Wooooow this was a complex story with so many twisty turns. The first half of the book the author sets you up with the characters and slowly weaves them all in together. Then the second half….bam, let the games begin. I honestly couldn’t put the book down. The best part is you think you know but you don’t..
This was suppose to be a fun summer trip and a great time for the family to spend time together. It certainly started off that way but quickly the cracks in the pavement start showing. This strong family is confronted with lies that will threaten to tear them apart. How did things end up this way and can they make it through the summer?

I took some time to reflect on this book because I didn’t know how I felt about it! After my bad experience with The Last Mrs Parrish, I didn’t want to judge too harshly Just the nicest family, just because I read it right after my one-star read!

Just the Nicest Family is a fast-paced thriller, told through multiple POVs that alternate between present and past! I really like how the author structured the novel because the short chapters and the alternation of time and POV helped me fly through the book! I finished it in two settings!


In the novel, Tim Cutler is in talks with Renee Weber, the CEO of a Swiss business that wants to buy his veterinarian clinic. Renee has extended an invitation to Tim, his spouse Louise, and their kids to spend two weeks with her and other visitors at the Villa in Le Mas des Flores. Even though Tim had planned for this retreat to be a chance for him to sell his company and have some time to unwind, it soon becomes apparent that several of the visitors are harbouring secrets that can damage lives.

I loved the drama that unfolded between the other couples and the secrets we were let in on! The first half was really intriguing, however, early on, I guessed the plot twist, which made it hard to stay engaged in the drama! After the major disclosure, everything seemed a little drawn out, and I didn't think the twist at the end added anything to the book overall. Even more, some storylines felt unnecessary for the plot and its continuity!

One of my major issues was with Louise. Towards the end of the novel, I found myself becoming increasingly irate with Louise because I thought she was either miscommunicating with her husband or simply wasn't listening to him! My opinion of Louise is not widely shared; most reviews place more of the blame on the spouse than on Louise. But it's just my sentiments and opinion!

All in all, I think it's a fun read that a lot of people will definitely love! It seems like the ideal beach read for the summer!

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. If it sounds and looks too good to be true it most definitely is.
Both cliches can be applied to this bendy story.
Louise and Tim are the golden indestructible couple but the facade gets ripped apart with a once in a lifetime stay at a ritzy home in France.
For a couple who espoused no lying to each other it seems that’s ALL they did to each other.
James crafted an intricate story that had a natural crescendo until the conclusion.
We never really shed our pasts do we?

Another book tour and this was a quick read for this bookworm. Just the Nicest Family grabbed me from the first chapter but about halfway it lost steam for me. I found Tim to be quite annoying with how he was handling certain situations and his wife was no better. They really just needed to sit down and talk to each other would have saved the rest of the book. I also didn’t like how the mom was portrayed and wholesome and innocent but she also herself was very judgy I found especially with other women in the book. I found it made me not like her as much and I think you were supposed to side with her the most. With all that being said it was good and I’m glad I got to have a stop on the book tour! The ending was a bit of a twist I hadn’t expected. I like when those little twists get thrown in.

This is my third Alison James novel and my third 5-star review!

What would be worse than being on vacation in a foreign country and being arrested for a crime you may or may not have committed, but at the same time, you are definitely keeping secrets you don't want to come out?

That's the situation Tim Cutler finds himself in when he travels to France to meet and vacation with a potential buyer for his veterinary business. When he sees someone from his past, he opens the door to what happens next.

Told in alternating timelines and POVs, this was a fast read with a main character you don't know whether to root for, pity, or boo!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance reader's copy.

Do I think this book was original? No. Do I think I am going to remember what went on in this book years from now? Also no. But I still think you should read it because it is a solid read.

So, this was a fun read!

I love pretty much any kind of vacation thriller. I think the whole thought of being in a place you don’t know while the crime happens adds some sort of intrigue no matter the story!

This family goes to the south of France for a two week “working” vacation. They are not the only visitors to this beautiful house, though. They invite friends and the owner invites friends, so it becomes a little less than relaxing. And then… murder!

I thought the pacing and short chapters from different perspectives were fantastic. I loved the whole backstory of our main couple, and thought it added just enough soap opera drama to the whole situation.

I’m not sure I loved the way it was organized though. I loved the thought of the ending, but not how it was presented so much.

I really enjoyed the book, it was a great summer read. Although I saw the big twist coming, it didn't detract from the overall enjoyment. I could have done without the epilogue, though.
I'm definitely interested in reading more thrillers by this author. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

Just the Nicest Family is a quick reading thriller with many twists and turns. Don't miss this book!

Thank you Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The perfect family on the outside but what happens behind closed doors is an eye opener……
Secrets, lies, betrayal, deception, deceit and revenge is only the beginning…..
Just The Nicest Family is a compelling page turner.
Tim and Louise Cutler and their kids are invited to a villa in the South of France, from his work as a veterinarian, to close a business opportunity.
Suggested to them from the host, Renee, is they can bring friends, an another couple and their child.
Besides them and the host, there’s also a husband and wife, close friends of Renee.
Not long into the vacation, a body is found dead in the swimming pool and this tragic incident will changes their lives forever……
A twisty narrative as the story unravels from its tangled web of theatricals.
I did not guess this one at all, I had some slight suspicions but boy was I completely wrong.
It’s shrewd and sly, this well written plot with many devious characters against the backdrop of an exotic setting.
Gripping, addictive, thrilling and explosive from cover to cover.
I’m a fan of Alison’s books and look forward to her next endeavour.

