The Vacation was a thrilling phycological story about four friends and the secrets people keep. I was really entertained and almost on the edge waiting to see what would come up next. Overall a good tale.

Four university friends and their families meet up for a reunion vacation in France but on the first day Kate discovers text messages on her husband’s phone insinuating that he’s having an affair with another woman and she believes it’s one of her three friends. The rest of the book evolves around Kate trying to work out which friend it is.

For me this book started off really well! I was hooked immediately and desperate to find out what would happen but around the 50% mark I started to lose interest a bit. The middle just felt a bit slow to me and the story took a number of turns to throw in red herrings which didn’t necessarily make sense or bring anything to the story.

Thankfully by the end it really picked back up again. I was left sitting actually open mouthed at the second last chapter. This was one I’d been really looking forward to and other than the section in the middle, I really enjoyed it!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Whoa. What a story. At first, I thought it was going to be the typical formulaic thriller. (Predictable, but still entertaining). This went in a direction I absolutely didn’t see coming. I’m not going to say much more, because, spoilers, but this is an excellent read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

The Vacation of a lifetime, planned by four college girlfriends, to include husbands and children this year, as opposed to just the girls as in previous years. What could be better than seven days In the South of France in a beautiful ten roomvineyard villa? When Kate begins to suspect that her husband, Sean is having an affair with one of her friends, things get tricky. Clues she finds lead to each of the other three women and Kate is stumped. She figures a way to find out, but then a fire breaks out and one of the other women, Izzy, is found dead. Is one of her friends more killer than cheater?

Told in several of the different voices, but with Kate being the main narrator, and never actually hearing from Izzy herself, created suspense and keep the twists coming until the very last page. The novel was extremely easy to read with amazing detailed descriptions of the countryside and villa. I could hardly put it down.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

T. M. Logan will probably never realize it, but he changed my life. Tim's first novel, Lies, was the first book I was given to review. You can guess that he has a special place in my heart, but I will still provide an honest review.

The Vacation, his third book, introduces us to Kate and her 3 BFFs. After college, they drifted apart but made time for the yearly vacation. That is until kids and life get in the way. After several years, they are getting the gang back together to celebrate their 40th birthdays, and they are inviting their husbands and kids too. Kate is looking forward to it until she realizes one of them is having an affair with her husband.

If that were the full story, I would not have enjoyed it. However, secrets come out. Secrets from, the past, the couples, and from friends. Is anyone who Kate thought they were?

I had difficulty getting into the book, but once the rest of the story opened up, I was hooked. I tried to think of what I would cut from the beginning but found nothing. It is necessary to set up the events that follow.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/21/20.

Vacationing with a group of friends - what could go wrong? Only everything when Kate learns her husband may be having an affair and she suspects its one of her friends sharing a French villa during a weeklong vacation. Secrets and twists abound make this a solid thriller filled with family drama.

The story starts out a little slow but by midway I was flying through the pages.

A bunch of friends go on holiday to south of France. Usually they make it a girls' trip but this time they brought their families...with all the baggage that comes with that. Kate suspects that her husband is having an affair, and to make matters worse, she finds proof that the "other woman" is one of her friends. Then when one of them ends up dead, they realize that among them is a murderer. But which one of them has the biggest motive to kill?

I had mixed feelings about this book. I love T.M. Logan's previous books. His pacing is excellent and he keeps you hooked. However, this time there were too many plot devices where the main character was interrupted midconversation at such a crucial moment. Yes, that's common in thrillers, but it was so artificial, almost like a soap opera and it just got a little annoying. Like a big reveal would be teased and then, oh no! Everyone come quick! And then no reveal....I also questioned a lot of Kate's and her husband, Sean's decisions. I don't like when a large part of the conflict stems from a lack of communication and it just seemed that this entire book wouldn't be a book if they just talked to each other. There were plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing and I definitely enjoyed the ride, but by the end I wasn't really satisfied with the conclusion. All in all, a fun read, but not my favorite. I will definitely keep reading Logan's books though.

Rating: 4 twisty stars

I was such a huge fan of T.M. Logan’s previous book, “29 Seconds” that I could not wait to get me hands on his latest book. (This book was originally published in UK in 2019 with the title of “The Holiday”.) “The Vacation” takes us on another wild ride of what I would call a domestic thriller.

