Breakaway Books

Authored by Marian Keyes; Published 1997; Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Watermelon, the first novel in Marian Keyes’s series on the Walsh family, is a fun, romantic jaunt. I expected more of the same from Rachel’s Holiday, and I could not have been more wrong.

Rachel’s life in New York is glamorous and fun. Partying all the time, slacking off at her job, and, well, taking a lot of drugs. When she ends up in the hospital with her stomach pumped, her family forces her into rehab in Ireland. In serious denial about her drug problem, Rachel agrees to be admitted based only on the hope that she may meet some celebrities while undergoing treatment. What follows is an emotionally wrenching tale of confrontation with addiction and childhood pain.

I found the first half of this novel extraordinarily difficult to read. Rachel’s denial of her drug habit is immediately obvious to the reader, and listening to her repeatedly reject that she has a problem becomes tedious quickly. Her constant jokes grated on me, making it clear that she does not grasp the seriousness of the situation. But, once the therapists are finally able to get through to her, it is immensely satisfying to watch Rachel’s transformation. The lead counselor Josephine is *very* aggressive, jarringly so, but her talent in treating addicts is almost magical—likely unrealistically. Still, it is lovely to watch Rachel start her recovery journey with the support of both the staff and her fellow addicts in rehab.

Once Rachel gets out of rehab, the story remains painful, but somehow still hopeful. I was surprised to find that Rachel’s recovery and romantic life progresses on a somewhat unpredictable path. Hearing the awful things that her mom says to her made me wince, but her sisters’ solidarity, their encouragement to Rachel to believe in herself, brought a smile to my face. Overall, while it was not at all what I expected as a follow-up to Watermelon, this novel shows in stark detail just how addiction can ruin a person’s relationships, career, and health. It brings chick lit to a whole new level.

Rachel’s Holiday is not a light read, even if it does incorporate quite a bit of humor. While tough to read at times, it’s definitely worth it.