Two families from London come to Pine Ridge in Dorset to their second homes to enjoy the summer, however they are not made welcome by the locals unable to purchase first homes. The not just for August group (NJFA) led by Robbie and Tate arrange different stunts to highlight their plight and to attract media attention. As the summer continues the tension comes to a head culminating in a dramatic event. The reader is left to wonder if it is NJFA or if there is someone else to blame.

This was a slow burn thriller that spent time establishing the characters and weaving in the subplots so the revelation when it came was surprising.

The issue of the second homes is topical, so it felt realistic and relatable. I enjoyed the way all the subplots worked together.

Louise Candlish pits holiday home owners against locals in this clever, twisty thriller that builds tension page by page. A one sitting read for me!

I liked this book but I don’t think it was as good as other Candlish reads. Too many characters at once and, what I felt, was an underlying political message, I don’t think this book packed the punch I was expecting.

It took me a while to get into this story. The first few chapters introduce new characters each time which left me rather confused about the different identities. Unfortunately, I could never quite shake this off for the rest of the read, particularly confusing the two wives and their children. I wished the writer had established the characters more before adding different ones to the mix. If that had been the case, I think I would have enjoyed watching them more.

However, undeniably, these are not likeable characters in the slightest. All of them have an air of self-entitlement that rankled with me. Selfishness abounds and I don’t think the locals were much better either. I cringed when watching scenes with Beattie and disliked the example that the parents set: they are hardly ideal role models and are all considerably flawed. In contrast, the locals are all presented as incredibly angry and gunning for a fight. This is shown through their attitude towards the holiday makers who have bought second homes in Pine Ridge. The clash between two types of people with very different backgrounds simmers over the story, reaching a disturbing climax.

At times I really engaged with the narrative. The fact that the story opens with a summerhouse falling into the sea was really shocking and I loved how Candlish only gives slight clues about this story. Instead, readers are taken back several weeks so we see how events build up to this grand finale. This dual timeline aspect meant readers can make some informed judgements about the present narrative, helping to unravel why a summerhouse has ended up in the sea.

The idea of having a second home dominates the narrative. The locals are sick of these tourists swanning in each summer and then leaving their second homes empty for most of the year, whilst they are struggling to find even a rental property. The injustice of this is reinforced when there is news that immigrants are also to be housed nearby, making the protest group – Not Just For August – even more angered. In my opinion, this felt too close to reality because these topics are in the news so much, that it felt like Candlish was critiquing these current affairs. Personally, I would have preferred less of a reflection of daily life; I wanted a bit more escapism to the coast.

Definitely a slow burner, this a complex plot that has a range of characters. None of them are likeable but with the shocking opening, I was definitely hooked. It took me a while to settle into the story and I do think the ending was quite prolonged however, it was a mystery that I wanted to solve and I was really keen to see all the characters have some sort of comeuppance for their actions.

With thanks to HQ and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up.
I have a bit of a hit and miss relationship with this author and I think that this book lies somewhere in between!
We start with Charlotte and Perry who have a rather nice clifftop holiday house in Pine Ridge. They have worked hard for what they have and feel they thoroughly deserve a nice place to go and relax in the summer. Sadly the locals do not share their feelings as they believe that it is people like them that have driven the locals out, unable to now afford to live in the village they grew up in. Trouble only escalates when fellow city dwellers Amy and Matt also buy into the dream and the action really begins when the two families descend on their respective holiday homes for August and the locals step up their NJFA (not just for August) campaign with devastating repercussions...
This is a very slow burner of a book. So much so that I found myself putting it down and not really feeling eager to return to it, instead urging it to get on with itself. But, as I usual do in this circumstance, I popped over to have a look at the reviews and the consensus appeared to be keep going, so I did...
It's multi layered and multi faceted and the author does a good job of building it all up, raising the tension, before eventually peeling it all back to expose the truth of it all. There are a LOT of characters, maybe too many, especially given the slow nature of the start of the book. I really did have to work hard to keep everyone in check, especially as their duplicity, secrets and lies all started flowing. Which I managed to do with my trusty notebook cast list, although having to use that did keep taking me out of the story somewhat which wasn't helpful given the aforementioned slow pace.
The main thread of the book, the holiday home issue is actually a real issue for a lot of people, and tempers do overflow on occasion, you only need to look in the media to see that, especially these days with AirBNB becoming more popular and it is researched and handled very well indeed.
And the ending, when it came, well... don't worry, I won't be spoiling things, but yeah never saw that one coming...
All in all, after a shaky start, it did all come good at the end and was worth the effort getting through the slow beginning. It's a destination rather than a journey book! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A great holiday read, but it also packs a bit more punch. All the characters are flawed be they rich and privileged or poor and desperate but some are quite likeable even so. For example, Beattie is quite loathsome- beautiful, brainy, rich and totally self absorbed but even she has some redeeming features if only that she’s young. It’s a twisted tale of lies, deceptions, addictions and greed and it kept me glued to the end.

