Surprisingly this was my first John Marrs novel and it definitely won’t be the last!

The Vacation follows several travelers during their time in a Venice Beach, CA hostel. Their lives collide and melt together in the most interesting and surprising ways! I found myself gasping at their connections and actions more than once.

I gave it 4 stars because I felt like it dragged a little in the second quarter of the book, but overall it was a riveting and poignant story.

John Marrs should teach classes on forming and writing character development and backstories. I felt like I knew each character and could understand their actions (right and wrong). Each ending was spot on to the character.

This book made me laugh, cry, and commiserate and I wholeheartedly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley

Receiving a new book by John Marrs, one of my top authors, was an exciting moment. However, this particular novel didn't quite meet my expectations compared to his other works.

The book is rich in characters and intertwining storylines, yet I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I could keep track of each one. The frequent cliffhangers at the end of chapters, which led to a delay in resolution as the story shifted between characters, were less appealing to me.

While I generally enjoy short chapters, I found this longer novel a bit challenging, especially since the initial half felt slow-paced. However, the narrative gained significant momentum in the latter half, revealing the intriguing connections between the characters.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this book, and this review reflects my honest opinion.

John Marrs is a masterful storyteller. He ventures into people’s psyche like no other.

In a run down Venice Beach hostel, eight strangers are living together, each with a past they are trying to escape. As we learn their secrets, their pasts and their reasons for ending up in a hostel, we also get to see what hostel living is like. There are enough twists to keep you reading for hours on end.

Marrs takes a deep dive into the complexities of human nature through past and present perspectives. He’s able to make you understand even the most hated characters. I highly recommend this 4-star book to thriller junkies and anyone who loves a well written story. Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copy.

There hasn’t been a John Marrs book that I’ve met yet that I didn’t love. This one is no exception. Some of his are mystery thrillers and some are set more in the future. This is a present day mystery thriller and will keep you gasping with the twists and turns abound.

Another winner from John Marrs! I admit I was overwhelmed by the number of characters in the book and the past and present for each but as the story unfolded it became much easier to follow each character. I loved Savannah and grew to love Tommy as his story became clear. This was a great book-so many great characters and story lines. Quite a few unexpected twists along the way! I am shocked that I enjoyed it as much as I did due to being overwhelmed in the beginning! Definitely recommend. Thank you to NetGalley, John Marrs and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Wow! John Marrs does it again! This book has a ton of characters and I did kind of feel a little bit confused during the beginning, but everything came together in the end and I loved the twists!

The Vacation is a new release by John Marrs but it is actually a book that is be republished under a new name. The original came out in 2015 under a different title.

This book follows a group of people all at a hostel and they all have a story. We jump around from character to character into the present and the past as each characters story is revealed. There are a lot of crazy stories and messed up backstories.

Unfortunately this book did not work for me. We had so many characters and so many backstories it was hard to keep track of everyone. It also goes into the past as well and that makes it even harder to follow. Some of the stories were interesting but there was just way too much going on. While there were a lot of stories going on, I was still somehow bored throughout. I don’t feel like there were really any stakes, it was just being told stuff instead of feeling anything. I also didn’t connect with the characters since there were so many.

I think I would’ve liked this if there were a few less characters and a few less stories. Thanks so much to netgalley and harlequin trade publishing for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This just wasn’t for me unfortunately. I haven’t loved the past books from John Mars and I couldn’t get into this one at all.

John Marrs is becoming a go-to author for me. This was a slow burn story for me, at times I was like ok get to the point. Overall, I did like how some of the character's stories intertwined with each other which is a staple of this author! I will definitely keep my eye out for more from this author in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoy John Marrs books, and THE VACATION was no exception. A group of people end up at a hostel in Venice Beach. Each has their own secret to keep, and their stories are entwined in sometimes shocking ways.

I struggled a bit because there were so many characters involved, and it was hard to keep them all straight. The first half of THE VACATION is pretty dense, and it was slow going for me, despite the short chapters which move between characters. Once I got past this, however, the reveals began coming and they were twisty and satisfying.

I can definitely see how Marrs’ writing style has changed since he wrote this one, which I understand is one of his earliest books previously titled “Welcome to Wherever You Are.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of THE VACATION in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my copy of John Marrs' The Vacation.

I was pretty excited to be approved for this since I have found myself enjoying John Marrs' works but this one didn't hit like his previous works. It is definitely full of mysteries but some of it just felt a little too forced. As per usual it has multiple POVs, but some of the storylines felt a little dull.

We have the Nicole and Eric storyline which I found to be really interesting especially when things start to unfold. Tommy's, although sad, felt a little dull until Jake's storyline intertwined with it. Matty and Declan felt a little off but not gonna lie it made me sob. Ruth's storyline is definitely a John Marrs' signature. Savannah's storyline was definitely the most interesting for me, especially her past and the growth she has gone through. It was definitely a slow start that I kind of struggled to get into it but it does pick up at around page 60-ish, I think. Then each story gets wrapped up but I felt like there's just a missing piece in the end that left me unsatisfied.

