I loved the idea of a festive advent calendar novel, with a chapter a day. However I really struggled to read it as the print was so small, and when enlarged on my kindle made the formatting askew. It really affected my enjoyment of this one.

I really enjoyed this holiday read!
I obviously did not read one chapter a day, as I did not have that much self control. It was tense, thrilling, claustrophobic, and eerie all at once. The descriptions were great, albeit a bit repetitive.

If you’re looking for a good Christmas thriller that will keep you wanting more and keep you on the edge of your seat this is it! I highly recommend this short thriller!

This book was overall entertaining and I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had gotten to read it the way the author intended, over the 25 days leading up to Christmas. I assume because it was written to be read over time some parts felt kind of repetitive. A lot of the same imagery was used multiple times. I wish the plot was a little more twisty and we got a little more explanation for some of the characters behaviors and motives but I understand it was meant to be short and sweet. I would recommend this book as a holiday read.

Wow what a fun Christmas thiller novella! Honestly I wish it was a little longer and went in a bit more depth of each character.I guessed the killer about half way through but even though I still enjoyed it. It was fast paced and an easy read. I feel like if you like Frieda McFadden you would enjoy this fast paced popcorn thiller. Also the Christmas vibes were SO good! Thanks to net galley for a e-arc!!!

This was a good read and very quick I read this in one day. I found this engaging and kept me wanting to read more, We meet a couple who is going to spend Christmas break with her estranged sister. Isla had anxiety about he whole thing and weird things start to happen around this beautiful cabin. I know this is meant to read a chapter a day up till Christmas day but it was too binge worthy. A great holiday read for sure and the creepy Santa was great. I didn't see the ending coming when others said they did I thought it was a great overall read.

This story had so much to offer, the build up was great, very tense and dramatic however the ending feel short for me I’m afraid. Maybe if the book was longer it would have had a better ending? It felt slightly rushed and I still had answered questions. It was a good Christmas read though and I enjoyed it to a certain extend

2.5 stars

This one just fell really flat for me. I almost put it down before they made it to Christmas Eve dinner.

Isla and James had two different conversations while they were getting ready about how odd the couple were. One conversation James told Isla she was imagining things, and in the second conversation he agrees and even adds input.

I know this was an ARC but it still could have used a bit more editing.

I think the concept had so much potential to be a really good short thriller but with a short story I expect well developed writing and this wasn't it.

Thank you to #netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for this ARC. I read this book in one sitting and laughed in parts. I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend this book.

This was a good book and a quick read. It felt a little too cheesy and unrealistic so that was tough for me. But all in all it was a great quick Christmas read.

The cover and the title of the book sounded interesting and at 119 pages it was a quick read. While there was some suspense, it fell a little flat for me. It was a little too wordy and predictable.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC!

I was so excited to receive this ARC of Xmas Break from Netgalley, I have to say it was the title and description of this book that grabbed my attention. I am an avid reader of a good cozy Christmas murder mystery so was excited to see a Christmas-themed thriller, something that isn't done too often! This novel is pretty short at only 181 pages so I thought this would be a great quick read. It pains me to say that I didn't really enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. There are 4 main characters in the story, two sisters with a strained relationship and their husbands. One couple is invited by the FMC sister for a Christmas-themed dinner. This takes place in a house that seems to be deserted from a major city during a snow storm. There are some odd interactions at the dinner, and the couple that is invited for dinner notice some odd things about the house, such as a different couple in the pictures on the walls. This part intrigued me, however so many "clues" were stressed too often, it felt a little forced. I didn't like any of the characters, I do understand at 181 pages it must be difficult to build character development. The twist was pretty predictable. I did enjoy parts of this book, and I have to give it props that I did finish it, as I generally don't hesitate to DNF if I really feel like I am wasting my time, so that is a plus. I did see a lot of elements of the Shining in this book too, which I am unsure how I feel about. I think a key element for me as a reader is that if you are going to mash genres such as Holiday and murder, it has to be either cozy, horror or funny, I don't know why but they just work!


Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC of this novel

🎄❄️ XMAS BREAK by J.E. Rowney [e-ARC] ❄️🎄

Genre: Thriller
Length: 184 pages
Pub Date: Nov. 22, 2024 *now available*
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the e-ARC of this book. The opinions stated are solely my own.

