Such a brave thing booking a holiday for all your family (can you imagine the horror; in my opinion 🤭)
a look at the lives of siblings now adult with their own family would it work or would it be a disaster what do you 🤔

Such a lovely heartwarming read - Charlie is 80 and wants all of his family to be together for the first time since his wife has died, so he rents a house for everyone to stay at for a holiday. The back stories to all the family characters are engrossing and the week that they spend together cements them all together - loved it

An easy read, however, I found it to be lacking in depth and full of cliched characters. The writing style was light and breezy. Although not my cup of tea I can see it would make a perfect summer read if you are looking for something not too taxing. Overall was an enjoyable read and a welcome escape from all the stresses of the world at the moment.

When Charlie was left a widower at seventy his life changed and so did those of his family. To celebrate his eightieth Charlie has decided to invite them all to a rented house in the country and so they come along. Scott, never the most outgoing but the most materially successful, recently married to an American with two children. Laura, mother of a troubled teenage boy and reeling from the break up of her marriage. Nick, widowed a year ago and struggling to bring up three small children on his won. None of them particularly wants to go on the holiday but all do.
This is the sort of book that I would never choose to buy for myself but is a guilty pleasure as a review copy to read on holiday. Everything is viewed through rose tinted glasses and the cliches abound - all bachelor pads are modern and clinical, family homes are messy, the sun always shines and there are never money worries. However what Noble has done is create a really warm, life-affirming book about the modern sort of family with middle-class angsts. It's very lightweight, never overly dramatic and yet it made me relax completely so for that reason the book is really successful. A niche market maybe but this is a huge niche and this is a quality book.

Enjoyable but not memorable. Too many characters and I felt like they all had to have some major thing that had just happened, or was happening, to them, whether the death of a spouse, divorce, or new marriage. External events brought about the plot points.

The patriarch, turning eighty, gets the whole family together to reconnect. Perhaps if the author hasn't tried to focus on each of the characters, moving from one to the next without a huge amount of depth, I would have enjoyed it more. Still, I was genuinely moved at one point.

I didn't like her caricature of the American who had just married into the family. Sloppy generalizations.

A bit meh...

I really enjoyed this book. Charlie is soon to be 80. Having lost his darling wife 10 years previously, he decides that this would be a good time to have a family get together with his 3 children and their families. So he books 10 days at a lovely house in the Cotswolds and invites them all. Scott arrives with his American wife and her 2 daughters, Laura, whose husband has recently left her for another woman comes with her 16 year old son, and Nick, recently tragically widowed is with his 3 young children. This is a lovely family story which I thoroughly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Charlie Chamberlain will soon be turning eighty. Widowed for ten years, he still misses his wife Daphne and frets that because of her death the family has drifted apart. In an attempt to get the whole family together, he arranges a holiday, renting a large house called Candlewood Farm in the Cotswolds, and invites everybody to celebrate his birthday. The reader meets his daughter Laura, recently separated from her husband, and her teenage son Ethan. His son Nick, widowed less than a year ago, is also invited with his three small children, and other son Scott, his new American wife, Heather and her two daughters from her previous marriage. But with the clan all having their respective axes to grind and problems will it be a celebratory event and holiday to remember or forget?

This is my second book by Elizabeth Noble, having previously read The Reading Group. Although The Family Holiday was an easy, light-hearted read it also had depth as many of the characters faced huge challenges.

In this character-driven story, even though there were many people to get to know, I never felt overwhelmed, and as the story progressed I got to know everyone quite well. The pace was relaxed and comfortable, and I appreciated that the reader was fully introduced to the characters before the holiday started so I knew something of their backstories and bit about their attitudes and beliefs. Many events in their lives were heart-breakingly sad but they were convincingly written and felt realistic. Everyone was well portrayed; I was irritated by some, angry at others, felt empathy, and one or two were downright unbearable or bland, but all had a part to play.

The Family Holiday is filled with insight and wisdom, it closely resembles life and incorporates some wonderful moments. Elizabeth Noble can certainly write about family dynamics, in a fun, humorous and engaging way, that isn't sickly sweet. With large dollops of grief, love, trust issues, marriage breakdown and regular family troubles, this was a compelling and winsome read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Penguin UK - Michael Joseph via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Charlie gathers his family together to celebrate his 80th birthday...his 3 children all have their issues and there are tensions within the family but Charlie is hoping a ten day holiday with help heal wounds.
A lovely read... I liked the characters and was rooting for them from the start. A feel good read

It's a poignant, engrossing and well written story that kept me hooked till the end.
The author delivers a great cast of characters, well rounded and interesting, and a story that kept me hooked.
I loved her style of writing and how she developed a plot that is both moving and heartwarming.
it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

What an exceptional read it! It was a touching read about families, secrets and life in the modern age.

