Wow CL Taylor has done it again and this may be the best one yet.

Tom and his wife Kate run Soulshrink, a wellness retreat, but after 2 deaths and the presumed suicide in Gozo, Tom is sent to prison for two years. On his rerelease, Kate wants to start things up again and organises the next retreat.

Fran's sister Jenna was the person who disappeared and is pushed on by her mother has to find out what happened. Did she die? How did she die or has she disappeared. If so, where is she now? and does anyone who what really happened?

The book is told from the points of view of Jenna, Fran and Kate who runs the wellness retreat. It also flits between then and now and is really cleverly written.

I'll definitely be looking out for the few books I've not yet read by Callie Taylor and cant wait to read them.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and Avon Books for the chance to read and review this arc. I thoroughly enjoyed it. and hope she writes many more.

This was an interesting storyline from CL Taylor, Her Last Holiday and a fascinating read. Jenna was dead and years later her sister Fran wants to know why she committed suicide. So she joins the same group that Jenna had joined when she went to Gozo and apparently killed herself.
It is a voyage of discovery for all of the group and this time we find out the answers of who did what, why and to whom.
Plenty of twists and turns in the storyline to keep the reader intrigued and an enjoyable read.
Highly recommended

I like books by Taylor but I don’t think this had her usual “bite”. Intrigued by the storyline, there were some elements that were obvious but I was still keen to learn about what really happened to Fran’s sister, Jenna. Would Fran ever get the answers she was truly seeking?

This book focuses on spiritual healing and the counselling that goes with it to promote a happier way of living. Tom is the fact of Soul Shrink Retreats but it soon becomes clear that Kate is the true brains of the operation. The relationship that the two have is not completely clear and I liked the ambiguity that Taylor surrounds these two with. Moving between Jenna’s trip to Gozo and present day, we witness the events leading up to Jenna’s disappearance, with the narrative switching between Jenna, Kate and Fran. It made for an interesting read.

However, I felt there was excessive dialogue in this story that really slowed the pace of the plot, to the extent that it felt a bit slow at times. I think this is as a result of all the counselling that the retreat centres around but I did not believe it made me feel more connected to the characters. Furthermore, there were so many characters spread between the two timelines, that I found it difficult to keep track of each personality. Add in the fact that several have two different names for hiding their real identity, and the result was a little bit of a confounding character list. Combined, these elements meant I found it hard work to keep on top of what each character was up to.

On the other hand, I was really intrigued by Jenna’s story and wish Taylor had spent more time developing this aspect of the plot. I grew distanced by Fran and did not find her a very likeable character. In addition, she herself is detached from the retreat and those around her, so I think this might be a further reason why I could not connect with her. Instead, I wanted to move from Wales (present day retreat) to the exotic coast of Gozo. I desired to feel the heat, the urgency and see more of the infamous retreat that landed Tom in prison.

Despite my criticisms, I generally could not see how the plot would develop and found the last one hundred pages to be the most gripping. For the rest of the novel, it felt more like a plod between time frames and I could not see how Fran was making any progress with determining what really happened to her sister. I wanted to be more excited by this offering from Taylor, having now read three of her books altogether. Yet, this one did not ignite the flame of suspense that I was seeking.

Fans of the writer will likely enjoy this mystery as it is definitely a reflection of Taylor’s signature style. Personally, I think there could have been more pace and suspense to add to the drama of Jenna’s disappearance.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fran's sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo two years ago, so to find out the truth, she goes undercover at the next retreat to find out once and for all what happened to her sister.

Honestly, this wasn't my favourite C.L. Taylor novel. While it is suspenseful and will inevitably keep you guessing until the end, I found it quite slow-paced in the beginning as Taylor builds the story. It's also told from three perspectives and while the characters are well-developed, I didn't find any of them particularly likeable. I would only recommend this book to readers looking for a suspenseful novel to escape into this summer, who don't mind some unbelievable plot points.

Her Last Holiday is a quick paced mystery with a small cast of characters that sucked me right in. This was my first C. L. Taylor book and I really enjoyed her writing style and unique characters. For me this one reminded me of a Liane Moriarty book where the characters are a bit brash and quirky and I loved being inside of their heads.

