Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing

How far would you run away to escape your past?

One of the things that did not work for me was the multiple POVs in this story. This story has 8 people who are strangers escaping something from their past. It's told from the present and the past, and I thought it was hard to follow. I didn't like many of the characters. However, even with this I liked a lot of the book!

I found this storyline extremely difficult to follow with the multiple-character points of view and constant varying timeline flashbacks throughout. The first half was so slow-paced with eight different main characters being developed along with their backstories I almost stopped reading at this midpoint.

However, I am glad I continued reading and powered through because I did enjoy the second half of the book where each character's storyline was wrapped up with their individual twists and turns. The last third of the book had me turning pages and staying awake to see what happened next.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my voluntary and honest review.

4.5 Stars

This story is not what I was expecting from John Marrs. This was not one of his dark, fast-paced thrillers, nor was it one of his speculative fictions. Instead, it unfolded as a complex tapestry of interconnected stories, delving deep into the intricacies of human nature.

The plot revolves around eight strangers seeking refuge from their pasts at an old Venice Beach hostel. The characters are engaging, with short chapters providing glimpses into each person's present perspective and glimpses into their past, revealing their secrets.

While juggling various points of view and timelines may seem challenging at first, the effort is worthwhile. The story's complexity adds depth, making it a compelling read for those who enjoy diverse perspectives. However, if you prefer straightforward narratives, this might not be the right fit for you.

Overall, ‘The Vacation’ stands as a compelling story characterized by outstanding character development and inventive storytelling. Marrs skillfully presents a narrative that sparks contemplation, ensuring readers remain captivated and eagerly anticipate each unfolding revelation.

Many thanks to the publisher for the DRC via NetGalley

I was provided an advance copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was an engaging read with lots of relationship drama and multiple story lines. Author did a great job with character and plot development although it did feel a little drawn out and slow in parts.

This was my first John Marrs read, and with "The Vacation", he's created a thought-provoking story that explores identity, belonging and the complexities of human connection in the digital age. He follows the story of 8 backpackers at a rundown hostel in Venice Beach, CA, each of whom have different reasons for their stay. Initially, it was a little difficult to transition between both the different points of view as well as the different times (flashbacks to provide backstory were frequent), but the latter did a well enough job of keeping me interested in the characters' motivations. Where their storylines intersect is when you see Marr's storytelling at its best.

What I appreciated about "The Vacation" was that instead of one jaw-dropping twist, Marr sprinkles smaller moments throughout. He writes crisply and concisely, and I'm looking forward to delving into Marr's earlier works to get another glimpse of what he can do.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my least favorite of John Marrs' books. This one felt a little too action thriller for me - that is likely my fault for not getting past but overall, I just didn't love the vibes. Maybe at a different time of year, I'd enjoy it more as I am more of a mood reader for sure.

I received this ARC, only to find out it had been originally published in 2018. Since I didn’t read it back then, I can’t make comparisons for any differences, but alas, I didn’t feel strongly about this one.

I’ve read one or two others by John Marrs, though nothing compares to the originality of The One. I know it’s unfair to compare book siblings, but here we are.

The Vacation is set in Venice Beach, California, which is the ultimate setting if want interesting, possibly shady characters, as this is what you'll find along the entire boardwalk. The premise is a bit like The Real World: Eight strangers live in a house, only in this case, it’s a hostel, and they all have hidden pasts and are seemingly on the verge of a breakdown.

The problem is, much like reality TV, I didn’t like any of the characters, and the flip-flopping stories and timelines were too much. I’m not opposed to alternating narrators or non-sequential dates, but I couldn’t get my footing to feel any depth.

Setting-wise, it’s superb. But imagine standing at the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean; it’s fun for a few minutes but eventually you either want to wade deeper or get out altogether, and I did the latter.

3.5/5 rounded up

This book features eight characters, each running from something somewhere in the world who all end up in a run-down hostel in Venice Beach. While forming their own little community, each plays their cards close to the vest, unsure of who to trust.

I honestly struggled with this book at the beginning. There are a lot of characters and a lot of backstory. Not much really happens by way of action until later in the book. I did come to like and root for some of the characters, though that came once we got to know the characters better. This is a little bit of a love letter to backpacking, as we discover the author did a backpacking trip to the US in the early '90s. If you love travel or have been backpacking this one may be more for you. Or if you're just a fan of John Marrs' books like I am.

