This book was by no means bad, but I think it had the potential to be so much better. Some parts were just way too over the top to be believable. I did like the multiple POVs of this book. I would definitely still keep reading this author, just with this one had been a little more realistic.

This book had a lot of promise. I’ve read this authors novels before and loved them so knew I’d enjoy this.

The storyline was promising with a retreat into self-help combined with two murders and a missing person.

This novel had all the elements of surprise during the first two thirds of the book. Lots was going on with the founders of the Soul Shrink Retreat. I loved the storyline and finding out whether all my suspicions were correct.

The mystery element of a psychological thriller was missing for me. I like the surprise and shock this genre offers and unfortunately the storyline fell a little flat for me for the last third, which resulted in a lower star rating than I’d normally award. All the surprises and loose ends were tied up but the remaining third felt more like a word count fill, as a prolonged explanation of how everyone’s lives had changed following the revelations.

I’m not sure whether my love for crime and thriller novels means it has to be something special to shock me but unfortunately this book didn’t.

This was a light and fun mystery read but it required a little too much suspension of disbelief for my taste in thrillers. I enjoyed the dialogue and characters but the plot and mystery itself was too thin for me.

I enjoyed C.L. Taylor's 'Her Last Holiday.' Told through alternating points of view in two different periods of time, Her Last Holiday was an exciting mystery that kept me engaged until the end. The story revolves around Fran (in present day) attempting to solve her sister's mysterious disappearance from a retreat two year earlier. The reader gets to watch the mystery unfold through the narrative from 2 years ago to the investigation today.

I feel it is more a mystery than a thriller, though there are some nail biter moments. C.L. Taylor introduces us to some very complicated characters and not all of them are what they seem. Her Last Holiday had me guessing until the end with a very satisfying conclusion. I definitely enjoyed this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two people died on a wellness retreat in Gozo, hosted by Tom and Kate.  Fran's sister Jenna also disappeared on the same treat, investigation and media both declared her dead. But their mother believes she is alive. Tom Wade is out of prison after two years. Kate is planning to restart Soul Shrink retreats. Fran is forced to join it and figure out what happens to her sister without revealing her identity.

I really enjoyed the first part of the book, there were different POV, every character had too much on their sleeve. The mystery was everywhere and many things were kept unfolding. There were so many characters and I struggled to remember each of them. The second part seemed dragged and dull, I didn't like Jenna's side of the story it was over the top and things were just told to the audience. It is not that kind of book where you'll get hints and a chance to connect things. It is that kind of book where you just have to sit book and wait for the author to unveil everything, which is not that my type and I find it hard to feel for characters. The ending was rushed and loose.

I've wanted to read this author for ages but sadly this just wasn't for me. It was an easy read with an engaging writing style which kept me intrigued and reading quickly but I didn't enjoy the story line. I found the retreat and therapy aspect a bit much and also the characters a bit irritating and unlikable. But the main problem was the motivations of both the culprit and victim which seemed both ridiculous and unconvincing. The aftermath was also totally unbelievable - how the characters could be so forgiving and their personalities change instantaneously (particularly the dad). Whilst this wasn't my cup of tea I would try another of the author's books as I really do think it just this particular story line I didn't take too rather than the writing style so I would try another of her books.

Anything C.L. Taylor writes, I will read.

I pounced upon to opportunity to read this novel the moment it presented itself, and once again I was not disappointed.

Highly recommend!

I found the general plot pretty unbelievable but there were lots of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. My thanks to Netgalley for my copy of Her Last Holiday which also, as a title, seems a little odd considering the content.

I always like stories where someone goes undercover to investigate, which Fran Fitzgerald (at the insistence of her awful mother) does here, attending a “SoulShrink” retreat run by Tom and Kate in an effort to find out more about the disappearance - and presumed death - of her younger sister Jenna at a similar event two years earlier. Given what presumably happened to Jenna, though, it’s a bit weird that their mother is quite so keen to potentially put her other daughter in harm’s way. They’re not close, but one would assume she still wouldn’t want to be left with no daughters at all.

Fran, a fifty-one year old ICT teacher, isn’t your usual protagonist, and I liked that she was a bit different. The other attendees were fun to read about. There is scope for confusion as various characters, for various reasons, have more than one name, but I didn’t find this to be a problem.

The whole basic concept, though, is very hard to believe in. I’m not convinced that anyone would spend their money attending an expensive retreat which supposedly offers some kind of psychological therapy or counselling, run by an entirely unqualified man who has just got out of prison. But hey, people are weird.

Both in the present and the past, though, the activities they undertake (in the name of some sort of team bonding or character building? I’m not even sure) seem high risk and ill thought out, and the idea that they would utilise a sweat lodge - known to be potentially very dangerous - is beyond irresponsible. Why anyone should be remotely surprised when it all goes horribly wrong is a mystery.

It’s all pretty unbelievable, but it’s an easy and enjoyable read, though I did find myself losing interest towards the end. The undercover investigation aspect is fun and I enjoyed the characters of Fran and Caroline. There is a lot of suspension of disbelief needed, though, and overall the plot didn’t grab me that much. The “twists” come thick and fast towards the end, to the point where I really wasn’t bothered any more.

I’ve read a few of C.L. Taylor’s books and have found them to be a mixed bag. For me, this is not one of the best. However, I’m sure many will enjoy it greatly.

What are the odds of me reading two books in a row about DNA ancestry tests?

