4.5

This was a good mix of silly fun, emotional scenes, drama, and romance.

Before her twin sister’s wedding, Tessa arrives at the hotel her family has spend every summer at for a pre-wedding vacation with her sister, Roxanne, and their two best friends since childhood. As the only single one of the group, the other women plan to find a partner for Tessa during their week leading up to the wedding. Trying to evade her scheming friends, she finds herself in the way of Myles, who is the son the owner of the hotel and coincidentally also the person Tessa had a crush on every summer.

Myles is back in his home for the first time in seven years, after going to New York for a hospitality management program. He wises to rebuilt the relationship with his father and wants to prove him that he now that the skills to help run the hotel, all while Myles’ dad seems not only to draw back from Myles but also from the hotel they both love.

Tessa and Myles just FIT together. While Tessa might’ve had a crush on him, watching him from afar in their childhoods, Myles was not better, she was just a little more awkward about it. These two though are fundamentally made from the same cloth and finally get the courage and chance to get to know each other.

Vacation Wars mixes their romance with the growing pains of a friendship group, insecurities in a sister relationship, a strained father-son relationship, and building the strength to stand up for oneself.

Honestly, the only bad thing I can say about this book is the way Tessa, a woman who had at least two relationships and is thirty, acts like the quirkiest teenage virgin when it comes to anything remotely sexual. Not sex itself, thank god, but the way she went on for chapters calling Myles ‘bulge’ and general childishness. Babe, get yourself together!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. At this point, I've read a bunch of Quinn's books, and Vacation Wars is one of her better books. There's a lot of laugh out loud moments and sweet romance.

The character development of the two main love interests was on par with other books. Tessa Doukas has been going with her family to a resort in Santorini, Greece, since she was a child. She grew up going there every summer with her twin sister Roxane. Tessa had a crush on a boy, turned man known later as the Bulge, for his impressive package. Tessa was always too shy to approach Myles. Fast forward several years, and Tessa, Roxane, and their best friends Clea and Lois are in Greece ahead of Roxane's wedding to Phillip. Due to a childhood pact, because Tessa is the sole single friend in their group, Roxane takes it upon herself to be in charge of Tessa's romantic life. She tries to set her up with a few duds, Jeremiah being the worst. Tessa overcomes her nerves and starts talking with Myles, who she discovers is the owner of the resort's son. Myles spent 7 years in NYC, not far from Tessa, studying hospitality, and has dreams of opening a boutique hotel in Santorini. Myles helps Tessa overcome her shyness and insecurities and her overbearing twin sister. At one point, I felt that Roxane was written very one dimensional and obnoxious, unlikeable. Myles was simply the lifeguard Tessa crushed on to Roxane. I wish she had clarified quickly exactly who he is. I enjoyed the development of the love between Tessa and Myles, even though secondary characters weren't as fleshed out.

The last part of the book is why this book is rated 4, rather than 5 stars. Trying to keep a long distance relationship going was not realistic. Yes, we know they get a HEA, but the reason for the separation was manufactured in a way. I guess neither of them were ready to make a commitment until ILY's were exchanged. The best parts made me lol. 4.5/5☆ out 4/18/23.

OMG! Meghan Quinn has done it again.
You had me in the prologue, already rolling around laughing. How on earth does she do it every time? Each book has exceptional characters, cracking storylines, plenty of laughter and emotion. The reader is left begging for more.
So many highlights, The Bulge, The Contract, luxurious lips

Tessa is just the funniest, I need her and the girls to be my friends

This is just the best story, I could not put it down. Loved loved loved it.

