Listen. I'm not usually one who enjoys a book with a large cast of characters but I am a sucker for a book about characters whose POVs cannot be trusted. John Marrs has brilliantly combined both into a tale about secrets and the lengths people will go to keep them from ever rising to the surface. While I don't think it's the best John Marrs book I've read, it kept me entertained throughout.

This novel is set in Venice Beach, Los Angeles at a beachfront hostel where the lives of eight strangers converge. None of them are there just for a vacation as they are all running from something.

As the story moves along, different pieces fall into place and you’re able to start connecting dots. The characters are linked in some form or other and you eventually learn that some of them just didn’t meet by chance. The story is well written and drops hints and makes connections all the way through which was great. It was like a jigsaw puzzle and by the end all the pieces were in place.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheVacation

I have heard so much about John Marrs stories and I was really intrigued by the idea behind this one. I liked that this book has short chapters making it quick to get through. Though there are a lot of different characters with back stories that I felt like
I was thrown around a lot in this story. I can say it didn’t fully turn me off and there was enough of a mystery to keep me going until the end but it was a long process and sometimes I felt like the story took too long to get answers.

Loved this book! John Marrs is one of the best of his kind! I devour every one of books so quickly and can not wait for the next release!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read such a great book!

Wow, I absolutely loved this book on so many levels! At first I didn't know it was a rewrite and I'm not sure how it differed from the original but whatever got changed was good because the only thing I could say I didn't like about reading this, was that thanks to my own drama filled life I wasn't able to read it as quickly as I would have liked.
It starts a little slow because there's a lot of background information going on for all the characters and it does go back and forth in timelines but the way it all comes together is so incredible and when you least expect it - POOF - mind blown, jaw dropped! It's just a great story told really well. Like every good book there are characters that you love and characters that you don't, you find them here too. I was so taken in by each one of them and their own personal stories and how they all come together. There are lessons here and not just the "watch your back" , "be careful who you trust" thriller lessons, but true real life lessons - you just never know why someone is who they are or the journey they've been on and why.
This was my second John Maars book and I'm on the hunt for more! It deserves every one of the five stars I'm giving it and more

This book was just “meh” for me. I felt like I was reading it because I had to finish it instead of reading it because I wanted to finish it. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was.

I enjoyed the diverse characters in The Vacation by John Marrs. I liked the way that so many of them were connected in the past and how all the secrets came out.

Lots of twists and turns in this book about so many different types of characters. All about the nomadic lifestyle of several characters with sordid back stories. Kept my attention and kept me guessing throughout the book.

A thriller set in a rundown backpackers hostel in California.
There are so many unexpected surprises, twists and my favourite type of characters, deranged.
The plot is compelling and all the unrelated characters come together so nicely.
A John Marrs book is always worth the read and ride.

Thank you Netgalley. I love John Marrs and this was yet another show stopper! The storyline was great and the characters were well developed. I did not see the twists and turns coming and it was awesome!

John Marrs is the best author at twisty, unpredictable, insane thrillers. His books must have drugs in them because I can’t stop once I start .

yes, yes, yes! John Marrs did it again! This was an automatic must read for me and it did not disappoint!

I loved reading this book on vacation as you start coming up with fun back stories of strangers. This book took it one step further. You meet a lot of different characters all with different backgrounds and the author does an amazing job making you feel a certain way about them. I loved that you got flashbacks of their past lives to give context to the future situations but as the book continues, the flashbacks leave you in shock in awe. At first it is confusing to learn all these new characters but at the end, it all comes together. At one point in the book, I felt everything made sense but I still had an hour left. I couldn't put it down and after finishing, it still is making analyze it.

This is a complex character driven thriller that took a while to get going. Told from alternating characters viewpoints and vacillating between past and present, it took this one a while to get going for me, but once it did I was eager to see where it would take me.

The characters were interesting and their backstories so completely different that it was impossible for me to figure out how these various plot lines would all tie together. But therein lies Marr’s brilliance as a thriller writer. He goes places my brain can’t begin to conceive of. He is a master at creating great twists and portraying the complex coincidences of fate.

I liked the idea that these characters want to escape from their pasts but it turns out they can’t because the events that shape you are carried inside you. Not my favorite book by Marrs, but still a solid read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @hanoversquqrepress for an arc of this book.