We meet a fairly large group of folks who are going to vacation together in France. The group is comprised of four long-time female friends along with their spouses and children. A week in a luxurious villa in the south of France sounds like the perfect way to celebrate the ladies’ upcoming 40th birthdays. Kate, Jennifer, Rowan and Izzy intend to fully enjoy their week away from reality. Then Kate, who is a crime analyst, finds text messages on her husband’s phone that lead her to believe he is having an affair. An affair with one of the other three women going on this trip. The psychological thriller takes off from here.

I don’t want to give much more of the plot away. Rest assured that there are plenty of twists and turns and unexpected dead-ends on this journey. Everyone seems to be hiding things from everyone else. Overall, they’re not a great group of upstanding citizens. Can anyone in this story be trusted? However, they are not MY friends. I thoroughly enjoyed watching their drama unfold. For being a crime analyst, Kate seemed a bit dense at times. However, I am willing to overlook the book’s minor flaws for that ending. Oh my!

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, St. Martin’s Press; and the author, T. M. Logan for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Vacation is about Kate who goes on a trip with her three oldest girlfriends and their families only to discover that her husband is having an affair with one of her friends. But she doesn’t know which one. She tries to make it through the week while figuring out exactly what is going on, but she may be in for more than she realized.

I absolutely loved reading this book and couldn't put it down as the story unfolded and all the tangled lies unraveled and came to light. The pacing of the novel kept me reading, yet it certainly took its time to build the suspense. This book is quite dark, yet manages to be fun at the same time.

Ultimately there are a ton of twists and T.M. Logan does a great job of wrapping up all the loose ends and giving us a satisfying story. The climax had my heart racing and there were a few surprises in the end.

This is a great summer read that thriller and suspense lovers are sure to enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy

Happy pub day to The Vacation by TM Logan! Thanks so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Swipe for synopsis, as usual!

I read this one back in May...in one day. I could NOT put it down. A group of adult friends, all with secrets and dramas? Yes, please. Those friends on vacation, living in close quarters, bringing the secrets up to the surface? YES, PLEASE. The characters were such a perfect mishmash: ones you love, ones you’re not sure about, and ones you absolutely love to hate.

The Vacation was one of those rare suspense novels that had me feeling the whole way through that I ALMOST had it figured out...but then kept dropping little breadcrumbs to remind me that I did not, in fact, have any real clue what was happening. The ending was everything I was looking for.

If you’re looking for a good summer thriller, pick this one up ASAP - and plan to do nothing but read all day!

Four best friends have planned a dream vacation in a semi-secluded beach house. Their families are joining them for a week of fun, food and relaxation. However, these four gals are bringing a LOT of baggage with them including suspicions, old rivalries and jealousy and that does not even touch the problems their families have packed away. There are so many secrets, so many lies, so much drama so that when one of them is found dead it isn't even a surprise. The surprise is who it is and who did it - and why!!

I love Logan's writing, the way he brings each and every character to life through vivid descriptions. The atmospheric prose puts you, the reader, onto the beach, on the edge of the cliff with each of the characters themselves. It's marvelous. But what I love most is his ability to keep you guessing and in the dark until the very end of the book. You may think you know who but the why is always a surprise - or vice-versa. The Vacation is a perfect summer read and a fabulous suspenseful book. I highly recommend it!

The Vacation was a powerful look at family versus friendships. Four college best friends plan a reunion trip for their 40th birthdays, each bringing their husband and kids (if applicable).

Rowan is the ambitious, successful one making the entire vacation possible through a client connection, with an alcoholic husband and a spoiled six-year-old
Jennifer is the overbearing stay-at-home mom who fashioned her entire life around her two boys who are now teenagers, bringing along her psychiatrist husband
Izzy is the wandering solo traveler who’s been on her own since her fiancé died on the night of her bachelorette party
Kate, the protagonist of the story, had what she thought was a healthy marriage, a teenage daughter and a ten-year-old boy
Upon arriving at the French villa they’ll be staying at for the week, Kate finds incriminating text messages on her husband’s phone that suggest he’s having an affair with one of her best friends on the trip.

