I really enjoyed this book. There were a lot of characters but they were well written and by the end I felt very connected to them. Lots of different dramas going on which came to a head as the book got into the latter quarter.

A lot of tensions between the haves (those who could afford expensive second homes) and the have nots (locals stuck living in caravans because second homes have driven property prices well out of their reach.) I couldn't help but feel empathy for the latter group.

This book kept me reading, and I felt it had an appropriate ending.

High above the village of Pine Ridge on the Dorset coast, is the prestigious enclave of second homes, owned by the rich and upwardly mobile London folk. These Grockles are treated with derision by the locals, many of whom have been reduced to living in caravans or sofa surfing. The NJFA (Not Just For August) vigilantes are determined to have their say and make their feelings known, much to the embarrassment and annoyance of the second homers.

I loved this! Drawn into the families and the locals immediately, and really enjoyed the plot. Well drawn characters (yes, we all know a Perry and a Linus 😱), and the additional background plots was an added bonus. Really liked the different POV too. At times it was quite dark, but a lot of humour as well.

I have read some reviews that said there were too many characters to deal with, and to some extent I do agree, but once you get your head round them they all fit well into the relationships.

Another great book from Candlish. Would definitely 100% recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ.

Thank you Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 6th June. This was a thrilling slow burner thriller- in a good way! 😊 I thought the characters were well developed my favourite one was Amy. This book had lots of suspense with many twists and turns.

The book was so good I read it one sitting! I would 100% recommend this book, I really loved it.

I feel the same way about this book as I felt about most of the other books by this author - it’s an interesting story but not executed to my liking.

This book is a slow burn - I did enjoy getting to know the different characters and I loved the multiple POVs. The setting was also really fun. I think this book will make a perfect summer read for someone!

Although it wasnt the most thrilling thriller there was definitely a lot of tension and I did like all the drama between the characters. The ending did pick up and I actually really liked that I just wish it had been easier reading up to that point.

I would still recommend this book to people who enjoy slower paced thrillers with some social commentary. Great writing, ending and characterisation but not my favourite by this author.

Charlotte and Perry have owned their beautiful cliff top home in Pine Ridge, Dorset for many years and spend all of August in this paradise. This year though, they and Amy and Linus, friends from London and recent purchasers of a small ‘doer upper’ also in Pine Ridge, get an unwelcome reception from the ‘Not Just For August’ crew. It gets a bit angsty to say the least, but the two couples are of the opinion that they’ve worked hard for the second homes so why shouldn’t they enjoy it? They look forward to lazy days and long summer evenings, sipping rosé wine and taking in the glorious views. This year however, will be different as Robbie the leader of the NJFA is on a mission by the end of August things will never ever be the same again.

This is a really good, well written slow burner of a psychological thriller though right from the start there’s clearly bubbling tension simmering away beneath the surface. There are multiple layers and subplots which keep revealing themselves and the author does an excellent job of keeping the ‘plot plates’ spinning and with it my attention. First of all, there is the obvious issue of the arrival of the “grockles” or Blow-Ins with their second homes, often empty for much of the year and the locals who have difficulty acquiring affordable housing. There’s a very good balance between the two and at times there’s a satirical element especially in the acute observations of those at the upper end of the income bracket yet it still manages to pack the necessary punch. There’s some excellent dialogue that keeps reinforcing this. Secondly, as well as the above divide there are other divisions too such as intergenerational ones and in various relationships. These become strained and there are intriguing dynamics in several areas.

Although this is a slow burner from the arrival of the “downs from London” there’s a sense of anxiety and trepidation overhanging all and an on edge sensation with some claustrophobia. Situations escalate, there are double lives being lived, examples of hypocrisy and the tensions evident from the start, begin to escalate with altercations which spiral out of control. It becomes deliciously devious and dangerous, there’s plenty of the stuff fitting the fan and wheels coming off lives as a consequence. The last part of the book is very dramatic, but it’s not OTT.

My only reservation of the book lies in the number of characters that you have to wrap your head around. It’s told from multiple points of view, these I don’t have a problem with, but there are a lot of other characters to get familiar with and one or two that seem to me to be superfluous such as Julien the french visitor staying with Amy and Linus.

Overall though, I really enjoy this as the tone is just right and yet it still manages to highlight a genuine issue. A shout out for the fantastic setting in Dorset which is used really effectively.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This book was such a mixed bag! it started out quite interesting and then - from about 25% to 75% - it felt as though it just meandered.

We had already got to know most of the key characters, and honestly some of the supporting characters could have (and probably should have) just been left out - like the French exchange student who really served very little purpose. And since most of them were not particularly likeable, it started to feel repetitive hearing about the spoilt pretty teenager, the champagne socialist activist, the conservative father etc.