Having read and enjoyed the work of Louise Candlish before, I was keen to read her latest novel, which shows a story that often reaches the press in modern times - where visitors from big cities are buying up second homes in a seaside village and the locals can no longer afford to purchase. Just as in the newspapers, matters between visitors and locals turn from irritated to dangerous. Second homeowners begin to see plenty of criminal damage and this of course, escalates. It's easy to see how the relationships between visitors and locals become more resentful and over a short period of time the worst is sure to happen. You may find yourself taking sides or seeing both points of view and while I would describe this story as a slow burner, it certainly makes you want to turn the pages to provide you with the outcome. Here’s looking forward to the next by this writer

As always, Louise Candlish re-imagines a relatively ordinary scenario but with complex relationships leading to deadly consequences. The setting is the idyllic sounding Cliff View where Charlotte and Perry have their holiday home. We meet the locals like Robbie, Tate and Ellie who have been priced out of their birthplace and as their resentment grows to the blow-ins whose holidays homes have inflated house prices. A campaign starts highlighting the animosity between the locals and the London elite, things start turning nasty. A terrible incident occurs with many locals and not-so-locals now suspects. It's not only the weather that gets hot. A great summer read!

I absolutely loved #OurHoliday A gripping and twisty thriller that I couldn’t put down. I was totally hooked.
A story full of families, friends, lust, lies, money, secrets and local hostilities.

Charlotte and Perry, and their city friends Amy and Linus arrive at their holiday homes in Pine Ridge. Staying for the month of August, planning lazy weeks of sun, sea and sipping wine on Charlotte’s summer house veranda. But the locals have resentment against second home owners and small acts of criminal damage soon escalates into something more.

A well written relatable storyline told in dual timelines with multiple POV’s. I liked the characters with all their secrets and flaws. They are all believable.
I loved the setting.
A brilliant page turner, well worth a read. Definitely recommend for twisty thriller fans.
With thanks to #NetGallery #HQ @HQStories for an arc of Our Holiday in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 4 July 2024.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Another brilliant domestic thriller by Louise Candlish, this is a great thriller a must read in these summer months!
In true Candlish style, Our Holiday has a completely plausible plot, bringing to life situations and scenarios that could happen to all of us. This twisting of 'normality' is absolutely unsettling, as it shows how all of us can be vulnerable to experiencing tragic and terrifying things.
The characters in this book are well developed, each having a unique, recognisable personality that makes the multiple POV structure of the plot very easy to follow. The dual timeline (spanning 1 month) really works in building up the anticipation for the final reveals. Twists and turns make sure to keep you stuck to your reading spot.

A great book all thriller lovers will enjoy!

The fifth Louise Candlish book I have read and enjoyed. Very difficult to put down so read in a day. My favourite genre and one of its best exponents.Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Charlotte and Perry love their summers at Cliff View, their gorgeous holiday home overlooking the turquoise waters of Pine Ridge. Now that their city friends Amy and Linus have also bought a property nearby, they plan lazy weeks of sun, sea and sipping rosé on Charlotte’s summerhouse veranda. However, a rising tide of resentment towards the second-home owners is heading their way, with small acts of criminal damage escalating into something more menacing. There’s trouble in paradise and by the end of the summer, families and friendships will be torn apart and Pine Ridge will be known for more than its sun-drenched beaches. It will be known for murder…

Louise’s books never disappoint and this latest title definitely didn’t let my expectations down! I devoured over half of it in one sitting and couldn’t wait to pick it back up and finish, I had the feeling of wanting to know what is going to happen next all the way through! The alternating character POV’s breaking up the chapters keeps the flow at a steady pace throughout, especially with the contrast between the ‘before the event’ and ‘after’, the insight from all different angles giving you lots of twists and turns as you try to guess the outcome.

A clever approach of including current affairs mixed in with the story helps to add a sense of relatable realism to the setting and the story, with believable characters executing this perfectly. An unexpected ending means this title will keep you guessing and turning the pages to know more, right to the very end.

A truly captivating read that couldn’t be more perfect to read this summer on your holidays!

