This is the first book I read by Sarah Bonner. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and the characters she creates.

In How To Slay On Holiday, we read the story of Chloe, who has planned the perfect vacation for her family and her in-laws at a luxury villa in Greece. However, what the family doesn't know is that this vacation was planned to showcase her perfect marriage and to avoid any suspicion when her husband, Scott, is murdered the following week.

Throughout the book, we read the POV of Chloe, Tori (Scott's sister) and Grace (the concierge at the luxury villa) and see that Chloe is not the only person in the family who is hiding secrets. The beginning of the book felt a bit slow, but as soon as we pass the 50% mark, the turns and twists in the story are incredible. The best twist is revealed in the epilogue, which turns this into an incredible 4-star read. Will definitely be reading more from Sarah Bonner.

Thank you Boldwood Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Holiday of a lifetime and a chance to convince everyone what a perfect couple you are before his untimely death, what a storyline! Chloe has planned this holiday down to the last hour with both families to give her the perfect alibi, what could possibly go wrong? Well, if you knew the families, anything and everything!

This is a great book with some brilliantly written characters within. Some with two sides, some with more and some who are just annoying (Scott and Rob being two in this category). As the book progressed, my feelings about a couple of them changed. And I didn’t work out whodunnit either! That changed with each revelation and twist that popped up.

I have read both of Sarah’s How To Slay books now and am eagerly awaiting more, they’re just so good and easy to get sucked into.

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒑...𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚...𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏, 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏, 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆.

Chloe is fed up with her husband Scott. But why divorce him when she could kill him and get a big payday? She hires a company to do it, which only provides her a window when the deed will be done so that her reaction will be genuine. She has everything all worked out--she plans a big family holiday with both extended families so that everyone can see how happy she and Scott are. However, nothing works out quite the way Chloe envisioned, which leads to a darkly comedic series of events that get more and more outrageous.

This was my second read from this author, and she's firmly cemented her place in my must-read list. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this hilarious early read. This book is expected to publish February 27, 2025.

My Rating 2⭐️⭐️ started out pretty well and then just went a bit bananas but not in a good way!!!

I wont recap the blurb GR has a decent one, this is a dark comedic thriller about a wife who is trying to sure up her chances at not getting blamed for her husbands murder that she has organised… and in amongst it are a cast of super super unlikable characters!!

So I actually really liked How to Slay at Work by Sarah Bonner I gave it a rounded up 4 stars, it kind of fell apart at the end but I enjoyed it all the way through. To be clear these books are not trying to be serious, in fact they are trying to be funny which they are at times… this one however started to really fall apart and then it just never recovered…

I found myself speed reading through the reveals and the ending to get through it. All the people in this book are awful horrible people…so hopefully that doesn’t immediately put you off… and to be honest one of my favourite MCs was Tori, she was despicable but I liked how she was basically a super sleuth cause no one thought she had a brain.

But what really lost me was that this had way too much happening… there were crime bosses, husbands getting murdered, more crime bosses, random killers, misdirection, hidden cameras, sleazy brothers and more and more and more… it just got a little bit wild and a little bit stupid (I expected some stupidity of course) but yeah… a bit of a let down.

It is told in multi-POV from Chloe (dead guys wife), Tori (dead guys sister) and Grace (hit man company helper), this was fine. Each POV speaks directly to you as the reader so if you hate that kind of writing then don’t pick up this book or the other one… but I didn’t actually find that offensive at all the writing was good. Just the story took a weird stupid turn.

Overall, I think people will like this and I think I kind of liked it up until about 65% but it just let me down. If I am recommending any book like this read her other one How to Slay at Work… its still pretty good. Unfortunately though I wont really recommend this to any of my GR buddies.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Once you settle into the rhythm of the characters and adjust to the shifting POV's, this read becomes a thrilling rollercoaster! It's a fast-paced, darkly humorous thriller I devoured.

Chloe has concocted a plan to murder her husband, Scott. She’s planned a vacation with both their families, where she can play the role of a devoted wife, only to become the perfect grieving widow when things go south later on.

However, when everyone gathers on the Greek island of Mykonos, things don’t go as Chloe planned, and she becomes paranoid that someone is onto her.

The story is wildly over the top with plenty of "as if" moments, but it is what makes it work. The characters are all shady in their own way, not particularly likable, yet I found myself invested in everything they did.

The ending felt a bit rushed with a cascade of twists all at once, but it made for an exciting conclusion. The epilogue was completely unexpected and it wrapped the book up perfectly.

