Great short story by Jane Green! This is a re-issue of an older story. I felt like the writing style was a little different than her newer material but I did enjoy it!

EXCERPT: "Well," Cindy says brightly, "nothing like a bit of soul baring at book club. I'm going to get some cheesecake. Can I bring anyone some?" She rises out of her chair, as do the others, all murmuring about getting more coffee, or cake, or another of those delicious brownies.

Only Caroline stays behind, sitting next to Sarah on the sofa, and when Sarah puts down her wineglass, Caroline takes her hand.

"I didn't know it was that bad," she whispers. "You should have said so."

Sarah looks at her as it finally registers that she has confessed out loud. "Oh, my God," she gasps. "I just did, didn't I? Tell me I didn't say that out loud."

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Just when she’d sworn off men for good, Sarah Evans met Eddie. Sarah was a magazine editor, living in Manhattan, and loving her life—except for the heartbreaks. A successful real estate developer, Eddie was a breath of fresh air, a meeting of minds—and bodies. Soon came wedded bliss, baby number one—and the proverbial move to the suburbs . . .

You just sit there like a slob while I do all the work. Nine years later, this is increasingly what goes through Sarah’s mind when she looks at Evan, propped in front of the TV with a beer, ignoring their two children. The truth is, she misses her old life. She misses the old Eddie. She can’t help wondering if she’d be happier alone . . .

When Eddie’s job sends him to Chicago indefinitely, Sarah shocks him by suggesting a trial separation. But she knows it’s just a precursor to divorce—even if Eddie chooses to think of it as a “vacation.” Yet a lot can change—on both sides—as time goes by. And once Christmas arrives, Sarah and Eddie might re-discover gifts they’d forgotten they had . . .

MY THOUGHTS: I have long loved Jane Green's books, and Vacation, short and sweet as it is, is just a great read for this, or any other, time of the year.

Jane's characters are always so easy to relate to. They are not perfect people; they are human, they get tired and cranky, they put their feet in their mouths, they make mistakes. Vacation brought back memories of when my own children were small, and the pressures of being a stay-at-home mom, the pressures of being a full-time working dad, and how easy it is to lose sight of each other and what is really important in your life.

A lovely read. A little bit Christmas.

****

THE AUTHOR: Jane Green's eighteenth novel, Falling, is soon to be released with Berkley/Penguin; she is the author of sixteen previous New York Times Bestselling novels, and known as one of the world's leading authors in women's fiction, with over ten million books in print, and translations in over 25 languages.

Previous novels have included The Beach House, Second Chance, Jemima J, and Tempting Fate.

She joined the ABC News team to write their first enhanced digital book— about the history of Royal marriages, then joined ABC News as a live correspondent covering Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton.

A former journalist in the UK, she has had her own radio show on BBC Radio London, and is a regular contributor on radio and TV, including as well as regularly appearing on television shows including Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart show, and The Today Show.

Together with writing books and blogs, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including anthologies and novellas, and features for The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan and Self. She has taught at writers conferences, and does regular keynote speaking, and has a weekly column in The Lady magazine, England’s longest running weekly magazine.

A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, Green is bringing out her first cookbook: Good Taste , with Berkley in October 2016.

She is a storyteller for The Moth radio hour on NPR,
and lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks.

A cancer survivor, she continues to raise awareness for Malignant Melanoma, Hashimoto's Disease, and Lyme Disease.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Vacation by Jane Green for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page, or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review, and others, are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage.

This book about a couple who have become very unhappy in their marriage and try a separation (Vacation). This book was much shorter than I expected and it was cute to read about how they dealt with their separation. I liked it and it was a positive story for the Christmas season.

My very first Jane Green read and unfortunately I was disappointed.

I don’t even know how to write a review about this novella as I’m not what the deal was with this one! I’m very very glad that it was only 76 pages as I’m sure I would’ve DNFed it at about 30% of the story.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

Thoroughly enjoyed ‘Vacation’ by Jane Green! A great, quick read for the beach or as you are on vacation yourself!
I’m not sure, but this seems like an older title that Is being re-released? There are just some cultural references that seem a little dated...also the fact that Sarah “checks her machine” when she gets home. If this is intended to be revitalized as a re-release, then some editing may be needed. Or I could have completely missed that the book is set in the 90’s!
Besides the points that I have brought up, this title was a great read!

A short story about what happens when a marriage gets stale. It was quite simple, being a shorter story, but was enjoyable and readable.