Vacation Wars perfectly sums up this story.. There is drama, romance, & a little bit of mystery.. A must read! 4.5 stars

Blending the story of Odysseus and Penelope with a spin on The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Quinn has given us a delightfully sexy rom-com that doesn’t fit neatly into any trope. It isn’t quite friends to lovers because Myles and Tessa, despite laying eyes on each other for the first time at age 6, barely acknowledged each other’s existence. It’s only 24 years later, when Tessa, her identical twin sister and soon-to-be bride Roxane, and their best friends Clea and Lois gather in Santorini, Greece for a girl’s vacation prior to the destination wedding, that the stars finally seem to align. Myles, after 7 years away in New York studying hotel management, is finally back home, ready to help his estranged father strengthen and expand the family hotel. When he sees grown-up, but still adorably awkward, clumsy and shy Tessa, he seizes the opportunity to finally get to know her.

When he finds out that Roxane is on a mission to take over Tessa’s love life thanks to a silly “contract” the friends made in high school (that stipulates if any of them reach age 30 without having found love, it’s out of their hands), he can’t help but want to save Tessa from a series of disastrous dates. Tessa, knowing that it’s going to get petty and ugly, recruits Myles to her side in “the vacation wars.” Not surprisingly, as they spend more time together, her awkwardness around him fades and the tenuous, nearly lifelong thread between them begins to strengthen, especially when they admit they've harbored mutual crushes for years. The question is whether their growing attraction is just a vacation romance or if they’re finally at the right time and place to build something lasting, assuming they can put themselves first rather than sacrificing what they have to take care of their family.

Their romance is simply lovely. They are two beautiful souls who bring out the best in each other, make each other happy, support each other’s dreams, and have sizzling chemistry. If you’re looking for the perfect book boyfriend, Myles fits the bill. After a couple of Quinn’s recent books that feature really unlikeable female protagonists, it’s so wonderful to have kind, compassionate Tessa who blossoms under Myles’ care and devotion.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Montlake through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Vacation Wars made me feel like I was on a vacation myself. It was filled with fun, entertaining moments. Here are all of the things I loved about it:

*Ms. Quinn talking to us directly from the Prologue.
*The Greek resort setting. How I wished I was there myself!
*Tessa's awkwardness around The Bulge. She cracked me up with her "luxurious" and eloquent speech around him. 
*The plan Tessa's sister and friends have was certainly... something.
*Tessa's relationship with her twin sister. This was a love-hate thing because there were many times I wanted to give Roxanne a good shake for the way she treated Tessa. Luckily, Roxanne learned a few things herself by the end.
*Tessa and Roxanne's childhood friends added some extra drama to the story and while I didn't always love the dynamic of the friendship, they ended up being true friends. 
*The counter plan team Tessa and Myles came up with and how it brought them together. 
*So many hijinks between the two "teams".
*Myles and the dynamic with his father. I loved when everything got up close and personal between them with the hotel and their relationship. 
*Myles' friend Toby was fun.
*This is Meghan Quinn, so you know it's funny.
*The ROMANCE! Really, the most important thing. Tessa, Myles, and their crushes were adorable. I loved how they got each other. They were so sweet together. I didn't even mind the third act breakup because I loved how it all went down. 

So, yeah. I pretty much loved everything about this one. At 430 pages, this wasn't Quinn's longest book, but it was long. It took a while for everything between Tessa and Myles to get going. That might be my only little complaint. I would have liked more action between them and less with the whole contract thing between the sisters and friends earlier. I could easily look past that with the fun I had reading, especially the second half of the book. As always, I'm excited to find out what Quinn has coming next for us.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
3 lukewarm stars
This started out so great for me - even the prologue was hilarious - but quickly went downhill. Tessa was a doormat and her sister and friends were absolutely horrible people. I liked Myles and Toby and their friendship and that's what kept this at 3 stars for me. So many Meghan Quinn books that are much better - I can't say I'd recommend this one.

Oh my... I never knew a vacation could turn into something like this! It definitely felt like a crime, love and drama scene all at once.

Ever year Tessa and her family spend their vacation in Santorini... and every year since she was a little girl there was this one guy who bewitched her. But the last 7 years she never saw him again... until now.
Tessa is back in Santorini for a girls trip. Her twin sister gets married, but she and their friends are also on a special mission... mission find the one for Tessa.
If they only knew that Tessa still has a crush on this special guy from Santorini... and if only Tessa knew that after 7 years he's also back...

