.The Perfect Holiday by T J Emerson
Julian is an extremely interesting man. He has spent all of his life acing for family and other people. He even managed to write a bestselling memoir based on his experiences. His current wife is very
Julian is an extremely interesting man. He has spent all of his life caring for family and other people. He even managed to write a bestselling memoir based on his experiences. His current wife is very rich and they spend their summer in the Mediterranean villa she owns. Julian has a friend called Gabriel who flits in and out of his life and gives him both love and shocking advice. Are Julian and Gabriel murderers, or is the situation far more complex and is a mercy killing or a violent murder involved?
Is Julian the wonderful man that everyone admires or has he got a darker and dangerous side? We find out as the story reveals his secrets and the end is a shocking surprise.

This was a title I was invited to review and I was glad that I did!
Julian Griggs is a widower, now in his second marriage, after his first wife Helen was brutally murdered at their home. She was unable to defend herself after suffering life changing injuries in a car accident and Julian was her primary cared. His new wife, Olivia, comes from family money and they spend their time in her luxurious London home or her amazing Mallorcan villa. In Mallorca for the summer, Julian is amazed to unexpectedly bump into a familiar face from his past. Is it a coincidence or has he been followed? And if so, why?
This book slowly revealed the shocking truth of Julian’s past and the final few chapters had me gripped. A great read.

This was an epic read! The super talented TJ Emerson knocks it out of the park. The characters were amazing and kept me totally invested in the story. Nice storyline that was perfectly executed.
Highly recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

This is a great read with some nice twists and red herrings to keep you guessing Until the end. There isn’t a lot of action to the story but there is intrigue. I struggled with the main character and found him I likeable, there was something that made me unable to bond with him. The other characters were good and the setting was lively. It’s a fast moving story and I stayed up late to finish the book.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I did enjoy this book, it was an interesting read for me. It has some really good elements although I found it to be slow on the middle of the book.

I thought the plot was very intriguing. I liked the journey the author takes the reader on. The beginning had me gripped, I was eager to find out what was going to happen to the couple and how certain characters were going to be involved. The ending was very shocking and very satisfying. I found nearly everyone got what they deserved and I was happy with how it ended. I only wished the ending was a bit longer as I felt it was rushed. I found the middle of the book to slow down with the thriller element, it seemed a little repetitive. I think it was down to where the book was set, the characters seemed to do the same things everyday.

The characters in this book were very interesting. I found Olivia was a carefree person but was always on top of everything. I found her to be very relaxed but she had a solution to every problem. Julian was a odd character, I wanted the best for him but he really didn’t help himself. He was easily manipulated and he couldn’t really make up his mind.

This was an easy and quick book to read. I loved the authors style of writing, it was very gripping. I like how the author held the suspense and kept the mystery theme throughout the book.

I thought this was a good book seeing as it is the authors first psychological thriller. I am excited to see what is next for this author, definitely going to be someone to look out for.

I’m afraid this book started out reasonably well but then quickly became the equivalent of dripping treacle. Not only could you see where it was all heading, the whole scenario of Julian having looked after his disabled wife Helen smothered every chapter with more and more of the same not to mention the awards Julian was given, and the charities he became involved with. It all went round in a circle constantly until you’d had enough hearing about it all again and again. It did seem ridiculously bizarre that Gabriel turned up at their local, but not necessarily, tourist beach in Spain at exactly the same time as Olivia and Julian but then otherwise there would be no story. Unfortunately I didn’t finish the book, it was too depressing, predictable, unreal and dragged on and on.

Please add this to the LGBT category. Or give a warning. It may include a gay scene.thr book started off well then went down hill. Sorry in advance for the low rating.

The book sounded really good, great cover and biog, however I find it hard to review. I really enjoyed the first 40% which I raced through and it seemed fairly plausible regarding Julian's life as a carer for his wife and how he went away on holiday with his current wife. I was intrigued when Gabriel first turned up.

