Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: May 9, 2023

The Summer Holiday is my second book by S E Lynes and I really enjoyed it! This is a domestic psychological thriller storyline told from multiple POV.

Kate and her husband Jeff are on their yearly holiday to their vacation house in Spain. This is the first time they have been away without their now teen daughter who is spending the holidays with a friend.

Kate has always been there for Jeff. Long nights alone while he finishes law school, even longer nights when he became a lawyer and always feeling like she is just on the outside of what could be a really good marriage. Hoping to reconnect over their holiday, Kate plans to spend as much quality time with Jeff as possible.

While shopping in town Kate runs into Coco Moss, the glamorous popular girl from University. Everyone wanted to either be Coco or be in her circle. On a whim she invites her for drinks and can’t wait to see her husbands reaction when she brings home Coco Moss.

The reaction from both Jeff and Coco is not what Kate expects. In fact, they both look downright terrified to see each other. Kate can’t figure it out, they barely knew each other. As Kate digs deeper into the past, she’s beginning to discover that Coco Moss is not as wonderful and glamorous as she once thought and her husband is not the man she thought she married.

This book was fairly fast paced and kept me interested throughout. There was a surprising twist towards the end that I would have liked to learn more about but overall this is a 4 star read for me.

#NetGalley #thesummerholiday #selynes

My second S.E. Lynes book and it did not disappoint! I'll never forget The Ex, which I read in August 2022 (fave for that month!) and I was keen to read more of S.E. Lynes' work following it.

This is a domestic thriller, in which Kate and her lawyer husband go on a holiday, the first without their now teen daughter, and Kate's looking forward to getting back in touch. But then, the popular girl from college is there and it is a disaster. People all have their secrets but some are worse than others.

I was engrossed very early on and could not put this down (well, besides when commitments required). I was impressed that for a pretty common theme amongst domestic thrillers, the author put what I considered to be a very original storyline to it and some fab twists.

I loved the changing POVs and how you could not only easily identify who it is.. yay for POV headings, but could tell exactly who it would be even if there were no headings because of the well developed characters. Amazing!

There was one thing at the end of this that I wish I knew a bit more about how it was closed out but that's probably a me thing 😁.

I would definitely recommend this one if you enjoy domestic thrillers, with loads of suspense and twists, and a bit of emotion.

S.E. Lynes might quickly become an auto-buy author for me. Love it when you find an author who works for you. 2/2!

Publication date: 9 May 2023.

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Thanks to @netgalley , the author and @bookouture for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Summer Holiday by S.E. Lynes is a psych thriller that takes a minute to get going, but then ends up quite satisfying. And a lot happens in between.
Kate is in a marriage that she feels might be uneven, but she’s made it work for years. She and Jeff don’t seem to be very evenly matched, but (as with any couple) they probably have their reasons.
Too bad the reasons aren’t the same for both of them.
While on vacation in Spain (because Jeff provides), they run into Coco Moss – a person Kate was enamored with in college. And someone who Jeff may or may not have ties to…somehow.
Trying really hard not to drop any spoilers.
Suffice to say that Coco Moss might just be the undoing of all of them. (I like the way the author has Coco doing “confessionals.” It breaks up the style and is effective in the overall plot
There are secrets galore in this book – everybody has them. Some are just worse than others. And some of them are just plain horrible. Poor Kate.
The book takes a while to get going. We get a lot of how Kate feels inadequate, how she tries to compensate (for what?), and how she wishes she could be…well, more like Coco.
Until she finds out some info that throws all of her perspectives into disarray.
There are a few characters who don’t figure much in the plot – they just seem to be window dressing. But late in the game there are still a few more secrets revealed which make everything more plausible.
And there’s that lovely last-minute twist I’ve come to love in a psych thriller.
S.E. Lynes is at the top of my list of psych thriller authors and The Summer Holiday is one of the best.

For more reviews like this, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks.

Another great story from one of my favourite authors. Lots of twists to keep the reader gripped. I did want to give Kate a shake though ! This book is written in such a lovely way that I was into the story straight away. Loved it !!!! Five stars from me

I love Susie Lynes books!
She is so talented at writing intriguing, gripping stories that you can easily read in a couple of sittings!
The start of the book sets the scene brilliantly, and I raced through it to see what would happen. You know immediately that the denouement will be epic, as the characters all unknowingly meet up on a summer holiday.
This book is full of secrets and lies, and we are spoilt on that score! You never know who to trust.

