Sadly this just was not my cup of tea. The drinking, being drunk and obsessing over her ex was too much for me & came off as more teenager than senior in college.

Loved the cover and synopsis for this book, I feel like young readers will really enjoy this book - however I wouldn’t say it’s a winner for the 30+ club. If you’re looking for a quick read that will make you laugh (and cringe at times) this is for you! Not a ton of spice which you’d expect for the audience - overall the characters and their bonds/struggles were relatable most of the book. We’ve all had that bad apple in our life that we saw stars and our friends didn’t want to burst that bubble haha. Thank you netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Oh, how I thought this book was going to be good. The synopsis and cover certainly draw a reader in. I was even excited to see a monstera leaf being used as a chapter motif! But, honestly, this novel was a trainwreck from start to finish and it never redeemed itself. (Yes, I did read the entire thing from page one to page three hundred and twenty.)

The Cast of Characters

I want to start by discussing the characters, because that is truly where this story made its first missteps. Any good writer (and reader!) knows that the characters are the backbone of the story. Characters can have flaws, sure, but they must also have redeeming qualities that help the character transform by the novel’s end. Unfortunately for this novel, none of the characters had redeeming qualities nor did they really transform by the end.

Let’s get into our cast, shall we?

- Grace - The main character who tricks her friends into vacationing in Cancún so she can stalk her ex-boyfriend (Josh, who broke up with her after they only dated for six months) and try to win him back. She’s also a self-proclaimed feminist (she’s not) who perpetuates misogyny and girl-on-girl hate for most of the book.
- Tiff – Grace’s best friend who’s also rich. And she also thought it was okay to punch her friends in the boobs whenever she could? (I still have questions about why the author thought that was okay.)
- Camille – Grace’s college friend who is on a study abroad and is originally from France. (Re: Is a stereotypical Frenchwoman as seen through American eyes.)
- Josh – Grace’s ex-boyfriend . . . who was romantically interested in Grace for an unknown reason. He wants to be a filmmaker.
- Daniel – Grace’s new love interest . . . who is romantically interested in Grace for an unknown reason. Oh, and he’s a soccer star? I think?
- Caity – A girl who has a crush on Josh who Grace absolutely hates for no other reason than Caity having a crush on Josh/hangs around Josh’s vicinity. Oh, and she got Josh a job working on a film in Cancún.
- And an assortment of other minor characters that really don’t add anything else to the plot.

I wish I had a single character to root for, but I didn’t. All of them were frustrating for one reason or another and never truly changed or developed as characters.

The Plot and Lack of Set-up

I would argue that this novel was character-driven, as everything that unfolded was due to Grace’s choices. She was in the driver’s seat and wasn’t afraid of manipulating her friends to get what she wanted (re: staying close by Josh to win him back over romantically). So that begs the question: was there plot in this novel? Certainly. Was it set-up well? No and that lack of set-up was detrimental to the story.

Throughout the book, I found myself sitting with many story questions. Most questions were due to the lack of set-up and backstory provided on the page.

- Why did Grace love Josh so much? The reader never saw why their six-month relationship had a profound impact on Grace. Why about Josh and their romantic relationship made her stalk him to Cancún and try to win him back?
- Why did Daniel like Grace so much? The reader didn’t see a conversation about why Daniel enjoyed being with Grace or sought her out whenever they came across each other in public. He was there to serve one purpose: to be the love interest. Unfortunately, their relationship came off more as a “hook-up plot” than a fully-fledged “romance-plot.”
- Why were Grace & Co. drunk all the time? How did they get anything done when they were shooting back tequila nine times out of ten?

Outside of the missing plot set-up, another big failure was the lack of external conflict in Act III. Specifically, the lack of Grace facing the consequences of her actions which immediately undermined whatever character development was on the page. It was frustrating to see her friends (and Daniel) get upset with Grace when they all realized she manipulated them as a way of getting closer to Josh. Sure by that point she had realized Josh was actually the worst and she didn’t have feelings for him anymore, but that character growth was undermined by her overcoming the conflict with her friends after two conversations: one with Tiff and Camille, and one with Daniel. All three of these characters forgave her after a handful of paragraphs, which was frustrating. How can a character truly transform when everything is handed to them easily? A lack of obstacles doesn’t make for an interesting read, nor does it challenge the character to change and grow.

The Lack of Descriptions and Concrete Details

This is a small critique, but as a reader who really enjoys concrete details, it was difficult to get through this novel because of the lack of details and descriptions. With the story’s primary setting being in Cancún, and the general premise being about a girl’s trip, I truly wanted to disappear into that setting. I wanted to taste, feel, see, etc., the vacation the characters were enjoying. Instead, the concrete details were inconsistent. I could clearly picture the events of chapter one (where Grace visited Josh’s apartment) and chapter seventeen (where Grace and Daniel shared some spice at a public park). Anything outside of those chapters were unclear; I even forgot what the character’s looked like after a few chapters.