I have previously read ‘The Heights’ by Louise Candlish and loved the twisty turns of that storyline so I was excited to dive into Our Holiday. It was a perfect mix of great characters and sizzling storylines which will make a perfect summer read!

I’ve really enjoyed a lot of Louise Candlish’s previous books so was excited for this one but if i’m honest it missed the mark for me.

It felt more like a social commentary novel than a thriller and the murder element of it was quite lacklustre and not what I want from a thriller.

The book is pretty much about the tensions between second home owners and locals in seaside towns which is interesting but I don’t really think it worked in this style of book.

I do love a Louise Candlish thriller and this one certainly did not disappoint. It kept me turning the pages rapidly from start to finish. The only downside was the vast array of characters to keep up with!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

After reading that this was marketed as a thriller by an established author I was looking forward to enjoying this book. It starts with the end, a bit of a spoiler when a house falls into the sea. It then brings in a large amount of characters quite quickly, most of whom are annoying DFL’s (down from London) in addition to the local campaigners from NJFA (not just for August). As someone who has lived permanently in a seaside village and seen for myself the way certain people act during August, there was definitely a ring of truth to the characters. The story itself is a very slow and a somewhat tedious one that alternates between the start of the holiday and the disastrous ending. I felt that this was too padded and not enough of a thriller for me.

Louise Candlish is an absolute master of writing thrillers set in our everyday world, things that could happen in your neighbourhood to people you know...or, heaven forbid, to you. Our Holiday is yet another great example of this.
Set across the month of August in an idyllic seaside town that many 'Down From Londoners' have made their second home, the tension shimmers like a heat haze over the sand dunes from almost the very beginning. I struggled a little to get the characters straight in my head at the start (there are a lot) but soon figured it out as they became more three-dimensional and got themselves into more and more scrapes!
The problems that these second-homers encounter start with local activists, angry that they are being priced out of their home towns by these outsiders who only occupy their homes during August, and then they spiral out from there until there is trouble around every corner, coming from every angle. As Louise Candlish uses dual timelines to tell the story, we learn more as they converge until it is all laid out bare as the dust settles.
The pace of most of the book is quite languid, heavy and intense like the stifling summer air, but it ramps up towards the end as the many possible outcomes are set as traps to take the reader off down the wrong path. Superb writing, as always.

I’d like to thank HQ and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Our Holiday’ written by Louise Candlish in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The residents of a Dorset coastal town are unhappy that Londoners who aren’t contributing to the community are buying second homes leaving those who live in locally unable to find anywhere affordable to live. The Londoners are being targeted by action groups who chant ‘Local homes for local people’, throw red liquid at their cars when they exit the toll ferry and daub paint on their homes.

After reading the initial introduction and first chapters of ‘Our Holiday’ it sounded like my type of novel but as the story progressed it became slow and very boring. I was confused by the large number of characters who were all rich, privileged and so unlikeable that I hated them, although perhaps this is what the author intended. I very nearly gave up as there was nothing that made me want to carry on but I did although perhaps I should have given up as I didn’t enjoy it.

This is a truly gripping read from start to finish. The tension is always there, as we know something awful is going to happen. The different strands of the story are skilfully woven together, and the characters are complex, no one is purely good or evil. I don’t think I’ll be lending it to anyone who has a second home though! It will certainly provide many points for book clubs to discuss. I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ and a half ⭐️s
I really enjoy books by Louise Candlish and was very eager to read this. Set in summer in gorgeous Dorset, this explores how people with “second” homes are met with opposition from locals and other protesters, it’s described as a thriller but I wouldn’t say it is, it’s a bit of a slow burn with many characters to remember which I struggle with at the moment, not the authors fault there, just my brain fog in action. Maybe it was also the fact that none of the characters were likeable, some Wer really most unlikable, I couldn’t take to any of them But i did enjoyed it once I got into it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy

What a cracking read!
I read this over two days as I really did find it hard to put down.
A great cast of characters and a perfect setting for a sizzling hotbed of crime. It is a bit of a slow burn in some ways, but instead of flipping through, I felt myself so absorbed as to stay with it.
A collision of families and circumstance, the haves and have nots in this second home setting on the south coast as they butt up against the locals. Lots to dislike about most of the characters, but it's not as simple as that. The differences between what we perceive as the good and the bad, as the vulnerable and the exploited is subtle and makes for a thought provoking read in a lot of ways.
Mostly, though, it's an out and out page turner and deserves to be a hot read this summer.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, to Louise Candlish and to HQ for the opportunity to read this advance copy.