A family house swap. England to Italy. Two families of four, finding each other online. What could possibly go wrong?

Beth and Niall travel with their boys to Italy, whilst Amber and Renzo travel to the UK with their children. Amber has her own reasons for wanting to be out of the country and a Beth is just desperate for a holiday. Beth is overjoyed with the glamorous Italian villa they are staying in and all is going well until an innocent game of hide and seek leads her to make a shocking discovery with life changing repercussions…….

Shalini’s books never disappoint and keep me guessing throughout. She knows how to write a cliffhanger and the dual narrators worked really well. Would highly recommend.

I’d always fancied a holiday house exchange. Have changed my mind! Have read some of the authors work before and this is by far the best! Have recommended it to a friend which is rare for me to do!

This book had me hooked, once I started it I struggled to put it down until I had finished. Really good story, definitely worth reading

The perfect family holiday turned into a nightmare. A body was found at the bottom of a balcony on a cold night.
Two families swap houses for two weeks. Amber and Renzo Mason live in Italy. Niall and Beth live in Dorset, England. This is the first time both of them use the house swap site. Niall suggested the house swap to his wife Beth. Amber suggested the house swap to her husband Renzo.

Niall is an internationally famous writer. He has gone to Italy for book signing tours. Beth is a stay-at-home mother taking care of there two boys. She’s hoping to reconnect with her husband while also hoping for him to reconnect with the boys. They’ve been disconnected from each other. Beth worries that her husband is distracted by his writing not focusing on her anymore. Admittedly, Niall is preoccupied with his phone or writing to take notice of his wife and kids. Something is definitely bothering Niall. He’s tired and easily agitated by the boys. Before the boys, Beth had a career as a chef, but Niall wanted her home with the boys. The Kildares home is a shabby little cottage where the boys share a room together.

Amber works in PR. Renzo owns luxury jewelry stores. They own a beautiful home overlooking Amalfi Coast. The Mason’s home is pristine.

Shalini Boland hooked me from beginning until the end. Each little suspicious mystery gave readers the perfect amount of information to keep the guessing game going. Shalini writes a thought provoking story using actions and comments to stir up the curiosity. Shalini’s writing voice procures a steady pace of activity. I was impressed with the amount of unexpected circumstances she created. Even this concept is fresh and original.
Shalini drops the bomb of secrets one after another. She really upped her game with this book. The unexpected twist’s were a game changer. Now I’m not so sure house swapping is in the cards for me.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of The Family Holiday. You are always a winner with Shalini’s books, they are Great reading. This one did Not disappoint, soooo happy for the ending. Plot was good and fast reading. Terrific novel to get lost into for a few hours. Thank you Shalini.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yet another entertaining read from Shalini Boland! I'm a big fan, I believe I have been with her from her very first book! 😊

~2 Families, 1 House Swap, Someone won't be returning home ~

As always, Shalini wrote another engaging, fast paced thriller that had me quickly turning the pages, I read this in 2 days. I can always look forward to a solid plot and quick read with this author.

It all starts with a family holiday and a house swap and ends in murder.

Another twisty thriller that kept me guessing until the end! I can't wait to see what Shalini comes up with next, I will be here for it.

A big thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. 4 stars!

Beth and her husband Niall have hit a rough patch in their marriage. When Niall suggests a house swap for a family vacation to sunny Italy, Beth is skeptical but soon gets on board with the idea. A few weeks later, they find themselves staying in a stunning Italian villa along the sea while the owners (Beth, her husband, and 2 kids) are staying in their English cottage. Sounds like a dream come true, right? Think again! Someone won't survive the 2 weeks!

I wanted to love this one: the writing was great and I enjoyed most of the characters. But I guessed most of the plot early on and that took a big chunk of excitement out of the reading experience for me. I was waiting for some big twist...that just never came. If you love a good domestic suspense read though, this will be your cup of tea!

Thanks so much to @netgalley @bookouture and the author for the ARC!

A holiday in the sun in freezing April where there does not seem to be any sign that spring is on its way, who would say no to that idea? I would not. I would not even spend time packing and jump on a plane straight away. 😊

But a house swap? I don’t think I would do that. I would not like other people staying in my home and I would be to scared to break something in the other house to really being able to enjoy the days of freedom.

