Womens Fiction

Rachel's Holiday

Rachel's Holiday

  • Downloads：4799
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-02-10 00:55:04
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Marian Keyes
  • ISBN：0241958431
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

A MUST-READ FOR FANS OLD AND NEW， THIS STUNNING 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION IS THE PERFECT WAY TO REDISCOVER THE 1。5 MILLION COPY， NO。 1 BESTSELLING PHENOMENON

**FEATURING AN EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT FROM THE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED SEQUEL， AGAIN， RACHEL**

'Fleet-footed， bracingly honest， funny， sexy， heart-breaking' JOJO MOYES
'A huge international phenomenon' BBC RADIO 4 BOOKCLUB
'Irresistible。 Pitch-perfect， bitingly funny' DAISY BUCHANAN
'The voice of a generation' DAILY MIRROR
'Extraordinary' IAN RANKIN
'A true modern classic' NINA STIBBE

FEATURING INTRODUCTIONS FROM LISA TADDEO， DAVID NICHOLLS， NINA STIBBE AND MORE
___________

Meet Rachel Walsh。

She's been living it up in New York City， spending her nights talking her way into glamorous parties before heading home in the early hours to her adoring boyfriend， Luke。

But her sensible older sister showing up and sending her off to actual rehab wasn't quite part of her plan。

She's only agreed to her incarceration because she's heard that rehab is wall-to-wall jacuzzis， spa treatments and celebrities going cold turkey - plus it's about time she had a holiday。

Saying goodbye to fun and freedom will be hard - and losing the man who might just be the love of her life will be even harder。

But will hitting rock bottom help Rachel learn to love herself， at last？
_________

Find out what's next for Rachel in the EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT from the deliciously dark and fantastically funny sequel Again， Rachel - AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW

FAMOUS FANS AND WHY THEY LOVE RACHEL'S HOLIDAY

'Marian's writing is the truth。 With big laughs' Dawn French
'A giant of Irish writing' Naoise Dolan
'Will make you laugh and make you cry， but will also reveal the truth of who you really are' Louise O'Neill
'Keyes weaves the joy and pain of life in a unique and magical way' Cathy Rentzenbrink
'One of the most honest writers writing today' Pandora Sykes
'Compassionate， tender， incisive writing' Lucy Foley
'Her talent for tackling serious issues with such humanity and wit is balm for the soul' Nigella Lawson
'Marian Keyes is a brilliant writer。 No one is better at making terrifically funny jokes while telling such important， perceptive and agonizing stories of the heart。 She is a genius' Sali Hughes
'Irresistible， profound。 Keyes's comic gift is always evident' Independent
'Joyful。 Keyes' clever way with words and extraordinary wit。 People stared at me as I laughed to myself' C。L。 Taylor
'A born storyteller' Independent on Sunday

Download

Reviews

Graham Jenkins ，

Absolutely engrossing， and quite funny。 And way longer than any book that I would normally read。

Sarah ，

I got a copy of this book as I was seeing it everywhere due to it celebrating the 25th anniversary edition。 I haven't read any of this author's books before and hadn't realised it was the second novel to feature the Walsh family。 Not that， that really mattered as it reads well as a standalone。 Hands up， I take full blame as I didn't read what the book was about when I bought it。 Due to the title and the flip flops on the cover， I had expected to be taken off to sunnier climates with beaches， the I got a copy of this book as I was seeing it everywhere due to it celebrating the 25th anniversary edition。 I haven't read any of this author's books before and hadn't realised it was the second novel to feature the Walsh family。 Not that， that really mattered as it reads well as a standalone。 Hands up， I take full blame as I didn't read what the book was about when I bought it。 Due to the title and the flip flops on the cover， I had expected to be taken off to sunnier climates with beaches， the sea or at least a pool。 What I got was a rehab centre！ This is quite a lengthy book at over 600 pages。 This wouldn't usually bother me as if I love a story， even a 1000 pages can be too short。 I found myself drifting off though and as the story flicked between Rachel's life in New York and rehab， I kept getting lost as there was nothing to mark that the story was swapping from one to the other so one minute I would be reading about Rachel's antics in New York， the next we would be back in rehab。 This did affect my enjoyment overall。The author does get it spot on with how people dealing with addiction lie to themselves。 I think it opened my eyes somewhat and made me understand addicts more。 Sadly I didn't really find any of the characters overly likeable which in a story like this， I would have expected to。 Overall it was an okay read but sadly didn't love it but as I have said previously， I am at fault in some part due to my expectations and not reading the book description。 。。。more

