The Family Holiday – ARC Book Review

Two families. One house swap. A vacation to die for.

The white-washed Italian villa is perfect. I thought it might feel odd, living in a stranger’s house for the summer, but as my husband and children swim in the infinity pool, I start to relax. And then, in the back of a wardrobe, I find something that shatters everything…

Sparkling green eyes, square jaw, lopsided smile. A young man with his arm around a beautiful woman. The picture is old and faded but I’d recognise him anywhere. The man is my husband.

But we’ve never met the family we’ve swapped homes with and my husband swears it isn’t him in the photo. He’s lying. We argue on the balcony with the sun setting behind us and I storm out.

When I finally calm down enough to go back to the villa to confront him, I find his dead body sprawled across the veranda.

Who killed my husband? Was our marriage a lie? And are my children now in terrible danger?

Shalini Boland has done it again!

Niall and Beth decides to go on a holiday in Italy by agreeing to do a house swap with another family–the Mason family. Amber and Renzo moves to Niall’s and Beth’s small cottage while Niall and Beth with their children moves to white washed villa in Italy with a breathtaking view. But things don’t really go according to the plan when Beth discovers a secret that will threaten her marriage with Niall.

The story is told from the perspectives of Beth and Amber, each recounting their version of the story. From start to finish, the story is fast paced packed with twists and turns that come along the way. Beth’s marriage to Niall, Amber’s marriage to Renzo and their own relationships with their children is outline in the story. I was kept at the edge of the seat as I read this book, wondering what is going to happen next as I read the book. The story then picks up its pace when Niall was found dead and the ending of the story left me so breathless that I actually couldn’t believe that it was how the story ended! This is the fourth book I have rea from this author and looking forward to read more of her books!

Overall, The Family Holiday is an unputdownable thriller that will keep you at the edge of the seat–worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.