I enjoyed this book, although at times I nearly gave up as it got very confusing and a little slow. This is my first read by this author so I’ll probably read more in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This wasn’t the book for me. I didn’t find the characters likable and I didn’t enjoy the formatting of the multiple timelines and characters’ points of views. I couldn’t get into it and didn’t finish this book. In saying that, I’m sure others will love this one, it just wasn’t for me.

Fran is persuaded by her mother to find out what happened when her sister took her own life on a self-help retreat two years earlier. Taking on a fake identity, Fran tries to ask questions of the group leader, who has just served a prison sentence for the deaths of two of his charge on the trip in question, but all is not what it seems.
I love Cally’s books, and always read “just one more chapter” as I find them totally addictive. There were surprises in this book, which were revealed as the story went along. I didn’t find it all total believable, hence the 4 and not usual 5 star, but this is still a really good read and well worth buying. I look forward to Cally’s next book!

I have read all of Cally's books this is a good read but not as good as previous reads.

An intriguing plot line, Fran is searching to find out what really happened to her sister on that retreat.

slow burning for me but kept me turning the pages and guessing all the way through.

I've actually given up on this one and stopped reading. I usually enjoy C.L. Taylor books but I have struggled repeatedly to pick this up and maintain interest.

There are three narrative voices, Kate, Fran and Jenna. I don't mind Jenna's because it holds a bit of tension as I am expecting something to emerge plot wise. Kate's narrative is just repetitive and boring and I really don't like how cold and aloof Fran is, in fact I don't like any of the elements of Fran's story.

I don't like that Fran has never had a relationship with her much younger sister and doesn't seem to care what happened to her. I don't like that she was so dramatically blackmailed by her mother to attend the retreat. In fact, it would have been far more enjoyable if the mother had been less of an emotional terrorist and had just gotten upset naturally at Tom's release and booked the retreat only to have the fall and Fran to take her place to be kind. As it was it felt so forced and unbelievable.

None of the characters are likeable and the tension seems manufactured and clunky. Twigs snapping during secret, undercover meetings so you know there is someone listening, overheard conversations in which the wrong end of the stick is very firmly in hand... it all just felt so awkward and unsubtle.

I've been trying to read it for a fair while for me and I can tell that I am just not interested enough to continue. Maybe the next book by the author will sit better with me.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Her Last Holiday by C. L. Taylor is the first book I have read by this author.

Tom is a self-help guru with his puppet strings being pulled by secret wife/assistant Kate. He has just been released from jail after two deaths at their last retreat. Fran gets sent by her mother to their next retreat to uncover what happened to her sister Jenna a possible third victim from that retreat.

Told from Kate, Fran and Jenna’s perspectives the author weaves us through now and then seamlessly with other characters who were at retreats helping the pieces fall into place.

Unfortunately while I was interested enough to keep reading, I wasn’t super invested in the story as I didn’t really like any of the characters.

This was an average three star read for me. I will look for more of this author’s work in the future to see if other books are more to my liking.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS. Okay, so it veered a *little* into "this would never happen" territory quite a few times (the ending was particularly insane) but the opener - pervert on the tube touches a female stranger's bottom - was, sadly, all too real and therefore a perfectly creepy start.

There were a couple of mistakes towards the end with Fran/Geraldine's names being used in the wrong places, and I thought a similar thing had happened with Joy/Caroline a little bit earlier, but that turned out just to be careless reading on my part. However, I did have to reread the same page a few times to make sure I knew what was actually happening, and that it was just me and not a mistake by the author.

The formatting was all over the place but as this is an advance proof via Kindle, it's not exactly the author's fault. It made it super confusing at times to keep up, due to random page breaks and paragraphs stopping mid-sentence and carrying on on the next line but it didn't get in the way of the story too much.

Can't say I've ever wanted to go on a spiritual retreat and spend time with naked strangers in a sweat lodge (and after reading this, I definitely have no intention of doing that) but if that's your thing, go do it! Just don't fall in love with your retreat leader.

I read one book before this one from C.L.Taylor and I loved it. Maybe I expected too much from this one, because it didn't impress me. It was quick read, but something is missing.

