Her Last Holiday

I had already read this book when I got approved for the audiobook, so I will state again that I enjoyed the story very much, it is fast paced and really packed with twists and turns right to the end. It is true that the many characters and their name change might be a bit confusing at times, but it is so well written that this is just a secondary feature. The storyline is extremely captivating and very well delivered in my opinion. And the narrator made it even more enjoyable, very good work!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Fran is determined to find out what really happened to her younger sister, Jenna, during a wellness retreat in the Med. Jenna disappeared but authorities believe she killed herself by jumping off a cliff into the ocean after a wellness activity went terribly wrong. Fran doesn’t believe it, and has joined mindfulness guru Tom Wade on a retreat to try to ferret out the truth. Tom has just been released from prison after being charged with deaths of two of his clients. Fran believes Tom is up to his old tricks and is determined to make sure he doesn’t kill anyone else, while uncovering the truth about her sister’s disappearance. Told from both past and present narratives, Corbett’s crisp no nonsense delivery is an excellent counterpoint to this suspenseful story

What a story. It kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. All you want is for Fran to find the answers she is looking for.
Tom Wade didn’t seem to get a very long sentence for the deaths of two people, so you know there are unanswered questions.
I thought Fran was mad, going on a holiday run by the man she felt killed her sister. But I did understand why she needed to find out for sure.
There are some real, heart stopping moments in this book- not wanted to spoil the story- I’ll say no more.
I listened to this book as an audio book. The narrator really brought the book to life. The different voices used really worked to clarify who was who.
Well worth a read. It’ll keep you on your toes.

Couldn’t wait to get stuck in as I’m a fan of C.L Taylor. I was engaged from the the beginning. I love Claire Corbett as a narrator, she adds a lot to a listen. There is a dual storyline of past and present which is always a firm favourite of mine as your only given enough information so your mind goes into overdrive. I didn’t find any of the characters that likeable which is unusual not to like even one 😆. It’s well written and the pace was perfect for this storyline. There are a good few characters to get to grips but a few chapters in and you know whose who. I was expecting a different ending but it was a really good listen that never let up.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook that will be published on the 27th of April.

Perfectly Paced...
An idyllic wellness retreat on the beautiful island of Gozo may not be all it seems in this wholly addictive, compulsive suspense which shows C.L. Taylor on top form. A taut and chilling plot populated with a credible cast makes for fully satisfying and utterly escapist listen. Clare Corbett gives a first class performance with a perfectly paced narration.

Wow, I really enjoyed this! I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it since my book friends either loved it or hated it. I can happily say that this one really worked for me. I listened to this as an audiobook and loved the narrator.
So many things happen in the story and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many screwed up people trying to hang out! And as everything started to unfold I just couldn’t predict one thing. Brilliant!
What happened on those retreats?
Who was responsible?
Great crazy characters and I loved the drama. This was mysterious and had me gripping the edge of my seat the entire time.
I highly recommend it.
Thanks to Avon Publishers via Netgalley for this audiobook. I’m voluntarily leaving my review.

4.25* I really enjoyed the book. I had the 🎧 audio version narrated by Clare Corbett. The narrator is very good, she does 3 very different voices for the 3 narrators.

Fran is pushed into investigating her sister’s disappearance by her domineering and hateful mother from a retreat called Soul shrink retreats which helps the depressed and stressed. Jenna disappeared 3 years previously when the retreat was based in Malta, there were 2 deaths at the retreat which resulted in Tom being jailed. He is now released and the retreat has reopened in North Wales,so Fran is booked in under a pseudonym by her mother and emotionally blackmailed into attending.
Tom is a charismatic self professed guru.
The writing style is light hearted in tone and very easy going with gentle humour.
It’s got a good pace. We are told the story from Fran’s point of view in the present and Jenna is in the past at the time of her retreat stay. There’s some input too from Kate in both past and present. She is the organiser of the retreat and secret wife of Tom.
The characters develop nicely through the book. Not all the characters are likeable. Fran grew on me, she is frosty, brittle and socially awkward. She is 12 years older than her duster and didn’t have a close relationship. Her relationship with her parents is awkward to say the least.
Jenna is referred to as having disappeared and also referred to as being dead, which has been determined as suicide. This aspect felt a bit wishy washy.
The suspense and tension ramps up as the twists and turns develop.
The sweat tent symbolism had me chuckling with its corniness.
A fav quote from the book ‘ the heat was turned up to incinerate all human life’
The ending was quite emotional, I do have an issue with believability though, on one aspect.

I’m new to C.L Taylor books so I can’t compare to any others but I must say this one was very good and left me on the edge of my seat throughout.
This is the story of Fran who’s sister Jenna disappeared whilst on a wellness retreat in the Mediterranean two years ago.
Tom Wade who runs the wellness retreats has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for killing two people but he has never let on what happened to the third victim. Jenna.
Fran wants to find out happened what has happened to her sister so she books herself on to the retreat to do just that.
Of course nothing is straightforward and Fran is putting herself in danger.

I am fairly new to this genre so the twists and turns really surprised me. I just wanted to keep going. I think the narrator really added to the suspense throughout and I actually felt on edge whilst listening.

Following the death of two attendees at a wellness retreat in Gozo the leader of Soul Shrink Tom Wade is sent to prison. But someone else also died. Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared from a cliff top, did she commit suicide or was she murdered? Fran attends the next Soul Shrink event, determined to find out the truth but all is not quite what it seems. A clever storyline with an unexpected ending.

Great book with great twists. I enjoyed the narrators voice it was quite soothing to listen too. When Fran goes in a retreat her sister attended to find out what lies behind Jennas su use she is shocked and uncomfortable around the guests.

