The Vacation
- Downloads：1125
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-04 22:31:17
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：M.M. Chouinard
- ISBN：B08YKBFDKD
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
One of them is missing… One of them did it…
The Thanksgiving retreat was meant to be a time for them to get away from it all， miles from the secrets that threaten to tear their family apart。 But they’re each hiding something:
Rose hopes the pretty house overlooking the sea is just the break her family needs。 But as she gazes at the water and remembers her own childhood， she is utterly terrified。
Brandon knows his wife Rose has barely forgiven him for his affair。 He’s started drinking again， a road that led him to disaster once before。
Brianna， Rose’s sister-in-law， is recovering from her fifth miscarriage， and when she looks at her adorable niece， she can’t help but see the daughter she deserves。
Then three-year-old Lily disappears from her bed in the villa。 Isolated in what should have been paradise， it quickly becomes clear that one of them took her。
As one by one their secrets are uncovered， who will be destroyed next？
A completely addictive thriller about every parent’s worst nightmare that will keep you guessing into the early hours of the morning。 Perfect for fans of The Guest List， One by One and The Sister-in-Law。
The Thanksgiving retreat was meant to be a time for them to get away from it all， miles from the secrets that threaten to tear their family apart。 But they’re each hiding something:
Rose hopes the pretty house overlooking the sea is just the break her family needs。 But as she gazes at the water and remembers her own childhood， she is utterly terrified。
Brandon knows his wife Rose has barely forgiven him for his affair。 He’s started drinking again， a road that led him to disaster once before。
Brianna， Rose’s sister-in-law， is recovering from her fifth miscarriage， and when she looks at her adorable niece， she can’t help but see the daughter she deserves。
Then three-year-old Lily disappears from her bed in the villa。 Isolated in what should have been paradise， it quickly becomes clear that one of them took her。
As one by one their secrets are uncovered， who will be destroyed next？
A completely addictive thriller about every parent’s worst nightmare that will keep you guessing into the early hours of the morning。 Perfect for fans of The Guest List， One by One and The Sister-in-Law。
Reviews
L。S。
，
From the first chapter， I was hooked and the pace didn’t let up。 What was meant to be a fun and relaxing way to spend thanksgiving with family and close friends quickly unravelled to expose a plethora of secrets， jealousies and bitter resentments。Rose had been worried about going to Jamaica with her two children， but her husband Brandon assured her it would be just the break they needed。 And it seemed as though he was right， until midway through the holiday， after an evening of rum cocktails und From the first chapter， I was hooked and the pace didn’t let up。 What was meant to be a fun and relaxing way to spend thanksgiving with family and close friends quickly unravelled to expose a plethora of secrets， jealousies and bitter resentments。Rose had been worried about going to Jamaica with her two children， but her husband Brandon assured her it would be just the break they needed。 And it seemed as though he was right， until midway through the holiday， after an evening of rum cocktails under a balmy breeze， Rose went to check on her sleeping kids。 Jackson was snoring softly， his arm over his head when she checked on Lily， only to find the curtain billowing across the little girl’s bed。It shouldn’t have been billowing though; the window had been shut last time she checked … but now it was open and Lily’s bed was empty。 The nightmare scenario that had usurped her thoughts prior to them arriving in Jamaica had suddenly become a reality。 Her three-year-old daughter was gone， just like those other little girls she’d spent hours reading about。 Lily was missing。 （It would be impossible not to draw comparisons here with the true story of Madeleine McCann， which made what happened all the more heartbreakingly believable）After raising the alarm， Rose， Brandon and the others scoured the villa but there was no sign of her。 When the police finally arrived， they assumed a ransom call would soon follow。 It didn’t。Accusations of lazy policing followed as there was no news of Lily’s whereabouts。 Scrawlings on the wall outside Lily’s room suggested she’d been kidnapped， so why weren’t the police pulling out all of the stops to find her？ Of course， Rose’s thoughts were blinded by fear for Lily’s wellbeing， so maybe blaming the police for inaction was understandable。 Yet， the others in her party seemed to be doing the same。 It made me wonder if that would prove to be a convenient smokescreen for someone）When the police did find clues to what might have happened that night， they gathered all the adults together before sharing their information， watching each of them keenly for a reaction。 It was voyeuristically addictive and had me biting my nails。The story is told across multiple viewpoints – each of the adults had their own chapters – and from both the run-up to Lily’s disappearance and the investigation thereafter。 This constant swapping kept the pace up; just as I thought I might read just one more chapter， the next viewpoint character’s chapter became more compelling。 Inevitably， as each character’s backstory became known， so did they seem to have a motive。 But surely none of them could have harmed Lily？ Or could they？As my suspicions bounced from one character to another， so did doubts form in their minds as they started to suspect each other。 Though， mainly thanks to some clever manipulation， they soon began to question one of their group more than any other。Jeez， writing this review without giving any spoilers is super hard 😉Just when I thought I couldn’t be more on the side of the family， in came a curveball that had me praying for the police to turn up with all the answers。 Was it too late？ Would the truth be covered up forever？ Oh my， the ending was frantic and sublime in equal measures。 The clues were all there， but the way in which the author delivered those crumbs meant it was easy to miss them。The Vacation was a book in which everyone came under suspicion。 Full of page-turning suspense and very cleverly executed， this has to be one of my favourite book of the year so far。 。。。more
Bella Killorn
，
