“T.M. Logan’s latest nail-biter…THE VACATION is a virtual holiday.”–Washington Post In The Vacation, a captivating thriller from T. M. Logan, the bestselling author of Lies and 29 Seconds, four best friends on a dream vacation come face-to-face with an explosive secret. It was supposed to be the perfect getaway: Kate and her three best friends, spending a week with their families in a … best friends, spending a week with their families in a luxurious villa in the south of France. Through the decades they’ve stayed closer than ever, and seven days of drinking crisp French wine and laying out under the dazzling Mediterranean sun is the perfect celebration of their friendship. But soon after arriving, Kate discovers an incriminating text on her husband’s cell phone.
A text revealing that he’s having an affair.
And that the other woman is one of her best friends.
But which one?
Trapped in paradise with no one to trust, Kate is determined to find out who has put her marriage–and a lifelong friendship–in jeopardy. But as she closes in on the truth, she realizes that the stakes are higher than she ever imagined. Everyone on the trip has secrets…and someone may be prepared to kill to keep theirs hidden.
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This domestic thriller keeps you interested but be warned most of the characters aren’t very likable. The story is set in a beautiful villa in the south of France where four college friends and their families meet to celebrate their 40th birthdays. As the novel unfolds, it seems that everyone has a secret and some of them are deadly. The story makes you think about what it means to be a good friend, how dangerous secrets can be and one should never assume or jump to conclusions without all the facts. The “pre-ending” is shocking, making you think one thing then ending is a big surprise. I will be checking out others from this writer. Thank-you to St. Martin’s Press and T.M. Logan for this bookmail surprise! This ARC was given in exchange for my honest opinion. I would have given it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars but 1/2’s aren’t available. A very enjoyable story, I would highly recommend it!
So good! I love T.M. Logan’s writing and I wasn’t disappointed with this thrilling page turner! Grabbed me from the beginning and kept me engaged. Never figured out the ending until the end, there are so many twists and turns! The characters are interesting because you can’t figure out if you really like them or not!I
4. stars
Kate, her family, & those of her three closest friends from college, all go away together to a huge villa in southern France for one week. Just prior to leaving on their trip, Kate intercepts some text messages on her husband’s phone & interprets them to mean that he is having an affair with one of her friends going on the trip. She is devastated & determined to find out who it is. Each of her friends have problems they are also keeping to themselves & they affect the course of the week in a number of ways. The five children who are part of the group are wowed by the expanse of the villa & the surrounding property. They are also enjoying a bit more freedom than accustomed to at home. Tensions mount & accidents happen.
This thriller is one of those that keeps you glued to it until you’ve finished it. You will not want to put it down. It is really excellent & original & unpredictable. I loved it. I strongly recommend this to anyone.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author T,M. Logan, and the publisher St. Martin’s Press for the free e-book I received in return for my honest opinion.
To me this was a very good book. I didn’t really find it slow at all. There were parts that could have seemed like it was dragging but to me it just added info to a story where things were not at all what they seemed and that info would definitely play out later in the book. I honestly loved this thriller.
Kate, Jennifer, Rowan and Izzy were best friends. They use to get together each year for a girls weekend. Over time with jobs and family that stopped so Rowan found a place for them all and their families to get together for a whole week for a vacation. It was suppose to be all fun and relaxation. But there were things going on that made it much more. Much more than a typical vacation.
Kate was married to a man she trusted with all her heart. She is the one telling the main part of this story and who feels like she has so much to lose. She honestly believes her husband is having an affair with one of her three best friends. But which one? Who would betray her in such a horrible way? Would Sean really do such a thing. They have two children. Lucy and Daniel. I absolutely loved Daniel. I think he is the sweetest child I have read about in a good long time. But he is easily fooled into doing things that could put him in danger. He just wants to be one of the boys. Lucy has a few secrets of her own that make this vacation one that won’t soon be forgotten.
Jennifer has two teenage boys and is married to Alastair. Jennifer will do anything to protect her sons. She does not see the things they do that everyone else sees. Her perfect angels are really by far not perfect. But will she really do anything? What about their dad? Does she feel the same about him? Will he do anything for them too?
