Cute book, as usual I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. Eventually I got it. I like the story as it was relatable and highly probable. Lord Farquaad reference was really funny.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

With their mother gone, the Prestly sisters decide to revisit their childhood and so planned to rent the Florida beach house the family always visited in the past. Cora is a hardworking overachiever with her own photography business. Savannah is a mother, with a secret she needs to share but is not enthusiastic about doing so. Bianca, the youngest, shows up with the announcement that she is going to marry a man she hasn't even met in person yet, only online through a dating app. AND, move to Montana with him.

Savannah does her best to relive and revive old memories but Cora and Bianca have a bet about the dating app and get wrapped up in that to the exclusion of everything else. Savannah's hopes get pushed to the side. Cora, who met a man at the drugstore she considered very rude, is horrified to be matched with him by the dating app. He is only dating to prove to his family that he can get serious about a relationship.

The women all seem to be following separate paths on the trip, to Savannah's chagrin. It's only when Cora and Bianca are summoned to the hospital after Savannah's been admitted do the sisters that they get honest with one another. Bianca's fiancé appears, which is quite a revelation. Each of the sisters face a new reality by the time the vacation ends.

This one is a great beach read. Fans of Denise Hunter will enjoy this book as well. Karissa Vacker narrates the story with just the right intonations for each character.

I started out this novel looking for a fun easy beach read ⛱️ I did receive that however I also had a beautiful journey of three sisters finding their way back to each other, healing from the loss of their family, mom from cancer and dad from divorce and finding love. This book gave some 10 things I hate about you and How to lose a guy in 10 days vibes. I appreciated the return to a rom com without being smutty. I loved the journey to save the family, create new family and to come together as a community. I listened to the audio for this story and really enjoyed the narrator and the different voices for each character.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio and Netgalley for this ALC all opinions are my own.

Book Review:
What Not To Do On Vacation has all the components of a truly satisfying and sweet romance! This was my first time reading anything by Rachel Magee and she’s an instant auto-read author for me now! I had so much fun reading this one!
Written from all three Prestly sisters’ POVs, plus their male counterparts, made this such an immersive journey of sisterly and romantic love. I laughed out loud on numerous occasions from the witty banter and sisterly dynamics. Bianca, the youngest sister, had me cackling with her antics and everything related to her fiance. Savannah is the classic oldest sister looking to reconnect with her sisters, and Cora is the love cynic, determined not to fall in love, despite reformed playboy Jax working his way into her heart. If you’re looking for a closed door beach read with heart, absolutely pick up this one!

Audiobook Review:
I listened to the audiobook, and while I did not have any issues with the narrator, I found it slightly harder than other audiobooks to follow. I don’t think it’s the book itself - I really think it was just more difficult to follow in audiobook format because there are so many different points of view (which I enjoyed) and just one narrator. If I were reading the book, I’m sure I could have more easily followed the changing POVs due to actually reading it. Overall, this was a very minor thing. I still thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook!

Intimacy: Kisses only
Language: None
Content Considerations: Divorce, Cancer (past), Death of a loved one (past), grief

I loved the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes this gave. As someone who only has one half sister that is 12 years younger than me, I loved seeing a close sisterly relationship with multiple sisters. That dynamic was so interesting. Overall this was a great book!

This was like a beach read with a side of emotional whiplash. The sister drama was messy (sometimes in a fun way, sometimes in a “girl be serious” way), and the dating app plot felt kinda forced. Bianca making a bet on Cora’s love life? Wild behavior for sisters and a little overdone in rom-coms...

Jax was a sweetheart, but the romance didn’t really hit. Low spice, low stakes, high chaos. If you like clean rom-coms with a sprinkle of sibling sabotage, you’ll probably vibe. Personally? Meh. Needed more depth and less drama.

Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC

I was thrilled to receive the ALC of What Not to Do on Vacation by Rachel Magee. I read one of her other books, It’s All Relative, last year and absolutely loved it. I adored the relationships between the sisters and the connections they each had with the love interests. I binge listened to the whole thing in a day! I definitely need to read more books by Rachel Magee.

Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators, so I was excited to see she narrated this book. She does an amazing job voicing both the female and male characters, really bringing the story to life.

Love, love, loved this book!