First book by this author！ I really liked it！！
Rachel Bustin
，
Wow what an addictive family thriller！ Told over different timelines， from the perspectives of members of the family， you are drawn into the family secrets and lies。 Which must not be revealed at any cost。 Everyone seems to be hiding something。 Everyone seems to be on edge。The Vacation is set in hot and sticky Jamaica right up in the hills where tourists might not be safe。 The family are staying in a villa for Thanksgiving when one night little 3 year old Lily disappears from her bed while the a Wow what an addictive family thriller！ Told over different timelines， from the perspectives of members of the family， you are drawn into the family secrets and lies。 Which must not be revealed at any cost。 Everyone seems to be hiding something。 Everyone seems to be on edge。The Vacation is set in hot and sticky Jamaica right up in the hills where tourists might not be safe。 The family are staying in a villa for Thanksgiving when one night little 3 year old Lily disappears from her bed while the adults are drinking by the pool。 It reminds me of the now famous Madeleine McCann case。 As the police start uncovering clues， they start to point to various family members。I love how it keeps you gripped， I was desperate to find out what happened to Lily and had to keep reading to the very end！ The book builds up to the final scene throughout the book， so you are kept on tenterhooks until the very end…。。which I didn’t see coming！！Highly recommended and deserves 5 out of 5 stars！Read more here https://rachelbustin。com/books/the-va。。。 。。。more
Eduardo Navarro
，
Conozcamos a tres matrimonios que han decidido pasar unos días previos a Acción de Gracias en Jamaica， donde vive y trabaja uno de ellos。Alquilan tres casitas en una especie de complejo residencial， en el que todo parece ir bien hasta que。 Lily， la hija de tres años del matrimonio formado por Rose y Brandon， desaparece。Con la desaparición comienza un "turmoil" de reproches， escepticismos y miradas aviesas entre los tres matrimonios， cosa que no hace más que complicarse con la entrada en escena d Conozcamos a tres matrimonios que han decidido pasar unos días previos a Acción de Gracias en Jamaica， donde vive y trabaja uno de ellos。Alquilan tres casitas en una especie de complejo residencial， en el que todo parece ir bien hasta que。 Lily， la hija de tres años del matrimonio formado por Rose y Brandon， desaparece。Con la desaparición comienza un "turmoil" de reproches， escepticismos y miradas aviesas entre los tres matrimonios， cosa que no hace más que complicarse con la entrada en escena de la policía de Jamaica， que no parecen precisamente sabuesos （aunque es cierto que resuelven el enigma）。LA TRAMA: nada novedoso， niña es secuestrada y todos parecen tener algo que ver， de alguna u otra forma， con el secuestro。LO MEJOR: está muy bien desarrollado。 Pocos personajes， bien definidos y dejando claro desde el principio quién es quién。 Las sorpresas， poco a poco y con sutileza。 Y muy bien resuelto。LO PEOR: la resolución un poco cogida con pinzas， pero no obsta en absoluto a la puntuación de cinco estrellas。 。。。more
Shalini
，
Loved the book that began with a missing child and a hint of all not being well with the family and the suspense never let up。 It was as if the author knew what I wanted and delivered it with a bang in a neat package。A suspenseful book which was set in a family drama where the equations and things in the background kept constantly changing。 It took me some time to plot the characters in my mind。 But it all soon fell into place。I loved how the author M。 M。 Chouinard kept pulling and pushing them Loved the book that began with a missing child and a hint of all not being well with the family and the suspense never let up。 It was as if the author knew what I wanted and delivered it with a bang in a neat package。A suspenseful book which was set in a family drama where the equations and things in the background kept constantly changing。 It took me some time to plot the characters in my mind。 But it all soon fell into place。I loved how the author M。 M。 Chouinard kept pulling and pushing them to reveal their shades。 It was a synchronized dance to make the scenes fit in seamlessly。Extremely swift in its pace or it could be me who wanted to get to the end to know what happened to the missing child that I raced through the book。 I loved how my need-to-know-instantly built up in me。 My heart raced; I felt alive。 Who wouldn’t love this rush？Needless to say， I enjoyed this book immensely as it clicked all the points I loved in a book。 Family and masks， the hidden sins and pretense， the author and her precision。 They all went together beautifully。 。。。more
Jodi Green
，
The best！！！！
Susan Hampson
，
There is a whirlwind of emotions on almost every page of this book。 Three couples are holidaying together in Jamaica。 They have gone out for a meal and a drink， while the children of two of the couples sleep in their nearby accommodation。 They had taken turns in going and checking on the children while they slept， and all was well。 When Rose’s goes she couldn’t make sense of what she saw， her three-year-old daughter had vanished， and the window was wide open。 No matter how many times she searche There is a whirlwind of emotions on almost every page of this book。 Three couples are holidaying together in Jamaica。 They have gone out for a meal and a drink， while the children of two of the couples sleep in their nearby accommodation。 They had taken turns in going and checking on the children while they slept， and all was well。 When Rose’s goes she couldn’t make sense of what she saw， her three-year-old daughter had vanished， and the window was wide open。 No matter how many times she searched the room， she couldn’t find her hidden。 Someone had taken her。The police arrive， but over the next few days， the pace of the investigation had Rose reeling。 The longer her daughter was missing， the less chance that the outcome would be good。 Rose took things into her own hands to try and speed the investigation up。 The dynamic of the couples began to change， while a tsunami of feelings fester and wouldn’t be calmed。What a story， it makes you think if we ever really know someone。 Here is one of those stories where you want to know what has happened but turn each page tentatively because you are frightened to know the truth。 I liked how the characters developed and more of who they were becoming more transparent。 It isn’t an easy read by any means， it is so very tense， and I wanted each page to give me that overwhelming rush of everything being alright。It is readable easily in a day。 I couldn’t stop until I knew the ending。 Extremely well written。 I couldn’t put it down。 。。。more