For me it went downhill when Gabriel turned up in Spain and then proceeded to freeload himself on to Julian and Olivia and stay with them, but went right downhill when Julian seemed to turn from a caring man into a nasty piece of work prepared to cheat on his wife with the attractive but often sweaty with stale, cigarette and alcohol smelling breath - (Why did the author need to put this in so often - its gross) freeloader Gabriel, also half his age). Not sure why he didn't see him as the freeloader he really was.

I didn't enjoy the second half of the book, but did get through it and was pleased with the ending though was a little quick.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Holiday is a phycological thriller that gave me whiplash trying to keep up with all the conniving going on with 4 people; and how easily Gabriel could manipulate whoever he was around.
TJ Emerson has a dark twisted mind! This will give you bad dreams and make you wonder about your own spouse.
(Well, not mine. He loves me…right?)
#NetGalley
#ThePerfectHoliday
#TJEmerson

I love a good thriller with a travel element, so I was intrigued by The Perfect Holiday as soon as I first heard about it. A Spanish setting, a tragic past and the promise of danger ruining a perfect vacation all sounded too intriguing to pass up on, and I fully expected to enjoy my time with this story. Sadly, I ended up making the hard decision to DNF instead. I almost never opt for such a drastic way out, but there was just something about this story that simply made me unable to continue reading it. I'll try to explain below why this story wasn't a right fit for me.

First of all I have to say that I still love the Spanish setting of The Perfect Holiday, and the descriptions gave life to Mallorca and its sights. Having a little sample of Spanish included is always a bonus for me as well. I also liked that some of the chapters were actually part of the memoir one of the main characters wrote; a little hint of true crime within a psychological thriller. Things started out promising enough, and although I had certain suspicions I hoped that I was wrong.

BUT. Unfortunately this wasn't the case. Things basically started to go wrong for me as soon as Gabriel first showed up. I don't mind a little MM romance thrown in, but I wasn't a fan of HOW it was incorporated into the story at all. I basically instantly disliked his character, and Julian quickly went from bad to worse. And when the plot went basically full blown love triangle and cheating right front and center (two major pet peeves and elements I despise) I saw no other option but to throw in the towel and sign out. Especially since I didn't really care what happened to any of the characters at this point in the first place.

There is just something about the main characters that didn't sit right for me from the beginning. I can't put my finger on the why, and I know Gabriel is supposed to be unlikeable, but they also felt a bit underdeveloped to me. You are supposed to feel sorry for Julian and the hard life he's had as a carer for his father and wife, but I mostly got the feeling he felt like he looked down on others and he never convinced me. Olivia seemed mostly clueless and lacked fleshing out for me; she felt more like a prop rather than a 'real' character. Due to this lack of connection to any of them, I struggled to keep myself invested in what happened to them.

The beginning of the story was quite interesting, but things soon started to slow down and parts of the plot dragged considerably. I don't mind detailed descriptions or a slightly slower pace, but there is always a delicate balance to maintain and the character development has to be spot on for a slow pace to be justified. Sadly, with The Perfect Holiday this wasn't the case for me. Add the blatant cheating and unlikeable characters, and DNFing became the only option for me.

An elegant, immersive, multi-layered story that provokes and excites! I still have goosebumps! Omg......... this book was amazing I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed I was hooked from the very first page. WOW!!

I enjoyed The Perfect Holiday but found it a little slow in places for my personal taste, however the writing was good and I enjoyed the book overall and would read more from T.J. Emerson.

I literally could not put this book down. Non stop action, edge of your seat drama and enough twist and turns to keep you guessing along the way. A really well written and well thought-out book.

