Thank you to HTP for sending me a copy of THE VACATION by John Marrs. This book is available now.

I really love Marrs' writing and was super excited to dig into this one. There's a lot that really meets his usual style. Lots of characters and how they're all connected. However, with eight different main characters its hard to keep up sometimes. Not only that, I found this story to be quite dull. There were moments of flash that felt like they were thrown in to keep me reading, and granted, they were thrown in at the exact right time, but this one still left me wanting more in the end. It also felt kind of old, but little random changes were made to update some parts but not all. Not my favorite John Marrs book but, I still have so many he's written that I love.

All around a good read. But to be honest.. there was alot of different people to keep track of and kinda got lost doing some of their back stories.. but in the end it came together.

Eight strangers all staying in a hostel on Venice Beach in Los Angeles. It’s the perfect vacation spot complete with a beach. However, things aren’t so perfect for these strangers. They all have secrets, and all are trying to escape their past. They will do whatever it takes to get away from it all.

The author does a great job of painting the scene. The hostel can be both dark and menacing for some, but paradise for others. Each character is complex and their growth from beginning to end is very well portrayed.

I did find it a bit slow in the beginning, but when it picked up, I was totally addicted. I couldn’t put it down. Usually with so many characters involved in the story I get a bit confused and have a hard time keeping it all straight. Not with this one. Not only did it bounce between characters, but it also alternated between the past and present day. It did not bother me at all. The story flowed and I had no trouble at all keeping pace with it.

The author dropped all kinds of bombshells throughout the book. The ending was truly jaw-dropping. I did not see that coming. I wanted more. I hated to leave these characters. I felt like I knew each one.

It’s my first time reading anything by this author, but it won’t be my last. He’s won over another fan.





FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

With The Vacation John Marrs delivers another wonderful thriller. Featuring a large intriguing cast (8 characters each with their own story, their own secrets), multiple POVs and timelines, this is definitely a story that requires the reader to pay close attention. But as long as you do you won’t be disappointed. In typical Marrs fashion, he’s crafted a wonderfully intricate plot with twists you’re not likely to anticipate This is a ‘vacation’ you won’t soon forget. 4.5 stars out of 5. I’d like to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Vacation.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1Z5QUCSI786AR/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Tommy, front desk guy, and leaving behind a tragedy in England, Eric and Nicole, also from England and searching for something, Savannah, running from her past, living at the hostel and a dancer with a heart of gold, Peyk, a maybe shady jack of all trades performing repairs for owner Ron, Ruth, Australian in love with celebrity Zak Stanley, Jake, Londoner with a secret identity and Declan and Matty two Irish blokes on the run. This is the crew at the Venice Beach hostel on vacation.

A bit of a soap opera and over long I still enjoyed more than I thought I would.

Wow, the more John Marrs books I read, the more I want to read MORE John Marrs books! Every character in this book was fascinating, with their own story to tell and all of them were intriguing and left you anxious to pick it back up when it switched to the next character. I think I need a sequel to this book to see where everyone ended up. Can you make that happen, Mr. Marrs?
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my review. Reader of books, you’re gonna wanna read this one! Recently re-released on 12/19/23 - pick it up! You can thank me later.

Multiple characters converge at a hostel, which kept me reading to figure out where Marrs was going with each one. Not often do I sit and read a book in a couple of days but this was one of those for me, I was hooked.

Great book with multiple characters that were easy to follow along. John Marrs never let's you down,

This is another hit from Marrs! I absolutely love his psychological thrillers and this one did not disappoint. The character development is fantastic. The plot is intricate and well done. The book does what any good thriller should- keeps you on your toes until the very end. I highly recommend The Vacation!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I’ve seen mixed reviews about it, but I LOVED how this was written. It made it extremely fast paced and kept it from ever getting boring. This being a Marrs book. I was expecting more completely unhinged things to happen (besides Ruth), so that was a little disappointing. Normal people probably won’t have that reaction though 😂

This book is pretty good!! It gets a little hard to follow at times, with many different character perspectives and also flashbacks. But once you get that figured out, it's a fast read and a page turner!

If I could, I'd give this 4.5 stars out of 5.
Normally I don't enjoy books with multiple characters but I really enjoyed the wild ride of each characters stories as they unfolded. This is a MUST read if you're like me and enjoy a fast paced book with short chapters and a story that will have you hooked from the first page.

I haven’t traveled as much as I would like but I have been to Venice beach. I stayed at the Venice beach hotel right across from muscle beach. It’s quite a beautiful eclectic place. I was very intrigued when I saw John Marrs wrote a book set there about the lives of a group of strangers that meet at a hostel. I have read several of John Marrs books and they are always original and inventive. This book was no different. At first the book is a little bit confusing. There are many points of view in short chapters. As the story moves along you get to see great insight into these characters and you learn all there backstories. Everyone has a unique past filled with trauma and grief. I thought the book was brilliant. It was full of twists that made it hard to put down.



Thank you to netgalley for an arc in exchange for this review.

Take a beach scene, add in characters that are all keeping secrets, have John Marrs stir it all together, and what results is fantastic! I loved this one, and will be eagerly awaiting whatever John Marrs is working on next!!

This was a different kind of read for me and I enjoyed it. I really liked how this story was set at a hostel in Venice Beach and each chapter was about a different character in the present and the past. I thought I would get confused as there were many different characters, but it was easy to follow and kept me hooked. I didn’t mind that it wasn’t one big twist at the end, but multiple twists or ending for each character. I was hooked from start to finish!

This book follows eight backpackers traveling through Venice Beach in a rundown hostel.
John Marrs is the king of tying stories together so perfectly!

This book was all over the place, but not in a bad way. You get past and present POV from all the characters, which helps build their story and also figure out how they’re all tied together. Extremely short chapters which is always a plus for me!! Full of twists, and I absolutely devoured the whole thing. It was long, close to 500 pages.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my advanced copy! This edition was published yesterday!

As a rerelease, I did not read the original version to be able to compare it to, but this offered everything I expected from John Marrs (I have not been disappointed by any of his books yet!). It followed the flow of The One and The Passengers, in the sense that there were many characters from across the world whose stories we followed, not all of which were necessarily connected, but in this book, they have all ended up at the same hostel at Venice Beach for one reason or another. It did take me a little bit to get into each of their stories, as there were many characters that the story jumps between. But just as you feel like you are deep into it and getting to know their stories, so many twists and turns start happening. It didn't have the near-future setting as the other books I mentioned, but I truly enjoyed the ride, nonetheless! (I also may have shed an unexpected tear or two!) 4.5 stars for me!

An interesting depiction of the interaction between the inhabitants of a Southern California hostel.
Some of the characters were shady, as I expected.
I liked the location and the concept but the story lost steam about midway thorough.

Authors-quit choosing settings you so not understand. This was just so out of nowhere that I could not forgive it. Southern California is bigger than most countries, let alone states, and is too often treated as a stereotype rather than anything real.

Being born & raised in Southern California I loved this setting . Venice is a trip 😂
I love Venice beach, it's that place anyone can go & just do you .. no judgement. Kinda like a bookstore 🙃
I agree with I think Eric who said he was expecting more from Venice beach .. what people have to realize Venice is an experience, the beach is ok but it's not known to be the best beach around. I love John Marrs based #TheVacation on his backpacking experience throughout LA.
So yes I loved the setting BUT with that aside I wasn't a huge fan of alllll the characters & stories & wow what whoopers of a stories. I mean I know the saying "anything goes in LA" but 😳 .. idk alot seemed far fetched for me . Overall it was ok but way too long.

#NetGalley #Arc 🌞