This author is definitely one of my must reads! This is another great thriller from her. Poor Kate, married to narcissist Jeff for so long, she does come across as a bit of a doormat. However, she starts to find out his true character when on holiday in Spain. When they meet up with old university mate Coco, secrets unravel. I love the way the story is told in a dual timeline, tying the future to the past.

S.E Lynes writes psychological thrillers like no one else, and this latest, The Summer Holiday, has all the qualities of a thriller writer writing at the top of their game. The villain in this book is Coco, an exquisitely crafted, fabulous monster; who you will love to hate. The Summer Holiday isn’t just perfect for the summer season; the characters make it far more timeless than that.
Kate and Jeff are a golden couple. But they’ve not been born to it. From pretty ordinary backgrounds, both have worked for their lifestyle. Jeff is your classic workaholic, and although Kate has her own small business, she runs the household and children so that Jeff can focus on his career and nothing else. If Kate feels less at ease in their golden life, she puts everything she can into hiding her insecurities.
One of the bonuses of their lifestyle is the villa in Spain, and while there on holiday, they run into a face from the past. Coco was the girl at uni who everyone wanted to be or be with. She was the centre of all the action, the Queen Bee. But because this is a psychological thriller, nothing and no one is quite how they appear, and events safely hidden in the past are about to be revealed.
We feel for Kate in her ignorance of the past and her attempts to be just a bit more ‘Coco’. Aiming for casual cool in Mediterranean summer isn’t as easy as Coco makes it look.
Kate, who sweats in the heat, drinks too much to cover her nerves, makes sartorial errors and tries too hard, is a heroine we can all relate to.
Coco is the glorious anti-heroine, cool, calm, and elegant, but she slices her way through this book like a knife through butter, leaving us gasping at her sheer audacity and secretly admiring her.
This author’s understanding and ability to judge just how far to push the reader and when to deliver the twists is second to none.
Brilliantly paced with what has become S.E Lyne’s trademark of intelligence, dark humour and brilliant characterisation.

I requested this book based on its awesome summary, hoping for a thrilling ride.

However, it failed to be what it promised. Thrillers are usually meant to be fast-paced, heart-pumping, adrenaline-inducing books, where you can't help but wonder what-who-why-when.

This time, I wasn't that invested, because Kate was such a drag. Don't get me wrong, in the first half of the book, I really, really connected to her. I have never identified with a character so much (except for her very weird obsession with Coco Moss) and I could feel for her.

But the writing was not up to how great the characters could've been. Kate is the only interesting character of them all, as Jeff and Coco are downright horrible.

It's way much longer than it should've been, by at least 100 pages. I have a feeling that had it been a little more compact, with fewer descriptions of the dreamy, idyllic Spanish town, would've been way better. And, of course, shorter, with fewer meaningless details.

Thanks to Bookatoure and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Summer Holiday is another great read by S.E.Lynes.
Kate is married to Jeff and the6 have a grown up daughter. Kate lives in Jeff’s shadow, doing everything for him that he needs. They are growing apart since their daughter has grown up and this is their first holiday to their villa in Spain without her. Whilst there a chance meeting ensures Kate manages to befriend someone from uni who she idolised, the one and only Coco Moss. Kate invites her to their villa and realises straight away that Jeff is hiding something. Kate digs deep to uncover secrets and doesn’t like what she finds.
This was a great read, I didn’t like Kate but by the end she had grown on me and the ending was decent. The book has a good pace from the start, it does slow down a little mid way but picks up with quite a few twists along the way. The storyline was enjoyable and believable and I liked the bounce between Spain and their uni days in Leeds.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Thank to Bookouture, S. E. Lynes and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was pulled in right from the beginning. Then it slowed down. Then all of a sudden, Holy Crap. A few twists and turns made it just right. I was not a fan of the main female character at first. Honestly she was annoying me. Then, she took a 180. Loved the ending. The only thing I’d like to see is a sequel. I would definitely recommend this author. I’ll be looking for Lynes great next read.