I’m a bit torn about how I feel about this book. On the one hand, I was gripped and enjoyed the story. I’ve even been thinking about it since I finished, which is always a good sign. On the other hand, the ending was terrible and wasn’t worth reading this book for.
A lot of the other reviewers have said they found the story too slow going, and I agree with this to a certain extent. There was a lot of repetition with the day to day of Olivia and Julian’s holiday. They kept visiting the same places and lying by the pool a lot. This didn’t help the story move at a swift pace. However, I did pick up an undertone of malice and intrigue going on. I couldn’t quite figure out what Gabriel’s motive, plan or direction in the story would be. This is what helped me get through the book; it kept me moving through it and wanting to pick it up again to find out how the story would be brought together.
Julian as a character was very morose, and it was hard to root for him or want the best for him. I know he’d had a bad life, but this gave him an air of entitlement. Olivia was very astute; she was picking up everything small thing that was said, so it was made quite evident that nothing was getting past her.
I was expecting to be shocked and appalled at the end as this is what it seemed to be leading to. I was neither. I was just disappointed, and I needed more from this story to have made it worthwhile. The ‘big twist’ was a little too obvious, and the fate of the characters just seemed pointless after I’d invested so much time in their lives. I needed more on the Gabriel side of things as well; an epilogue from his perspective would have worked well. As it stands, the epilogue from Olivia’s point of view was just dull.
For me, the best part about the book was the ‘before’ section when Julian meets Gabriel. Some of the reviewers felt the sex scenes were too full on. I didn’t find this at all, and I think I can be a bit of a prude when it comes to these types of things. However, I found it to be relatively tame.
So, overall, I do feel like I wasted my time reading this, but I did enjoy the majority of it whilst reading. So, a tough one to score, I think I will settle on a middle ground of three stars. I don’t think I will be rushing to read anything else by this author anytime soon. It just wasn’t innovative enough for my liking.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is my first time reading this author. The writing was very good and the story kept my attention. Not really my style of book but glad that I got the chance to read it.
Julian Griggs is a caretaker for first his father and then his wife, Helen. Helen was seriously injured in a car accident and needed full time care. While Julian was out helping serve others, his wife was killed in a burglary as far as the police could find. The killer was never found.
Julian started the Helen Griggs Foundation to help other caretakers with resources, financial help and outings. Julian met Olivia a couple of years after Helen's death at a ceremony where he received and award. Olivia and Julian got married and are very involved in their foundations.
Gabriel is one of a kind. He is handsome, outgoing and conniving. He makes Julian believe he's his friend and lover but it all comes with a price.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review - Wow what a book !
Olivia and Julian are enjoying lazy days and feeling they are well deserved after Julian has spent so much of his life caring for his wife who suffered an accident.
But things suddenly change when Julian meets Gabriel and gives him a place to stay for a night. A night spent drinking turns into sparks flying. When suddenly Gabriel shows up at his home months later - and finds reasons not to leave - the games begin.
An addicting read with a shocking ending!

This book was well written but not for me. I didn't particularly like Julian and found him difficult to connect with. Overall, I found all the characters unlikable-- and I'm the type of reader who needs at least one character to cling to.

Wow! Emerson puts a weak character, an undeniably evil one, and a woman constantly disappointed with men together in a gorgeous villa in Mallorca and allows us to watch as the drama unfolds. Beautifully written with a great sense of place that contrasts so well with what is going on behind doors. I didn't like characters of Julian or Gabriel but I don't think we were supposed to. I did love Olivia with her freckles and her hopefulness. The ending - well you have to read it to see what an absolutely perfect ending it was!

I’ve heard it said before that there are no bad books, just books who haven’t found the right reader. Sadly, I’m not the right reader for this book. It would be a great book for those who don’t mind reading about gay hook-ups between two men; one old enough to be the other's father.

I received this advance copy from T. J. Emerson, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. It is written very well with the intensity that keeps one reading. The story ends with a twist that I did not see coming. The pressure and tension on the main character is slowly growing until it becomes quite intense, almost unbearable. What happens next?! So the writer really knows her craft.

What bothered me is that I didn't anticipate detailed gay sex scenes with someone who is 20 years younger. Gabriel described to be extremely physically attractive but he is always either filthy, having bad morning and cigarette breath (so gross), his room is stale and smelly and their sex scenes are a bit too graphic for my taste. I am not sure what attracted Gabriel to Julian at the beginning that within 10 minutes of meeting they had sex, and later apart from the money. On the other hand, Julian is way too infatuated at his age with someone whom he barely knows and their relationship never grows beyond sex. In the end, such a 180 degree change on the main character's character was unexpected and not very believable given the history of decades of very different behavior. Can a good and kind person really turn into such evil?

Thanks Netgalley for the free copy in exchange of an honest review.