The Getaway by Rona Halsall had me pulled in and completely hooked from the very start.

Maddie and her boyfriend Tom are taking a break in Croatia when they meet Alex and Ed, a couple who share with them their positive experience of being digital nomads. The idea appeals to Maddie, and after a brief convo with Tom, the two decide on a house swap when Alex says that she needs to get back urgently to the UK. But almost immediately, Maddie begins to question the sanity of turning her home over so easily to virtual strangers.

There are twists galore here, and I was propelled through the pages. This is another compelling read from the always reliable Rona Halsall.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an early copy of The Getaway. Wow what a cover, simply Gorgeous!!!! This book reeled me right in, such fast reading and some of the characters were just devious enough to make you think what is happening?? I knew right from the beginning it was a scam and Maddie was very gullible. I liked not knowing who was speaking truth, it kept me guessing. Loved the book, the only part that was anti climatic was the epilogue, didn't love it. Otherwise, strap your seatbelt on and enjoy the ride.

Maddie and her partner Tom are enjoying a much needed getaway in beautiful Croatia, they both dream of living and working abroad, then Maddie is befriended by the lovely Alex and her partner Ed and, after hearing about their digital nomad life, Maddie knows this is what she's also craving, so when Alex puts a proposal to her that they should swap places for two weeks, Maddie and Tom will stay in their apartment in Croatia and Alex and Ed go to their apartment in London, Maddie knows all she needs to do is convince Tom that it's what he wants too. Despite a nagging feeling they hand the keys over only to discover too late who Alex really is and the dreams they had turn into a living nightmare.

The Getaway is the latest thriller by Halsall and it hits the ground running. Told from the perspectives of Maddie and Tom and with events split between Croatia and London, the author takes the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns, jumping from one disaster to the next. I felt sorry for Maddie but couldn't believe the naivety of the woman, she was so gullible and trusting and this story certainly puts into perspective that you really should trust your gut instinct, if it sounds too good to be true then it generally is, but i could also see how she'd been swept away by the idealism of it all. As for Tom, he wound me up with all his secrets, and I didn't know from one minute to the next whether it was him or Alex that was telling the truth, because she was also definitely dodgy! Halsall crafts a fabulous plot with this latest tale and once again she has pulled it out of the bag and smashed it out of the park. Another fabulous read from one of my go to authors that I highly recommend.

I'd like to thank Boldwood Books and Netgalley for inviting me to read this, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

I did enjoy the book but the main character Maddie drove me absolutely mad! I got fed up hearing her questioning everything over and over but always going ahead and believing what she was told anyway. Gullible doesn't even cover it! However, thankfully by the end of the book she seemed to have wised up!
I think the book started off really well but it kind of went round in circles without too much happening. It was interesting to find out the back story of all the characters and why they behaved the way they did. I have enjoyed this author's books in the past but don't feel this one really hit the mark.

I'm a Rona Halsall fan. I love her books and The Getaway is her best one yet.

The Getaway is a gripping psychological thriller filled with twists and turns that I read it in one sitting. A very gripping read and a definite recommend
Thank you publisher and netgalley

All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

I absolutely love Rona Halsall and The Getaway was such a treat. This was the perfect holiday read fast paced, twisty, and utterly unputdownable. I found myself up late into the night desperate to see where the story would go

The changing settings and high stakes tension really drew me in. Maddie’s vacation escape quickly turned into a psychological rollercoaster that kept me flipping pages long after bedtime. The story’s suspense and unexpected twists kept me guessing right until the very end.

I will be highly recommending this especially for anyone who loves a gripping, page turning thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this thrilling book.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Getaway by Nora Halsall is out on July 25, and trust me—it needs to be on your summer TBR list!



Maddie and Tom are just looking for a relaxing break when they meet another couple, Alex and Ed, while on holiday. A casual conversation turns into a spontaneous house swap: Alex and Ed take over their London flat, while Maddie and Tom extend their stay in a dreamy getaway.



But what starts as a perfect escape quickly spirals into something much darker. Without giving too much away… let’s just say this is not the relaxing vacation anyone had in mind. Secrets unravel, tensions build, and the suspense doesn’t let up until the very last page.



Fast-paced and twisty, The Getaway is a gripping psychological thriller that explores trust, identity, and how well we really know the people we let into our lives.

Maddie and her partner Tom are enjoying a much needed vacation in Croatia when, early one morning as she sits enjoying coffee at a nearby café, Maggie makes a new friend. Bubbly Alex asks to share her table and, within minutes, Maggie thinks this woman could be her sister. They have so much in common! So when Alex proposes that they trade apartments for two weeks, Maggie jumps at the chance. Alex and her husband need to be in London because her mother is ill and Maggie…well, Maggie and Tom can continue their dream vacation. Sounds perfect, doesn't it? Remember that old saying “If it seems to be to good to be true…”? Within hours, Maggie is in the middle of a nightmare, one that just keeps getting worse.

