Everyone has secrets, and Louise and Tim are no exception. When those hidden truths are exposed, they threaten to unravel their relationships and family life. At first glance, you might think this book is all about family dynamics, but it's really more focused on a couple, Louise and Tim, who happen to have kids.

This book is like a soap opera in book form, which can be entertaining in its own way. There were moments when I was genuinely entertained, but I admit, I couldn't get into it as much as I had hoped. The story never really hooked me.

As for the surprise ending, let's just say it was lackluster at best. The twist didn't quite deliver the punch I expected—it didn't feel all that "twisty." But this one could be a good pick if you're looking for a book to pass the time while lounging by the pool or sitting on the beach. Just don't go in expecting a mind-blowing conclusion.

"Just the Nicest Family" by Alison James is perfect for some light, beachy entertainment. Give it a go if you're in the mood for something easy to read. But if you're looking for a gripping story with a killer twist, you might want to keep looking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Apart from the various character perspectives (not my favourite format), and some weaker outside characters, this was a very good, enjoyable read.

The main characters - Tim and Louise are seemingly a perfect couple. and, with their children ,are the nicest couple you would love to meet and read about?

The setting of a gorgeous, large French villa is the stage for Tim to try and sell his UK vets practice. Amongst all the other guests is the possible buyer but so much then happens with lots of secrets, twists and turns. Ms James writes well and keeps us guessing with many clues.

Overall a well paced book and well worthy of four stars.

Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for the chance to read and review

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



✨ Holiday theme thriller
✨ France
✨ Fast Paced
✨ Detective Work


✨ the story was main focus on the family especially tim as he is a vet and want to sell his practice . The buyer of the business invites them with the family but there is already drama between them. As soon as everything is coming together in there beautiful holiday, a body was started to appear in the pool.
Who is to blame? Is it a suicide ? Or someone murder the person?


✨ The story was great but some of the characters are unlikeable . There is some kind of jumping of scenes which is I don’t quite understand so it loses a point to me . Other than that great read.



✨ Thankyou @bookouture for the opportunity to read this arc for a honest review.




🫶🏼shaye.reads

Just The Nicest Family had a great plot and an interesting premise that I could not wait to read about. While it absolutely was interesting while I was reading it, I was overall just a little let down. I felt no connection to the characters and Tim just outright annoyed me, which I could have looked over if the writing was better. I feel that the writing came across as very choppy and telling me how to feel and spelling every small detail out, versus letting me feel emotions and feeling shocked at the twists that were shocking. I liked it somewhat while reading it, but it took me a long time to finish because I just had no desire to get back to it. I was going to give it 3 stars, but the fact that Tim had that happen to him by Tina really ruined it for me. At first I was excited about a topic that does not get the awareness it deserves or needs being addressed in this book, but instead, it was painted in a much worse light, painting Tim out to be a cheater??? I was incredibly disappointed by this miss in bringing awareness to this topic.

When I started this book, I was very curious about where it would take me. I was pleasantly surprised with the plot of this one. Tim is a vet, and his medical practice is being sold. The buyer of the business invites him and his family to a villa in France for a vacation. Tim and his wife invite family friends to go as their guests. Soon after their arrival, there is a body discovered by the pool. That is when the drama starts.

There are multiple unlikeable characters. I questioned everyone at one point or another. The plot develops at a fast pace, and I was very intrigued and invested in what was going to happen. There were solid twists and turns throughout the story. This was my first book by this author, but I definitely plan to read more by Alison James. I truly enjoyed this book and James' writing style.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Just the Nicest Family by Alison James was another superb book from start to finish and so addictive. Once I start to read any of Alison's books I am hooked and can't turn the pages quick enough. I usually end up reading her books in one sitting an this book was no different! It was Excellent!

They seem to be a perfect family on the outside! but don't be fooled............They are all hiding secrets are about to bubble to the surface......…

A great holiday read especially if you are in a beautiful French villa where this book has been set. But anywhere in the world will do. Alison has a way of deporting you to any part of the world in her books......This book will not disappoint. Another excellent book

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Escape to the south of France and spend a portion of your summer in a villa! This book settles you into the scene of a vacation that has a lot of secrets under the surface threatening to destroy the sanctuary that the place should be. I felt like the scenery draws you in with its beauty and serenity while the characters help create the tension that rips it apart.

Tim needs to sell his veterinarian practice in order to keep his secret hidden. It could destroy his marriage and life as he knows it. To the outside world, it seems as though he and Louise have a perfect marriage, but it doesn’t take long to see the cracks – for me, even more so through Louise as she was more fake and a bit pretentious than Tim was throughout. The variety of characters are written well and play their role to fulfill all the twists and turns throughout the book.

I felt like the transitions between chapters, scenes, and timelines was smooth, making the book an enjoyable read from start to finish. I think it serves as a reminder to all of us that hiding things – no matter how severe or small – it can upset our lives in unspeakable ways. The ending leaves you in a bit of a lurch – one I saw coming – but left me feeling a bit uneasy. I can’t help but want my books to end wrapped up in a neat little bow.

2.5 Stars

'Just The Nicest Family' by Alison James centers on Tim Cutler, negotiating the sale of his veterinarian clinic with Renee Weber, CEO of a Swiss company. To facilitate the deal, Renee invites Tim, his spouse Louise, and their children to spend two weeks at the Villa in Le Mas des Flores. What begins as a business retreat quickly reveals itself to be a setting where secrets among the villa's guests threaten to unravel lives.