Rowan, married to Russ and mother to Odette. She stands to loose quite a bit if anything is not just perfect. Odette is one spoiled rotten child and at times I thought she needed a switch to her back side.
Last is Izzy. Izzy has a lot going on but also knows a lot about things that are going on while on this vacation. She seems to be very smart about figuring things out and getting to the bottom of things. She’s the only single one in this group and has been best friends with Sean since they were mere babies. But would she betray her friend by cheating with her husband?
What really happened while on vacation. What could cause four women, best friends for over half their lives, to become so angry with each other. Is one of them really having an affair with the other ones husband or is it much more than that?
This book kept me turning the pages for sure. I wanted to know what was going on. I wanted to find out who was the one betraying her best friend. Just when I thought I had it all figured out another twist would come out. Toward the end there are lots of twists and the trills will leave you breathless. Absolutely shocking twists. I loved it.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #TMLogan, #StMartin’sPress for this ARC. This is my own true review.
I had to give it a big 5 stars because I was fooled. I did not see some of the twists coming. A big recommendation too.
A group of long-time friends and their children, get together for their annual group trip, staying in a beautiful private villa in France. When Kate discovers evidence that her husband, Sean is cheating with one of her closest friends, everyone and everything is suspicious. Imagine vacationing with your three closest friends and not knowing who you can trust?
TM Logan blew me away with his debut novel, LIES – so of course, I devoured 29 SECONDS and then had high expectations for THE HOLIDAY. He did not disappoint. I found myself so emotionally invested in Kate’s search for answers – I couldn’t even get through one emotional reaction before another bomb dropped!? Highly recommended author and title – I’ll surely be back for more!
A relaxing vacation in a beautiful villa in the south of France with best friends and their families. What could be more perfect? Unfortunately for Kate it is anything but. When she accidently sees a mysterious message on her husbands phone she begins to think he is having an affair with one of her friends who is staying at the villa. Is she wrong? Is there something else gong on? Everyone seems to have secrets they’re hiding. Great characters and a well written story that will have you turning the pages. Definitely recommend
4-4.25 STARS
Kate gets more than she bargained for when her getaway to a luxurious villa in the south of France reveals that one of her close friends is engaged in a secret love affair with her husband. Unfortunately, Kate doesn’t know which one of her besties has betrayed her. Hence, she sets out on a quest to uncover the truth. However, that isn’t the only secret that could be unearthed if Kate (or someone else) goes digging. And there is one amongst them who is willing to kill to ensure that it remains buried.
“The Vacation’s” intriguing premise pulled me in right from the get go. And despite the sluggish pace and some less than appealing characters, I remained engaged throughout. Overall, this was a good, enjoyable read, but just not as great as I had initially hoped it would be.
I did not want this story to end I was so enthralled in it. But at the same time I wanted to see what was going to happen till the last page. I think I liked the characters because I know people just like them…people with secrets…people living with lies. I would recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries.
4 stars
Vacation is my first T.M. Logan book. It is a great book to read on the beach or on a rainy day. The first thing I noticed was the epigraph. I grabbed a pencil to write it down to save. “It is easier to forgive an enemy than a friend.” —William Blake. I agree. The narrator for most of the book is Kate, who finds a text on her husband’s phone which indicates Sean might be having an affair with one of Kate’s three college friends. The friends and their families are spending a week’s vacation in a villa near a village in southern France.
For me, the first half of the book was much more interesting than the second half. As Kate tries to figure out which friend it is. We meet spoiled children, husbands that drink a lot…The author builds a case that each of Kate’s friends could be Sean’s lover. The author begins to distract us with the children’s problems and there are so many directions that the plot moves. The ending comes rather quickly. I think more time could have been spent here. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Close since college, four friends take a vacation with their families. Devastating secrets begin to emerge. How far are you willing to go to protect those that you love?
I want to thank St. Martins Press @stmartinspress and T. M. Logan for an opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
With Characters you’ll love to hate, this thriller takes time to breathe, like a fine French Wine!