What a wild ride The Getaway is! Although Maggie is a bit naive, she could never have seen this coming. The next few days will make her question everything she has been told by her partner and friends and will change her life forever. The Getaway is a fast read, full of almost constant action. Take this one to the beach and try to put it down long enough to go in the water! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rona Halsall for this ARC.

The Getaway is a gripping psychological thriller by one of my favourite authors Rona Halsall. This is a suspense filled novel that is fast paced and so difficult to put down.
Maddie and her long-time boyfriend Tom are desperate for a change, tired of their routine in London the long to work from home living abroad. A sunny beach town holiday is a good place to start where they meet a captivating couple who offer them the opportunity to swap homes for two weeks to test their dream of a new lifestyle.

Surely this is the perfect chance to try out their dream, but when Maddie and Tom hand over the keys to their London flat, cracks in the plan quickly begin to show. Their new “friends” aren’t who they claimed to be and suddenly, the couple finds themselves trapped in a living nightmare with no easy way out.

The story is well written and the tension is high, aided by the fast pace and the unease the couple feel. The characters are strong, especially Maddie who is eager for a fresh start to her current lifestyle. There are the customary twists and turns along the way to throw you off the scent which adds to the enjoyment.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Boldwood Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book they were apartment swapping what made it feel like home was the setting of the book because i was born in croatia so i loved the story line. there was a lot of twists and turns and i didnt know who to trust i also think that tom knew the whole time how weird it was to swap and had a bad feeling. It wasa clear who you can an cant trust in this book.

This was a pretty quick and fun read. A good beach read if you like a thriller with lots of twists. It is much more than the house swapping situation, which really just sets up the problem. I found Maddie to be a little frustrating in that shes considering being a digital nomad and uses technology well, but doesn’t share her location with anyone. Also I liked the idea of not knowing who to believe, but because of the way Tom’s chapters were written (not in 1st person), it was clear who to trust. I think I would have liked it better not knowing the full truth/story and who to believe until the end.

I just couldn't get into this one. I usually love Rona and maybe it was because I didn't have much time to read so it took me a while - but it was just 3 stars for me. Looking forward to the next one though!

Wow, this was a wild read that had my heart racing. I could not anticipate where this story was headed.

Would you temporarily swap houses with a stranger, to try out a digital nomad lifestyle? Sounds like a fantastic option right…

If you enjoy a twisty thriller story from the likes of Kiersten Modglin, Paula Hawkins, Freida McFadden or Jeneva Rose, then I definitely think you will enjoy this one too.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books.The book is twisty and I definitely wanted to find out what would happen.

Great page turner! Loved the storyline, and although the reader is very aware that Maddie and Tom are making a mistake, there is no hint of the gravity of it, or where it will lead. The twists then came thick and fast, and I was unable to put it down. There was nothing predictable about the ending, but it was very satisfying that all loose ends were secure. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Very very gripping. Part way through, I did not want to put it down or reach the end. Great read! Thanks @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

First, thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

This is my second book by Rona Halsall after the Soulmate, and I think I like it just as much as the other one. Even when it once again why I never would agree to a house swap of any sorts. I mean, you can never really be sure whom you invite into your home in cases like this. But Maddie and Tom did it anyway. And soon, the feeling grows that this is the worst mistake they have ever made after it was meant to be the start of their new life...

What can I say besides, get the book while you can? I was hooked from the start, reading it in almost one sitting in this heatwave and felt pleasently entertained while doing so. Highly recommended!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ARC Review
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read The Getaway by Rona Halsall.

This one was a mixed bag for me. It started off really slow, and I had a hard time staying engaged early on. I also spent a good chunk of the book being completely annoyed by Maddie. I get that people make mistakes under stress, but some of her decisions were just plain dumb. I kept hoping she’d snap out of it but nope, poor choices galore.

That said, the pace does pick up in the second half, and once things start unraveling, I was more invested. The twists were decent, and I enjoyed the overall concept. Not my favorite by Halsall, but still an okay read if you like domestic thrillers set somewhere remote and atmospheric.

#TheGetaway #NetGalley #ARCReview #RonaHalsall #ThrillerReads

The author's work is always a pleasure to experience. This particular book had me intrigued right from the start. It masterfully held my attention, making it difficult to put down. The story's twists and turns kept me guessing throughout the entire read. Overall, it was another page turner

“The Getaway” is a thriller by Rona Halsall. I thought the idea of this book was a good one - though the idea of house swapping is something that is not on my bucket list. I have a little bit of knowledge about the digital nomad lifestyle, so those parts seemed to match up with what I knew. I did find the main female character, Maddie, to be incredibly - well, gullible is the second word that comes to mind. There are a number of untrustworthy characters in this book, but I have to say that the ride to the ending was an interesting one.