I was beginning to despair, since I'd liked this writer's earlier books, when suddenly the last 25% went turbo! Hidden layers were exposed wrt a number of characters - and sometimes quite unexpected and interesting peculiarities too. You were held spellbound by the way the author juggled the complex sub-plots and intertwined storylines, and tied it all up quite satisfyingly in a neat bow afterwards.

Hence, for me, the book was very much worth reading in the end. But it would have scored even higher than the 3.5 stars I am allocating it if the pacing had been more even, and some of the repetition and unnecessary characters had been edited out. Still, an impressive achievement all in all.

I thought this was excellent! There is a strong thread of dark humour throughout which I absolutely loved. I would describe it as a satire on the class system in the UK. Most of the characters were horrendously awful and it made for a very satisfying read when their misdemeanors caught up on them.
I absolutely loved this book, I felt it was very cleverly written.

Another fabulously dazzling read from Louise Candlish. A relevant tale about wealthy Londoner's buying second homes in beautiful locations. A big cast of characters to get your head around (and an awful lot of them not the nicest) but worthwhile investing the time as the story gets better and better. The people range from arrogant, crazy and just plain stupid! I loved every moment. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

I've enjoyed this author's other books. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one so much. It felt slow and I couldn't invest in any of the characters.

It should be a happy time – when friends with nearby summer homes are at Pine Ridge at the same time. So when Charlotte and Perry and their children mingle with Amy, Linus and their offspring, it’s all fun and games, right? Well, if you count unhappiness from the locals, many of whom cannot afford to live in the village, disruption from a community group willing to share their displeasure and secrets and lies between friends and family fun… The locals, headed by the headstrong Robbie, are prepared to stop at nothing to make the homeowners aware of whose land it is anyway. In the midst of the ongoing drama are issues around adolescence, boundaries, family obligations and altering relationships. The summer will change things for almost everyone… including the person who loses their life.

I have read quite a few books by this author and absolutely loved them all. This book was really disappointing. The plot was weak and the characters were uninspired. I felt so let down.

I'm a fan of Louise Candlish, I've read most of her books...

Our Holiday features a topical British story of rich Londoners buying up holiday homes and pricing the locals out of the market. August is the prime holiday month and the local protesters are stepping up their direct action.

There's a lot of characters, I wish I'd made a list. There's a lot going on with subplots and a few secrets. I wouldn't mind another gentler thriller like Those People, unfortunately I found it hard to really connect with the characters in this book.

There is some nice dialogue and humour, not least the middle age parents using references and slang that confuses the youngsters. The generation gap humour was my favourite part.

There was definitely potential here, but overall it didn't really work for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ

Many thanks to NetGalley, HQ and Louise Candlish for my ARC of 'Our Holiday' in return for an honest review.

I have read all of this author and have thoroughly enjoyed the novels. However, I did struggle with this especially at the beginning. It may have been me but I found the jumping around from character to character difficult to follow.

A relevant story for the current times based on people from out of town owning second homes, as holiday homes, when those who live locally cannot afford any accommodation. The locals are disgruntled and are carrying out a destructive campaign against the holiday home owners.

This was a very relevant slow burn thriller set in a picturesque seaside resort where many houses are owned by out of towners as holiday homes and the locals can’t afford to buy or rent accommodation there which understandably causes much tension. Told from multiple points of view including those of the locals who are protesting about the housing situation and from different members of two families who are also friends back home in London. The main story is situated around a house falling into the sea resulting in a death but much of the story takes place in the lead up to this with the dynamics between the various characters getting increasingly complex. As it’s told from many points of view I did occasionally have to remind myself who was who but I didn’t have trouble following the story, the characters are really varied and multidimensional and several of them have intriguing secrets. As a thriller it didn’t have me hooked but as a tense relationship story it had so many solid elements that I found compelling.

I always know when I start a Louise Candlish book that I'm going to get something really well-written, with well-developed characters and a plot that has me hooked. I'm glad to say that this was no exception.

I was instantly attracted to the concept - second home owners versus the disgruntled locals who can't afford first homes. The characters were so realistic and it was really interesting to follow their stories. I loved the multiple points of view and really enjoyed uncovering all of the characters' secrets. The pacing was slow, which isn't usually something I enjoy, but in this case I think it really worked in building up the simmering tension, ready for the exciting finale.

I would 100% recommend this book, I really loved it.

Louise Candlish does it again with her new psychological thriller! If you are in the market for some unreliable characters and a twisty plot, this book is for you!

I could not follow this book what-so-ever. It jumped all over the place. but yet nothing written made sense to me. It sounded great and I expected a suspenseful beach thriller, but I have no idea what this is. I tried to skip ahead a few times. yet nothing still made any sense to me. I loved the first book I read by Louise, but have continued to be disappointed but the rest. It may be time for me to just move on from her books. A man died, the house fell off the cliff, and squatters were staying in the house. Just didn't make much sense to me.