“The Vacation” by T.M. Logan offers us a different take on a domestic thriller! You’ll definitely want to savor it!
The last sip is extremely satisfying! But, be careful! You might choke!!
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The blurb of this book was super intriguing to me. Having read Lies by Mr. Logan, I was really excited to read this book. It is touted as a mystery/thriller, but after closing the book, I didn’t get any of that at all.
Kate is on vacation with her family and her closest girlfriends. Right off the bat she discovers text messages on her husband’s phone that make her believe he’s having an affair, and she thinks it’s with one of her best friends. Who does that to one of their best friends, especially one you’ve been friends with for a ton of years.
It pretty much felt like everyone on this vacation was hiding some kind of secret! But no one was really talking to each other about any of it, and the book was just SO slow. It felt like a chore to read, it was not engaging me at all, which was so disappointing since I absolutely loved the previous book I had read by Mr. Logan.
The ending of this story left me somewhat unsatisfied, but I won’t let that deter me from continuing to read Mr. Logan’s books going forward.
Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
The Vacation is the second book of TM Logan’s that I’ve read in the past year and I have to say that I’m enjoying this author’s work. This psychological thriller had me guessing throughout the book at “whodunit” and I really didn’t get the full picture until the narrator pieced it all together of me. For that, I applaud the writing and the way the plot was paced and put together.
This book starts out with our narrator, Kate and her husband and 2 kids about to vacation with her 3 very good friends from university. They are all turning 40 this year and they haven’t all gotten together in some time. Their trip to France will be the big shindig they need and want. These women bring their families on this trip for the first time. But what happens when Kate discovers a stream of text messages on her husband’s phone that basically eludes to him having an affair with someone from their group there in France? Can anyone be trusted? Will the vacation be ruined? Will their marriage end while they are supposed to be happily vacationing with their family and friends in a palatial pad in France?
This story is told in various POVs. Most of the story is told from Kate, but we get literally everyone’s thoughts about the trip and what is happening there (and a little in the past as well). For that, we get A LOT of background information. Some was needed. Some was not. It left me questioning why we needed everyone’s POV since it was Kate’s discovery of a string of texts that this story was based on. But this story is so much more than that. It’s about a week in France. It’s about friendships that go back years and years. It’s about secrets, lies and twists you didn’t even see coming until Logan brings them all together at the end.
I enjoyed the book and the story being told. The chapters were short and made the book feel very fast paced. But it actually was paced quite well (not too fast, not too slow). It was told over a week in France. It was divided up by days and characters’ POVS. I was continuously guessing who could’ve been the person Kate’s husband was cheating on her with throughout the whole book. Literally. Until the very end. For that reason, I didn’t really even like any of the characters all that much. All the women seemed to be out for just themselves and the men were just…not for me. I liked Daniel (Kate’s son) the best. Most of the other children were even unlikable. It’s a wonder that I actually enjoyed the book and was flipping the pages to get the answers I was seeking. For that reason, I say T.M. Logan is a genius. T.M. Logan made me care about the story and what was happening so ferociously, but I really didn’t care for the characters. I don’t even know if that makes sense.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and the way the story was told and how it came together in the end. There were definitely many ups and down, but for the most part I enjoyed the way the story was told, the way the plot unfolded and the conclusion we got. It was a twisted, secret filled pretty mess! 3.75 stars rounded up.
If this is the perfect vacation, maybe I’ll just stay home. What a marvelous story. It started out a little slowly and I was afraid I might be disappointed, but suddenly the plot took off and it was another thrill ride full of surprises we have come to expect from author T. M. Logan.
Kate, Rowan, Jennifer and Izzy have been best friends forever. But that doesn’t mean their families, from partners to kids, will instantly mesh and become besties too. Or that forever isn’t really in the past now because people change. And sometimes old hurts and injustices and secrets pop up again. Or maybe new secrets?
These women may have been closer than ever in the past, but it sure doesn’t seem that way now. And each of them seems to have tensions in their relationships or tension because of lack of a relationship, and perfect children really only look perfect to parents. Maybe this luxurious holiday in a villa in the south of France wasn’t such a great idea after all.
