Member Reviews

For Kate, her family, her friends and their families this week long vacation to France is a well deserved getaway to relax and catch up. It was suppose to be the dream vacation of a lifetime. A villa in France looking over the Mediterranean Sea, relaxing days by the ocean, wine flowing, enjoying each other’s company for friends who have not seen each other for a while.

But unfortunately, this vacation will not be that leisurely. As Kate and her family arrive at the villa, Kate reads a text on her husband’s phone which takes her breath away. She discovers he is having an affair. And heartbreakingly it’s with someone who is on vacation with her…one of her best friends.

Now all Kate wants to do is find out which of her friends has betrayed her and wants to break up her family. But what she begins to uncover is betrayal. Deep secrets seems to be front and center between this group of friends. It seems unbeknownst to her, there is family dysfunction running rampant in all these seemingly “perfect” families.

We have Rowan who owns her own company and is in the process of selling it and can not afford to have any type of scandal associated with her. Another friend Jennifer has two out of control boys whose behavior she chooses to overlook, even though her husband is a psychologist, and then there is Izzy, still single years after her fiancee was killed.

When Kate finally confronts her cheating husband he refuses to even engage in a conversation about what she has uncovered. So she takes matters into her own hand and sends a text from her husband’s phone asking to meet with the person (whose name in his phone is CoralGirl) to finally get the answer he will not give her.

And who she sees coming toward her will shake her to the core. But secrets can be deceiving, not every secret is what it seems to be. Some with secrets would rather kill than have what they know come out. It is clear this vacation will not end well. What is unclear is will they all survive.

The Vacation is a great psychological thriller with so many secrets you never want it to end, but you want to finish the book in one sitting because you can’t wait to see how it ends.

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #T.M.Logan #TheVacation for the advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

I hadn’t read this author before, and I’m a huge fan of vacation thrillers so this synopsis grabbed my attention.

I was instantly sucked in by Kate’s dilemmas with her friends, who could be cheating with her husband and all the delicious drama and secrets that are uncovered during their stay.

& you gotta love a suspense that keeps you guessing until it’s very unpredictable ending.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately this boom didn't go where I expected it too compared to other TM Logan books.
The characters are all over the place, there is a disconnection and I felt as b though that halted my interest

Was this review helpful?

4 women whom have been friends since their university days, go on a vacation to the south of France together. They bring their families with them. While there Kate finds a text from another woman on her husband's phone, and she suspects it's from one of her friends that's there with them. 😱
Ok so I really loved this book, and the mystery of it all. Trying to piece it all together and thinking I had it figure out, and then something else happens and I'm just not sure I really have it figured out!! I had fun reading this! The characters were pretty unlikeable, and there were so many secrets being exposed! It was a fun one! Lol…. I also really loved the Beautiful setting too. Makes me want to go on a nice, warm, vacation!
This is my first by T.M. Logan, and I would be interested in reading others by him!

Was this review helpful?

This is my second novel by this author. Set in France, Kate and her husband, and her two kids are on their way to an upscale chateau to meet up with her 3 friends. Women she has known since college. Vowing to follow up on their tradition to vacation every year, they agree to meet up after a 5 year hiatus. It sounds good on principle, but right off the bat there is tension between the different couples, and matters only get worse when Kate discovers some cryptic texts on her husband’s phone that seem to point to him having an affair. With each character involved in their own drama, this vacation is starting to look like a bust. As tensions escalate, Kate is left to put together the pieces of her marriage. The strength of this story is in the mood, which is sets quite well, as the dark histories and personalities start to creep out. There is a whodunnit quality reminiscent of board games like Clue, or the movie Knives Out. This is a decent suspense novel, though it isn’t my favorite. Review posted to Goodreads, Amazon, Litsy, Facebook, and LibraryThing.

Was this review helpful?

This is one of those reads that I really liked, but didn’t love.

I had a lot of sympathy for the main character, even as I wished she had a bit more of a confrontational personality. She was just so extremely passive that it drove me nuts sometimes. However, I did like her.

I found myself invested in what was really happening, and I have to say that I really didn’t expect what the author had planned.

