Another funny, twisted thriller. I really enjoyed How to Slay at work and How to Slay on Holiday was just as good.
One this I really particularly like about this authors style is how the other povs of other women really add depth and sometimes even confusion to the story, showing a side or a piece of the puzzle you didn’t know was missing.

Sounds maybe odd to say it’s the perfect beach read, reading about women murders but it really is very enjoyable. Maybe even cathartic . Support women’s wrongs

Wow! I loved this. Written in multiple povs we're following Chloe who for the last few months has been planning the murder of her husband Scott. Wanting an alibi she plans a big holiday to the Greek island of Mykonos with their extended families hoping to show them how loved up and happy they still are. It doesn't take long for everything to start to go wrong cracks begin to show in Chloes plan and Scott's sister Tori is beginning to ask worrying questions making out like she knows more than she should and then there's Grace the concierge who's silently watching everyone. Will Chloe be able to keep her intentions hidden until the holidays over or will she break before the end of the week?
This was so fast paced and gripping and with short chapters it felt like it hardly took any time to read. Reading from several povs made this so much more enjoyable too I like seeing how everyone else is dealing with what's going on. The twist in the epilogue I really didn't expect and left me shocked. Sarah writes really powerful female characters so well and so far I've thoroughly enjoyed everything ive read by her. I highly recommend!

Okay, this was WILD in the best way. Murder, secrets, and a tropical vacation? I was hooked from page one—and I didn’t trust a single person!

Chloe has a plan: pretend everything is fine while on vacation in a gorgeous villa in Greece… and then go home and make sure her awful husband never hurts anyone again.

But the second the trip starts, things start going wrong. Her sister-in-law is asking way too many questions, the concierge is super nosy, and Chloe starts to wonder if someone knows exactly what she’s up to.

The twists come fast, and just when you think she’s in control—you realize she’s not. Will Chloe's plan to murder her husband while on vacation work? Or will she get caught and find herself in trouble?

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Bonner, and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read the second book in the "How to Slay" series in exchange for honest feedback!

*I read the first novel in the "How to Slay" series and enjoyed its crazed chaos as much as this one. I recommend reading both of these four-star books and they're available for free on Kindle Unlimited for members. FYI, they could be read and enjoyed independently.

Lyric Lounge Review
How to Slay on Holiday by Sarah Bonner
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Sarah Bonner’s How to Slay on Holiday is a deliciously subversive beach read that toys expertly with the conventions of the domestic thriller. Set against the sun-bleached vistas of Mykonos, this novel delivers a sharply observed, darkly comic tale of deceit, dysfunction and carefully concealed malice.
At its core is Chloe, a woman with murder on her mind and a picture-perfect holiday to mask her intentions. As she sets out to eliminate her husband, the narrative gradually morphs into a tangled web of secrets, lies and spiralling consequences. Bonner, whose debut Her Perfect Twin established her as a writer to watch, here proves herself adept at blending jet-black humour with psychological suspense.
Told through alternating perspectives—including Chloe, her sister-in-law Tori, and the villa’s concierge Grace—the structure offers a chorus of unreliable narrators, each harbouring their own secrets. This multiplicity of viewpoints creates a propulsive narrative, one that continually wrongfoots the reader without ever losing sight of its characters’ emotional truths.
Bonner’s prose is crisp and confident, laced with dry wit and biting social commentary. Her depiction of a family holiday unravelling under the strain of long-held resentments and unspoken betrayals feels unnervingly familiar, even as the stakes spiral towards farce and violence. There are shades of The White Lotus here—the glossy setting, the simmering class tensions, the comic cruelty—but Bonner’s voice remains distinctly her own.
The Greek setting is more than a scenic backdrop; it serves as a quietly ironic contrast to the darkness at the heart of the novel. Mykonos, with its sun-drenched villas and Insta-perfect vistas, becomes a stage for the performance of happiness—one Chloe is determined to script to her advantage.
What elevates How to Slay on Holiday beyond its genre peers is Bonner’s ability to balance tone so deftly. Just as the plot threatens to tip into melodrama, she reins it in with a moment of sly humour or poignancy. The result is a thriller that is at once pacy, playful and unsettling.
A sharply drawn, morally ambiguous novel that manages to be both escapist and acerbic, How to Slay on Holiday is a reminder that the most dangerous thing on a luxury break might not be a broken pool filter—but the people you choose to travel with to ‘paradise’.

A quick, twisty but predictable read. It was hard to root for any of the characters and I almost dnf, but I'm glad I stuck it out. Main character, Chloe, has hired contact killers to off her husband and needs to make a reliable alibi for herself. She invites both sides of their family to Greece on the trip if a lifetime only to find out that other family members are not big fans of her husband and everything is not quite going to plan. A quick, beach read.

I absolutely loved this. I felt it had great pacing and funny dialogue. I enjoyed the premise of the storyline and really loved all the little twists and turns along the way

A fun fast-paced murder mystery with an entertaining cast of characters that will keep you guessing. Loved the twists.

"How to Slay on Holiday" is for anyone who enjoys a fun murder mystery. It is full of great characters, witty banter, and suspension. A perfect summer read on and off vacation.

Just came back from holiday myself. This was hilarious. Highly highly recommend. Suspenseful and thrilling

Second in the series but can basically be read as a standalone. This is the perfect beach read. The characters were rich and narcissistic. But the writing was very tongue and cheek so it was fun to read and I enjoyed the unlikeable characters.

Thank you Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Sarah Bonner for the eARC of How to Slay on Holiday.

How to Slay on Holiday is a light satire following Chloe going on holiday with the plans of bumping her Husband off on holiday. But she has to be meticulous in her endeavours. Will she get away with it?