I am a huge Jane Green fan and I was surprised I heard NOTHING of this book when I requested it. But after reading, I realized it was some kind of re-release as there were several outdated mentions in the book such as an answering machine and types of clothing worn. Jane has always been a writer totally on top of her style game with her characters so it was clear this was not a new book of hers. It was a good story- though a short story, not a novel. It centers around a husband and wife hitting the crossroads in their lives after 8 yrs of marriage and both of them wondering if this is it...
When Eddie receives a promotion that requires him to move to Chicago, Sarah refuses and suggests a separation giving them both the time they need to reassess their marriage and what they want their own lives to look like. Sarah tries to remember who she was while unknown to her, Eddie focuses on winning Sarah back and into their family unit again.
It's a quick story and easy read - I enjoyed it though I was disappointed it was not a "new" book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Zebra Books for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nice feel good book. It flowed very well. was easy to read. Nice characters. Good storyline. What’s not to love.

Well, that felt...incomplete.

Having never read a Jane Green novel before, I had high hopes. In fact, I have a few more of her unread books in my Kindle library, but now I'm a little leery. Vacation felt more like a novella...rushed, unfinished, and oh-so-predictable.

The premise is fine...married couple in trouble decidse to "take a break." The writing, however, seemed rather...elementary. It all just seemed a little too easy. Plus, it was written in third person present, a style of which I'm not a fan.

If you're looking for a quick, light (make that very light) finding love again story, you may like this. Otherwise, I'd probably pass.

**Thanks to the publisher for providing my ARC in exchange for my candid review.

This book was super weird. I never felt like it really delved into the characters minds or motivations.....it was very "surface". I also feel like the ending was tied up in a neat little bow and the events that got us there were very rushed and forced. This book fell pretty flat for me and I had trouble connecting with the characters and caring about them.There also wasn't enough of a clear pathway between the issues and the resolution. Definitly not a favorite.

REVIEW:
Unfortunately, this book is being misdescribed in that it is an 83-page NOVELLA and not a complete book. As of this review, both Amazon and Goodreads have incorrect information on this book. The original novella is found in the book: This Christmas.

For the most part, I merely like Ms. Greens' writing. It keeps me reading and amused. Nothing earth-shattering about any of her books -just good, reliable, dependable, and entertaining reading. And this novella is no different!

It is an amusing story of a woman who gets to that part of her life where she just starts questioning almost everything. Most of us have been at that point one time or another. The big thing she is questioning is her husband, and because of that, they decide to take a little vacation from their marriage. Now the husband is questioning their marriage but in a good way.

There is a small issue at the end where we seem to skip a few steps, but nothing major. I also have an issue with British writer's not doing their homework when writing a book set in the United States and using BritSpeak in place of Americanisms.

All in all, an excellent novella that is heartwarming, amusing, and just perfect when you need a quick read.
*ARC supplied by the publisher.

Sarah and Eddie have been married for 8 years, have two beautiful children...and don't even recognize each other anymore. They used to be in love, but now Sarah feels completely alone in raising the kids and taking care of the house, while Eddie's work stress has caused him to withdraw from the family and from participating in his own life (he stopped exercising, he stopped eating right, he started drinking, and he just doesn't have the bandwidth to engage with a nagging wife and active children). How did they get here? When Eddie is offered a job in Chicago, he takes it and he and Sarah approach the distance as a trial separation. She finds work outside of the house and takes an interest in her appearance again, trying to recognize herself in the mirror. Eddie realizes how empty his life is without his family and how much he is missing by not being with them. Maybe a little vacation from their unhappy status quo is just what they needed to truly appreciate what they had all along.

I'm really torn about this book. On the one hand, Jane Green has such an engaging and magnetic writing style that I was just drawn in immediately and kept on reading, even as questions were popping into my head. Was this a new book? Why were they talking about answering machine messages and the Lion King 2, which kind of seemed out-of-date? (I read some reviews that said this is actually one of her older books that was never published.) What on earth was up with that ending? They went from estranged to back together in a paragraph, with no explanation of how they got there. It was just tacked on, like they found an unfinished manuscript and wanted to put it out ASAP so made up this quickie ending and hoped no one would care. I actually went forward and back a few pages to see if I had missed something. This read a lot more like a novella; it's very short, and unlike most of Green's books, it's a simple snapshot of this couple as opposed to a complex web of relationships where you come to care about an entire cast of characters. I think if I had known going in that it was a short story or something like it, I would have been more prepared for the abrupt plot changes.