Overall, it was a good read. I think I would have liked it a bit more had the main character spent less time simply allowing things to happen to her, but I’d try the author again!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Was this review helpful?

T.M. Logan is really great. Definitely recommend their stories!!! This was no exception!!!!!!!! What a thriller! What a twist!!!!

Was this review helpful?

Four best friends since college decide to take a week long vacation with their families in a luxurious villa in the south of France. Ladies have known each other for decades and it seemed like nothing could go wrong until one of them accidentally discovers an incriminating text on her husband’s phone...

Fast read, quite a page-turner. I enjoyed following all the characters in their endeavors and trying to solve the mystery of who is the mistress. Little did I know that basically all of them had a secret.

The flow os the story is good, easy to follow. Characters are well-written with a few loose ends. In terms of the plot - it is fine, though a few story lines were vogue and little explanation were provided.

Overall, good solid thriller.

Was this review helpful?

This book was excellent!! Five stars! Perfect for fans of family dramas with a bit of mystery tied in. Every time I thought I had pieced together what happened, the author hit me with another curveball. Enjoyed every minute.

Was this review helpful?

The Vacation is a domestic drama with plenty of secrets to build a fair amount of suspense. The story is told primarily from Kate's point of view, and I'll be honest - she kind of got on my nerves a time or two. I think part of that is because I'm the type that would've confronted the husband immediately rather than spending the week uncovering secrets. Of course, that wouldn't have made for much of a book, and the secrets did keep things interesting enough for me to keep the pages turning. TM Logan does create characters that make a reader want to see how things play out for them. This one is well written and certainly entertaining, but it's a little more drama than suspense in my opinion.

Was this review helpful?

This book opens with what you think is a group of old friends getting back together for a vacation. This something that they used to do but life has gotten away from them. Once they arrive at their destination in France. You get the feeling that there is something wrong with the marriage but could it be just because of work and the children.
Kate though looks at her husbands’ phone after multiple pings and realizes that he is having an affair and the other person is with them for the week. Now she must find out which one of her friends is having an affair with her husband?
What I the reader was not expecting was the way the story turned and though yes you had an affair it really was more and what Kate would lose was far worse than a marriage. The surprises and twists that this story took made this for an interesting read. A good book.

Was this review helpful?

Kate and her three best friends go on vacation, spending a week with their families in a luxurious villa in the south of France. Through the decades they’ve stayed closer than ever, and seven days of drinking crisp French wine and laying out under the dazzling Mediterranean sun is the perfect celebration of their friendship. But soon after arriving, Kate discovers an incriminating text on her husband’s cell phone, that he’s having an affair with one of her best friends. Wow this is twisty and suspenseful, it’s also fast paced and has characters you either like or hate, but all relatable! This is a new author and I’ll be reading more! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and T.M. Logan for an ebook ARC. This is my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Kate, Jennifer, Izzy and Rowan have been friends since their university days. Now years later with families of their own, they decide to include husband s and children in their “girls” vacation. Maybe that wasn’t the best idea ladies! You know...worlds colliding and all that!🙄

Upon arrival Kate spies a text in her husband's phone. And surprise of surprises, it’s from another woman! The obvious conclusion is an affair. So why does this mystery text sound familiar? Kate has a sneaking suspicion it has come from one of her dear friends here on their vacation retreat!
Great premise! Unfortunately, it just didn’t grab me. This may be one of those it’s me and not the book situations. 🤷🏻♀️ But the story-line just went in one direction and my attention in another.

There are many fabulous five star reviews for this book, but I just couldn’t get there..

A buddy read with Susanne that left us both a bit underwhelmed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC to read and review.

Was this review helpful?