Publication Date- May 20, 2025
#WhatNottoDoonVacation #NetGalley

What Not to Do on Vacation by Rachel Magee per the description on GoodReads: "Ten Things I Hate About You meets How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days in this fun story about the special bond between sisters and the often bumpy road of falling in love." lived up to the note.

This was another first time author read for me and I am a fan! Three sisters who have different takes on their parent's failed marriage from 15 years ago, come together for a summer vacation like they had when they had happier times. Savannah has a big secret and wants her sisters to all connect like they did when they were younger. Bianca, the "baby" of the family, who has never had to think about anything or plan, has her own secrets and then there's Cora who believes one thing and yet - what's the truth??

Throw in a few added male characters and watch secrets come to light. This could also make for a pretty good Rom-Com and I'd watch that one too!

I really liked this book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a fun and quick summer read. I liked the dynamic between the sisters, I just didn't care much for the romance part of the book, which sometimes made it a little harder for me to stay invested.
A big plus for me was the narration of this book, it was engaging and made the story feel even more like a rom-com.

The audiobook was very well done. the Narrator has fantastic male voices. I was originally concerned about this being in 3rd POV. I typically DNF romance books that are 3rd person but this book was so good. I am very glad I listened.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars, rounded up to 4)
A fun, cozy listen that transports you to youthful beach memories, with great sisterly vibes 🏖️💕. The story of three sisters returning to a childhood vacation spot gave me strong summer feels 🌊. While the plot is easy to guess, clearly inspired by How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and 10 Things I Hate About You 🎬, the audiobook provides a charming escape. I wished for more twists and a bit more messiness to make the story feel real and less predictable but really enjoyed the dynamics between the sisters and found the characters mostly likeable and relatable. Overall, it’s a solid summer feel-good pick 🎧✨.
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What Not to Do on Vacation is a mostly light, charming audiobook perfect for beach season or a cozy weekend in. The story of three sisters returning to a childhood vacation spot brought strong nostalgic vibes 🌊. I enjoyed the cozy “at-home” moments with the sisters and wished there had been more of them.

The premise is cute, but because it closely follows two well-known rom-com plots, the story felt predictable. I found myself wishing for more unexpected twists or deeper emotional moments to make the journey more rewarding. Knowing what would happen made some parts feel unnecessarily long, yet at the same time, I felt there wasn’t enough buildup leading to the ending. The conclusion felt tied up in too perfect a bow for my taste 🎁.

The narration was fine, nothing particularly memorable, but it didn’t detract from the experience. The male POV chapters felt scattered and unnecessary, leaving me unsure of their purpose 🤷‍♀️.

Still, this audiobook has cute, quirky moments and offers a cozy, familiar vibe. If you want something light and sweet that highlights sisterhood and summer nostalgia, this is a great choice 💕.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!
#WhatNottoDoOnVacation #NetGalley

his was such a fun summer read! This was a super easy and fast read about three sisters, fulling a promise to their deceased mother, to reconnect at the beach of where they spent many childhood summers. I love books with sisters and this book delivered on the intricites of those relationships. I loved the fake dating turn romance element. All the summer activites...like sandcastle building, and pickleball. I loved all the characters. Being the oldest sister myself, I really could relate to Savannah, and wished there were more chapters about her. Otherwise, I loved the banter throughout the book, the fake dating element, the family drama, and all the laugh out loud moments. I rated this a 4 star book on my Goodreads and will recommend as the perfect summer reading!

I thought this was the most adorable and charming little gem of a book. I loved the audiobook especially. The three sisters and their relationship really drew me in. The sisters vacation in Florida, which makes it the perfect beach read.

I did not expect this and I loved it.

At first, I will admit, the audio narration was a little hard to keep up with because of all the different POVs. But once you understand what is happening and the voices of each person, you get the hang of it pretty quickly and you truly do need all of the characters POVs.

That being said, I LOVED being able to see each sisters side of the story. It was a fun and unique experience and very different for all involved. Including me, the reader!

Unlike any romance I have ever read. Would definitely still call it a romance but would also consider it a women’s fiction crossover for those on the fence. I highly recommend it!

What Not to do on Vacation was such a charming and lighthearted read with slow burn, fake dating, summer romance, and the hilarious, heartwarming shenanigans of three sisters with a messy past. The enjoyable plot was filled with family drama and comedy with a side of not one but two summer romances. The sisterly bond between Cora, Bianca, and Savannah was well developed and felt realistic, making them very relatable and easy to connect with. I connected with Savannah, the oldest sister, almost immediately and in multiple ways. I would definitely recommend this light, clean, rom-com. It’s the perfect book to throw in your vacation bag to read on the beach or next to the pool.