‘Her Last Holiday' as an audiobook is well worth a listen. It tells the story of Fran, who, under pressure from her mother, goes undercover on a spiritual retreat, in an attempt to ascertain the truth behind the disappearance of younger sister, Gemma, 3 years previously.

The story is told in a 'past' timeline from the viewpoint of Gemma, and a 'present' timeline from Fran. Several characters feature in both timelines. Tom, the guru behind the retreat and his controlling wife, Kate, in addition to 3 guests who have attended both retreats. Which, if any, of these characters is behind Gemma missing, presumed dead, status?!

This is a gripping stôry, and felt both original and authentic. The narrator did a fantastic job, rising to the challenge when several accents were called for!

Overall I would recommend this audiobook for listeners of the mystery / thriller genre, and I thank Netgalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy books by CL Taylor and once again, I’m not disappointed. Her Last Holiday is an intricate and twisted thriller filled with psychologically complex characters. Central character Fran is on a mission to find out whether her sister’s death at a wellness retreat was really suicide. The organisers are creepy. One is bossy and manipulative, the other is an unknown quantity having just been released from prison. In addition to the suicide, there were two deaths at the retreat and one of the organisers was culpable.

This is a tale that’s filled with slightly weird people. They’re all a little quirky in different ways, which adds to the suspense because as the plot develops, it’s difficult to know whose narrative is reliable. The viewpoint switches between past and present as the details emerge, but it’s impossible to second guess and there’s a subplot of revenge running through the present theme. It’s very clever and the narration is superb. Tense and twisted, impossible to second guess where it will all end and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My thanks to the publisher for an audible version.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and C.L Taylor for an ARC in return for an honest review.

C.L Taylor is the undisputed queen of thrillers!

What a fantastic book. I read this in one reading, I was completely gripped. I will recommend this to everyone. It was so satisfying. I loved the whole thing! It was even more captivating in audio !

If you look a book that draws you in and won’t let you put in down till the very last page then this is that book.
I loved the way the author kept throwing little clues into the mix. I certainly didn’t expect the ending I got.
Tom Wade has just been released from prison. He’s the man who is behind Soul Shrink retreats. On serving his sentence his dutiful wife Kate is waiting for him to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
Two years ago the couple were leading a wellness retreat. Unfortunately two people died and one woman Jenna went missing. People believing she committed suicide.
With Tom and Kate restarting the retreats Fran who is Jenna’s sister enrols herself. Desperate to discover what actually happened to her sibling. But by uncovering the truth is she putting her life in danger.
I reviewed this book by an audiobook. The narrator brought the characters to life for me and made the swapping between timelines so easy. If you want a summer audiobook or beach read. Then this is it. I cannot praise C.L. Taylor enough.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I particularly enjoyed this book as an audiobook as it made me feel more engaged with the storyline and really bought the characters to life.
The story was full of suspense, hidden clues and twisty turns. Really very enjoyable

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK (Avon Books) for approving me for an audio ARC of this book. I have a few of C. L. Taylor’s books sat on my bookcase and have always been intrigued by the synopsis but not got round to picking any up. When this popped up on NetGalley I thought it was the perfect way to be introduced to the author.

The story is told from three POV, Jenna, Fran and Kate, switching from past to present events. Jenna books herself on a wellness retreat in Gozo after discovering something deeply upsetting. Whilst there she befriends the other members of the retreat and starts to work through her troubles. Throughout Jenna’s story I was anxiously waiting to discover what happened to her. Did she die, commit suicide? Was she murdered? If so then by who?

Two years later and Jenna’s sister Fran is booked onto a wellness retreat with the same organisers that her sister used. Fran is there because her mother, Geraldine, has forced her. Fran does want to know what happened to Jenna but she isn’t entirely comfortable being around Tom Wade, who was imprisoned for the deaths of two people.

Finally we have Kate’s story. She’s the wife of Tom Wade and has been trying and struggling to keep things afloat whilst he was in prison. With him out she thinks this is their opportunity to gain back control of the lives they had before the Gozo retreat. Kate’s story also dips into the Gozo retreat and we start to learn what actually happened there.

Out of the three main characters I thought Fran’s story was most interesting. She started as a cold person who obviously hadn’t received much love growing up. She wasn’t into cuddles, saying I love you or sharing how she felt emotionally but I did like her candid nature. I also thought she was quite clued up and had great investigative skills, her and Caroline made a great pair and often made me giggle at their conversations. By the end of the story I felt she had learnt a lot about herself, she remained her true candid self but she was warmer and more open to uncomfortable situations.

Overall this story started off very pacey and hooked me in very quickly. I loved the back and forth of the different time frames and found it really difficult to stop listening. The only let down for me was the ending. There were aspects of it that didn’t make sense and I hadn’t seen it going that way. There were almost too many reveals and it made it hard to understand Jenna’s action.

C L Taylor has done it again. This is a cracking psychological thriller told from the POV of 3 women. Jenna died under mysterious circumstances whilst attending a retreat run by Tom Wade, the SoulShrink, on the island of Gozo. Her sister, Fran, is trying to find out the truth and is attending the SoulShrink's latest retreat in Wales. Kate is Tom's wife.

I was hooked right from the first page, trying to work out what had happened to Jenna, and who was responsible. Just when I thought I knew where the book was going Ms Taylor threw in another twist to bend my mind! The three women are all brilliant, interesting characters, and there's a whole host of strange characters attending the retreat in Wales.

Clare Corbett is a brilliant narrator and made this book a joy to listen to.