Member Reviews

The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland was another excellent book. I was hooked within the first few pages till the end. Shalini is an excellent author and I just love all her books. This latest book is about a House swap for a holiday.

Now........Would you do a house swap? Stay in someone else's house? Sleep in their bed while they do the same?
Hmmmmmm........Depends where about on the world the house swap was......

So when Beth, a stay-at-home mum to Connor and Liam, and Niall her husband who is a historical fantasy fiction author, find a house swapping site and immediately jump at the opportunity. They decide to do a house swap that belongs to Amber, Lorenzo and their family who have a beautiful villa with pool, in Italy, sun and picturesque views. Just what the doctor ordered.
Beth’s and Niall's place is so different and is an eighteenth-century English cottage, there's no sun just the lovely British weather for their guests.

So, why did Amber, Lorenzo and their family choose this cottage. It could be all innocent Until Beth finds a photo of her Husband wearing a pale green shirt in one of the many wardrobes in the Italian villa.
Beth is puzzled, How does the Kildare's know her husband??? When Beth asks Niall he denies knowing the Kildares especially Amber.

Then someone ends up dead on the ground .OMG!!!!!!

This book was excellent with brilliant twists and turns throughout that will have you on the edge of your chair! or lack of sleep if you start to read it before you go to bed! like I did

I highly recommend this latest book. 5 Star book. So be-aware if you do a house swap with someone, it may seem a cheap holiday away But you never know what may happen whilst you are there!

Bog Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture for a ARC copy for an exchange of a review.

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Shalini Boland always writes such juicy, exciting, unbelievable thrillers and this one is just like all her others!
When Niall suggests to wife Beth that they go on a home swap holiday she is really keen to go, having always been left behind on his trips! We are very soon aware of what an absolute douche her husband is - but we also know someone is out for some kind of revenge…..what for? Well you have to keep reading!
Totally impossible to put down, this was just the read I needed to cheer up a gloomy day!

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What I love most about The Family Holiday, by Shalini Boland is the way that you’re instantly captivated in to the story. Very few authors grab my attention the way this author does. If you’re looking for a book that has interesting characters, a shocking ending, a plot that will keep you hooked- read this!! I finished it in less than 24 hours!

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I think it’s impossible for Shalini to write a mediocre book!
Another belter of a read from the brilliant author

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A quick, easy-to-read thriller about a house swap that goes horribly wrong should have been right up my alley! The author is a great writer and I sped through this book, but the characters were all so incredibly unlikeable that I ultimately didn't care what happened to any of them. Rounding up because the final epilogue was a great twist, but it couldn't make up for the awfulness of all the main characters throughout the other 95% of the book. I loved the descriptions of the Amalfi Coast and the English countryside, making it an easy read that is perfect for the beach, but overall it just left me a little disappointed. I'm excited to see what Shalini Boland does next though! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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Another excellent read by the wonderful Shalini Boland, her books draw me in right from the First page and I read this in a day.
The author creates such vivid characters who you love and hate, I loathed Niall from the First page and it was quickly clear that Amber was a sociopath. As usual not everything is as it seems, and this author has the ability to always shock you with something you never saw coming, right at the end.
Great characters and a great plotline, written brilliantly, highly recommend this great read.

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Two families both decide that they need a chance to reset; to spice up their life. Insert a house swap website. Amber and Beth connect and swap their houses - Amber wanting to show her children her roots in England, and Beth wanting to experience. Proper, glamour outs holiday in Italy. However, the trips do not help settle the families back to a honeymoon-like love affair as they had hoped.
Boland does a great job of switching between Amber and Beth’s points of view to keep the reader on their toes. It is hard to put down because you want to know what happens, and you want to find out how the families are really connected. There are small, anecdotal thoughts peppered throughout the story, and you are left wondering who is thinking these thoughts. When Beth’s husband is found dead, she questions what she really knew about this family she swapped houses with.

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This book was great. It had me hooked from the very beginning and I could not guess the ending like I usually can. I'm a huge Shalini Boland fan and this was my favorite book of hers so far! She described the characters so well I personally felt like I knew each one of them. She was so descriptive I felt like I could close my eyes and smell the amalfi coast! Such a good thriller I can't wait to read shalini's next book! Thank you

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I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shalini Boland is an amazing writer, theres no doubt about that and The Family Holiday is really well written, the story is great and addictive. The problem for me that spoiled it was Beth. Right from the first page she just irritated me. She lets herself be a walk over and puts up with her childish husband. I personally, am getting tired of reading about women like this. They're too good for their lives, they deserve better but oh maybe its all their fault.

And then the little added chapters of threats that you dont know who they're coming from where just unnecessary.

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Wow, this is some book, it’s completely compelling reading! I’m already a big fan of this author, but I think this is her best yet.