Another excellent read by S E Lynes.
The usual intelligent writing and intrigue and a few twists woven in to the mix.
This book may be called The Summer Holiday but a cosy read for the sunbed it certainly isn't though it is set in Spain and the author captures the Spanish atmosphere perfectly. A definite page turner. Thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to read another great book by this amazing author.

Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for this arc. I could not really relate to the character but was done so good that at the endcI could. Perfect for a beach read, reccomend

Wow, what a book! Thank you so much Bookouture for This advanced copy!

This is my first S E Lynes book and it's now one of my favourite books I've ever read.

Kate was a wonderful leading character, reminding us how desperate we were as teens to fit in. To look as cool as the others. I loved her! She is also a wonderful reminder that you are never too old to start again.

Never has an author made me feel such hatred towards certain characters (in a good way)! I thought Coco's chapters were a triumph. It was so great to hear the story from everyone's point of view, stirring up a range of emotions throughout.

I would recommend this book to anyone, though I feel women will relate more to this one. It would be a fantastic holiday read but has been nice to fantasize about Sun sea and sand whilst reading this in the bleak English weather too!

Book Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
The Summer Holiday
Author: S. E. Lynes
Pub date: May 9, 2023
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: General Fiction (Adult)/Mystery & Thrillers

Kate and Jeff are taking their annual holiday at their Spanish villa. Like most married couples they have their ups and downs. After all they’ve been together since University. Their daughter is all grown and not with them this trip. Kate thinks they can rekindle their relationship. Jeff is preoccupied with work, working out, and going off with the boys leaving Kate on her own as usual.

Kate is at one of the outdoor restaurants and spots an old acquaintance from university. She never actually hung out with Coco Moss. Coco was one of the in crowd, which Kate certainly was not. Kate approaches Coco and invites her and her family to drinks that evening.

Coco shows up alone and when she sees Jeff and likewise they are both in shock. They try to hide it but Kate realizes something is or has gone on between the two.

Kate then is on a mission to figure out exactly what happened. And she does, but at what cost to her life?

I liked the premise of this novel. There were multiple point of views from these three characters. I wish Kate had been more assertive earlier on. I was surprised by one of the mysteries that’s revealed at the end.

Thank you
@netgalley @bookouture @selynesauthor for an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#thesummerholiday #bookouture #selynes #mysteryandthrillers #mystery #womensfiction #literaryfiction #fiction #NetGalley
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Kate and Jeff are soaking up the sun on vacation in their gorgeous villa in Spain. While at a cafe, Kate sees Coco Moss, the chic and popular girl from their old college days. In an attempt to finally impress her, she casually bumps into her and invites her for a drink at their villa. To her surprise, she agrees and Kate is beyond excited to surprise her husband with their guest.
The next night when Coco enters and sees Kate’s husband is Jeff, she looks horrified and speechless. Jeff’s eyes go wide and his face goes pale. They brush it off but Kate can’t shake the feeling that something is not right. She begins to untangle the lies and find out the truth from all those years ago.

I really enjoyed this slow burn domestic thriller! I was engaged from the start and really grew to love Kate, who is made of more than she seems. The story was twisted with lies, manipulation and hidden secrets from the past. I loved the storytelling and that it shifts from Kate, Jeff and Coco’s point of view. The twists come later in the book, but I was invested throughout the story to find out the truth!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoture for a gifted ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took a good while to get into this book unfortunately as I found it rather slow. The characters were a little annoying, the story itself and the setting was enjoyable and the style of writing was perfect. I have read many books by this author and in my opinion this wasn’t one of the best
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

The Summer Holiday - by S.E. Lynes'

Kate and Jeff has been married for over a decade. Jeff is a successful lawyer and always busy with his job. They took a summer holiday at the beach in Spain, tried to spend more time together to remind each other about their happy marriage time. Everything went smooth until Kate bumped into a lady that everyone was obsessed with - Coco Moss. Coco was such a charming, beautiful and always-under-the-spotlight character.

Kate invited Coco to their villa. When Jeff saw Coco, Kate knew there was something between them. The awkward expression and the just the small details already enough to make a wife being skeptical.

