I found the book mostly intriguing but felt like the ending was off and just not what I had hoped for. The last 10% of the book just kind of had the book go down hill for me. I really was drawn to Sadie and the crazy journey she had on the island but the ending felt like it needed a bit more.

The Beach Holiday is a great beach read. Sitting by the ocean, hearing the waves, and reading about the beaches and sunsets on an Island off Fiji is a great way to pass a summer day.

Sadie dumps her awful boyfriend and is looking for a way to distance herself from him and all reminders of him. Along comes the opportunity to go to a remote Island off Fiji, and who wouldn't jump at that opportunity. And at first, it's just as she imagined it would be. White sandy beaces, warm days, beautiful sunsets. At first. Then she starts to notice strange things about the Island. Soon, the darkness of evil rears its ugly head, and there's no way to escape the island.

This story piqued my interest at the start, and I had to keep going to know how it was going to turn out. I've enjoyed many of Nina Manning's other books, and this one rated right up there with them. The story flows rapidly, and the chapters are sure and bingeable. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder Publishing for the advanced copy

Title: The Beach Holiday
Author: Nina Manning
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Genre: Thriller
Pub Date: June 12, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 304

Sadie and her boyfriend recently broke up and she is looking forward to leaving England when invited to visit an island just off the coast of Fiji.

The island is exactly what Sadie imagined: paradise. Beautiful sunsets, gorgeous white beaches and with no Wi-Fi, Sadie can finally try to escape her past.

But she quickly discovers that there's more to the island than meets the eye.

Why are only women able to visit? Why is a section of the island off limits? And why does no one seem to want - or be able - to leave?

As Sadie begins to question everything, she starts to uncover a dark secret that lurks in this haven. But now she's stuck on a remote island with no way out.

I read and totally enjoyed [" The Beach House" I enjoyed it plus I loved reading the authors ‘Acknowledgements as well as the ‘Book Club Question’. However, this early Galley did not have either.

I struggled with the story. I read a lot of thrillers and know the author typically likes to lead us a direction and then the twist comes. I like this author and will read another!
About the author:
Nina Manning began her career in the catering industry. She has worked as a private chef cooking for royalty and TV personalities.
She has a degree in Psychology and is a voracious reader of many genres.
This is her eighth novel.
She is a mother to three young children so when she is not writing or reading she can usually be found romping in the woods with the family and her chocolate Labrador.

Want to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton granted me this e-Galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 10, 2025.

Sadie has split up with her boyfriend, and decides to travel the world. She finds a job, and a place to live in Fiji, which she enjoys, but still is looking for something more. One day, a woman called Avril strikes up a conversation with her, and the two become friendly. Avril offers an invitation to Sadie for her to accompany her to an island paradise, just what Sadie has envisioned for herself. No WiFi, no TV, no social media, just beautiful beaches, peace and tranquillity, so Sadie accepts the invitation.
The two travel to the island, and at first glance it appears everything Sadie had imagined, but she soon discovers that all is not how it appears.
This is a psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages to find out the mysteries of the island. I enjoyed the characters, they were believable, and the plot was thrilling. 5 stars.

This book had really good potential but for me fell short in the last 10% or so! A few more chapters would have been good for a little more explanation towards the end.

I did really like Sadie as the main character and felt sorry for her the majority of the book, being stuck as she was.

Sorry, I tried to liked it but this book was not what I was expecting (and not in a good way). I thought it would be more of a mystery, instead it was about a cult, and it left me with more questions than answers.

There isn’t enough I could say about how good this book is! I was hooked from page one, and I think my favourite thing was I was guessing up until the end and that is my kinda read! I couldn’t put this one down!

I loved every page I kept saying to myself “one more chapter and I will stop”, well that never happened, I raced through it as I absolutely loved it!

I adored the Fiji location three words to describe this book suspense-filled, unputdownable and an addictive page- turner with a wild unexpected twist!

You definitely don’t want to miss this one when it comes out! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️stars!

I enjoyed this book but I will say it is not quite the Nina Manning standard I am so used to.

That aside this is an expertly weaved novel which goes from beach to cult. It has a location that you can practically feel given the exquisite writing and if you hang on when it feels a bit weird you’ll find a very enjoyable book.

For anyone who ever just "wanted to get away from it all", this story offers an intriguing take. After a bad breakup, a disillusioned Sadie flees her home in England for a simpler life in Fiji. Although she is enjoying her time in Fiji, something is still missing and when she meets the enigmatic Avril, everything changes. Avril wants Sadie to travel with her to a different island to further experience island culture. Sadie jumps at that chance but soon discovers that Avril is lying and seems to have an agenda that could prove dangerous. Sadie's arrival in paradise is marred by secrets and violence simmering below the supposedly idyllic commune lifestyle that Avril has created. Written with a then/now narrative the reader knows Sadie faces a terrible obstacles on the island as she fights for her life right until the tragic conclusion.

Thank you #NetGalley for the eARC of #TheBeachHoliday!

The Beach Holiday started with a compelling premise—Sadie fleeing an abusive relationship and landing in what seems like a tropical escape—but quickly veers into much darker, unexpected territory. If you're expecting a vacation-gone-wrong thriller, be prepared for something more along the lines of a cultish commune with feminist dystopian undertones.

The island setting is vivid, and there’s an eerie tension simmering beneath the surface from the moment Sadie arrives. The questions pile up fast: Why are only women allowed? Why does an older woman whisper to Sadie to run? Why are men being kept out of sight—or worse?

The title Beach Holiday makes me believe this is going to be a vacation thriller, when in fact, it was mostly set in a commune. Sadie runs to Fiji to get away from her abusive boyfriend, Bruno. When she meets Avril at a bar, and she offers to take her away for a while, Sadie jumps at the chance. But she does not end up where she expected. Why are only women on this island? Why did the old lady tell her to run? There was just some sick and twisted things toward the end of this book. I would not recommend it.

Nina Manning books do seem to be really good or not as good. This falls into the latter category. Sadie goes to Fiji to get away from her abusive boyfriend. She meets Avril who offers her a place to stay, a boat ride away. While this is a lie, Sadie didn't realize exactly what she was getting herself into until it was too late. Avril takes her to a commune of women; a commune that also holds men captive, for lack of better words. An older lady tells her to run. Her roommate ends up being stabbed in the foot and dies. Just what is going on here? And will she escape?

So this book was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be a vacation gone wrong, but was really a book about women in a cult trying to punish men. I couldn't get into it. I skimmed some, but just don't like cult books.

I don't think Beach Holiday is a fitting title. This is basically a book about a girl trying to leave her abusive ex and gets stuck in a cult. Sadie thinks Avril is a friend and is offering her some solitude, where she is actually trapping her in a women's commune. I would not have requested this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for ARC of this book.

I didn't want this book to end. Its full of wonderful and interesting characters . All throughout the story you can feel an air of tension that's building, you know something bad is going to happen, you just don't know what, or when.
The Beach Holiday is my favourite to date by Nina Manning, and I've read all of hers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Set in a beautiful setting.
Some interesting characters and a storyline with some twists.
Having said that i just couldn't engage and ended up picking and putting down several times.
Not one of my favourites from this author.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.