So first off, I have to address the elephant in my room. WHY do the women in so many of these stories always keep their mouth shut when they think their husband is cheating? I’ve read a couple of these lately and it’s the number one thing that bothers me – probably because it’s the one thing I cannot relate to in any way. Is keeping it to yourself and stewing the normal way to process the discovery? I am really curious about this because I just cannot imagine knowing or thinking that my husband was cheating on me and not immediately calling him out on it, demanding an explanation.

Okay, so now that that’s off my chest…

Most friendship novels focus on the amazing aspects of friendship and feature best friends that would do anything for each other, even help conceal a murder. The Vacation was a refreshing dose of reality. Friends betray and everyone has to look out for their own families, especially as you grow up and older. I loved that although these women had all been inseparable in their college years, they didn’t pretend to have the same priorities after twenty years.

Not only did the story keep me on the edge of my seat as the narrative unfolded and evidence was stacked, but it was as captivating as T.M. Logan’s novels always are! I was excited to read The Vacation because I previously read Lies and 29 Seconds – neither disappoint. All are enthralling mysteries that explore what can happen when we change our routine or come across one thread in our lives that is out of the ordinary.

A flawless engrossing thriller ! I loved this book. It was exciting from start to finish. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

4 couples go together to a villa to have dream vacation. They all consider each other best friends. When one sees a text confirming her husband is having a affair with one of her friends, she fuels her rage into discovering who it is . She is betrayed in the worse way possible but determined to find out who is sleeping with her husband. As she delves into each friends secrets, she soon finds out that a affair is not all hiding beneath the surface.

This is riveting . The author builds the suspense with each couple and I was unable to guess the ending. A excellent summer read perfect for quarantine to take your mind off of covid.

T.M. Logan's suspenseful writing style is flawless! I really enjoyed his book "29 Seconds" so I was super excited to receive an advanced copy of "The Vacation". I couldn't get through this one fast enough! The misdirection is great and I really wanted to know all the answers! I think fans of "Big Little Lies" will really enjoy this one. "The Vacation" is a solid 4-star read!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was about ten pages in when my belief was reinforced that travelling with old friends and their spouses on vacation is perhaps not the wisest idea. Kate, Jennifer, Rowan and Izzy have history and this is meant to be a trip to celebrate their fortieth birthdays. Off to the south of France one and all, children included– how can this not be a home run? But their significant others are not well acquainted, have little in common and are not well suited to each other. They all seem to have the best of intentions, well maybe not. They are each carrying a weighty package of guilt, distrust, unhappiness amidst the smiles and chumminess.

Have you ever traveled with three or four couples that all get along without any Alpha personality getting in the way? Ever been subjected to your friend’s child or children acting out in the most spoiled, controlling manipulative horror show where the only result is deafening silence and averted glances? Ah yes, remember that, not so much fun.

Logan has thrown so much at the reader that it is hard to parse the mystery from the moment-ago reaction to a very real scenario. Add to that the distinct possibility that Kate’s husband is having an affair with WHO? As she says “It was exhausting thinking about it all the time.”

It’s a page turner that could have been shortened with a little less novice sleuthing and a lot less hand wringing. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy.

Awesome. Twisty and full of suspense and tension. My favorite type of book written by an author whose writing is spot on. If you haven't read anything by him start with this one. A must read. Happy reading!

If this is the perfect vacation, maybe I’ll just stay home. What a marvelous story. It started out a little slowly and I was afraid I might be disappointed, but suddenly the plot took off and it was another thrill ride full of surprises we have come to expect from author T. M. Logan.

Kate, Rowan, Jennifer and Izzy have been best friends forever. But that doesn’t mean their families, from partners to kids, will instantly mesh and become besties too. Or that forever isn’t really in the past now because people change. And sometimes old hurts and injustices and secrets pop up again. Or maybe new secrets?

These women may have been closer than ever in the past, but it sure doesn’t seem that way now. And each of them seems to have tensions in their relationships or tension because of lack of a relationship, and perfect children really only look perfect to parents. Maybe this luxurious holiday in a villa in the south of France wasn’t such a great idea after all.