Bridget
，
I thoroughly enjoy M。M。 Chouinard’s Detective Jo Fournier series so I was delighted to discover she was releasing this standalone thriller， The Vacation。 Although I can't get enough of Jo Fournier， it was great to see what M。M。 Chouinard can turn out in addition to that series and she really knocks it out of the park！ In The Vacation Brandon Martin makes an announcement to Rose， his wife that they will be travelling to Jamaica for Thanksgiving。 His sister， Bree and her husband， Leo who live ther I thoroughly enjoy M。M。 Chouinard’s Detective Jo Fournier series so I was delighted to discover she was releasing this standalone thriller， The Vacation。 Although I can't get enough of Jo Fournier， it was great to see what M。M。 Chouinard can turn out in addition to that series and she really knocks it out of the park！ In The Vacation Brandon Martin makes an announcement to Rose， his wife that they will be travelling to Jamaica for Thanksgiving。 His sister， Bree and her husband， Leo who live there， have invited them and their friends， Mateo and Anabelle， to their rented holiday villa。 Rose isn't overkeen to go but Brandon has decided they will be accepting the invitation regardless。 So the Martins along with their children， Lily and Jackson， arrive in Jamaica， as do Anabelle and Mateo with their two young boys， Michael and Marcus for what should be a fantastic break。 However， each of the adults has their secrets or a hidden agenda stored in their luggage， and then little Lily vanishes。。。Michelle M。 Chouinard’s overall style wowed me again as did the wonderfully thrilling plot in this tale of secrets， suspicion and emotion。 I really appreciated Chouinard's ability to not only draw me into the dark story immediately but also keep me enthralled until the very last page。 The level of tension that built throughout the story was noteworthy。For me， The Vacation has it all - a plot brimming with mystery， suspense with many twists， as well as family dynamics， characters that are real and believable and an amazing ending。 Michelle M。 Chouinard has become one of my favourite authors and I can’t wait to see what's next from her。 I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley。 This review is my own unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Kirsty Bookworm86
，
BLOG TOUR REVIEW Review for 'The Vacation' by M。M。 Chouinard。 Read and reviewed via NetGalley for M。M。 Chouinard， Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous Publication date 27th May 2021。This is the first book I have read by this author。 I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beaitiful cover and its intriguing synopsis and title。 The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of The Guest List， One by One and The Sister-in-Law'。 I am a fan of 'The Guest List' so am BLOG TOUR REVIEW Review for 'The Vacation' by M。M。 Chouinard。 Read and reviewed via NetGalley for M。M。 Chouinard， Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous Publication date 27th May 2021。This is the first book I have read by this author。 I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beaitiful cover and its intriguing synopsis and title。 The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of The Guest List， One by One and The Sister-in-Law'。 I am a fan of 'The Guest List' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement。 I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture。 I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed。 Hopefully this won't be the first。。。 Watch this space！ （Written before I started reading the book）。This novel consists of 66 chapters and an epilogue。 The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed。。。OK， I know yeah right， but still just in case！This book is based in Jamaica 🇯🇲 This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Rose， Bree and Anabelle。 The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more， what they are thinking and what they are doing。 It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything。OMG！！！！ Absolutely shocked！！！ Fairplay I was not expecting that ending or any of them twists！！！ Love， love， LOVED IT！！！ A fantastically written psychological thriller with vivid descriptions which really put you in the picture。 The cover， title and synopsis work perfectly with the storyline。 It is set over multiple time lines。 When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader （if it is well done） understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions。 It also shows the bigger picture。 The storyline is petrifyingly realistic and is every mothers worst nightmare！！！ A holiday from absolute hell。 I was gripped from the first sentence and completely hooked and absorbed until the explosive ending！！！ Absolutely packed with love， loss， secrets， friendships， deceit， crime， lies， twists and turns， everything and more that you look for in a psychological crime thriller。 I could not put this book down and it kept me on the edge of my seat， biting my nails and with my heart in my throat throughout！！！ I won't lie it also brought tears to my eyes on several occasions。 An absolutely addictive page turner！！ I love how everything is explained and wrapped up perfectly by the end， nothing worse than loose ends。 The characters were realistic， well defined and strong。 I really connected with the majority of the main characters which is rare for me， I usually just connect with one or maybe a couple but I seemed to really 'bond' with most of them。 I really felt for Rose from her fears from the first chapter to everything she went through， I can't go into more detail as not to spoil it。 I wasn't sure about Bree for a while but once I got to know her more I bonded with her more。 Anabelle is also a very strong character who will stay with me for a while。 Well done M。 M。 Chouinard on an absolutely huge success and welcome to my favourite author list。 I cannot wait to read more of your novels as if they are half as good as this one then they will still be amazing！！ Overall an absolutely addictive and explosive page turning psychological thriller Genres covered in this book include Thriller， Fiction， Mystery， Suspense and Psychological Thriller amongst others。 I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Shalini Boland， Lisa Gardner and just anyone looking for an explosive page turner！！！ 331 pages。This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book！！！ Rated 5 /5 （I LOVED it ） on Goodreads， Instagram， Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook。 。。。more
