Sorry this was a silly and pointless story.
Two couples two a house exchange, one from England the other from Italy.
There is history between the man and woman from each family, and loads of secrets.
What happened during the story was no surprise, it was not for me.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I can't believe my luck as I arrive at the beautiful, white-washed Italian villa. Complete with infinity pool and stunning views, the perfect place to create special memories with my family. But as soon as we step inside, everything starts to go wrong.

Two families agree to a house swap. Beth, Naill and their two sons swap their country cottage in Dorset, England with Amber, Renzo and their two children for a huge state of the art villa in Italy. Once I had opened my kindle and started reading, I couldn't put it back down. I was immediately hooked. Both couples have secrets. I did not like Naill, Beth's husband, he was mean and selfish. Things start going wrong from the moment they enter the villa. The twists kept coming in this fast paced domestic suspense thriller. The story is told from Beth and Amber's points of view. My only complaint is that the ending felt a bit rushed. Overall, this is another fantastic read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #ShaliniBoland for my ARC of #TheFamily Ho;idayin exchange for an honest review.

This book is really amazing. If you like physiological thrillers then I erge you to read this book. I promise that you will not be disappointed and will not want to put it down. I know I couldn't.

Wow, this book had me hooked right from the start. It is based on two families who do a house swap. The villa in Italy is perfect but unfortunately the holiday ends up being a complete disaster for Beth and her family. Beth is a lovely character but i did get a bit frustrated by her at times wishing she would stand up for herself. The ending was WOW. I loved this book so much, a terrific book by Shalini which i can thoroughly recommend.

This book started off so well and I felt it was building into a really good story - and then it totally ran out of steam, the ending was rushed and the epilogue was pointless. So disappointing
Sorry to be negative but thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read it.

I am usually a huge fan of Shalini's books but I'm sorry to say this one just didn't grab my attention.

None of the character's were particularly likable with one being a downright selfish pig. I really didn't care what happened to them.

Sorry to be blunt but that's what I think.

Hopefully other readers will love it as I usually do.

The idea for the book was great. A house swap where things go badly wrong. The book was a slow burner for me. I felt it dragged with unnecessary descriptions at times. It finally built up into what seemed like a good story however the end was so abrupt and a big let down.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

House swapping sounds like a great way to go on an affordable vacation. You stay in someone’s home while they stay in yours. Beth and her family had never done this before, but they couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a much needed family vacation in a dream home in Italy.

Soon, their glamorous family vacation becomes a disaster - one they’ll never forget.

I almost stopped reading after the first couple of chapters, but the story picked up, and I’m glad I finished it. It’s not an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but it was pretty good.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release copy in return for an honest review.

This book begins with a house swap between two families one in Italy one in England but what it turns into is an unpredictable wild story which will keep you guessing.

I loved the descriptions of the scenery in Italy and even found myself wanting to visit some of the places and enjoy the sunset vista with a glass of wine. I have read most of Shalini Boland’s previous books and will continue to pick them up for the light escapism and thrills they provide

The Family Holiday is a story about 2 families who swap houses for a 2 week vacation. Beth and her family who live in England swap houses with Amber and her family who live in Italy. The story is told from alternating POVs between Beth and Amber. I did not like that the blurb included spoilers but I did enjoy the book itself. I couldn’t put it down and it was a very suspenseful read with a little bit of drama.

I was in the mood for a fast-paced psychological thriller, and this novel really fit the bill.

Although I enjoy the fast-paced storylines of thrillers, I often find the characters too paper thin to fully enjoy them. This novel was a great combination of twisty plot and substantial character development, keeping me fully engaged throughout the tale.

Two couples with young kids decided to take part in a house swap. Beth, Niall and their two young sons are headed to a luxurious modern home on Italy’s spectacular Amalfi coast, while Amber, Renzo and their young son and daughter exchange their sun-drenched coastal home for an English, thatch-roofed cottage, with castles within easy reach.

Beth soon grows suspicious when she discovers an old photo of her husband in the Amalfi home. Did Niall and Amber know one another in their past? Was the house swap a set-up for more sinister plans?

I enjoyed the pacing of this novel, the story told through the perspectives of Beth and Amber and the well-developed layers of character development. A quick and enjoyable read. Four and a half stars rounded up to five.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

I love Shalini Boland books, I just get lost in them.

This book involves two couples who seemingly don't know each other swapping houses for a holiday.

Beth and her husband Niall are off to a luxury villa in Italy and Amber and her husband stay in Beth's country cottage.

So far, so idyllic... Until you realise most of the characters are unlikeable and their age sinister plots at play.

It was hard to feel any sympathy for Niall and Amber was a horror.

Made for a very twisty and enjoyable read.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

Love love love everything about this book
The ending was a punch! So greatly told and was unprepared for it.
This author never seems to miss the mark on her brilliant storytelling.
Never miss out on her books!!

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I felt like this book had such a great premise. A house swap with a little mystery. Well, I guess it was indeed a "little" mystery. I felt it kept building up to something and kept waiting and waiting and then wait, that's it. It was a little too anti-climatic for me. A little too much of a slow burner where it builds up the suspense the entire book ending with a very short explanation and little suspense. This may be a great book for others, just not for me. Two stars for the premise.