A Sidebar

Taking a break before we hit the heavy topics, I did have one question: Were the movie quotes necessary? Every chapter began with one and they never added anything to the theme of the chapter or the overall plot arc. As a reader, nothing would be lost by omitting these quotes from the page.

The Problematic Pieces

This is where I really was upset with this novel: the problematic aspects of it. There were arguably too many problematic—and unchallenged—pieces in this story. To start, there was: stereotyping and generalizations made about other cultures; claims that the main character was a feminist when she was perpetuating internalized misogyny; and girl-on-girl hate.

As mentioned in a previous section, there are characters in here that were viewed through an American, stereotyped, and generalized lens. This was especially apparent when Grace was making commentary about her friend, Camille (from France), Caity (her alleged nemesis), or other people she interacted with in Mexico. She continually made comments about how Asians/Asian Americans should act and name their kids (when talking about Caity); she made judgements on how Asian Americans were supposed to be “cheap.” Even Camille’s characterization ran on French stereotypes. For example: French people are crazy about basketball; champagne only comes from the Champagne region in France, everything else is considered sparkling wine; French cheese/food/customs are simply better than other countries. And the worst part is that, once again, all these ideas went completely unchallenged. Grace was allowed to make these comments and make these judgments without correction, which felt wildly irresponsible. I do hope that this novel gets sensitivity readers on it to help clear up these issues.

Something I struggled with was Grace calling herself a feminist throughout the book. I struggled with this because she wasn’t a feminist—she constantly made comments that put other characters down, whether the comments were about the person themselves or about a stereotype. Worse yet, Grace was the epitome of internalized misogyny. Again, this was evident from the first chapter. For example, she repeatedly made comments about making her boobs look good, since that’s the main thing Josh liked about her. Unfortunately, this internalized misogyny was never truly challenged. Did Grace learn that Josh was only using her for sex and that he wasn’t a nice guy? Sure. But she never took that next step to challenge her own worldview and how misogyny had affected her relationships with herself and her friends.

If there is one thing I am exhausted of seeing in fiction, it’s the perpetuation of girl-on-girl hate. This is something that Grace showed from the very first chapter, and it was always directed at Caity Ruiz. Grace never gave a real, concrete reason why she disliked Caity so much—not that a reason would make this behavior okay, as it absolutely isn’t—and repeatedly used the same comment set up to riff on this girl. At one point, I swore I would throw my Kindle out the window if I saw “Caity ‘[insert insult here]’ Ruiz” one more time. That comment structure was used fifteen times in this novel—which was one time too many. Putting other minor characters down to raise up the main character is lazy writing, but it also makes the main character a bully. And no one enjoys reading about a bully or about girl-on-girl hate. It’s 2023, let’s be better, yeah?

What this Novel Could’ve Been

Looking back, there were so many things this novel could have been. With the premise of a girl trip/friend vacation, this could have explored Grace’s friendships and how she heals from a toxic relationship. With Grace being biracial, there could have been greater exploration of identity and how racism has affected Grace’s life and dreams. Instead, this novel was about a young woman stalking her ex-boyfriend and perpetuating girl-on-girl hate and racial stereotypes.

Conclusion

I’ll be honest: this novel upset and angered me from the first chapter, but I pushed through it because I wanted to see this story redeem itself. Unfortunately, it failed to do just that. Grace was an awful main character with no self-awareness and no care for how her actions affected other people. Pair that with the girl-on-girl hate, unchallenged misogyny, and unchallenged stereotyping, and, well, it made for an uncomfortable read. If anything, I was rooting for Grace and Josh to end up together since they were both awful people and acted disrespectfully toward others. In the end, I can’t recommend this novel to others. There are better, more thoughtful novels on the market that would satisfy a fun summery read.

TW: stalking, racism, stereotypical, racial generalizations, internalized misogyny, girl-on-girl hate

Thank you to Simon and Schuster, MTV Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this book. I found the main character cringey. I kept waiting for it to get better. I almost DNF’d it but I pushed through.

<i>The Breakup Vacation</i> starts cringey and unfortunately never gets better. The main character Grace spends over half the book begging her fuckboy ex to take her back and lying to all her friends about it. Grace and her friends are basically just drunk for most of the book. Getting drunk and yelling at strangers in a club, or getting drunk and throwing up in a cab, are a level of messy that I'm not interested in reading about.