The story focuses mostly on Kate, whose husband Sean seems distant and secretive, and if the text messages Kate finds on his phone are to be believed he’s having an affair – with one of her forever friends. She can’t think, sleep, eat and ends up confiding her fears in everyone one way or another. She suspects everybody and everything and realizes she’s wronged each of these women in the past and any of them could be looking for revenge. And while this is going on there is an undercurrent of something sinister and unknown that is slowly building almost without the reader noticing. There’s a strange dynamic among all the children. There’s a strange dynamic between Sean and each of the women. The husbands wouldn’t have been friends but for the women. Everyone is hiding something or sneaking in or out of somewhere. Tension builds and builds and builds and just when something unexpected happens and you sigh with relief at no tension, something even more shocking and scary happens, again and again.

I didn’t like most of these people, I wondered how this forever friendship could have survived as long as it has, and I didn’t trust anyone because they all seem to have secrets and hidden motives, and someone, or more than one, seems to be just a bit unhinged. But who? And at the same time I wanted happily-ever-afters for all the couples, happy, well-adjusted children, the perfect vacation just as planned.

T. M. Logan has done an amazing job with The Vacation. Although not always likeable, these are interesting characters, even the children. The plot rolls smoothly along, making your fear rise and your mistrust of seemingly innocent statements and actions grow bit by bit until you can hardly stand it anymore. And you most definitely cannot stop turning pages until you find out what’s really happening in this not-so-idyllic corner of the world.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of The Vacation via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest review. All opinions are my own. This was a thrilling read that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend without hesitation.

4.5 stars - rounded up! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WOWZA! This was quite the spectacular read, friends!

The Vacation was a slow burn, yet electrifying thriller that has all of the devilishly good elements I look for in a book!

Kate, her three best girlfriends from college and their families all meet for a holiday at a fabulous Mediterranean villa in France. After reading some text messages on her husband’s phone prior to the trip, it’s discovered that he is having an affair - she suspects that it’s one of her friends going on this very same France vacation. Some friend, right? Well..........

While I pretty much detested every single character in this book (some waaaaay more than others), I simply couldn’t put it down! So full of lies, secrets and drama - I loved every minute of it! As the book moves along, I enjoyed watching everything crumble and couldn’t look away!

This is my 2nd book by Logan. If all of his books have this many twists, surprises and shockers, then I can’t wait to read them ALL!

One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year and recommend 100%!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and T.M. Logan for my advanced copy to read and review.

Long-time friends Kate, Jennifer, Rowan and Izzy, along with their families, meet in France for a much-needed vacation and to celebrate their 40th birthdays. The idyllic vacation soon takes a turn for the worst when Kate suspects that her husband, Sean, is having an affair with one of the friends on the trip with her. Who could it be? And, if you can't trust your best friends of 20 years, then who can you trust?

"This vacation has gone wrong in so many ways, I had lost count."

I've been a fan of this author since his debut, Lies (3.5 stars), and couldn't wait to read this one. As with his previous books, the short chapters and suspenseful writing style drew me in from the first chapter, and I couldn't flip the pages fast enough so that all of the secrets were revealed. Even though I wanted to throw the book across the room at one point (haha), this was a solid, twisty thriller.

Location: France

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This novel got off to a slow start for me. The dialogue and Kate's thoughts anticipate suspense in that she had a foreboding sense about the trip and getting together with her college friends and families. They all get together and, then, nothing for a long time. There is tension and voiced suspicions but it is all quite low key. I like a hook at the beginning and nothing really hooked me.

The inner tension revolves around Kate wondering which of the three women is having an affair with her husband. Logan does a good job of making us suspect each of them. That was a bit overshadowed by the seemingly constant bickering between spouses and between the kids. I would have like more outer tension and suspense as the pace lagged for me, especially in the middle.

I had trouble liking the characters. None of them were engaging. Kate was a bit of a mystery to me. She is a crime scene investigator but is a nervous and unsure woman. That just did not seem to make sense. They all had secrets so the gathering was a really dysfunctional one.

There is finally a murder near the end. I would have preferred a plot where the murder was much earlier, contributing to the suspicious activity of all involved. There were some twists at the end that were good but that really did not make up for the slow pace of the rest of the novel.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.