Somehow, I’m choosing a lot of books this year that are set close to where I live (or maybe they’re choosing me?).

Set in the fictional coastal enclave of Pine Ridge in Dorset, the DFLs (Down From Londoners) are snapping up
Second homes in their droves, upsetting the born and bred residents who can’t keep up with the ever increasing house prices. A band of protestors start causing issues for the DFLs, who already have plenty of their own issues to be dealing with. And then a body turns up….

There’s a lot to focus on in this book. As much as it’s about solving the death of one character, it’s also an (often humorous) insight into the lives of the characters; not many of them seem likeable but they do seem real.

This book was an okay read, but I did find there were a lot of characters keep on track of, which I struggled with at the very start. It was a slow burn and although I enjoyed this book, I probably wouldn't recommend to someone else to read unfortunately.

There's a lot going on between these pages.

It's August, the month when those with holiday homes leave London and head for the coast. Charlotte and Perry have a spectacular home up on the cliff at Pine Ridge and now their friends Amy and Linus have followed suit, buying a renovation property. They plan on having weeks of relaxation but on arrival discover that there is a movement of protest from locals who are unable to afford any kind of home. As acts of vandalism and criminal damage increase, it's not the holiday season anyone expected and certainly no-one expected a murder ...

What a terrific read! Not only is this an excellent tale, it raises the profile of a serious social issue and I learned such a lot. To write such a novel, showing things clearly from both sides takes considerable research and skill. As well as enjoying it immensely, it has given me much food for thought. Another great read from this author, and one I'm very happy to give all five stars and my recommendation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Louise Candlish is the queen of the twist, so I started this book expecting more of the same, but it takes a different direction. The story is based in an upmarket coastal resort in the UK, and follows the lives of a small group of both locals and second home owners over the course of a fraught summer. The author does a great job of slowly building up the tension between the privileged second home owners and the marginalised local workers, while never making either side the villians. This is an unsettling tale of how easy it is for grudges to escalate out of our control from an extremely accomplished writer.

This is another great book from this author and one which I would recommend. The book is set in a beautiful part of the world, Bournemouth in Dorset and the scenery and feel of the seaside town is described beautifully, including the stunning homes set high on the cliffs owned by DFL’s (down from London 2nd homeowners).

The book is complex in that there are multiple points of view that it is told by and many characters to follow, however right from the start the tension between the locals and the DFL’s is palpable and builds towards the climactic ending where the end of summer season crowds see a house falling from the cliff top above.

The writing is very well constructed although many of the characters were quiet unlikeable I enjoyed getting to know them and how they interacted with others. The story has a good social message featuring the vast financial differences between those born in a town they unable to afford to stay in and those that set up a second home there and walk away back to their real lives after the holidays.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Quite disappointing this was from Louise. Usually her books are brilliant but, this was slow a d I really didn't like the characters they seemed unreal and very selfish. The story was sluggish and I struggled with it. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked everything this author has written and this was no exception. Great characters and a great storyline, I really enjoyed it.

The premise and opening to this book drew me in quickly, but I found that the amount of characters plus the very slow pace made it a difficult read.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. The premise of this book was great, and Candlish switched between the various characters' perspectives well. However, it was too slow paced to have been engaging as it might otherwise have been.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc.

Unfortunately I ended up DNFing this book as it just wasn’t for me and I was getting confused with the characters as 1 POV was a bit ahead of the others.

Louise Candlish is on top form with this her latest book, just perfect for a summer read!

In Our Holiday the political issue of second home owners is explored as tensions between the Down from London(DFL) holiday homers during August meet the resistance of the Cornish locals with their activist group Not Just for August (NJFA). With two couples, an assortment of teenaged youngsters tensions are high from the moment the first missile is aimed at the incoming windscreen.

As always with Louise's books, you get an awful lot for your money. There are lots of characters, a myriad of sub-plots to keep track of and more than a handful of heart in your mouth moments as various characters behave in ways they really should know better than! This is absolutely perfect summer reading.

When I visit my favourite holiday cottage in Devon every year I often wish that it belonged to me all year round. For one week a year I feel like a local but as I now know this beautiful village better it is clear that the real locals have been usurped by the rich, holiday home brigade and it must be galling when you have been brought up there. Visit, slightly out of season, like we do and take a stroll around the village and you will see many palatial properties in prime positions empty. What a waste, I always think, that beautiful house could be occupied all year round by a family.
So, as I started to read Our Holiday, I had a great deal of sympathy for Robbie, Tate and their friends and not a great deal of patience with Charlotte, Perry and their friends Amy and Linus.
Robbie and The Not Just for August group are just ramping up their campaign when the two families arrive. The real locals are having to make do with static caravans all year round while properties lie empty for much of the year. Most protests are low key, egging cars as they arrive off the ferry, the worst, graffiti on walls but no permanent damage. As the campaign intensifies it is clear that somewhere along the way this has got serious and early in the book Robbie witnesses a summerhouse tumbling off the cliff in the midst of a music festival on the beach. The finger of suspicion soon points to The Not Just for August protest group.
It is the characters that really make this book. I was so annoyed by Perry at the start, as was his son, Benedict’s girlfriend Tabitha who is told to leave when she joins the Not Just for August brigade but there is so much more to Perry as the story unfolds. Similarly, with the other family, their friends Amy and Linus who have just bought the bungalow next door, there is so much to discover about them.
Of course, in life, nothing is black and white and as the writer explores all the characters in this engaging story the reader gets to know them all so well and perhaps, by the end initial perceptions have changed. I was certainly taken by surprise and the ending was not at all what I was expecting.
Thanks to the author and publisher for an ARC of Our Holiday in return for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed it and give it 5 stars.

