Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was intrigued by the description of the book - 2 families from different Countries - want to go on Holiday so they house swap. The families and the vacations are not what they are cracked up to be. What starts out as innocent enough, takes a turn.

The book is filled with Lies, deceit, intrigue, betrayal - I liked the way the story unfolded. I could picture myself at the villa in Italy, eating at the lovely restaurants and browsing the markets or at the cozy cottage in England.

This was a quick and easy read. Definitely worth picking it up.

A house swap gone wrong!

Remember the movie, “The Holiday”, starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet? They exchange houses on opposite sides of the world for a holiday/vacation, and the swap is ultimately a success for both of them. Not here.

Beth and her family (including one PRICK of a husband who you will hate) decide to take a holiday from their house in the wintery UK, and swap houses with Amber and her family in sunny Italy. Amber’s house is much fancier, but Beth’s house is cozy. It should be a relaxing two weeks…and yet it’s anything BUT relaxing.

That’s all I’ll say, and you may not want to read the official blurb. It gives away something that doesn’t happen until you get to 70% (and the ARC ends at 92% as the rest contains ads for the author’s previous books).

That first 70% is amazing, suspenseful, and gripping! After that, the book loses steam…rushing to the finish line with OTT behavior and a wrap-up that isn’t completely satisfying.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. I’ll read anything Shalini Boland writes. I am a huge fan, and I always enjoy her work. I enjoyed this one too, but I really thought it had the potential to go a bit further than it ultimately did. I was gripped for the majority, and it’s easy to fly through this one.

P.S. Ignore that atrocious cover that has nothing to do with the plot.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 3/29/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

I totally forgot how wild this author's books are! I read this in less than a day, and the last few pages were SO satisfying!

Two families agree to a house swap for a two week holiday. Beth, her husband Niall, and their two boys leave their charming English cottage (with all the cold, rainy weather) in the hands of Amber and Lorenzo and their kids. Beth and Niall are staying in a sprawling Italian villa that was described so vividly, I could feel the warm Italian sun and see the sparkling water. This should have been an idyllic, peaceful holiday, but a sinister vibe soon begins to creep onto the pages. A mysterious photo in a pocket, an intruder, and an awkward painting in the master bath all contribute to the sense of unease in the villa.

I feel compelled to mention that Niall is one of the worst characters I've read about recently. Vain, egotistical, and self-centered, he constantly berates Beth and isolates himself from the family to work. After all, he is a well-know author, and he never passes up the opportunity to remind Beth that his hard work pays for their lifestyle. I was immediately suspicious of his motive for the house swap.

I had no idea where this story was going, and I was glued to the pages until that satisfying end. This was a great reminder to get to my backlist of this talented author's titles, Thank you so much to Bookouture and NetGalley for this early read. Publishes March 29, 2022.

Beth and Niall Kindare decide to go on a family holiday by doing a house swap with another family in Italy on the Amalfi coast with there two sons. While the family from Italy Amber and Renzo go to their quaint cottage in Dorset. Beth and Niall’s marriage recently seem more distanced. So, a holiday will hopefully bring them back closer together.
So, they arrive to a gorgeous romantic villa in Italy. A great setting to get their marriage back on track. But when Beth innocently searches through Amber’s wardrobe, she finds a photo of her husband and Amber, which was taken several years ago before herself and Niall met.
The story is told back and forth in Beth and Ambers point of view and both with secrets to hide. Which are revealed as the story develops.
Wow I am astounded that I have never read a Shalini Boland book before until The Family Holiday, this is a fantastic, twisty thriller full of secrets and lies and an explosive ending. I read this mostly in one sitting because I could stop turning the pages. I loved it. I can’t wait to read the other books the author has written. 5 stars from me.

I really enjoy this author so was excited for this book. The opening chapters setting up the scene for the holiday - which is a house swap between two families, one in the English countryside and one living on the Amalfi coast - really drew me in. I quickly grew very irritated with the detestable Niall, (married to Beth) and annoyed by the horrible way he treated his wife. I couldn’t help hoping something exceedingly unpleasant would happen to him in the course of the book.
The contrast between the two houses was well drawn and the Amalfi coast made a beautiful backdrop for a holiday that started badly and got increasingly worse. The narrative switched between the two wives, Beth and Amber and it soon became clear Amber was as unpleasant as Niall. My sympathies were always with Beth although at times I wanted to shake some spirit and confidence into her.
I feel the final part of the book let the rest down. Personally I just did not find it to be convincing. I know the reader often has to suspend their disbelief for the sake of a great plot twist but I don’t this one hit the mark.
But still an engrossing read and a book that’s made me want to book a flight to Italy.