The Vacation by T.M. Logan is my favorite type of novel: one that surprises me, not just at the end, but throughout the entire book. Kate and her three college friends have been meeting every year since they left school. This year, they decided to include their families: Kate is there with her husband Sean and their two children, Jennifer and her spouse and two teenage boys, Rowan, her husband and young daughter, and Izzy, a single woman. They will all be spending this vacation at a luxurious villa in the South of France. Trouble starts on the first day, when Kate discovers on Sean’s phone that he has been having an affair, and worse, with one of her college pals. All the children appear to have problems and secrets of their own, and the girlfriends are definitely going behind Kate’s back. Who is having an affair with Sean? Nothing, and I mean nothing, is as it seems. The week will end in tragedy and you must read The Vacation to solve all the mysteries. This is a vacation from hell. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I received this ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Kate and her family are vacationing in a villa in France with several other couples and their families. Kate thinks finds evidence of a possible affair on her husband's cell phone. One of the messages that Kate sees indicate that her husband is going to speak to his presumed mistress on this vacation. Kate assumes this must mean that one of her friends is the one having an affair with her husband. Instead of confronting her husband or friends, Kate continues to try and gather evidence. Meanwhile, Kate's daughter, Lucy, is having problems of her own. While Kate is trying to figure out her relationship with her husband and friends, she must also try and get Lucy to talk about what is going on with her. While Kate tip toes around suspecting everyone near her of betrayal, the truth is worse than what anyone could expect. "The Vacation" was not a thriller, but it was a fast paced read told from numerouos view points, with plenty of twists.

Was this review helpful?

The vacation that goes wrong with a single text.

Kate and her family have been invited to a villa in France. Her college friend Rowan has rented the villa and invited several other girls friends and their families for a reunion. There is anticipation to come together again after families have started, careers have taken off and marriages have fizzeled.

When Kate reads a text on her husband Sean's phone, she believes that he is having an affair with one of her college friends. Is it Jennifer? Jennifer had Sean first. Is it Rowan? Her husband believes she is having an affair after scoring big in her career. Or is Izzy. The only single one of the 3 friends. Does she hold a grudge against Kate. It seems there are secrets with each of them along with her own daughter Lucy. The week becomes intense has Kate sees black and white and how she can keep her family together.

The narration goes with several voices. Each voice indicating a secret with the crescendo at the very end. This thriller built up big and the ending was worth it. Most of the time, the build up is not satisfying but this had a woman fighting for her family and justice. Each character is distinct and developed. It become many dots and the dots all become connected.

A special thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Was this review helpful?

Ever since I read Logan's "Lies" I've been a fan of his writing. It has just the right amount of sex appeal and mystery to really keep things interesting. Thank you to Net Galley for a chance to read and review this book!

Was this review helpful?

Ok, this might be my favorite one by Logan yet. I was constantly questioning who it was, thinking I knew what was going on, when yep, you guessed it, I had NO idea. And I mean NO IDEA. This was one holy plot twist batman that I did NOT guess and it was fabulous!

You have 3 friends that you have known for years. You and said 3 friends all gather in the south of France to reconnect with your immediate families for the vacation a lifetime. And perhaps that is what this is, but not in a good way. Kate suspects her hubs is having an affair. She suspects the other woman is one of said friends. Who is it? Is she right? Is there more to it than meets the eye? Why can’t I be in the south of France right now?

I am not kidding when I say I was questioning everything and everyone. And as vacations go, the children have their own issues they are dealing with, So by the time this thing comes to a head, everyone is just one big ole hot mess. And it was glorious.

This is told from multiple POV’s, mainly Kate’s, but towards the end it gives a few others and I thought it was well done and also helpful. What I also liked about this one is that it did not end up with a bow on it at the end. I did this one via audio and it was fantastic! You know I will always love a British accent in my ears.

I highly recommend this one, it was quite a good vacation thriller that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-galley to review.

Was this review helpful?

I struggled a little with this book. The story was interesting and kept me turning pages, but none of the characters were very likeable. I have a hard time reading books that don't have any characters to root for. Overall, it was an entertaining read but not a world I would ever want to revisit.

Was this review helpful?

Say It Isn’t So!

If Only the Couples in “The Vacation” by T.M. Logan had Communicated with Each Other.

Doing so would have saved a whole lot of angst, and it would have saved me from reading an entire novel.

Can you say RUH ROH?!

I Can.

Oh Well.

In case it’s not obvious, “The Vacation” just wasn’t for me. I’ve read quite a few of T.M. Logan’s novels and I’ve really liked them, however, the premise of this one simply fell flat. As this book has received high marks, I might just be the wrong reader for this novel.

A buddy read with Kaceey.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and T.M. Logan for the arc.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 9.6.20

Was this review helpful?