A short easy read, I liked the general premise and I was intrigued enough to want to see it to the end. The writing felt a bit clunky in parts, but the final few chapters with the reveal flowed well in particular.
There was some unnecessary repetition of descriptions. For example “the Christmas tree, so magnificent earlier, loomed in the darkness” then a couple of pages later “behind her the Christmas tree loomed in the darkness”.

Overall, I enjoyed the story but I had thought a thriller would be a nice change of pace for a Christmas themed story, and while it worked in general, I think I’ll stick to cosy Christmas reads moving forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book.

Perfectly written fast paced Christmas Thriller! I absolutely loved this book!
This is written like an advent calendar so you can read one chapter a day leading up to Christmas. However, this book drew me in and I had to finish it in one sitting! Suspenseful, heart pounding and keeps you guessing. I recommend this for all my thriller fans to get you in the Christmas spirit!

I received an E-ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review:

I really enjoyed this short little Christmas/thriller novella.
I feel thrillers are extremely difficult to write in so few words because of the lack of space to build up that suspense and plot, so this was very well done! I enjoyed the plot and characters and the ending was perfectly cozy for a Christmas read

I found this to be a fun novella! I found it to be suspenseful and had my heart pounding, I absolutely had to know what happened and refused to put it down until I did (I couldn’t have read this as a chapter-a-day advent read, impossible). It’s a nice little Christmas themed book, the author got the chill of the season and scenery perfectly. The tension between sisters was palpable, there were secrets and unknown motives which kept me guessing as to what was going on.

Billed as a quick, 25 chapter advent calendar of a thriller, J.E. Rowney's 'Xmas Break: A Christmas Thriller'---much like Santa---delivers.

Isla and James need a break. Badly. It's been a rough year---for reasons unknown---and when her estranged sister Clara invites them to a Christmas getaway at her mountain retreat, it seems like a perfect opportunity for rest, relaxation, and reconnection. Isla is skeptical. James is giddy.

Once they arrive at her sister Clara's mountain retreat, a gorgeously appointed cabin with halls decked to the extreme, her worries---previously a simmer---roil slowly to a boil. Old tensions die hard and there's something not quite right even amid the beautiful holiday decor.

Without spoiling anything---the novella is a speed read---Rowney's Christmas is packed with well-paced clues and tone shifts placed carefully throughout like, well, a thrilling advent calendar. Is it particularly innovative? No. But, like unwrapping socks on Christmas morning, it hits familiar beats and tropes that lead to a satisfying ending.

It's out now and great for a quick evening read with a cup of mulled wine or as a chapter before bed for the entire month of December.

What drew my attention to this book was the cover. I think it has the perfect cover art. I'm so glad I read it because the storyline hooked me almost immediately. I couldn't put it down, I needed to keep reading because I couldn't see where the story was going (in a good way). This was my first book by J.E. Rodney, and now I'll be looking into her other books.

This was my first read by J. E. Rowney and I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the introduction that encouraged reading one chapter a day as a nail biting count down to Christmas. The festive and scenic descriptions were phenomenal and really drew me into the story. I felt that the dialog could be unnatural and cliche at times. It should be noted that the thriller would have been more effective had it been shorter and limit repetitions. However, overall, Xmas Break was a quick read and pallet cleanser in preparation for the Christmas season. Rating: 2.5/5

This was a fun read. I liked the family dynamic that took place throughout the story. While I could see the direction the novel was going, it was exciting to see how and why things ended up happening. It’s worth noting that the author was very good at describing what was happening in the scene, there was quite a bit of repetition in phrases, that at first helped me make connections, but then took me out of the story a bit. Still, an enjoyable read and I would absolutely read from this author again.

Quick, engaging read!

Definitely suspenseful and heart pounding, this novella kept me turning pages way past my bedtime. I had to know what happened and refused to put it down until I did. It’s a nice little Christmas themed book that’s not a sappy Hallmark movie romance.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

I had a good time with this novella. The winter cabin setting was great. The author did a nice job of describing the freezing temperatures and desolate setting.

The characters were okay. I thought the dynamic between sisters was particularly accurate. The ending lost me a little bit. The motivation of the antagonist was so basic and predictable. I wanted more.

This would be a good choice for someone looking for a quick Christmas thriller. Cute cover too.

I really liked the idea of this book & how there was 25 chapters so you can read 1 chapter everyday until Christmas, but the plot and the writing just weren’t for me.
I know that authors can only do so much when it comes to novellas, but I thought this one was very predictable & the writing was so cheesy! I just didn’t like it at all..
However, if you don’t mind cheesy & predictable, and you need a short book to catch up on your reading goal, maybe this one *is* for you! 😂 It’s out now!
Thank you to NetGalley and Books Go Social for this advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

J.E. Rowney's Xmas Break is a thriller novella following a broken apart family's Christmas gathering.

Family reunions are often awkward, and sometimes deadly. This novella gives readers a view into a Christmas dinner that gets violent.

Barely over 100 pages, this lets readers enjoy a quick and easy Christmas thriller. The atmosphere is my favorite part of this book. Rowney gifts readers all the Christmas vibes they could ever want. The descriptions pull you into the story and let you feel like you're there with the characters.

With thrillers, especially a novella, there can easily be too much background for the characters. This book does not have that. Each character has just enough of a backstory to make you care, but not to distract you from the thrill aspect of the story. Rowney managed to find the perfect balance between the characters and the plot. Every aspect of the book mixes together well.

As fun as this was, I did have a couple issues with it. First, some of the dialogue felt a little ridiculous. There were some conversations that just felt unnatural. If you read this out loud, it might be harder to enjoy. Also, I wasn't in love with the ending. I think if the big plot twist had been handled slightly differently I would have enjoyed this more.

