A random group of people reside at a hostel in the Los Angeles area. They seemingly have little in common until their various secrets start to reveal themselves.

I usually try to read at least a third of a book before deciding to abandon it. It was a struggle with this title due to the plodding pace and surplus of of dysfunctional, and sometimes devious, residents. I kept reading in the hope that the disconnected stories would start to make sense. In the end, they did, but almost none of it was believable, so I felt like I'd wasted entirely too much of my life reading this book. Three stars were given because the writing was pretty good -- just the plot and the characters left a lot to be desired.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I chose this book because of the author and because I wanted to learn something about an experience I’d never had.

Inspired by a backpacking trip in 1992, John Marrs bases some of the characters on those he met that memorable summer. He’s captured the essence of these diverse hostelers and backpackers and placed them in a fictional Venice Beach International Hostel, one much like a conglomeration of those he stayed in that summer.

This book will be frustrating at first. You have been warned. Give the author time to set the stage for 8 different characters, the concierge and the owner of the hostel. Then, be patient and look for clues for POV changes and time shifts.

Nicole, Savannah, Matty, Declan, Eric, Ruth, Jane and John are all running from something when they check into the seedy hostel. They each have secrets and will do anything to keep them hidden. Depending on where they’ve come from and where they’re going, this hostel can be a godsend or a horrid experience. Some spend their vacation in a weed-induced paradise and some start their vacation with roaches and people literally falling through the ceiling. The hostel is almost a character unto itself.

While I may have been tempted to set the book down multiple times with no intention of picking it up again, the fantastic characterization kept me coming back. I came for the armchair travel experience and stayed for the nosey peek into the lives of this motley crew.

If you love a slow-burn, 5-star character-focused novel, you’ll appreciate this twisty tale. It isn’t my favourite of this author's, but I appreciated the examination of our human nature and what we’ll do to keep our secrets hidden. For those looking for something different, this will fit the bill.

I was gifted this late access/post-publication ARC by Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is my fourth John Marrs book, and I love his style of storytelling. If you are not used to his writing style, you might be disappointed because this does not read like a traditional thriller. I personally love that about Marrs' writing and books, but I can see where some might get confused. This one has a lot of POVs, which is not always my favorite because it makes things get a bit muddled and confusing. However, I did enjoy the different story lines and how they weave together, and the twists and turns throughout the book. Ultimately, this one was not my favorite from Marrs, but I would still recommend it. I gave it a 3.75 star rating but rounded up for the review.

This is a fun book about the adventures of eight strangers who end up traveling to the same hostel in Los Angeles. They all are running from (or running to) something, and they all have secrets in their past. I really enjoyed their interconnected relationships and how each character was trying to overcome their own personal demons.

However, I do not feel that this is a thriller, or even a psychological thriller. That's not to say there aren't tense moments, but it doesn't carry through the entire book. The suspense is not what is driving the story - this is a character-driven story. If classified as general fiction, this book is 4 or 4.5 stars, but if classified as a thriller, I can't give it any higher than 3.5 stars. I did enjoy it, but I think this shouldn't be advertised as a thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

I was super excited to join the blog tour of The Vacation by John Marrs. I’ve been hearing so much about Marrs, but have been struggling to get copies of his previous novels. I have only read The One by him and I loved it, so jumped right in once I got my advanced copy!

The Vacation starts off very slow. Each short chapter follows a character in present day, but then would jump back in their past. I was getting super confused on who was who and how the characters were connected.

The novel finally clicked for me around 70% (which is way too long, I probably would of given up earlier). I finally figured out the characters and why their backstories were so important. I was hooked for the last part of the book and was shocked by some of the events.

3 calculators out of a potential 5. I really want to read more of Marrs novels. Even though this may of seemed like a miss, I still enjoyed it and appreciated how he was able to weave the stories together.

Thank you to Netgallery and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Suspenseful, fast paced story of seemingly random people at a hostel in Venice Beach, California. Told from various POVs and multiple times so it takes time to understand who is who. Each have secrets and something or someone they are running away from. As the story progresses, the secrets come out, people show their true colors and some revelations of their connection come to light.
A very quick, enjoyable read.


Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press for a free copy of this book. Very enjoyable!

I liked the short chapters in this book and how it changed around from character to character throughout. I found some of the stories to be funny and enjoyed the characters backstories. I liked how certain characters were connected. This book was a page turner for me and I did not want to put it down. The endings fell short for me but I enjoyed the process!

A group of people at a hostel in Venice Beach and how their complicated lives intertwine, both past and present. There was lots of jumping around and changing of perspective, but practically every chapter ended on somewhat of cliffhanger and I am here for it! I am becoming more and more of a fan of John Marrs with each book of his that I read and and this one certainly did not disappoint.

A suspenseful story with a few twists about 8 backpackers living in a run down Venice Beach hostel. Told from multiple points of view, each character with hidden secrets of their own. These strangers’ lives intertwine, unravel and come together all at once! The was full of suspense, some TWISTS and definitely a PAGE-TURNER. My second John Marrs book which did not disappoint! I really enjoyed this read and will enjoy more by this author in the near future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this arc!

Another fast-paced, intermingled, entertaining hit by John Marrs!!! As always the characters are mysterious and drop little pieces of info that you need to put a pin in for a second until all the pieces come together in the end!!!

