Another fantastic novel by this author. Loved every bit of it, just wished it went on and on.

Hester Monday is a travel agent who had a bad flying experience and is scared of flying. Her new assignment at work was to arrange a holiday for a man who had been helping someone in an accident. She turns the holidays into a staycation and then they story gets going. Loved reading about Hester, she’s funny, passionate about her work and real. Jake has a fun personality and was really enjoyable to read about him.

Absolutely fabulous, you have to read it. 5 stars ⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

The book was very enjoyable It had romance and funny bits in it.

Hester works for a travel agent and through this she meets Jake who is recovering from an accident and his sister wants to pay for a holiday for him when he recovers. Jake is not interested in an holiday as he travels a lot, but has decided he would like her to tell him about all her holidays abroad she has.

The book deals with a phobia and how to overcome it and the way it was done was very good.

Well written and entertaining book.

Delicious escaping read. This is so much more than just a love story and covers a lot of deep issues that are written in a very sensitive way. This story is pure escapism and once I had started reading it I couldn’t put it down and felt completely invested in the characters. Love love loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book prior to release. As an avid fan of Cressida McLaughlin, I was so happy to receive this book. A fantastically written book full of romance, humour and sadness- her best book yet!

I have seen many of the author's works reviewed on the blogosphere but had never read any myself. I thought that this looked like a good place to start since it was a standalone.
The first thing that struck me was the writing. I really enjoyed the narrative flow and ended up reading this in almost one sitting. This is an almost purely romantic story. The character's personal hangups and their growth arcs are presented as a part of their progression as a couple.
It helps that both Hester and Jake are very people with great personal characteristics, helpful, and think a lot more about others than an average person. Jake is trapped in a hotel room (a fancy one at that) when his sister decides that planning his next holiday would help him. Enter Hester, who works in a travel agency (a concept that seemed to be more in fashion before the advent of the internet, maybe it is making a comeback). Hester has not left the country since she was a child but lives out scenarios with the information at her fingertips. At this point, Jake and Hester's story begins.
The rest is not unexpected or entirely out of the blue but is a steady narrative has the reader emotionally invested in the progress. The descriptions of the travels and the locations might work differently for different people in the post-pandemic world. Some may feel frustrated at all the things they are/were unable to do, and others may love this chance at this couch surfing. There was humour injected at heavy moments, something that I appreciate, especially as it does not always come out like this. There is this scene in Scotland with the Police and the flight before that I mainly laughed at. Others who have read this will know what I mean!
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Review
Cressida does it again with another heartwarming read.

I really liked Hester's character. I really enjoyed exploring the holidays with Hester and Jake, the set up from the hotel room was just added perfection.

Cressida's writing style makes me feel all cosy. I love The Cornish Cream Tea series and I have loved branching out into one of her standalones.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Can’t begin to describe how much I loved this book. I was hooked from page one. Funny, relatable characters, I could easily picture what Hester and Jake looked like. I would have happily read this book in one sitting if life hadn’t gotten in the way (why can’t I take a reading day from work) I’m so happy with the way it ended (no spoilers) I’d definitely recommend this book to my friends.

Another excellent book from Cressida but on a different theme from many of her other ones. Relatable characters and a good plot that makes an excellent read. Highly recommend.

The staycation by @cressmclaughlin another @netgalley read. Hester Monday is the main character and she has a huge panic attack inducing fear of flying, though perhaps ironically she works for a very high end travel agents. However through work she is introduced to Jake who can’t return home to New York after an accident. Jake turns Hesters life upside down, as so does Hester to his! I really don’t want to say to much about it and ruin any of it for anyone. I loved this book and as I started reading it and the plot evolved I was somewhat sceptical at its enjoyability but I loved every minute of it and everything about it. I am a huge fan of the authors particularly enjoying her Cornish Cream Tea series, and if you are already a fan of the authors or new to her books, don’t let this one pass you by. I loved the way that the author builds up this story so it plays out like a film in your head, igniting the imagination and that’s down to the amazing writing. I could see this as a film, a classic romcom in the making. It’s also like a film because you get behind the characters, you want them to succeed, I felt myself willing them on in my head, nearly shouting at the book!!! When reading the book and seeing it all unfold in my own imagination you think this simply idea of a staycation, in the way it is played out in the book, can’t possibly work or be enjoyable but what a clever and different idea and it definitely works within a doubt. The appearance of New York at the end, a place very close to my heart was a great place to end it and brought lots of great memories for me. I will be recommending this book to everyone. Can’t wait to see what’s next from this author and hope it becomes a film one day ❤️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sometimes pure escapism and romance is what you need and Cressida always delivers. There's just enough peril that you have some doubts as to the full "happy ending" but there's always a satisfying conclusion.

At a time where travel is so hard the Staycation definitely helped to assuage my wanderlust.

When I first started reading The Staycation, the way Hester would describe Jake just felt so cringy and cheesy. However, the more I read, the better it got. I love to travel and Hester's job at Paradise Awaits honestly sounds like one of the greatest jobs! The author's descriptions are so vivid that it is easy to imagine you are seeing the world through Hester's eyes and feeling the lust for Jake just as she does.

