Xmas Break

By: J. E. Rowney

Narrated by: Ann Fritz

When Isla reluctantly accepts her estranged sister Clara's invitation to spend Christmas at a luxury mountain retreat, she expects awkward family tension – not a fight for survival. After years of silence following their mother's death, this holiday reunion seems too good to be true. And it is.

As a brutal snowstorm cuts them off from civilization, dark secrets begin to surface. With time running out and nowhere to run, two sisters must put aside years of mistrust to survive the night. But in a house full of lies, how do you know who to trust?

A pulse-pounding Christmas thriller that will make you think twice about accepting that family holiday invitation.

Perfect for fans of domestic suspense who like their Christmas cookies with a side of terror.

TWENTY FIVE CHAPTERS - ONE FOR EACH DAY OF ADVENT. WILL YOU BE ABLE TO WAIT, OR WILL THIS BE YOUR CHRISTMAS BINGE?

©2024 J. E. Rowney (P)2024 J. E. Rowney

unexpected plot twist!

Overall, I enjoyed the last 8 chapters of this book but it started off soooooooo slow. I almost DNF this book but I was reading it with my best friend so I had to finish. Glad I did because the ending was fairly likable and there was a plot twist I didn’t see coming but as someone just trying to get into thrillers, this one hasn’t quite sold me on the genre overall.

the plot continued to surprise me!

I love this quick burn book. it grabbed me from the beginning and wouldn't let go!

Narration could have been better!

Narration could have been better to make story line come alive a bit better. Overall, I guess it was alright. I’ll need to read it on Kindle to get a better insight.

Ok

Long story. Not believable story, why wait 3 years to have an issue. Hard to follow with narration.

Started out great them …….. boom….. thud

Started like a chilling cabin thriller… ended like a Lifetime Christmas special with attempted murder. 😂

The plot spends most of the time making Clara look suspicious, only to suddenly go “surprise — the husband did it for the money!” It felt cheap and not very psychological for a “psychological thriller.”

Loved the snowy vibes and found-family ending, but that twist? Weak.
2.5 stars.

Characters: ⭐⭐
(Kinda flat — Greg was the only standout.)

Plot: ⭐⭐½
(Great setup, undercooked reveal.)

Writing Style: ⭐⭐⭐
(Readable, good pace, just needed deeper layers.)

World Building / Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
(Snowy cabin isolation = the vibe was vibing.)

Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐
(Solid tension early, but the twist sagged.)

Structure: ⭐⭐
(Misdirection ≠ mystery. Twist didn’t feel earned.)

Resolution: ⭐⭐½
(Sweet ending but too Hallmark after a thriller.)

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐½
(So much potential… the villain reveal did it dirty.)

One-Word Summary: Whiplash

Also affecting stars is the claim it’s an advent read it starts 2 days before Christmas a true advent read follows the days, it does not and should not be marketed as an advent read