it.

I was super stoked to get an advanced copy of T.M. Logan’s newest read, The Vacation.  Logan has become a go to author for me in the thriller department and he knocked it out of the park again.

Three long-time best friends, who all recently turned 40, decide to take a family trip to France to celebrate.  Kate discovers her husband is having an affair, and sets out on a mission to find out which one of her best friends is the mystery woman.  What she uncovers is the last thing she expected. 

This was a riveting thriller that kept me turning pages until late at night.  I didn’t connect with the characters like I would have hoped, and truthfully, they were all a little annoying to me.  But I was so invested to find out who was betraying Kate that I couldn’t put it down.  But I definitely did not anticipate the shocking twist at the end!

Thank you to St.Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Release day is July 21 so make sure you preorder now!

Having read TM Logan's first two books (Lies and 29 Seconds), I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Vacation. I'm a fan of stories set in isolated places.

THE STORY:  Four college friends who meet every year to reminisce and catch-up, decide to bring their families along to a luxurious villa in the south of France.

Kate, who tells the story, has just discovered text messages between her husband and what appears to be one of her best friends who will be along on the vacation.

All the characters, adults and children alike, are unpleasant people self-centered, willing to betray and lie, making it hard to care about them.

FIRST LINE: "We drove north, away from the coast."

WHAT I THOUGHT: The story is told by Kate in the first person interspersed with chapters named for other events and characters that are told in the third person and fill in parts of the puzzle pieces.

Another title might be "How to Draw Bad Conclusions". Kate is an annoying character. Considering that she has been a crime analyst for 13 years with the Metropolitan Police, her mode of reasoning is to jump to conclusions. The repetition of her fabricated worries while mostly neglecting her children is disturbing.

There are plenty of teasers and red herrings and a set-up for an unexpected ending. T.M. Logan comes up with some interesting plot ideas and then fills them with twists and turns that will keep you up late.

BOTTOM LINE:RECOMMENDED. This is going to be another popular book by T.M. Logan. Earlier titles were Lies (2018) and 29 Seconds (2019). Click on the book title to see my reviews. It was published in 2019 as The Holiday in the U.K. and will be released in July 2020 in the U.S. as The Vacation.

Take this book to the beach but don't take it too seriously. Just enjoy the twists, turns, and red herrings the author has created for your enjoyment.

Disclaimer: A copy of The Vacation was provided to me by /Net Galley for an honest review.

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (July21, 2020)
ISBN-10: 1250270774
ISBN-13: 978-1250270771

TM Logan was a national newspaper journalist before turning to novel-writing full time. His thrillers have sold more than 750,000 copies in the UK and are published in 19 countries around the world.

His debut thriller Lies was one of Amazon UK's biggest ebooks of 2017 - winning a Silver Award at the Nielsen Bestseller Awards - and was followed by his second standalone, 29 Seconds (2018). The Holiday spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback Top 10, as well as hitting the #1 spots on Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks and Kobo. His brand new thriller for 2020, The Catch, is about a father who becomes convinced his daughter is about to marry a man with terrible secret

Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.