I really enjoyed this book. When two families engage in a house swap, rest and relaxation is supposed to be on the cards. However in reality something quite different happens. The writer told the story so well, really descriptive character who we came to either love or hate. Engaging storyline.

“Maybe the answer isn’t to wish for a different life, maybe it’s simply to step out of my routine every once in awhile. To allow myself to breath and see the world from a different angle.”

When two couples swap houses for much needed vacations, the results are more life altering than anyone could have expected. Beth and Niall’s marriage feels, at times, painfully authentic, while their sons are engaging and authentic. You feel Beth’s struggle to provide fun family time with a husband who is controlling and narcissistic. You may wish Niall had stayed behind in Dorset, but then there wouldn’t be a story.

The second couple, Amber and Renzo, are more glamorous, and one of them seems to be hiding something. Annoyingly, Amber realizes how privileged and lucky she is and doesn’t feel the least bit sorry about it.

There are hints and clues throughout the chapters that come together in the end, but there are some surprises you may not see coming.

Shalini Boland offers a way to live vicariously through the swap between the cozy Dorset cottage, and the mansion on the Amalfi Coast without having to pack your bags. You will be shocked and amused by the choices of these characters, and wonder how they will end up paying for them, and mostly, you will not be able to put this book down until you’ve read the last page. #NetGalley #TheFamilyHoliday

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of this book. I really like Ms. Boland’s books so I was excited to read this book. The story was great and I was surprised at all the things that were going on.This seemed like a straightforward plot until (no spoilers). I wish I had liked some of the characters. I’m not sure why they were all so unlikeable, but they were. This made it hard to really care what happened to them. The writing was as good as I expected, and the story barrelled along quickly. If you don’t mind unlikeable characters this book would be great for you! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

The Family Holiday was a great little thriller that kept me enthralled from the first two chapters. We follow two families, who swap homes, for a two week holiday. Beth and Niall have two boys, and Amber and Renzo, also have two children. Each couple seem to be needing an escape or break from their current setting and want to try something different. The characters are well written in a way that you really got to know their personalities well, so it was easy to keep them separate in your mind, because there is a lot of swapping back and forth between the two wives' perspectives. I also enjoyed the two settings, one in the rural countryside in the winter, and the other in balmy Italy. I have to say that the final twist came from a character that I had in no way expected! As secrets are unveiled, t isn't long before both couples wish they were just back at home. What a nice, shocking final twist! I also loved the short chapters. Shalani Boland just never fails! 4 stars!

(Note to publisher...I tried to link my review to Goodreads, but it gave me the following errror: "Unable to find book with ISBN "9781838881511" on Goodreads." So please see my Goodreads link in my profile as well as my Instagram account for socially shared review.

another brilliant read from this author. twisty and addictive. Beth is married to Niall they have two children boys .Niall is a writer so he gets to go all over the world Beth is a stay at home mum but she so wants to open her own restaurant Beth never gets to go abroad until one day her husband calls her in to his office and talks her in two a holiday swap to italy. the Mason family. Amber Renzo and there two children but things start to happen and who do you believe

One of these characters really surprised me, and then after a few more chapters, more surprises, twists & turns were revealed. Shalini's latest might make you reconsider house swapping for vacations! Great read to find out the connections between these two families. I had to know!

Shalini Boland has done it again!

Niall and Beth decides to go on a holiday in Italy by agreeing to do a house swap with another family--the Mason family. Amber and Renzo moves to Niall's and Beth's small cottage while Niall and Beth with their children moves to white washed villa in Italy with a breathtaking view. But things don't really go according to the plan when Beth discovers a secret that will threaten her marriage with Niall.

The story is told from the perspectives of Beth and Amber, each recounting their version of the story. From start to finish, the story is fast paced packed with twists and turns that come along the way. Beth's marriage to Niall, Amber's marriage to Renzo and their own relationships with their children is outline in the story. I was kept at the edge of the seat as I read this book, wondering what is going to happen next as I read the book. The story then picks up its pace when Niall was found dead and the ending of the story left me so breathless that I actually couldn't believe that it was how the story ended! This is the fourth book I have rea from this author and looking forward to read more of her books!

