I was expecting a lot more from this one and just didn't get it. I think this needed some more editing and could have been done with some heavy developmental editing. Here are some of the major things I noticed:
- I honestly didn't really see the romance in this one...like she and her bf break up so she plans this elaborate trip to get him back or some shit?
- I didn't like the FMC or the MMC lmao
-The characters lacked depth and I seriously think all they did was get drunk
-This one was very stereotype-heavy
-The plot lacked description in general but especially with their Cancun trip

Overall, I don't usually enjoy rom-coms which is what this was marketed as (I got this on Netgalley MONTHS ago) and the plot sounded interesting at the time. I honestly don't even enjoy contemporary romance that much. Since I don't read either often, it doesn't take a ton for me to be like oh that's a 5 star considering I don't have much to go off of. This one had so much potential to be fun but it needs a decent amount of work.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In all honesty, I did not finish this book because it was truly unbearable.
First, the cover is completely misleading. The three characters are more edgy and diverse than what I feel is portrayed,
Grace was also an annoying character who had zero personality and no development. We get very little backstory on anyone other than Tiff is obscenely rich (convenient) and Grace is obsessed with acting (although based on her internal thoughts I doubt she's even good at it).
Josh was a horrible character and it was so pathetic and cringey how hung up on him Grace is for the entire book.
Overall, I thought this was going to be more coming of age, girl friendships, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Eat Pray Love.
It was not.
This was soooo bad.
I apologize.

I’m going to start by saying I’m not sure if this book is classified as young adult or adult – that being said, I enjoyed this for what it is – a quick fun read! While I felt like the main character and her friends were immature, there was also a few spicy scenes, but not many – so I wasn’t sure if the characters were supposed to feel more adult in their actions.

This story contained first loves, first breakups, and plenty of drama! I laughed, I cringed, and I hoped the characters learned from their mistakes, and grew up a little. While their immaturity was a little annoying at times, I think it was relatable watching Grace go through her first love and breakup, not always handling things well. Finding what you thought was love might not have been, once you do truly find what you want/need. I enjoyed the different personalities, and the female friendships, and I was obsessed with Daniel! I actually wanted more detail at the end, maybe a bonus epilogue in the future!

My favorite line: “You’re not the bad guy. But you’re not the good guy either”

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing/Atria for this ARC!

First thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Second I did not request this book it was sent to me by the publisher, I was so excited because that was the first time it had ever happened where I received a book unsolicited. That being said…I have never dnf’d a book faster. I barely got through the first chapter. The writing is very juvenile, the characters are already all unlikeable (the main character literally starting complaining on page one) and the plot did not seem like it was going in a direction I was going to enjoy. I wanted to give this book a chance so badly but honestly I struggled just to read the first chapter and then I read some of the other reviews for it and just knew this was not going to be my cup of tea. Overall I can’t say much other than this is definitely a no for me.

I really wanted to like this book. The cover art and the synopsis are such a draw. However the characters were all one dimensional and there was a lack of plot and set up. I found myself having so many unanswered questions while reading, even though with a bit of setup I wouldn't have had the questions in the first place. I couldn't feel or see the story, and that was disappointing since the cast of characters were supposed to be on a weeklong vacation to Cancun.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Maybe I am just too old for this one…

In the first few chapters, the only part of Grace I connected with was her philosophy of “who needs pockets when you have boobs”. I was not crazy about the drunken escapades; it just isn’t my vibe at this point in my life. I can get behind a drunken night or two after a breakup, but it felt a bit cringey right off the bat. I didn’t necessarily think the story was bad, I just couldn’t connect with the characters. Perhaps for someone who is still college age, this would be a better fit. Just wasn't it for me.

I thank Anna Garcia, NetGalley, and MTV Books for the ARC.

I had such high hopes for this novel, but frankly the writing was horrible. The simple sentences were more distracting than enjoyable and it was more of a drudge to continue through the book.

I was really hoping for an amazing book but unfortunately I just couldn't connect with any of it. The cover is what caught me 1st as I'm sucked in by a cute cover. The story sounded great but it wasn't what I was hoping for.

Racism And Misandry Mar Otherwise Genuinely Fun And Funny Tale. This tale was marketed as essentially an updated Forgetting Sarah Marshall for more Zoomer sensibilities, and that kind of thing absolutely shines through. There is a shit ton of drinking and graphic on screen sex of the XXX damn near erotica level in a tropical location where the main cast has gone to "escape from" - but secretly damn near stalk - an ex of one of them. Ok, close enough to the movie - which, IIRC, MTV Films produced (MTV is also publishing this book).

