Another brilliant read from Louise! Having enjoyed some of her previous books 8 was delighted to be approved to read Our Holiday.

Two couples who vaguely know each other in London have holiday homes in Cornwall on the same estate, Amy and Linus arrive for the summer with their two children whilst Perry and Charlotte are there with their son. Amy is determined to make her home as incredible as Charlotte’s and to get to know them better over the summer.

Some local people are not as delighted to see the second homers arrive and are members of pressure groups to show the incomers just how unwelcome they are.

By the bank holiday weekend, lives on both sides will have changed forever……

Where to begin...
I have a mixed relationship with this authors work some I have been up all night reading others have taken a lifetime to get though.
From the books I've read I found some amazing that stay with you for ages and others that left me the instant I have finished.
My ratings of from what I have read previously are as follows:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- These People
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- The Swimming Pool
⭐️⭐️- The Heights
⭐️⭐️⭐️- Our House
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-The Skylight
⭐️⭐️⭐️- The Only Suspect
⭐️⭐️- The Other Passenger

What keeps requesting and reading her works despite this mixed bag is the fact even in the not so good novels the author manages to always give multi layered twists and turns while examining and highlighting the issues in a modern day society. She expertly presents the class divide using extremely complex characters you both dislike but root for. She always takes a news worthy topical issue and intertwines within the novels with style and flair.

I was delighted to be given this DRC to review...spoiler alert I've already pre ordered a print copy...THIS IS 5⭐️ probably the writers best!!!!

FROM THE COVER📖

Charlotte and Perry have owned their clifftop holiday home in Pine Ridge for years. They’ve worked hard for it – why shouldn’t they enjoy it? Even if the locals can’t afford to live in the village these days…
Now city friends Amy and Linus have bought a second home nearby and when the two families descend, they plan lazy days at the beach and evenings sipping rosé and watching the sun set from Charlotte’s summerhouse veranda.
But this summer is different. A group of locals – headed by the charismatic Robbie – will stop at nothing to make the second home owners pay for their holiday. By the end of their break, marriages will be torn apart, friendships shattered and crimes exposed.
And one of them will have lost their life.

REVIEW⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

From the first chapter I was hooked... told in the first person POV we met "Rockstar Activist" Robbie who is witnessing a house fall of a cliff.

From here we hear from a mixture of characters in the present and past in the 3rd person POV flitting back and forth leading up the opening chapters events,
set over two dual timelines and we learn of a death but are then taken back and drip fed until the story plays out perfectly.

The wonderfully written cast of characters are deeply unlikable however one of the true highlights in the narrative lies in these richly developed characters, each with their own compelling stories.

The characters are a mixed bunch in terms of ages, class and gender all are horrendously awful at first glance but provide a nuanced understanding of the diverse perspectives at play. It for made for a very satisfying read when their misdemeanors caught up on them. There’s a satirical element especially in the acute observations of those at the upper end of the income bracket yet it still manages to pack the necessary punch and make the point very clear . There is some excellent dialogue that keeps reinforcing this at times the characters seems extreme versions of the people the author is portraying but this for added a real dark humour, I found this has been the case in all her works, she writes people like people we all know and does so with a true eye for self awareness. The strong thread of dark humour throughout which I would describe it as a satire on the class system in the UK. This is expertly shown in her characters. As the narrative unfolds through multiple points of view, we can see the divides clearly in the way the characters react so differently from each other when faced with the same situation. The divide is clear not only in terms of class but in as intergenerational ones and in various other relationships. These become strained and there are intriguing dynamics throughout the main plot and sub plots. The sub plot regarding Bettie and her clothes was one of my favourites and highlighted the points and themes of the main plot beautifully.


The very much topical news worthy setting of second home owners out pricing the locals in the many of our seaside towns is bang on trend for so many issues and makes for interesting thoughtful reading.

I found the plot fantastic and so smartly written.

It adopts a deliberate, slow-burning pace, gradually unravelling the intricacies of the characters and their lives, there is a sense of anxiety and trepidation overhanging all and an on edge sensation. Situations escalate, there are double lives being lived, examples of hypocrisy and the tensions evident from the start, begin to escalate with altercations which spiral out of control. It becomes deliciously devious and dangerous, keeping you reading long into the night. The ending was a perfect match for the themes within the novel.


Taking aside all the deeper meaning points and themes the setting of English summer time is captured perfectly making it not only a pieces of brilliantly written satire with thrilling elements but also perfect for escaping.

Our holiday is the perfect holiday read

Without doubt the authors best to date.

Our Holiday is a slow burner that revolves around two couples who own holiday homes in Dorset and the group of locals, who resent them, having been pushed out of the housing market…. Sadly, something I can relate to living in a seaside resort! Their idyllic August holiday very quickly turns into a nightmare. A good read but not one that would make my top10 of the year.

I love Louise Candlish and I think she is criminally underrated. I know it is all about opinions but there are so many more 'acclaimed' authors who seem to get more publicity and kudos and I can't understand why.