I've been a fan of Shalini Boland's psychological thrillers since my very first experience back in 2016 and while I did somehow miss three of her most recent titles, I read the rest of them without fail. I thought that it was about time I jumped aboard the Boland train again and what better way to start than with her newest psychological thriller? Especially since the blurb sounds extremely intriguing and I always love a travel element in my stories. And I have to say that reading The Family Holiday has definitely reminded me just why I enjoy reading her work that much!

The first thing that stands out is that we both have a dual setting and a dual POV structure. Part of the story is set in an English village in Dorset and part in a small Italian town on the Amalfi Coast... The descriptions of especially the Italian setting really made it feel as if I were sightseeing along with the main characters, and it made a great backdrop for the plot. The POV (with one exception) switches between Beth and Amber, the wifes of the two families who decided to swap houses together. While both women had traits that annoyed me (especially with Beth letting her husband treat her badly), as a whole they were exactly what was needed for this story to become a success.

The Family Holiday has a very strong opener, and you are left wondering what really happened as you slowly dive into the lives of Beth and Amber. I had my suspicions about certain aspects of the plot, and I can't say that I was happy with the whole cheating/love triangle element either. The way this element was incorporated into the plot made it easier to tolerate though, and thankfully the story will have plenty of twists, secrets and new developments ready to keep you distracted. The switching between the POVs is well handled and it really helped building up that intrigue and suspense. Especially once you start figuring out Amber's true intentions...

This story seems to be a bit of a mix between a domestic drama and a more crime-focused psychological thriller, and I really liked the balance here. The writing is just as engaging as I've come to expect from her books; I literally couldn't stop reading and had to stay up late just so that I could finish it. All in all, The Family Holiday ended up being a more than satisfying psychological thriller that has me hungry to return for her final pending backlist titles. Recommended if you enjoy the genre!

A perfect vacation that turns into their worst nightmare; a dream trip that becomes a death trap - you'll hardly notice the pages fly past, as you hurtle to the end.

The Kildares in Dorset and the Masons in Italy, both looking for a short break, decide to swap houses, as they plan their respective vacations to the other's location. Barring a few hitches, both families spend an idyllic time, the Kildares in the Amalfi coast in Italy and the Masons in Dorset, until one of them ends up murdered. Was it simply a case of mistaken identity or was it premeditated?

The plot is revealed through Beth Kildare and Amber Mason's POV. The two women and their family dynamics are as different as chalk and cheese. While one has lost herself in a narcissistic relationship, the other shrewdly vows to protect her precious family, no matter how devious the means.

Even though though the blurb reveals a major spoiler, the author commands your attention with some brilliant storytelling. Each character's distinct personality shines through, making you alternate between feelings of disgust, sympathy, annoyance and approval for each of them. While my opinion on the climax is still divided, that plot twist in the epilogue was definitely unexpected. 

Overall, an intense read that had me hooked right from the start. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

It's been years since British couple Beth and Niall Kildare and their two children have had a family holiday. Niall is always too busy with his work as a popular fantasy novel writer, either working on his next book, attending book signings or writers festivals. Trained chef Beth is a stay at home mum who has had to put her dreams of opening her own restaurant on hold to support Niall's career and raise their children so when Niall suggests a house swap with a family on the Amalfi coast Beth is surprised, but delighted to agree. She's surprised that the Mason family in Italy would want to swap their beautiful showcase home with a pool for the Killdares' cosy little Dorset cottage, but Amber and Renzo Mason are originally from England and say they want to introduce their children to their home country. Beth still feels she is getting the better part of the deal, however, the swap turns out not to be the dream holiday she was imagining that would reignite her marriage.

Shalini Boland can always be relied on to write an entertaining twisty mystery with characters hiding secrets from each other and this mostly fits that bill. Niall has to be one of the most odious husbands I’ve come across in a family mystery, and Beth one of the most pathetically forgiving of women. Niall is a complete jerk with his moods, tantrums, coercive behaviour and complete disregard for his wife and children so why Beth is still with him is a complete mystery to me. I mostly enjoyed the mystery and suspense of the novel but was disappointed that the overall plot and the way some of the final events played out a tad too contrived. The final twist was definitely over the top, but I did enjoy it in an evil sort of way.

I always get excited when I know this author is releasing a new novel, and I have literally had to read it over a week so I can savour it.

It’s a novel that you never want to end, and wow, what an ending! Say I loved every second is an understatement. I would give this 10 stars if I could.

What a tangled web this book was! I could not put it down. I enjoyed the flow of the story and how it all connected in the end. Just when I thought I knew where it was going BAM another plot twist. I thought it ended kind of abruptly. I would have liked to see things play out a little bit longer.

Beth and her husband Niall are desperate for a family vacation. They are delighted to find a house swapping site and immediately jump at the opportunity. They trade their English cottage with Amber Mason and her family’s for their Italian villa. Things began going wrong from the moment that Beth and her family started their trip. They couldn’t find the car left for them. There was no food in the house. Eventually things escalate and Beth wonders who Amber really is and why are they in her home?

Secrets come back to haunt and destroy both families. This will definitely be a vacation they won’t soon forget.

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

I guess I am in the minority based on all the 5 star reviews I've seen but this one missed the mark for me. The author spends an exorbitant amount of time describing mundane interactions between the family members. The first 30% of the book is spent on things like watching the family pack their suitcases, the kids complaining they need to use the toilet, couples discussing what to eat for dinner, etc. This was so boring. I wish the author had spent this time on character development and setting up relationships with more depth at the beginning because the start of the book jumps right into the plot without much set up.