Oh my, oh my, oh my!
Well Vacation Wars by Meghan Quinn isn't only the title of this story, but also the perfect summary or keyword. LOL
This book was like a roller coaster ride - for sure! There's much going on!
Tessa, Roxane (Tessa's twin sister) and their friends Clea and Lois are back in Santorini to have a fun girls trip before Roxane gets married in town... but when Tessa sees that HE'S also back... well let's say she feels like a school girl again. This huuuge crush she has on HIM. Awwwww! 😍😍
I totally felt with Tessa - absolutely comprehensible!
Okay there's this absolutely hot guy you see every year on vacation and you're too shy to talk to him? Awww! Could be me! 🤭
And poor Tessa doesn't know how to behave in his presence... she always starts awkward conversations where I couldn't stop laughing and be embarrassed at the same time.
Oh my... buuuut MYLES - the man of her dreams is just PERFECT! ❤️
He works at the resort for his dad and is like the guy for everything. Barkeeper or lifeguard or something else. He's doing it all.
Seeing Tessa after 7 years is a huge surprise for him as well! Awwww! 😍
And then there are Tessa's friends and her twin sister with their own plans for Tessa!
Oh my!
Okay! I need to stop talking too much about the whole book because I don't wanna spoil!!
So, okay! Back to concentration!

Well Vacation Wars was such a wonderful love story with lots of funny moments, but also lots of family and personal issues too!
Sometimes it was tough for me to accept the decisions the characters made... but that's totally okay. Everyone's different. 😉

I absolutely fell in love with Myles and Tessa and their love story! It's soooo cute! They made me swoon a lot! And oh boy their sexy times? HOT! 😍🔥❤️
I loved their chemistry and enjoyed the storyline!
Okay, dealing with your feelings for someone else, your family and friends and their decisions can be A LOT to deal with!
But everything in Santorini? Could be worse! LOL
There's sooo much going on in Vacation Wars!
Be prepared to SWOON, to laugh A LOT, to roll your eyes, to be shocked! and to fall in looooove as well!

All in all I absolutely loved this book!
I wanna meet my personal Myles too! (So let's pack a bag and move! LOL)

Thank you so much to Montlake and Meghan Quinn for this ARC via NetGalley.
This is my honest review in my own words.

I am a huge Meghan Quinn fan. I love her characters, I love her humor, I love her twists, I love the banter between the couples, I love the chemistry between the couples. I’ve read everything she has published in the last six years and I’m slowly reading through her entire bibliography. Getting my hands on her advanced review copies is the ultimate dream and I was so excited when I saw this appear in NetGalley!

Tessa and her twin sister Roxane have been visiting the same resort in Greece every summer since they were toddlers. Even from a young age Tessa noticed Myles, the owner’s son. Each year she watched Myles, her interest transitioning from mild curiosity to a full blown crush…until one summer Myles disappeared. Now in their thirties, Tessa and Roxane are visiting the resort with their best friends Clea and Lois to decompress before Roxane’s wedding. Everyone has a significant other except Tessa; and thanks to a juvenile contract the friends drafted in high school, Tessa must unwillingly hand over control of her love life to her friends. Tessa becomes even more jaded when Myles reappears after a seven year hiatus. As her friends try and force her onto unlikely matches, Tessa & Myles finally connect and find ways to derail her friends plans.

Thoughts on this book: I love Tessa. I love Myles. I love Tessa & Myles together. Roxane, however, sucks. I don’t like her. I think she’s controlling and her meddling in her sister’s love life is straight up harassment. I wanted to rush through every scene Roxane appeared in. I’m used to an off-the-wall character in MQ’s books, but Roxane was too much and she tanked my rating. That being said, if you can get through her conceited attitude, you can appreciate Tessa & Myles story in typical MQ fashion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.

I loved this book! I read it during the dreary winter and it took me away on a beautiful, colorful Greek vacation to fall in love with the characters! The love story was sweet and steamy and I loved the ending. Thank you for sharing this story with me, Meghan! I am excited to read the rest of your catalog.