Beth is not in for the idea immediately either, but little by little the idea grows on her and before she knows it, she bundles her family in a taxi for the journey to the airport. Let the good times begin…

I like Beth. She is a typical mother who puts everyone’s needs first. Her dream is waiting on the backburner, but will she ever be able to make it come true?

Niall, her husband, is egocentric and what he wants is what is going to happen.

Amber could be Niall’s sister, because she is exactly the same while her husband Renzo is made out of the same cloth as Beth.

People make mistakes. Some do it out of love, others do it to hide things. So some will be forgiven and others will get what they deserve.

Another book by this author that made me forget everything happening around me for a few hours. A great book deserves a great rating. 5 stars

Thank you

Yet another very entertaining read by Shalini , I find all her books grab me in the first few chapters and this was exactly the same , two couples arrange a house swap for a much needed summer holiday , what could possibly go wrong , when Beth finds a photo of her husband in the jacket of the supposed strangers they had swapped houses with its clear that he is hiding some very big secrets, , thie story is told from both Beth and Ambers point of view and I found it an easy fast paced read , loved it all until the very last chapter , although this did not impact my enjoyment , 5 stars as usual , can’t wait for the next

Very good book with an interesting plot. From the get go, I did not like the husband. Was a bit of a jerk. Very self absorbed. I've read other Shalini books and this is definitely one of my favorites. The plot turns constantly kept me guessing as to where the book was going. this is a great book for a book club to discuss.

This book started off with a great deal of promise, and the storyline was original. As I got into it the storyline line developed, but it lacked credibility the more I read. I found the ending tied everything up, but I did not like the very end when the restaurant owner went onto the patio.. I found it totally unnecessary ..

Two families swap houses for their holidays. Seemingly innocent……. Amber lives with her family on the Amalfi coast but is English by birth. Beth is a stay at home mum, her husband Niall is a successful author and they live in Dorset in a country cottage. The families swap cars and surroundings for a couple of weeks as a break from their busy lives. Amber forgets to leave their car in the prearranged place for Beth’s family, but things get forgotten when in a hurry - don't they? There are intermittent chapters- we know not by which character- adding a sinister chill to the proceedings, someone with more than a holiday on their mind. The seemingly innocent swap which we all feel we could do- perhaps with some hesitation as to what others may do to our own homes- draws the reader into a comfort zone but there are clues as to that something is amiss. I love Shalini's books- there is always a good solid plot and a few surprises along the way. This one didn't disappoint. A thrilling read right to the very end.
#blogtour

Thanks to Netgalley et all for the opportunity to read this book. I have read Bolands books before and
was looking forward to this one. It was an okay read but very predictable and very unbelievable at times. I liked Beth as a character but Niall and Amber were horrible people. The endings was rushed and I didn't enjoy this book as much as others.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bocouture for providing me with a free review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.

A family holiday turned nightmare.
A marriage of lies.
Nothing is as it seems.

We follow two families swapping houses for a holiday, from the UK and Italy respectively. But what first seems like a perfect get-away soon turns sinister, as the main character begins finding hints that her husband and the owner of the Italian villa they're staying at are perhaps not as unacquainted as he had led her to believe...

I read this in two days and was thoroughly entertained the entire time; it's one of those books that just fly by. What didn't quite work for me were the characters, who felt a little too cookie-cutter imperfect family to me. There seemed little depth to them beyond the characteristics needed for the plot. However, I don't read thrillers for their characters, I read them for the thrill; and it certainly delivered on this front.

A compulsive page-turner full of twists and turns, perfect for fans of Riley Sager, Rachel Hawkins and Gilian Flynn.

The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland is the latest edition by this popular author of psychological thriller books.

As always, Shalini spins a vivid tale that kept me on my toes looking for clues of who the bad guys are in the book. The plot is well thought out and contains a few red herrings and events that seem out of character for some of the well-developed characters. But then again, what makes psychological thrillers so intriguing is the fact that we really can't always tell what darkness might be in people we think we know.