Overall, The Family Holiday is an unputdownable thriller that will keep you at the edge of the seat--worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Beth and Niall decide to do a house swap for their vacation, swapping their cosy little house in cold England for a lovely villa in sunny Italy. Beth is determined to make it a good family holiday, but then she finds a photo of her husband inside the woman's coat pocket and wonders if he has been lying to her. Why are they really there? Are they in danger? A tense and thrilling story that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking conclusion. A great read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

Oh my where do I start.
This book tells us the story of a holiday with a difference, a house swap, between a cosy cottage in Dorset and a sunny villa in Italy, Beth and Niall Kindare and two sons and Amber and Renzo Mason also with a daughter and son, are all going to have a fortnights dream holiday or a holiday from hell.
What a start to a fantastic story that's full of twists lies and decease, and its a I didn't see that coming while reading, its no perfect family holiday on both sides and I was certainly gripped reading it all.
Would I do this myself? I would say no.
I loved it

This was an interesting premise and I enjoyed it. But it did start off very slow and then I sort of worked out what was happening.

It was a nice easy read which kept me entertained.

I was given advance copy by bookouture and netgalley but the review is entirely my own

Aaaaaah, Niall is such a horrible character. I felt my blood pressure rising, and I actually kept snapping at my husband as if everything Niall was saying was manifesting from my husband. I didn’t like how it made me feel at all. I just felt so angry.
So, was this a good bit of writing to make me feel like this, or did I feel so uptight because it was overdone? I do feel like his behaviour and remarks were exaggerated, but they certainly got the point across. Beth was quite bland and passive in response to Niall’s behaviour, so her reactions angered me as well. Why did she put up with how he spoke to her and his ambivalence? There was no underlying reason or depth for the way she was acting.
So, despite this being quite a frustrating read, I did get through it quite quickly. It is relatively short, so there isn’t any unnecessary prolonging of the story; it does move along at quite a good pace.
Many other reviewers have said the story and the conclusion were obvious and not surprising. However, I found the opposite. I couldn’t understand Amanda’s motives for the nasty things she was throwing out there. Also, I couldn’t fathom why a house swap in different countries would work out in anyone’s favour if something nefarious were going on. So when everything was revealed, it felt shocking and made the book worthwhile for me.
The story as a whole was very unrealistic, but for a short Psych Thriller, it was an enjoyable read.

I do love Shalini's books! So many damaged characters with twisted secrets, this one is on a par with her other books and was thoroughly enjoyable. Great domestic drama. I hated Niall from the outset when it was apparent he was a controlling manipulative husband. As always with these domestic thrillers, the people I really feel sorry for is their children, poor kids having parents like these.
I would recommend all of Shalini's books.

Beth and her husband Niall want a holiday and do a house swap with Amber and Renzo from Italy. During their visit Beth unravels a deep secret Niall has been hiding. But he isn't the only one as both Amber and Renzo also have secrets they've been hiding too. One couples holiday ends in tragedy with a very dark twist that I had no idea was coming. I was drawn in from the first page of this book and was in suspense the whole time

Books by Shalini Boland never disappoint! She must spend twenty hours a day writing because it seems like she’s got a new book every few months and they are always page-turners! Family Holiday was no exception.

This was just what you want a suspense novel to be: quickly moving, interesting, keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next with a satisfying ending.

SYNOPSIS:

Two families. One house swap. A vacation to die for.

The white-washed Italian villa is perfect. I thought it might feel odd, living in a stranger’s house for the summer, but as my husband and children swim in the infinity pool, I start to relax. And then, in the back of a wardrobe, I find something that shatters everything…

Sparkling green eyes, square jaw, lopsided smile. A young man with his arm around a beautiful woman. The picture is old and faded but I’d recognise him anywhere. The man is my husband.

But we’ve never met the family we’ve swapped homes with and my husband swears it isn’t him in the photo. He’s lying. We argue on the balcony with the sun setting behind us and I storm out.

When I finally calm down enough to go back to the villa to confront him, I find his dead body sprawled across the veranda.

Who killed my husband? Was our marriage a lie? And are my children now in terrible danger?

If you haven’t read books by Shalini before, now is the time! You cannot go wrong with any of them.

“Secrets are power.” Secrets may also be deadly. What starts out as the perfect holiday, ends as the perfect murder. An idyllic Italian villa is the breathtaking setting for a dreamlike family vacation. The house swap appears to have worked out providing the perfect getaway. Things quickly take a sinister turn, and the spacious villa becomes a cold, unwelcoming nightmare. This is an original thriller that I couldn’t put down. Shalini Boland expertly crafts a twisty ride that is a perfect combination of suspense, intrigue with twists I never saw coming. I have enjoyed all of Shalini Boland’s thrillers and this is another page turner that I definitely recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️