I would still recommend it if you enjoy multiple POVs with crazy storylines.

DNF
The book was long, seemed to drag on, and did not keep my attention. I got halfway through and couldn’t keep going. I really wanted to love this because I love the author.

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕍𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟
𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘀
Thriller
497 pages

Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs

Tommy decides to backpack around the world after being in a horrendous car accident.

When he arrived at a hostel, his life interacted with many others as all their issues worked to the surface.

Mʸ ᵀᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴᵀs

The ending was full of surprises that knocked my socks off. The story to get there was a little confusing due to the many POVs and the past and present fluctuations. I found myself mixing up characters at times. That is why I gave it four stars.

The characters were definitively flawed; some were working to be better, and others were heading the opposite way.

The story deals with many issues: sudden death, expected death, unplanned pregnancy, an abusive father, social awkwardness, trust issues, family problems, and murder. There is so much that comes out in this plot. It is a lot to take in.

For me, it comes down to the ending. So much happened that I didn’t expect. That is what I love about The Vacation: the unexpected zingers that finish the story.

💕Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing this ebook for me to read and review.

John Marrs is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors who never fails to deliver a perfectly executed plot through multiple points of views that interweave into an intricate story that keeps you on the edge of your seat through twists and turns. Multi-deminsional, suspenseful, and the perfect thriller that kept the pages turning. I cannot express how much I loved this book, the characters, and the plot. I have been hooked on John Marrs since reading "The One" and "The Marriage Act" and it seems that he has continued to perfect his craft. I cannot wait to purchase this book and add it to my collection and I highly recommend this book for book clubs as you will want to and need to discus.

“Empty bottles of Budweiser and paper plates stained with remnants of spaghetti bolognese littered the corridors as Tommy made his way from his dormitory to the hostel reception desk.” Here are reasons to read the thriller book:

8 Strangers- This book takes place in a hostel where 8 strangers find themselves, and their paths cross.
New Start - Some are coming for a new start, some are looking for something, and some are running from something
Past - but one thing is for sure, their past will catch up with them all.


So one thing I can say for John Marrs, is he has a way of twisting and revealing the story in a way you don’t expect. And that does happen here. However, there were so many characters that I got a little confused. Also, I feel like some of the story lines were only existing to connect some others to what was happening. This to me was not a fast read. And while I did like how the story did end up overlapping, I also felt like I didn’t connect with any of the characters at all.

In John Marrs’ The Vacation, we follow multiple people whose lives intersect at Venice Beach International Hostel in Los Angeles. There's Tommy who works has been working at the hostel, Savannah who has been staying there for years running from her past in Alabama, Eric and Nicole from England who are on an American adventure, Jake who is finding himself again, and Matty and Declan who are runaways from Ireland. They all have their own problems and their own secrets.
I really struggled with the first half of this book. I felt that it was very slow paced and I often asked myself what the point of this book was.
The second half was its redemption point. I felt more connected to the characters and the tragic situations they were in. It all felt much more thrilling and scary.
My biggest gripe would be with one of the characters. One in particular did not feel realistic. He seemed to know everything about all of the characters. I felt like he was just used to help the story along.
Overall I would say I'm happy I stuck with the book and enjoyed it.

Oof, this book is a doozy.. not in a good way.

It's over written and cringey, and parts of it are a little silly. A bunch of vacationers at a hostel in Venice Beach meet, and their lives intertwine in different ways. There was too much back and forth, and it felt like an unaware soap opera.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for letting me get my hands on this ARC!

It was so easy to get wrapped up in the complications of each character that you come across in this novel. There literally is a character for everyone in this book.

When the stories begin to unfold completely, you will not be able to put this book down. I was SHOCKED by literally every twist in this book. Part of the ending even made me sob.

Do yourself a favor and immediately purchase.

The Venice Beach International Hostel is a cheap haven for people from all walks of life. They all seem to be running from someone or something, and would go to great lengths to safeguard their secrets.

When I got the NetGalley approval for The Vacation, I legitimately squealed in delight. I couldn’t wait to jump back into John Marrs’ twisted little world with both feet. The first 40% of the book was light on twists and heavy on character development. While I appreciate well fleshed out characters, the plot suffered a bit and felt slow-moving. However, the remainder of the book made up for this and then some. The character’s individual storylines were super juicy and entertaining, and the twists were phenomenal! There were several occasions where I needed to stop and regroup after a twist was revealed because I couldn’t believe what I had just read. I highly recommend adding this one to your 2024 TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A copy of this review will be posted on my Instagram account (whats.amy.reading) the week of November 20.

This was just an okay read. I didn’t really connect with the plot or the characters so it ended up being a fairly “blah” reading experience.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60322612