Jenna has disappeared on a retreat where 2 people died, when her flip flops are found close to the edge of the cliff, her disappearance is ruled a suicide. The retreat organizer is charged and after serving jail time, opens shop again. Her sister Fran heads off on a new retreat hosted by the same company to get some answers.

Told in alternating chapters through the eyes of Jenna in the past, and her sister Fran and retreat organizer Kate in the present, you have a lovely view of the action unfolding. I expected this to be darker but it was a much more fun, engaging read. I was guessing throughout who had done what and what was connected and had a tough time putting this one down.

Many of the characters were using fake names on the present day retreat and it was a bit tough to track who was who at first but that got sorted pretty quickly.

My outright love faded a bit at the peak of the action, you definitely have to suspend belief so if you are a stickler for reality, this may not be for you. There was a lot going on at one point and I thought for a bit, it may not end as an enjoyable read for me. BUT, it quickly redeemed itself! I did very much enjoy the ending and would love to see Fran and some of the supporting characters again, they were throughout lots of fun! I really enjoyed seeing Fran’s character blossom and I liked the throwback of being able to watch the events leading up to Jenna’s disappearance through her own eyes spliced in with present day action!

I will be adding more of Taylor’s books to my TBR!

Really disappointed in this one I'm very sorry to say, the characters were all over the place I found it extremely difficult to remember who was who which didn't help with the switching from past to present, it was all so messy. I'm not one to normally be put off or confused by duel timelines but I don't think the author properly developed any of her characters for this to work.

Because of this I didn't care about anybody in this book, I certainly didn't care what happened to Jenna so unfortunately at almost halfway through I gave up.

It's a shame as I did have high hopes for it, The Island was a 5 star read for me but this one just didn't cut it.

Thank you anyway #netgalley #cltaylor and #avonbooks for the chance of an early read, it's appreciated.

Two years ago, Jenna went missing at a wellness retreat run by Tom, the charismatic man behind the Soul Shrink retreats. He has just been released from prison after serving time for the deaths of two individuals who attended the same retreat where Jenna went disappeared. Is Jenna just missing or is she dead?

To find out what happened to Jenna, her sister Fran, books herself into Tom's upcoming retreat at her Mother's strong urging. Will she finally learn what happened to her sister? Is she putting herself in harm’s way?

We see both Jenna and Fran's storylines throughout the book. Plus, there are plenty of unlikeable characters. Were they unlikeable because they had something to hide? An agenda perhaps? The unlikeable characters served as suspects for me. The plot kept me guessing and formulating an idea about what could have happened to Jenna. But at the end of the day, I thought the book simmered when it could have sizzled. I found I had to suspend some disbelief while reading this. Unlikely scenarios and dangerous situations might have scared off some, but Fran is determined to learn the truth at any cost.

By the end, I was ambivalent and a little let down. Was it me or was it the book? I am not entirely sure. I have enjoyed other books by this author more. I am putting this in the liked but did not love category.

Others are enjoying this more than I did, and I encourage you to read those reviews as well.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

EXCERPT: As Caroline continues to rant, Fran stares at her in awe. It's been a while since she met someone with such fervour and passion, such a powerful drive to vanquish injustice and reveal the truth. It's really quite inspiring, despite Caroline's dubious taste in knitwear.

'And that,' Caroline says, 'is why I'm not going to let them drive me away. They might have found a way to cover up your sister's murder but they're not going to intimidate me into letting this drop.'

'No, but they could kill you.'

ABOUT 'HER LAST HOLIDAY': Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo that went terribly wrong.


Tom Wade, the now infamous man behind Soul Shrink Retreats, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of two people. But he has never let on what happened to the third victim: Jenna.


Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat – the first since his release – and finds herself face to face with the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. The only question is, will she escape the retreat alive? Or does someone out there want Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden?

MY THOUGHTS: I simply flew through Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor. Yes, I had to suspend belief, and no, this isn't what I would call a psychological thriller, but it was fun and I enjoyed it, mainly I think, because of the characters, because I certainly didn't find this suspenseful.

