Eric and Nicole are friends who are after the true American experience but are in Venice Beach for a specific reason. Savannah found herself at the hostel after fleeing from her family. Ruth from Australia is unlucky in love and hoping her stay at the hostel will change her fate. Matty and Daniel are backpackers from Ireland who are trying to forget something that happened. Jake transformed himself into a different person and is hiding from his past. Each of the strangers that we meet are either running away from something, running towards something or they have a secret they don’t want revealed. As the strangers interact and spend time together their secrets start to come to the surface.

This is definitely a 5 star read. I recommend it especially if you like thrillers!

THIS WAS A WILD RIDE! The main story is set in a backpacking hostel in California where multiple different characters collide. They are all running from something, and they all have secrets they would do just about anything to keep. Now dont let a large cast of characters drive you away - at no time did I loose track of who was who and what their backstory was. The author does a GREAT job of going back and forth, back and forth, without loosing the reader or confusing them. At almost 500 pages it’s not a quick read, but it is worth reading slowly. I think this would make an amazing Netflix series!!

A derelict hostel in Venice Beach is the setting for most of The Vacation. The book follows the lives -past and present- of a slew of quirky characters who have found themselves residing at the hostel. The stories of the residents unfold and then wind together, creating a fun and thrilling web of stories. A great, easy read with twists around every corner that burns relatively slowly but keeps the reader committed.

It took me a long time to figure out what to write for this book. I had a really hard time getting into it. There were a lot of characters and there was a very long buildup of the story bouncing between characters and timeline. I gave up on the book several times but I did come back to it and didn’t mind the ending but the beginning was just too hard for me to get into unfortunately. I do normally really like this author so that’s why I came back to the book.

This is my first John Marrs novel and I don’t know what I was expecting but this was not it. The book had many different story lines going on at the same time, with a large cast of characters. It is one of those books I enjoyed more reflecting back on it than I did while I was actually reading it. It is the te-release of an older novel and I would definitely read something by this author again. 3.5 stars rounded up.

I found this book very confusing. There were so many characters that seemed pretty nonsensical. It was very hard to keep track of people and story lines. It did not capture me or make me want to keep reading at any point.

One of Marrs' greatest strengths lies in his ability to craft suspenseful and unpredictable plots. "The Vacation" is no exception, as Marrs expertly weaves together multiple storylines, building tension with each revelation. From unexpected alliances to shocking betrayals, the novel keeps readers guessing until the very end, refusing to let go until the final page is turned.

Moreover, Marrs' prose is sharp and evocative, transporting readers to the sun-soaked streets of Venice Beach with vivid imagery and immersive descriptions. The setting itself becomes a character in its own right, adding depth and atmosphere to the narrative.

Highly recommend!

This was a very interesting book. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I thought it was a thriller but it didn’t really give me the “thriller vibes”. I was a little disappointed in the plot line but I had to keep reading to know what was going to happen! Regardless, thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This was my first John Marrs book and I had high hopes. Unfortunately, this was not for me. With an astounding eight main characters, this started off intensely confusing and off putting. While the story picked up, I wasn’t able to really engage with the story.

I love John Marrs, but this one was not a favorite. It was fast paced, but I didn't love any of the characters. I'll continue reading his books though.

Listen. I'm not usually one who enjoys a book with a large cast of characters but I am a sucker for a book about characters whose POVs cannot be trusted. John Marrs has brilliantly combined both into a tale about secrets and the lengths people will go to keep them from ever rising to the surface. While I don't think it's the best John Marrs book I've read, it kept me entertained throughout.

This novel is set in Venice Beach, Los Angeles at a beachfront hostel where the lives of eight strangers converge. None of them are there just for a vacation as they are all running from something.

As the story moves along, different pieces fall into place and you’re able to start connecting dots. The characters are linked in some form or other and you eventually learn that some of them just didn’t meet by chance. The story is well written and drops hints and makes connections all the way through which was great. It was like a jigsaw puzzle and by the end all the pieces were in place.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheVacation

I have heard so much about John Marrs stories and I was really intrigued by the idea behind this one. I liked that this book has short chapters making it quick to get through. Though there are a lot of different characters with back stories that I felt like
I was thrown around a lot in this story. I can say it didn’t fully turn me off and there was enough of a mystery to keep me going until the end but it was a long process and sometimes I felt like the story took too long to get answers.

Loved this book! John Marrs is one of the best of his kind! I devour every one of books so quickly and can not wait for the next release!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read such a great book!

Wow, I absolutely loved this book on so many levels! At first I didn't know it was a rewrite and I'm not sure how it differed from the original but whatever got changed was good because the only thing I could say I didn't like about reading this, was that thanks to my own drama filled life I wasn't able to read it as quickly as I would have liked.
It starts a little slow because there's a lot of background information going on for all the characters and it does go back and forth in timelines but the way it all comes together is so incredible and when you least expect it - POOF - mind blown, jaw dropped! It's just a great story told really well. Like every good book there are characters that you love and characters that you don't, you find them here too. I was so taken in by each one of them and their own personal stories and how they all come together. There are lessons here and not just the "watch your back" , "be careful who you trust" thriller lessons, but true real life lessons - you just never know why someone is who they are or the journey they've been on and why.
This was my second John Maars book and I'm on the hunt for more! It deserves every one of the five stars I'm giving it and more

This book was just “meh” for me. I felt like I was reading it because I had to finish it instead of reading it because I wanted to finish it. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was.

I enjoyed the diverse characters in The Vacation by John Marrs. I liked the way that so many of them were connected in the past and how all the secrets came out.

Lots of twists and turns in this book about so many different types of characters. All about the nomadic lifestyle of several characters with sordid back stories. Kept my attention and kept me guessing throughout the book.

A thriller set in a rundown backpackers hostel in California.
There are so many unexpected surprises, twists and my favourite type of characters, deranged.
The plot is compelling and all the unrelated characters come together so nicely.
A John Marrs book is always worth the read and ride.

Thank you Netgalley. I love John Marrs and this was yet another show stopper! The storyline was great and the characters were well developed. I did not see the twists and turns coming and it was awesome!