The concept of the house swap for a holiday seems to be a really great idea, even though Beth and Niall seemed to be getting the better part of the bargain, with the stunning villa that they were exchanging their house for.

As soon as their holiday starts, things begin to go wrong, but with this very clever and complex plot, it’s impossible to know why, and who might be responsible. The more I got to know Amber, the less I trusted her, but what could be the link between the characters, and why would anyone wish harm on the family?

This book will keep you guessing as you race through the pages. I absolutely could not put it down, and even when it began to become clear as I got nearer to the end, I just needed to see how it was all going to end.

Completely addictive and compulsive reading, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a pacey and compelling thriller.

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Wow! A rollercoaster of a book. Alternating in being told from two main characters you begin to see the telling of a unique story line. One that takes the wonderfully woven characters through a terrifyingly twisted story. No one is telling the truth it seems. Set among both a cozy, chilly England spring and a hot beautiful sunny Italy, the atmosphere is life like and brings this book to life. The finale is explosive. You won’t regret picking up this book, you just won’t be able to put it back down.

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A quick, easy-to-read domestic thriller about a holiday house-swap between two families that goes horribly wrong. Beth and Niall agree to swap their cottage in Dorset, England with Amber and Renzo's villa on the Amalfi Coast for a two week family holiday after Niall suggests signing up with a house swap website. Shortly after arriving at the stunning Italian villa, Beth realizes that finding the listing might not have been a coincidence when she finds a photo of her husband in Amber's wardrobe. The story alternates narrator between Beth and Amber (plus an occasional unnamed third person) and there are a few plot twists along the way although none are very surprising until the one revealed in the final words of the Epilogue. The book is fine as an easy beach read that doesn't require too much attention but it left me a bit disappointed as I was expecting more of an edge-of-your-seat thriller. If you're planning to read it then it's best not to read the blurb for the book which gives away a major plot point that doesn't take place until the last quarter of the book.

I received a digital Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley.

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Interesting story and character development. I was sympathetic of the wife struggles from beginning to end. Although I was not a fan of any of the characters, I enjoyed this story and found it entertaining. Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author, for allowing me to read a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

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I could not put this book down!
A classic tale of house swap gone wrong but this really had me turning the pages.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, or, more accurately, I hated them! They were so well written that I found myself agitated by the way they behaved.
I also liked that the book was told from two narrators and from two different countries. This made the story unpredictable and every time I thought I'd figured something out there would be a new subtle twist.
Would definitely recommend this book.
Also reviewed on my Instagram account.

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Beth (a mum of two boys living in an Idyllic town in the English countryside) and Amber (a mum of two, who is living in a beautiful small town in Italy) decide to do a "houseswap" on one of those swap sites for a family vacation. Similar idea as to the movie, They Holiday. But, unbeknownst to one woman, the other knew her before they agree to swap and it may not have been exactly anonymous.

This domestic thriller is full of twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the very end. Although parts of the plot were foreseeable, other parts were not. I loved the setting, the scenery and the "summer vibes" the book gave off. If you are looking for a summer beach read, look no further than Shalini Boland's latest book. I will definitely be checking out more of her books. I found myself thinking of this one late into the night and trying to guess what was going on. With each chapter ending in a cliffhanger, this page-turner will be sure to keep you entertained this summer.

Special thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Always love a Shalini Bland book, didn’t disappoint, throughly enjoyed. Thankyou for the ARC 5 stars

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I received this arc from NetGalley by the publisher. I got into reading it immediately and was hooked within a couple of pages. It’s an easy read without much thought required, but is really thrilling and makes you keep reading to see how things develop.

The story alternates between the two families who are doing a house swap, with the mother’s being the protagonists. Both holidays sound promising on paper, but each’s starts to go wrong pretty quickly.

The ending isn’t as believable as I’d like & there’s not the most logical cause and effect leading to it. It all kind of turns on it’s head close to the end and rockets towards the conclusion that is a bit unbelievable and convoluted. HOWEVER, it was enjoyable and a great read.

Perfect ‘no thought required’ beach read!

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You can never go wrong with a Shalini Boland novel. Looking for twisty, suspense-filled books? Try her NOW!!

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Another page turning suspense novel from Shalini Boland! I can usually count on her to get me out of a reading slump, and this was no exception. Her writing is creative & imaginative. There were some plot holes, but nothing too distracting. A fast paced, skillfully executed psychological thriller. Definitely recommend!

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Wow! This book was incredible! A story full of mystery, twists and turns. I couldn't put this book down. It was easy to read but still kept me entertained and wanting more. 5 stars! You won't be disappointed if you choose this book!
Shalini Boland has an excellent style of writing. This is the first book I have read by this author but I will definitely be purchasing some of the other titles!
Thank you to Shalini Boland, NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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