If you're a fan of Sophie Kinsella or Beth O'Leary then you will definitely enjoy this book!

I love Cressida, she’s my go to for a smile and this is such a cute adorable read the kind you want to read after a bad day. The story and characters are so well written, I just always wish they could go on forever, the couple is so cute abc I thought this was a touch hotter than usual For Cressida but I loved it.Thoroughly enjoyable reading

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I’m a huge fan of Cressida’s books and so when I saw mention of this new book late last year I jumped at the chance to grab a copy.
As with her other stories the writing in The Staycation is brilliant and the storyline captivating. I really journeyed with Jake and Hester to each exotic location and the chemistry between the two of them is magical.
I was able to picture entirely Jake’s suite at the hotel and the ideas from Hester to take him away from it all.
Throw in some additional great characters- I especially liked Marty and Rosalie - and this is a definite hit and recommendation from me.

Escapism at it's finest!
Hester loves the idea of travelling and even works as a travel agent, even though she has a fear of flying!
Her latest client, Jake, is holed up in a luxury hotel unable to travel, Hester has to create an itinerary to recreate holiday locations without leaving the hotel!
Sofa travelling Australia, Italy and New York, visualising sunshine, sea, superb scenery and delicious food and drink, with attractive company, what more do you need?
Lovely journey to a hopeful future.

You know how some books you start to read, and you just immediately feel at home? This was one of them. I clicked with the characters really quickly, and wanted to get more involved in their lives. I really liked Hester and Jake, and I liked them together.

I don’t really know what else to say, I just loved the whole book. The plot was great, I know how hard it is to have to stay in one place all the time. I thought the staycations were a lot of fun.

There were lots of amusing or silly moments, as well as the more serious ones. And romantic ones too (though some of those were silly too, in the best kind of way).

Overall, this book was simply a joy to read. Romantic, and silly, and just like a big warm hug. It really lifted my day and made me feel so happy. I really recommend it, if you fancy a happy escape.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

I have read and enjoyed a lot of Cressida McLaughlin's books, so I was delighted to receive an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher.
This book is a different style of book to Cressida's usual books. This book is not part of a series, it's a standalone book.
It is very well written and easy to read. I really enjoyed reading it.
I loved reading about the descriptions of all of the different places. It is a fantastic and fun read, perfect for relaxing with on holiday.

The Staycation by Cressida McLaughlin

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Random Things Tours and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Thanks to her fear of flying, she hasn’t been on a plane in years. Now Hester wants to make a good impression on her newest client, Jake Oakenfield, who was heroically injured saving an old lady, and is now laid up in a luxury hotel.

For Jake, unable to return to New York, binge watching Netflix just won’t do. He wants Hester to invent the ultimate escape and re-create her most magical holidays abroad from the confines of his hotel room.

I have read quite a few books by Cressy now so when the opportunity came along to receive an early copy of her latest release I jumped at the chance. This is a summer read and is perfectly suited for a holiday read - even if that holiday is at home. A highly enjoyable, light-hearted read.

Not only would I recommend this book, I would recommend Cressida's writing in general. I have yet to read a book written by Cressy that I haven't enjoyed!

Rating 4/5

Hester works for an upmarket travel agency who arranges custom holidays in exotic locations - but can't fly due to a previous traumatic incident. She manages to hide this from her employer, however this comes under threat when she is given a special assignment.
Jake is recuperating after a traffic accident where he saved a woman from being hit by a car, receiving broken ribs etc in the process. The grateful woman pays for him to stay in a swanky London Hotel, however he is beginning to suffer from cabin fever. His sister arranges for Hester to visit him at the hotel and provide virtual holidays. She manages to pass off someone else's holiday as her own, but starts to come unstuck when Jake begins to question her on them.
I do feel for Hester with her panic attacks, they can cause you to totally sieze up. The holidays that she describes sound fantastic, I would certainly love to have the chance to take them. The growing relationship between Hester and Jack comes across as natural and you do hope for a happy outcome. There are some spicy moments, so be warned if they're not to your taste, but they do fit in with the story.
An enjoyable story to help you escape from reality for a few hours.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

When you can't go on holiday why not have a holiday brought to you by an upmarket travel agency? This is the situation for Jake after an accident, his sister wants to help him recuperate by arranging an exotic holiday. But the Dr won't allow him to travel but as Hester, the travel agent hasn't been on a plane since a traumatic incident when she was 11 years old, she has to recreate "holibobs" from memory and with the help of her friends and Marty, the concierge at the hotel
This was a delightful, light hearted story with wonderful characters that you could imagine being friends with. This book would appeal to anyone eho loves rom coms
Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this advanced copy, I am under no obligation to leave my honest review

A Brilliant stand alone Story, I loved being able to follow the story of Hester and Jake, the ups and downs of there lives, the twists and turns along the way kept me gripped and wanting to read it in one sitting. I really hope we can revisit the story and see what the future hold for the Hester and Jake.