Jane Green knows just how to suck a reader in, but this isn't one of her strongest.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

It would be amazing if it were really this easy to take some time apart and totally transform yourself and your relationship! That being said, this was a fast, enjoyable read about a couple who don't recognize each other anymore. They take some time apart to work on themselves and the reader is left to see where their marriage ends up. Nothing groundbreaking or realistic; but a nice before bed read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly loved this story. It is a quick, easy breezy read and by the time I finished, I wanted more.

The story begins with Sarah and Eddie going thru the motions of their roles with their marriage and family. It is clear that each are unhappy and are close to imploding but trying to refrain from their anger as they know there will be words that they cannot take back.

They both realize that their relationship is in trouble and decide to take a break. While on their own, they reflect on the happiness they once know, but do not know how they can get that back. The worry for Sarah is that a reconciliation will result with the same unhappiness and she is starting to find her own happiness without Eddie. Eddie is understanding his role with the demise of their relationship and will do anything to get Sarah and his family back.......but is it too late.

I connected with the characters immediately. I mean, who hasn't felt the way Sarah and Eddie has felt when you are trying to make it through another day, but this author makes you cheer for both of them. Another winner from this Author.

Feeling unfulfilled in her life as a suburban mom and wife, Sarah Evans decides to separate from her successful but absent husband, leading to the title vacation in the book.

I thought this short, easy read was really a cute reminder about what we give up in partnerships and a gentle reminder that keeping yourself might mean you need to focus a little time on reflection. I really thought the focus on the husband's perspective was an interesting and unusual choice.

I found myself easily and readily understanding both perspectives and really enjoying this fun read.

Thanks to the publisher, author and www.NetGalley.com for my ARC.

Vacation by Jane Green was a good, easy, read. This is a very true to life story of a 10 year marriage at a crossroads. Sarah and Eddie live in the suburbs where they are raising their two children. Eddie works increasingly long hours in the city while Sarah takes care of the house and the children, and slowly becomes more resentful of Eddie’s time away. When Eddie is offered a new position in Chicago, Sarah decides this is the time to make the break. What the couple find out is that they have both contributed to the state of their marriage and gain new perspectives. I liked that, though they separate, there is no infidelity. After making some personal changes, they again, bring the best of themselves to each other and their marriage. Of course, it would have been better if they could have done this without separating but then there would t be the conflict needed for the storyline, right? Overall, a very good story from one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review. #netgalley #vacation

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Sara meets Eddie and the sparks fly - love - totally awesome feeling . Then baby one comes, and baby two. Mommy quits her job and becomes a stay home mommy.
Daddy works long hours, comes home, grabs a beer and the tv.
What happens when the shine goes away from the marriage? Can it be recaptured?
Green does a great job of allowing to feel each partners feelings.
This was a great book!

In Vacation, Eddie and Sarah are going through a very rough slump in their marriage and when Eddie has to temporarily go to Chicago for work Sarah admits she wants a separation (a “Vacation”). So they decide to separate; however during this time apart both seem to find themselves again and understand what each did wrong in their marriage. However, what does this self-discovery mean for their marriage? Is their marriage worthy saving? Does either, especially Sarah, want it to be saved?

First off, I feel like Jane Green somehow took the deepest & darkest thoughts I have heard about my marriage and put them in a book. Marriage is hard and being a mom is hard and Jane was able to completely and honestly capture those thoughts. I loved this part of the book.

The book is in 3rd person, which I am not a huge fan of because you can lose some of the emotion and feeling when it’s written this way. Because this is such a personal topic to so many woman I really wanted to connect with Sarah and it was so hard to do. Jane did give a lot of insight into Sarah’s inner thoughts to balance out the narrative but the story still comes across as very impersonal.
The ending was very abrupt. I honestly was shocked and had to go re-read the last one a few times to confirm the book ended. Very unsatisfying ending.

Overall I really enjoyed the concept and but was not a fan of the 3rd person narrative and abrupt ending. I’ve seen this is a re-written novella which makes sense and if I could get another chapter I would probably rate it a bit higher.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Jane Green's books, but this one didn't really hit the mark for me.

Green does a solid job establishing the ennui in Sarah and Eddie's marriage. Two young children, a suburban life complete with book club meetings and commutes to the city, and things have gone stale. What doesn't work is everything else. Eddie has to work in Chicago, and Sarah decides to stay put in Connecticut. She thinks it's a separation, he thinks it's a "vacation." Both of them flourish.

The journey from drudgery to glee seems almost effortless. Sarah gets everything she wants, Eddie has an awakening, and she never seems to realize her own role in the banalities of her marriage.

The good news is that this is a quick read, and even at her weakest, Jane Green is still a better writer than most of what's out there. I just didn't think this book was up to her usual level.