Synopsis:
Isla and her husband, James, are invited to spend Christmas Eve/Day at her sister and brother-in-law's remote mountain retreat home. Far from a normal, warm, family holiday, Isla and Clara have been estranged for the last 3 years, since their mother passed away. The invitation is puzzling to Isla, but she and James accept. Clara and Greg's lavish mountain home seems like perfection, but it's all just TOO perfect and Isla can't help feeling like something is wrong... and then the winter snowstorm knocks out the power...

Opinion:
This was an extremely quick read (it's more of a novella) and I read it all in one sitting. I actually enjoyed the plot and the very strange family dynamic vibe. I did figure out who was the cause of all the accidents/violence, but I still liked the book. I did feel like the ending was a little sudden and a tiny bit anti-climactic, but it did explain everything well. Worth reading for a quick holiday thriller!

Thank you Books Go Social & JE Rowney for this read!

I binged this book from start to finish in one go. It was a quick and addictive thriller that is perfect for thriller lovers hoping to read a christmas books that is sure to thrill you!

The setting was creepy and while the intensity builds fast, you will be questioning what is going on! The twist was not totally unexpected however was still satisfying!

If you're after a quick and easy, addictive and thrilling holiday read -- this book is for you! Good enough to devour in one session or ready a chapter each day this December!

This was a pleasant read but found it too predictable for me. However as a short story it would do well.

Xmas Break by J.E. Rowney
#onehundredandtenthbookof2024 #arc #xmasbreak #novella #adventbook

CW: death, murder, Santa cutouts

From NetGalley: When Isla reluctantly accepts her estranged sister Clara’s invitation to spend Christmas at a luxury mountain retreat, she expects awkward family tension – not a fight for survival. After years of silence following their mother’s death, this holiday reunion seems too good to be true. And it is. As a brutal snowstorm cuts them off from civilization, dark secrets begin to surface. With time running out and nowhere to run, two sisters must put aside years of mistrust to survive the night. But in a house full of lies, how do you know who to trust?

My thoughts: I loved the format of this book—25 chapters that you can read one day at a time leading up to the holiday. I read this in two sittings though. The chapters were short and the story was interesting enough that I kept going. I do wish the characters were more fleshed out and we knew more backstory. The sisters were estranged and when we find out why, it’s pretty flimsy and I wish there was more meal to it. Same for the motivation of the antagonist. It was obvious but not enough. I wish the ending had more…something. Just more. Overall, the book has a nice sense of dread and I was pretty curious to know the backstory they kept dancing around. It’s worth the short amount of time it’ll take to read, and I am realizing just how much I love horror novellas lately, so I will be seeking out more.

Thank you to Little Fox Publishing and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 11/22/24)

#littlefoxpublishing

This was a thrilling and cute Christmas story to get you started with the season! When Isla’s estranged sister invites her and her husband to a remote cabin for Christmas, what could go wrong?

The sisters find themselves in a fight for survival, cut off during a snowstorm. When the truth comes out, will the sisters band together? If you’re looking for a quick Christmas themed story, give this one a go!

Xmas Break by JE Rowney is a domestic thriller with a unsettling Christmas backdrop. The story follows two estranged sisters, Isla and Clara, who reunite at a remote mountain cabin for the holidays. A snowstorm traps them and their companions, forcing buried family secrets to surface as the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense and danger approaches.

This fast-paced thriller, though brief, maintains a gripping tension throughout. Structured into 25 short chapters, it can be read as an advent calendar or devoured in one sitting, as I did. The characters are well-developed, and the seamless plot keeps readers hooked from start to finish. The author masterfully crafts a suspenseful and engaging story that keeps you on edge until the final page.

Fast paced and loved the book, but didn’t love the ending, wish the ending was different. Super atmospheric though.

Xmas Break is no ordinary holiday story!!
Perfect for anyone trying to get into the Holiday spirit.


It's an easy but very satisfying read and perfect for a cozy night in!
J.E Rowney captures the joy and challenges of Christmas with family, blending holiday warmth and festive charm with suspense and mystery.

At the beginning of the book it is suggested you could read it as an advent with it having 25 chapters.
This is an awesome idea, however once I started reading I couldn't stop until it was finished!!

As holidays generally leave us with not much spare time, it really is the perfect book to fit in a chapter a day, inbetween cooking/other holiday activites or even just to wind down after a busy days gift shopping!


Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial and J.E. Rowney for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley and also saw this book posted in a Facebook group.

This is a quick and easy read. I love that it is 25 chapters- so it can be read as an advent calendar of sorts. I think this book could have gone darker in the storyline given the scenario and environment the characters were in. Parts did feel a bit unrealistic, but I did enjoy it and was eager to see what was actually going on in this mountain home.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!