This author always writes intriguing, thought provoking stories, so if you are looking for an interesting thriller, that will twist your thoughts this way and that, you will enjoy her books

Two families do a house swap vacay thingy. One goes to a magnificent Italian villa and the other goes to a quaint English country cottage. They don’t know each other. Or do they? A fast paced and clever plot keeps the reader on her toes as the clues and red herrings just keep coming. Surprises in store for sure. Thanks for another great thriller!

I really enjoyed this book. Read it over just 2 days. Easy to get into it, and maintains its pace well. There's a lot of house swap novels out there right now, but this one worked really well and stands out in it's own right - an amazing sense of place. I didn't connect a huge amount to the characters, but enough to be intrigued with the story. A great summer holiday read!

Wow another fantastic book from this author with an incredible twist at the end I wasn’t expecting . I wasn’t too upset at the husband dying as he was a right piece of work and she’d be better off without him . Definitely reminded me of my ex husband . I love her character and the woman she became . Brilliant story about a holiday house swap , definitely a must read , 5 stars from me

“𝙳𝚒𝚍 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜? 𝙳𝚒𝚍 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎?“

This new book from Shalini Boland is unlike any I have read before. It is almost as if we are getting two books for the price of one. It is quite obvious from the prologue that what we are about to read is an intense and suspenseful thriller. However, the first half of the narrative reads like a beautiful piece of travel literature. The lovely imagery and in depth descriptions will take you on a leisurely stroll through sumptuous Italy.
 
“𝙱𝚎𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚒 𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚕𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚞𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚜𝚎𝚊 𝚛𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝-𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚘𝚘𝚗.“

And, will have you sitting by a log fire in a cozy English cottage.
 
“𝙰 𝚍𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎-𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍, 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚒𝚕𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚗𝚎𝚢𝚜. 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚝 𝚕𝚊𝚠𝚗, 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞‘𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍.“

The reader enjoys these delightful locations along with two families who have chosen to do a family holiday house swap. We are introduced to the Kildares of England and the Masons of Italy. Our story is told through the POVs of Beth Kidare and Amber Mason, two very different women with two very different, though seemingly happy, lives. However, as we quickly realize, not everything is as it seems.
 
“𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚜𝚗‘𝚝 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚢 𝚊 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙸𝚝‘𝚜 𝚊 𝚙𝚑𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕, 𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙰 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐.“

The second half of this novel delightfully turns into a fast paced ride full of despicable, insufferable characters, explosive, unpredictable reveals, and an epilogue that I did not see coming. Although I was able to predict a few of the smaller reveals, the ending left me with my mouth hanging open. I was honestly so shocked that I audibly gasped.
 
“𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕, 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛.“

Give this one a try. The slow burn of the first half of this read will be well worth the pay off you are blessed with in the end.

Beth and her husband do a house swap for 2 weeks. Whilst Beth and her family swap with Amber Mason and her husband for a two week holiday in Italy Amber and her husband stay in Beth’s house for 2 weeks. What could possibly go wrong.

Beth had her reservations right from the start about this swap however her husband Niall convinced her that it would be a great idea for them to get away and enjoy 2 weeks relaxing in the sun. Eventually Beth is swayed but deep down she’s still not 100% convinced.

The minuet Beth and Niall leave their home cracks already start to appear Niall is distant and leaves Beth to deal with her 2 boys whilst he finds a corner in the airport to go and do some work. Things continue to get worse between Beth and Niall she can’t seem to do right for wrong where her husband is concerned. Then whilst snooping through Ambers wardrobe Beth finds a photo of her husband and Amber together in her jacket pocket. Is it possible the 2 of them know each other and that isn’t just some random holiday swap.

On the other hand there is Amber and her family they are wealthy and have everything you could ever want for however Amber is hiding a deadly secret one that could have huge consequences for both her family and Beth’s family. Ambers husband notices something isn’t quite right with his wife however she’s not the most open of people and by the time she’s ready to open up to her husband it’s to late.

I really love Shalini Bolands books and was so excited to get my hands on an advanced readers copy of this book. Her style of writing never fails to excite me and I find her books so moreish and this book was no different. Packed with secrets, twists and lies what more could you want. You won’t be disappointed with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.