The narrator, Karissa Vacker, did a phenomenal job with giving several different characters their own voice making it easy to follow and listen. I am becoming a big fan of her work. Her passion and enthusiasm shows in her work and characters. As always, she did a great job with pacing, tone, and inflection which really helped to set the summer beach vacation vibes and brought the story and characters to life, delivering a flawless performance from start to finish.

Thank you @thomasnelson, @rachelmageeauthor, and @uplitreads for the #giftedbyuplit fun PR box with a finished copy and audio. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Funny and romantic! The characters were well written and the story was catchy! I loved the narrators and finished this story in a day!! I highly recommend this book!!!!! It was fantastic!

Book: 4⭐
Narration: 5⭐

This was a perfect summer listen especially with Karissa narrating. The story of 3 sisters who head to the Florida Panhandle to relive the childhood summers they enjoyed together growing up. A trip on their mom's wish list before she passed away. A trip that will hopefully provide moments that will bond these sisters back together.

Savannah, the oldest, is on a mission to reunite & reconnect her sisters. Bianca, the baby, arrives & announces that she's getting married to a man she's met online, has never met & is moving to Idaho. Cora, the middle sister, has somewhat of a grudge on her shoulder. She's holding onto some resentment over their parents divorce years earlier & a past relationship where she's been burned. Love isn't anywhere on her mind but she somehow finds herself entangled in a "fake dating" situation with Jax, the slightly charming womanizer they knew from their childhood summers. Love seems silly & unnecessary to Cora but she finds herself enjoying her time with Jax.

What the girls aren't expecting to find on this vacation is love, forgiveness & some secrets that rock their worlds a bit. Everyone has a lot going on but they discover that the wish their mom had was meant to be. Spending time together brings these girls back together.

There are sisterly spats, dating app shenanigans, a toothbrush meet cute & setbacks. But there's also many happy moments in this story. The beach setting, the family dynamics, drama and the sweet romances found here made this such a fun listen. The real theme of this book can be stated simply from one of the quotes, "Family. We couldn't do life without them, but sometimes they make it so dang hard to do life with them.'

🎧Let's talk audio: Karissa Vacker is SO talented & honestly such a joy to listen to. She solo narrates this one and I am always in awe of her wicked voice techniques. She easily gives each sister their own voice, personality & tone. Her performance of Jax and even the sisters nieces was spot on. She can voice such a variety of characters, ages & attitudes. Her light & airy tone go down the hatch so easily. Her performance was absolutely delightful. If she's narrating, I know I'm going to enjoy it.

This was my first book by this author. She writes the perfect blend of women's fiction, family drama & romcom. There's depth to her characters but not the weight of it getting too depressing or heavy. It's a fun, light & heartwarming read. There's definitely romance but no spice. Everything felt genuine & real. I honestly look forward to listening more from this author.

Thanks to author Rachel Magee, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a copy of the audio to review. All thoughts are my own.

This audio is available now.

This book was middle of the line for me. Three sisters need to reconcile and achieve the closeness of their younger years so they recreate their favorite vacation moments at the beach house they rented as kids. There are a lot of sprats, some fun moments and cute romance stories along the way.

Decent read and the narration was okay as well.

#netgalley #WhatNottoDoonVacation

Bianca, the abby of the family is getting married! Cora, perpetually single is on and off the apps. And Savannah is making sure they all survive the trip! The sisters come together and make a bet, if Bianca can find the man of Cora's dreams, she'll go through with her wedding. If not, she has to call it off!

I found all of the characters to be loveable in their own way. At the end of the day they all wanted what was best for their sibling. This gave me the ultimate beach vacation craving I enjoyed it so much! This story is light but also adds some serious moments in there that make it feel more authentic.

I enjoyed the stories each sister had and the journey they each took for the summer. I liked that it was three stories in one, but it was so cohesive.

I loved that we had romance but also a side of lit fic. The emotional development each character took was very well done.

I loved Bianca and Luke’s story of starting a business, I loved Cora and Jax’s story of finding love, and I enjoyed Savannah’s story of bringing her family back together.

This was a very wholesome book!