Alison Cairns ，

Such a great read。 Deals with a serious issue head on and with humour。 I read this "back in the day" and decided to re-read before the new one is published。 Glad I did， it was just as good and just as relevant today。 Apart from the mobile phone situation， it hadn't dated。 Can't wait to read the new one。 #rachelsholiday #walshfamily Such a great read。 Deals with a serious issue head on and with humour。 I read this "back in the day" and decided to re-read before the new one is published。 Glad I did， it was just as good and just as relevant today。 Apart from the mobile phone situation， it hadn't dated。 Can't wait to read the new one。 #rachelsholiday #walshfamily 。。。more

Amory ，

Without the endless irish references the book would be awful。 Adding the tedious irishness in only made it more so。

Lisa Harvey ，

Like going home， picking this book up after 20 years when I first read it。 Still as good if not better than I remembered。

Angela ，

Love love love this book！

Nellie Hirst ，

The first Keyes book I read。 Rachel is a loveable trainwreck。 Funny and dark， I'm glad this got me into reading more of her books。 The ultimate chick lit with classic Irish dark humour and self depreciating humbleness。 This is still my favourite of all her books。 The first Keyes book I read。 Rachel is a loveable trainwreck。 Funny and dark， I'm glad this got me into reading more of her books。 The ultimate chick lit with classic Irish dark humour and self depreciating humbleness。 This is still my favourite of all her books。 。。。more

Rachael Johns ，

Listened to the audio。 Now all ready for Again， Rachel （I don't know HOW but this is the only Marian Keyes book I hadn't read）。 Listened to the audio。 Now all ready for Again， Rachel （I don't know HOW but this is the only Marian Keyes book I hadn't read）。 。。。more

Áine ，

Trite but true this hit me right in the feelings。 Marian Keyes has a rare gift of capturing every day experiences and emotions and presenting them with a wide slice of humour。 Past present and future collide here for Anna Walsh and as the story weaves between her past and present we start to put the pieces together on what brought her back to Dublin。 The supporting cast especially Walsh family themselves is outstanding as the story takes us between Dublin and New YorkSome day a book on the Walsh Trite but true this hit me right in the feelings。 Marian Keyes has a rare gift of capturing every day experiences and emotions and presenting them with a wide slice of humour。 Past present and future collide here for Anna Walsh and as the story weaves between her past and present we start to put the pieces together on what brought her back to Dublin。 The supporting cast especially Walsh family themselves is outstanding as the story takes us between Dublin and New YorkSome day a book on the Walsh parents will have to be written！ 。。。more

Charlotte Stonehouse ，

*3。5 entertaining and easy to read although somewhat lacking in depth， recommend overall though

Marie ，

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this book。 I'm excited for the follow up！ I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this book。 I'm excited for the follow up！ 。。。more

Country Bookkin Kate ，

I read this book many years ago and， unlike so many other books that have come and gone and diminished over time， this book has stayed with me。 Rachel's vulnerability resonated so much with me that I was cheering her on throughout。 I laughed with her， cried with her， and empathised with her。 That's the thing with Marian Keyes， she finds the shared humanity in everything and her words draw you into the world of her characters simply because they are relatable people in relatable settings doing re I read this book many years ago and， unlike so many other books that have come and gone and diminished over time， this book has stayed with me。 Rachel's vulnerability resonated so much with me that I was cheering her on throughout。 I laughed with her， cried with her， and empathised with her。 That's the thing with Marian Keyes， she finds the shared humanity in everything and her words draw you into the world of her characters simply because they are relatable people in relatable settings doing relatable things。 I am not going to say too much about the plot （because。。。 'spoilers sweetie'） other than to say that Rachel finds much more than she loses as a result of her stint in rehab。People say that some books changed their life and this one very nearly changed mine。 I applied for， and was offered a place on， a counselling course after reading this。 I never took up the place but I was so very tempted to because， somewhere in Rachel， I saw something of myself which is undoubtedly why I cared so much about what happened to her。This was， and still is， a 5* book for me。 I can't wait to see what Rachel has been doing all those years in the much-anticipated sequel！ 。。。more

Sarah Cripps ，

I’ve read this a million times but thought I’d reread since the sequel is out in a few weeks！ Still love it and Rachel is my favourite of the Walsh sisters （with Anna a close second！）

Linzi Walsh ，

I struggled with this。 Sadly， I didn’t really enjoy it。

Roslyn ，

enjoyed this much more than i thought i would， thought it would be kinda simple but it was really well written

Sharon ，

4。75Full Review on The Storygraphhttps://app。thestorygraph。com/reviews。。。 4。75Full Review on The Storygraphhttps://app。thestorygraph。com/reviews。。。 。。。more