Renita D'Silva
，
Wonderful。 Suspenseful。 Packed with twists。 I was enthralled。 Absorbed Blown away。 Loved loved loved this one。 A stunner of a read。
Dawn
，
Three couples enjoying a getaway to Jamaica when one of their children goes missing。 Was it a kidnap of a coverup？ Can the secrets and lies unfold to find the truth。 I love the Detective Jo Fournier books and was excited to see a stand-alone and it does not disappoint。 There armed characters you will like and those you really dislike！ Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review，
J_Mc 251
，
The author had me from “Jamaican holiday” but kept me for a thrilling story that kept me guessing right up to the very end。 I love this author’s writing style。 It’s easy to read with just enough detail to make things interesting without lots of exposition。 In other words， her books are full of “doing” and not just “telling。” The plot is carried from the points of view of three women， Rose， Bree， and Anabelle， as they plan and embark on a tropical vacation with their families。 There are also chap The author had me from “Jamaican holiday” but kept me for a thrilling story that kept me guessing right up to the very end。 I love this author’s writing style。 It’s easy to read with just enough detail to make things interesting without lots of exposition。 In other words， her books are full of “doing” and not just “telling。” The plot is carried from the points of view of three women， Rose， Bree， and Anabelle， as they plan and embark on a tropical vacation with their families。 There are also chapters entitled “now” interspersed throughout。 Without giving the plot away， everything hinges on one event， with the ladies’ perspective occurring prior and the “now” chapters occurring in the “present” time。 The author did a great job of dropping hints throughout。 There were a few red herrings thrown in that were natural – not just there to distract but made perfect sense in the context of the story。 This is a good beach read that will lull you in with an idyllic tropical vacation before pulling the rug out from underneath you。 For a full review， please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks。 Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book。 。。。more
Hayley Fletcher
，
Initially， I was grabbed into the plot line， wondering how and who abducted a little girl from her bed whilst on a holiday with her family in Jamaica。 However， the book started to drag and with every character becoming a potential suspect at some point， I found it dull and a little unbelievable。 I found there were some aspects of the story which were also irrelevant， so I was left feeling a little disappointed。 The book did not engage me fully， but it was an easy read and I'm sure others would e Initially， I was grabbed into the plot line， wondering how and who abducted a little girl from her bed whilst on a holiday with her family in Jamaica。 However， the book started to drag and with every character becoming a potential suspect at some point， I found it dull and a little unbelievable。 I found there were some aspects of the story which were also irrelevant， so I was left feeling a little disappointed。 The book did not engage me fully， but it was an easy read and I'm sure others would enjoy it。 。。。more
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*
，
EXCERPT: Please， God。 Please let Lily be safe。 Please bring her back to us。 Please forgive me - please don't make her pay the cost for my demons。 She repeats the prayers in a mantra designed to atone， and to break a cycle of obsessive thinking。 How many times has her therapist told her to chase away anxiety with reason and facts？ God doesn't work that way， she tells herself。 This isn't because of you。 But how can it not be？ It's too much。 It's too coincidental。 Stop。 She short-circuits the cycle EXCERPT: Please， God。 Please let Lily be safe。 Please bring her back to us。 Please forgive me - please don't make her pay the cost for my demons。 She repeats the prayers in a mantra designed to atone， and to break a cycle of obsessive thinking。 How many times has her therapist told her to chase away anxiety with reason and facts？ God doesn't work that way， she tells herself。 This isn't because of you。 But how can it not be？ It's too much。 It's too coincidental。 Stop。 She short-circuits the cycle of thoughts and returns to the prayer。 But Brandon was right - Stop。This isn't her fault。 It can't be， it just can't。 Unless it is。 ABOUT 'THE VACATION': One of them is missing… One of them did it…The Thanksgiving retreat was meant to be a time for them to get away from it all， miles from the secrets that threaten to tear their family apart。 But they’re each hiding something:Rose hopes the pretty house overlooking the sea is just the break her family needs。 But as she gazes at the water and remembers her own childhood， she is utterly terrified。Brandon knows his wife Rose has barely forgiven him for his affair。 He’s started drinking again， a road that led him to disaster once before。Brianna， Rose’s sister-in-law， is recovering from her fifth miscarriage， and when she looks at her adorable niece， she can’t help but see the daughter she deserves。Then three-year-old Lily disappears from her bed in the villa。 Isolated in what should have been paradise， it quickly becomes clear that one of them took her。As one by one their secrets are uncovered， who will be destroyed next？MY THOUGHTS: I not only found it impossible to connect with any of these characters， I found it difficult to tell them apart。 They were all interchangeable and unremarkable。 None of them were particularly likeable or memorable。A child going missing from it's bed is every parent's nightmare。 Was Lily abducted？ Did she wander off？ The Vacation ought to have been taut and suspenseful。 I didn't feel that。 The writing felt flat， the plot predictable。 None of the twists surprised me， and I figured out both the who and the why well before the end。 A lot of what occurs in The Vacation I found improbable and contrived， which is a pity。 There was so much scope to develop this into a tense and chilling psychological thriller。 But it was very wide of the mark for me。 Even the ending was 'meh。'I am aware that I am very much out on a limb with my feelings about The Vacation。 This book currently has an average rating of 4 stars。 So if you enjoyed the excerpt from The Vacation， and the plot outline appeals， please do go ahead and read it。 Just because this wasn't for me， doesn't mean that you won't enjoy it。⭐⭐。2#TheVacation #NetGalley THE AUTHOR: M。M。 Chouinard writes crime fiction （including suspense， procedurals， and cozies）， and women's fiction。 M。M。 Chouinard's first fiction story was published in her local paper when she was eight， and she fell in love with Agatha Christie novels not long after。 While pursuing a Ph。D in psychology and helping to found the first U。S。 research university of the new millenium， the stories kept rattling around inside her skull， demanding to come out。 For sanity's sake， she released them。 DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Vacation by M。M。 Chouinard for review。 All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions。 For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads。com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday。wordpress。com This review and others are also published on Twitter， Amazon， Instagram， and my webpage https://sandysbookaday。wordpress。com/。。。 。。。more
Nicki
，
I would imagine that most parents at some time in their lives have experienced every parent's worst nightmare， the heart stopping moment when you are out somewhere and lose sight of one of your children。 The overpowering emotions， fear， terror and panic as you frantically search from them， constantly calling their name。 Then the immense feeling of relief when you find them again and wrap them in your arms， swearing never to let them out of your sight ever again。 Now， imagine knowing that you had I would imagine that most parents at some time in their lives have experienced every parent's worst nightmare， the heart stopping moment when you are out somewhere and lose sight of one of your children。 The overpowering emotions， fear， terror and panic as you frantically search from them， constantly calling their name。 Then the immense feeling of relief when you find them again and wrap them in your arms， swearing never to let them out of your sight ever again。 Now， imagine knowing that you had put your child safely into their bed and that they were sound asleep when you left them and yet when you return to check that they are ok， you discover that the bedroom。window that you were absolutely certain was closed， is open and your child has gone， vanished without a trace。 The chapters of this intense， addictive story are set in the duel timelines of before and after Lily's disappearance，slip back and forth in time and are narrated from the perspectives of three， diverse， vivid female characters。 There is Rose who is married to Brandon and they have two young children called Lily and Jackson， Annabel and Mateo who have two young boys called Michael and Marcus。 Then there is Brandon's step sister Bree who is married to Leo， they don't have any children despite spending a lot of money on fertility treatment。 Three couples who have been friends for a long time and from the outside appear to be a very tight group。 But feelings of jealousy， resentment and greed are bubbling away below the surface and after young Lily disappears from her bed whilst the adults are partying， cracks appear in the foundations of the group's relationships。 A black cloud hangs over their villa in paradise， secrets and lies start seeping through the crevices， mistrust permeates the atmosphere and accusations start flying。 Unbeknownst to the others， one of them is a master manipulator who knows exactly what happened to little Lily on that fateful night and is prepared to do everything in their power to prevent their dark secret from being uncovered including gaslighting and emotional blackmail。Omg， wow。。。。just wow and wow again， I really really loved this incredible， page turner that had me hooked in and glued to my kindle from the first page。 It's a emotionally charged，character driven， perfectly paced story that has a cast of realistic，diverse characters， some likeable，some not so likeable and some genuinely unexpected twists and turns。 I would love to watch a film or tv adaptation of this unputdownable thriller and if I could， I would give it many more than five stars。 Very very highly recommended and definitely going to be one of my favourite reads of this year。 。。。more
Brianne
，
Couldn't put downThis book kept you guessing and second guessing every step of the way！ I love this author and will continue to read everything they write Couldn't put downThis book kept you guessing and second guessing every step of the way！ I love this author and will continue to read everything they write 。。。more
Chel
，
This book is a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat。 Riveting story， and overall one I'd definitely recommend。 Will definitely check out more of Chouinard's books。 Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 This book is a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat。 Riveting story， and overall one I'd definitely recommend。 Will definitely check out more of Chouinard's books。 Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susan
，
First off， a vacation with kids is never really a vacation unless you can afford someone to come along to take care of this kids and give you。。。。。。。。 a vacation！ Let's just put that out there。 But， for Rose， a Jamaican vacation with her family and two other families is no where close to a relaxing time， even before Lily disappears in the middle of the night from her bed。 I felt so bad for Rose！ All that paranoia getting in the way of her enjoying herself but then to have her fears become reality First off， a vacation with kids is never really a vacation unless you can afford someone to come along to take care of this kids and give you。。。。。。。。 a vacation！ Let's just put that out there。 But， for Rose， a Jamaican vacation with her family and two other families is no where close to a relaxing time， even before Lily disappears in the middle of the night from her bed。 I felt so bad for Rose！ All that paranoia getting in the way of her enjoying herself but then to have her fears become reality！ Isn't that everyone's worst fear？ While I thought the character development was less than complete， it was sufficient to lay a foundation for the story and the secrets that slowly unveiled themselves。 Which ones were secrets and which ones were directly related to that Thanksgiving week's tragic events？ What a great way to show how no one person is completely good or completely bad！ Ms。 Chouinard remains a must read author for me！Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Erica Nicole
，
“Why did people get blessings they didn’t deserve？” This read hooked me from the very first page。 During the prologue， I felt like I was in a daze， exploring without a care when I was suddenly drenched in a bucketful of freezing cold water。 That first plot twist， despite having read the blurb， shocked me。 The way Chouinard plays with words， giving scenes mysterious and elegant finishes is just amazing！ She conveys so much emotion through the scenes in this appealing way。 It's different in a pos “Why did people get blessings they didn’t deserve？” This read hooked me from the very first page。 During the prologue， I felt like I was in a daze， exploring without a care when I was suddenly drenched in a bucketful of freezing cold water。 That first plot twist， despite having read the blurb， shocked me。 The way Chouinard plays with words， giving scenes mysterious and elegant finishes is just amazing！ She conveys so much emotion through the scenes in this appealing way。 It's different in a positive way from the typical thriller。 I highlighted so many beautiful passages in the book！Her characters are so complex。 They all struggle in various ways， come from diverse backgrounds， feel differently and all have depth。 So， despite the presence of many characters， grasping their unique qualities was an easy task。 Here， we are exposed to the police's perspective and the complainants'。 We are also given a glimpse of Jamaican culture， bringing more beauty to the thriller。Complex family dynamics were also a huge part of the story。 What holds more weight？ Familial connections or financial security？ What does sibling rivalry bring to adulthood？ To fulfill your desires or remain faithful？ How does trauma affect parenthood？ The weight of bearing children --- and the inability to do so。 M。 M。 Chouinard's plot twists are slow but on point。 I got goosebumps and the fright during a huge turning point almost halfway through the book。 Seriously！ It's indescribable but I can say the feeling lasted。 The revelation made me lie in bed， speechless and unmoving for a while --- right before uttering a string of profanities。 I didn't anticipate the amount of times I had to go through such ordeal！ The storyline is carefully crafted making the whodunnit quest a real challenge。 （I love the ending so much， it actually made me teary-eyed！） Breathtaking secrets will unfold as the finale approaches but The Vacation remains a puzzle until the end。P。 S。 The book informed me that a staggering HALF MILLION children go missing every year。 The Polly Klaas Foundation is a NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION that puts its resources and efforts in recovering missing children from around the world。 Help them by donating at http://www。pollyklaas。org/donations/ ！ 。。。more
marnie | once upon a time book reviews
，
If you are a regular reader of my reviews then you know how much I love M。M。 Chouinard’s work and her Detective Jo Fournier series。 So you could imagine my delight when I heard she was releasing her first standalone thriller。 Although I could never get enough of Jo Fournier， it was great to read what M。M。 Chouinard could do outside of a series。 Let me tell you， she nails it！Right off the bat this book moves at full steam ahead。 M。M。 Chouinard pulls the reader into the pages and you are thrown st If you are a regular reader of my reviews then you know how much I love M。M。 Chouinard’s work and her Detective Jo Fournier series。 So you could imagine my delight when I heard she was releasing her first standalone thriller。 Although I could never get enough of Jo Fournier， it was great to read what M。M。 Chouinard could do outside of a series。 Let me tell you， she nails it！Right off the bat this book moves at full steam ahead。 M。M。 Chouinard pulls the reader into the pages and you are thrown straight into the thick of it as you become embroiled in a parents worst nightmare。 It’s subject matter is tough and whilst there are stories out there of the similar nature， this one really stands out above the rest。The cast of characters。 are diverse and a mix of likeable and unlikeable。 Told from the point of view from three of the women， gives the reader great insight into their own relationships， what they think of each other’s and the motivation behind the unimaginable。 Each with secrets to hide， it was hard to know who to trust as each narrative becomes more unreliable as the story progresses。This read just flies by with it’s short chapters that compel you to read just one more。 Good luck with trying to put this one down as I definitely couldn’t。 This one got me right in it’s clutches and didn’t let me go until that final page。 I just had to know how it was all going to unfold。As always the writing is impeccable and the way it is delivered， first class。 M。M。 Chouinard could write a book on toilet paper and I would be first in line to read it！ You just know you are going to brilliant read each and every time when you read one of her books and The Vacation is no different。 It really is a masterclass on the genre。The Vacation is an emotionally charged， gripping and intense read that will take your breath away。 In true M。M。 Chouinard form the twist is jaw dropping and will shake you to your very core。 Another brilliant story that you must add to your reading this year immediately。Thank you to M。M。 Chouinard， Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read an a 。。。more
Kathryn
，
A holiday to Jamaica with family and friends sounds awesome right ？ Well this vacation didn’t turn out as planned。 This book was absolutely amazing 。 I was totally gripped by this book from the very start。 An awesome read full of twists and turns。
Angela
，
ARC kindly is received via NetGalley for an honest review。I really liked the book and it's a really interesting and enjoyable read。 It'll keep you in your toes to wonder what happen next。 I was very shock at the ending。 It had me surprised and I didn't expected like this。 It's truly unputdownable and compelling read。 It has plenty of intrigue and plot twists that keeps me on the edge of my seat。 Overall， it's a fast paced thriller that had you gripped all night！ Looking forward to read more book ARC kindly is received via NetGalley for an honest review。I really liked the book and it's a really interesting and enjoyable read。 It'll keep you in your toes to wonder what happen next。 I was very shock at the ending。 It had me surprised and I didn't expected like this。 It's truly unputdownable and compelling read。 It has plenty of intrigue and plot twists that keeps me on the edge of my seat。 Overall， it's a fast paced thriller that had you gripped all night！ Looking forward to read more books from M。M。 Chouinard！ Definitely deserves ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 。。。more
