REVIEW: Vacation Wars by Meghan Quinn

Vacation Wars by Meghan Quinn: What was supposed to be a fun girls trip to Santorini with her sister and two best friends soon turns into the war of the century for Tessa, when her girl gang decide to make it their mission to help her find a chance at forever love. And so the set up wars begin, the only problem being the fact that Tessa wants absolutely nothing to do with this little matchmaking scheme! Luckily for her it would seem that fate is on her side, when a blast from her past comes back into her life to give her a helping hand. Which is how Tessa finds herself teaming up with her childhood crush Myles to try and foil all of her sister’s set up plans… it really is the perfect plan seeing as Myles needs a bit of a distraction from his own family issues. However as Tessa and Myles begin to spend more and more time together they both realise that just maybe their old feelings for each other actually might have a chance for a future…but first they need to figure out how to turn an island fling into the real thing…

“You make me feel special. Despite my awkwardness and my stumbling, you still look at me in this way that creates this ball of confidence deep in my bones.”
“How do I look at you?” …
“Like I belong to you. Like there’s no one else on this island that could garner your attention the way I can. Like you’ve been waiting for me for so long, and I’ve finally shown up.”

LOVED!!! I know that I say this for all of Quinn’s books but I really think this was one of her best books to date. Vacation Wars checks every box that is needed in turning a good romcom into a great romcom! This book is packed with laugh out loud moments and such great characters that it was impossible not to get drawn into the story. This really was more than just a cute holiday love story.

Tessa was a total treat to read, she was a hot cringy mess and I loved how she embraced this side of herself. She was so hilarious and I loved that she was okay with her quirky side. There was something very relatable about her and how she got flustered around Myles, I think the fact that she was so easy to relate to made me love her character all the more. More than anything Tessa had a heart of gold, she was genuinely a great person that wanted to help the people that matter to her. I really enjoyed getting to see her find her way through all those awkward moments.

There is nothing quite as nice as having some holiday eye candy as you are finding yourself in life and for that guy to grow into the hottie that is Myles, well that is just a total bonus! I think it is safe to say that Myles stole my heart right from the very first chapter, this guy was easily one of the sweetest heroes that I have ever read. I loved how supportive and encouraging he was when it came to giving Tessa peep talks. More than this we really got to see his heart of gold in the way he viewed his relationship with his parents. I really liked the fact that Myles had his own storyline aside from being eye candy. I really enjoyed getting to see him try to rebuild his relationship with his father and explaining his reasons for leaving.

Tessa and Myles just made sense together, these two balanced each other in a way that they both needed. I loved seeing their relationship grow from the shy childhood crush to this awkwardly cute friendship as adults, but more than this I loved seeing them support each other. I loved seeing them grow closer as they tried to out smart Roxane and the girls.

As for the supporting characters well this is where things got a bit tricky for me, on one hand I loved the whole idea of Tessa being so close to her sister and their little girl gang – they had a Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants vibe going on but with a bottle of perfume – but on the other hand their relationship did feel a bit toxic at times. I loved the idea that they wanted to help push Tessa out of her rut and help her find love again but at the same time they really did not take her feelings into consideration.

Vacation Wars is a total must read! This super cute and quirky second chance romance will leave you in fits of giggles while you root on Myles and Tessa as they get up to a bunch of island shenanigans.

Book Info:

Publication: April 18, 2023 | Montlake |

Prepared for a good time, Tessa is thrilled to spend the weeks before her sister’s wedding at their family’s favorite vacation spot: Santorini. Sandy beaches, stonewashed houses, attractive men—it’s heaven. But Tessa’s idea of a girls’ trip comes to a screaming halt when her sister thinks it’s high time Tessa finds some love herself. Unfortunately, Tessa forgot about the deal she made back in high school: she has to find her soulmate before her sister’s wedding. Or else . As she dodges suitors and her sister’s pranks, Tessa finds an ally in the oh-so-dreamy Myles, her childhood crush who just so happens to work at the resort. But Myles is dealing with some family conflict of his own. He’s elated at being reunited with Tessa, but his father’s refusal to acknowledge his interest in the family business and relegating him to only grunt work casts a dark cloud. As Tessa and Myles help navigate their way through their families’ antics, they begin to realize that their past feelings may have a future—if only they can turn their island fantasies into something real.