Then there's Grace and Daniel. I firmly believe that this isn't a romance book, it's a hookup book. While Grace and Daniel share a couple of deeper conversations, there's no wooing or dating or anything remotely romantic.

I was so happy to find this in my inbox. A quick read that was very enjoyable, I will definitely be recommending this

The Breakup Vacation is the perfect combo of cute, awkward, and kicking your feet in a YA Romcom. Fans of Lynn Painter's "Better Than The Movies" or "The Do Over" need look no further for their next fix of tooth-rotting fluff.

Great book to escape the realities of my everyday. I feel like I'm a bit too old for this one but I did find myself LOL at certain points. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Three stars. Awesome cover!

I thought it was fine. As a whole, it wasn't outstanding. I couldn't get past the French character, Camille. There was something about her that just got to me. I couldn't tell if she was supposed to be that much of an exaggeration or if it was an accident. I will say that the shower scene at the end was wowyyyyyy. That was top-notch.

If you're looking for a FMC who wont always make the right choices but will entertain from start to finish, Grace may be that character. She is young, dumb and in love with Josh. I enjoyed getting to know her friends that take the trip with her. As you are reading, you know what is going to happen, but it is enjoyable getting there and seeing what Grace does. Entertaining and a quick read!

Unfortunately this title was not for me but I do think younger patrons would enjoy it.

Thank you for letting me read it early.

read this one in one sitting and enjoyed this one a lot. i found me a new author to read and will read more. it had everything i wanted in a book.

I really enjoyed reading The Breakup Vacation. It’s such a fun messy read. The main character, Grace, is going through a breakup and she’s a little unhinged. She plans this whole vacation with her friends just so she can see her ex. Honestly, I’m here for the messiness! I love a little drama because it’s so interesting. I loved the friendship between Grace, Tiff, and Camille. Daniel is so dreamy, he’s literally the perfect guy! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to read something fun that has big rom com energy. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Anna Garcia for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

After her boyfriend (Josh) breaks up with her, Grace figures out how to get her two friends to go on vacation to Cancun so she can try to meet up with him while he's working there. Best laid plans always go awry and the reason is a handsome man named Daniel. There are some laugh out loud scenarios, steamy scenes, and a great crazy vacation vibe. This is a definite beach read.

This book was a quick rom com read!
I loved the characters and friendship between Camille, Grace and Tiff. Even though at times, it was chaotic and cringe.

Everyone has had that relationship where your friends know that person is so wrong for you, but you need to see it for yourself. And to figure it out in Cancun sounds perfect!

Thanks Atria Books for the ARC!

I loved the love triangle situation but also the growth of the characters and their realizations that the future isn't always something you can plan.

The Breakup Vacation is a cute rom-com that focuses on the importance of friendships.

The main lady, Grace goes through a self-reflecting adventure. She was a bit unhinged trying to win her undeserving ex-boyfriend back during Summer vacation, making bad decisions and being a bad friend at some points but who hasn't? I can relate and I'm sure others can too, making poor choices with rose-colored glasses all in the name of love. I wanted to scream at how stupid she was being but I couldn't help but root for her and I was glad to see her get a dose of reality when everything blew up in her face and she finally had to face the consequences. At the end of the day, she redeemed herself and her friends were there for her, giving their love and support.

Daniel, oh how I loved his character. Their meeting was spontaneous and the spark was instant, the chemistry was even better. I just wish there was a bit more romance and time spent with him. It sort of took a backseat to all the drama with the ex and the friends. I would say this was more women's fiction with the romance being the subplot. The ending was left open and I guess that's realistic for a vacation fling.

All in all, this was the quick and perfect beach read I needed, you'll laugh, judge, and root for these characters along the way.
Thank you Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and Anna Gracia for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fine. Our main character was messy, which is fine. I just wasn't super invested in the romance, and there was a lot of back and forth dialogue that went on for pages. I do appreciate the representation. This just didn't give me swooniness that I want from romance. Thank you NetGalley and MTV Books for the ARC for my honest review.

The premise of the book sounded decent, but I found the characters and the plot to be very annoying. It is set in college, which can be sloppy, but at the same time, this feels like high school but the content is not high school appropriate. I could not relate to the characters at all as they felt immature. The plot was also very quick, and I felt like there could have been better development, which could have made the novel longer and more captivating. Sadly, I wouldn't recommend this to a friend to read.

I am the biggest sucker for sisterhood and friendships in romcoms because I truly believe everyone needs their chosen family and support. Grace and Daniel had great banter which I enjoyed as well.

This is a good book to read between emotionally heavy or dark romance books as a palate cleanser.