What I Read On Holiday (Ft. NetGalley)

If you follow me on Instagram, then you will know that I have just come back from a 10-day holiday with my family.

It was the first summer holiday I’ve had in a few years and the break was very much appreciated! You know by now that one of my favourite things to do is to simply be still with a book and for ten days that is all I had to do.

I managed to get quite a bit of reading done on my sun lounger and thought I’d share it all with you here. All of these books were read on my Kindle.

• Stay Sexy, Don’t Get Murdered – The Definitive How-To Guide: Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff (5/5)

If you’ve been to this blog before, then you know I’m a huge fan of the podcast My Favourite Murder. This is the hosts’ book and it is a dual-memoir that sort of dabbles in self-help.

I absolutely loved this book! However, I loved this book because I’m such a huge fan of the podcast and the wonderful women who host it. This certainly is a book for fans, so if you don’t like My Favourite Murder then don’t waste your time.

I loved getting to know more about Karen and Georgia. The book has a very chatty and humorous tone, much like the podcast, and it was a perfect book to read while chilling out. I’ve listened to the podcast so much that I kinda think Georgia and Karen are my friends and this book felt like you were catching up with your mates.

• All Eyes On Us : Kit Frick (Proof – 4/5)

I recently signed up to NetGalley and this was my first approved proof. As a massive reader and a budding blogger, you can only imagine my excitement when the download was finished!

All Eyes On Us is YA and came out on 13th June. It is a thriller that has very similar tones to Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale, so if you like that kind of thing then you’re certain to love this book.

I love YA because it is so easy to read and I found this book very captivating. We follow two main characters who are both being plagued by a anonymous caller. With some shocking twists, this book very was gripping and I really enjoyed it.

It also has some LGBT representation which you know I’m all there for.

• The Fear : C L Taylor (5/5)

This is a thriller and crime novel that I’ve had my eyes on for ages and finally decided to treat myself before I went away.

I love thrillers because they keep you entertained and are very easy to fly through. However, I had yet to find one that I absolutely adore – until now. The Fear deals with a relationship between a school girl and an adult man, but Taylor handles it in such a clever way.

This book is shocking, gripping and is certain to keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through. I found it very emotional and for once was not disappointed with the ending. You feel connected to the main character and it is very well written.

It has the potential to be triggering for those who have issues surrounding grooming, so be mindful when you’re next book shopping.

• The Last Place You Look : Kristen Lepiobka (4/5)

My brother managed to win some free Kindle books for me during the McDonald’s Monopoly thing and this was one of them.

Now I know I’m going to sound like a snob, but for that reason alone I wasn’t expecting much. But as I’ve explained, I love thrillers because they keep me hooked and entertained for a while – which is exactly what this book did.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book and how quickly I flew through it. It is the first in a series from this author, but it is possible to read it on it’s own as each book deals with its own case. As it is a first book, there was a lot of drama being set up but I didn’t mind too much and the main case was super interesting in its own right.

If you read a lot of thrillers, then you may not be as surprised as I was by the twist, but there is still plenty to keep you going with this book. The writing is great and I really want to read more from this author in the future.

• Dead Simple : Peter James (3.5/5)

This was another McDonald’s freebie and the last book I read on my holiday. Like The Last Place You Look, this book is the first in a very long detective series so there were a few storylines being set up throughout.

I enjoyed this book and it did keep me entertained, but I have to admit that I found it a touch more boring than everything else I’d read previously. There were just sometimes that I felt that there was unnecessary detail or too much time spent on one particular moment.

But the premises was quite interesting – a stag do ends terribly when four of the groomsmen are killed in a car accident and the groom is buried alive.

There was more to this book than I previously thought and it was a good holiday read, but not my favourite and I don’t really want to read any more in the series.

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I’m so glad that I managed to get some quality reading time in while I was away. I’m hoping to keep up my habit of reading as often as possible now I’m home, because it makes me feel good.

What have you read recently?

Speak soon,

Rachael.