Full disclosure…I was not going to give this book a 5 star. I was thinking maybe 4 because Roxanne omg she was so irritating, but huge BUT after I got past the first few chapters, after Tessa came into her own and took charge I got see that this book deserved more than 5 stars because Quinn wrote characters that really came to life! There was a reason Roxanne was infuriating! She’s Tessa’s twin and Quinn did the most amazing job delivering very real characters!

This story is fabulous! It’s so beautiful in so many way and I will definitely read again because I have a new perspective and I no longer want to jump into the book and strangle a character!

Tessa and Myles were perfect! The best couple I have read in a long time! Their hilarious banter, the way they fell into a quick and easy friendship. The strength and sureness of Myles was just so panty melting I needed a few cold showers while reading (seriously though the man was perfect).

3.5⭐
Thank you Meghan Quinn and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

It's definitely no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Meghan Quinn, the woman can do no wrong and I will ALWAYS read her books and enjoy them. While this is not my favorite MQ book, it was still incredibly enjoyable and was jam packed full of our usual MQ antics.

You'll laugh, swoon, tear up and enjoy some spice in this book, but like I said it wasn't my favorite. I loved how the story starts out as if it's being written by a romance author and I think the long journey Myles and Tessa go through to get to one another was perfect. They've both secretly pined for one another and the vacation before Tessa's twin sister's wedding if the time when those crushes just burst out of them both.

Myles is the perfect match for Tessa's incredibly awkward personality. It was a great love story, but also a great story about the love between families and the growth that friendships inevitably go through when life happens. The first portion of the book had me ready to strangle Tessa's sister and closest friends. Maybe blame it on my preggo hormones, but I wouldn't be able to put up with them. The second half of the book was my favorite, when Tessa stopped bumbling as much and finally got to the point where she began blooming had me reading non stop. I'm a sucker for a good character growth.

I'd love to read a story about Toby, but I believe this will be a standalone. I think coming back to Greece in any way would be such a treat. I want an update on how the characters are doing and it all just makes me want to get over my fear of flying and make the trip to visit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my second Meghan Quinn book, my first full-length. I had previously read and enjoyed her most recent Christmas novella and wanted to give Vacation Wars a try.

This is Tessa and Myles’s story, and it is set mainly in Santorini in Greece, at the resort owned by Myles’s family. Tessa has been seeing (and crushing on) Myles every summer since childhood, but she’s always been too nervous to speak to him. But she’s here again at the resort for her twin sister’s wedding, hanging out with her sister and their two best friends before the festivities start…and Myles is back at the resort after a 7-year absence, which Tessa is sure is because she made a fool of herself that summer 7 years ago. Oh, and Tessa’s sister, Roxanne, and their friends, are bound and determined to hook Tessa up with the perfect man while on this trip, to fulfill a contract they all signed years ago. And that man is most definitely anyone but Myles.

If you had asked me for a rating as I read the first half of the book, it might have been a 2.5- or 3-star rating, mostly because I one hundred percent hated Roxanne, who was horrible to her sister in every sense of the word. The antics that Roxanne and their friends went through to get Tessa a man were borderline toxic, and every time there was a scene with them, I wanted to stop reading. They were 30-year-olds acting like high school mean girls, in the worst possible ways. The only saving grace was the relationship Tessa and Myles started to develop in the background, as she tried to avoid her sister’s manipulations. I soldiered on because of them.

