Rating: 
Summary: Marian Keyes does it again
Review: There is a reason Marian Keyes is one of my favorite authors. I think I read this book nearly two years ago. I was first introduced to Marian Keyes when my husband bought me Watermelon. When I finished it I knew I needed to have more! That began my search for her books. That is when I found Amazon.co.uk. I ordered everything she had written and pre-ordered one of her books that wasn't published yet. All of the books were well worth the extra cost to ship overseas and well worth purchasing from the UK. Rachel's holiday became my favorite. Which was amazing because I swore that I couldn't find a more entertaining book than Watermelon. Rachel's Holiday is a wonderfully entertaining book about Rachel, the sister of Watermelon's heroine Claire. Rachel is addicted to drugs and alcohol and nearly ruins her life although she thinks there isn't anything wrong. She looks at rehab as a "holiday", she could use a vacation anyway, and she might get to see some celebrities while she is there. This isn't your typical book about a 20-something hitting rock bottom and having to pick up the pieces of the life she has ruined. The story is so witty and so funny that I laughed out loud but it is much more than that. I really fell in love with this book and the author. I wait for her books the way kids wait for Harry Potter! Buy this book and you won't be disappointed. Better yet buy all of Marian Keyes' books.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely 5 Stars
Review: I cannot praise this book enough. It definitely transcends the genre of British Chick Lit (and don't get me wrong, I'm a big CL fan). It's funny and witty and full of romance, but it's also dark, shockingly painful, and full of realistic loneliness. Keye's masterful storytelling sucks you in ' the books starts out breezy and full of laughs (even though we find Rachel, our protagonist, in the hospital after she's almost killed herself with an overdose). Her family whisks her out of New York City and back to Ireland, to rehab. The use of flashbacks can be tricky ' in the hands of less adept writers, they're jarring and annoying ' but Keye's uses flashbacks to carefully reveal to us just what a horrible, horrible mess Rachel was. At the same time, you get inside Rachel's head, and despite what a wretched mess she is, you start rooting for her. The supporting cast is perfect, and they evolve too ' as you read, Luke moves from a macho caricature to a wonderful, sweet man (that the old Rachel truly didn't deserve!) But how many of us have had times in our lives when we felt about a wonderful guy the same way that the 'bad' Rachel did about Luke ' too caught up in what was supposed to be cool to notice the things that really matter. I especially found sister Helen to be a hoot ' at first I didn't like her character, but by the end you see that she loves Rachel in her own way and wants her to be well. Overall, you get much more than just a piece of lightweight fluff with 'Rachel's Holiday', it's funny and ultimately romantic, true. But it's thought-provoking and inspirational, as well. I'd also recommend 'Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married' but Rachel's Holiday is in a class of its own. (Although I do have 'Watermelon' in my stack of books to read ' the story of Rachel's big sister.)
Rating:
Summary: Really liked this book
Review: This was the first book I read by Marian Keyes, and I found it so enjoyable that I went out and bought several others of hers. You don't need to have read the first couple of books in the series to be up to speed about the characters in this one. Somehow Keyes has been able to write about ending up in detox and the course of the serious things Rachel goes through with a very funny edge, while still keeping it very believable (she went through it herself - more power to her - which I'm sure enabled her to describe situations so realistically). Entirely readable; would be a great airplane or vacation book.
Rating:
Summary: Addictive Reading
Review: Rachel's Holiday is a Walsh sister novel by Marian Keyes, so I expected it to be funny with fast-paced dialogue and a contemporary feel, and it was. I finished this story in record time because I couldn't put it down. What caught and held my attention, though, wasn't the humor. It was the realism with which Keyes portrayed Rachel's journey from denial to acceptance of her drug addiction. The novel is set partly in The Cloisters, a treatment center reputed to harbor and rehabilitate some of the world's most glamourous celebrities. Rachel arrives with valium in her suitcase expecting massages and seaweed wraps, and her bumpy trip towards clean living makes for entertaining as well as informative reading. I don't think I've ever read such a realistic treatment story, detailing the often-humourous ins and outs of an in-patient facility. The story speeds along a little too quickly after Rachel gets out of treatment, racing through the next year in the last twenty percent of the book. But in general, I was impressed by Marian Keyes's grasp of the recovery process--and I'm already impressed with her story-telling. Reading Rachel's Holiday was a nice mini-vacation in itself.
Rating:
Summary: Tackles a Serious Problem With Wit and Humor
Review: I picked up this book to read only knowing that is was supposed to be similar to Bridget Jones's Diary. As I read it, I realized that the two books really didn't have much in common, but this book was amazing in its own right. Rachel's "holiday" is actually a 2-month stay in drug rehab. I really liked the way we only saw her life through Rachel's eyes, until slowly she came to the realization that she did have a problem. Drug addiction is something that so many people can relate to...whether you've been through it yourself or know someone who has. Keyes tackles this issue with wit and sympathy. I felt so sorry for Rachel during her denial and so happy as she began to see herself the way her loved ones did. Despite its heavy subject, this book is still a light summer beach read. Almost every page contains a laughable scene, and there is an element of romance woven throughout the story. I highly recommend this book, and Keyes's companion piece "Watermelon", whose main subject is Rachel's sister Clare.