Natalie
，
Wow！ This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way through！A family holiday in Jamaica。 3 couples。 3 year old child missing。The plot isn't original but the way it is written will have you guessing until the end。My head was spinning with all the twists and turns that were revealed all throughout the book。 Highly recommended！ Wow！ This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way through！A family holiday in Jamaica。 3 couples。 3 year old child missing。The plot isn't original but the way it is written will have you guessing until the end。My head was spinning with all the twists and turns that were revealed all throughout the book。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Joanna Lambert
，
Three couples jet off to a luxury trip to Jamaica for Thanksgiving。 It should be a time for relaxing in the sun away from winter。 The three central female characters - Rose， Bree and Annabelle take it in turns to narrate the story。 Rose， mother of three year old Lily and one year old Jackson has been reluctant to make the tri。 The crime rates on the island worry her， but husband Brandon has insisted they go。 Childless Bree finds it hard to be around children， especially with her close connection Three couples jet off to a luxury trip to Jamaica for Thanksgiving。 It should be a time for relaxing in the sun away from winter。 The three central female characters - Rose， Bree and Annabelle take it in turns to narrate the story。 Rose， mother of three year old Lily and one year old Jackson has been reluctant to make the tri。 The crime rates on the island worry her， but husband Brandon has insisted they go。 Childless Bree finds it hard to be around children， especially with her close connection to Rose。 Annabelle is the calming bridge between the two of them。。 Everyone begins to slowly unwind， and then the unthinkable happens。 One evening three year old Lily is taken from her bed。 The story slowly unwraps - the police have no leads and there is a feeling someone from within the group might be responsible。 The way the story is written， giving insights into each couple。 Everyone has secrets， which left me moving from character to character， trying to work out who was the guilty party。 Cleverly written， nothing is revealed until the very end。 This is a worthy five star read， with plenty of twists and turns， secrets and gripping moments。One of the best thrillers I have read so far this year。My thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC of The Vacation in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sarah Waldron
，
I feel like I’ve said this about a few books lately which leads me to believe I am going through a phase; the cover of this book was what drew my attention。 It seems that I have become a sucker for a lovely looking book cover。 Which is a little bit like Russian roulette as you know; never judge a book by it’s cover and all that jazz。 Thank you to @bookouture and @m_m_chouinard for this advanced copy of The Vacation in return for an honest review。 The Vacation is due to be published on 27th May 2 I feel like I’ve said this about a few books lately which leads me to believe I am going through a phase; the cover of this book was what drew my attention。 It seems that I have become a sucker for a lovely looking book cover。 Which is a little bit like Russian roulette as you know; never judge a book by it’s cover and all that jazz。 Thank you to @bookouture and @m_m_chouinard for this advanced copy of The Vacation in return for an honest review。 The Vacation is due to be published on 27th May 2021 and you can get a copy here。Description 🔖What better way to spend Thanksgiving than with family， on vacation in Jamaica。 It was intended to be a much needed break for everyone but unfortunately you can’t always leave secrets at home， they have a tendency to follow you。Rose and Brendan are tackling their own individual demons and both are struggling even in paradise。 When their three year old daughter goes missing from their villa， it couldn’t get much worse。 Except as secrets start to spill about all their family on the trip， it becomes clear that one of them is responsible for Lily’s disappearance。General Thoughts 🤔During the first few chapters I had a bit of a sinking feeling that this was going to be a fictional re-write of the Madeleine McCain case but it took a few swerves very early on and I was hooked。 I loved this book and I got swept away in the mystery and possibilities。 I loved that there were so many options for what could have happened to Lily and I found it almost impossible to figure out the truth。 I quite literally had suspicions about all of them because of the dark secrets they were all keeping from each other。I really liked the angle of everyone having to look out for themselves。 As doubts started to form and the characters slowly started to turn on each other， it became a bit like a really high stakes version of Cluedo。 Did Anabelle do it in the kitchen with the candlestick or did Leo do it in the library with the lead pipe？ The whole thing played out fantastically。Characters 👭👫👬Initially I was a bit overwhelmed with all of the characters; 6 adults and 4 children are a lot to keep track of。 That didn’t last very long though as the characters are written and developed so well， I soon became very familiar with their traits and relationships with one another。 I won’t go into a tonne of detail about them all， but a few of them that really struck a chord with me were;Rose – an obvious choice as the mother of Lily。 Gosh my heart broke for this woman。 Not only did she have no idea what happened to her daughter， she was having to deal with judgement from the rest of the group， the police and the media。 Her mental health was suffering before the trip and inevitably came crashing down around her in Jamaica。 She made a few poor decisions along the way， but nothing that anybody could judge her for。Brandon – he was quite arrogant but there were moments where he displayed such outpouring of love for his children that I couldn’t help but empathise with him and like him。 The way he treated his sister and brother in law rubbed me up the wrong way。Bree – she is probably the character I flip flopped about the most。 