I especially loved the Venice Beach hostel setting because it added a whole new aspect to the normal @johnmarrs.author plot and allowed for a wild cast of characters!!! This novel is definitely one of my top 3 favorite John Marrs books!!!

4.25⭐️

⭐️THIS BOOK HITS SHELVES TOMORROW 12/19 AND IS A MUST FOR ALL JOHN MARRS FANS OR THOSE WHO WANT TO GET INTO THE THRILLER GENRE⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley @hanoversquarepress and @htpbooks for the review copy!

#thevacation #johnmarrs #hanoversquarepress #htpbooks

~ARC recieved for review from Netgalley~
🏖 The Vacation
🏖 John Marrs
🏖 513 pages
🏖 3 stars
🏖 Summary 🏖
How far would you run to escape your past?
Venice Beach, Los Angeles. A paradise on earth. Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood. But for eight strangers at a beach-front hostel, there is far more on their minds than an extended vacation. All of them are running from something. And they all have secrets they'd kill to keep...
🏖 My Thoughts 🏖
Not my favorite, but I think others would enjoy this way more. It is not what I expected going into it, and the multiple (did I say multiple) POV's got confusing at times. Going into this one, I thought it was going to be a straight up thriller, but this read to me more like a soapy/drama (think your drama shows) in book form. While the twists were still good, the book fell flat for me quite a few times. Still recommend, give it a chance and you may find a book you love!

Thank you Macmillan and netgalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️3.75 stars

Synopsis: the hostel is located steps away from Venice beach which draws people from all across the globe. The guests and employees lives are all brought together in a few weeks

What I liked: this was my first John marrs novel and although it is not a typical fast pace thriller, I really enjoyed it. The story gives you context and does have a lot of twists that I didn’t guess. The slow build really allows you to get to know the characters and their stories. I really like Nicole and her journey. She is a nurse from England that starts on a trip down Route 66 with her friend Eric. This story has many layers and depth that made for a rich story. I really liked how the initial views of characters changed through the story. I personally preferred the slow gradual build up and community throughout the book

I would recommend this book

This was a quick read. The characters are compelling and I liked that most chapters left you wanting to read on. The resolution was also effective at wrapping up all the loose ends. However, I went into this thinking it’d be a mystery. Some reviews I saw said it’s a thriller. It’s really neither, so I kept expecting some big mystery to unfold, but it never did.

The Vacation by John Marrs is being rereleased in an updated version. I had not read the original so the storyline was all new to me. Set in California at a hostel we get to know the workers and the guests. We also discover how intertwined the two groups are and how this affects everyone. Loads of secrets and fast-paced action keep the lot moving right along. This was an enjoyable book. Read and enjoy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest opinion. I really enjoyed the book and the plot twist

What a unique read. I am not really sure what to write on this one so I don’t spoil it. It is a little of a slow burn at the start. There are a lot of characters to remember and the timeline is nonlinear so you need pay extra attention to put where you are reading in the timeline and if you are still reading my review LOL there is a nice payout in the second half of the book. I was quite surprised over and over when the twists were revealed. I have to say, I did not see any of that coming. What seems random fits into a much bigger picture.

I wasn’t really sure if I liked any of the characters, but they were complex and strongly developed. They all have things in their past they are running from and have connected at a hostel in California. They are so vastly different but share a temporary home. When I mention not liking them, I should add that there were moments I did but many I did not. It was interesting that I could sympathize with them and then so quickly dislike them again.

It really is a book that is setup for the long haul. The present and past of all the characters are woven together without leaving anything dangling at the conclusion. If you are looking for an immersive read that will keep you wondering what comes next, you need to check out this one.

The Vacation by John Marrs centers on a Los Angeles hostel and the group of travelers who find their lives intersecting there. I've read all of Marrs' works set in the fictional world of The One, and just like those, The Vacation follows a whole cast of characters...perhaps a few too many for my preferences. This version is an edited, re-release of a novel he wrote earlier in his career, and it didn't feel quite as developed and polished as his other books. But still fun, and I raced through the last quarter of the book as we discovered how everyone was connected.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of in this book and at first I had a hard time keeping up. But once you put everyone in place, the story just rolls. Little by little, you get peeks at how they are connected. I did not expect to shed tears in this book, but I did. Tommy,l and Savannahs stories were the ones I was invested in, I needed them to be happy! I personally love short chapters so this book was amazing in that regard. This book did surprise me in how much I ended up enjoying it, will definitely be recommending!

Thank you to NetGalley, John Marrs and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This isn’t what I expected from this novel - usually his writing is more dystopian that thriller alone. This was good and loads of twists, but also lots of characters to remember and it takes a bit. Not my favourite, but Marrs is still a favourite of mine.

Intriguing-it's my understanding that this is a re-release of a novel with a new title. Not really sure why that is the case....but, this gives me Nine Perfect Stranger vibes. Interesting enough to keep reading, but you feel like the pace of the novel could be quicker and that there are so many plot lines that you could get easily confused. In a nutshell, a group of random travelers meet in a hostel outside of LA and each are running from something. We slowly learn each character's individual story--most of the circumstances that led to their running are pretty dark/grim. Not my favorite, but perfectly readable. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read! I think this would actually be a great audiobook and I could easily see it translating to TV-with each episode featuring a different character.