The story focuses mostly on Kate, whose husband Sean seems distant and secretive, and if the text messages Kate finds on his phone are to be believed he’s having an affair – with one of her forever friends. She can’t think, sleep, eat and ends up confiding her fears in everyone one way or another. She suspects everybody and everything and realizes she’s wronged each of these women in the past and any of them could be looking for revenge. And while this is going on there is an undercurrent of something sinister and unknown that is slowly building almost without the reader noticing. There’s a strange dynamic among all the children. There’s a strange dynamic between Sean and each of the women. The husbands wouldn’t have been friends but for the women. Everyone is hiding something or sneaking in or out of somewhere. Tension builds and builds and builds and just when something unexpected happens and you sigh with relief at no tension, something even more shocking and scary happens, again and again.
I didn’t like most of these people, I wondered how this forever friendship could have survived as long as it has, and I didn’t trust anyone because they all seem to have secrets and hidden motives, and someone, or more than one, seems to be just a bit unhinged. But who? And at the same time I wanted happily-ever-afters for all the couples, happy, well-adjusted children, the perfect vacation just as planned.
T. M. Logan has done an amazing job with The Vacation. Although not always likeable, these are interesting characters, even the children. The plot rolls smoothly along, making your fear rise and your mistrust of seemingly innocent statements and actions grow bit by bit until you can hardly stand it anymore. And you most definitely cannot stop turning pages until you find out what’s really happening in this not-so-idyllic corner of the world.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of The Vacation via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest review. All opinions are my own. This was a thrilling read that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend without hesitation.
Dark, gripping, and complex!
The French Girl is an intriguing character-driven novel that delves into the dynamic relationship between six friends and their possible involvement in the murder of a young girl ten years prior while vacationing in France.
The writing is clear and precise. The characters are self-involved, secretive, and troubled. And the plot uses a past/present, back-and-forth style to create suspense and tension as it subtly unravels all the actions, motivations, personalities, and relationships within it.
The French Girl at its core is a novel about friendship, secrets, manipulation, jealousy, obsession, and murder with a little paranormal twist. It’s a compelling debut for Elliott and I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next.
We meet four good friends and their families vacationing together in France after many years of not seeing each other.
What could go wrong in a quaint, beautiful villa in Southern France??
Well…quite a few things.
To begin with one of the friends found some texts that indicated that her husband was having an affair.
Another couple has a lot of tension between them and a very spoiled child.
Surprisingly one of the friends who is single and they never thought would join them showed up for this vacation.
As the week of vacation continued, the adults were realizing that this vacation was a bad idea for many reasons.
To add to their concern, a fire starts in the villa with disastrous results.
THE VACATION was a bit slow and had a lot of domestic drama and characters with secrets – adults and children alike.
Cliffhangers were placed at the end of each chapter that definitely were intriguing, but I wasn’t “dying” to get back to reading the book until around 50% in.
There was a slow build up with hints at things not being right, but the last chapters definitely made up for it all.
The ending was typical, amazing Mr. Logan that was oh so good and satisfying because most of the characters were not likeable. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgally in exchange for an honest review.
Kate, Rowan, Jennifer, and Izzy have long been friends. To celebrate their 40th birthdays, they meet at a large villa in Corbieres, France. They bring their children ranging in age from 5 to 16. The villa can easily accommodate them with lots of amenities.
Kate suspects her husband is having an affair perhaps with one of her friends staying at the villa. But who? She is constantly trying to check her husband’s phone for messages trying to figure out who he’s corresponding with.
The children bring their own share of problems which appear to be the usual worries and personalities of their age groups. While their parents are hoping they have offered them all a lovely vacation, they don’t realize that their children’s actions and worries may be deeper than they think.
Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. The weather is hot, the pool deliciously cool, the countryside is beautiful, and the surrounding grape vines are full and luscious.
I loved the great descriptions of the French countryside and the yummy food. I got really frustrated with Kate’s ceaseless searching for anything she can “get” her husband on. But what is truly happening is much more frightening that she thinks.