Her struggles with fertility made me feel really sad for her， but I did question her mental stability a few times。 I thought that she was the type of person who would do almost anything to get a child of her own and it seemed to me that she let her own feelings get in the way of having good relationships with her niece and nephew。Writing Style ✍️Wow this lady knows how to leave a complex trail and have all us readers picking up bread crumbs trying to find our way。 I always marvel at authors who are able to do this so successfully and I can only imagine they have whiteboards full of post it notes and adjoining lines and complicated plot stuff all over the place。 I would 100% leave a plot hole somewhere I’m sure。 As each secret was revealed， my theory was blown out of the water and more doubts were sewn。 I felt like I was constantly lulled into a false sense of security to then have it snatched away from me。The book is told through alternating chapters going between the days in the run up to the night Lily is discovered to be missing and the present tense starting from the night she goes missing。 I loved that the story was racing to catch up with itself。Conclusion & Scoring 🎖️Needless to say， I fell a little bit in love with this book and with the author。 I gobbled every word of this book up as quick as my eyes would let me。 I loved everything from the plot line to the characters and I cannot wait to get others to read this book so I can discuss it with them。 Absolutely fantastic book！ 。。。more
Julie Lacey
，
This is a brilliant thriller that will have you totally hooked。 Rose and Brandon take their two young children on holiday to meet up with family in Jamaica。 It all starts off well until one night their daughter disappears from her bedroom。 We then have chapters focussed on the days before she was taken and then the present day。 We learn that there are some secrets in the group and a fair amount of lies have been told。 This book well and truly kept me guessing as I couldn’t work out which one of This is a brilliant thriller that will have you totally hooked。 Rose and Brandon take their two young children on holiday to meet up with family in Jamaica。 It all starts off well until one night their daughter disappears from her bedroom。 We then have chapters focussed on the days before she was taken and then the present day。 We learn that there are some secrets in the group and a fair amount of lies have been told。 This book well and truly kept me guessing as I couldn’t work out which one of the family group could have done it。 This is a great thriller that I’d highly recommend。 Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more
Gail
，
*5 Stars* Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review。 This was a really interesting read with interesting characters。 It kept me wondering what was going to happen next。 The ending was definitely a surprise for me， and not what I was expecting。 Enjoyed this one
Sheri
，
A vacation to Jamaica with a group of friends sounds wonderful。 Except some are worried about the crime rate， things going on in their lives and many others that would make it hard to relax。 Then Lilly， one of the couples daughter goes missing from her bed。 There is a search to find her but could it be someone in the house？The story is told in alternating chapters， after Lilly is missing and the days leading up to Lilly missing。 It’s also told from different characters views。 I really liked the A vacation to Jamaica with a group of friends sounds wonderful。 Except some are worried about the crime rate， things going on in their lives and many others that would make it hard to relax。 Then Lilly， one of the couples daughter goes missing from her bed。 There is a search to find her but could it be someone in the house？The story is told in alternating chapters， after Lilly is missing and the days leading up to Lilly missing。 It’s also told from different characters views。 I really liked the book and hearing directly from different characters。 The book will keep you in your toes trying to figure out what happened to Lilly and why。 。。。more
Judy Odom
，
A family vacation in Jamaica 。 Can't imagine what could go so very wrong。Of course it does。Lily aged 3 goes missing from her bedroom while the parents are socializing。 Sound familiar ？ Maybe but there are so many twists and turns， secrets and lies that your head will spin。What a family， everyone has a secret they are so desperately trying to hide。 Can't see that going well for any of them。The pages fly by。 I tried to decide who was guilty and I changed my mind several times。 I was wrong。 The Vac A family vacation in Jamaica 。 Can't imagine what could go so very wrong。Of course it does。Lily aged 3 goes missing from her bedroom while the parents are socializing。 Sound familiar ？ Maybe but there are so many twists and turns， secrets and lies that your head will spin。What a family， everyone has a secret they are so desperately trying to hide。 Can't see that going well for any of them。The pages fly by。 I tried to decide who was guilty and I changed my mind several times。 I was wrong。 The Vacation will have you quickly reading， looking over your shoulder if you are on vacation with family。 Don't miss The Vacation， its so good。Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a fast paced read。 Loved it。 。。。more
Chasidy Kaye Jones
，
I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the ARC。 This story goes back and forth between 'now and up to 30 days before the disappearance of Lily。 It is told in the voice of the 3 women which can be kinda confusing because you have a hard time figuring out which wife goes with which man。 It will have you thinking you have the bad guy or girl figured out but you will be wrong。 You won't get it unt I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the ARC。 This story goes back and forth between 'now and up to 30 days before the disappearance of Lily。 It is told in the voice of the 3 women which can be kinda confusing because you have a hard time figuring out which wife goes with which man。 It will have you thinking you have the bad guy or girl figured out but you will be wrong。 You won't get it until the author gives you the perpetrator。 Beware lolThis will be one that you cannot put down so just be forewarned。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Vacation
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Vacation&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Vacation&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0