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  • The Family Holiday

  • Written by: Shalini Boland
  • Narrated by: Katie Villa
  • Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (25 ratings)

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The Family Holiday

Written by: Shalini Boland
Narrated by: Katie Villa
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Publisher's Summary

Two families. One house swap. A vacation to die for.

The white-washed Italian villa is perfect. I thought it might feel odd, living in a stranger’s house for the summer, but as my husband and children swim in the infinity pool, I start to relax. And then, in the back of a wardrobe, I find something that shatters everything....

Sparkling green eyes, square jaw, lopsided smile. A young man with his arm around a beautiful woman. The picture is old and faded, but I’d recognize him anywhere. The man is my husband.

But we’ve never met the family we’ve swapped homes with, and my husband swears it isn’t him in the photo. He’s lying. We argue on the balcony with the sun setting behind us, and I storm out.

When I finally calm down enough to go back to the villa to confront him, I find his dead body sprawled across the veranda.

Who killed my husband? Was our marriage a lie? And are my children now in terrible danger?

©2022 Shalini Boland (P)2022 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

What listeners say about The Family Holiday

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  • AFH
  • 2023-08-09

What a Suspenseful story!!!

I absolutely Loved this book. What a suspenseful plot. The twist and turns and complex story line had me listening to this in one night.
Beautifully written again by Shalini Boland she never disappoints and I love her writing. I have now ordered all of her books and have listened to most. The narration by Katie Villa keeps you engrossed in the story. She did an amazing job.
It’s a tremendous pleasure for me to recommend this book.
Absolutely worth a Credit.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Simple Story

Very simple story line… I thought it would be more interesting… it was not. Very predictable.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A twisty mystery

This was my first story written by Shalini Boland. I hated to stop listening and finished it in two days. The story grabbed me right from the first words. The narrator was excellent and I loved all the twists and turns.

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  • Bitten and Seven Are The Best Kitties In Heaven
  • 2022-04-02

Remarkably Terrible

I can’t believe how disappointing this book was.
Not one of these characters is fleshed out or developed, none of these people have dimension.
The protagonist is inexcusably weak from start to finish, and this was the most painful part,
A female author writing about a weak and spineless female who, in spite of overwhelming evidence that there is something clearly and obviously going on here, never gets hip to this fact.
She allows her husband to sideline her, walk all over her, and has the mentality of a victim who doesn’t seem to mind being a victim very much.
Nothing is her fault, she’s got a plethora of clear and relevant FACTS that she’s being manipulated and lied to yet she continuously enables and co-sign this behavior to the bitter end.
This story had such a perfect set up for a wonderful book.
But no.
It turns into a ridiculously nonsensical tale that no one could possibly believe filled with characters that are either just plain horrible, or they are weak, stupid, ridiculous and poorly developed.
I am actually a fan of Shalini Boland, but this was a throwaway.
Time and money wasted because I believed this book would be at least almost as entertaining as her other offerings.
I am sad to say that this book was truly awful and I wish I had that credit back.
Don’t waste your time or money here.
The narration was excellent, it’s the only reason I was able to finish it.

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83 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Julia S
  • 2022-05-15

Save your money!

I am 10 chapters in and I have NEVER encountered a book so bad I wrote a review mid way through. From the weak, nervous female lead, the stereotypical distant, vaguely misogynistic husband and the annoying children this is unlistenable.

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37 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Sandra
  • 2022-05-07

Great!

Excellent example of living with a narcissist.
Really highlights the way they manipulate and gaslight even after being confronted with verifiable facts.

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30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • ROBIN
  • 2022-04-18

Such a WEAK lead character

I was drawn in to the story right away, and for the most part it held my attention. But the main female character desperately needed to find her backbone. For most of the story I felt annoyed. There was really only one or two likable characters, and they only had small parts.
The other frustration was the narration. She reads very well, but unless you are paying very close attention, you won't know which character is speaking, because there is so little variation.

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Sam-Mom/Teacher
  • 2022-04-30

The Family Holiday

I enjoyed the story. You never know what people can be hiding even those closest to you. Beth was too catering to her husband's feelings (walking on eggshells hoping not to upset) for me, but I know there are truly women who are like that. It just makes me happier that my marriage doesn't work like that.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2022-06-29

enjoyed it

once I got over my hatred for the controlling, demeaning husband, the story kept me interested.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Stephanie Barber-Haile
  • 2022-05-04

Wow, what a wild ride!!

What a story! This book gripped me from the beginning, and I hated for it to end. I love this author's books, but this has to be one of my favorites. It is well- written and well-performed.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2022-05-10

Love this author

Shalini Boland is my new favorite audible author. I have listened to every one of her audible books except the vampire books (I don't care for vampire stories or movies). She never lets me down. Her books are always good, in my opinion, and I love her narrators Katie Villa and Lucy Price-Lewis.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Geoffrey Gauntt
  • 2022-06-09

So boring

If you can suffer through the first 5 hours, the remaining is ok. Good narration, but nothing ever happens in the story.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Ashley Williams
  • 2022-05-04

Wonderful escape!

Greatly enjoyed this! It descriptions of the Amalfi coast as well as English countryside were welcome escape! The story was Well Crafted with an interesting cast of characters. I will certainly read this author again, I also thought the narration was superb!

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8 people found this helpful

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