The author did such an incredible job on this book, and it was incredibly poignant and emotional.

I can't wait to see what this author brings next. Incredible!

Like all addictive family drama, this is a character-driven emotional story. Charlie is lost without Daphne, his wife and feels his once-close family is drifting. He plans a family holiday as Daphne would have done and hopes to draw his fractured children together.

The opening chapters explore the main characters and significant events. This illustrates their complexities and flaws and engages the reader in their lives. The characters are easy to empathise and relatable. The family drama is realistic and makes this an emotional read.

The holiday draws the family's troubles into the open with dramatic and poignant results. Ultimately the family unit survives with help from an unexpected source making you believe in serendipity.

I received a copy of this book from Penguin -Michael JosephUK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Charlie is nearing 80 and feeling lost and lonely since his wife died. To celebrate his birthday he decides to book a holiday in a beautiful villa and invite his three children and their families. When they all agree to his plans, he is full of optimism for the first time in a long while. Maybe this holiday will be the perfect time to put their differences aside and to start to pull together as a family and celebrate life.

Elizabeth Noble writes with inside knowledge of blended families and all the sibling rivalries, petty jealousies and secrets that arise. She also deals in a sensitive and moving way with grief and how it affects people.

A wonderful heart-warming read.

An emotionally insightful but slightly bland story about the messiness of family life


Still mourning the loss of his beloved wife Daphne, elderly widower Charlie decides to celebrate his eightieth birthday by bringing his once-close family together again in the form of a ten-day getaway in the Cotswolds. He invites his three adult children – single mother Laura, newly married Scott and widower Nick – to holiday with him along with their respective families. As the group reconnects, each of them deals with their own problems, and they gradually begin to become closer as a result.


This was a sweet story with some well-crafted and realistic characters. Charlie’s grief at the loss of his wife is very astutely portrayed, and the respective problems of his children (minus Scott) were also quite touching. I particularly sympathised with Laura, whose husband has run off with a younger woman and left her alone with a teenage son (who is struggling with his own issues), and found her to be probably the most likeable of the group. The story is certainly very wholesome and ties itself up very neatly at the end, with every character moving on from their individual issues in one way or another.


Unfortunately, while well-written and heart-warming at times, I found the overall story to be quite bland and lacking any exciting plot. The behaviour of the characters was also very predictable, based on what we learn about them at the start, meaning there were no real twists or surprises. My main issue, however, was the character of Scott’s American wife, Heather. A ‘professional influencer’ (which is apparently a normal career for a woman old enough to have two teenage daughters), she was one of the most irritating characters I have ever come across on paper, and I was sure for at least half of the book that she was going to be some sort of antagonist. Despite coming across as annoyingly perfect and vapid, everyone seemed to absolutely love her, and I just found her unbearable. The other characters’ liking her made me like them less!


In conclusion, this is a touching and well-written story with strong characterisation, that, unfortunately, is lacking in the way of drama excitement. It is not really my sort of book, but it is undemanding to read and would suit anyone looking for something not too upsetting or challenging to read in these difficult times.


Daenerys


Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

Charlie's 80th birthday is approaching and he decides to rent a large house and invite all his family. There's Nick and his three children, his wife had passed away. Scott who's married to Heatherand her two daughters. Laura who is still traumatised after her divorce and her son Ethan. Charlie misses his late wife. He Hope's that this will be a holiday the family will remember for the right reasons. They all used to be close when Daphne was alive but they've all veered off in different directions now.

We are introduced to the family before they venture on their 10mday holiday. Everyone has their own demons to deal with. The characters are well developed and likeable. This is an easy book to read but it will play with your emotions. The story is beautifully written.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author Elizabeth Noble for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been a little while since I read a book by Elizabeth Noble, so it was wonderful to read this engaging book and straight away I remembered why I loved her previous books! Such brilliant characters and heartbreaking moments that completely takes you on an emotional journey.
I was utterly absorbed into all of the characters stories and issues, I just wanted to know how things were going to do for them. I was emotionally attached to them and for that reason, I just wanted to keep reading!
It’s a gorgeous book and I found it very heartwarming to read. I won’t be leaving it as long next time, before I pick up another one of her books, that’s for sure!