Thank you to Hanover Square Press, author John Marrs, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I loved the location of a hostel in Venice Beach Los Angeles. The book follows 8 characters who left a bad situation around the world. Although each character has their own unique story, 8 characters with different plots was a lot to keep up with and contributed to a lack of action throughout the book. The end ties up nicely, but made me wish for more depth.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am really not sure what I think about this one.

I was expecting more of a crime thriller. Instead, I got a bunch of tragic yet quirky characters in a youth hostel.

It does, indeed, get violent eventually. And some of our tragic characters end up in even more tragic situations by book’s end. However, it really felt a bit like one dude’s memories of backpacking and reminiscing about the folks you meet at hostels. Which would likely be of some interest if I’d ever been a backpacking traveler who stayed at youth hostels and drifted around the world. I wasn’t.

I think that some folks will absolutely love this one and will be lost in some memories. Others will be fascinated by the tragic lives of our characters. I just…wanted more to happen.

Not, unfortunately, for me.

The Vacation is the third iteration of this book and this first time I have read it. Centered around a group of very disparate characters in a Venice Hostel all with lots of secrets about their identities and their pasts.

Having never stayed in a hostel, Marrs really brought that lifestyle to life for me. The vast array of personalities and what it would be like to spend time in such close quarters with others was very well documented.

I had a really hard time getting into the book because there are a lot of characters and even though some of their histories were being slowly revealed, I just wasn't getting into the story or their connections. Luckily the second half of the book picked up and I began to care about the characters.

The point of only having a glimpse into others' lives was emphasized in the epilogue where people are gone and we don't know what happened to them.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, Hanover Square Press, and John Marrs for the advanced copy of The Vacation in exchange for my honest review.

This isn't my favorite John Marrs book I've ever read, but it was still entertaining. My main gripe is that it felt too long and I had a really hard time distinguishing between characters until about 30% through the book.

Ultimately I found it interesting how the characters weaved together and there were a couple genuinely shocking moments towards the end.

John Marrs remains an autobuy author for me and ultimately I would recommend this one to fans of his past books!

The Vacation will be on US bookshelves on December 19th.

I tried really hard to like this one. I started it over twice. I just found myself so bored with this one. I don't know why but it just was not for me.

I love John Marrs but this one was too confusing and slow for me, I could not get into it and forced myself to finish. The issue for me was the amount of characters and introductions, it became hard to follow who was who from the beginning and what their story was. Then there was time shifts between past and present which made it even more confusing. A big chunk of the story was also getting to know the characters and why they were at the venice beach motel - what they were running away from. I figured early on they would all have some sort of connection which is why I pushed to finish.

Overall, I think this would be a great movie as it would be easier to follow but would not recommend this read to you if you get confused easily with characters and timeline. 2⭐️

Thank you for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this title via NetGalley.

I have tried several times to get into this book. No such luck. I see if was first released a few years ago. A lot of strangers at a hostel… just can’t get into it. Sorry

John Marrs is one of my favorite authors, and I've rated all of his books 4 or 5. Something didn't work for me with this book. I ended up not finishing it because I thought the pace was too slow, and I wasn't interested/invested in the characters.

This was my first book by this author and it definitely won't be my last. I loved it all. Every single word. He draws you in with the description and really makes you feel like you're a part of it.

I enjoyed this book up until the ending about the last 10% I felt like too much was going on. Other than that it was an enjoyable read

I was so excited to receive this book, as John Marrs is one of my favorite authors. This book is probably my least favorite of his.

Surprisingly, I didn’t have problems keeping track of who is who. There are a lot of characters and storylines to follow but it wasn’t hard to keep track. I didn’t love that a lot of the chapters ended in cliffhangers, and we had to cycle through other character’s chapters before figuring out what happened next.

I love short chapters, but this book is longer than I usually like to read, and I found the first half to be pretty slow. Things really picked up in the second half and I really liked how we learned how everyone was connected.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

John Marrs is an auto buy author of mine and I was thrilled to read THE VACATION. Marrs is no stranger to writing multiple POV with short, attention grabbing chapters that make you yearn for more. While it was fun putting the puzzle pieces together to understand how these strangers connected, I think eight characters was too much. I wasn’t able to dig into their individual stories deeply and therefore, couldn’t become invested in their lives, good or bad.