This was a really fun read. I listened to most of it but then went back and read parts of it from the ebook to clarify a few things. There are footnotes in this book so it wasn’t as clear in the audio version, and made a little more sense actually seeing them. But either way I had a blast with this one.
The main character was hilarious. Despite it appearing someone is being targeted to be killed, this book had loads of humor. And the mystery was really good too! I breezed through this book pretty fast- it’s got great pacing- so I didn’t stop to think too long about who was behind everything. But embarrassingly enough for me (I like to think I can usually guess the culprit almost always), I didn’t see any of it coming. This would be a great beach read if you like mysteries or light hearted thrillers.

Everytime I go on vacation is about an author who writes about murder. When she has to solve an attempted murder, she puts her sleuthing skills to the test.

This book looked so fun. I love the cover and the fun summery vibes. It started out humorous and fun. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me though.

I really disliked all of the characters. Everyone seemed either stuck up, dumb, or just plain annoying. I had a hard time connecting with anyone or cheering for anyone. I feel like the main character was trying too hard to be funny and I just wasn’t feeling it.

I did enjoy the audiobook though. The narrator was great.

Thanks so much to netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc and Macmillan audio for the alc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Think Sandra Bullock’s “The Lost City” mixed with “White Lotus” and you have the funniest whodunnit book. I loved it! Such a fun read, highly recommend! I can’t wait for the next book! Thanks NetGallery!

I was really looking forward to this book but sadly I just didn't love it. I struggled to get into it at first so I switched to the audiobook and found that to be more engaging. The narrator does a good job adding personality to the MC and bringing the story to life. Still, for some reason I had trouble feeling invested in this story or any of the characters - I was interested at some points but was ready for the story to be over at others. The book definitely had funny moments but it was also a bit over the top for me - perhaps I wasn't in the correct mindset for it because I usually do enjoy books like this. Overall I thought this one was just okay but I don't think the details will stick with me.

A few things to note - I do wish there were less footnotes throughout and that the first murder happened earlier in the book so we could unravel it together. It felt like it all happened so late in the game and the MC just neatly solved everything for the reader as opposed to us doing it together.

This book reminded me of Blonde Identity and Finlay Donovan, so I could definitely see people falling in love with this book. Thank you for the opportunity to review!

Such a fun book!! The writing, the pacing, all the characters, the setting….it all came together so well. And that ending!!! I need book 2 immediately! The narrator did do a great job but this book was a little hard to follow on audio with all the characters. Definitely recommend this book though if you’re looking for a fun summer mystery.

This was a fun little murder mystery to listen to. I liked how it was written, with the main character being an author of a mystery series. The book was almost written as her notes/manuscript, which definitely gave it a different feel that I enjoyed. It was a behind the scenes glimpse at a writing style and process I thought.

It didn’t have mind blowing twist and turns, but was entertaining nonetheless and a fun story. There were a lot of characters to keep track of right away, so that could get confusing at times, but it didn’t take too long to straighten them all out. Lots of possible murder suspects, so it will definitely keep you guessing as to is behind it all.

This was simply delightful! Elizabeth Evans did an amazing job narrating this book and the vast list of characters. I finished the audiobook in two sittings. This was a very unique book, as the main character, Eleanor is a writer and she's on a book tour with a cast of very entertaining characters. As you can imagine with a cozy mystery, death happens and chaos ensues but in a hilarious way. I chuckled out loud several times throughout the story, especially when the list of people that would say "shut up Connor" got longer and longer every time he spoke. This story was unique in the fact that Eleanor is telling us the story of what happens on the trip, but also she speak directly to the reader during the story. She gives out clues to the murders and talks you through her different experiences in her life and writing. It was really comical at times and very entertaining. If you like Finlay Donovan (minus the children in her story) then you will like this.

The cover is very fun and vibrant. I could see a lot of people being drawn in.

The narrator was a little flat for me. But not enough that I disliked her.

Eleanor is a potentially unreliable narrator. She talks to the reader throughout the story and asks that they solve the case along with her. Readers will either love this tactic or find it annoying. There are so many close calls and just when you think you know what’s happening, you don’t. Again, you’ll either see that as twists and turns or redundant writing.

Some interesting things: The Goodreads issue of being more like “meanreads” and way too many TS lyrics for me.

The book is fine. Maybe not the right fit for me. I don’t think I’d continue reading the series. But I think some people will really love this!

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Mack, Elizabeth Evans, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity. I have written this review voluntarily.

The perfect summer beach read! A 'will they, won't they' romance-meets-mystery that reads like a fun, modern Agatha Christie novel. The characters are well-written and immediately likable, or detestable (see for yourself, ahem, Connor), and the narrator drops hints throughout the story to guide the reader toward the solution. Grab yourself an Aperol spritz and enjoy this fun Mediterranean murder mystery!

I want to start by saying I LOVE Elizabeth Evans. I didn't realize she had read this until I started, and I was so happy.
This book was the perfect fun cozy mystery romp I needed. I loved several things in this book - the author talking to us directly, the footnotes, that it took us all over Italy, it was full of crazy characters, and that the twist at the end brought the story together.

There were only two things I didn't enjoy - one was the main character's continuous inner monologue about "stealing her sister's spot" but not ever actually talking to her sister because she had a secret. The second is a personal preference, but this is the third book I've read recently that quoted Taylor Swift many many times. I know she's wildly popular, but it didn't add to the book at all.

Overall, though, this book was the perfect spring break mystery to listen to! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me listen!