Her Last Holiday is a psychological thriller that’s full of mystery and oozing in suspense, it’s a cleverly constructed story that had me hooked from the first page. Fran's younger sister Jenna went to a wellness retreat in Gozo run by Tom and Kate Wade, and disappeared, never to be seen again. Two years later Fran is determined to find out the truth about what happened to her sister, and joins Tom’s latest retreat. The story is told from three different perspectives Fran’s, Jenna’s and Kate’s, across two timeframes which adds to the suspense, whilst keeping the reader guessing until the final chapters.

Once Fran arrives at the retreat, she encounters an array of characters, some more trustworthy than others which add to the overall feeling of paranoia and suspicion. Taylor has created characters with depth and feelings, each has a distinct voice so there’s no confusion as to whose who. What I enjoyed the most about this book was trying to work out the what happened to Jenna and the Why? There are many twists and turns along the way which urge the reader on to the next chapter and then the next... Her Last Holiday has so many elements that made it such a thrilling read, the all important twist and turns, unreliable characters and a compelling narrative that holds the readers attention.

I am a huge fan of CL Taylor. I have read many Taylor books over the years and I usually love them.
However, this book just didn't do it for me.

I liked how all of the lead characters were female (which makes a change) although that wasn't enough for me to enjoy it.
I usually find CL Taylor's books to be fast paced and highly addictive, but I just didn't get that with this book. I found the latter half of the book to be very repetitive, and the first part of the book took far too long to get into.

I switched between kindle and audiobook with this. I thought the narrator was good, and she used her voice to help with the different perspectives very well.

I will definitely read other CL Taylor books, but disappointed that this one didn't excite me as much as her others.

Jenna disappeared while at a SoulShrink wellness retreat ran by Tom and Kate Wade where two other people died after a sweat lodge. After serving two years for those two deaths, Tom is released and Kate is ready to restart their business by doing another retreat. Jenna's mom convinces Jenna's older sister Fran to go and get to the bottom of what happened to Jenna.

This is a slow burn story at first that builds into a fast paced page turner at the end. It is told with dual timelines and in three POV. The first is our main character, Fran, as she investigates Jenna's disappearance. Second is Kate, who runs the retreats and will do anything to be sure that nothing negatively affects the SoulShrink brand. Last is Jenna, who recounts the events leading up to her disappearance three years ago. It was all easy to follow and worked really well. Fran was a bit unlikable at first, but I grew to like her more as the book progressed. Kate was very unlikable, as she was intended to be,and I felt sympathy for what all Jenna was going through. There are plenty of suspects to choose from as the plot twists it's way to an unforeseen ending. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who appreciates a good mystery.

My appreciation to Avon Books UK, author C.L. Taylor, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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 onto his upcoming retreat - the first since his release - and finds herself face to face with the man who just might hold the key to her sister's disappearance.

I found parts of this story to be a little far fetched ad unbelievable. The story had a duel timeline and slips back to two years ago and forth to the present day. There were parts of the story that I loved and it was intriguing. Bit by bit, things were revealed to us. I didn't like any of the characters and I also felt the ending was a bit rushed. I'm sure there will be many other readers who will thoroughly enjoy this book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #AvonBooksUK and the author #CLTaylor for my ARC of #HerLastHoliday in exchange for an honest review.

C. L Taylor is one of my favourite authors and i was desperate to read this book. Unfortunately it didn't keep my interest and I just want invested enough in the characters to want to know the ending. I will still stick with the author as she is one of my favourites, but this just wasn't for me.

The moment I heard C.L. Taylor was writing another mystery thriller I knew I had to read it. I've only read Strangers by her so far but I absolutely loved it and Her Last Holiday did not disappoint. I ended up reading this in one sitting as I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what happened to Jenna!

Told from the POV of the three main women in this book, we watch as the story plays out. We have Fran, who is attending the retreat in order to find out what happened to her sister. Kate, Tom's wife and organiser of the retreats and Jenna's POV from two years ago at the Gozo retreat. As Fran digs into the disappearance of her sister, secrets start to come out and the story behind the Gozo retreat starts to come to light.

This book was fast paced and flowed perfectly. I found myself eagerly wanting to know what happened and Her Last Holiday had me well and truly hooked. Full of twists and turns, this book left me guessing throughout and I had no idea how the story would end! This was such a gripping read that I recommend it to anyone who loves a mystery thriller!

I cannot wait to see what Taylor comes out with next!

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This mystery thriller is a twisted tale that keeps the reader guessing. C L Taylor is a gifted storyteller, going from strength to strength with each new book. She takes the reader on a journey, filled with plausible people. I warmed to some and intensely disliked others, so there was emotional engagement with the book.