While this book seems to drag somewhat it picks up in the end to give readers a conclusion they won’t soon forget.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
A suspense read high on domestic drama, The Vacation is focused on three families and one single friend taking a much needed holiday together at a beautiful and expensive villa in France. The trouble begins before any of them embark on travel, tensions are already high and everyone, kids included, have secrets that impede on the ability to enjoy their holiday plans. As they come together to celebrate their fortieth birthdays, the four college friends, Kate, Rowan, Jennifer, and Izzy, are at odds as their distancing relationships and old jealousies bubble up.
The narration begins with Kate, who is already sensing something is amiss, and less than an hour after arriving, she has reason to suspect duplicity on the side of her husband Sean. This part of the storyline is front and center as Kate observes and reflects on her friendships, and just who might be working to destroy her marriage. But about halfway through the book, the focus shifts and the reader is led down the path to see what’s really at play. Deeper, darker secrets are exposed and nothing is as it seems. Like Kate, I did not see the truth behind the secrets being kept by Kate. All in all, I enjoyed how the story unfolds and liked how the author creates a myriad of characters that are not necessarily likable, making it all the more fun to see how some of their lives unravel.
This was the second book by T.M. Logan that I’ve read and will remain interested reader. 4 stars and recommendation. One thing to note is that this same story is also packaged as 2019 release The Holiday.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
As you read TM Logan’s suspense thriller, you will find yourself asking–more than once–the age-old question: With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Kate, Rowan, Jennifer, and Izzy have been friends since university, and now, as they hit forty, they convene for a dream vacation in France, complete with husbands and children. Kate’s holiday doesn’t start quite so fabulously, though, as she discovers incriminating texts on her husband Sean’s phone that indicate he’s having an affair. She had a bad feeling about him anyway, so this serves to confirm her suspicions.
Yes, she does confront him, but she doesn’t get the answers she wants, so she tries to figure out the identity of the other woman. is it Rowan, with all her sophistication and intelligence? Sean is drawn to that, isn’t he? Or is it Jennifer and her sporty physique and all her blonde beauty? She and Sean seem to be pretty secretive. Or is it Izzy, whose free spirit and wit make Sean light up when he’s around her? As you learn, Kate has hurt each of her friends badly, however unintentionally, so could you blame any of them for rocking the headboard with Sean?
There is another subplot involving the children. Fortunately, they are much more likable than their parents. Well, most of them are. Rowan’s daughter Odette needs her own book when she is older (she’s five here) because that girl is a riot.
Yes, the eight parents are unpleasant at their best. You would not want to hang out with any of these people, and you can’t figure out why they want to be with each other. Their relationships are toxic, and that toxicity bleeds through the people themselves.
One huge negative for me was the way TM Logan would contrive interruptions during critical conversations. Kate would be doing her detective work, trying to find out who’s banging her husband, and just when it appears she’s going to find out something important, BOOM! Something happens that distracts her and her subject. They range from the ridiculous to the harrowing, but by the time the truly scary one happens, you’re rolling your eyes over the detour.
Will you be surprised by any of the revelations? Sure, maybe. The problem is that TM Logan draws out the conclusion a little too long, so by the time you’re finished, you might not care.
If you read this one, let me know what you think. It’s fun to hate the characters, and you might enjoy the whole “whose bed have your boots been under” (shoutout to Shania Twain!) mystery.
Full of twists, turns and secrets: kept me glued to the story
4.5stars
The French setting first piqued my interest in The Vacation and, from the start, this one had so many elements that kept me avidly turning the page. What started as a woman fearing infidelity keeps accruing additional drama, with troubled teens and a growing specter of something really rotten in the dry countryside of Languedoc. Three families and a single woman, united by the four women’s long-time friendship but weighed down with secrets, does not a peaceful, relaxing vacation make!
I found this psychological thriller perpetually suspenseful, well-written and fast moving. The short chapters, something I am partial to, seemed to make the story a quick read despite its actual length. And the author just keeps churning out surprises right through to the last page. Most of the narrative is told from Kate’s perspective and the technique worked well at keeping me guessing at the other characters’ thoughts and actions.
My first time reading a work by T.M. Logan but I will be looking for more.
Thanks to publisher St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.