In Our Holiday, we meet two couples, Amy and Linus, and Charlotte and Perry. The book is set over the month of August when the two couples are living in their second homes much to anger of local residents who dislike the impact of second homes on their local community housing.

Like much of Candlish's work, it is set over two dual timelines and we learn of a death but are then taken back and drip fed until the story plays out perfectly.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest

Oh what can I say ? I’m a huge fan of this authour and have loved them all ….i didn’t though find this that great not even good really
I did enjoy the unlikable characters of course she’s great at writing these and the dynamics but I just found it boring and rushed the end as wanted to read something else
Nothing really happens though the first chapter is good and u can imagine the catrosphere well
It’s a good concept and touches on relevant themes but I just found it a bit boring and the the themes quite stereotyped
Louise has done a lot better and it’s still an ok read just not her usual standard of deep rich dynamics and page turning moments
So sorry to give just two stars ,I have changed to three as maybe unfair just her other books are sooo much better and I was bored and I never have been before by this authour
Ty though for the advanced read netgalley and publishers

Our Holiday is another completely engrossing novel from Louise Candlish who has to be one of my favourite authors. Pine Ridge is a popular location for wealthy Londoners to purchase a second home. Charlotte and Perry have a beautiful house there, overlooking the sea and with an amazing summer house they affectionately call ‘the nook’. Their friends Amy and Linus have recently bought a more modest home nearby that needs renovating. Their summer idle is less than perfect due to a local group calling themselves NJFA (not just for August) who hold regular protests against second home owners as they have been pushed out of the housing market. When tragedy strikes during a beach music festival at the end of the summer everyone is shocked leading secrets and rivalries to be revealed.
I gobbled up this book and was torn between wanting to discover who the perpetrator was and knowing whatever I read next will not be a patch on this novel.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of the stunning Devon coast, Our Holiday delves into the intriguing world of second-home ownership, exploring the dual facets of this phenomenon.
One of the highlights of the narrative lies in its richly developed characters, each with their own compelling stories. While this aspect added depth to the overall plot, the abundance of characters did pose a challenge, leaving me at times a tad bewildered. The narrative unfolds through multiple points of view, which, although initially confusing, provided a nuanced understanding of the diverse perspectives at play.
The novel adopts a deliberate, slow-burning pace, gradually unravelling the intricacies of the characters' lives. While some readers might find this approach testing, I believe it significantly contributes to the overall tension of the story. The unhurried unveiling of events allows the narrative to build a palpable sense of anticipation.

An excellent book but I think perhaps a little mis-sold as a thriller.
Following the dispute between the locals and the second home owners, with plenty of shady dealings and behaviour on both sides the story beings with a tragedy and then winds back in time to explain the lead up to that fateful moment.
Told from a number of perspectives the story very cleverly gets across the view points of each side of the story and builds empathy for the characters, particularly the locals. I found the second homers far harder to get on board with, they came across as the posh and spoilt people the locals can see, even when the story moves to one of their perspectives.
Thoroughly enjoyed the scenery, the characters and the story and wasn't expecting the perpetrator to be the person it turned out to be!

This book it’s set on the beautiful coast of Devon and is about second home owners and the two sides of this which I find an interesting subject.
I enjoyed the characters and learning about their individual stories. Although there was quite a lot of characters and i found it a bit confusing especially as it was told down multiple points of view.
It was quite a slow burning book but I think this added to the overall tension.
Thanks to Netgalley. Louise Candlish and HQ Stories for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I do love a Louise Candlish: this one was a bit of a mixed bag.
The story of Pine Ridge, a beautiful cliff top row of houses in Dorsey, colonised by rich DFLs (Down from London), and a local protest group ‘Not Just For August.’
It’s an amusingly told erstwhile thriller and the pace really ramps up in the last third, but there are a lot of characters and I didn’t find them greatly distinguishable which made reading it a bit more of a slog than it should have been.
On the flip side, Candlish really gets the tension between the haves and the have-nots and the story is compelling.
In a nutshell: not as well-characterised as some of her novels but a good plot and well-done satire keeps you hooked.

I have devoured every book I have read by Louise Candlish and this one was no different, so many twisty moments as you try to find out which one of them could be capable of murder.

Not for me. Too slow staring, couldn't connect with the characters, found there were too many to get my head around early on. Shame, as usually a fan of this author. I will still read her future books. Thanks for the ARC

I really enjoyed this book. There were a lot of characters but they were well written and by the end I felt very connected to them. Lots of different dramas going on which came to a head as the book got into the latter quarter.

A lot of tensions between the haves (those who could afford expensive second homes) and the have nots (locals stuck living in caravans because second homes have driven property prices well out of their reach.) I couldn't help but feel empathy for the latter group.

This book kept me reading, and I felt it had an appropriate ending.

High above the village of Pine Ridge on the Dorset coast, is the prestigious enclave of second homes, owned by the rich and upwardly mobile London folk. These Grockles are treated with derision by the locals, many of whom have been reduced to living in caravans or sofa surfing. The NJFA (Not Just For August) vigilantes are determined to have their say and make their feelings known, much to the embarrassment and annoyance of the second homers.

