What a wild ride this one was! This book had me hooked from the beginning because I love a good fast paced thriller. I had no idea where this book was gonna go at the beginning but once I was about 60% of the way through, it was a little predictable. Xmas Break is about more than just lies and secrets but it’s about family and warmed my little grinchy heart. Also Greg supremacy 🫶🏼

Thank you NetGalley and J.E. Rowney for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Xmas Break centers around estranged sisters Clara and Isla, who have hardly spoken in three years since their mother's passing. Choosing to move past their differences, Clara and her husband invite Isla and her spouse to join them for a magical Christmas in the mountains. However, upon their arrival, nothing is as it seems.

The writing in Xmas Break is richly detailed, immersing you in the setting. However, the story felt somewhat repetitive and prolonged, especially for such a brief read. In terms of thrillers, this one didn't resonate with me.

This is a decent Christmas thriller. I enjoyed the Christmas setting. However, there was a bit too much unnecessary description for me. The ending wasn’t as climactic as I had hoped but I did enjoy the book. It was a good short story.

3.5 ⭐️A well written fun fast paced ominous thriller. I liked the snowy / Christmas atmosphere with a secluded setting, and the descriptions of the eerie smart house. However, the storyline was simple and a bit predictable + the ending dragged. Regardless, I enjoyed this in between Christmas rom coms.

Tensions high and they are in a cabin isolated. This book had been doubting everyone including myself.

"Some things, once broken, could never be fixed."

Two estranged sisters, a remote cabin and a snowstorm that cuts them off from civilization. Will the holidays be awkward or just plain deadly?

I did enjoy this Christmas thriller. The story was atmospheric and you could feel the emotions in the characters. Both sisters were hard to like, which I thought worked for this book and you didn't know who to root for. The only thing that I didn't really like was that it was fairly predictable and I wish there were some twists. Overall, I thought it was a good holiday thriller novella that hooked you quickly from the start and kept you engaged throughout. I would recommend this quick holiday read.

My reviews can also be found on my GoodReads page: www.goodreads.com/brandisbooks.

This book will be available for purchase November 22nd 2024.

Thank you to Little Fox Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a fun little thriller. Lots of questions and an ending I didn't see coming. I love when books surprise me!
Four and half stars rounded up to 5!!!
Will definitely read more by this author.

First, as always, thanks to Netgalley and JE Rowney for this ARC copy!

While XMas Break was meant to be read one chapter each day during December, I did actually read it in one sitting after putting up the tree for this year! What can I say, the tension did build quickly and I just could not stop. Even more since I love settings in remote areas, like, in this case, a cabin surrounded by mountains and snow.

This time, I was able to figure out the culprit while reading for the first time in months! This did not mean the rest of the story was less tenseful, though! I still had to keep reading, needing to know why the person did what they did, and how this all would end.

I think this is my first XMas thriller in general, but it will surely not be my last! Also, again, looking forward to any and all future releases by the author!

That was such a fun and entertaining short novel! It took my half a day to read it and I was hooked! There isn’t much twists and turns, to my deception, but that’s okay! The only thing that kinda annoyed me with this one is how many times the author described the wind outside the house. Like at some point, we get it, there’s a snow storm. I really liked the setting, I could fully visualize the house and the surroundings in my head. It wouldn’t be so bad to stay there for Christmas, it seems so cozy, without the crazy killer, obviously. Fast paced and entertaining, I would definitely recommend it for this time of year!

X doesn't always mark the spot.

A family thick with tension, a holiday celebration in a luxurious cabin, but who are these people in the photos scattered around the house. When Isla agrees to celebrate the holidays with her estranged sister Clara events take an unsettling turn.

For a thriller novella to work, the writing should feel tight. Instead, there is heavy handed foreshadowing and metaphors that feel like they're trying too hard. The multiple times events were recapped seemed excessive for a 181-page story. The blatant moments reminiscent of "The Shining" were just too much. I can appreciate a nod to a classic, but this was over the top. The reveal felt soft, predictable, and out of place. I just didn't buy into the turn of events, characters' behavior or reactions. (No one with a brain waits that long to call for help.)

As someone who calls a secluded cabin home, I chose this hoping for an eerie read able to bring an edgier vibe to the usual festivities. Instead of wanting to spend X-mas Break with this watered-down thriller; I was left wanting to break up with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy

#XmasBreakAChristmasThriller #NetGalley is a quick read, perfect for the holidays, with interesting characters.
I'm glad I gave this short story a try.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read and advanced copy of the book.

This was a middle of the road book for me. It definitely was a one sitting read. 2 sisters are reunited over Christmas after being apart due to differences. I really needed this book to be longer and darker. I felt like it could have been super good but it really fell flat after the big twist. I loved the isolated snowy setting. For some reason, I love snowy stories. The characters felt like they didn't match what was going on. I felt they needed much more development and different actions at different places. Also many sentences felt unfinished, ending in ... It was written through one pov, and I think adding the other sister's pov would have made this work much better. Overall a nice short holiday read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Books Go Social for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it. I do recommend this book.

The perfect short read for Christmas, curled up cosily inside while it’s cold and dark outside.
Isla and her sister Carla haven’t spoken since their Mother died, but this year Carla invites them to spend a family Christmas in their little place in mountains.
A strained dinner is made impossible by a power cut, with the snow falling thickly outside, it can only get worse can’t they?

A locked room style thriller, this is a great book club read and I think the idea of a chapter a day in the lead up to Christmas is a fun advent idea.

This was gripping and it had a lot of suspense. Everything was just eerie throughout this house and you’re just thinking what the hell is going on???? My favourite part was when Greg was slicing the goose. That entire part had me laughing! There were a lot of tense moments in this and it had me questioning what was actually real?

Overall, even though it was short , it was a good Christmas thriller 🎄❄️⛄️

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC.

This book may be short but it certainly packs a lot in. Isla and her husband James are invited by her estranged sister Clara to spend Christmas with her in a remote cabin. They haven’t spoken for three years, but Christmas is about forgiving and forgetting isn’t it. With the festive snowy back drop, this could be a Christmas to remember, for all the wrong reasons. Thank you to NetGalley, Books Go Social and the author for the chance to review.

I enjoyed the Christmas setting and the healing journey between the two sisters. However, I felt that much of Isla and James’ story was too ambiguous for the most part, and it didn’t make sense when the details were finally revealed. Also, the dramatic shift in personality of one of the characters seemed like it came out of the blue for me but was also fairly predictable, if that makes sense. A short read that could have used a bit more character and plot development.

I like nothing better than Christmas except a Christmas thriller book! This one has it all festive season cheer with murder, mystery, isolation, intrigue, family feuds and much more wrapped in a short book. I don't normally read short stories but I am glad that I read this one.

I received a complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the author and the publisher.
I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller. It's written so you can read a chapter a day, like an advent calendar. I chose to read it all at once, I couldn't wait to find out what happened. If this sounds like something that interests you, throw in some Christmas season, this is the book for you. It had enough Christmas spirit in it along with edge of your seat thrills and chills.

Great short story! I normally don’t like short stories but this one had just enough that I feel like I got the whole story! It had suspense, intriguing, murder, mystery and a fabulous who done it that I didn’t see!! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!