What Not to Do on Vacation was my first book by Rachel Magee, and it was such a joy to read! Light, witty, and full of charm, it’s the perfect escape. The characters pulled me in right away, and the story had that breezy, feel-good flow that makes you want to pack a bag and go along for the ride.

It’s equal parts fun, sweet, and heartwarming—the kind of rom-com that keeps you smiling from start to finish. After this, I’ll definitely be picking up more of Magee’s books!

I was walking through Target with my boyfriend when we passed the book section, so naturally, I had to start naming all the books on display that I had read. This was the only one on the shelf of summer romances that I hadn't, so I had to read what it was about. I read the synopsis out loud, and when he said it sounded interesting, I told him that I knew exactly how it would go down. "From the synopsis?" I told him that was enough and proceeded to outline the plot for him. He was less convinced, so naturally, I had to purchase the book to prove I was right. Long story short, I was, and he will never doubt my ability to predict a romance plot again. Bonus, that 1. I actually really enjoyed the book. 2. I have now read all the books on the Target summer romance display.

I did not see this as a "Taming of the Shrew" retelling by the way, however it was absolutely a How To Loose a Guy in 10 Days retelling, which I'm always a big fan of.

What Not To Do on Vacation by Rachel McGee was a fantastic late-summer read/listen! I enjoyed both the e-book and audiobook together and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator, as well.

Three sisters come together to honor their late mother by spending a summer together at a beach house filled with memories and surprises. Each sister has her own struggles: the youngest is determined to marry a man she only knows online, while her older sisters scramble to protect her from a potential disaster. The fiercely independent middle sister gets pulled into a bet that has her signing up for the same dating site, and to her surprise, meeting someone who might be worth the risk. Meanwhile, the oldest sister is trying to hold everything together, while hiding a secret of her own.

I loved the multiple POV's that tied heartwarming story of sisterhood, family drama and sweet romance together. There were many authentic moments that felt relatable and typical of any family. I especially enjoyed the themes of restoration and romance woven through the drama and laughter. The author captured the ups and downs of family life beautifully, showing that even when things aren’t perfect, love and loyalty shine through.

Overall, this was a clean, heartfelt, entertaining story that left me smiling. If you’re looking for a family-centered romance with plenty of emotion and charm, this audiobook is a great choice. I can’t wait to read more from Rachel McGee!

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book on audio via NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

This is a quick and fun read that I enjoyed for the most part I am not sure that I will go out and buy a copy of it for myself but I would definitely recommend it to friends

A cutesy mystery. I will come back for more from Rachel Magee. All the characters were interesting. An interesting tale!

Super cute and heartwarming! A fun, feel good beach read with sister drama, dating chaos, and sweet romance. Light, funny, and perfect for summer!

This is such a lovely book. The storylines are interesting and well-developed, the characters are adorable and everything has a very satisfying and romantic conclusion without it seeming too cheesy or farfetched. The narrator does an amazing job at bringing the characters to life and she also has the perfect reading pace! Seriously, this is the first time I haven't had to adjust the speed of the audiobook.

Three sisters reunite at their family's Florida vacation home for the summer. Each one is struggling with something they haven't shared with their sisters and over the course of the summer secrets come to light, old hurts heal and two even find love. I enjoyed this book WAY more than I was expecting to! It was excellent on audio narrated by Karissa Vacker (one of my favs), had a fun sibling dynamic, nostalgic vacation vibes and the romance between middle sister Cora and Jax was delightful! There was also great disability rep through the oldest sister, Savannah who discovers she was born with a congenital heart defect and needs surgery. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Sarah Morgan.

A perfect beach read. Light and charming with a touch of romance. While some of the aspects of this book could be cliched or predictable, I found the characters to be quite relatable. The sister experience was especially on point.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Fiction Audio, and Rachel Magee for the Audio Advanced Reader Copy of What Not to Do on Vacation.

I read the audiobook version, and the only comment that I have on the audiobook, specifically, is that the character perspective changing by sentence took a lot of getting used to. I know it was like this in the written version, too, but don't think it would have been as jarring. I had to rewind the audiobook several times in the first 10 minutes because I was having a hard time following it.

I thought the beginning of the book was actually kind of boring, but the overall pacing was good, so by the time Bianca was done with trivia I was thoroughly interested in the story. I like that the characters are all flawed. None of these characters are perfect and none of them have perfect reasoning for their imperfect decisions. It's very real, and as somebody who comes from a family with complicated relationships, I thought that it was portrayed well.

The only part that I didn't think was portrayed well was when Bianca and Cora made up. Bianca gave some half-a**ed apology saying that she didn't think Cora could even feel anything and then Cora didn't respond to her apology, but the next time we see them they're totally on good terms. Okay, sure. I would have liked to have a healthier resolution to this.

It was a little disappointing going through the entire book and seeing how much character development there was and how well the relationship complications were handled just to have it kind of all crumble down at the end to: oh, there was no resolution, but I forgive you anyway.

I thought this was going to be a 4-star book review until the end. Overall, still a good story, I just wish the 4-star aspects of the book would have been carried all the way through.