Eventually, thankfully, we figured out why Roxanne was being so horrible, but it was almost too late for me. Roxanne’s toxicity and Tessa’s inability to stand up for herself with her sister nearly ruined it completely. I can’t tell you how many times I almost threw it in my DNF pile. In the end, though, I’m glad I kept going. Tessa and Myles together were the sweetest, hottest couple ever! I loved everything about Myles, and the love both of them had for their families, but also for each other, was wonderful. I’m very glad I did finish the book, and it redeemed itself enough to earn an extra star from me, because I really did feel satisfied with the ending. It was funny, sexy, and everyone finally grew up by the end, which made the book for me.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I have read everything that Meghan Quinn has published and was thrilled to get an advanced copy. The characters were well written and the chemistry was definitely there. The part of this book that dropped it from 5 star to 4 star was the sisters. I really didn’t like that the entire vacation Roxane forced Tessa to basically be on her own while the other 3 all hung out. I get that it was intended to “put her out there” to meet someone, but it seemed too forced and almost bullyish. Tessa was there for her sister and ended up isolated from her friends. In the end, I am glad there was an HEA for all!

Oh I loved this book so much! I’m not going to lie, I was more than a little worried the first couple of chapters that Tessa was going to be super annoying the whole book but never fear, she quickly became much less embarrassing while still keeping a bit of her awkward social antics. I ended up really relating to parts of Tessa’s story (we both are awfully awkward around guys we find attractive 😂😅) Myles is a really sweet cinnamon roll of a male MC and I love it.

There is a lot going on between both of them and their families and while the name may be vacation wars (and don’t worry there are pranks and antics so funny I laughed until I couldn’t breathe multiple times) there is also a lot of heart to the story.

Definitely one of my favorites of Meghan’s books!

Ugh Meghan Quinn does it again. I love Meghans books but the setting of this one put it over the edge for me. Quite honestly, it didn't have as much steam as her self-published, but I still enjoyed Tessa's charm and everything about The Bulge.

I loved reading all about the scenery in Greece 🇬🇷, I could feel the sun and warmth! Tessa and Myles are so cute, I love when childhood crushes reunite. The friendship of the four women is realistic and relatable. I enjoyed this story and ending. I would recommend this as a easy read for on the beach or an escape from winter.

2.5 stars
I was enjoying this book until I got to the second half of it. It started off light-hearted, fun, and cute, and I liked the progression of Myles and Tessa's relationship. However, as their relationship gets more and more serious, I started to get so frustrated with Tessa and her twin sister/friends. Despite being a group of thirty year olds (one married, one engaged, and one with kids), they were so immature for the entire book and they were honestly terrible friends to each other. Roxane, Tessa's twin sister, completely disregards Tessa's feelings till the end and her friends are complete bystanders and don't even seem surprised at all the verbal attacks exchanged between the sisters. None of them seem to realize how happy Tessa is with Myles and they have no faith or concern for her relationship. I couldn't see why they were friends at all or why they put up with each other. Based on the things they say, it seems like they're already so exasperated with each other and don't really have anything nice to say about each other (they actually seemed to have a lot of grudges...). Even when they were trying to "help" with Tessa's love life, it didn't seem like they had her best interest in mind. They treated each other like a joke. All of them were bitter, selfish, and petty, and waiting for Tessa's heartbreak (Roxane in particular). They're also always fighting and I was getting so tired of it. It took me so much longer than I expected to finish this book.
Aside from the friend group, Tessa frustrated me so much because of how she treated Myles. She prioritizes everyone except him, despite how communicative and genuine he is. It didn't seem like the same level of attraction and it was like she was ready to give up on him at any point. There was no effort on her part. Also, her communication (with everyone) is terrible. On the other hand, Myles was ready to do anything to be with her and I think he's the only reason why I'm rounding this book up to 2.5 stars. I love MQ books, but I just could not get into this one. It was missing her signature humor that I love and the only character I really liked was Myles.

I loved the premise of this book, I thought the complicated families on both sides was super clever.

I am such a sucker for Meghan’s banter and this did not disappoint. Loved the childhood crush rekindled in adulthood.

Meghan Quinn is an instant read author for me! While Vacation Wars wasn’t necessarily my jam - I know many people will love it! Think Sisterhood if the traveling pants but with older characters and lots of family/friend drama.
I had a hard time getting into this story. The supporting character were very unlikable to me and it kept pulling me out of the story.
I did love the location and the signature humor that Meghan Quinn brings to all of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.