Reviews with content warning for Drug use - Rachel's Holiday

bit of a slow read, but a pretty good journey through rachel’s life and grappling with her addiction. Not sure how factual it really is, but it could give good insight into helping addicts and understanding the process of rehabilitation.

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beckyyreadss's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you, Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing, for sending this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is based on Rachel Walsh. She has a pair of size 8 feet and likes to do drugs socially whilst she was in New York. After an “accidental” overdose according to Rachel – her family gets her back home to Ireland and gets her into an expensive rehab centre called Cloisters. Rachel only agrees to this incarceration because she heard that the rehab is wall-to wall jacuzzies, gyms and celebrity going cold turkey and it’s about time she had a holiday. But what Rachel doesn’t count on are the toe-curling embarrassments heaped on her by her family and group therapy. So how she must endure this rehab programme whilst wanting sex, drugs and the busy social life of New York. This book is an adult fiction.

This book was tough. Please make sure you check the trigger warnings before reading this book. The storyline can be so impactful. It sort of shows what happens when you think your actions aren’t hurting anyone and you are just having fun and being social and then reading the impact of her actions from her ex-boyfriend and roommate and family. This book shows the real struggle of being an addict and seeing it from Rachel’s point of view from her judging the addicts to realising she is one was heart breaking. What I liked about this book is as you read more and more you see the twists and how Rachel managed to find herself down this dark past and how she managed to recover. I wouldn’t say there was any weaknesses, I just prefer longer chapters compared to the short chapters as there were in this book.

After reading his book, I saw that Marian Keyes has written more books regarding the Walsh family and I am intrigued to read more about them that I might have to read the other books.

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geraldinerowe's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A better example of the chick lit genre, but it is still chick lit. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but it's not my bag. The story arc is exactly what you expect it to be, but getting there is a pleasure as it's so well written.

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lizinatorxo's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

i fell in love with rachel immediately, but there were so many times where i actually wanted to slap her. she’s so far into denial that you just want to give her a good shake but when she comes to her senses it’s so ????

when luke came to the cloisters i thought i was going to lose it!!!! he’s so !!!! and then at the end i was like :/ why did she just let him walk away! but then he came back!!!

luke costello was in fact too good for her

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