Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review! The Family Holiday was a quick solid thriller read. It was a fast read and the characters were developed well! There was some plot holes but overall a fun read!

The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland is a thriller novel. The story in The Family Holiday is one that is told by changing the point of view mainly between two of the characters but also with an unknown voice occasionally. There is also a one year time jump at the end of the story.

Beth has always wanted her husband Niall to agree to a family vacation so when Niall begins to look into house swapping Beth can’t protest despite her doubts. The idea of someone else being in their home while they are away does worry Beth but the idea of the perfect family holiday is so much more tempting.

When Beth and Niall find the perfect Italian home listed as a house swap they can’t believe their luck when their offer is accepted. Beth and Amber coordinate details and the trip is arranged but things just seem off right from the start of the perfect Italian holiday.

Shalini Boland is an author that I have read many times before and when seeing a new book like The Family Holiday I don’t bother with details and just dive right in. As with every time before the book grabs me immediately upon reading and I can’t seem to put it down. Being a thriller read I of course expect there to be twists and turns along the way and again I was not disappointed when I got there. Another solid effort by this author that I will continue to return to.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland is billed as a thriller, but it was mostly the story of a dysfunctional marriage that the wife, Beth, is trying to repair. It is an entertaining book but pretty weak as a thriller. There were a couple clues in-interspersed musings by an unknown speaker, but they weren't really enough to set me to wondering. It became obvious who the victim would be, but even then it didn't matter to me the hows or whys. It was a house swap, which has always kind of made me nervous, not that I worry about murder, but more about someone touching my things. Kind of like Beth, at first. There were several very maladjusted people in this book, which can often lead to murder. And it is really the height of ego to think others will forgive one for murdering, even if vicariously.

Interestingly, the children of the home swapping couples didn't particularly care for the arrangement, although the swimming pool in Italy helped. Beth made friends easily; Amber did not. She was a cold person, and Boland did a really good job with her character. The fact is, the story is really about these two women, and as such it was quite good, but an "enthralling psychological thriller," it was not.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Family Holiday by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #bookoutre #thefamilyholiday #shaliniboland

I enjoyed this book, the pace was great and it kept my attention. The storyline I enjoyed and it did remind me slightly of watching The Holiday but with added drama and death. Overall a great book and written well and would recommend

Beth and Niall want to take a holiday away from the cold, British weather in Dorset. Easter vacation is coming up and there is a house swap in Italy that they think looks good. Niall is a successful author of historical fantasy books. Although she is a trained chef, Beth stays home to keep the house going and the children cared for so Niall is free to write.

Amber and Renzo are British citizens but have a lovely home on the Italian coast complete with swimming pool. They are looking forward to showing their children a bit of Britain.

Beth has left the house very neat and lots of homemade food in the refrigerator. Amber only left the barest necessities at their place. After tiring trips, the two couples arrive at their vacation sites.

Niall is always talking down to Beth as she tries to keeps things running smoothly for everyone. But when she finds a picture that shows Niall in a bad light, she is devastated.

Amber is a temperamental person leaving Renzo to keep the family happy. What is her problem and why does she seem to be distracted and irritable?

The story builds as we slowly see a connection between these two families that supposedly don’t know one another. It’s a plausible plot. Beth is sadly a downtrodden woman always trying to please Niall which makes for an irritant in the story. I was quite pleased with the ending that made me smile. Hope you will read it and smile at that point as well.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Family Holiday' by Shalini Boland.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Shalini Boland, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 29th March 2022.

This is the sixth book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Other Daughter', 'The Wife', 'The Couple Upstairs', 'One Of Us Is Lying and 'My Little Girl' which I highly recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I am also a huge fan of Shalini and if this is half as good as 'The Other Daughter', 'The Wife', 'One Of Us Is Lying', 'The Couple Upstairs' and 'My Little Girl' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists a prologue, 43 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Sherborne, Dorset, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧 and Maiori, Italy 🇮🇹 . The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. The fact that this book is based in England is even better as I have been on holiday in England many times so may even recognise some places Shalini has set the book around. I have in fact literally just returned from a holiday in Dorset!


This book is written in first person perspective with the main protagonists being Beth, Amber and an unknown protagonist. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.

WOW!! Where to even start?!? Firstly I must say yet again I was NOT disappointed by the very talented Shalini Boland!!! I started reading this book this morning and finished it in a day.