Rating: 
Summary: An emotion-evoking journey of drug addiction and recovery
Review: This book is very powerful. It tells the tale of Rachel, a drug addict in denial, who has destroyed her life and the lives of those around her. She is forced to seek help after an accidental overdose puts her in the hospital. From there, the book chronicles her very painful and slow path to recovery. Along the journey, you are introduced to many interesting people and colorful events that take place. As I read this book, I experienced the same emotions and feelings Rachel had: anger, fear, denial, shame, caution, compassion, hope and happiness. I think this is an incredibly well written book packed full of characters that you can identify with. It is obvious the author did plenty of research on the subject of addiction. This is the best story for addiction and recovery that I have ever read due to the feelings and accuracy that the author captures. Unlike other reviewers, I did not find this book to be incredibly funny. There were amusing parts, but I seemed to gain more from the emotional journey of Rachel's recovery than from the humorous aspects of the story.
Rating:
Summary: The best of the Walsh sisters
Review: "Rachel's Holiday" was the third of Keyes' books that I have read, the other two being "Watermelon" and "Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married." I decided to read it after hearing Marian Keyes at a book reading. Although depression and addiction were threads in her other novels, this book presented the most profound picture of a woman with substance abuse. Keyes is masterful using of humor to deal with dark subjects (Rachel's first impression of The Cloisters). Her skilled use of flashbacks made me both empathetic and angry at Rachel's behavior. Although the ending was too Hollywood and less believable, I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys women's stories.
Rating: 
Summary: Another visit with Irelands's Walsh sisters
Review: This is Keyes's second installment in a trio of books about the Walsh sisters--the book that preceeds it is Watermelon, which focuses on oldest sister Claire, and the third book is Angels, the story of Margaret, the second oldest. Rachel's Holiday features (of course) Rachel, the middle child of five sisters (the youngest two sisters, Helen and Anna, make appearances in all three of the books). Rachel has been separated from her family in Ireland for the past eight years and has been living with her roommate Brigit in New York City. After a night of "a little too march partying" lands her in the hospital to have her stomach pumped, Rachel is whisked back to Ireland by her sister Margaret and brother-in-law for a stay at The Cloisters, an inpatient addictions center. Although skeptical that she needs treatment, Rachel agrees, thinking that a spa vacation might be nice after all--hence the book's title. Not surprisingly, Rachel arrives at The Cloisters in a state of full denial; it slowly dawns on her that this is no holiday. Through both her own experiences and those of the other patients (or "inmates," as Rachel calls them), we see Rachel's attitude gradually begin to change. Although the majority of the book takes place within the treatment center, the story also follows Rachel's departure from The Cloisters and briefly recounts her life during the 1 1/2 years which follow. Marilyn Keyes is a funny, engaging writer, and she does a good job here of injecting humor into a serious topic. However, this light treatment of drug addiction makes it difficult to empathize with the real pain Rachel experiences at times, as her emotions tend to come off in a melodramatic fashion. Furthermore, I found it hard to believe Rachel's extreme denial about her own situation, especially in light of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary which Keyes reveals to the reader little by little (however, perhaps an actual survivor of addiction would find that the story rings true). Finally, at 592 pages, I found the book to be a bit too long to be the fun, light reading that it portends to be. Personally, I think that Watermelon was the best of these three books, but if you can't resist learning more about the other Walsh sisters, Rachel's Holiday and Angels are worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: Good Escape!
Review: I got this book for a gift from someone who has pretty much the same taists as I, I don't think I ever would have picked it up myself, but I stated reading it and could not put it down. The main charracter, as screwed up and flawed as she is, is SUCH a hoot. I could just relate to the bar scene and the lifestyle she leads from when I was in my twentys. The difference is, Rachels freinds grow up and become a little more responsible, and Rachel wants to keep partying and becomes a total mess. There are some very funny scenes that made me laugh out loud. I will be reading more by Marian Keyes for sure!
Rating:
Summary: An intriguing read..
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It is a first person account of an Irish woman's realization that she is a drug addict. It starts in New York City, but she quickly overdoses and is whisked off by her maladjusted family to a treatment center in Ireland. The book alternates between what is happening to her in the center and flashbacks to her life in New York. What I like best about this novel is the great job the writer does of showing how a person's self image is frequently not grounded in reality--especially in the case of an addict. The author also uses unique descriptors, similes, etc. It really adds to the entire book. What I liked least about the book was the epilogue. I felt like the book had one tone and a good ending then someone said "hey, we need a more romancy/happy ending." so this epilogue was tacked on. That is how it read. It just didn't fit. Also, I found this book shelved with romance novels. This is not a romance, so don't buy it expecting a romance plot. It is more chick lit. Give it a try.
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