I really enjoyed this book although did find it a bit slow in places. Lots of twists and all tied up nicely in the end I would highly recommend this book.

I must admit I normally love C L Taylor’s books but I found I was really disappointed with this one. I did persevere and carried on reading until the end hoping I would connect more with the characters but I am afraid it just wasn’t for me. Will look out for her next book and hope I will enjoy that more.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo that went terribly wrong. Tom Wade, the now infamous man behind Soul Shrink Retreats, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of two people. But he has never let on what happened to the third victim: Jenna. Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat – the first since his release – and finds herself face to face with the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. The only question is, will she escape the retreat alive? Or does someone out there want Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden?

This gets off to a very strong start, I liked how Taylor sets the scene and lays the foundation of intrigue from the beginning. It takes a while for Taylor to begin unveiling what has happened to get us where we are at the beginning of the book which kept me engaged and reading as I wanted to find out. However, this also leads to my main criticism of the book; it takes too long for the truth to be revealed and Taylor really drags it out. As a result, the book felt way too long and before I knew it, became laborious and dull.

Taylor writes this by flitting between the past and present day, always a win in my eyes and that is very true for this read. I enjoyed the past chapters as we can slowly piece together past events and the present day chapters do ramp up in action as the book progresses.

I have to say, the ending of this book is first class. Right near the end, the drama accelerates, the tension ramps up and it is non-stop action and very exciting. I only wish this had been the case for more of the read.

'Her Last Holiday' has a strong start and a great ending but the middle is lacklustre which was very disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy.

I love this author so much, so was excited to get this ARC. It did not disappoint. The characters are great, you feel invested and intrigued. I could not put it down.

Jenna vanished and Fran wanted answers and the only way she would get them was if she investigated. This book had everything that was needed in a thriller, though personally, I didn't like shrinks and charlatans, so that detracted from enjoying this book completely. Overall, the author was at her trademark best, with a suspenseful plotline with many twists.

This was a decent book. Definitely different than the books I have read lately.

Her Last Holiday is told through three perspectives, Jenna (past), Kate (present) and Fran (present). Years ago Jenna went to a retreat and never came home. Years later her sister Fran goes to the same one held by Kate and her husband Tom who was recently released from jail for answers.

This was slow at times but I found myself flying through the last half of the book. Good book to pass the time.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it wont be the last! I will now attempt to get her back catalogue to catch up on what I have missed. The story is an original tale which jumps between two time lines which I do not have a problem following. The Holiday in the title refers to a group of people with their own issues who come together on a retreat held in Gozo, Malta (although could have been set anywhere as it wasn't very descriptive of the location.it just needed to be abroad) The 'Her' is Jenna a thirty-something troubled soul who never comes home. The present day thread is her older sister investigating the events that led to this occurrence and her coming to terms with the flaws in their relationship. I would recommend this book and glad to have had the opportunity to read a new to me, but established author..

Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor was a good read and I was hooked within the first few pages. What could go wrong whilst on a vacation! Everything!!! This book is full of twists and turns that will have you hooked and will kept you guessing right until the very end.

I highly recommend it I really enjoyed it .

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my advanced copy of this book to read

The book started off OK but sadly the last few chapters let it down.
I listened to this on audio and had to keep flicking back as I was getting confused with all the characters as it flicked between 2 retreats and apparently repeat attendees from the 1st one
As part of a spiritual cleansing at retreat 1 some of the people at the original retreat had changed their names so that didn't help my confusion
Jenna the main characters disappeared during the first retreat and had never been found and it was assumed she had committed suicide
Tom Wade the man behind the self-help retreat has recently been released from jail as a result of the two other people dying while they were in attendance,
Tom has never revealed what happened to Jenna. Following his release from imprisonment Tom is set to pick up where he left off and run another wellness retreat. So, Fran signs up for the course - and goes in search of the truth.
Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book for an honest review

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Avon Books UK/HarperCollins UK Audio in exchange for an honest review.

Fran never found out what happened to her sister when she disappeared from a self-help retreat two years ago. When the man responsible for the retreat is released from prison after serving time for the deaths of two other people, Fran's mother is determined to find out what happened to her daughter and sends Fran to go investigate. Told between the present day and flashbacks to Jenna's time at the retreat, slowly you begin to uncover what actually happened to Jenna and what might still happen to Fran.

It took me a few chapters to get into this book but once I did, I enjoyed it immensely. There is a lot of information to take in but once the story starts, it really is a cracking plot with plenty going on to keep you entertained. The audiobook was fantastically narrated and I found both easy to listen to and to follow. I always knew which timeline I was in which made keeping track of the story very easy.