This had me engaged right off from the start. I haven't read How to Stay at Work ( The predecessor of this book ) so read this as a standalone. Which worked really well. The character's in this book are well built, funny, if not dark and unlikable but that's what make this book for me. I read it within a day sat out in the garden ( Hail the UK sun!) so it makes a great summer/vacation read.

4 stars

If you’re after a fast paced story about family dysfunction mixed with lies and deception, 'How to Slay on Holiday' is the book for you!
The main characters Chloe and Tori both pretend to play happy families on a joint holiday, it’s easy to imagine the thoughts going through their heads when they’re anything but happy!
There’s so much to dissect with the mixture of personalities and expectations, the suspense and twists and turns make for a great story. I loved the dark humour and unexpected nature of the character’s thought process.
A thriller to keep you on your toes until the very end.

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Enjoyable read with lots of twists and turns …two crime families brought together for a family holiday in a luxury villa in Greece. All arranged by Chloe happily married to Scott which is what she wants everyone to think but the truth is she wants him dead and so it seems does his sister Tori and so the story unfolds . A good page turner that keeps the reader guessing

If you’re looking for a fun mystery with banter and interesting characters, this is the book for you. It is clever and entertaining yet the mystery keeps you guessing until the end.

Absolutely brilliant!! Second book from this author for the 'How to Slay' series and it certainly did Slay! Two 5 star ratings from me. Pretty much tops this genre. The characters are lovable and hateable (is that even a word? -if not it should be!) at the same time. Self centered, entitled, rich, criminal, and completely self serving. Twisty and unpredictable and full of back stabbing and one-upmanship! Loved the setting, loved the storyline, can't wait for the next one!

I thoroughly enjoyed How to Slay on Holiday. It was full of suspense, mystery, secrets, drama, and betrayal.
I was drawn in immediately, and I couldn't put it down. I devoured it in one sitting.

I loved the main female characters, especially Chloe and Tori.
They were both interesting, charismatic, and clever. I disliked most of the other characters. They were definitely the love to hate type, especially Scott and Rob.

This is the 4th book I've read from Sarah Bonner. The others being: Her Perfect Twin, Her Sweet Revenge, and How to Slay at Work, which were all fantastic reads.
Sarah is a go-to author for me now. Her writing style is addictive, her stories are unique, and her twists are very clever, I've yet to guess any of them.
I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

I highly recommend.

4 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Sarah Bonner for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Bonner's 'How to Slay on Holiday' is darkly comic and twisty-thrilling read that forms wickedly diverting holiday from it all fare. Against the allegedly idyllic setting of a Greek island break, it's soon established as a decadent mix of familial dysfunction, agenda-hidning, and good old-fashioned murderous intent.

The set-up is engaging from the off: Chloe will arrange for her husband to be murdered after they return from their vacation, so she can act the adoring wife to distract from her crime. But with the arrival of their large families, both bringing their own problems and secrets, a spanner is thrown in her carefully crafted plans. Bonner skillfully interweaves several viewpoints, mainly through Chloe, her paranoid sister-in-law Tori, and keen-eyed villa concierge Grace, constructing a multi-layered and tension-filled story.

What really distinguishes this book is its biting humor and the author's unapologetic depiction of morally ambiguous characters. These are no saints in either family, and the tactlessness and silly feuding between them are cringe-worthy as well as darkly funny. This creates a welcome reading experience in which you're not exactly cheering for anybody so much as savoring the rapidly increasing chaos and looking forward to the next surprising twist.

Bonner is great at the pacing and the timing of plot twists. You think you know what is going on, and then the story suddenly veers elsewhere, and you are guessing until the last page. The humor, which is frequently dark and couched in sarcasm, provides a flavoring to the thriller plot that keeps it from getting too ponderous.
Although the story is complex and absorbing, some may find the number of secrets and changing allegiances somewhat overwhelming at times. A few reviews also mention a slightly sudden ending, hoping for a more prolonged and decisive conclusion.

Nonetheless, these trivial complaints don't detract appreciably from the overall entertainment. 'How to Slay on Holiday' is a speed-paced, page-turning thriller with a liberal shot of black humour and enigmatic characters to enjoy. It's an ideal choice for holiday reading itself, presenting a fitting antidote to the sun-blessed scene of its corrupt actions and violent scheming.

Overall, 'How to Slay on Holiday' is a wickedly humorous and extremely entertaining thriller. Sarah Bonner has written an engaging story with memorable (though flawed) characters and enough turns to keep you gripped to the last page. If dark humor, dysfunctional families, and a plot in which anyone could be a killer appeal to you, then this book is definitely for you.

How to Slay on Holiday is a captivating blend of thriller elements and dark comedy, offering readers a roller-coaster ride of emotions and surprises. Despite minor shortcomings, the novel delivers an engaging experience that will leave readers both amused and contemplative about the facades people maintain and the secrets they have.

The characters are, at times, both relatable and unpredictable. Chloe comes across initially as a cold and calculating figure, and her desperation to eliminate her husband is evident as her meticulously laid plans crumble. Tori, Scott’s sister, adds a layer of intrigue with her perceptive nature and probing questions, while on the outside, she seems committed to retaining her airhead persona. Finally, we also get the perspective of Grace, the villa’s concierge, who flits between being both an ally and adversary to Chloe and Tori, keeping the readers guessing about her true intentions.

Bonner’s writing makes it easy for readers to visualise scenes and connect with the characters. Chloe, Tori, and Grace’s varying perspectives provide multiple views of the same events, further enriching the storytelling.

Very enjoyable and funny read. I flew this pages and couldn't stop reading. If you have read Katy Brent book "How to kill men and get away with it", then you will definitely enjoy this book too. I recommend.

What a brilliant story. So much fun to read, the pages practically turned themselves. This author is one to watch.