✨Review - What Not To Do On Vacation by @rachelmageeauthor

This retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew brings all the beachy vibes as three sisters meet at a vacation home in Florida to fulfil their mother’s dying wish of them reconnecting to relive childhood memories.

This one was so sweet. Lots of sisterly drama that ultimately ends in reconciliation and healing. Each sister’s character was very well developed, and I loved that you got to read from each of their POV. And then of course there was some romance too. Each of our love interests came into the relationship with a secret agenda, and I loved seeing their defences wear down as they became more vulnerable with each other.

A huge thanks to @uplitreads for allowing me to be part of this campaign. All thoughts are my own.

In hopes of reconnecting with her sisters, Savannah rents their childhood beach house, and invites Bianca and Cora for a month-long vacation. Bianca is newly engaged to a man she met online, and when Cora and Savannah doubt her relationship, she challenges perpetually single Cora to try the same matchmaking site. In order to prove herself right, Bianca enlists the town playboy, who needs to prove he can be in a relationship, to sign up for the site as well with her help, ensuring he’ll match with her sister.

Reminiscent of “10 Things I Hate About You”, I was loving the nostalgia of one of my favorite movies from my teenage years! Additionally, with a summer bucket list and plenty of vacation activities, it makes for a perfect beach read. The three sisters are each so different, and I liked seeing each of their personalities through the book’s multiple POVs. Grab this book for your beach bag this summer!

Thank you to UpLit Reads, Thomas Nelson Books, and NetGalley for my gifted physical + e-copy!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and ALC of this one!

This is such a light / easy summer read. There is romance behind it but consider it a slow / PG burn. Usually with family dynamic books I tend to dislike 1-2 characters, but somehow with these three sisters and the side characters, I really liked them all. There's drama sure, but there's also humor and witty banter. What a fun read, and one that has made me want to check out more of Rachel's work.

I tandem read/listened and thought the narrator did a great job mixing up the voices to ensure each sisters personality shined through.

One of my all-time favorite movies growing up was "10 Things I Hate About You" and still, to this day, I will watch it as a middle-aged woman :) This book had all of those angsty-vibes and lovable characters. It centers on sister bonds and is an excellent (and clean!) "beach read." I had the absolute delight of getting both the e-ARC and the audio version. The audio version was absolutely delightful!!! The narrator added an extra element with the voice acting of the different characters--I absolutely loved listening to it on my drives to/from work! I definitely recommend this book!! A solid 4 star read! **I received a complimentary audio ARC and e-ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

☀️ What Not to Do on Vacation by Rachel McGee — Book Review

Told through multiple POVs, What Not to Do on Vacation is a heartwarming and often humorous story centered on three sisters navigating life, relationships, and complicated family dynamics during a much-needed vacation. While I’m not usually drawn to books with several narrators, this one kept me engaged.

The sisterly bond stood out most—equal parts chaotic, caring, and deeply relatable. Their banter, old grudges, and moments of unexpected vulnerability made their interactions feel authentic and emotionally grounded. Each sister brought a different layer to the story, and I appreciated seeing how their struggles and personalities wove into the larger family dynamic.

That said, I found myself especially drawn to Savannah’s character. Her arc felt like it had more to uncover, and I would have loved a deeper dive into her backstory and inner world. Still, the blend of laughter, heartache, and self-discovery made this a thoroughly enjoyable read, perfect for fans of character-driven stories about family, healing, and the beautiful messiness of sibling relationships. It's a 3.5-star for me.

Favorite Quote:
“Family. We couldn’t live without them, but sometimes they make it hard to live with them.”

This book is the perfect summer beach read! Rachel Magee promises a rom-com with a happily-ever-after and she delivers. With multiple points of view, the characters become compelling and draw you in to see how everything unfolds. On a vacation that was supposed to be a nostalgic bonding experience for three sisters, one mishap after another happens and this threatens their chance to reconnect.

Savannah, Bianca and Cora meet up for a beach vacation at a beach house the sisters used to go to every summer with their parents.

Savannah, the oldest sister, booked the vacation as a way for the sisters to reconnect and fulfil their mother’s last wish. She also has a secret that she wants to share with them and hopes that by bonding over the activities she has planned Savannah can then open up with them.

Bianca, the youngest, also has a secret. She just got engaged with her “soulmate” that she met online through a dating app. Bianca has never met her fiance in person, but fully trusts that the app has connected her with the man she was meant to marry.

Cora right from the start did not think this vacation was a good idea. The sisters hadn’t had a close relationship in years, and Cora did not want to take time off from her job. Cora loses her luggage on the flight, pulls into town late at night and tries to pick up some last minute supplies, and finally gets to the beach house to meet her sisters. Bianca drops the bomb that she’s getting married to a man she’s met only through an online dating app and Savannah and Cora are shocked and concerned. The fix? Cora is going to prove to Bianca that the dating app does not work by signing up herself and proving that whoever she is matched with will not last past the second date.

