John Marrs could write a phone book and I’d read it. This book left me guessing until the very last page. I absolutely love this book!

I enjoyed this book. I have only previously read The One by John Marrs and I loved the format of following multiple charaters and plot lines taking place in both the past and present. The Vacation is written the same way and it was hard to put this book down. Just when I would finish a chapter and be ready for a break, I'd see whose story was continued in the next chapter and I'd have to keep reading. The Vacation was an enjoyable read but became a little far fetched at times. If you can look past that, as I did, you'lll like the book too.
Thank you to John Marrs, NetGalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square PressetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Whew! Slow burn turns into a story that keeps me on the edge of my seat with unexpected twists and turns! I enjoyed the cast of characters and how everyone has thier own story to tell, fantastic character development along the way too.

How far would you run to escape your past?

Venice Beach, Los Angeles. A paradise on earth. Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood. But for eight strangers at a beach-front hostel, there is far more on their minds than an extended vacation. All of them are running from something. And they all have secrets they'd kill to keep...

John Marrs. John Freaking Marrs. I don't know how he does it but dannngggg I'm obsessed.

Expect major slow burn vibes but holy crap it's soo worth it for that last 30%. The twisty turns are completely expected as with any thriller but just the way they are done here had me gasping. Like WTF. Howww!?! I'm still shocked.

This is another character heavy plot from Marrs. Each chapter alternating between them. But you can so easily tell one character from the other right from the first page. No confusion here. Each character is given such unique traits making you question every one of their behaviors immedietly.

I loved the flash back scenes of each character. Giving us a little peek into each characters past lives and puts some light on what the heck is actually going down within these pages.

The way the story unfolds. WOW. Does this happen in real life?
Oof I just love a story that makes you never want to leave the house again.

There is defenitly no hostel stays in my future. Nope. Absolutely Not. I'll be here on the farm safe and sound✌️

I believe this is the first book I’ve read by John Marrs and all I can say is Wow!! Just look at what I’ve been missing!

The Vacation was such a good book and hard to put down. it’s described as a thriller but I don’t think this is quite accurate. Instead, it’s a fast-paced story with a variety of well-developed characters and some interesting and unexpected twists. It involves a number of people who, for one reason or another, are staying at the Venice Beach International Hostel in California. It’s summer and all of them are running from something, hiding something, planning something, or all of the above. And yes, there are enough secrets to go around.

It’s definitely a combination of various personalities and backgrounds. The story moves between the characters and often flashes back to a period of time prior to the current events. The author manages this quite well and his skills as a writer are evident as he keeps the story coherent and easy to follow, while at the same time maintaining a very good pace.

If I had any complaints they would be twofold. First, there are more than a couple of coincidences that added to the enjoyment of the story but were also a bit far-fetched. Secondly, the final chapters tied up the loose ends almost too neatly. But, I’m willing to ignore these grievances because The Vacation was so enjoyable and fun to read. Thank you, Mr Marrs, for writing such a good book. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

I’ve read almost all of John Marrs’ books. I love the imagination of his science fiction books, like The One. This book, didn’t hit that mark for me. It was rather hard to follow, slow paced, and too many flashbacks. Overall okay read, but not a favorite.
Thak you NetGalley and Pan McMillan for the complementary advanced copy.

Eight strangers, eight stories, and eight different pasts they all long to forget.

John Marrs latest reworked novel centers on a rundown Venice Beach vacation hostel travelers from all over the world are seeking an escape--and that escape isn't just a vacation for some. From a backpacker looking to hide from the world to childhood friends from Ireland, Marrs weaves a distinct cast of characters that inevitably comes together in a tapestry of lies, deceit, and certainly some didn't-see-it-coming plot twists.

Fast-paced against an interesting setting, "The Vacation" is complex but digestible-enough for readers to keep track of; and yet, it's far from my favorite Marrs novel. I felt that I had to suspend more belief here than in "The One" or "The Passengers," but still enjoyed the wild ride nonetheless. Definitely a good travel read!

I was very excited when I got approved for this book, as I really enjoyed “The One” by this author in the past. The first page of the book explained that it is a reprint of a previous book with a different name, which I thought was odd, but nothing more.
Unfortunately, this reads nothing like The One and actually feels very immature in its style. In the first few pages “The Vacation” makes derogatory comments about women in more than 3 different scenes, all while also having no character building other than calling people good looking or ugly.
I abandoned this book at around 10%, as I kept cringing at it. I’m not its intended audience, and I hope it finds the correct target group.