Fran, who is the central character, has been a disappointment to her parents, i.e. her mother. She's a 'no-frills' type of person, an I.T. teacher who has never married nor produced a grandchild. She is twelve years older than her sister Jenna, a clone of, though much nicer than, their mother, a force to be reckoned with.

Jenna was bored by her job, her boyfriend had cheated on her, and Fran had inadvertantly pulled the rug out from under her feet, when she decided to go on a retreat to try and get her equilibrium back. It was a retreat from which she didn't return, her death ruled suicide, her body never recovered.

Tom, the leader of the SoulShrink retreat, has had trauma in his own life, which led him to where he is. He is good looking and charismatic, but seems to be controlled by Kate, his facilitator.

Kate is more than just Tom's assistant. Much more. SoulShrink was her idea, her baby, Tom the person she chose to front it. She is focused on success, complete with all the trappings, and God help anyone who gets in her way.

Now the blurb for Her Last Holiday is somewhat misleading. 'Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat...' Fran did not book herself onto this retreat. Geraldine, her mother, was booked to go but had an accident and couldn't. She bullied Fran into going in her place.

I loved the machinations between the characters. A lot of people aren't who or what they appear to be (highly improbable, I know, but fun) and there are many hidden agendas.

The downfall, for me, was the denouement. It all went a bit pear-shaped and OTT. I was disappointed. I can't say more than that for fear of giving something away.

⭐⭐⭐.6

#HerLastHoliday #NetGalley

I: @cltaylorauthor @avonbooksuk

T: @callytaylor @AvonBooksUK

One of my favourite lines: " 'There's no need to cause a fuss.' A fuss? I found out my dad's not my dad and she acts like I found a hair in my soup?"

THE AUTHOR: Cally Taylor was born in Worcester and spent her early years living in various army camps in the UK and Germany. She studied Psychology at the University of Northumbria and went on forge a career in instructional design and e-Learning before leaving to write full time in 2014. She lives in Bristol with her partner and son.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor 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, Instagram and my webpage

3.5*
What happened to Jenna?

That’s the question her sister Fran is desperate to answer! Jenna vanished from a retreat two years ago. Blood was found on the edge of the cliff. But her body was never discovered. Fran is determined to get answers and solve the mystery behind her sisters disappearance.

Fran signs up to attend the retreat guided by the same team duo that held her sisters retreat. Under disguise can she find the answers she is looking for?

Told in dual timelines. Jenna from the past and Fran in the present.

C.L. Taylor writes a suspenseful read that will keep you glued to your kindle. I thought I had this one figured out but I was completely off base! 🤦🏻‍♀‍

I hope the twists are just as surprising to you!

This is my second read by this author. And though I didn’t love this one as much as Strangers it was still a very solid thriller. I cannot wait to read more from this very talented author.

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC to read and review.

Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Two years ago Fran's younger sister Jenna disappeared while on a Soul Shrink Retreat.  Tom Wade, the leader of this retreat spent the last two years in prison for the deaths of 2 people during that week.  But Jenna never returned from the retreat either, and although she is assumed to be dead, her family has not moved on.

When Tom Wade is released from prison, his wife is ready.  Kate has planned a whole new retreat to get things back on track.  He still has a lot of fans, and she intends to resurrect his mission.  Tom is not as enthused about the idea as Kate had hoped.  He, does, however, finally agree to lead another retreat.

Meanwhile, Fran's mother bullies her daughter into attending Tom Wade's newest retreat so that she can find out what really happened to her sister.

But Fran may be in deeper than she thought.


My Opinions:   
The book was about secrets, lies, and deception.  It is also about family.

The book alternates between two time-lines.  Jenna's experience and Fran's.   This method helps us to understand what was really going on before Fran discovers it.

Unfortunately, I didn't really like any of the characters.  When you can't emotionally attach yourself to someone in the book, it makes it difficult to really immerse yourself.  Also, I think the book was a little long....and I'm trying to figure out why.  It's not like a chunk could have been cut out...so maybe it just didn't hold my attention because I couldn't relate to the characters.

Although I actually liked the term,  "emotional blackmail", it was used a little too often when describing Fran's mother's behaviour.  There were a couple of repetitions, but that one really bugged me.  Also, I have trouble believing that Fran, at 51, was still so browbeaten by her mother.