The plot focuses on a closed setting with a set group of characters. They were all fairly decent and, while I could see some of the plot developments coming, I was genuinely surprised a couple of times. I think this would be the perfect book to read on holiday as it has that kind of atmosphere which would work brilliantly if you're sat by the pool or travelling somewhere. Overall this was a solid thriller with a believable, enjoyable plot and plenty to keep you interested.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I usually enjoy Cally Taylor’s books but sadly this one didn’t hit the spot for me. I didn’t engage with any of the characters and found the story was a bit contrived. I appreciate that usually this author gets five star reviews but I can’t award more than three for this book.

Her Last Holiday follows Fran as she tries to find out what happened to her sister. Tears earlier she’d attended a retreat where the founder of Soul Shrinks, Tom, was sent to prison for the deaths of two other people. 

It was told in several perspectives - Fran whose sister Jenna disappeared from a retreat several years ago and decided to attend the same retreat to find out what happened to her. Jenna - whose perspective is in the past detailing her journey on the retreat. Kate - who is Tom’s wife and is adamant on restarting Soul Shrink. 

It took me a while to get my head around the different perspectives, but when I did it enhanced the book as we could seethe story from all different angles. Each one was easy to tell apart, so that helped me to not get too confused. 

The only thing that bothered me was the story lagged in parts. I found it boring and hard to keep my interest, but I’m glad I pushed through because the ending was so good. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for a chance to read and review this book.

Two years ago Jenna went on a retreat in Malta organised by a company called SoulShrink. She never came home. The organiser, Tom Wade is sentenced to 2 years in prison for the death of 2 of the guests. Jenna however, was never found. The police ruled it as a suicide, but her sister Fran knows that Jenna would never do this. 

When Tom gets out of prison he and his partner Kate kick start SoulShrink again. Jenna (fuelled by her mother's guilt trips) books herself under a false name to get to the bottom of what happened to Jenna. Can she do this without coming to harm herself? 

This story is told from 3 different PoV's: Jenna's (2 years in the past), Kate's (Tom's partner, in the present) and Fran's (in the present). These are 3 very strong women for different reasons. You won't always like them, but boy do you want to keep reading about them! I was gripped. 

Taylor knows how to write a good mystery, I thought I had it all figured out then the rug was pulled beneath me and  I was floored! The supporting characters were also a complex bunch, adding layers and more suspense as the story built to it's crescendo. 

I highly recommend this stellar read! 

4 stars for me.

Compared to other books by C.L Taylor this is definitely more of a slow burner than usual but still well worth the read.

I'll admit it's not my most favourite from the author, she is super talented and her past novels have had me holding my breathe at times which unfortunately this one didnt quite hit the same notes.

Told from three POVs - Fran, her sister Jenna and Kate. I just couldnt find that connection with any of them and for me character connection is a major plus for me.

I'm not saying anything negative, it just didnt live up to MY expectations.

Thanks to netgalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC.

I love this author, her books are always page-turning and keep you guessing and wanting to keep on turning all the pages. Wanting to know what happened to her sister sends Fran to a retreat where all is not as it seems. The organiser has been in prison for two people found dead on his last retreat but what happened to Jenna, nobody so it was suicide. Her family didn’t believe this so sent Fran on the retreat to find out what happened to their daughter. I love this writing as you think you have it sorted in your head but then it all turns and sends up on another thread. Bit of a twist at the end that came completely out of the blue but worked so well making it a perfect ending for all that had happened.

Today marks the release of the latest book by CL Taylor called ‘Her Last Holiday’ and it’s a book that’s disturbed my slumber for the last couple of nights.

Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo that went terribly wrong. Tom Wade, the now infamous man behind Soul Shrink Retreats, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of two people. But he has never let on what happened to the third victim: Jenna. Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat – the first since his release – and finds herself face to face with the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. The only question is, will she escape the retreat alive? Or does someone out there want Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden?

The story is written through the narrative of 3 strong and determined women, sisters Fran and Jenna and another woman called Kate. It flows in a past and present tense, with the present narrative seen through Fran and Kate’s eyes and the past through Jenna’s having disappeared after her holiday, hence the name, ‘Her Last Holiday’.

Fran is determined to find out what happened to her younger sister after disappearing from a spiritual retreat and is convinced that Tom Wade, the leader of SoulShrink, is behind it. Tom has just been released from prison after the 2 of other people who accidentally died on the same retreat but Tom has always maintained his innocence regarding Jenna. Now back in the open, his wife Kate is adamant that normal services resume and goes about creating a new retreat in the same resort. Fran is guilt ridden by elderly mother into joining the retreat and finally finding the truth.