Thank you ti NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I made it 9% into this book. I have decided it just isn't for me. I'm not really invested in the story. I really am upset by this because I've been looking forward to reading a John Marrs book. This one just isn't for me. I do plan on picking out another book from him though. I wish this one interested me more.

I’m a big fan of John Marrs’ psychological thrillers, I’ve read nearly all of them and have recommended most of them on my blog.

The Vacation, unfortunately isn’t one I can get excited about, I think the concept is good eight strangers in a hostel, all of them running from something, all of them have secrets, there a lot of characters to keep track of, which in turn means it takes much longer to pick up pace. The story isn’t to easiest to follow and I found it a bit of a struggle to stay interested.

Ambitious, detailed, complex, but I can’t help thinking I could have loved it had it had half as many characters and strands.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing

First I would like to say thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really like John Marrs! This is the second book of his I have read and it didn't disappoint. The story follows roughly 5 to 6 people who are all staying in the LA hostel. Everyone is trying to escape something and or someone. There are many chapters but they are short and within the chapters there are present and past timelines so you learn the characters in the "now' and the "then". I don't want to give anything away but I really liked it. It was entertaining. I will read more of his books.

John Marrs does it again. He is a master at twists and turns and keeping you guessing. I loved this book and finished it in one setting. The book is about eight strangers staying at the same hostel in Venice; all who have secrets they are trying to keep hidden. The character development in the book is phenomenal making the characters really come to life. John Marrs's books are very unique and he has a special talent at story telling. I can't get enough of his books! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

Another exciting thriller from this author. I’ve read several books from this author and I haven’t been disappointed. The plot and the story is amazing. The characters are as always are great. Perfectly told thriller story. This story is an awesome addition to the thriller genre.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

John Marrs has become a go-to author for me. I found myself drawn to all of the characters and their stories. Marrs is a mastermind of thriller writing!

Wow, what a ride! Well deserved 4.5 stars, round up to 5. Quite enjoyed this book.
It took me a while to get into it, and for the first quarter of it I didn't even think I'd finish it... But then... it just swept me off my feet! Unputdownable roller coaster, where everything you know turns out to be nothing like you could have possibly imagined!
A group of random strangers find themselves in a hostel. They all have their own reasons to be there, each journey leads them somewhere. Wherever they eventually arrive will be a point of no return, yet it will be a start for a new journey.
Skillfully twisted story, well thought through characters, emotional and intellectual journey that brings a reader somewhere, wherever they are.

This book is wonderfully written. The character development is impressive. They are full of life and you feel all that they feel. You empathize with them even when they aren't doing the right thing. There are twists and turns throughout the book, and some that you don't see coming. This book is unputdownable. I definitely recommend this book!

Eric and Nicole are friends who are after the true American experience but are in Venice Beach for a specific reason. Savannah found herself at the hostel after fleeing from her family. Ruth from Australia is unlucky in love and hoping her stay at the hostel will change her fate. Matty and Daniel are backpackers from Ireland who are trying to forget something that happened. Jake transformed himself into a different person and is hiding from his past. Each of the strangers that we meet are either running away from something, running towards something or they have a secret they don’t want revealed. As the strangers interact and spend time together their secrets start to come to the surface.

This is definitely a 5 star read. I recommend it especially if you like thrillers!

THIS WAS A WILD RIDE! The main story is set in a backpacking hostel in California where multiple different characters collide. They are all running from something, and they all have secrets they would do just about anything to keep. Now dont let a large cast of characters drive you away - at no time did I loose track of who was who and what their backstory was. The author does a GREAT job of going back and forth, back and forth, without loosing the reader or confusing them. At almost 500 pages it’s not a quick read, but it is worth reading slowly. I think this would make an amazing Netflix series!!

A derelict hostel in Venice Beach is the setting for most of The Vacation. The book follows the lives -past and present- of a slew of quirky characters who have found themselves residing at the hostel. The stories of the residents unfold and then wind together, creating a fun and thrilling web of stories. A great, easy read with twists around every corner that burns relatively slowly but keeps the reader committed.

It took me a long time to figure out what to write for this book. I had a really hard time getting into it. There were a lot of characters and there was a very long buildup of the story bouncing between characters and timeline. I gave up on the book several times but I did come back to it and didn’t mind the ending but the beginning was just too hard for me to get into unfortunately. I do normally really like this author so that’s why I came back to the book.