The secret that Jeff and Coco was trying to conceal in all the past years came to an end. Betrayal, revenge and distraught....are immersing in the plot.

I enjoyed different POVs by the author which made us easier to follow the real thoughts of the characters. This is a slow burnt thriller, but the dark history and the twists created were definitely worth it!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author S.E. Lynes for this twisty thriller.

Kate and Jeff are on holiday at their villa in Spain, just like every other year, only this time it's just the two of them as their daughter Lou, who is now at uni, is away with friends. They've been married a long time and have lost themselves along the way so Kate is trying to salvage what they have during this holiday. When she bumps into Coco Moss, an old uni acquaintance and someone she highly revered back in the day, she invites her for drinks, still trying to impress her after all this time, but she's not prepared for the reaction when Jeff and Coco come face to face, clearly they have already met, the question is when, and what are they trying to hide from Kate?

The Summer Holiday is the latest psychological thriller by Lynes, I'm always excited when I hear that another one of her books is being published and this time was no different. What is different with this one is it's not as dark as some of her previous books, so I found it to be a slightly lighter read but still with the intensity that I've come to know and love from this author and still with some great twists along the way. The story is told by all three characters, I didn't like Coco or Jeff and, whilst I felt sorry for Kate because she clearly felt invisible most of the time, something I'm certain many of us have experienced at some point in our lives, I also wanted to give her a good shake so she could see these two horrible people for what they really were and kick them into touch! This is another fabulous read from Lynes, who never fails to impress me with her descriptive thrillers, keeping me up till 2am to finish it. Loved it!

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Kate and her husband, Jeff, are on holiday in Spain. While there Kate runs into an old friend and classmate from University. Coco was the popular IT girl that everyone, including Kate, wanted to emulate. Kate can’t help but invite her to their villa. As Coco and Jeff lock eyes it is clear to see that they have a history together that Kate knows nothing about. As quickly as the look is there it is gone but Kate can’t help but try to find the truth about what that look of horror was all about.

This is a slow passed thriller at first, that alternates chapters with all three points of view. The end is great with a few twists thrown in. Overall the book was enjoyable with plenty of secrets and lies.

Kate and Jeff are holidaying in their Spanish villa. It’s their first holiday without daughter Lou, who is away staying with friends. It is clear from their relationship, that the spark has gone from their marriage. Both in their fifties, Jeff, a wealthy lawyer, has made sure he keeps fit and is involved in all sorts of sport. While they are away, Kate sees little of him as he spends time running, swimming and paddle boarding.
Kate has always been a nurturer and provider, and feels adrift without Lou. However, she still has Jeff to look after and organise meals for. One morning she slips into a bar for coffee and croissant and sees someone she’s not laid eyes on for years. Coco Moss, the IT girl from uni everyone wanted to emulate. Glamorous, slim, with two children and a toy boy in tow, she is everything Kate isn’t. Her old obsession resurfaces and sees her going to out purchase a dress and hat similar to the one Coco is wearing. She also makes a decision to ask her around for drinks that evening; something that will irrevocably change her life.
I felt sad for Kate, clearly someone who enjoyed her role of mother and found it difficult to embrace her new single status. She was a people pleaser; someone who hated the timing of their annual summer holiday because of the intense heat, but never complained because that was the time Jeff preferred to go. Inviting Coco into their home becomes a defining moment as it is clear Jeff and Coco have history. Kate is guilty of obsessing over Coco, unaware that her husband obsesses too, but in a far different and more dangerous way.
Written from all three character viewpoints, it’s soon clear Jeff is a totally unlikeable character. Selfish and uncaring about his wife, everything is all about him. Coco is a user, someone who has got by in life with lies and deception. They are a match made in heaven. Kate is in the middle of this sandwich. Some might think of her as a doormat, too keen to put herself last, but the story shows that worms will turn and karma eventually prevail – well, perhaps not totally, which personally was a bit of a disappointment. However, given the nature of that particular character, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised!
A thoroughly enjoyable read. My thanks to Bookouture, S E Lynes and Netgalley for an ARC of The Summer Holiday in exchange for an honest review.