Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I found this book so hard to get into; the pace was tragically slow and nothing really happens until you’re about 3/4 of the way through the book and then it’s almost frenetic. I had a hard time pushing myself to keep reading it and did so only to finish it, not because I enjoyed it. I did not care for the story, sadly.

An intriguing family drama, with a lot unfolding throughout the story, The family retreat is quite slow to start but once the scene is set you won't be able to put it down.

Bev Thomas did an excellent job bringing the characters to life. Each one of them had their own set of flaws and personalities, I really felt connected to them all through the story and cared about what was happening to them. Some of the twists were very good, others a bit more predictable, but that was not something that took away my enjoyment.

Definitely one to read.

Thank you NetGallery and Faber and Faber Ltd for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant book. This is such a great read. It is the perfect blend between literary fiction and psychological thriller. The story is told at the beginning over two timelines and you are aware that both are building up to a significant event happening, it is just a matter of what and how these events will come together. The story deals with some quite difficult issues but all are dealt with really sensitively and intuitively. Definitely a must read.

The Family Retreat is a slow-burning thriller about family secrets with an outstanding twist to tie things together. The writing is brilliant and the characters are well-crafted. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this book, it was thrilling and intense, nail bitingly good. Would definitely recommend.

Jess and Rob have decided to spend the summer in a cottage by the sea. Jess works as a GP in an inner-London surgery where she often takes on too much, and gets far too emotionally involved in the lives of her patients. Jess is currently not working, and the reasons for this become apparent as she continues her online therapy sessions. On the other hand Rob is a script writer, always on the verge of great things, and is presently working on the script that will make his name. One week ,when Rob is away travelling abroad for script rewrites, Jess finds herself spending time with another family, also on a summer break in the same group of cottages. Helen has two children, as does Jess and so they spend time together during the week when Helen’s husband is working. At first Jess finds Helen a little cool but as the weeks go by Helen opens up and and Jess learns more about her.

This was a slow burner of a read, as you feel there is something just there but always elusive until you’re hit with an explosive and suddenly everything becomes clear and wow what a read.

Excellent psychological thriller that keeps you guessing throughout.

The book feels real and the characters are so relatable. It’s an intense read in places because it’s so well written.

Read if you like domestic thrillers.

GP Jess, her husband Rob and two children, take a holiday in a small cottage. Jess has taken a break due to patient problems, and Rob has a book about to be made into a film. As Jess gets to know the neighbours, secrets and past horrors are revealed. It all builds to a terrible event, where everyone must re think their relationships.
Fabulous book, I was totally hooked! Dark subject material which makes you think deeply.

Jess and Rob leave London for a month to enjoy some down time in the countryside, sounds idyllic. Jess is a GP, however she is currently on leave and Rob is a writer.
She soon starts spending time with her neighbour Helen, who seems a bit cold at the beginning, though she does open up eventually and shares her sister’s secrets. Will Jess be able to help?

I did not see the twist coming and absolutely enjoy reading this book. A bit of a slow start, but the second half more than make up for it. Very important thematic such as domestic violence and women role in the society are well developed.

One comment at Jess’ dad birthday lunch when the food arrives, there is a comment that makes the reader believe she has arrived, only a page after her arrival is described.
3.8 stars

Slow moving until abiut half way through. The main character is a gp , currently on a sabbatical...it is gradually revealed why
Quite heavy going at times, lots of difficult issues dealt with. Lots of characters too, needed to kerp track of who was who.
Not a bad read. Characterizations ok, some of Jess's actions as a gp seem a little far fetched .....
But thanks to Net Galley for the arc

I enjoyed this story even though it wasn't quite the genre I thought it was going to be. It's a bit of a psychological thriller but more of a family drama. The story was slow but very readable.

This book tackled the topic of domestic abuse/coercive control and how someone's private life can be very different from how they are perceived by others. I did work out the 'twist' about half way through.

I loved Bev Thomas’ book, The Family Retreat. The writing and characterisation was superb and the storyline covered many current and complex issues. This is a new author for me and I’ll be looking out for more from her. I thoroughly recommend it.

My thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this one.

I was intrigued by the reasoning behind Jess's enforced career break and this is teased out over several chapters as we get to know the characters in her family.
Forced to a "family break" by the sea and soon abandoned by her husband for work reasons Jess eventually relaxes into life on the coast and befriending the slightly odd, standoff-ish neighbours Helen and James.
Becoming far too involved in the complexities of the neighbours relationship and family Jess finds herself in an impossible situation that will have you turning pages late into the night seeking resolution.

Free courtesy of Netgalley

I really don't like giving negative feedback but this book was not great to read. I would say the last 20% was okay but the rest was just hard work.