The plot was interesting, and there definitely a couple of twists at the end.

So overall,  I liked it, but didn't love it.

Told from the points of view of Fran, Jenna and Kate we go from what happened 2 years ago to present day.
Fran's mother Geraldine doesn't believe Jenna died at a retreat in Gozo so books Fran on the same retreat to find answers.
Kate is married to Tom, they run the retreat.
There are lots of characters and sometimes it was confusing who was who.
A twisty thriller not quite sure which way it was going.
I didn't like Kate, she was very manipulative and had anger issues.
Fran was quite a cold fish but expected as her family are cold themselves.
Overall a good thriller but not Cally's best.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon books for the ARC in return for an honest review

This is an ideal beach read, not just for the setting (half the book is set on Gozo), but for the twists, turns and ease in which I sped through it.

From the beginning we know Jenna disappeared from a wellness retreat on Gozo. The leader of the retreat -- charismatic Tom Wade -- is just being released from prison for what happened at the retreat. Jenna's sister Fran is sent to his new retreat in Wales to try and figure out what happened to her sister. From here we see the slow reveal of what happened on Gozo and the narrative is split between present-day Fran, uncovering secrets in Wales, and past Jenna's point of view, leading up to that fateful day.

There were plenty of plot twists, not just at the end, but throughout the book, which kept me hooked. The only trouble I had was keeping up with character's names, especially as some of them change their names/use fake names (that's really not a spoiler, especially in the case of Phoenix, and Fran herself). Some of that felt needlessly complicated. But overall, it didn't stop this being a good read that I'd thoroughly recommend.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Her Last Holiday’ by C L Taylor in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Two years ago Jenna enrolled in a ‘SoulShrink’ seminar being held in Gozo. The leader was Tom Wade and when two people died he was held responsible and put in prison for two years. During the seminar Jenna disappeared and although Tom Wade was the last person to see her alive he never said what happened and in an attempt to finally learn the truth her sister Fran enrols into a ‘SoulShrink’ retreat in Wales using an assumed identity.

I’ve read several books by this author which I thoroughly enjoyed but I found ‘Her Last Holiday’ to be an average read and nothing special, definitely not as enjoyable as I’d expected. The story is told from the perspective of Jenna, Fran and Tom Wade’s wife Kate, the time span moving from Jenna and Kate two years ago to Fran and Kate now. There isn’t anything that I’ve found thrilling, the plot is unconvincing and too far-fetched to be credible, the characters are unrealistic with some definitely unlikeable and not one that I have any empathy for. I’ve found it difficult to get involved in the story and I apologise for giving such a negative review but it is my own impression and it’s obvious that a lot of readers have a different opinion. Despite this I’ll still look forward to reading the next book.

What an amazing book, CL Taylor is such an amazing author. This was a real page turner and I could not put it down.

Her Last Holiday is bestselling writer C.L. Taylor’s latest psychological thriller delving into the world of self-help gurus and wellness retreats but is also about sisterhood and the secrets held within families. Fran Fitzgerald is a single, middle-aged ICT school teacher at St George's Academy and is on the tube home after a long day when she receives a WhatsApp message from her mum, Geraldine, containing a newspaper article; she recognises the face in the photograph – the dark hair, the strong jawline, the piercing grey eyes. It’s Tom Wade, the last man to see her sister Jenna alive. And tomorrow they’re setting him free. It's been two years since Jenna travelled to the Mediterranean island of Gozo, one of the stunningly beautiful sun-drenched isles that make up the Maltese Archipelago, to attend a retreat. Having met Tom and his wife, Kate, who run the retreat, at a London seminar, the group of those attending then met in the departure lounge at the airport to make introductions directly before their flight and week-long escape. The retreat was known as @SoulShrink and branded itself as self-help for the soul. Tom was a somatic symptom survivor and motivation speaker offering lifelong solutions for stress and anxiety. Jenna had thrown caution to the wind, but she would never return home to tell the tale. She met her death on Gozo after either jumping or falling off a cliff 120 metres to the sea below as her flip flops and blood had been found on the edge of the cliff path leading away from Hotel Ta’ Cenc. But stubborn Geraldine can't believe Jenna’s gone forever; she tells Fran that if she had passed away she would've felt it as her mother.