What Not to Do on Vacation is all about family, deep connection, romance, love, and of course a happily-ever-after. This book is the perfect summer read, and I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I love how this author does contemporary versions of Shakespeare. The romance is secondary to the story about the relationship among sisters. I loved the sister’ growth and the side characters. This was a perfect beach read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This novel is told via third person from their perspectives of the three sisters, with a few chapters from the perspective of one of the love interests. The relationship between the sisters was realistic in the ways it flourished and in its flaws, as well. Bianca, the youngest sister, makes a bet with her older two sisters, middle sibling Cora and eldest Savannah, around Cora's successful use of a dating app. With clear influences from films How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and 10 Things I Hate About You, the ensuing plot is comfortingly predictable.
This selection ultimately wasn't a good fit for me, but fans of second-chance romance are sure to be pleased.

Savannah wants to have a nostalgic summer with her two sisters, Bianca and Cora back at the beach house they used to go to when they were younger, and at the end of the summer she will share her secret with her sisters. But nothing is going according to plan, and then Bianca announces that she is marrying a man chosen for her by a dating app (and has only met him through video calls). Cora doesn’t believe in love after her past, but she really doesn’t believe in Bianca’s new relationship so they make a bet. If the app can choose the right guy for Cora, she’ll relent and bless Bianca's wedding, but if the app chooses someone who dumps her, then Bianca has to reassess. Bianca tries to fix the challenge by choosing the guy for Cora - Jax, who needs a girlfriend to get a promotion, but it turns out she picked a playboy who never gets past a second date. Except he and Cora start to actually to forge a bond after a few dates and sparks begin to fly.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this one but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a super cute and fast read which was made even more enjoyable by the audiobook (narrated by wonderful Karissa Vacker) and I ended up listening to a lot of it as I made dinner for 9 people (most of them very hungry boys). Each sister had her own story and I actually became invested in each’s story arc, their choices and their growth. This had a Carley Fortune feel with the childhood vacation town, small town feel of the book (maybe my feeling was enhanced by the fact that it bookended two Carley Fortune books that I read). This would make a great beach read.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the ARC to review

I want to start off by thanking NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for allowing me an arc copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I like how realistic this book is for a sister relationship. Especially when they grew up with different perspectives through a hard time. It was raw, and real, and so accurate that I could see that playing out with my two sisters. I also liked how it played on normal sister stereotypes, i felt it mad wit funnier that way.

This was a solid book through and through, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this book.

Thank you again NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction.

4.25 stars
Thank you to #Netgalley and #ThomasNelsonFiction for an ARC of this fun book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I completely enjoyed this fun secretly fake dating rom-com sisters vacation story. I was there for all of it. I love when I can see a book playing out in my head and this one made it easy. I hope it will be made into a movie someday. It is so cute. I loved all three of the sisters: Savannah, the oldest who has a heart defect she hasn't told her sisters about and she can't slow down from her mom duties to have the surgery she needs; Cora, the middle sister who has her own successful photography business in a state 800 miles away from her family; and finally, Bianca the youngest who is seen as the flighty, cant-make-a-decision, can't-grow-up one. The main plot of the "fake" dating starts when Bianca announces she has met her soulmate on an AI dating app and is going to move to Idaho and get married in a few months. Cora gets roped into proving if the app really can find your soulmate--and the fun begins. I seriously enjoyed every character in this book and being a rom-com, I knew what was going to happen, but I was there for all of it. Great book to read this summer!

What Not to Do On Vacation is like a beach read, a rom-com, and a sisterhood story all wrapped into one delightful page-turner! At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect—but once it got going, I couldn’t put it down.

Told through four different viewpoints (three sisters + one love interest!), it brings the perfect mix of chaos, heart, and humor. Cora and Jax totally stole the show for me—think How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes, more than 10 Things I Hate About You. Romantic, witty, and just the right amount of swoon.

Beyond the love story, it’s a beautiful tale of sisterhood, grief, and finding your way back to each other. Savannah is doing her best to keep traditions alive, Bianca’s determined to prove herself, and all their journeys tugged at my heartstrings in different ways.

It made me laugh, cry, and hope. If you love messy, meaningful stories with big feels and bigger love—this one’s for you. 10/10 recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for thus ARC.

The Prestly sisters set out to make a summer of memories, but find out it’s harder than they realized. When youngest sister Bianca, bets the middle sister, Cora, that Cora can find love on a dating app, the summer goes from relaxing vibes to a race to break up. But what if Cora really falls for her fake boyfriend while trying to prove a point?
What Not to Do on Vacation is a fun summer read about love, family, and finding what you truly want in life. The three sisters are so different, but come together when it counts.
I struggled to understand how three adults can spend a whole summer at the beach, especially when one has two small children that she left at home. Another owns a small business, but she just stepped away. And the third sister seems to have no money or job at all. It didn’t seem very realistic to me.
The meet cute between Cora and Jax was funny, and set a good tone for the book. And Cora’s luggage issues were a funny side story.
I loved the beachy setting. It really made me feel like I was in Florida. And the sisters’ relationship is so relatable! You can only understand if you have siblings you love, who also drive you crazy! This book reminds us that family is the most important thing, and that love doesn’t always happen the way we think.
While it is a story about sisters, there’s some romance, too. I loved Jax. He’s my favorite kind of character—strong, masculine, and not timid about falling in love.
Tuck this book in your beach bag and float away to Florida this summer!
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book follows 3 sisters, Cora, Savannah, and Bianca, while on a month long holiday together at the beach. Trying to recreate their childhood summers and to honor their late mother, these 3 sisters must co-exist in the same house for a whole month. Full of sister hijinks, dating apps, and vacation bucket lists, we watch as these sisters try to navigate life together as adults.

