This book was slow. Which makes it hard to get into. It was an enjoyable read . It was predictable at times. I did struggle to connect to the characters but in saying this I still liked the book.

A good read with twists and turns but the ending was guessed toward the end i knew it was coming ..... still enjoyable and thanks for letting me review this book. It was slow-moving in places but picked up the pace at times ... its a good psychological thriller but i have read better.

Firstly, I'd like to thank Netgalley and Faber and Faber for an eARC for an honest review. I found the audiobook on Libby (the library app).

The Family Retreat follows Jess, a GP and her family who travel to Dorset to get away for the summer. This is a psychological domestic thriller that has a few storylines to follow. It only took me a few days to get through this book as I was very much invested in the characters. This book, set post pandemic, explores very important topics surrounding women, namely domestic abuse. The pandemic wasn't overly mentioned which I was grateful for but just enough for the reader to understand the role it had for women in such relationships.

Jess is a great main character and I really enjoyed getting to know her. The other characters in the book were also people I enjoyed learning about. Sam, Jess' son, was a favourite of mine (the narrator gave him the cutest voice). There isn't much I can say without giving things away but I do really recommend this book to those who enjoy a good thriller.

A brilliant book
A book with plenty of twists and turns
It will keep you guessing till the end
Thanks NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I found this book so hard to get into; the pace was tragically slow and nothing really happens until you’re about 3/4 of the way through the book and then it’s almost frenetic. I had a hard time pushing myself to keep reading it and did so only to finish it, not because I enjoyed it. I did not care for the story, sadly.

An intriguing family drama, with a lot unfolding throughout the story, The family retreat is quite slow to start but once the scene is set you won't be able to put it down.

Bev Thomas did an excellent job bringing the characters to life. Each one of them had their own set of flaws and personalities, I really felt connected to them all through the story and cared about what was happening to them. Some of the twists were very good, others a bit more predictable, but that was not something that took away my enjoyment.

Definitely one to read.

Thank you NetGallery and Faber and Faber Ltd for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant book. This is such a great read. It is the perfect blend between literary fiction and psychological thriller. The story is told at the beginning over two timelines and you are aware that both are building up to a significant event happening, it is just a matter of what and how these events will come together. The story deals with some quite difficult issues but all are dealt with really sensitively and intuitively. Definitely a must read.

The Family Retreat is a slow-burning thriller about family secrets with an outstanding twist to tie things together. The writing is brilliant and the characters are well-crafted. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this book, it was thrilling and intense, nail bitingly good. Would definitely recommend.

Jess and Rob have decided to spend the summer in a cottage by the sea. Jess works as a GP in an inner-London surgery where she often takes on too much, and gets far too emotionally involved in the lives of her patients. Jess is currently not working, and the reasons for this become apparent as she continues her online therapy sessions. On the other hand Rob is a script writer, always on the verge of great things, and is presently working on the script that will make his name. One week ,when Rob is away travelling abroad for script rewrites, Jess finds herself spending time with another family, also on a summer break in the same group of cottages. Helen has two children, as does Jess and so they spend time together during the week when Helen’s husband is working. At first Jess finds Helen a little cool but as the weeks go by Helen opens up and and Jess learns more about her.

This was a slow burner of a read, as you feel there is something just there but always elusive until you’re hit with an explosive and suddenly everything becomes clear and wow what a read.

Excellent psychological thriller that keeps you guessing throughout.

The book feels real and the characters are so relatable. It’s an intense read in places because it’s so well written.

Read if you like domestic thrillers.

GP Jess, her husband Rob and two children, take a holiday in a small cottage. Jess has taken a break due to patient problems, and Rob has a book about to be made into a film. As Jess gets to know the neighbours, secrets and past horrors are revealed. It all builds to a terrible event, where everyone must re think their relationships.
Fabulous book, I was totally hooked! Dark subject material which makes you think deeply.

Jess and Rob leave London for a month to enjoy some down time in the countryside, sounds idyllic. Jess is a GP, however she is currently on leave and Rob is a writer.
She soon starts spending time with her neighbour Helen, who seems a bit cold at the beginning, though she does open up eventually and shares her sister’s secrets. Will Jess be able to help?

I did not see the twist coming and absolutely enjoy reading this book. A bit of a slow start, but the second half more than make up for it. Very important thematic such as domestic violence and women role in the society are well developed.

One comment at Jess’ dad birthday lunch when the food arrives, there is a comment that makes the reader believe she has arrived, only a page after her arrival is described.
3.8 stars

Slow moving until abiut half way through. The main character is a gp , currently on a sabbatical...it is gradually revealed why
Quite heavy going at times, lots of difficult issues dealt with. Lots of characters too, needed to kerp track of who was who.
Not a bad read. Characterizations ok, some of Jess's actions as a gp seem a little far fetched .....
But thanks to Net Galley for the arc

I enjoyed this story even though it wasn't quite the genre I thought it was going to be. It's a bit of a psychological thriller but more of a family drama. The story was slow but very readable.

This book tackled the topic of domestic abuse/coercive control and how someone's private life can be very different from how they are perceived by others. I did work out the 'twist' about half way through.

I loved Bev Thomas’ book, The Family Retreat. The writing and characterisation was superb and the storyline covered many current and complex issues. This is a new author for me and I’ll be looking out for more from her. I thoroughly recommend it.

My thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this one.

I was intrigued by the reasoning behind Jess's enforced career break and this is teased out over several chapters as we get to know the characters in her family.
Forced to a "family break" by the sea and soon abandoned by her husband for work reasons Jess eventually relaxes into life on the coast and befriending the slightly odd, standoff-ish neighbours Helen and James.
Becoming far too involved in the complexities of the neighbours relationship and family Jess finds herself in an impossible situation that will have you turning pages late into the night seeking resolution.

Free courtesy of Netgalley

I really don't like giving negative feedback but this book was not great to read. I would say the last 20% was okay but the rest was just hard work.

The story centres around Jess who is a GP in a busy London practice, she has some sort of breakdown (maybe I still don't know) and goes on enforced leave. Her husband then books a month away in Dorset for their family.

Whilst there they meet another family with kids of a similar age to theirs, and they become sort of friends.

This book is hard to describe as I am still not sure why something's happened and what significance other things had. To explain it was like going to the kitchen to make a cuppa and get distracted by something else, and never going back to make that cuppa. The book was very slow and done a lot of "if I'd known then" " looking back I would realise" .... The full story started near the end by then I couldn't wait to finish.

Unfortunately I wouldn't say the book was a thriller, it was more of a dud.

My thanks to Faber & Faber for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Family Retreat’ by Bev Thomas.

This was a slow burn domestic drama that centred on Dr Jess Gibson, a GP currently on leave following an unsettling incident at the group practice where she works in East London. Her writer husband, Rob, suggests that the family get away for the summer.

Jess isn’t convinced though their kids are thrilled and the combination of the Dorset sea air and the idyllic cottage works their magic and Jess starts to relax into the holiday vibes. She even makes friends with Helen, another woman who is holidaying there with her husband and kids.

When Jess uncovers a disturbing secret, she is confident that she can help solve the problem. Yet even the gentlest waves can hide the deadliest undercurrents. No further details to avoid spoilers though as the cover tag line indicates this perfect holiday will have a shocking ending that no one could have foreseen.

As indicated above this story unfolds at a measured pace and its revelations felt quite organic. At times Jess does reflect upon her past and we learn of the reasons for her need for time away from the demands of her profession.

Bev Thomas was a clinical psychologist in the NHS and continues to serve as a mental health consultant and I felt that she approached the novel’s themes her with sensitivity while still penning an engaging suspense drama.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.