I read this book in one sitting. SO GOOD! I could not put it down. So suspenseful and some unexpected twists that made the story that much better. I even went back and re-read a few pages to see if I could catch the twist coming. Taylor's writing is just captivating and I'm so excited to read more!

I will start by saying that I am a big fan of C.L. Taylor's. Sleep was one of my favourite books of 2020 and I also really enjoyed Strangers. So I was really excited to see what she had done next with Her Last Holiday.
I particularly enjoyed the use of three narrators, as this gave you insight into the story from three pivotal perspectives.
It also had a really interesting plot and didn't feel particularly farfetched at all, as some other books can in this genre.
Tom as a character was especially intriguing and I found myself in Fran's shoes, trying to figure out what happened to Jenna and on the day that two other people had died.
Something that did irritate me was the amount of pseudonyms or alias names that were used throughout.
I understand that this was part of the plot, with many of the characters inhabiting a new name following the sweat retreat. But when you then add Fran and Caroline also using assumed names but also changing back and forth between their real names and fake names and it all got a bit much.
I also felt like Jenna felt/acted a lot younger than she actually was when she disappeared. I would easily have said that she was in her early to mid twenties, because of the way that she acted, instead of being in her late thirties.
The ending also wasn't as strong as it could have been for me. And it was a bit of an anticlimactic twist in the end.
Her Last Holiday is still one of the better books that I've read in this genre and I can't wait to read what C.L. Taylor does next.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fran's sister, Jenna, and two others are dead after participating in a self-help retreat led by Tom and Kate two years ago. This book switches between Jenna's point of view in the past and Fran and Kate's point of view in the present as Fran searches for answers of what exactly happened to her sister.

While I thought the plot was intriguing and enjoyed how little tidbits came out along the way leading up to the various twists I thought this book was a tad too long and found myself just reading to get through it towards the end. Overall it was well written [but there was a few times the wrong characters name was used or the character's real name was used while they were using an alias. Hopefully this gets fixed before the book is officially released.

This is my first time reading a book by C.L Taylor and it was great! It's a interesting, slow paced mystery novel. I was living for all the drama... it was fun and light- a perfect beach read. I personally guessed the twist and I was correct. Regardless, it was still gripping. I will definitely check out Taylor's other works after this.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC copy of Her Last Holiday!

I enjoyed this book and found it to be very engaging. It centers primarily on Fran, who joins a wellness retreat to try to figure out what happened to her sister Jenna, who disappeared on a similar trip over 2 years prior. You also get chapters from Jenna's perspective before her disappearance, and from Kate, the wife and business partner of Tom, who runs the retreats. I am a fan of alternating perspectives throughout a book and thought that it was interesting to see how various situations were seen from the different POVs.

I liked Fran and found her to be a realistic character- she was trying to investigate what happened to Jenna but is not a detective, thus she makes a lot of mistakes. There is also personal growth throughout the book, as she explores her relationship with Jenna and the rest of her family, as well as reflects on her current lifestyle. Some reviewers said there were plot lines left unresolved, but I actually think that was done purposely, allowing the reader to make their own decisions about the true motivations of some of the characters. The ending was tied up maybe a bit too cleanly, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who like mysteries and domestic suspense. I liked the other book I read by Taylor as well, and am planning on picking up a couple other books by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good read, but I couldn’t give a full 5 stars, because it took a bit to grab me! I do think it was well written and when it finally grabbed me, it gripped me to the end. Found it to be quite realistic, thrilling, chilling, and shocking! Unique, realistic, to the point I could see all of it happening, and written in a riveting way. A bit of a slow start; but worth sticking with, as when it picks up it does so with a bang! Will definitely be reading more by this author, as she always tells some riveting stories in a very unique way!

Will make sure to buzz around and use low amazon reviewer number on release date!