It is extremely well written as is every book I have read by Shalini with vivid descriptions that really put you in the storyline. The blurb and cover work perfectly with the storyline. Every single time I told myself I'd finish the chapter and then put it down and every single time I was left with a sort of cliff hanger refusing to allow me to put it down. If your planning on reading this I would recommend clearing your schedule!!!



Absolutely gripping storyline which I got completely sucked into. A great unputdownable page turner filled with suspense, holidays, friendship, family, deceit, mystery, love and lies. I loved the storyline, especially the shocking plots that I would never have seen coming! Not just one either!! There's nothing worse than when you have worked everything out and your not even half way through a book so a massive well done for that!! I definitely did not even have the person involved in my suspect list AT ALL, wasn't even close to working out what was going on, soooo many red herrings and as for the epilogue don't even get me started!!!! Absolutely mind blown!!! I haven't been that shocked in a book in a while so WELL DONE Shalini!! This book is will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. I really could not compliment this book any more it is an absolutely gripping, addictive and shocking page turner. I absolutely LOVED the locations and I really did feel like I was having a holiday in not just Italy but in Dorset too, both absolutely gorgeous countries and I was devastated when I came to the end and had to mentally unpack my bags after feeling the sand on my toes and the wind in my hair.


The characters were all well rounded and realistic with their own personality traits, strengths and weaknesses. It was very interesting watching how the bonds strengthened and weakened between characters throughout the storyline. I really felt for Beth as her world came crumbling down around her. I really connected with and became invested in her and my heart felt torn every time something was going wrong with her life. She had done absolutely nothing wrong and just wanted a lovely family holiday. I couldn't stand Ambwr and thought her to be really stuck up without any reason to be. I was also not a fan of Niall who treated Beth like some sort of 30s housewife slave, could not stand him at all!! However, a book would be extremely boring if we loved every character and each of these characters, love or hate them, worked absolutely perfectly for the storyline. I absolutely loved the last chapter, something I love with Shalini is that she always seems to dedicate the last chapter to a certain character in books and really makes you want to see what happens and several times I've been left hoping and wondering if that storyline will be carried on.

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Shalini Boland for another absolutely fantastic success!! I cannot wait to read more of your amazing work!! I really would love to see your books on the big screen one day, I can guarantee they will be a success if they are even half as good as the books you write!!!

Overall a page turning, epic psychological thriller that will keep you thinking about it long after you have finished. I would love to see this turned into a film.

Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Romance Novel and Psychological Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Wife Between Us and of course Shalini Boland and just anyone looking for an epic read with a twist. What are you waiting for?? Go grab your copy now!!!


285 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews

#TheFamilyHoliday #Bookouture #ShaliniBoland #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@ShaliniBoland @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86

https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86

https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R

This was such a wonderful book, very twisty and I just couldn’t put it down. I loved the ending. I wish I could give it more stars and I do hope there is more like this book to come from this author. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Was lucky to be given a chance to read this by netgalley and all I can say is wow what a read. Finished it within 24hours as I could not put it down. It was gripping from the very first chapter. Can say I hated niall all the way through without saying too much if you read this book you will understand why and Amber well she is a whole other level too. Loved Beth and renzo and hope they both become happy. 5 stars all day long

A tense, page-turning read that keeps you guessing. Great read, great setting, thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Two families - The Masons and the Kildares - are about to take a two-week holiday and have used a house swap service and will be residing in each other's homes. The Kildare family are from the UK and the Masons are from Italy. One family lives in a crumbling cottage and the other family has a luxurious villa.

The couples are Beth and Niall and Amber and Renzo, and each have two children. Beth is equally excited and nervous. While thrilled to soon be vacationing in what just might be a gorgeous setting, she wonders if her modest dwelling will insult the family who will live in their home for two weeks.

Now, it has been said that there is no such thing as a coincidence. So, is it a coincidence that these two families are swapping houses, or is something more at play? Someone has an ulterior motive. Someone is not going to make it home. And if that is not enough to excite the curious reader, make sure to read to the very last page - the very last word, for a surprise ending that will floor you.

Shalini Boland has hit it out of the park again! Every book I have been privileged to read by her has snagged my attention. That is exactly what happens with The Family Holiday. It is intriguing from beginning to end and leads to a jaw-dropping conclusion.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The tension in this novel was palpable from the beginning. This book was a quick read that alternated between two of the main characters narrating the tale - Beth and Amber. Multiple characters seemed deceitful early on but the truth didn’t come out until the end.

Disappointingly, I didn’t connect to any of the characters, so I wasn’t shocked by the revelations that came to light. I did enjoy the premise of the family vacation house swap and the descriptions of the Amalfi coast and surrounding areas were very detailed. It was easy to visualize what was happening. Overall, it was a good book and I enjoyed the read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of #TheFamilyHoliday by #ShaliniBoland in exchange for an honest review.

Shalini never disappoints, if you want an incredible, fast paced read that won’t let you put it down; look no further than Shalini! Thank you Bookouture for the review copy! Really great read that I loved!

Have you ever thought of swapping houses with another family? Maybe you’re stuck in cold weather and someone else is in a beautiful hot climate? We all crave getting away at some point so, why not? Two families swap houses for a promising two weeks but, secrets always come back to bite us. Secrets are something you can’t run from especially when someone is out for revenge.

This story was SO good and creative. I didn’t even see it coming. So we’ll written that it read fast and easy, I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed every paragraph written especially since it kept me wanting more. Five stars all the way! Highly recommend with a nice glass of wine and comfortable surroundings, because you’re not gonna want to stop reading!

Beth and Niall Kildare are married and house swap with Amber and Renzo Mason. Beth is a stay-at-home mum to Connor and Liam, and Niall is a historical fantasy fiction author. Spending some time in Italy is just what Beth needs, whilst Renzo and Amber stay in Sherborne, Dorset, in Beth's eighteenth-century cottage. But Beth discovers an old photograph of her husband wearing a pale green shirt in one of the wardrobes in the Italian villa on the Amalfi coast which has Beth puzzled, especially when Niall denies knowing the Kildares. Then someone ends up dead on the ground...

This is my 7th novel penned by Shalini Boland and I enjoyed it as much as the others. The author wowed me with her engrossing writing and perfectly executed plot, and the characters were spot on in their respective roles - good or bad. I grappled to work out what was happening in this riveting, tense tale, enjoying every moment. This is one very happy reader and The Family Holiday is certainly worth picking up.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

What appears to be a cut and dry house swap for two families, becomes one’s worst nightmare. Set in Dorset and the Amalfi coast In Italy, the story is both intriguing and sinister where long buried secrets and lies are uncovered destroying both families lives in the process.

I enjoyed the mystery of the story and piecing together the connection between the couples, all the while with tension slowly bubbling away in the background before it reached boiling point! Boland is a master of throwing the reader curve ball after curve ball and once again she doesn’t disappoint on this front.

The Family Holiday is a well plotted, executed and written tale that is almost impossible to put down. A dark psychological thriller, with diverse characters (with one who is so vile!!) and plenty of suspense that all culminates in a very entertaining read.

In a Nutshell: I’ve never read this author’s works before but having heard so much about her, I somehow expected more. It’s a decent one-time read but I can’t call it a must-read. For a regular thriller reader, it will be highly predictable.

Story:
A WARNING FIRST: DON’T READ THE GOODREADS BLURB!!!!!
Two couples – Niall and Beth Kildare (from Dorset), and Renzo and Amber Mason (British expats now residing on the Amalfi Coast in Italy) decide to house swap for a vacation. (Don’t get me started on the idea of house swaps!) When the Kildares arrive in Italy, their vacation starts off decently but soon devolves into a nightmare.
The story comes to us in the first person perspectives of Amber and Beth, and a third mysterious character whose brief and random interludes add a level of creepiness to the narrative.

Where the book worked for me:
👌 It went by pretty fast. I completed it within a day. (Not bad for a 240 page novel.)
👌 I loved one of the secondary characters, Luciana. She seemed to be the only sensible one among all adults who have a major role to play in the plot.
👌 The book has multiple epilogues, the final epilogue is the best one. It is also the only part of the book that surprised me.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ That has got to be one of the worst blurbs I have ever read in my life. Who the heck would put such a major spoiler in a blurb – and that too, one of the few surprises in the book! The said character doesn’t die until the 72% mark.
❌ The cover has zero connection to the plot. Of the six children in the book, five are boys. The only girl doesn't have any scenes near even a swimming pool, forget about the open ocean.
❌ In a thriller, you always enjoy better if you feel the shock or pain of what a character is going through. And for this, you need to love, or at least like the characters. Of Beth, Niall, Amber and Renzo, not one of them created even a minor stirring of positive feeling in me. Beth was a spineless, hyper-agitated rambler who let everyone treat her like a doormat. Amber was a selfish b***h of the highest order. Renzo was too good to be true, thereby making it very clear that there was something fishy underneath that goody-goody façade. Niall was the worst of the lot, a control freak with his constant mental abuse and gaslighting of Beth. Thus, whenever anything bad happened to any of them, and especially to Niall, I felt more of satisfaction than sympathy for them.
❌ I'm so fed up of characters' phones dying out on them at crucial points in thrillers. Why can't anyone in the fictional world be more practical about charging their phones?
❌ There's a fair amount of repetition in the writing. This wasn’t something I had expected from an established writer.
❌ The story is quite predictable with very few major twists. Most are guessable as the shadiness in certain characters is made amply clear right from the start.
❌ There are too many coincidences. The silliest one was that Beth resembles Amber, and Niall resembles Renzo. *eye roll*
❌ The climax of the book (before the epilogues) is a damp squib. Maybe I should call it an
‘anti-climax” for that word suits it better. It’s over within a few paragraphs..



As I mentioned, this was my very first Shalini Boland thriller. So I have no idea of her general writing style. I might try a couple of books more by her before I decide if she is for me or not. But I have a feeling this book might not be liked except by the most ardent of her fans. That said, this book is highly rated on Goodreads, so yet again, I stand as an outlier. Please go through the other reviews before you make up your mind on this thriller.

2.75 stars from me.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Family Holiday”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is the 14th Book I've read by Shalini Boland and you would think, after so many, that they might get 'samey' and I'd know what was going to happen, but this is most definitely not the case!

I yet again found this a wonderful book that I genuinely couldn't put down. There were plenty of surprises along the way, right to the very end and not once did I guess correctly!

The book focuses on a house swap between two families, but all is not as it seems, I was made to love some characters, and hate others right from the get go! Which only a good writer can do. There is definitely tension, cliff hangers that make you want to read on, fabulous locations and strong characters.

Shalini Boland's writing style is superb, this time she made me feel like I was right there in the glorious sun soaked Amalfi Coast, and I really do now want to go there on holiday, the text conjured up beautiful images of relaxing on holiday in a stunning location, and I think that's what a book should do, take you away from the daily humdrum of life.

I'd highly recommend giving this book a go, as well as any other of the authors books you haven't tried!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Shalini Boland for an Advance copy in return for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I looked forward to reading this book based on the description,but ended up being disappointed. So far-fetched and unbelievable

Shalini Boland never disappoints and this latest book is no exception!!

Two families. Two locations. One house swap. What could go wrong ?

Beth is looking forward to a holiday and her husband suggests they do a house swap. At first Beth is not convinced but then a gorgeous villa in Italy pops up on the house swap website and it seems the perfect place. But will the owners want to swap with them to visit their small quaint cottage in the UK ?

Suddenly it’s all systems go and Beth and her family have arrived in Italy and they can’t believe how gorgeous the villa is. They think this is going to be the holiday of a lifetime but then everything starts to go wrong !!

This is a great psychological thriller that will have you hooked. I will always pick up a book by Shalini Boland as you are guaranteed a great book and this one won’t disappoint. Definitely one to add to the top of your reading pile, but possibly not if you are going on a house swap holiday !!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

When Beth's husband Niall suggests they take a much-needed holiday, she is all for it!
When she finds out it is a house swap holiday she is slightly dubious, but the beautiful Italian villa on the Amalfi Coast of Italy is enough to change anyones mind. However, when one thing after another starts going wrong, Beth can't help but wonder if she was right to be concerned.

House swapping for holidays has always felt a little weird to me, basically living in another person's house surrounded by all their stuff while they are doing the same at your house, and this book has done little to sway me on that! But it did make for a great story!

With alternating chapters betwen Beth and her 'house-swap' counterpart Amber, you get a well-rounded tale from the off and as with all the previous books I have read by this author, you know you are in for an absolute ride that will smack you in the face with something when you least expect it!

As atmospheric as it gets. A tight twisty tale that forces you to look up from the pages to reaffirm your actual location. This will suck you in and bend your mind in all the best ways…. It has always been a pleasure to read the newest Boland book and this has been no exception! Thank you again for the early read and I most definitely look forward to the next!