The story centres around Jess who is a GP in a busy London practice, she has some sort of breakdown (maybe I still don't know) and goes on enforced leave. Her husband then books a month away in Dorset for their family.

Whilst there they meet another family with kids of a similar age to theirs, and they become sort of friends.

This book is hard to describe as I am still not sure why something's happened and what significance other things had. To explain it was like going to the kitchen to make a cuppa and get distracted by something else, and never going back to make that cuppa. The book was very slow and done a lot of "if I'd known then" " looking back I would realise" .... The full story started near the end by then I couldn't wait to finish.

Unfortunately I wouldn't say the book was a thriller, it was more of a dud.

My thanks to Faber & Faber for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Family Retreat’ by Bev Thomas.

This was a slow burn domestic drama that centred on Dr Jess Gibson, a GP currently on leave following an unsettling incident at the group practice where she works in East London. Her writer husband, Rob, suggests that the family get away for the summer.

Jess isn’t convinced though their kids are thrilled and the combination of the Dorset sea air and the idyllic cottage works their magic and Jess starts to relax into the holiday vibes. She even makes friends with Helen, another woman who is holidaying there with her husband and kids.

When Jess uncovers a disturbing secret, she is confident that she can help solve the problem. Yet even the gentlest waves can hide the deadliest undercurrents. No further details to avoid spoilers though as the cover tag line indicates this perfect holiday will have a shocking ending that no one could have foreseen.

As indicated above this story unfolds at a measured pace and its revelations felt quite organic. At times Jess does reflect upon her past and we learn of the reasons for her need for time away from the demands of her profession.

Bev Thomas was a clinical psychologist in the NHS and continues to serve as a mental health consultant and I felt that she approached the novel’s themes her with sensitivity while still penning an engaging suspense drama.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I read this book in two sittings which is unusual for me, even on holiday. In many ways, it is similar to lots of other psychological crime novels but what I found different about it was the way in which is referred to many current issues which I won’t name here because of spoilers.
I did enjoy the characters and some of the presentations of the relationships within families: mothers and their children and women and their sisters. I also enjoyed the setting which felt very vivid.
All in all, a great holiday read.

THE FAMILY RETREAT

I struggled to engage with this book at the start. I found #TheFamilyRetreat somewhat drawn out and extremely slow paced. Its non-linear structure didn’t help with this. And neither did the, excruciating, unnecessarily long chapters that did not encourage me to continue but I carried on hoping that this would change.

And thankfully it did, unfortunately though this wasn’t until over halfway through the book.

I did feel that the novel dealt well with the COVID-19 pandemic. It dealt with it accurately and without bombarding you with information but not forgetting that it actually happened.

However saying this I’m not 100% sure of the relevance to quite how in-depth it sometimes was. Something I found common throughout this novel and because of this I am only going to give this book two and half stars; rounding it up to three for my #NetGalley and Goodreads review as opposed to down to two.

I found that there was just two much going on throughout this novel, which made it loose the point to the meaning of this story, of domestic abuse, it became lost.

Thanks to Netgalley and Faber and Faber for the early digital edition of this book released on August 25th.
Jess and Rob take the family away for what they hope is an idyllic family summer holiday, with an underlying agenda of some soul searching regarding recent events in their lives. These events are alluded too and slowly reveal themselves to the reader as the story progresses.
I found it hard to warm to Jess- she seemed secretive yet overly curious and partly nosey into the affairs of her new neighbours. There’s a lot happening in this story, with snippets of the lives of people around Jess and their own challenges and issues. The story, whilst slow, does have some twists and unexpected reveals.
I didn’t feel that there was as much atmosphere as I would have liked- I like to read and feel like I’m being transported but there was a lack of details that enables this feeling for me,
Readers who like a slow story that focuses on character development will likely enjoy this read.

Jess is a burnt out GP married to Rob with two children.
The family take an extended holiday in a cottage by the sea.
Jess meets Helen at a fundraiser and they don’t hit it off straight away , but their relationship does develop and Jess is asked to help Helen’s sister.
I will leave it there for the plot because I don’t want to add any spoilers ,one thing I can say is I didn’t see that coming!
To be honest I didn’t think I would savour the book as much as I have .The writing is excellent and the storyline is intense and about subjects that don’t make for an easy read.
The story was really a slow burner which I felt wasn’t really going anywhere until I approached half way and then it picked up pace with added vigour.
The calibre of the writing is excellent and it left me questioning what we actually know about another person’s life , we may well perceive the opposite of the truth.
If like me you initially struggle with this book please push on and finish the story .
A fulfilling and constructive read which made me question my initial perception of people.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd.