3.75 stars

I really enjoyed the relationship between the MCs, thought it was very cute that they'd been crushing on each other their whole lives and they finally worked up the courage to speak to each other. I really enjoyed their little dates and how there were almost sneaking around to see each other, you could really tell how much they liked each other and how big an impact they had on each others lives, even when they hadn't really spoken to each other before

The huge negative to me was that the sister of the FMC was very annoying and honestly didn't really redeem herself throughout the book. The pranks that the sisters pulled on each other were funny and entertaining but I wanted to skip over any bits that wasn't about the MCs

- duel pov
- mutual long term crushes

**3.75 stars**

There is so much I loved about this book with a few things I didn't. I'll start with the good stuff....

MYLES AND TESSA. Oh my gosh. I loved them. They were such a delightful couple. Tessa's rambling made me chuckle and I was so happy when she finally got over her nerves (which didn't take a super long time) and was able to actually build a relationship with him. Every time they hung out I had a huge smile on my face. They were so perfect together and it had all the romance feels with the fun, witty banter that Meghan Quinn is known for. Honestly, these two were great. Plus the setting?? I love a good vacation story and one that's set somewhere like Greece is just perfection. I want to go to Anissa's so badly and I wish it wasn't fictional. The world building was awesome and I can picture the entire resort in my mind. LOVE. IT.

The bad stuff was honestly almost everything with Roxane, Lois, and Clea. They really knew how to steam roll Tessa and didn't take any of her thoughts or feelings into consideration and on top of that straight up embarrassed her on multiple occasions. I was shocked because in the beginning the four of them were friendship goals, but then it was like a weird switch flipped and all of the sudden they were kind of terrible people? However freaking KU-DOS to Tessa for how she handled that, particularly towards the end. Ultimately, the friendship dynamic is why I knocked off 1.25 stars.

I don't want to give anything away, but I'd be remiss if I didn't add how much I loved how the groveling went down at the end. It was a complete 180 from most romance books and that made me want to stand up and cheer. I love when things go in a different direction than what's expected.

Overall, I really liked this book despite my aforementioned grievances. It was fun and so romantic. I highly recommend it!

Meghan Quinn certainly knows how to deliver a rom-com!

Vacation Wars is a hilarious story of childhood crushes turned secret relationship, family dysfunction and dynamics gone wild and all the awkward. Everything about Tessa and Myles' story screams rom-com- from the mutual secret crushing all throughout their childhood/teenage years, teenage friendship contracts and meddling gone awry to the heartbreak and grand gestures then topped off with a pretty HEA bow.

I laughed out loud so many times in this book- Myles getting Tessa out of a set up in the bar by yelling that she smelled too fishy will forever live in my mind making me laugh. Myles brought the swoon with all his romantic little gestures and just how much he treasured everything about Tessa for years. They are kind of a perfect match with their awkward nerdiness though Tessa's shines through just a little more than Myles' does. While this story pretty light hearted and fun there is this emotional undercurrent throughout as well. Tessa is plagued with insecurities as being the "background" twin her whole life and from being burned by relationships. Myles is struggling with the shift in his relationship with his father and constantly trying to prove his loyalty.

I will say that although I definitely did enjoy the journey to Myles and Tessa's HEA, it was not my favorite Meghan book. I felt like there was just a bit too much of things that should have really been non-issues or needless roadblocks thrown up that I just had some moments of "🙄 ok, seriously?" Tessa was the biggest perpetrator of that feeling but her sister Roxane brought it out too- especially if Tessa wasn't falling in line with what she wanted. For the most part I liked Tessa, I loved her nerdiness and just overall awkwardness especially in the beginning when she was just learning how to actually form words around Myles BUT she also drove me a bit crazy especially toward the third act when it felt like Myles was putting in all the effort and she just was essentially sabotaging it all.

But overall, Vacation Wars is super cute and fun to read and definitely has me wishing for a trip to the coastal shores of Greece!

What can I say? "Vacation Wars" made me literally laugh out loud in multiple places and I ugly cried towards the end. With all of the big emotions, the story of Tessa and Myles was so sweet, I was rooting for them the whole time. I also loved that the setting was in Greece and enjoyed all of the details of the Greek culture and landscape. This was a 5-star romance!

The love story between Tessa and The Bulge, I mean Myles, is absolutely adorable! I love how their story spans from childhood into their 30's. I hope to be able to visit Greece one day to experience all the food and amazing views that Meghan described in this book. I appreciate how mental health was represented in this book and love how the story played out. 10/10 recommend anything Meghan Quinn writes!

I love Meghan Quinn so much! Every time she nails the humor and swoon combo, making her books an absolute delight. Vacation Wars is no different! You can count on Meghan Quinn to deliver laugh out loud moments and romance to make your heart happy.

I have been a fan of Meghan Quinn for a while so this pains me to leave a review with this rating. With that being said where this was a well written book it was not what I have become accustomed to with her work. Where I enjoyed the sibling/friend antics to some extent I also had a hard time with some of the characters and their antics. Told from a dual POV between Myles and Tessa their story has been one in the making since their childhood.

Tessa, timid twin to her sister Roxane has had a suspected unrequited crush on Myles, a boy she has seen every year when on vacation at a resort in Greece since childhood. A crush she has had since her early teen years. After one embarrassing moment, Myles disappears for 7 years only to bump into her when Tessa has returned to the resort with her sister and their friends before her sister's impending nuptials and when she least expects to see him again. In what was supposed to be a relaxing and bonding trip between siblings and friends turns into an all out sibling war where at times was not pretty at times. What Tessa gets in the end is her feelings for Myles expressed and a partner in thwarting her sister's plans for her and eventually a chance with Myles that the two have danced around for years.

Myles, son of the resort owner has returned to Greece after going to school to repair his relationship with his father and learn/build the family resort business. He finds that his father remains stubborn and hurt relegating him to menial jobs around the resort and insisting that he make appointments with his to see each other and communicate only to have the two be even more torn apart at the end. He stumbles into Tessa and the two team up - him to help her with her sister issue and she helps him convince his father that his plans for the resort are good financially. What he also gets is the knowledge that they lived in the same city - living close to one another - and never running into each other, the ability to express that he too had a crush on her and the chance to explore those feelings.

This well written story of star crossed love was well written but the secondary story between the siblings and their friends did bother me. I felt that Roxane was a shallow character and cruel at times in how she treated Tessa to the point of abusive. I also had a hard time with the two best friends of the pair of siblings just going along with the plans of Roxane making me question whether they were truly friends of both siblings or just Roxane to then turn the tables on Tessa at the end of the book and call her out on her behavior for events leading up to the trip. I also did not like that Tessa after finding the strength to stand up for herself returned to her old ways once she returned to NYC with Roxane and was willing to throw things away with Myles.

Overall, where this was a good read that anyone with siblings can relate to, I still struggled with it and at times thought that the plot moved a little slow in places.

Honestly it's no surprise given Meghan Quinn is the author, but this book was amazing.
Vacation Wars had the perfect mix of romance, drama and emotional scenes that had me unable to put the book down. It has some of my favourite tropes, including childhood crush, friends to lovers and a vacation romance. It truely can't get better than that.
This is the kind of book you sit down and binge within a day. I can definitely see myself doing rereads in the future.

Meghan Quinn never disappoints. She came here to serve and she did. This served so good. I loved it. The couple and their romance was so angsty and the chemistry off the charts hot that it had me fanning myself every now and then!!

Such a fun read with the Meghan Quinn Romcom vibes! Tessa has had a childhood crush on Myles and she finally gets to be with him! Each of them have their own struggles to overcome, but they truly just fit together so well! I couldn't help but root for them the entire time reading and laughing along with them. There's family drama, lots of laughs, and feel good moments! If you're. a MQ fan this is a must read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for this arc in exchange for my review.
 
Vacation Wars is a full-length novel about how family dynamics (and childhood pacts between friends) can create hurdles when trying to find your happily ever after. Tess has spent every summer of her childhood in Santorini awkwardly crushing over Myles, the resort owner’s son. When Tessa’s sister announces a girl’s trip back to the resort for the week before her wedding, she is anticipating sun, sand, and girl gossip. Instead, Tessa’s sister decides it is time for her to catch a man, thus beginning the vacation wars! Fortunately, Myles is also back in Santorini and becomes Tessa’s ally in dodging suitors and her sister’s pranks, while juggling his own family’s drama centered on his father’s decision to sell the resort. Tessa and Myles quickly realize their mutual long-standing crushes and shared history might be the foundation for a solid future together.
 
My thoughts: I loved it! Tessa is the quite possibly the most awkward heroine I’ve read in a long time, but she is so relatable. I easily empathized with inner dialogue regarding date set-ups and finding your voice around a long-term crush. While the vacation wars were fun and had me laughing out loud, Quinn does a great job at using this plotline to develop conversations around setting boundaries with families and friends; additionally, she explores how long-standing friendships must evolve as we age, settle down, and start families. As a mom in my 40’s I found this read both nostalgic and relevant.
 
You can expect:
Dual POV
Childhood Crushes (Awkward Heroine/Smooth Hero)
Family Dramas
Spicy Open Door

Vacation Wars mixes their romance with friends, insecurities in a sister relationship, a strained father-son relationship, and building the strength to stand up for oneself. It was a funny and heartfelt read from Meghan Quinn

Vacation Wars is full of a swoony romance, girl fights, family drama, and a ridiculous amount of awkward babbling.

Tessa is the twin no one seems to notice next to her bubbly, put together sister Roxane. The twins and their two best friends head to Greece for some bonding time before Roxane’s fiancée and their families join them for Roxane’s wedding, but it quickly turns brutal as the other girls decide they are now in charge of Tessa’s love life. Tessa really just wants to spend time with Myles, her childhood crush who works at the resort they are staying at. The girls have other ideas and the vacation wars ensue. Myles is on Tessa’s side, as she has always been his crush, and their feelings continue to grow.

The romance between Tessa and Myles is fantastic. They discuss important topics, quickly let each other in, and are so upfront and honest with one another while still having a ton of fun. Their time together is well written, once we get past Tessa’s awkwardness in the beginning. The family relationships and those extremely toxic friends though? Good lord I couldn’t handle it. These women are 30 but act like they are 16 years old, feeding each other laxative spiked cupcakes and believing in a magic perfume. Tessa states so many times that their friendship is so important and so close, but I couldn’t believe a word of that with how they treated each other. These are definitely not the kind of friendships I would choose to keep in my life!

The first 5 or 6 chapters had me filled with secondhand embarrassment and cringing. Tessa is written as a bumbling, awkward person who can’t seem to talk to anyone at the beginning but suddenly becomes very smooth and almost a different person once she and Myles begin to get close.

The beautiful descriptions of Greece had me ready to book a flight, and I do think this was a fun concept! I just had some issues with the actual characters that made me rate this one a 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Meghan Quinn will never do wrong for me, to be honest. She is my favorite author, and this book is so freaking funny and cute. My favorites of hers are the Cane Brothers series, and while this one has a different vibe than those, I still love this one and it is still a five star read.

Wow this was a ride! A good mix of humor, emotion, and romance! Loved the setting of this book. Meghan Quinn will always been an auto-read author for me and I really enjoyed this story!

4.5

This was a good mix of silly fun, emotional scenes, drama, and romance.

Before her twin sister’s wedding, Tessa arrives at the hotel her family has spend every summer at for a pre-wedding vacation with her sister, Roxanne, and their two best friends since childhood. As the only single one of the group, the other women plan to find a partner for Tessa during their week leading up to the wedding. Trying to evade her scheming friends, she finds herself in the way of Myles, who is the son the owner of the hotel and coincidentally also the person Tessa had a crush on every summer.

Myles is back in his home for the first time in seven years, after going to New York for a hospitality management program. He wises to rebuilt the relationship with his father and wants to prove him that he now that the skills to help run the hotel, all while Myles’ dad seems not only to draw back from Myles but also from the hotel they both love.

Tessa and Myles just FIT together. While Tessa might’ve had a crush on him, watching him from afar in their childhoods, Myles was not better, she was just a little more awkward about it. These two though are fundamentally made from the same cloth and finally get the courage and chance to get to know each other.

Vacation Wars mixes their romance with the growing pains of a friendship group, insecurities in a sister relationship, a strained father-son relationship, and building the strength to stand up for oneself.

Honestly, the only bad thing I can say about this book is the way Tessa, a woman who had at least two relationships and is thirty, acts like the quirkiest teenage virgin when it comes to anything remotely sexual. Not sex itself, thank god, but the way she went on for chapters calling Myles ‘bulge’ and general childishness. Babe, get yourself together!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. At this point, I've read a bunch of Quinn's books, and Vacation Wars is one of her better books. There's a lot of laugh out loud moments and sweet romance.

The character development of the two main love interests was on par with other books. Tessa Doukas has been going with her family to a resort in Santorini, Greece, since she was a child. She grew up going there every summer with her twin sister Roxane. Tessa had a crush on a boy, turned man known later as the Bulge, for his impressive package. Tessa was always too shy to approach Myles. Fast forward several years, and Tessa, Roxane, and their best friends Clea and Lois are in Greece ahead of Roxane's wedding to Phillip. Due to a childhood pact, because Tessa is the sole single friend in their group, Roxane takes it upon herself to be in charge of Tessa's romantic life. She tries to set her up with a few duds, Jeremiah being the worst. Tessa overcomes her nerves and starts talking with Myles, who she discovers is the owner of the resort's son. Myles spent 7 years in NYC, not far from Tessa, studying hospitality, and has dreams of opening a boutique hotel in Santorini. Myles helps Tessa overcome her shyness and insecurities and her overbearing twin sister. At one point, I felt that Roxane was written very one dimensional and obnoxious, unlikeable. Myles was simply the lifeguard Tessa crushed on to Roxane. I wish she had clarified quickly exactly who he is. I enjoyed the development of the love between Tessa and Myles, even though secondary characters weren't as fleshed out.

The last part of the book is why this book is rated 4, rather than 5 stars. Trying to keep a long distance relationship going was not realistic. Yes, we know they get a HEA, but the reason for the separation was manufactured in a way. I guess neither of them were ready to make a commitment until ILY's were exchanged. The best parts made me lol. 4.5/5☆ out 4/18/23.

OMG! Meghan Quinn has done it again.
You had me in the prologue, already rolling around laughing. How on earth does she do it every time? Each book has exceptional characters, cracking storylines, plenty of laughter and emotion. The reader is left begging for more.
So many highlights, The Bulge, The Contract, luxurious lips

Tessa is just the funniest, I need her and the girls to be my friends

This is just the best story, I could not put it down. Loved loved loved it.

Vacation Wars perfectly sums up this story.. There is drama, romance, & a little bit of mystery.. A must read! 4.5 stars

Blending the story of Odysseus and Penelope with a spin on The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Quinn has given us a delightfully sexy rom-com that doesn’t fit neatly into any trope. It isn’t quite friends to lovers because Myles and Tessa, despite laying eyes on each other for the first time at age 6, barely acknowledged each other’s existence. It’s only 24 years later, when Tessa, her identical twin sister and soon-to-be bride Roxane, and their best friends Clea and Lois gather in Santorini, Greece for a girl’s vacation prior to the destination wedding, that the stars finally seem to align. Myles, after 7 years away in New York studying hotel management, is finally back home, ready to help his estranged father strengthen and expand the family hotel. When he sees grown-up, but still adorably awkward, clumsy and shy Tessa, he seizes the opportunity to finally get to know her.

When he finds out that Roxane is on a mission to take over Tessa’s love life thanks to a silly “contract” the friends made in high school (that stipulates if any of them reach age 30 without having found love, it’s out of their hands), he can’t help but want to save Tessa from a series of disastrous dates. Tessa, knowing that it’s going to get petty and ugly, recruits Myles to her side in “the vacation wars.” Not surprisingly, as they spend more time together, her awkwardness around him fades and the tenuous, nearly lifelong thread between them begins to strengthen, especially when they admit they've harbored mutual crushes for years. The question is whether their growing attraction is just a vacation romance or if they’re finally at the right time and place to build something lasting, assuming they can put themselves first rather than sacrificing what they have to take care of their family.

Their romance is simply lovely. They are two beautiful souls who bring out the best in each other, make each other happy, support each other’s dreams, and have sizzling chemistry. If you’re looking for the perfect book boyfriend, Myles fits the bill. After a couple of Quinn’s recent books that feature really unlikeable female protagonists, it’s so wonderful to have kind, compassionate Tessa who blossoms under Myles’ care and devotion.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Montlake through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.