Charlie is approaching his 80th birthday. Widowed for already ten years, he still misses his wife Daphne and worries that, together with her death, the family has drifted apart. Daphne has always known what to do and what to say to help and Charlie doesn't have this gift. In his attempt to get the whole family together, he arranges a holiday, renting a large house in Cotswolds, and invites everybody to celebrate his birthday together. We meet Laura, recently separated from her husband and with her teenage son Ethan, Nick, widowed less than a year ago and his three small children, and Scott and his new American wife Heather and her two daughters from her previous marriage. It turns out that all of them have secrets and problems, and what with them not being as close as they used to be, is this holiday a good idea?

This is my first book by Elizabeth Noble so I didn't know what to expect, to be honest, although well, maybe I thought that it's going to be an easy, light - hearted read. I was, however, confronted with a story with much more depth to it that I have thought, and characters facing overwhelmingly huge challenges, yet despite them being so stressed and anxious, there is still warmth and hope in the writing.

It is a character - driven story, where not much happens in the way of exploiting the plot but those are the characters that are moving it forward. I liked the fact that we actually explore one family only, a closed group of characters - there were a few of them but I had a feeling that I know them really well, thanks to the author's wise descriptions and development and the above mentioned fact that everything happens between the same characters. However, I must admit that Daphne as a central character, even though already gone, didn't work for me so much. I am really truly done with such characters, being put on pedestal, keeping everything together, and while maybe she was really a lovely and über - wise person, I was told about it, I didn't have a chance to form my own opinion because it was forced upon me.

The pace is slow and relaxed, and the holiday mentioned happens only then when we were introduced to all the characters, got to know all their background and what makes them tick. The events in their lives are mostly heart - breakingly sad but they are convincingly written and they feel realistic. Their stories are well - rounded and the characters are well portrayed. I got annoyed with them, frustrated and I sympathised with them, and it is always a good sign.

"The Family Holiday" is a book filled with emotional insights and wisdom, gentle and easy to read. It's close to life and relatable with some great moments and for sure it won't be last by this author for me. The author can for sure write about family dynamics, capturing the more humorous moments but also those that end in tears, pointing out that families are hard work and that there are always secrets hidden and lies told but with the support of each other you can overcome even the darkest moments. The author tells things how they are, without sugar - coating them, going through the beginning and breaking of the marriage, grief, becoming children and daily troubles. The writing is lovingly engaging and descriptive but without overwhelming you. Recommended!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a family all getting together for a holiday. Each going with their own problems to deal with, but finding that maybe being with extended family spending quality time together might not be so bad. Everyone is so busy in their lives these days, but sometimes it’s nice to stop and think of things from other people’s perspective. I think everyone needs a Dad like Charlie trying to make sure his family is well and happy in life.

A beautiful and uplifting story of modern family life. Really enjoyed this story and fell in love with the characters. There was lots throughout that I could connect with and loved the 'nuggets' of wisdom and a spotlight that was thrown on to life experiences.

Highly recommended for all in need of an uplifting and aspiring novel.

Thank you Penguin UK and Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this book! It was bittersweet at times and frankly hilarious at others – sort of ‘After Life’ territory in terms of the balance of humour and grief. I found myself oddly attached to the characters as the various plots and back stories progressed and was more than a little sad that it had ended really.

I love stories which involve families and this beautiful story centres on Charlie who is about to celebrate his 80th birthday ,he decides to rent out a holiday home and invite his three children and their families to celebrate with him, as he has so many fond memories of previous holidays they shared.

Charlie’s beloved wife Daphne was the glue which held the family together, but with her death several years previously, each member has been drifting further apart. Will this shared time away bring them closer together..? Or will ten days together spell disaster?

Each of Charlie’s children have their own problems and struggles to deal with . Laura is struggling with recent problems in her marriage, Nick has lost his soulmate and is trying to bring up his children singlehanded and Scott has just married and has inherited two stepdaughters.

Elizabeth Noble has a fantastic insight into human relationships. The characters and events portrayed in this book is so true to life. Every family struggles to remain close when children grow up and have their own lives and families to contend with.

This book engaged me from page one it pulled at my heartstrings in places but left me with an overall warm happy feeling.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this beautifully written tender book.