Having experienced hits and misses with the author's previous books, I was intrigued about Her Last Holiday. The book's description drew me in initially and while it was by no means a bad book, I felt it let itself down with quite a few plot holes that left me with a raised eyebrow. Well written, we experience the POV of three different women - Jenna, Fran and Kate. While this provided varied angles, I wonder if perhaps it would have been more interesting reading from Tom's side. I really enjoyed the choice of settings for the book although how there could ever be another retreat after what happened seemed quite far-fetched to me. The short, sharp chapters make moving through the plot easy and we are rewarded with a few twists though none that left me reeling. Although this was an enjoyable read and I will continue to pick up books by the author, Her Last Holiday simply doesn't stand out from the crowd.

Thanks NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

Had a really hard time getting into this one and DNF. I tried to come back to it later and still struggled to hook me in. Thank you for this opportunity

Motivational speaker and mental health guru Tom Wade was nicknamed the Soul Shrink on social media for his ability to heal trauma. After two people died at one of his popular spiritual retreats in Gozo, his career was destroyed and he was jailed. Now, two years on, Tom has been released and plans to hold another retreat, this time in Snowdonia. Fran’s younger sister, Jenna, disappeared at the tragic Gozo retreat and now she wants to know the truth about what happened.

Although this story is told from multiple points of view, the main protagonist is Fran. Fran is an IT teacher in her fifties who is struggling after Jenna’s disappearance and presumed suicide. She has intense feelings of guilt after she brushed her sister off during their last conversation and she wishes she could make things right. Fran is a prickly character and her bluntness adds some humour to scenes throughout the book. The last thing she wants is to be near the man she blames for her sister’s death but after being emotionally blackmailed by her controlling mother, she agrees to attend Tom’s new retreat in an attempt to find out what happened to Jenna.

Kate, Tom’s wife, is ambitious and ruthless. She is determined to help make Soul Shrink a success and move on from the controversy caused by Tom’s prison sentence. She is constantly paranoid about her and Tom's lives being shattered again and is determined not to let anyone take away what she has rebuilt.

The past timeline of this story is told from Jenna's perspective. It gives some background to the tragic events that happened in Gozo and further explores Jenna's character. Both timelines are interesting and as some of the past characters also appear in the present timeline, it helps the reader to learn more about them.

The real strength of this novel is the attention to character development. Each character is drawn in such depth and even minor characters feel realistic and nuanced. Each person has complex motivations for their actions and although some of the characters are unlikeable, the reader can see how they became that way.

The plot is not disadvantaged by the character-driven nature of this book. The chapters are short, full of twists and turns, characters lying to one another and unsettling events that raise a number of questions. Several themes add depth to the narrative: toxic family relationships, mental health and emotional exploitation are all explored here. I have read some of C L Taylor’s previous novels and enjoyed them and this new release didn’t disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC.

This is a story that flicks between past with Jenna when she arrives at the retreat in Gonzo and present day with her sister Fran joining a retreat run by the same people but this time in Wales. I liked the difference between the two settings as it goes to show you don’t need to travel abroad for stunning views.

The retreat is ran by Tom and Kate. Tom has not long got out of prison and is struggling with events from the past. You can tell that Kate is very much the driving force behind the retreat and she is hell determined in making sure that everything goes well, as well as getting some much needed money in the bank.

Over the course of the story we get to know some of the characters at the retreats better. They aren’t the most likable of characters. I was kind of suspicious about quite a few of them. It all adds to the suspense though of what really did happen to Jenna of which there were some good twists that I definitely didn’t see coming.

Her Last Holiday is a book that has it all. Scenic locations, a gripping storyline and unexpected twists and turns. All in all it makes it an unputdownable read as I raced through it to see just what did happen to Jenna. Another great read from the queen of psychological thrillers.

I really enjoyed this book - I was hooked from the outset. The plot moved quickly and the characters draw you in

I have come to expect something special from this author and I’m glad to say that this definitely did not disappoint. The plot was good and the story just kept giving. It goes between two sisters, Fran and Jenna, one who has disappeared, presumed a suicide, and the other trying to find out the truth, especially when she is told it was murder. All the characters are well thought out and have their own personalities. Their mother Geraldine is a nightmare! There are quite a few twists, red herrings and I was kept guessing right through. I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t stop reading. Thank you NetGalley.