There's also another reason why the family doubt that her apparent death was a suicide, despite it being ruled as such by the coroner; Tom Wade had form for carelessness during his wellness retreats and had been imprisoned for two years for gross negligence manslaughter in the accidental deaths of Tim Chambers and Bessie Grange during a cleansing ritual at a sweat lodge and it was later the evening that Jenna vanished. He vowed to never set up any more retreats and has seemingly been hit hard by the unexpected deaths that happened on his watch. Kate has struggled since he went to jail but railroads him into establishing a new retreat in Snowdonia, Wales, after using her powers of persuasion. Seeing him tweeting about his plans, Geraldine is livid but seizes the opportunity to force Fran to attend, under an assumed identity, in order to try to get to the bottom of what really happened to Jenna. But no one is quite telling the truth, and danger is never far away. This is a compulsive, captivating and enthralling thriller with more than enough drama, intrigue and devious lies to keep you insanely addicted throughout. Granted, you need to be able to suspend your disbelief as some of the plot can come across as contrived or far-fetched, but if you just go with the flow it an exciting, twist-filled read. It's more of a slow burner than anything fast and furious but that makes it no less riveting and the 3 different perspectives it is told from, Fran, Kate and Jenna’s, makes it all the more immersive. The chapters alternate between each point of view and this really ratchets up the tension leading you to devour the pages until the end. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and C.L. Taylor. This is my second read from this author (Sleep was my first). I like the direction that their books goes and they really keep you read. Thank you so much it was dark and frightening and a real page turner. You have to read it. For thriller, I do not give detailed reviews, but if I hate it you would know. This was a good one. Thanks again. I will be reading more.

Two years ago, Fran's sister attended a wellness retreat, disappeared and is assumed dead. Now Fran is on the hunt trying to find out what happened and she books a wellness retreat of her own with the same health guru.

Told in alternating timelines, then and now, from both Jenna's and Fran's point of view, plus one of the wellness guru's perspective, this is a fast paced thriller. I always love alternate timelines and different perspectives.

This story grabbed me and didn't let go. The ending was a bit extreme, a tad far fetched, but it is fiction after all, and I went with it.

Fran's quirky character was well developed and I enjoyed the supporting characters of the other wellness retreat attendees.

This was my first book by C. L. Taylor but it certainly won't be my last.

Thank you Avon Books UK and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great mystery thriller from C.L Taylor! I find her books always safe bets. You know they will keep you entertained from the beginning to the end.
Her last Holiday is about a family torn apart by the disappearance of a sister and daughter. It is presumed she committed suicide while she was at a wellness retreat on Gozo. Her mother wants answers and bullies her sister into trying to find out the truth.
On the same day she disappeared, two people died after a session in a sweat lodge. Tom Wade who was in charge was sentenced to prison for 2 years and is finally free. His wife is convinced that she will make him big again. How far will she go to achieve this?
What really happened to Jenna?
This is a story about love and obsession. About finding the truth and about forgiveness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Great characters and a clever unpredictable plot. Jenna goes missing at a wellness retreat and is presumed dead. It is left to her sister fran to uncover the truth.

Loved the strong female leads in this book as well as getting the three different POVs

It’s an approval, and a CL Taylor novel. I dropped everything as I just had to read it next. Thank you to the publisher, and Netgalley for the advance copy.

Fran’s sister, Jena, disappeared on her last holiday, on a wellness retreat in Malta. Two people also died on the same wellness retreat, and the owner Tim was imprisoned for their death. When he is released his company goes back to wellness retreats, and Fran attends one to try and find out what happened to Jena.

This is what CL Taylor does best. The plot is well placed, and the tension is wracked up. There is a dual timeline and narrators, so we get to see two sides of the story. Fran the loving sister trying to uncover what happened to Jenna, and Kate the control freak director of the company. We are transported to Gozo just off Malta, and wet and wild Wales which was lovely during a Covid Lockdown and I was gripped all the way through.

For me this is very well deserved 5 star read. If you haven’t read any CL Taylor then start with this one as its brilliant.