At first I was a little confused about the number of characters that were introduced right away and it was hard to keep track of who was who for a few chapters. After I finally remembered who was who, I really loved how everyone was connected in a way, which added to the mystery of why and what the heck was even going on? If you love being confused until the very end like I do, this is the book for you. This is the type of book where every chapter I say, “okay when this chapter is over, I’m stopping” and of course it’s impossible because every single chapter ends on a cliffhanger and then changes to a different person’s POV. I loved the short chapters and found them very easy to get through fast. At one point, when the first big twist hit, I felt like I got sucker punched. My jaw was literally on the floor and I couldn’t wait to finish the book. I also think this book did a good job addressing sexual assault happening to a man, as well as racism, which are both incredibly important topics. One thing I do wish that the author would have done is cut a few pages out because at some points in the different characters stories, the story seemed to drag and sometimes some of the information seemed unnecessary. At 476 pages, it was a little long for my liking, but that may be a personal preference vs a fault in the book. However, the ending when everything was wrapping up was *chef’s kiss*.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ The Vacation by John Marrs

I’m just sitting here. Hmmmm… I just finished this book and I’m just sitting here. How do I feel about this book? I have wavered on my opinion for this book and I don’t really know why -- although I think it may be because it took me so long to read…and again, I don’t know why. I felt like I picked it up and read it quite a bit but wasn’t making much progress. But in the end, I’ve decided on 4 stars.

Now that I’m writing this review, I think it took so long because I had to focus. I couldn’t just skim some parts, or focus on the dialogue. I had to focus on it all. There were a lot of characters and a lot of stories going on at once. I didn’t find it hard to follow, but I knew it was going to be easy to miss something.

The Vacation is a story about strangers who meet each other at a hostel. As we read about what they are currently experiencing, the traumas they are facing, and the twists that are dictating their current lives, we are also thrown back to multiple times in each character's lives that led them to this hostel. And to make it really twisty, they unknowingly are connected. But to who and why?

This was a very extraordinary story and unique way of telling it. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

I want to preface this by saying that I really wanted to love this book! I have read several of John Maars books in the past and have really enjoyed them so I was shocked that I couldn’t get into this book at all. I felt like it was very slow and there were just too many characters that It felt very difficult to get into and confusing at times. Overall, this was just a book that I didn’t necessarily like but I have heard many people enjoy it but I will definitely look into his books in the future because like I said I have enjoyed his previous books!

The Vacation is a mind-blowing novel which seems to have jaw-dropping secrets and shocking information in every single chapter. This, combined with the imaginative plot is not only an amazing set up for an unexpected ending…as if you could be anymore shocked by the ending, but will have you catching your breath as the secrets are revealed.

Eight people check into a hostel in Venice Beach, California. Near the ocean, they try to find peace and perhaps friendship during their stay. But, as we immediately find out from the get-go each person has a secret agenda, something they are hiding or running from. Dark burdens from their pasts. And through the passages which take you back to their pasts to their present, you will begin to glimpse what or why they are running and what they are trying to do in the present.

Those who check in are:

Eric and Nicole who have left their jobs in a hospital in England and seem to have no set plans as to where to go next until Nicole hears a song on the radio…

Savannah is on the run. She’s trying to escape her father but finds herself working at a job her father would never approve. She discovers that being sheltered all her young life has gotten her embroiled in things she knows nothing about. Then she meets someone who takes her under their wing.

Declan and his friend Matty are on the run for something they did back in Ireland. Two troublemakers who want to live it up in America and forget all their troubles. Then someone discovers their secret…at least one of the secrets!

Ruth is from Australia and has come to America because she won a contest to meet superstar Zak Stanley. She knows once she meets him her life will change forever, and she can put her difficult past behind her. She is so excited for their lunch!

Tommy is also from England. He and a friend left there to travel to get away from a tragedy. Then they decided to split up in America and Tommy came to the hostel and his friend stayed at a camp. Unfortunately, they have not been able to connect so Tommy decided to wait at the hostel and was lucky enough to get a job there. But being on his own is hard. He can’t stop the memories.

Jake seems like a drifter. His past is a mystery. He doesn’t give out much information about himself. But unfortunately, he hates who he was and what he did and just wants to find some companionship.

So, come along for the ride as these poor souls try to break free from where they came from and try to begin a new life. Unfortunately, fate will not allow this, and we begin to watch one train wreck after another with shock and horror.

The Vacation is everything you need in a story, tragedy, love, sorrow, suspense, hope and resolution. But reader beware! You will need a vacation after reading this incredible story!

Thank you #NetGalley #HanoverSquarePress #JohnMarrs #TheVacation for the advanced copy.

I feel like the best wat to describe John Marrs' books is: complex and messy. But in the best way. We see the layers of peoples psyches and relationships and how they're not always clear cut and change reflecting the person. the characters are always flawed and real - though they may not be well-liked.

The Vacation is a slow burn thriller with plenty of twists. I'm a huge fan of John Marrs, and although I really liked the book, it's not my favorite.