Despite introducing multiple characters and perspectives, the novel unfolds as a relatively quick and straightforward read. While the second and last parts of the book are marked by twists and dramatic events, I found myself predicting the identity of the killer and much of the plot early on.

One significant issue with the book is its title, 'Just The Nicest Family', which feels misleading and inappropriate given the story's content. Rather than portraying a "nice" or "perfect" family, the narrative delves into a family mired in bad decisions, lies, and extraordinary events. This discrepancy between title and content sets up false expectations for readers from the outset.

Another drawback is the book's reliance on outrageous circumstances to propel the story forward. From Tim's dubious claim regarding an incident with Tina to the improbable coincidence of Merry and Tim ending up in the same house, these unrealistic plot devices detract from the overall believability of the narrative, making it challenging to fully engage with the plot.

Character development also suffers in 'Just The Nicest Family'. Although the novel features a variety of characters, their motivations and behaviors often feel underdeveloped and inconsistent. This lack of depth prevents readers from forming meaningful connections with the characters or empathizing with their dilemmas.

Alison James employs a brisk writing style that maintains a fast pace throughout the narrative. The descriptive prose effectively sets the scenes but doesn’t compensate for the predictable plot twists and shallow characterizations.

Overall, 'Just The Nicest Family' offers moments of suspense and rapid storytelling, making it a quick and relatively engaging read. However, it ultimately falls short due to its predictable plot, reliance on unrealistic scenarios, and lack of character depth. While readers seeking a straightforward thriller with melodramatic elements may find enjoyment here, those looking for depth, complexity, and genuine surprises may be left wanting.

The description pulled me in but i strugglr with multiple P.O.V and jumoing from then and now can grt confusing i spend alot of time flicking backwards to see what i missed and it ruins the story but thats just me.
the story was good it and i enjoyed it though just took me longer too finish than i would have liked

While the multiple POV's is not my usual go to in.a book, I was kept intrigued and on my toes the entire way through. It was a quick paced read, that I genuinely did not see the ending coming at all! It was a fast paced quick read that follows the secrets of a couple, and who doesn't love juicy dirt! Especially when it's slightly murderous! Will definitely be a physical copy purchase.

Secrets secrets everywhere. This one was well written with characters that draw you in. The story line was solid and held my interest. It flowed at a good pace without being too intense. I loved the atmosphere that was brought in. You have every type of character in this mix and it lends to the unpredictable twists and turns that sprinkle through this story. There were some head shaking and jaw dropping moments but mostly a good solid story that kept me invested until the end.

Just the Nicest Family is a slow burn but still enjoyable.

Tim and Louise are the perfect couple. They have been together for some time and still stay strong in their marriage. What is hidden under the surface are the deep dark secrets.
Many secrets, twists and turns. Some secrets are predictable, but some are not, and they will sneak up on you! I was left with my jaw on the floor. Allison James was great at leaving clues without giving away too much and I enjoyed that.
This is a dual perspective format. Not just of the main characters but some others as well and I did not really love that. The outside characters were just kind of there, not really relatable or enjoyable.

Overall, the storyline was intriguing and kept me guessing.
Quick enjoyable read.

This was a fast-paced, fun thriller with short chapters. The multiple POVs kept me hooked to the story but the ending was quite predictable, but still great. I would recommend this as a beach read.

Thank you so much Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC copy!

Tim and Louis Cutler seem like the perfect couple—that is, until an old secret threatens to tear them apart. As they prepare for a vacation of a lifetime, they can have no way of knowing the sinister acts that will lead to a death while there. This book does have some twists along the way although I feel it is a slow burn until the end. Most of the characters are interesting and colorful although I feel like Tim is too weak and should have pushed back more when challenged. Overall this was an interesting read and kept me interested the whole way through. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The title and description of this book drew me in--a thriller about a family on vacation in French villa that goes completely awry? I'm in! The title is quite misleading as it really isn't about a specific family, but it is about a group of families on vacation in France when a body is found and the search is on.

I'm a fan of thrillers--quick reads that keep my attention and often provide a fun twist that surprise me.

And while Just the Nicest Family was a quick read that did keep my attention, it didn't quite provide the surprising twist I had been hoping for (at least it wasn't a surprise for me), but it is a fun thriller that would make for a quick beach read.

The title of this book was kind of misleading. At first I couldn’t put the book down. I all of a sudden was a third of the way through and didn’t realize I’d been reading for that long. About half way through it kind of lost me. There were many point of views which kept me hooked onto what was going to happen next. There is a relationship in the book that wasn’t developed enough between Louise and another character which felt very unfinished. The reveal in the book was somewhat predictable. Overall, it was a quick, easy binge read, but wasn’t one of my favorites. This is a great read for someone just getting into thrillers.

Interesting storyline. I enjoyed the past and present aspects of the characters lives. It wasn't what you'd expect in the end. Good summer read. Diverse mix of characters. Shows that you don't really know anyone.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

This book certainly brings you on a ride! To stunning locations with a host of unsavoury characters!

All of the characters seemed untrustworthy, bar two, one of those ultimately paying for the morals they held. Throughout the book so many secrets are unearthed, some of which were unexpected (the ending!!)

Tim was my favourite character, despite his actions and I would love these characters to be revisited in the future to see what becomes of them all.

A slow burning thriller with secrets galore to get your teeth into.

Wow Just The Nicest Family is a rollercoaster of twists and turns that you are not expecting!!!!!!!!!!! This is a super great thriller that you don't want to miss out on.

Thank you, Netgalley!
This book was a slow burn for me. About 40% through I started reading through it faster and became more interested. I liked the twists and turns and overall enjoyed the book!