The story flows back and forth between the narratives and different time periods really set the scene for the story. Fran and Jenna never had a close relationship due to their age gap and that really affected Jenna and her confidence which becomes very apparent whilst confiding in Tom, who she unexpectedly falls for. Fran is a brash character who’s quick to speak up and easily falls into character as she pretends to be someone else on the retreat but she finds it hard to hold her tongue, when revelations come to light and her questioning raises suspicions. Kate is a complex character who’s fuelled by money and control and won’t let anything stand in the way of her success, including her husband Tom, she’s ruthless but also occasionally admirable in her ballsiness.

This book is gripping for many reasons, the strong female leads all with complexities making for fascinating reading, their riddled with secrets and lies and within each chapter, a drama is revealed hooking the reader even further in. Their narratives are unreliable, leaving the reader unsure of who to believe and being set in a spiritual retreat where people come to cleanse themselves against the exotic backdrop of Gozo adds an element of mystery and luxury to the story.

Once again, Cally has outdid herself with her latest book, riddled with suspense, dominant characters and twists at every turn, ‘Her Last Holiday’ is a compulsive thriller that pulls the reader in to discover the truth.

You can buy ‘Her Last Holiday’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

This book was difficult for me to connect with for a couple of reasons:
1. How on earth would people still support a man who served time for the deaths of two people?
2. Why would a mother send her own daughter into the same situation she believed killed her other daughter?

If you remove how illogical both of those points are, the book was somewhat decent. It's a quick read, which is a redeeming quality.

I do enjoy a good C L Taylor book. Amongst all the horror, fantasy and dystopia I tend to read it's comforting to sit down and read about real, recognisable people in real, recognisable places. Even if they are doing terrible things!

I should note first that there seems to have been loads of stories out in 2021 that centre around missing sisters. For me this was the fourth I'd read so I had become a bit tired of the scenario, nevertheless I still had fun.

Cally T always does a fantastic job with her character development across the novel and Her Last Holiday is another treat for those who look for this quality. There are several characters to get to grips within a whodunnit or maybe even a didanyonedoit investigation led by Fran.
On the hunt to find out what happened to younger sister Jenna, Fran attends a selfhelp retreat hosted by her own prime suspect, recently released from prison Tom Wade.

We read from the perspective of Fran in the present, Jenna from the past and Tom's wife/assistant Kate in both timelines during two separate retreats.
Everything you think you know will be turned on it's head in Her Last Holiday.
Nobody is who you think they are, they all have secrets, they all have a hidden motivation, this book is a discovery from start to finish.

My one draw back and I think this is a personal preference, I may have said it about a CLT novel in the past; I'm not a fan of the 'X weeks/months later' epilogues.
Her Last Holiday is very neatly wrapped up, which some readers prefer but for me takes any powerful impact out of an ending.

If you're looking for a mystery thriller with believable characters and a feasible plot then Her Last Holiday is great for a sunny afternoon read.

Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared while on a wellness retreat and it was assumed that she died by suicide, though her body was never found. The family however don’t believe that was the case and so Fran, at the insistence of her mother, goes on an upcoming retreat to try and discover the truth about her sister.

I had high hopes for this one but unfortunately it was just too far fetched for me. There were so many parts where I found myself shaking my head in a “surely this would not happen” way. The first being the fact that Fran’s mother basically forced her to attend this retreat. I just couldn’t see how that was feasible; she suspected that this man had killed her daughter so I couldn’t see any circumstances where she would put her other daughter in danger like that.

The ending was also too unbelievable for me. It was an easy, enjoyable enough read that did keep me turning the pages but there were definitely too many plot holes for my liking.

I have read & enjoyed several of CL Taylor’s previous books. This one didn’t disappoint but isn’t my favourite to date. She has a fertile imagination & the stories I’ve read so far have all been different & fast paced. For me this one slowed in the middle, but once I got over the hump it picked up pace again & I had to read to the end for the mystery to be solved.
Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared from a retreat two years ago. Is she still alive? Where is she? Others died that night but Jenna’s body was never found. Infamous Tom Wade now out of prison for his part in the deaths, is persuaded by his wife to conduct another of Soul Shrinks retreats. Fran, at her mother’s insistence books herself on the retreat in the belief she can find out what really happened. The story is told in two parts, Fran’s from the present & Jenna’s from the past.
Overall a good read, but not as gripping as some of her other works.