This was a fun, lighthearted read. The pacing was a little slow to start off but picked up in the second half of the book. The dynamics between all of the main characters and side characters were fun, very real and relatable, and enjoyable to read about.


Rating: 3/5
Spice: 0/5

First time reading this author and it will NOT be my last!! Aw, I loved everything about this story. I thought the bet that kicked off the entire story was such a fun concept. The sisters' personality came out in very distinct voices and their perceptions were solid throughout the entire book. We discussed summer reads on the podcast and this was one I was super looking forward to and I'm thrilled it didn't disappoint. This story is mostly light but does have slightly heavier moments near the end that really brought the sisterly dynamic and romance home for me.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an advanced copy of What Not To Do On Vacation.

Savannah, Cora, and Bianca have not taken a trip back to the beach together since they were kids but they are spending a month there together this summer. The sisters need to reconnect which is proving harder than it should be. They are trying to remember the nostalgia of the past while trying to make new memories. But the secrets each carry threaten to derail the summer.

This was just a little too predictable for me. There was also a lot of fluff in the middle that drug on. I was not a big fan of this one.

If you’re craving a clean, sun-drenched escape with just the right amount of chaos, chemistry, and charm, Rachel Magee’s What Not to Do on Vacation is your next perfect beach read. This delightful small-town romcom blends sisterly antics, fake dating mishaps, and reluctant romance into a breezy, feel-good story that goes down smoother than an iced lemonade on a hot summer day.

The story follows a classic summer tradition—a family vacation filled with sandy toes, sea breeze… and schemes. When a matchmaking setup goes wildly awry, two seemingly opposite characters—a guarded, down-to-earth heroine and a charming playboy with hidden depths—are roped into a fake relationship. But beneath the sun-kissed surface lies a story of emotional growth, revisiting the past, and learning to trust in love again.

Magee plays with romcom tropes in all the best ways: the fake dating setup is fun and flirty without crossing into cliché, and the reluctant romance simmers with just enough tension to keep you turning pages. There’s family drama (because what’s a vacation without it?), sisterly shenanigans that will make you laugh out loud, and just the right touch of heart. And through it all, the alternating points of view give readers deeper insight into both leads, making their journey toward happily ever after feel authentic and well-earned.

One of the book’s most poignant lines captures the emotional core:
“She’d forgotten what it was like to let go and let herself fall in love. To let herself be loved.”
That moment hits especially hard as the story reminds us that sometimes, love finds us when we stop trying to control the outcome.

In short, What Not to Do on Vacation is the literary equivalent of a seaside escape: light, sweet, and soul-soothing. Perfect for fans of wholesome romance, witty banter, and second chances in the summer sun.

"What Not to Do on Vacation" is a sweet book that has a lot of heart and humor in it.
Unfortunately, it lost me a bit in the middle, but thankfully the story came together in the end.
While the book made Bianca seem like the annoying bratty little sister, I think she was my favorite because she was the only sister that felt real.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really liked the idea of this book. A modern-day retelling of 10 Things I Hate About You, which was a modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. I also liked that these characters were in their late twenties and early thirties. I think what didn’t work for me were the multiple POVs. I would have liked to see it all from Cora and Jax’s POVs. I think we still could have included Savannah and Bianca’s storylines told through our main love interests stories. I also feel like we would have gotten a stronger sense of who Cora and Jax are. Overall I enjoyed it.

What Not to Do on Vacation by Rachel Magee is a fun, heartwarming read perfect for fans of sister-centric stories and light romance. The setup—three sisters reuniting at their childhood beach house—had just the right mix of nostalgia, humor, and emotional depth to keep me engaged from start to finish.

Cora’s reluctant dive into the world of dating apps (thanks to a challenge from her engaged sister) leads to some genuinely funny and sweet moments. Her dynamic with Jax was charming, and while the romance felt a little predictable at times, it was satisfying and well-executed. What really stood out, though, was the relationship between the sisters—messy, real, and full of heart.

The beach setting added a nice escape-y vibe, and the book delivered a solid mix of laughs and feel-good moments. It didn’t completely blow me away, but it definitely left me smiling.

If you're looking for a clean, breezy rom-com with a strong family thread, What Not to Do on Vacation is a great pick—especially if you’re lounging on the beach or want a light, feel-good read to take on your next getaway.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for my ARC!