I loved this! Drawn into the families and the locals immediately, and really enjoyed the plot. Well drawn characters (yes, we all know a Perry and a Linus 😱), and the additional background plots was an added bonus. Really liked the different POV too. At times it was quite dark, but a lot of humour as well.

I have read some reviews that said there were too many characters to deal with, and to some extent I do agree, but once you get your head round them they all fit well into the relationships.

Another great book from Candlish. Would definitely 100% recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ.

Thank you Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 6th June. This was a thrilling slow burner thriller- in a good way! 😊 I thought the characters were well developed my favourite one was Amy. This book had lots of suspense with many twists and turns.

The book was so good I read it one sitting! I would 100% recommend this book, I really loved it.

I feel the same way about this book as I felt about most of the other books by this author - it’s an interesting story but not executed to my liking.

This book is a slow burn - I did enjoy getting to know the different characters and I loved the multiple POVs. The setting was also really fun. I think this book will make a perfect summer read for someone!

Although it wasnt the most thrilling thriller there was definitely a lot of tension and I did like all the drama between the characters. The ending did pick up and I actually really liked that I just wish it had been easier reading up to that point.

I would still recommend this book to people who enjoy slower paced thrillers with some social commentary. Great writing, ending and characterisation but not my favourite by this author.

Charlotte and Perry have owned their beautiful cliff top home in Pine Ridge, Dorset for many years and spend all of August in this paradise. This year though, they and Amy and Linus, friends from London and recent purchasers of a small ‘doer upper’ also in Pine Ridge, get an unwelcome reception from the ‘Not Just For August’ crew. It gets a bit angsty to say the least, but the two couples are of the opinion that they’ve worked hard for the second homes so why shouldn’t they enjoy it? They look forward to lazy days and long summer evenings, sipping rosé wine and taking in the glorious views. This year however, will be different as Robbie the leader of the NJFA is on a mission by the end of August things will never ever be the same again.

This is a really good, well written slow burner of a psychological thriller though right from the start there’s clearly bubbling tension simmering away beneath the surface. There are multiple layers and subplots which keep revealing themselves and the author does an excellent job of keeping the ‘plot plates’ spinning and with it my attention. First of all, there is the obvious issue of the arrival of the “grockles” or Blow-Ins with their second homes, often empty for much of the year and the locals who have difficulty acquiring affordable housing. There’s a very good balance between the two and at times there’s a satirical element especially in the acute observations of those at the upper end of the income bracket yet it still manages to pack the necessary punch. There’s some excellent dialogue that keeps reinforcing this. Secondly, as well as the above divide there are other divisions too such as intergenerational ones and in various relationships. These become strained and there are intriguing dynamics in several areas.

Although this is a slow burner from the arrival of the “downs from London” there’s a sense of anxiety and trepidation overhanging all and an on edge sensation with some claustrophobia. Situations escalate, there are double lives being lived, examples of hypocrisy and the tensions evident from the start, begin to escalate with altercations which spiral out of control. It becomes deliciously devious and dangerous, there’s plenty of the stuff fitting the fan and wheels coming off lives as a consequence. The last part of the book is very dramatic, but it’s not OTT.

My only reservation of the book lies in the number of characters that you have to wrap your head around. It’s told from multiple points of view, these I don’t have a problem with, but there are a lot of other characters to get familiar with and one or two that seem to me to be superfluous such as Julien the french visitor staying with Amy and Linus.

Overall though, I really enjoy this as the tone is just right and yet it still manages to highlight a genuine issue. A shout out for the fantastic setting in Dorset which is used really effectively.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This book was such a mixed bag! it started out quite interesting and then - from about 25% to 75% - it felt as though it just meandered.

We had already got to know most of the key characters, and honestly some of the supporting characters could have (and probably should have) just been left out - like the French exchange student who really served very little purpose. And since most of them were not particularly likeable, it started to feel repetitive hearing about the spoilt pretty teenager, the champagne socialist activist, the conservative father etc.

I was beginning to despair, since I'd liked this writer's earlier books, when suddenly the last 25% went turbo! Hidden layers were exposed wrt a number of characters - and sometimes quite unexpected and interesting peculiarities too. You were held spellbound by the way the author juggled the complex sub-plots and intertwined storylines, and tied it all up quite satisfyingly in a neat bow afterwards.

Hence, for me, the book was very much worth reading in the end. But it would have scored even higher than the 3.5 stars I am allocating it if the pacing had been more even, and some of the repetition and unnecessary characters had been edited out. Still, an impressive achievement all in all.

I thought this was excellent! There is a strong thread of dark humour throughout which I absolutely loved. I would describe it as a satire on the class system in the UK. Most of the characters were horrendously awful and it made for a very satisfying read when their misdemeanors caught up on them.
I absolutely loved this book, I felt it was very cleverly written.

Another fabulously dazzling read from Louise Candlish. A relevant tale about wealthy Londoner's buying second homes in beautiful locations. A big cast of characters to get your head around (and an awful lot of them not the nicest) but worthwhile investing the time as the story gets better and better. The people range from arrogant, crazy and just plain stupid! I loved every moment. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.