The book, which is told from multiple points of view, initially had a slow start for me. However, as we were introduced to the different characters within a stunning setting, the story picked up. The descriptions of the sea, the ambience, the smell, and the feeling it evoked during night walks took me on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, reminding me of past vacations. The simplicity of the line stirred up a lot of emotions within me.

In the story, Tim Cutler is negotiating with Renee Weber, the CEO of a Swiss company looking to acquire his veterinary practice. Renee has invited Tim, his wife Louise, and their children to spend two weeks at the Villa in Le Mas des Flores with herself and other guests. While this getaway was supposed to be a relaxing break and an opportunity for Tim to sell his business, it becomes clear that more than one of the guests is keeping secrets that could potentially destroy lives.

The narrative is quite compelling, and it effectively conveys the main character's intense horror and desperation in response to the unfolding events.


#SuspensefulNarrative #ThrillingPlotTwists #IntriguingCharacters #VividDescriptions #EmotionalJourney

This book is definitely an interesting psychological thriller although it wasn’t family drama oriented like I expected it to be.

With its multiple characters and POVs this thriller was fun and easy to read. despite the many twists and turns and dramatic events in the second and last parts, I did figure out who was the killer and the rest of the plot pretty early on.

This is the perfect vacation/beach read.

Thank you Alison James, Bookouture and Netgalley for a digital ARC copy.

"Just the Nicest Family" provided a fantastic reading experience, filled with an abundance of twists, turns, secrets, and lies that kept me riveted until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my arc.

Just the Nicest Family is one of those books you just cannot put down! Tim and Louise seem to have the perfect family. Both in good jobs with a son and a daughter after fertility issues. They are invited to a villa in the South of France to discuss the acquisition of Tim's veterinary practice, a sale that has more pressure than he lets on to his wife. After a naked woman turns up murdered, Louise begins to question how well she really knows her husband as secrets from his past come to light. I loved getting to know these characters and would definitely pick up another Alison James novel again!

A compelling although somewhat predictable read. Lots of secrets. Lots of lies. A great vacation read.

Well that was one hell of a juicy read, an absolute corker of a story, entertaining from start to finish and really well written. If it wasn’t for work / life getting in the way, I could easily have read this in one sitting, that’s how good it was.

There was quite a few characters to keep track of throughout the story, and it does switch from past to current, so you have essentially got two storylines running at same time which then link up together come the end. But I feel that the author did it really well, as at no point was ai confused and was easy to keep track of the story.

I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and trying to figure out how it would all end . I didn’t much like the character of Tim, thought he was a bit of a wet blanked, not much of a man in my option, but then I guess that was the authors intention.

So all in all, an absolutely amazing story, and well done to author Alison on another excellent book.

Alison James does it again! This psychological thriller is memorable and gripping in all the right places!. This is story telling at its very finest.

Two distinct timelines that initially seem a million worlds apart converge in this utterly brilliant work of fiction.

A super tight couple, Vet, Tim, and Louise, a high flyer in the world of teaching, score a complimentary luxury break in the Côte d'Azur courtesy of a rich businesswoman who hopes to broker a deal with Tim for the purchase of his Veterinary practice. From the very start this break seems destined to disaster as the mix of people holidaying at the luxury villa is far from harmonious....

In the second timeline we learn of 2 young women who, discontent with their waitressing wages, seek to take advantage of the wealthy men attending their functions with an agenda of sexual favours and blackmail attempts.

While initially I was wondering how these 2 timelines could possibly converge, I was not kept in suspense for long, as this novel reveals all in spectacular detail in a novel that has it all: blackmail, deceit, even (dare I say) murder!

This is such a good novel, and so well written, I absolutely couldn't countenance giving this any less than 5 stars. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this novel in exchange for an advance review copy.

A tense and shocking thriller with lots of twists and turns. I couldn't put it down! Brilliant and loved the ending!

There is often more to a situation than meets the eye and this killer plot is a perfect example!

Veterinary surgeon Tim Cutler’s business is being sold and he and his family have been invited to a villa in France to spend time with the buyer of the business and some other families. When a body is discovered by the pool, Tim’s past collides with his present with far reaching consequences. Tim made a mistake years ago, when his good intentions led him to betray his wife.

There were some unlikeable characters in this, which meant that I suspected everyone at some point, but I could never have predicted the full story and when the truth came out, I was absolutely stunned!

Alison James is a master thriller writer, her plots are incredibly detailed and well thought out, with twists that feel like a physical punch in the gut.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Alison James and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A perfectly enjoyable read, some bits were a little bit unbelievable but not enough to put me off, all in all a decent summer read.