Fiona Ramsay ，

Never got Marian Keyes before - but this has let me into the “club”。 Very funny， has stood the test of time。 Touching and sad as well。

Stephanie ，

FantasticGripping， hilarious， heart breaking and heart warming all wrapped into one！ There are times throughout when you really get an insight to how an addict feels and its eye opening

MRS FIONA ，

As good now as it was 20+ years ago

what。heather。loves ，

"It was the very last thing I wanted to be， the worst disaster that could ever befall me。 I knew from watching the other people in my group。。。thay there were distinct phases they went through when until they came to terms with their addiction。 First there was denial， then horrified realization， then seething anger and finally， if they were lucky， acceptance。"Twenty-seven year old Dubliner， Rachel Walsh， has been living the life in New York with long-suffering best friend Brigit and adoring boyfr "It was the very last thing I wanted to be， the worst disaster that could ever befall me。 I knew from watching the other people in my group。。。thay there were distinct phases they went through when until they came to terms with their addiction。 First there was denial， then horrified realization， then seething anger and finally， if they were lucky， acceptance。"Twenty-seven year old Dubliner， Rachel Walsh， has been living the life in New York with long-suffering best friend Brigit and adoring boyfriend Luke。 Until she almost dies of a drugs overdose and is shipped home to her dysfunctional Catholic family， who have booked her into The Cloisters for rehabilitation。 Initially Rachel foresees a holiday with massages and jacuzzis， but slowly it dawns rehab is not like that。 Rachel's love of coke， valium and a drink don't make her an addict， because she's like all the rest， is she？Oh lovely Rachel！ So mixed up， so vulnerable and so lost， but The Cloisters and its cast of entertaining， but also struggling， addicts， will help sort her out。 Her roommate， snobby 'Chaquie'， gorgeous Chris， eccentric John-Joe， glamorous Misty and determined counsellor， Josephine all have their stories to tell and whilst they initially repulse Rachel， she begins to see more of herself in them。 My first Marian Keyes novel （I was ten years younger than Rachel when this was originally published） and I adored it。 There is a combination of humour， sadness and hope that's engaging and heartwarming。 It's comic but has been described by Keyes as 'brutal' in its depiction of addiction and recovery。 This is a hugely popular book， and I can understand why; I'd recommend it particularly for those new to Keyes。 I was gifted this 25th anniversary edition， and a copy of the forthcoming sequel， Again Rachel， by the publisher Michael Joseph Books， but my review， as ever， is my honest opinions。 。。。more

Claire ，

Rachel’s Holiday is like an old friend， it never asks to much from me， it’s always there， and it never disappoints me。 This is quintessential Marian Keyes， an expert blend of humour， light drama， and exploration of serious issues。 Rachel， like all Keyes’ protagonists， is endearingly flawed and fallible。 Her depiction of addiction and recovery is in compromised by the underlying humour and breezy tone of the narration。 I’ll keep coming back to this， I’m sure。

gem ，

“Rachel’s Holiday” has had a 25th anniversary edition released in anticipation of the sequel， “Again， Rachel” and I somehow had never read it despite avidly following Marian Keyes on social media and listening to her new podcast。 There’s not much I could say that hasn’t already been said about this book， if you look at the reviews they’re overwhelmingly positive and it’s such a favourite of many people and I can see why。The premise itself is simple; Rachel has been living the high life in NYC， p “Rachel’s Holiday” has had a 25th anniversary edition released in anticipation of the sequel， “Again， Rachel” and I somehow had never read it despite avidly following Marian Keyes on social media and listening to her new podcast。 There’s not much I could say that hasn’t already been said about this book， if you look at the reviews they’re overwhelmingly positive and it’s such a favourite of many people and I can see why。The premise itself is simple; Rachel has been living the high life in NYC， partying， dating， just about holding down a job and once again， partying… what she sees as recreational drug use （sure， everybody does it） her friends become increasingly aware it’s actually taking over her life。 One accidental （ish） overdose later Rachel is returned back to Ireland and promptly deposited in The Cloisters。 Rachel is utterly convinced she does not have a drug problem because she’s functional and doing the drugs For Fun。 She acquiesces about attending The Cloisters because she’s under the impression that it’s full of pop-stars and she’ll be having massages， relaxing in the sauna and having freshly prepared meals etc。 It becomes immediately apparent that her “holiday” is not going to be what she imagined but she’s contracted to stay the minimum period。During her time at The Cloisters we get Rachel’s present day to day life， how she deals with the lack of chemical substances whilst being in a wholly new environment and not only dealing with the physical withdrawals but the emotional impact that has coupled with her looking back at why she ended up in this situation。The plot clearly deals with some really difficult subjects given it’s set in a rehab centre， but it’s done in such a way that feels so realistic and yet it’s not judgemental， it actually feels sort of confronting in therapeutic way because you are essentially thinking about things as Rachel is going through them。It’s well documented that Marian Keyes struggled with alcohol addiction and went to rehab， so that lived experience really adds a believability to Rachel’s character。 What I loved most about this book is that it was so incredibly funny whilst dealing with these dark themes。 It could have been written as a straight drama type book， which would’ve still been interesting if the ending was the same， but the fact that it has those lighter moments made me really root for Rachel to come to terms with her addiction， face up to her previous chaotic behaviour and obtain that feeling of self-worth and self-belief that she is a person who can be loved just as she is。 I will be getting the audio version of Again， Rachel when it’s released soon and I honestly can’t wait to see what happens next！ Plus， now I have all MK’s other books to read too。 🖤 。。。more

