What Not to Do on Vacation
BY Rachel Magee
Narrated by Karissa Vacker

Published May 20, 2025

This was such a heartwarming and fun story about three sisters who are trying to rediscover the magic in summer of their childhood vacation spot. With lots of ups and downs in life this is a perfect summer cozy beach reach. The sisters are spending one last holiday together as their mother’s final wish, just as how they did when they were kids. Everything was scheduled and planned down to ever activity by Savannah, to ensure they have the best quality time together. Cora the Debbie downer knew the trip was doomed from the get go. Her luggage was lost, but she wants to remember the earlier memories from the beach house not the force time that savannah wants. Bianca the youngest of the sisters, she has good news that she cannot wait to tell. But her sisters think shes just impulsive.
This was just such a feel good cozy read and I think it’s perfect for a beach read or pool side read.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. All words are my own.

The storyline of this book was really cute! You lose your suitcase buy a new toothbrush meet the love of your life in that aisle great premise.
I enjoyed that storyline quite a bit. It was lots of fun. My biggest complaint though was that this book was told in three different points of view.. this book follows three sisters that are returning to their vacation they were young. So in some instances, I would get really confused because it would just literally bounce from sister to sister and I couldn’t tell which sister was which.. I also found myself wishing that we had in switched from one sister to the other because I had just gotten into what was going on with one sister to then be like oh by the way sorry just kidding. Don’t get too excited. let me take you to the other sister where you don’t remember what is actually happening.
Besides that complaint, I enjoyed it. It was cute a little bit predictable, but sometimes that’s OK.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson/Zondervan Fiction Audio and NetGalley for this advanced listeners copy!

3.75 Stars!

What Not to Do on Vacation was a fun, summery read that I ultimately enjoyed—though it did take me a little while to get into it. The writing was solid, and while the story had moments where it felt like both too much and not enough was happening, it still managed to hold my attention. This book gave off strong Hallmark Channel vibes (in the best way), with a mix of humor, romance, and just the right amount of family drama.

I appreciated the multiple POVs, although I occasionally found it tricky to keep track of who was who in certain chapters. I do wish the audiobook had featured dual narration to help with this, but the single narrator did a great job regardless and brought charm to the characters.

This story hits on several of my favorite tropes—forced proximity and falling for the town bad boy? Swoon. It made for a quick, light-hearted read that would be perfect for a beach day or a lazy afternoon. I’d definitely read more from Rachel Magee in the future!

Such a feel good book! I love the sister’s relationships throughout this book. The search for love, and the navigation of close family relationships really hit home for me. A great summer read, and one that can be devoured quickly! Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for letting me read this!

Love this rom-com! What Not to Do on Vacation is funny, cozy, and the perfect summer read! I loved all three sisters and their individual stories! This was my first book by Rachel Magee, and I am eager to read another one of her books!

I loved this! The different personality types between the sisters and the 'How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days' of it all had me kicking my feet while the summer rolled along. I hope there are more to come from the summer house!

I absolutely loved the sister dynamic and conflicts throughout this story. They added so much depth and emotion. The males in this book, a three sister love interest were so charming to read about and the audiobook narrators did such a good job of landing the banter between Cora and Jacks. I literally got butterflies in my stomach at the end, and the epilogue had me weeping. The sisterly love, comedy, and emotion made this one of my recent favorite reads this year.

3 estranged sisters, 1 month summer vacation at their childhood beach house, some secrets and some more things to prove.

Savannah used her “it’s our mom’s wish” card to force her sisters to agree on that trip, but she has her own reasons she’s not ready to share yet. Cora was so sure from the beginning that the trip was a bad idea, because since the moment she took the flight, nothing had gone as she planned. not long after they reunited, Bianca dropped a bomb: she’s going to get married with a guy she met on a dating app and she didn’t care that they’d never met irl. she wanted to show her sisters that she has plan for her life.

In order to prove the legitimacy of the dating app, Bianca prompted Cora to try it herself. Cora agreed, feeling so sure that it wouldn’t work for her. little did she know Bianca had a little plan to make sure it would work.

this started off fun but later it got a little frustrating not gonna lie, especially the peak conflict😅 like it all could be avoided but y’all decided to being dense and NOT act like normal adult. okay. the resolution was too quick to my liking but glad it all worked out nicely for everyone at the end!

as for the audiobook, I’ve listened to Karissa Vacker’s works several times now and I always enjoy her performance, and this title is not an exception!

What would you do if your vacation flipped your life upside-down? That's exactly what happened to Cora Presley and her two sisters, Bianca and Savannah.
When Bianca announces her surprise engagement to a man that she's never met online, her sisters don't take it well. But each sister has a secret of their own. And when Cora agrees to a bet that she won't fall in love from an online date, Bianca sets her up.

Jax is trying to take over the family business but his past leaves a sour taste in the shareholders mouths. If he can hold a serious relationship, then maybe, just maybe, they will consider him for the CFO position.

But the beach is magical and a lot can happen in 2 months.