So many people in the reviews here note misogyny, and many make their cases quite well. And yet there is also quite a bit of misandry here, where even the "good" males are only "good" because they agree with literally everything the females say and don't genuinely challenge any of their preconceptions.

Even more problematic for me personally was the blatant anti-white racism. Including this line in particular:

"I don't usually judge people, but when a white person's like, "My family goes back six generations in Texas", I'm definitely side eyeing them 'cuz you know which side of the Civil War they were on."

My family doesn't go back "six generations in Texas", but it *does* go back in the South to the Colonial era before the US even existed. Yes, that's right - some of my ancestors came in via Virginia, not New York. One of them even died during the Civil War - *defending* the Union, at a battle in northern Alabama. I grew up with the scars of the war criminal terrorist bastard William Tecumseh Sherman's Atlanta Campaign literally all around me, in the town that is the hometown of both the first female and last slaveholding - same person - US Senator. Her land, as described in her journals, was just a couple of miles from the trailer park I spent the first decade of my life in.

No, Ms. Gracia, you most certainly do NOT know "which side of the Civil War" such a person's family was on, and to make such a claim is pretty fucking racist.

And yet the misandry and racism, while prevalent throughout the text, only serve to deduct a single star combined, as while prevalent they were also somewhat minor in that it wasn't on every page. While I know others may claim otherwise, perhaps justifiably, that wasn't my own experience with the text, at minimum, and I do know other reviewers who will (and I think here did?) 1* a book for any modicum of bigotry, even a single line, I try to judge the work as a whole.

And speaking of judging the work as a whole, this has to be one of the thinnest "romances" I've read in quite some time. Indeed, the entire "relationship" is more about the aforementioned damn near erotica sex and happening into each other while one of them is on vacation than anything, and the actual romance elements, such as they are, almost feel tacked on to ensure that it can be claimed to be a romance and satisfy RWA (and potential censors, if this ever becomes a movie) rules rather than actually, you know, building a genuinely romantic story. This was thus the other star deduction, and I can honestly say that across my 1100+ reviews I've written since 2018 alone, I genuinely think this is the first time I've ever deducted a star for such a reason. That I have here is telling of just how justified I think this reason in this book is.

Finally, the fact that a *fiction* book got 3* from me, given my "subtractive method" of rating where every single book starts out at 5* and I must have specific, describable, and preferably objective-ish reasons for deducting stars, should tell you just how problematic I personally think this book is. I think I've given less than a handful of fiction books 3* or less across those aforementioned 1200+ reviews, and yet this book managed to get on that particular list.

If you want a book for a tropical getaway, there are better books out there. If you want a book for a tropical getaway *and agree with the comments these characters make* - which is entirely your right - then yes, this book may be for you. But despite being genuinely funny at times, and despite my own completionist nature when it comes to book series, if I give Ms. Gracia's books another try it will mostly be down to trying to give *everyone* a second chance at all times. And honestly, I'm not sure at this time that I would do that here.

Not recommended.

this was a total romp! it reads like one of those irreverent, raunchy comedies and it‘s actually pretty funny.

grace has just been dumped, but is still getting strung along by her ex. and to her friends’ dismay, she’s totally hung up on him. her friends plan a vacation to cancun hoping that some beach, boys, and a lot of tequila will knock some sense into her, and help her finally move on. but what grace doesn’t tell them is that her ex will be there too, and she’s still scheming to win him back.

in the context of the book and its intended audience, the characters, plot and writing were all decent, but just not really for me. it’s a fun, outlandish read with not a ton of nuance, but i think if you’re 18-22, this will speak to you!

all the characters are just a little toxic, they say slightly problematic things, and they make some questionable decisions, but i think that’s what being in your late teens/early twenties is like. when you’re navigating your first real, adultish breakups and fights with friends, and everything feels so big and important and dramatic. but they’re young and still learning about the real world, while being carefree and honestly kind of trashy.

this book is messy in a nostalgic way. it’s a boozy, unhinged girls trip. it’s cringey because it’s so (unfortunately) relatable. if i was 5 years younger i might have rated it higher.

2.5⭐️

This book had what I thought would be fun and enjoyable romcom, but I found it to mostly be the opposite. While there were fun times, I just couldn’t get over how much I hated the characters and their actions. I didn’t like our main character Grace, mainly because I could not get over how she acted towards herself and her friends. It took her way too long to see how awful Josh was. I could not find it believable that any sane woman would do all this for some less than mediocre man. Then she also treated her friends terribly, but they, mainly Tiff, treated her poorly back. I do not believe they remained friends after this trip.