This was a super cute book and the narration was on point! Awesome job narrator! The plot was cute and witty. I loved the banter throughout the book. It was a simple to read, easy to follow plot. Thank you for allowing me to read this! Fabulous !

I had a love hate relationship with this book. The narration of every millennial thought in Eleanor’s mind took me out a bit. I think the twist at the end was good. But it was just strange being talked to as a reader.

I was really excited to start this one, not sure if my expectations were too high or if it was just ehh. I found the main character to be annoying and boring. There were cute scenes and a fun plot, but it unraveled too slowly in the beginning and too quickly at the end. The pace of the book just always felt off to me, which made it difficult to become invested in what I was reading. At times I felt like there were too many side stories that were not relevant to the main story, however they were usually enjoyable to read. I never considered this a DNF, as there were fun and engaging aspects throughout the book, but the piece just never came together for me. 
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy (audio and e-book)

This was not my normal type of read. It was very funny, gave me white lotus vibes, which was an interesting take on this genre. Overall I liked it! I don't know that I love this style of funny thrillers/mysteries, but I'd recommend this to someone who was looking for something a little lighter that likes to suspend belief.

3.5 stars rounded down. This was a fun and unique “who done it” story. I really enjoyed the fourth wall breaks. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent but I think I would’ve enjoyed it more as a physical book. It made me laugh and kept me entertained. This is the exact book you’re looking for to read on vacation for sure! I wished I’d been reading it on a beach. A good exciting and fun time! I’ll for sure read the next one.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

4/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

SYNOPSIS -- Eleanor Dash is sick of Vacation. She's desperate to make it through this Italian book tour (who booked this for July, anyway?!) and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, so she can move on from the Vacation Mysteries. When a REAL attempt is made on Connor's life, Eleanor's feelings and goals become mixed up with their sordid past, her big secrets and the future of her series. When other lives are threatened and the chaotic assortment of characters -- including Eleanor's competitors, stalker and ex-boyfriend -- get wildly mixed up into the fray, can Eleanor solve the case before real and fictional lives are put at stake?!

This book was SO fun! Big FINLAY DONOVAN and EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE vibes. There was tons of "breaking the fourth wall" and it made it super fun to try and solve this one along with Eleanor (which, I did not do successfully). Eleanor was a great narrator; she felt almost too similar in voice to Ernest Cunningham at times, but I really enjoyed this anyway! I was wildly suspicious of every single character at pretty much every moment. There were tons of suspects (too many, some would say... IYKYK) and lots of red herrings. Obviously I loved Eleanor, but the supporting characters were just as lovable (and hate-able) -- they were so silly! The Italian setting was phenomenal; after going there last year it was SOOOO much fun to read about these places and actually recognize some of them!

As with Finlay and EIMFHKS, the characters were great, the mystery was enticing and the banter/dialogue was goofy. I really enjoyed this series and I'm looking forward to more from the Vacationers.

NOTE -- I started this on my Kindle and was SO glad to have the audio version! The formatting of the footnotes was pretty dysfunctional on kindle (not sure how this will play out in the final version) but were seamless in the audio -- included right in the narration. I finished this book with a mix of physical and audio, and found it to be a great way of following along this wild ride!

I loved the format of this book. I was provided an ARC audiobook so I did not have the same issue others had relative to the "footnotes being distracting." The novel was engaging, funny, had pop culture references and had a similar vibe to Only Murders in the Building (which I very much enjoyed). I like that the story felt very "real" I am convinced that Eleanor Dash is a real person. I am very excited that this is going to be a TV series.

This book is comparable to the Finlay Donovan series, almost to the point of a carbon copy. We have a nutcase female MC who is an author, her sidekick assistant who keeps her on track, an ex who messes up her life, and a whole lot of OTT drama. If you love Finlay, you’ll likely love this book. I’m in the minority with Finlay, and unfortunately I didn’t love this book either.

I tried. Really. But I couldn’t get past about 25%. Eleanor annoyed me to no end. Nothing about the plot made sense. I didn’t like or care about one single character.

On a positive note, Elizabeth Evans, the audiobook narrator, does a great job.

DNF

This is one of the best whodunnits that I have read recently. It's hilarious, it's intriguing, it has Italian mafia, it has author feuds, it has imposter syndrome. What else you could ask for?! Oh I forgot spritzes, and gelato, and endless pasta.

Eleanor Dash is a bestseller author. Her sister, who was meant to be the author of the family, is now her manager/PR person/confidant. Now they are on this trip to Italy promoting Eleanor's books with a fan club. What El didn't know was her previous flings would also be on this trip with her. While she was thinking that little love triangle and sexual tension could be the only thing that needed to deal with, she was surprised by the fact that there was a murderer in the group targeting Connor and maybe her.

I loved how Eleanor experience the full circle by the end of the story. Her career and fame was anchored on to what happened in Italy years ago (also how that could happen to a person?! - sorry I cannot say more without giving away spoilers) and now the same anchor is back to sink her down. I can see people reading this book on the beach as a light read, and also under their duvets as curious mystery. I cannot wait to read more about Eleanor!

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC (audio) in exchange for an honest review.

Elle is a bestselling mystery author and is on a book tour in Italy with other authors and fans. The trip goes awry when it becomes evident that someone on the trip is a killer and bodies start to turn up.

This was a fast/easy listen. However, the plot seemed to drag on. The first death took place over half way through the book. I also found the character of Elle to be a little annoying and immature. Struggled to connect with any of the characters.