I absolutely adored this book! Jax made me laugh so much, like school-girl, kick your feet and giggle! l I also loved Luke and Bianca' dynamic! If you love Abby Jimenez, Ashley Poston, or Katherine Center, you're going to love this book!

Please note that this is a clean romance, meaning it has no spicy scenes, and honestly, it didn't need it!
The plot was solid. It's a 4 🌟 read!

This was such a cute summer read! And it involves sisters!! I hardly ever see a book involve family in this way and I loved it. This was a cute clean romance a perfect beach read that you don't have to hide.

This will make you laugh out loud, tear up, and want to talk to your sibling.

The Prestly sisters return to the vacation town they grew up spending their summers in, 10 years after their mother made her last wish before her death. They have a summer full of love, rivalry, disappointment, and laughter. While the trip doesn’t go as any of the sisters had planned, it also made their lives better than they could have imagined.

I had a hard time getting into this audiobook. I think if I read it myself though, then I would like it better. I mean the Synopsis is right up my alley, so I will definitely give it another try in a different format to see if I like it better.

This was a fun beach read. I really enjoyed the sisters' relationships. It was sweet to see them go from annoyance to trust as they each dealt with the problems in their lives and learned to come alongside and help each other. Cora's view that love didn't exist for her made for a fun romantic plot. From the moment she met Jax, I eagerly anticipated seeing what it would take for her to give in. If you're looking for a great summer read that features sisters and romance, your search could end here!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ALC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.25 stars

Thank you Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

Three sisters. One beach house. A summer of secrets, surprises, and second chances. Savannah wants to reconnect the Prestly sisters, Bianca has a wedding announcement (and a wild bet), and Cora… just wants to be left out of it. What could possibly go wrong?

I absolutely loved this book. It had everything I look for in a summer listen—heart, humor, and characters I genuinely cared about. The family dynamic between the Prestly sisters was a highlight. Their personalities clashed in the most entertaining ways, but underneath all the bickering and chaos was a deep sense of love and loyalty. It felt real and relatable, especially the way each sister was going through her own version of growing up, no matter how old she was.

The romance subplot was super cute, especially watching Cora’s reluctant journey through modern dating. It was playful and flirty but never took over the story. This was more about sisterhood, healing old wounds, and figuring out who you are when life doesn’t go as planned.

And I can’t say enough good things about Karissa Vacker’s narration. She has a way of making each character distinct without overdoing it, and listening to her feels like chatting with a good friend. She brings so much warmth and personality to the story—I could’ve listened for hours.

Read this if you like:
Messy but lovable family drama
Second chances and emotional growth
Narrators who truly elevate the audiobook experience

I will tell you what- not only would I love to take an extended month long vacation, but I sure would love to do it in this beach town! And while we are at it- I would love to have two sisters and a beau and their beaux and families along! Simply put- I would love to do everything What Not to Do on Vacation dares me not to! And since I cannot, I sure am glad I got to join Rachel Magee's cast for their vacation, even from steerage and thousands of miles away.

I want to tell you everything that happens in this fun quick listen in much the way I would want to share a juicy "you are not going to believe this" story with my best friend. But I won't because reading/listening to this book would deliver the satisfaction of that sense of holding onto some good goss tenfold. And do not feel guilty about wanting to share this gossip for even some of the characters have hints of Shakespearean names, and who has yet to embrace the power of a good shared weighty story that turns out just as delectably right as one hopes than Shakespeare! Which is probably why this take on Taming of the Shrew is so successful.

Don't worry if you are not a Shakespeare fan- if you aren't you won't be pulled out of this very modern day mostly believable romcom. And if you are a fan of the Shakes you will be delighted on Rachel Magee's take and Karissa Vacker's performance. Either way you will laugh and swoon and experience a special blend of sibling love and wish you could jump into the reality of What Not to Do on Vacation.
Sincerely, sm for the BB

do you like fake dating turned romance? then this book is for you. it also has a little family sister drama sprinkled in. set in a dream vacation spot. narrated by karissa vacker who makes it good to listen to!

thanks to @netgalley for the book. .

#WhatNottoDoonVacation #NetGalley

I enjoyed this book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers. Will post a proper review on my instagram soon.

This was such a fun book and different from my usual reads. I loved the focus on the sisters, while still giving them all their own unique story. The family dynamic was all very believable and I enjoyed seeing them work through their problems and find their way back to each other.

There were laugh out loud moments, along with more serious ones. My one complaint is that I wish the condition would’ve been shared with the sisters earlier than it was. I appreciated how it was done, but it felt last minute to me.

I’ll definitely recommend this one!

I enjoyed this book. I liked how each of the 3 sisters had different stories that interconnected. I especially enjoyed the story that reminded me a little of "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days". This was a sweet story, definitely a good beach read, especially since it takes place at the beach!

I really loved this book! I honestly think the cover and name almost sell the book short and the cover should be slightly more serious to subtly represent the book being more fiction/women's fiction than romance. I loved going through the lives of the three sisters over the course of the summer and only wish we got more of savannahs story after the hospital