Overall, I didn’t really like this book, mainly the characters.

Sucked in by the cute cover and promise of a fun vacation read. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed. This was just not for me.

Oof. This was a tough one to get through. I wasn’t aware this was YA when I originally requested it, and that may be part of the reason I did not care for this read. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, and grace I found particularly annoying.

This was a decent book that I was able to binge over the weekend. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. It was just okay for me!
There isn't a lot of depth with the characters and the story revolves around Grace being obsessed w/ her recent ex, Josh, who dumped her for his career. She decides to con her friends into a Cancun vacation but is really following him to Mexico while he is filming a movie. Enter Daniel, a hot soccer player, who she meets at a club. I thought sparks would really fly and we would get this hot rendezvous relationship but honestly it was pretty mid because Grace was still so obsessed w/ Josh (who honestly sucks lol).
I had high expectations for this book based on the summary, but overall it was a little bit of a let down!

Thank you to NetGalley and MTV Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

After Grace is dumped by her boyfriend Josh, her best friends Tiff and Camille come to her rescue and take her on a post-breakup vacation to Cancun. Little do they know that Josh will be there, too, along with his suspected new girlfriend. Grace is determined to win Josh back at all costs. But then she meets Daniel, a soccer player from Hawaii who makes her rethink her plan.

Lured in by its fun and colorful cover, I couldn't wait to read this story described as "Girls Trip meets Forgetting Sarah Marshall" in a YA retelling. Unfortunately, this book did meet my expectations. I normally love young adult/new adult novels, but this one just wasn't for me. I could not connect with any of the characters, and it was hard to root for the main character, who made so many poor choices throughout the story. I also do not think this book is appropriate for young adult readers under the age of 17 due to the excessive consumption of alcohol and sexual content. Although this book wasn't for me, I definitely think college-aged readers would enjoy the plot a lot more and could connect with the characters better.

gives MTV spring break vibes. the characters were a bit childish for me at the beginning, but a vacation fling is just what Grace needed to experience love.

Thank you Simon & Schuster, Libro.FM, and Simon Audio for my #gifted copies of The Breakup Vacation!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐩 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐘𝐮-𝐋𝐢 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

This is a fun, cute, and fast read that would be perfect for the beach. The premise of this book is fun and engaging. However, I had a hard time connecting with the main character, Grace. Additionally, there were so many questions left unanswered with this one, and I found myself wanting more. That said, I just don’t think I was the target audience for this book, and feel as though it would definitely appeal more to the YA or NA reader. I do think this book has the potential to be a big hit with the intended audience.

🎧I mostly listened to the audiobook, narrated by Yu-Li Alice Shen. I found the narrator to be very dynamic and I really did enjoy my time listening to her. I feel as though she was able to bring each character to life and I would love to listen to more audiobooks narrated by her in the future!

Posted on Goodreads on March 4, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around March 5, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on March 5, 2024
**-will post on designated date

The cover drew me into this one but dang the story-yikes. While it wasn’t completely awful, I definitely did some skimming so I could get it done and move on. Firstly there were no main likable characters or really any support characters to add anything to the plot. There really wasn’t anyone to root for and no real growth from anyone. The cover doesn’t even accurately depict the characters despite how cute it is!
While I’m sure this was meant to be a character driven story since the plot was based mainly on the FMC Grace’s choices, but it has to be said, it wasn’t really well set up. I found myself rolling my eyes frequently and wondering what the hold was that Josh (Grace’s ex) had over her. He seemed like the worst. I didn’t get it. And then they were in Cancun! Why not give me loads of fabulous descriptions of beaches and the beauty that is there? But nope, instead there were quotes from movies to start every chapter that added absolutely nothing to the story whatsoever.
This book had potential and I wanted it to be better than it was. There were too many stereotypes, a few triggers and just not enough good to outweigh the not so good.
Thanks to MTV Books for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Life is too short to read bad books. I made it through 30% of this one and just couldn't keep going. I don't mind an unlikeable character, but every person in this story is unlikeable. There isn't much of a plot and it seems very childish with nowhere to go. Sadly, this is the first book in over a year that I have rated one star.

Not going to lie, this was a fail for me. The characters were horrible -  annoying, childish, one dimensional. ALL OF THEM! I did not connect with any aspect of the book. The location descriptions were not there - and I wanted to escape to the beach! The character interactions were boring. I just felt so annoyed by most of what occurred. I get that this was supposed to be about a bunch of college students, but at times it felt like I was listening to my 11 year old explain the drama in Middle School. If you are a big YA fan, maybe give it a try. 
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.