This was a slow burn for me but so pleased I persisted because the second half of the book certainly made up for it. The interweaving of all the characters and their stories and how each part played a much bigger part of the whole was truly brilliant. There are a fair few characters to get to know but definitely worth getting to know them

Having enjoyed previous books by Louise Candlish, I was delighted to be given an advance review copy of her new book, Our Holiday, which is published early in July 2024. Here’s the blurb:

“Charlotte and Perry long for summers at Cliff View, their gorgeous holiday home overlooking the turquoise waters of Pine Ridge. And now that city friends Amy and Linus have bought a property nearby, they plan lazy weeks of sun, sea and sipping rosé on Charlotte’s summerhouse veranda.
But there’s trouble in paradise…
A rising tide of resentment towards second-home owners is heading their way and small acts of criminal damage are escalating into something more menacing. 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…”

The book has a very similar vibe to Ms Candlish’s previous books – but if you have a format that creates Sunday Times bestsellers – why deviate?! It’s told from various characters points of view – including the DFLs (Down From Londons) and the local NJFA (Not Just For August) activists. There are lots of acronyms! Initially I found this a little bit confusing – as there were so many POVs (yes, I’ve thrown that one in just to be a d*ck!) and the time lines flick between pre and post ‘an awful event’ (no spoilers here, but it does happen very early doors in the book) – but once I settled into the book, the different perspectives actually made it really interesting.

The descriptions of Pine Ridge – and the Dorset coastline – are beautiful, and really evocative of a gorgeous hot summer (please let us have a gorgeous hot summer this year!) – and the claustrophobic weather adds to the claustrophobic feel of the book and the tension between many different parties.


I have to say that again, like previous books by the same author, none of the characters are particularly likeable – but that doesn’t stop you wanting to know what’s going to happen. The relationships between the parents and kids are really well written (although maybe that’s because I have kids of a similar age to the 2 couples?). Similarly the depiction of snobby middle class Daily Mail readers is also perfect!

There are little clues throughout about who the victim of the murder might be, but then the next chapter will throw cold water on your theory as someone else is in the frame as both murderer and murderee (possibly a word I’ve just made up…….)

The twists and turns are unpredictable – and there is not a neat ending all tied up with a bow – but I really enjoyed that.

A big thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for my advance review copy. You can pre order it now for release on 4 July 2024, and let’s face it – we’re all going to need fabulous books to escape to that day!!

The story is a good slow-burn It revolves around second homers in a seaside area who relocate for the month of August, causing tension with protest g and locals. The month is filled with hostility and anger, culminating in a interesting event. Candlish has a interesting way of formulate a storytelling and could keep me engaged in the story and plot. I enjoyed lots some of her characters and the plot was good for the book. My only trouble was with the beginning and the pace of the book but overall was a good book

Really loved this book. It was full of a wide range of characters, from various walks of life. It also raised a lot of issues such as 2nd home ownership, theft, questions on relationships which really gave the reader food for thought. It was well written with a very coherent storyline which really had me hooked right up to the end. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

When Charlotte and Perry arrive at their holiday home in Dorset there’s activists waiting to protest about people having second homes for the summer when there are people in the area without homes. Their London neighbours Amy and Linus are also staying in their second home in the same road.
There is trouble ahead this summer with protests and a tragedy that happens at the end of the summer.
There are lots of characters in the book including local people teenage children of both main characters and story lines a plenty that intertwine with each other. This was a good read but didn’t wow me like the authors other novels have.

I usually love a Louise Candlish novel. However, this one just didn't do it for me. I think the plot was a bit all over the place, and I wasn't on board with it right from the very start. So I didn't feel engaged from the beginning.
It was a very strange idea for a book, but I decided to read nevertheless because I just love the author.

I look forward to Candlish's next one, as this one I really didn't love!

🌟🌟🌟.5

Locals vs second homeowners in Pine Ridge. Protestors &activists, alongside tourism protests. A house slides into the sea during a festival… but was it empty?

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Stories told from different perspectives
- All makes sense endings
- Slow burn fiction
- Psychological thrillers

Would definitely encourage lots of discussion if read as part of a book club

With thanks to HQ and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and publishers for an #ARC of #OurHoliday.

A good slow-burn tying in several characters who could have been the Suspect or the victim in this book. Second homers in a seaside area relocate for the month of August, aggravating the locals and the NJFA *Not Just For August* protest group. A month of hostility and anger follows concluding in a life changing event for many.

Louise Candlish has a good formula for a story, and this book is no different.