My second book by Sarah Bonner and I loved it! It was a fun, murderous mystery read with laughable scenes and relatable characters. Who doesn’t want to murder someone they love at some point in their lifetime?
The different point of views added the icing on the cake.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Sarah Bonner book. Really enjoyed this, although I wasn’t drawn in until about 45% through. I didn’t find any of the characters likeable- but I think that was the point.
Seems like a fun holiday read.
Left me wondering the whole time, I was unable to guess the plot.
Love how the chapters flipped between character POVs.
Deffo reading more by Sarah!

A great holiday read! What better setting is there to murder your husband than a big family holiday, with everyone witnessing how loved up you both are? Now THAT'S an alibi!

Chloe has the perfect plan for carrying out the murder of her husband, Scott. As they head to Mykonos with their siblings, their partners and both sets of parents, tensions rise and cracks start to appear in Chloe's plan. There were some great characters in these two morally dubious families of Chloe and Scott, some laugh-out-loud moments and some clever twists. The story is narrated by Chloe, her sister-in-law, Toni, and Grace, the holiday villa concierge who notices everything!

A really enjoyable read and I love Sarah Bonner's writing style,

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Sarah Bonner and Boldwood for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a darkly funny, twisted thriller with deliciously degenerate characters. There're no 'good guys' in the entire story. It's all unpleasant people doing unpleasant things to each other, which makes it easy for the reader to enjoy the delicious twists and turns and anticipate the next reveal without becoming emotionally invested in ensuring truth and justice. I loved how organic and perfectly timed the twists and reveals were. Recommend!

Chloe has been planning her husband Scotts murder by contract killers for months. To solidify her "perfect" marriage picture to others to detract suspicion around his impeding death, Chloe invites both her and Scott's family to a luxury resort in Mykonos. But the perfect trip is littered with family disagreements and Scott's sister Tori making comments that has Chloe questioning if she knows what is planned. Then, there is the resort concierge, Grace, who seems a bit off. Will the holiday go as Chloe plans, or will disaster strike?

The beginning of this book was average for me. But once the plot really started to get going, these were many unexpected twists and turns. I literally could not set the book down at the end. And the resolution as nothing that I expected. I also enjoyed the switching POVs and quick chapters that helped to keep the story moving at a fast pace. I would definitely be interested in reading more by this author.

Thank you Boldwood Books, NetGalley, and Sarah Bonner for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This family gives new definition to the word dysfunctional. Every character has an agenda starting with but not limited to Chloe and every character changes masks with the situation. The family dynamic is so fraught with one up-man-ship and jealousy and just plan meanness that it feels like you are reading a soap opera. You may not be able to connect with anyone in this mobbed up family but they are just so much fun to read about. After the murder of Scott, Chloe's jerk husband, buckle up because you will be hit with a ton of twists and the big reveal at the very ending will leaving you flabbergasted. This book would make an awesome movie.
This is my second book by Sarah Bonner but it won't be the last. I hope she continues the How to Slay series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

How to Slay on Holiday is a twisted thriller about a murder for hire that goes wrong at every turn. This book was so much fun to read and the twists were fun and interesting. While the writing style was not always my favorite, this book kept me engaged and up past bedtime trying to figure out who did it and how. The book kept me guessing until the very end.

I could NOT get into this one at all... I thought it would be a light and fluffy dark comedy, but it felt much more serious (and less entertaining) than expected - and from the opening pages, no less. I hadn't read the author before and suspect her writing style and my reading style are just not a good fit. There are a lot of characters, POV shifts, and moving parts - and they all center around a group of people that are pretty universally unlikeable. It made it tough to connect with anyone enough to care about who lived or died, frankly. This one wasn't for me...

“You’d kill for a holiday like this one”

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)

Chloe has spent months planning the murder of her husband, Scott. Everything is ready, but first she must create the perfect alibi to avoid any suggestion of her involvement in his death. The entire family travels to Mykonos, and Chloe plans to show of her married bliss, however there’s slowly cracks in her plan. Scott’s sister, Tori, begins to ask questions, suggesting she might know more about Chloe’s plans than she should. Then there’s the villa concierge, Grace, who is watching her guests’ every moves.

These families are ridiculous and I cannot say I actually liked any character, however, this book was entertaining and definitely a popcorn thriller. The book had multiple POVs, Chloe, Tori, and Grace, along with a mystery POV at the end, which always is a win in my book.

There was a lot of build up, so I was disappointed with how quickly it ended and honestly felt like there were so many loose ends. The “who dun it” part did make me smile as you could slowly figure it out through the book. Overall it was a quick read and it was fun, just wish the ending was longer and a little more explanation.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Sarah Bonner for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book was a wild ride. It literally jumped from suspect to suspect so fast it was almost like having whiplash. I enjoyed it but the fact that so many people wanted the same person to die was a lot. I ultimately did not guess the true ending.