"Her Last Holiday" is a pretty cool book. It actually touched on subjects that grind my nerves in real life, particularly these new self help gurus. It gave me a kind of joy reading about the retreats' disasters. Although fictional, I think this shines light on how easy it is to fool people into believing your crookery and spending their money to hear you talk crap.

I appreciated the plot twists and, despite not being a complete WOW, the end was solid. The characters were well constructed, and I found it easy to relate to them.

Definitely recommend it. It was a very fun read.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this copy in exchange for my honest review!

A thrilling read .This novel focuses on Fran's family and the secrets and disappointments,and the hurt that all of them have been through in their lives. When Jenna discovered a family secret lives are changed forever, and when a tragedy occurs things will never be the same again. A good mix of characters and a great plot that keeps you gripped till the end, and all that happens can the broken family finally find some happiness. A 5🌟read

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

This is a really good psychological thriller and my first by this author. I binge read this in two sittings, I was glued to it. It is told from the perspective of three characters and the suspense was well done all the way through. It is a bit slow at the beginning but it gets better as the story unfolds. I found the characters, in general, unlikeable and at points made you uncomfortable but it doesn't disrupt the flow of the book, I think it adds more to the story. There were some things that could be left out or explained differently but overall it is a good thriller.

I very much enjoyed this book however I did find the fact that almost every character had two names, I regularly got Kate & Fran/Geraldine confused. The plot worked it way out but I actually wanted a little more to find out more about Fran & Jenna

A promising read by this great author, as usual.... I enjoyed the premise & the story clipped along at a great pace. Thanks for the ARC!

I have just finished reading Her Last Holiday by Author C.L. Taylor

This was a good storyline, with interesting characters, although a few too many to keep track of at the beginning of the book.

The pace was good as well, although it did slow down for me at about the 1/3 mark.

I thought the end of the book was not all too much of a surprise, but a good read overall

I have read another book by this author, and will read more of her books in the future

3.5 Stars

Thank You to NetGalley, Author C.L. Taylor and Avon Books UK for my advanced copy to read and review

#NetGalley

Emotionally blackmailed by her mother to try to find out how her sister had died 2 years previously, Fran found herself booked onto a retreat run by SoulShrink, the same company Jenna had used when she lost her life in Gozo. When Fran met Tom who had recently served a custodial sentence for the death of two other members of that retreat her suspicions that Jenna took her own life became less certain. What had really happened that night?
I found as the story unfolded that I struggled to follow why certain things happened - why was a person convicted of being negligent and resulting in the death of two people and the possible suicide of a third allowed to continue to run these retreats? OK, so Kate his wife was the driving force behind setting it up, but I also found it hard to believe that previous attendees would also rebook such an event. For me, I’m afraid the story jumped about a bit too much and many parts were difficult to keep track of - who knew whose real identity? I’ve loved all of the previous books by CL Taylor but can’t honestly say that this one was on par with her other excellent offerings.
Honest review given in exchange for a complementary e book from NetGalley.

Another wonderful tale from CL Taylor. Two years before Fran's younger sister Jenna had gone to a retreat on Gozo and didn't come back. The police investigation ruled it as suicide, but there has never been a body. The same night the Jenna went missing two other people from the retreat died whilst the man who was the figurehead fo retreat fled., but was subsequently sentenced to prison for his part in their deaths.
Now he is being released from prision and Kate, his wife, has planned a comeback retreat in Wales. Fran ends up on the retreat with a view to finding out from the man himself what happened to Jenna.
The story is very good and I changed my mind about all the characters several times and the ending was a litle unexpected.

This is fast paced practically all the way through, which took its toll on my nerves (in a good way). You don’t get to relax at all, and I don’t often read books like that, so it made a change for me. I liked the setting - it’s a ‘retreat’ environment with believable characters, and lots of things to set you running in the wrong direction. There’re some creepy bits with hidden cameras – something that never fails to make my skin crawl, but that’s the modern world for ya.
Good ending too- with the person who turned out not to be the main villain, still being villain-esque. Also, I usually guess the baddie, but didn’t here!

My first C.L. Taylor, but not my last - although I will have to psych myself up to cope with the constant level of dread if they’re anything like this one.

Tom Wade, leader of Soul Shrink wellness retreats, is about to be released from prison after serving a sentence for the deaths of two people at his last event in Gozo. His wife Kate is determined to relaunch their careers; however, a third person also disappeared during the retreat…Fran’s sister Jenna, and Fran is determined to find out what happened to her.

Her Last Holiday is a new thriller, full of twists and with an array of potentially suspicious characters.

The story is told from three female perspectives: Jenna (two years ago on her retreat), Fran (investigating her sister’s disappearance in the present day) and Kate (trying to rebuild her life after her husband’s sentence). All three are strong and very difference voices, yet all troubled in their own way.

It’s a bit of a slowburn thriller but does pick up a lot of pace as it progresses and, although I did see one of the twists coming, the rest were unpredictable, making this a really fun read.

If you like a mystery full of betrayal, obsession, troubled family dynamics and secrets upon secrets – this is definitely one for you!

There was a typo on page 292 though with the wrong character name, which kind of gave away one of the twists earlier than planned.

I’ve read 2 other books by C.L. Taylor and really enjoyed them. This one IMO wasn’t as good and I found myself having a hard time keeping up with all the characters. There are a lot to keep up with! Plus the timeline is jumping all over the place. The “f” word is used quite a bit which I really don’t like but that may be just me! I felt like it dragged in the middle as I muddled through till the end. The ending took me by surprise. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.