Xmas Break is a fun, and very quick, thriller for the Christmas season. It's atmospheric and bingeable. Reading this with a mug of hot chocolate, some Christmas music, and a tree lighting the room would make for a pretty wonderful night.

Review on Goodreads (sophreadingbooks https://www.goodreads.com/sophreadingbooks) as of 11/21/2024

A quick read or can be read a chapter a day in December as a 25 day advent calendar. Maybe a little predictable but a good festive read nonetheless.

This book was such a fun and fast read, I flew through it! A great example of how to tell an interesting story without making it too long. There were times when I was waiting for certain things to be revealed it felt like forever. When everything eventually came out, I was left slightly disappointed and confused. The sisters in this story are estranged and you're waiting the whole book to find out why and I still feel like I don’t know why, or that I do know but it doesn’t feel realistic/logical. I do love all the Christmas analogies and comparisons though! 2.75/5 stars for confusion and Christmas chaos!

This is a short read with only 184 pages, and 25 chapters making it readable as an advent calendar. I thought that was cleaver, however I read this in a day. This story flows well and has you suspicious of everything with all the family drama involved. This holiday thriller takes place in a remote cabin home during a snowstorm with an estranged pair of sisters and their husbands. Which one holds a dark secret? You will find out soon enough. This is a perfect read for someone wanting a little holiday mixed in with their thrillers, without investing a lot of time.

3.5 stars. (Here's Johnny)!
Perfect for fans of Freda McFadden books.
Cozy Christmas thriller Arc received from NetGalley with BooksGoSocial publishing company.

⋆❆⋆Fast pace
⋆❆⋆Family drama
⋆❆⋆Secluded smart house
⋆❆⋆Mental breakdown
⋆❆⋆Internally healed wounds

This book includes 25 chapters for 25 days of Christmas but the question is; can you wait to turn the pages or will this be your Christmas binge read?"

Isla recieves a Christmas invite from her estranged sister Clara after 3 years of silence after the passing of their mother. The place they are going to spend Christmas with Clara and her husband Greg is a luxury mountain retreat and the house is smart controlled. The retreat is miles away from civilization and a brutal winter storm in coming in.

Will the get the chance to recreate a perfect family Christmas or will their perfect Christmas end in violence?

Isla and Clara are estranged sisters who haven’t seen each other in three years, but Clara and her husband Greg have invited Isla and her husband James to have a Christmas holiday at their “little mountain house”. Isla only goes because James tells her they don’t have to stay any longer than she wants to, but a snowstorm makes a liar of him…

They walk into the home, which is decorated like a Christmas wonderland gone berserk, and soon Isla notices the pictures in the house are of another couple, and Greg is acting very strangely. He and Clara are obviously fighting; she seems almost manic, and he seems terrified. Then the power goes out, leaving their smart home…well, not as smart. When the men go to check on the generator, only one of them comes back, and then the story finally starts to pick up…

This novella is written over 25 chapters, so that the reader can use it as an advent calendar (or you can just read it all in one sitting, as I did!). I thought that concept was fun, and helps make up for the lackluster writing and story that began stiffly. It did pick up though, and overall this novella was cheesy but still entertaining (and I loved all The Shining references!) 3.5 stars.

(Thank you to Little Fox Publishing, J.E. Downey and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

Xmas Break by J.E. Rowney is a suspenseful novella.
A very quick and enjoyable book.
The storytelling and chilling premise drew me in from the very first page, and I was completely enthralled.
With its gripping plot, well-drawn characters, and evocative prose, it is sure to captivate readers from beginning to end.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION DAY BOOK REVIEW 📚

Xmas Break: A Christmas Thriller By JE Rowney
Publication Date: November 22, 2024
Publisher: Little Fox Publishing

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

This novella from JE Rowney combined two of my favorite things: Christmas and thrillers. When I saw it available as a Read Now option on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it! And I'm so happy I did!

This was a fun and quick read that just DRIPPED with creepy suspense. There was a strong presence of foreshadowing from the book's very beginning, and that left me feeling like I didn't know the whole story - which was a fantastic tactic to nudge up my anxiety. Nothing felt right with any of the happenings within this story, and I knew something bad was coming...I just didn't know what it was.

An isolated and remote setting. Estranged family relationships. Pictures of strangers throughout the house. The power going out. A giant snowstorm. Weird noises upstairs. Sounds like the perfect book for a holly jolly holiday... And I'm here for it.

Maybe some will feel the conclusion was predictable -- I definitely didn't predict it. Once the pieces of the puzzle started coming together, I still found myself wondering if maybe I had it wrong. It's tough to develop deeply-understood characters in a novella, but I thought Rowney did a good job of that.

I loved the "just what in the hell is going on here?!" vibe I immediately got from this book, and the fact that it was such a quick read made it even more fun! If you're looking for a quick and entertaining holiday read, with the suspense you love in your favorite thrillers, I definitely recommend picking up Xmas Break. Thank you to NetGalley, Little Fox Publishing, and JE Rowney for this advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.

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A very easy read; the writing was entrancing. I saw on another review that the author spent a lot of time describing the setting, but honestly, it didn’t feel like it at all. Rowney did a great job in setting the setting and introducing the characters, and I honestly don’t feel like she wrote too much. 
 
My only issue with the book is that it is too short! I would have loved it to be a little bit longer so we could have more context of the dynamic between the sisters and know more about their husbands because it almost feels like we’re dealing with strangers. I feel like I only cared about Isla and her sister, but even then, when the ending comes, I feel like I didn’t even know Isla, so I would have loved to have more context about the characters so we could fully engage with them. The suspenseful tone was palpable, so powerful. 
 
A great quick read to get you in the holiday spirit for us thriller lovers.