Thriller

The Perfect Holiday

The Perfect Holiday

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-04-14 10:19:35
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：T.J. Emerson
  • ISBN：B09QRTJ68D
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Summary

Would you kill to be here？

Olivia and Julian are enjoying lazy days in their Spanish villa， a well deserved break from their busy lives。 Especially for Julian， who after a lifetime as a carer was thrust into the public eye following the tragic murder of his first wife。


The languid heat and peace of the villa is broken only by clifftop walks， sun drenched lunches and cooling swims。 Until a chance encounter with Gabriel - an attractive man， many years their junior - changes everything。

Soon their idyllic break turns into a dangerous， high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse。 Will any of them get out alive？

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Reviews

Sylv Kerslake ，

I received an ARC from Boldwood Books/Rachel’s Random Resources via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback。When I read the synopsis， I thought this would be the book for me， but， although the book was well written， I did find it a very slow read。 Personally， I love a story with a lot of suspense and twists and turns， but unfortunately， The Perfect Holiday didn’t have this for me。I also found that there was a lot of description during visits to different places whilst Julian and Olivia were I received an ARC from Boldwood Books/Rachel’s Random Resources via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback。When I read the synopsis， I thought this would be the book for me， but， although the book was well written， I did find it a very slow read。 Personally， I love a story with a lot of suspense and twists and turns， but unfortunately， The Perfect Holiday didn’t have this for me。I also found that there was a lot of description during visits to different places whilst Julian and Olivia were on holiday， sometimes a bit too much which took away from the story。 I also didn’t anticipate the gay scenes between Julian and Gabriel which if this had been added into the synopsis about the relationship between the two men， I would not have agreed to read and review。 I have nothing against these books， but this really isn’t for me。Unfortunately， I had no warmth towards the characters and I was not happy with this as when reading a book I would like to have some feelings towards at least one of the characters。I did persevere with reading as I had agreed to read for the tour， and despite the slowness， I am glad I did as I did want to know what happened to Julian and Olivia as a couple and also Gabriel。I was happy to read the ending itself was not what I expected it to be。 。。。more

Barbara Powell ，

Like some others have said about this book， I’m torn in my review。 On one hand， I liked the story and it kept me interested almost all the way through。 On the other hand， it was a little slow and a little long and the main characters were not entirely likeable， especially Julian who seems dark and unstable despite the brilliant life he’s living。 Yes he’s been dealt some trauma in the past， but now he’s got a beautiful life with a loving wife and he heads a charity in honor of his late wife。 Unti Like some others have said about this book， I’m torn in my review。 On one hand， I liked the story and it kept me interested almost all the way through。 On the other hand， it was a little slow and a little long and the main characters were not entirely likeable， especially Julian who seems dark and unstable despite the brilliant life he’s living。 Yes he’s been dealt some trauma in the past， but now he’s got a beautiful life with a loving wife and he heads a charity in honor of his late wife。 Until he meets Gabriel and everything in his life changes。 Or does it？ Gabriel wants to be viewed as a down on his luck vagabond who just needs a break。 But is there more to him than meets the eye？ Olivia seemed very aware of things they were going on around her， but there was so much going on right under her nose that she seemed oblivious to and that was strange。 The “twists” were super predictable but they didn’t take away from the story。 Overall this was a great beach read and a good way to pass a few hours。 Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review。 。。。more

Stina ，

★★ 2。5 starsVacation thrillers tend to be a little hit and miss for me and I've found I've generally only really enjoyed those written by a favourite author。 But this one intrigued me。。。sadly， that was all it did。 And that was just in the premise because the story itself did not live up to its promise， I feel。 In fact， I almost DNF by the time I reached 30% and instead I ploughed on and really wish I hadn't。 Maybe I should have just left it where it was。。。stuck in a caravan in remote Perthshire ★★ 2。5 starsVacation thrillers tend to be a little hit and miss for me and I've found I've generally only really enjoyed those written by a favourite author。 But this one intrigued me。。。sadly， that was all it did。 And that was just in the premise because the story itself did not live up to its promise， I feel。 In fact， I almost DNF by the time I reached 30% and instead I ploughed on and really wish I hadn't。 Maybe I should have just left it where it was。。。stuck in a caravan in remote Perthshire in the bouts of hot sex while his invalid wife was back in Edinburgh。The perfect book of the perfect holiday？ I don't think so。 In fact I didn't really warm to Julian's wife Olivia while Julian himself seemed a little distant that I had to wonder what was going on here in the opening chapters because they didn't seem at all devoted to one another。 Julian and Olivia are holidaying in their Mallorca villa， having escaped London for the summer。 Or should I say， Olivia's villa？ Because let's face it， it really was Olivia's villa。 She inherited it from her incredibly wealthy parents leaving her as equally incredibly wealthy。 And a villa in Spain is just one of the perks of being that wealthy。Olivia is Julian's second wife， his first having been murdered in her sleep in their pokey little council flat in Edinburgh while he was out at a Young Carers event。 The police put it down to a burglary gone wrong and they panicked and smothered the invalid Helen， incapacitated and brain injured as a result of a car accident ten years before。 Julian had been her sole carer throughout that whole time。 After she died， he set up an Award foundation in her name。 And it is through this he met Olivia and after a brief romance， the couple married。 To live happily ever after。。。or not。Enter Gabriel。 On a hot dun drenched beach in Mallorca all cheery and matey。。。and Julian knew then that there was no escape。 And things just went downhill from there。 However， the only saving grace was the delicious little twist at the very end。 But that is all it was。。。it certainly didn't redeem this psychological chaos that was meant to entertain。And then there was the sex scenes。 OK， so I don't have a problem with gay characters or even couples。。。but I really don't want to read graphic sex scenes giving me a detailed account of their coupling。 Just no。 And how it all began was a little out of nowhere and somewhat random。 Locked away in a grotty little caravan， where Julian was meant to be taking time out for himself - a respite break - from his 24/7 care of wife Helen。 Instead， he picks up hitchhiker Gabriel and they end up rolling around in the sheets together。。。and thensome。 Like I said。。。random。 And then Gabriel just wouldn't go away， even after he did。 So when he turned up in Mallorca， and his presence was then explained in the "Before" chapters after his initial appearance in Spain， I am just like。。。here we go again。 But the plot just got worse。 Enter a full blown love triangle， cheating on his second wife Helen with freeloader Gabriel who， really， is just in it for whatever he can get out of it。I didn't like any of the characters。 I know Gabriel was meant to be unlikeable but so was Julian。 If the reader was meant to feel sorry for him in his life as a carer， I didn't。 He came across as morose， self-pitying and something else I can't quite put my finger on。 But I didn't like him at all。 And Olivia？ Well， she was astute but she felt a little shallow to me as well。 Born into money， raised with money， living with money。。。she took it all for granted a bit， I thought。 And even Julian， as well。 I kind of felt like she saw him as a kind of pet project。 "There， there。 Good boy， Julian。" It was nauseating。There is also a lot of useless information in the story that I feel doesn't really need to be there。 For example the excessive inclusion of a character's toileting - do we really need a rundown on what he's doing in there？ We get the picture without having one painted， please。 There should also be a warning as to the gay content because not everyone wants gay sex played out for them。 As this is such a focal point of the story it should be in the LGBT category， giving readers fair notice。 Added to that， the story was a real slow burn that didn't really go anywhere interesting。 It doesn't even really fit into the psychological thriller genre。 As I said， the final twist at the end was the book's saving grace， but not enough to earn it more than 2。5 stars。I would like to thank #TJEmerson， #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #ThePerfectHoliday in exchange for an honest review。This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic。blogspot。com/。 。。。more

Sherri Bryant ，

The premise sounded really good and initially， I was quite intrigued to see where it would take me to， but the story never seemed to deliver， and I quickly became bored。 First of all， I never warmed up to Julian and felt he came across as a whiner and kept thinking he's up to something。 Also， the death of his first wife seemed to be all wrapped up too neatly for my liking。 His marriage to Olivia didn't ring true for me， either。 There didn't feel like any romance or chemistry between them。 Perhap The premise sounded really good and initially， I was quite intrigued to see where it would take me to， but the story never seemed to deliver， and I quickly became bored。 First of all， I never warmed up to Julian and felt he came across as a whiner and kept thinking he's up to something。 Also， the death of his first wife seemed to be all wrapped up too neatly for my liking。 His marriage to Olivia didn't ring true for me， either。 There didn't feel like any romance or chemistry between them。 Perhaps it's due to the story jumping ahead to them already married。And then there was Gabriel， who didn't add anything meaningful to the story for me， besides more ewww。 The ending seemed OK but felt too rushed。 Weak story and unlikable characters left me with a lot of indifference of what would happen。 。。。more

Lauren ，

This is definitely slow burn。 It took until chapter 9 to get slightly mysterious。I didn't really find any of the characters likeable and I quickly tired of the main character， Julian， and his self pitying attitude。 I did like the twist at the end。 The twist is what earned the third star for me。 Thank you @netgalley and @bookandtonic for the arc！ This is definitely slow burn。 It took until chapter 9 to get slightly mysterious。I didn't really find any of the characters likeable and I quickly tired of the main character， Julian， and his self pitying attitude。 I did like the twist at the end。 The twist is what earned the third star for me。 Thank you @netgalley and @bookandtonic for the arc！ 。。。more

Joanna Lambert ，

Julian and Olivia are staying at their Majorcan villa。 It should be a time for relaxation and enjoyment， but when quite by chance they meet Gabriel， someone from Julian’s past， things change dramatically。Gabriel， a young， attractive footloose man who seems to drift from place to place soon settles into the villa with them， seemingly more by accident than design。 Olivia is welcoming， unaware of his prior connection to her husband。 Julian is besotted and manipulative Gabriel， uses this to his adv Julian and Olivia are staying at their Majorcan villa。 It should be a time for relaxation and enjoyment， but when quite by chance they meet Gabriel， someone from Julian’s past， things change dramatically。Gabriel， a young， attractive footloose man who seems to drift from place to place soon settles into the villa with them， seemingly more by accident than design。 Olivia is welcoming， unaware of his prior connection to her husband。 Julian is besotted and manipulative Gabriel， uses this to his advantage to extract money from him。 He also holds a dark secret， one which Julian constantly fears will be revealed。 Julian comes across as a foolish middle-aged man， married to a wealthy woman with a kind heart。 He has everything he could possibly want。 He should be happy。 But his obsession with Gabriel takes over， leading him into dangerous territory。 An edge of the seat read with twists and turns。 Julian’s blindness when it comes to Gabriel sees him thinking the unthinkable。 It appears he will do anything to be with his former lover。 I had a good idea how it might eventually end but could not see just how it would happen。 But the author surprised me with a twist I didn’t see coming。 Recommended。I would like to thank Boldwood Books， T J Emerson and Netgalley for an ARC of The Perfect Holiday in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Karen Barber ，

The Perfect Holiday is a book that tries very hard to throw you off the scent。 There are clues throughout that what we’re seeing isn’t the full picture， but by the time we got to the end I just recall feeling pleased that at least something was going to happen。Julian and Olivia are holidaying in their beautiful villa。 They are， on the surface， the ideal couple。 Olivia has money， and Julian is the perfect gentleman who has become known for caring for his ex-wife for years。 Her murder was a shock， The Perfect Holiday is a book that tries very hard to throw you off the scent。 There are clues throughout that what we’re seeing isn’t the full picture， but by the time we got to the end I just recall feeling pleased that at least something was going to happen。Julian and Olivia are holidaying in their beautiful villa。 They are， on the surface， the ideal couple。 Olivia has money， and Julian is the perfect gentleman who has become known for caring for his ex-wife for years。 Her murder was a shock， but Julian had a cast-iron alibi and has since become the face of the charitable foundation set up in her name。While on their regular foray into the little town nearby， the couple meet Gabriel。 There is a story behind his presence， and it soon becomes clear that he is more closely linked to Julian than they might want to admit。For much of the book the focus is on Julian sneaking around with Gabriel。 There’s lots of talk of love and a desire to plan a future together。 Unfortunately， for a relationship so skewed - and firmly placed on the foundations of their tangled past - it never quite gelled。As the book continues we learn more about Julian and his past。 Things appear to be heading firmly in one direction and I found myself waiting for the twist that seemed so inevitable。 Sure enough it came， but by this time I just felt relieved that at last we were getting an escape。Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in advance of publication。 。。。more

Dawn ，

Julian and Olivia are enjoying a leisurely break at Olivia’s villa in Majorca。 When an old friend of Julian’s arrives is it a chance meeting？ Gabriel seems to know a lot about Julian and his past and his first wife， Helen， who was murdered。 I’m torn with this book， it engrossed me but i felt some of the writing just went off on a tangent that wasn’t needed to the story。 Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review。

Fee （Ebook Addicts） ，

review to follow

Sarah ，

This is a great read with some nice twists and red herrings to keep you guessing Until the end。 There isn’t a lot of action to the story but there is intrigue。 I struggled with the main character and found him I likeable， there was something that made me unable to bond with him。 The other characters were good and the setting was lively。 It’s a fast moving story and I stayed up late to finish the book。 Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC。

Jonathan ，

Please add this to the LGBT category。 Or give a warning。 It may include a gay scene。thr book started off well then went down hill。 Sorry in advance for the low rating。

Val Wheeler ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The book sounded really good， great cover and biog， however I find it hard to review。 I really enjoyed the first 40% which I raced through and it seemed fairly plausible regarding Julian's life as a carer for his wife and how he went away on holiday with his current wife。 I was intrigued when Gabriel first turned up。 For me it went downhill when Gabriel turned up in Spain and then proceeded to freeload himself on to Julian and Olivia and stay with them， but went right downhill when Julian seemed The book sounded really good， great cover and biog， however I find it hard to review。 I really enjoyed the first 40% which I raced through and it seemed fairly plausible regarding Julian's life as a carer for his wife and how he went away on holiday with his current wife。 I was intrigued when Gabriel first turned up。 For me it went downhill when Gabriel turned up in Spain and then proceeded to freeload himself on to Julian and Olivia and stay with them， but went right downhill when Julian seemed to turn from a caring man into a nasty piece of work prepared to cheat on his wife with the attractive but often sweaty with stale， cigarette and alcohol smelling breath - （Why did the author need to put this in so often - its gross） freeloader Gabriel， also half his age）。 Not sure why he didn't see him as the freeloader he really was。 I didn't enjoy the second half of the book， but did get through it and was pleased with the ending though was a little quick。 Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Emily Hirst ，

I did enjoy this book， it was an interesting read for me。 It has some really good elements although I found it to be slow on the middle of the book。 I thought the plot was very intriguing。 I liked the journey the author takes the reader on。 The beginning had me gripped， I was eager to find out what was going to happen to the couple and how certain characters were going to be involved。 The ending was very shocking and very satisfying。 I found nearly everyone got what they deserved and I was happy I did enjoy this book， it was an interesting read for me。 It has some really good elements although I found it to be slow on the middle of the book。 I thought the plot was very intriguing。 I liked the journey the author takes the reader on。 The beginning had me gripped， I was eager to find out what was going to happen to the couple and how certain characters were going to be involved。 The ending was very shocking and very satisfying。 I found nearly everyone got what they deserved and I was happy with how it ended。 I only wished the ending was a bit longer as I felt it was rushed。 I found the middle of the book to slow down with the thriller element， it seemed a little repetitive。 I think it was down to where the book was set， the characters seemed to do the same things everyday。The characters in this book were very interesting。 I found Olivia was a carefree person but was always on top of everything。 I found her to be very relaxed but she had a solution to every problem。 Julian was a odd character， I wanted the best for him but he really didn’t help himself。 He was easily manipulated and he couldn’t really make up his mind。 This was an easy and quick book to read。 I loved the authors style of writing， it was very gripping。 I like how the author held the suspense and kept the mystery theme throughout the book。 I thought this was a good book seeing as it is the authors first psychological thriller。 I am excited to see what is next for this author， definitely going to be someone to look out for。 。。。more

Yvonne （It's All About Books） ，

Finished reading: March 18th 2022DNF at 46% （155 pages）*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you！ ***（view spoiler）[I love a good thriller with a travel element， so I was intrigued by The Perfect Holiday as soon as I first heard about it。 A Spanish setting， a tragic past and the promise of danger ruining a perfect vacation all sounded too intriguing to pass up on， and I fully expected to enjoy my time with th Finished reading: March 18th 2022DNF at 46% （155 pages）*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you！ ***（view spoiler）[I love a good thriller with a travel element， so I was intrigued by The Perfect Holiday as soon as I first heard about it。 A Spanish setting， a tragic past and the promise of danger ruining a perfect vacation all sounded too intriguing to pass up on， and I fully expected to enjoy my time with this story。 Sadly， I ended up making the hard decision to DNF instead。 I almost never opt for such a drastic way out， but there was just something about this story that simply made me unable to continue reading it。 I'll try to explain below why this story wasn't a right fit for me。First of all I have to say that I still love the Spanish setting of The Perfect Holiday， and the descriptions gave life to Mallorca and its sights。 Having a little sample of Spanish included is always a bonus for me as well。 I also liked that some of the chapters were actually part of the memoir one of the main characters wrote; a little hint of true crime within a psychological thriller。 Things started out promising enough， and although I had certain suspicions I hoped that I was wrong。BUT。 Unfortunately this wasn't the case。 Things basically started to go wrong for me as soon as Gabriel first showed up。 I don't mind a little MM romance thrown in， but I wasn't a fan of HOW it was incorporated into the story at all。 I basically instantly disliked his character， and Julian quickly went from bad to worse。 And when the plot went basically full blown love triangle and cheating right front and center （two major pet peeves and elements I despise） I saw no other option but to throw in the towel and sign out。 Especially since I didn't really care what happened to any of the characters at this point in the first place。There is just something about the main characters that didn't sit right for me from the beginning。 I can't put my finger on the why， and I know Gabriel is supposed to be unlikeable， but they also felt a bit underdeveloped to me。 You are supposed to feel sorry for Julian and the hard life he's had as a carer for his father and wife， but I mostly got the feeling he felt like he looked down on others and he never convinced me。 Olivia seemed mostly clueless and lacked fleshing out for me; she felt more like a prop rather than a 'real' character。 Due to this lack of connection to any of them， I struggled to keep myself invested in what happened to them。The beginning of the story was quite interesting， but things soon started to slow down and parts of the plot dragged considerably。 I don't mind detailed descriptions or a slightly slower pace， but there is always a delicate balance to maintain and the character development has to be spot on for a slow pace to be justified。 Sadly， with The Perfect Holiday this wasn't the case for me。 Add the blatant cheating and unlikeable characters， and DNFing became the only option for me。 （hide spoiler）] P。S。 Find more of my reviews here。["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more

Helen Leecy ，

I’m a bit torn about how I feel about this book。 On the one hand， I was gripped and enjoyed the story。 I’ve even been thinking about it since I finished， which is always a good sign。 On the other hand， the ending was terrible and wasn’t worth reading this book for。A lot of the other reviewers have said they found the story too slow going， and I agree with this to a certain extent。 There was a lot of repetition with the day to day of Olivia and Julian’s holiday。 They kept visiting the same places I’m a bit torn about how I feel about this book。 On the one hand， I was gripped and enjoyed the story。 I’ve even been thinking about it since I finished， which is always a good sign。 On the other hand， the ending was terrible and wasn’t worth reading this book for。A lot of the other reviewers have said they found the story too slow going， and I agree with this to a certain extent。 There was a lot of repetition with the day to day of Olivia and Julian’s holiday。 They kept visiting the same places and lying by the pool a lot。 This didn’t help the story move at a swift pace。 However， I did pick up an undertone of malice and intrigue going on。 I couldn’t quite figure out what Gabriel’s motive， plan or direction in the story would be。 This is what helped me get through the book; it kept me moving through it and wanting to pick it up again to find out how the story would be brought together。Julian as a character was very morose， and it was hard to root for him or want the best for him。 I know he’d had a bad life， but this gave him an air of entitlement。 Olivia was very astute; she was picking up everything small thing that was said， so it was made quite evident that nothing was getting past her。I was expecting to be shocked and appalled at the end as this is what it seemed to be leading to。 I was neither。 I was just disappointed， and I needed more from this story to have made it worthwhile。 The ‘big twist’ was a little too obvious， and the fate of the characters just seemed pointless after I’d invested so much time in their lives。 I needed more on the Gabriel side of things as well; an epilogue from his perspective would have worked well。 As it stands， the epilogue from Olivia’s point of view was just dull。For me， the best part about the book was the ‘before’ section when Julian meets Gabriel。 Some of the reviewers felt the sex scenes were too full on。 I didn’t find this at all， and I think I can be a bit of a prude when it comes to these types of things。 However， I found it to be relatively tame。So， overall， I do feel like I wasted my time reading this， but I did enjoy the majority of it whilst reading。 So， a tough one to score， I think I will settle on a middle ground of three stars。 I don’t think I will be rushing to read anything else by this author anytime soon。 It just wasn’t innovative enough for my liking。 。。。more

Michelle Palmer ，

I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。This is my first time reading this author。 The writing was very good and the story kept my attention。 Not really my style of book but glad that I got the chance to read it。Julian Griggs is a caretaker for first his father and then his wife， Helen。 Helen was seriously injured in a car accident and needed full time care。 While Julian was out helping serve others， his wife was killed in a burglary I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。This is my first time reading this author。 The writing was very good and the story kept my attention。 Not really my style of book but glad that I got the chance to read it。Julian Griggs is a caretaker for first his father and then his wife， Helen。 Helen was seriously injured in a car accident and needed full time care。 While Julian was out helping serve others， his wife was killed in a burglary as far as the police could find。 The killer was never found。 Julian started the Helen Griggs Foundation to help other caretakers with resources， financial help and outings。 Julian met Olivia a couple of years after Helen's death at a ceremony where he received and award。 Olivia and Julian got married and are very involved in their foundations。 Gabriel is one of a kind。 He is handsome， outgoing and conniving。 He makes Julian believe he's his friend and lover but it all comes with a price。 。。。more

Dawn Byers ，

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review- Olivia and Julian are enjoying well deserved lazy day as Julian has spent many years caring for his wife who was in an accident。When Julian meets Gabriel and gives him a place to stay for a night - a night of drinking turns into sparks flying。 And when Gabriel shows up at their home later - the games begin。An addicting read with a shocking ending！

Sarah ，

**review to come**

theliterateleprechaun ，

I’ve heard it said before that there are no bad books， just books who haven’t found the right reader。 Sadly， I’m not the right reader for this book。 It would be a great book for those who don’t mind reading about gay hook-ups between two men; one old enough to be the other's father。 I received this advance copy from T。 J。 Emerson， Boldwood Books， and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review。 I’ve heard it said before that there are no bad books， just books who haven’t found the right reader。 Sadly， I’m not the right reader for this book。 It would be a great book for those who don’t mind reading about gay hook-ups between two men; one old enough to be the other's father。 I received this advance copy from T。 J。 Emerson， Boldwood Books， and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review。 。。。more

Ellie M ，

I have very mixed feelings about this book。 It is written very well with the intensity that keeps one reading。 The story ends with a twist that I did not see coming。 The pressure and tension on the main character is slowly growing until it becomes quite intense， almost unbearable。 What happens next？！ So the writer really knows her craft。What bothered me is that I didn't anticipate detailed gay sex scenes with someone who is 20 years younger。 Gabriel described to be extremely physically attractiv I have very mixed feelings about this book。 It is written very well with the intensity that keeps one reading。 The story ends with a twist that I did not see coming。 The pressure and tension on the main character is slowly growing until it becomes quite intense， almost unbearable。 What happens next？！ So the writer really knows her craft。What bothered me is that I didn't anticipate detailed gay sex scenes with someone who is 20 years younger。 Gabriel described to be extremely physically attractive but he is always either filthy， having bad morning and cigarette breath （so gross）， his room is stale and smelly and their sex scenes are a bit too graphic for my taste。 I am not sure what attracted Gabriel to Julian at the beginning that within 10 minutes of meeting they had sex， and later apart from the money。 On the other hand， Julian is way too infatuated at his age with someone whom he barely knows and their relationship never grows beyond sex。 In the end， such a 180 degree change on the main character's character was unexpected and not very believable given the history of decades of very different behavior。 Can a good and kind person really turn into such evil？Thanks Netgalley for the free copy in exchange of an honest review。 。。。more

Nicole Haviland ，

This was unlike any other thriller I’ve ever read。 I feel like so many of the newer thriller books are just recycled ideas， used over and over again。 The story follows Julian， who has lived a hard life care taking for his ill father， and then later in life his ill wife。 Julian is unlike any character I’ve ever read about in a book， and I truly felt every emotion he experienced in this book。 After Julian takes a camping trip to clear his head， he meets Gabriel in a coffee shop， and things are nev This was unlike any other thriller I’ve ever read。 I feel like so many of the newer thriller books are just recycled ideas， used over and over again。 The story follows Julian， who has lived a hard life care taking for his ill father， and then later in life his ill wife。 Julian is unlike any character I’ve ever read about in a book， and I truly felt every emotion he experienced in this book。 After Julian takes a camping trip to clear his head， he meets Gabriel in a coffee shop， and things are never the same for him。 I couldn’t put this book down because I was so eager to see how Julian’s story would end。 The last two chapters of the book had me dropping my jaw in shock。 A completely unexpected ending， that wrapped up the story perfectly。 If you’re looking for a thriller with a side of romance， this is it！！ 。。。more

Amanda ，

This wasn't a bad book but not one that I believe fits in the psychological thriller category。For my full review， please see http://www。amandalynwriter。com/2022/0。。。 Thank you to @netgalley and @BookandTonic for this ARC This wasn't a bad book but not one that I believe fits in the psychological thriller category。For my full review， please see http://www。amandalynwriter。com/2022/0。。。 Thank you to @netgalley and @BookandTonic for this ARC 。。。more

Anna ，

Julian and Olivia are going to Mallorca to relax in their villa and enjoy a much needed holiday。 Unfortunately， a man from Julian's past has tracked him down and has plans of his own。 Gabriel， is holding Julian's secrets。 Olivia invites Gabriel to stay with them。Once Gabriel gets his foot in the door he starts to take advantage of the hospitality shown to him。 He is such a sleezy character that I am shocked that Julian can't see what a dirt bag he is。 Gabriel convinces Julian to follow his plan Julian and Olivia are going to Mallorca to relax in their villa and enjoy a much needed holiday。 Unfortunately， a man from Julian's past has tracked him down and has plans of his own。 Gabriel， is holding Julian's secrets。 Olivia invites Gabriel to stay with them。Once Gabriel gets his foot in the door he starts to take advantage of the hospitality shown to him。 He is such a sleezy character that I am shocked that Julian can't see what a dirt bag he is。 Gabriel convinces Julian to follow his plan to a better life。For one person this will be their last vacation。 Who will it be？Thank you Net Galley for my ARC this is my honest review。 。。。more

Susan Ingraffea ，

I received an ARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback。 This novel did great with the SUSPENSE。 The synopsis was on the vague side， so you knew something was going to happen but really no idea of what。 But the author did a fantastic job of building the suspense， up to finding out the first secret and then all the way through what consequences were going to come of it。 I loved the vivid descriptions of Mallorca which made me want to go there even more than I alread I received an ARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback。 This novel did great with the SUSPENSE。 The synopsis was on the vague side， so you knew something was going to happen but really no idea of what。 But the author did a fantastic job of building the suspense， up to finding out the first secret and then all the way through what consequences were going to come of it。 I loved the vivid descriptions of Mallorca which made me want to go there even more than I already did。 A pet peeve of mine is when authors include some dialogue in another language but make mistakes with it。 That did unfortunately happen here。 Also， after so much suspense， I thought the ending was a little rushed。 Once the ending started to be revealed， I thought the author would go in a big different direction for some real payback， but I did like the ultimate ending the author chose。 I just felt it could have been drawn out a bit more。 Overall， I highly recommend this book and will certainly choose others by this author。 。。。more

AndiReads ，

I love vacation setting thriller and this beautiful setting and thrilling plot does not disappoint。Olivia and Julian are spending quiet time relaxing in a Spanish Villa。 Olivia is an heiress slowly giving away her trust while Julian is fairly famous for caring for his ill wife before she was murdered。 In their fairly new marriage they needed some time away。 The days are long and meld together until they happen along Gabriel in the village。 Gabriel is young， attractive and a lovely houseguest but I love vacation setting thriller and this beautiful setting and thrilling plot does not disappoint。Olivia and Julian are spending quiet time relaxing in a Spanish Villa。 Olivia is an heiress slowly giving away her trust while Julian is fairly famous for caring for his ill wife before she was murdered。 In their fairly new marriage they needed some time away。 The days are long and meld together until they happen along Gabriel in the village。 Gabriel is young， attractive and a lovely houseguest but it seems he might never leave。What does Gabriel know？ And what will it take to get him out？ if you love vacations -gone-wrong and domestic thriller set it beautiful places then #ThePerfectHoliday is for you！ #Boldwoodbooks #netGalley #NetGalleyReads 。。。more

Scott Portnoy ，

I received a net galley copy of this first novel by TJ Emerson。The premise to the mystery was excellent and the ending carried a twist。Much of the story about a caregiver -Julian and his second wife Olivia while on holiday in Mallorca was fascinating 。 However ， the narrative could have used some editing as the back and forth between Julian and his lover Gabriel who shows up in Mallorca to complicate things and mooch off of Julian went on about 50 pages too long。

Brice ，

BOOK REVIEW The Perfect Holiday by T。 J。 Emerson 。 Publication Date: April 20， 2022Thank you to @netgalley and @BookandTonic for this ARC。Synopsis: Olivia and Julian are enjoying lazy days in their Spanish villa， a well deserved break from their busy lives。 Especially for Julian， who after a lifetime as a career was thrust into the public eye following the tragic murder of his first wife。The languid heat and peace of the villa is broken only by cliff top walks， sun drenched lunches and cooling s BOOK REVIEW The Perfect Holiday by T。 J。 Emerson 。 Publication Date: April 20， 2022Thank you to @netgalley and @BookandTonic for this ARC。Synopsis: Olivia and Julian are enjoying lazy days in their Spanish villa， a well deserved break from their busy lives。 Especially for Julian， who after a lifetime as a career was thrust into the public eye following the tragic murder of his first wife。The languid heat and peace of the villa is broken only by cliff top walks， sun drenched lunches and cooling swims。 Until a chance encounter with Gabriel - an attractive man， many years their junior - changes everything。Soon their idyllic break turns into a dangerous， high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse。 Will any of them get out alive？。Review: What a read。 This is one I definitely did not want to put down。 Each page kept you guessing as to where this story was going to go。 The storyline was wonderful， with all the twists， turns， and suspense。 It was crazy to think of how far some people would go to get what they want！ I am very glad that I requested to read this one on NetGalley。 It did not disappoint and if you are looking for a good cat & mouse type read， I HIGHLY recommend this one。 A brilliant told thriller all around！。 Recommend: Yes！ Be sure to check this one out on its publication day。 。 。。。more

Jay Dwight ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Whilst I enjoyed the read， it didn't quite hit the mark for me to rate it higher。 The story line kept me engaged with the narrative， primarily focusing on Julian。 Julian has gained prominence after writing a memoir telling of his life as an unpaid carer to his late wife Helen。 Now married to Olivia， his life is devoted to charity and bringing attention and support to the carer fraternity。 On "the perfect holiday" with Olivia， they run into Gabriel， a man from Julian's past。 So I loved the set up Whilst I enjoyed the read， it didn't quite hit the mark for me to rate it higher。 The story line kept me engaged with the narrative， primarily focusing on Julian。 Julian has gained prominence after writing a memoir telling of his life as an unpaid carer to his late wife Helen。 Now married to Olivia， his life is devoted to charity and bringing attention and support to the carer fraternity。 On "the perfect holiday" with Olivia， they run into Gabriel， a man from Julian's past。 So I loved the set up， and I enjoyed the cat and mouse scenario involving Gabriel and Julian。 However， I just felt the middle section went on a little too long and was impatient for the story to progress as the tension that I initially felt didn't hold - In hindsight， I feel it needed to be "ramped" up more than it was。 I did get a surprise where the narrative led to， however in contrast to the middle section going on too long， the ending felt a bit rushed。 I think this scenario could have been played out a little longer， with greater tension， and more cat and mouse here。 And one aspect of the finale was a little too convenient for my liking。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Perfect Holiday

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Perfect Holiday&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Perfect Holiday&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0