I loved this book, I absolutely couldn't put it down and finished it in less than a day! I had read a few of the authors books a few years ago and enjoyed them, and this was no different. The chapters were told in multiple points of view and were short which left me flipping the pages and unable to stop. I was always disappointed when one chapter ended and it flipped to another POV, but only because each chapter left me wanting more of that character's story. I would finish Jenna's chapter to move on to Fran's wanting more of Jenna's story but then at the end of Fran's story wanting more or hers, it was a vicious cycle(in a good way). Highly recommend this book for a quick/fast paced read with well written characters

I need to circle back to the few books that I missed!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon for this advanced reading copy

This story is about Fran who is looking into the disappearance of her sister while on a retreat in Gozo where two other people had died.
I usually enjoy C.L. Taylor’s books and I was delighted to receive an advance copy of her new book Her Last Holiday.
Unfortunately the use of swearing affected my enjoyment of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book but I just didn't care about Tom or Fran or her sister. I skipped the middle 100 pages as I wasn't enjoying it/engrossed by it, although I did want to find out what happened in the end. Many readers rave about this author and I'm sure they are all right! I just can't 'gel' with the plots, characters and outcomes... Don't let this put you off, I just have to leave honest, personal reviews!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Fran is a school teacher in her early fifties. Her Mother still controls aspects of her life. Her sister, Jenna, disappeared almost 3 years ago whilst on a retreat overseas and is presumed to have committed suicide. On that same retreat, two other participants died and the organiser, Tom, was jailed for his part in their deaths.

Tom has now been released from prison and his wife Kate wants to recreate the brand they started and organise more seminars and retreats. Fran’s Mother, Geraldine, gets wind of this and emotionally blackmails Fran into attending the next retreat in Wales in order to try to find out what Tom knows about Jenna’s disappearance. Fran does so incognito but will she discover the truth about her sister or is she in danger herself?

Another fantastic book by C.L. Taylor and one I stayed up until the wee small hours to finish. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A clever use of two time sequences, unreliable narrators and intriguing characters kept me glued to this novel. Fran is seeking the real answer to how her sister died at a retreat and the only way to get to the truth is for Fran to go undercover at a follow up retreat run by the same two people with several of the same attendees. Fran quickly discovers she is not prepared for this emotional coaster roller and is completely overwhelmed with grief, anger and fear yet stays as she promised her mother. A massive twist happens and the answers are satisfying, unexpected and thoroughly surprising.

I have read a few of C.L.Taylors books and have loved them. I got stuck into this one and it was so easy to get settled in. The story flowed, nice short chapters and easy to get to know who was who. The only thing I think that was different in this one compared to the rest was the ending, it wasn't what I was expecting and think was totally different to how her other books have gone. It was a nice change and changed my views on a few characters as well

You know how some people watch horror movies because they like yelling at the screen, telling the bimbo not to do the really stupid thing she's absolutely going to do anyway? Yeah, I don't know anyone who does that with books.

This was an exceptional book surrounding the death of Jenna at a SoulShrink retreat on the island of Gozo. The storyline was extremely captivating and the pace was steady until we ventured further into the dark and twisted chapters once the pace was set. The book allows us into the lives of Jenna, her sister Fran and Kate, Toms wife’s. Who is Tom I hear you ask. He is the lynchpin that holds it all together. We are party to events on Gozo two years previously and also the present day when Fran attends another SoulShrink retreat in North Wales to try and find out what actually led to the death of her sister. This was a very refreshing book to read, so different, thankfully, to the masses that are published at the moment where the prologue features a young woman who is held captive, is beaten and in hiding, is running away, the list could go on and on, and publishers try to entice us in by constantly telling us that if we enjoyed Gone Girl or Girl on a Train, then we will enjoy this too. Such a relief to escape from all that and immerse oneself into this brilliant piece of writing. When is her next one due out, I need more by this incredible author.