Spice level: clean

What Not to Do on Vacation in a mishmash of tropes that have been done before. There's the "Date this person on a bet even though you don't want to and the fall in love for real" trop, a sick character hiding her illness, and a person that thinks she's in love until she meets someone better.
The story is okay, but what I appreciate is that it is clean without being religious. There is plenty of talk from different characters about feeling sparkles, but the highest level of action is a kiss.

Cute story. Follows three sisters fulfilling a wish from their late mother.
There were a few times that I was lost on a few of the side stories, but the narrating was nice. I didn’t quite get the vibe that the two main characters would be getting married after a few week of knowing each other, but that’s just my opinion.

This was such a fun story! The writing was so easy to follow and full of real characters and struggles. The narrator did a fantastic job acting out each sister to make them feel truly individual.

I found myself smiling and laughing often and while a great deal of it reminded me of the movie "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" - there was enough of a difference to keep it charming and new.

Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC!

I have enjoyed the free audiobook courtesy of NetGalley. It was such a “feel good” read. The scene take place at one of my favorite beaches: Florida Panhandle between Panama City and Destin. Immediately I could feel myself being right there with the characters. My favorite character was actually Kora. I didn’t care for her at first but later came to realize her defensiveness was a way to protect herself after all the pain she has experienced. It’s a beautiful story about love and relationships. Perfect summer read.

This is a different format than I normally read. This book gives the point of view from multiple characters. It took me a little bit to catch on but I ended up loving getting the story from the different characters’ perspectives. My favorite part of this book was definitely Cora and Jax. Their banter and Jax’s charm are perfect!

I really enjoyed this. It was a great summertime beachy read. I wasn't expecting to be so caught up in all of the sister's POV's and the subplot romances were really sweet. While this may have been a tad predictable, it was a nice palette cleanser. I really enjoyed every second of it and would definitely pick up more from this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio | Thomas Nelson Fiction for the audio ARC!

What Not to Do on Vacation
Author Rachel Magee
Available now!

Thank you, @uplitreads @rachelmageeauthor and @thomasnelson, for my #gifted copy of this perfect "get ready for summer read!"

Add What Not to Do on Vacation to your summer tbr, friends! Set in Sunnyside, Florida, WNTDoV is such a perfect summer read! It gave me all the Emily Henry, Katherine Center, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes.

Savannah Prestly wants to relive her childhood summer memories with her sisters and recreate their mother's summer traditions at their old summer rental on the beach. She has something that she needs to tell her sisters, but the timing needs to be just right.

Bianca, the baby of the three sisters, has some big news to share as well... She's engaged... to a man that she met on a dating app that lives in Idaho and that she hasn't yet met in person. To prove to her sisters that what she and Xander have is real, she bets her sisters that she can find true love for Cora, their middle sister, who doesn't believe in fairytales, on the same dating app. If she's not successful, then Bianca will call off her engagement.

Enter Jax, the man who conviently matches with Cora on the dating app. And Cora ans Jax... well, it's really good. Their chemistry, especially when Cora tries to deny it... is really good. Filled with wit, humor, drama, and hope, WNTDoV is a romcom bursting with family drama, summer romance, and so much heart. I loved it!

Thank you for the advance audio copy of this novel.

What Not to Do on Vacation is a breezy and heartwarming summer read that dives into the complex, messy, and fiercely loyal world of sisterhood. Savannah, Bianca, and Cora—three adult sisters—set off on a month-long trip with hopes of reconnecting and reliving the magic of their childhood family vacations. But grown-up life has reshaped their dreams, values, and opinions, and not all of them line up.

Savannah, the steady eldest sister and devoted mother, carries a hidden burden: she’s facing a major surgery and hasn’t told her sisters. Bianca, the free-spirited youngest, is engaged to a man she’s only met online and plans to move to Idaho to start a business with him—an impulsive move that raises plenty of eyebrows. And Cora, the middle sister and eternal skeptic, challenges the concept of love itself by daring an app to prove her wrong. Her mission? To fall for whoever the algorithm selects before their vacation ends.

As the days unfold, arguments spark, secrets surface, and laughter breaks through the tension. The novel beautifully captures how sisters—no matter how loud their disagreements—are the ones who show up when it truly counts.

What Not to Do on Vacation is a celebration of family, vulnerability, and the enduring strength of sisterhood. It’s a perfect choice for readers who enjoy character-driven stories with emotional depth and humor.

A cozy book that will give you all the summer vibe. I liked the relationship between the sisters. They all have different personalities and different lives. We get to see all of their pov. Thank you to Netgalley for this audiobook.

Three sisters reunite at their the beach house that their family used to rent when they were kids to reconnect as adults. Cora is scared of commitment, Savannah is facing a health crisis, and Bianca announces she’s engaged to a man she’s never met in person and is moving across the country. In this funny and charming story of each sister dealing with their own adult issues, it pulls you in and I want to be fourth sister.

This was a great change from the heavy books that I’ve been reading lately and I really like it.

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