This dark comedy takes place in Mykonos, where Chloe is on a vacation with her extended family where they can all see how much she loves her husband, Scott… so that when they return home and Scott ends up dead - no one suspects her.
However, this trip is not going according to plan, and through multiple POVs, we find out many of these characters have secrets and motives just like Chloe.

I think this book was fun and would be great for a quick poolside read on vacation. I did find that I didn’t like the characters, though some were funny, and the pacing was a bit slow for my taste. I found the ending was not surprising, and was a little bit too quick with some things being left unanswered.

That said, overall I think this was entertaining and if you’ve liked the authors previous books, definitely pick this one up.

3/5

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

‘How To Slay On Holiday’ by Sarah Bonner is a twisty and murderous dark comedy set in the Mykanos sun. Chloe Cooper has decided to take her extended family on holiday to demonstratively fawn over her husband Scott and craft the perfect alibi for his murder! However, when things start to go off the rails, the drama really begins…

Like Sarah Bonner’s first instalment, ‘How To Slay At Work’, this novel contains an incredible number of jaw dropping twists and an explosive ending. So many of the characters were unlikeable but fabulously entertaining, and I enjoyed the moreish chapters and rotating narration between three characters.

This would be an awesome beach read - as it gave me serious holiday envy on a drizzly day, though maybe I’d go for a hotel and not the villain-filled villa the Cooper and Wilson families descended on. This gets four stars from me!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Boldwood Books via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Well… this was excellent!! A great summer themed, murder filled read! The twists were twisting, and I was kept guessing throughout, I did think I had it figured out then another curveball was thrown in! This was told over several parts, from three different POVs but each one gave the book more depth, getting to know the characters from a slightly different view each time. I loved How To Slay At Work so when I seen this I knew I had to read it, and it didn’t disappoint. If you’re a Katy Brent fan then this is for you!!

3 Star rating!

I’ll be honest, I was putting off this read for so long! And I don’t know why. This was hilarious, chaotic (in the best way) and, the perfect light-hearted read! I can imagine in summer this will be such a hit for anyone who wants a bit of drama but also something that won’t require all the brain power in the world!

We meet Chloe, who has decided her husband is the ultimate cretin and therefore, needs to die. To do this, Chloe must come up with the perfect alibi that shows everyone how in love she is with her husband – so a family holiday is decided to set her alibi in motion. What happens leads to deaths, drama and, a lot of drinking!

Pros:

• This book was funny! I was audibly laughing during the airport scenes because of the descriptions of all these different characters and I could feel the annoyance radiating off Chloe.

• The author sets the scene beautifully, with vivid and stunning descriptions of a secluded villa in Greece with idyllic food, drinks and activities that would make most people envious.

• I appreciated the pop-culture references. It felt related for today’s current reader and added a layer of realism and humour. (However, during the more serious conversations it did feel like they jarring and unneeded. I feel like at points the author was overusing them).

• I liked that this had short, snappy chapters. The author didn’t include drawn-out big reveals it just happened, and I appreciated that it kept the pace of the story going.

Cons:

• The issue with having so many characters is that often their behaviours and mannerisms become quite mashed together. At the beginning I feel like we had a clear understanding of who spoke like this and who acted like that. Towards the end it felt like each character had blended slightly – Chloe especially starts as quite strong, independent and sure of herself, by the end she’s become bratty and shallow. It was a big juxtaposition and one that I’m not sure worked well.

• Along the same lines whilst I appreciated the author needed characters to build up the story, I feel like there was just too many. I was expecting Chloe’s brother and sister-in-law to add something more to the story because his behaviour and him just being a total creep and yet he really didn’t - which left me wondering why they’d be included. Similarly, with Scott’s aunt and uncle. They weren’t necessary and just added another layer of complication. Yes the boat situation happened, but equally it also didn’t really add much more to the story in terms of building out the plot.

• As much as I loved the snappiness of this. I do feel like some of the more intricate details of the plot weren’t explained well, which left you feeling like something might have been missing. Such as Tori knowing all about the plan and being a genuis at points? and Grace being somewhat juvenile but then highly trained and knowledgeable - it was like these characters had forgotten their foundations.

Book due for publishing 27th February 2025!
Thank you to the author and publisher, Boldwood Books on NetGalley for my early copy to read.

A dark funny and deliciously twisty thriller, With family tensions, unexpected twists, and a watchful concierge, this gripping read is packed with suspense, sharp wit, and shocking turns.