The plotting is perfect; the narrative point switches between people and time, but it’s so well done it adds to the drama. I didn’t know whose narrative to totally believe and the pacing is such that you want to keep reading to see where the story is heading. Had my heart racing, literally, a couple of times and I’ve no hesitation in recommending this as a gripping read.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Multiple points of view and dual timelines—two of my favorites in a thriller.

Tom Wade, self-help guru, is being released from prison after tragedy occurred at one of his SoulShrink retreats. Kate, his wife, is ready to get SoulShrink back in the swing of things. Jenna, an attendee at the tragic SoulShrink event, is missing. Dead? Took her own life? And Fran, Jenna’s much older sister, is out to find out what is really going on at the urging (demanding) of their mother.

Through the points of view of Fran, Kate, and Jenna, alternating between past and present, we are led through the mystery. I loved that aspect. I had flashbacks to a podcast I recently listened to about a similar, yet real, retreat. I think the premise and format was excellent. Fran was someone I was pulling for the whole time. Overall, my first C.L. Taylor novel was a satisfying and enjoyable read. I recommend it to anyone who loves the thriller genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and AVON/HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

a dark book this one..and one i did struggle with only because there was not one likeable character that i could get behind...

jenna is missing persumed dead by suicide though no body has ever been recovered, fran the elder sister is distraught, she had never been close to her sister and try as she wants she cant get over all the unresolved issues

tom has finally been released from prison and with his wife kate cajoling agrees to another retreat and with fran's identity changed she enters this retreat to find out all she can about her sisters supposed suicide

plenty of characters to get your teeth into and as fran tries to worm her way into the group. things start to happen...

4.25* I really enjoyed the book. I have read and enjoyed several by this author, so I had high expectations which the booked lived up to.

Fran is pushed into investigating her sister’s disappearance by her domineering and hateful mother from a retreat called Soul shrink retreats which helps the depressed and stressed. Jenna disappeared 3 years previously when the retreat was based in Malta, there were 2 deaths at the retreat which resulted in Tom being jailed. He is now released and the retreat has reopened in North Wales,so Fran is booked in under a pseudonym by her mother and emotionally blackmailed into attending.
Tom is a charismatic self professed guru.
The writing style is light hearted in tone and very easy going with gentle humour.
It’s got a good pace. We are told the story from Fran’s point of view in the present and Jenna is in the past at the time of her retreat stay. There’s some input too from Kate in both past and present. She is the organiser of the retreat and secret wife of Tom.
The characters develop nicely through the book. Not all the characters are likeable. Fran grew on me, she is frosty, brittle and socially awkward. She is 12 years older than her duster and didn’t have a close relationship. Her relationship with her parents is awkward to say the least.
Jenna is referred to as having disappeared and also referred to as being dead, which has been determined as suicide. This aspect felt a bit wishy washy.
The suspense and tension ramps up as the twists and turns develop.
The sweat tent symbolism had me chuckling with its corniness.
A fav quote from the book ‘ the heat was turned up to incinerate all human life’
The ending was quite emotional, I do have an issue with believability though, on one aspect.

Two years ago Fran's sister Jenna disappeared on a retreat abroad. Two people died there that same day, but Jenna was never found. Now the man Jenna's family believe to be responsible for her disappearance, Tom Wade, is out of prison. And the family wants answers. The story alternates between three women: Fran, Jenna and Tom's wife Kate. Although Kate's story is touching, Fran and Jenna are clearly the main characters. This is very much a story of a dysfunctional family, grief and people wanting to heal.
Fran was probably my favorite character. I was able to identify with her. All the characters felt real to me, except for Tom. He is just a shell of a man surrounded by strong women. Female characters in general were well fleshed out and their motivations understandable. The story did keep me guessing till the very end. I was fascinated by the description of the retreat. I've never been to one, and was interested in finding out what happens there. The story also has a couple of twists to keep you guessing what actually occurred. The ending was a surprise. I did not see it coming.
The thing that got me confused was that many characters had two names. Sometimes I got the names mixed up and forgot who was supposed to know who and by what name.
This is a well written mystery by a talented author. Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for a copy of this book.

Overall a competent story with a good premise. It did take me a while to get into this book as it was slow paced and the storyline didn't really hold my complete attention at times. Ok characters but not a page turner for me .Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.