Shona ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I love this book but haven't read it in years so it was a welcome reintroduction。 This was the first of the Walsh sisters books I read and while I've enjoyed them all， I have such a soft spot for Rachel。I remember the first time I read it （as a teenager many years ago） and I was completely absorbed by it。 The unravelling of her Rachel's story almost took me by surprise but every revelation had me feeling for her more and more。 I had such hope when she left the cloisters， shouted out loud at her I love this book but haven't read it in years so it was a welcome reintroduction。 This was the first of the Walsh sisters books I read and while I've enjoyed them all， I have such a soft spot for Rachel。I remember the first time I read it （as a teenager many years ago） and I was completely absorbed by it。 The unravelling of her Rachel's story almost took me by surprise but every revelation had me feeling for her more and more。 I had such hope when she left the cloisters， shouted out loud at her when she went with Chris， despaired when she desperately went looking for drugs。 Then became prouder and prouder as she navigated her way through her recovery。 I， like everyone I'm sure， cheered at Luke's declaration。I've closed the book with a smile and a happy heart。 Can't wait for the sequel！ 。。。more

Rachel Symonds ，

Easy read

Kestrel Carroll ，

Reading Rachel’s Holiday again 25 years later & it’s still as brilliant as the first time。

AnnMarie ，

A truly unputdownable read。I reread Rachel's holiday in anticipation of the long awaited 'sequel' Again Rachel。 I adore Marian Keyes style of writing of making you laugh out loud and then having you in tears。 The story of Rachel grabs you and doesn't let go， even as a re read I still couldn't put it down。 If you have never read this then you must do it。 Rachel's holiday is actually the second in the 'walsh family' stories。 The books are all standalones with each book focusing on a different sist A truly unputdownable read。I reread Rachel's holiday in anticipation of the long awaited 'sequel' Again Rachel。 I adore Marian Keyes style of writing of making you laugh out loud and then having you in tears。 The story of Rachel grabs you and doesn't let go， even as a re read I still couldn't put it down。 If you have never read this then you must do it。 Rachel's holiday is actually the second in the 'walsh family' stories。 The books are all standalones with each book focusing on a different sister。 However all 5 sisters are discussed or appear in the books so please read them all as you get to hear how Rachel is doing as the series goes on。 。。。more

Alice Jackman ，

There are very few things in life as satisfying or as funny as a Marian Keyes novel。 Quick reread before the sequel comes out next month。

JaNel ，

Yikes。 This was a pretty intense story about drug addiction and recovery。 I think Keyes did a good job being honest and even as lighthearted （？） as one could be about the subject but I don’t have enough experience to really find it funny。

Melissa （LifeFullyBooked） ，

I read this a long time ago， before I started keeping track。 Love the Walsh family series and this is an interesting look at addiction and recovery。

Kate Page ，

There are good things in this， and it’s very readable。 The story of Rachel’s drug addiction and recovery is told with wry humour and empathy。 Unfortunately Rachel is quite unlikeable for a lot of the book - determinedly shallow， wilfully self-deluding about her addiction。 You can argue that this was part of her problem and recovery， but it was also slightly irritating and repetitive。 The ending was one of those false friends - you want things to work out for her， but are left unconvinced by the There are good things in this， and it’s very readable。 The story of Rachel’s drug addiction and recovery is told with wry humour and empathy。 Unfortunately Rachel is quite unlikeable for a lot of the book - determinedly shallow， wilfully self-deluding about her addiction。 You can argue that this was part of her problem and recovery， but it was also slightly irritating and repetitive。 The ending was one of those false friends - you want things to work out for her， but are left unconvinced by the way it turns out。 It’s part of a run of books about the Walsh sisters， which I don’t feel immediately drawn to， but can also imagine picking up and reading quite happily。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Rachel's Holiday

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

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