Jess and Rob have decided to spend the summer in a cottage by the sea. Jess works as a GP in an inner-London surgery where she often takes on too much, and gets far too emotionally involved in the lives of her patients. The reader is aware that Jess is currently not working, but it takes some time for us to know why. Rob is a script writer, always on the verge of great things, currently working on the script that will make his name. From the outside, this couple and their two small children appear happy and carefree, but the inner turmoils that they face daily are slowly simmering toward the surface. Her husband Rob is a screenwriter and has just landed his first major movie deal.as well as having two small children Sam and Ruby. Lovely fellow readers. It was the first book that I've read that for 12% or more I didn't know what's the name of the main character. Sure, it is mentioned in the synopsis, but I've read it a long time ago and I forgot. It was only then that it was mentioned, and then I've caught her name perhaps three times more. In the whole book. Nobody directed her with her name. Why? Were they all really so damaged, so deep into their own thoughts and problems? I think the main character, Jess, was so relatable. Her drive to help others, much to the detriment of her own happiness, could describe so many of us. There were also funny, relatable moments of 'keeping up with the Jones' that brought a lightness to the story. Other, more prominent characters were well-rounded, though I couldn't keep up with some of the lesser-mentioned characters and who I was reading about at times.

Ideally, we would publish every review we receive, whether positive or negative. However, we won’t display any review that includes or refers to (among other things): Jess, a doctor, has been having some problems at work. She also doesn't feel she is getting enough support from her husband. But perhaps this trip to the seaside will be just what she needs. Jess has a high demanding job not just as a partner in a GP practice but also volunteering for the safeguarding team. The author asks intelligent questions, she excavates – why is Jess’ father behaving in this out of character way; what is it that contributed — maybe caused — her sister’s anorexia, and why is fellow holiday maker, Helen, so aggravatingly perfect? After a complaint by a patient Jess was asked to take some time off away from work but as things escalated she needed more than just two weeks leave.One thing that is missing from your family is quality time. If your family is anything like mine, there are a lot of things going on at any given time. The kids are in school, activities, sports, scouts and/or church. The adults are working, commuting, doing yard work, shopping, cooking, and cleaning. All of that activity can make it difficult to find time to just slow down, enjoy one another and leave the busyness of the world behind. A family retreat can be the perfect solution to help you slow down, enjoy one another and leave the busyness of the world behind. A family retreat can be just the thing to help your family reconnect with one another and refocus on what is important. What are the goals of a family retreat? I enjoyed the author's observations; her characters were rich and detailed, and I found their behaviours to be astutely depicted. The description of the women in the story having to manage men's emotions, to dim their own feelings to make room for the men in their lives was interesting food for thought, making me think about instances from my own life. The story was compelling and engrossing.

So forget this being "the perfect chance to unwind and spend time together", as Jess has priorities all wrong and I was unusually annoyed by the fact that she couldn't take a few weeks off. The Dorset setting is used well, but there's just a lot going on so you're never in the holiday mood. Even her parents come to visit, so it feels like this family had moved to a new town rather than taking a break. We recommend Wonderment, a retreat festival held once a year in September in Berkshire, UK. A retreat by day, featuring a full programme of workshops and family activities, including yoga, and a joyous festival by night. This intimate, friendly and inclusive hybrid offers a weekend away of complete balance and joy. On arrival, guests are greeted with delicious plant-based appetisers and a cold glass of Wonderment water. During the retreat, the chef and team provide three delicious plant-based meals per day with large portions to keep you nourished throughout. What happens at a yoga retreat? Jess communicates on a weekly basis with a therapist via the internet, having to go to a neighbour’s house where the signal is better. She befriends her neighbour Helen, who, similarly has two children, and the four young off-spring spend time together, trawling the beaches with their mothers. As the friendship grows, Helen starts to confide in Jess, sharing personal information. Meanwhile, Jess is struggling to piece together the snippets of information around the increasingly erratic behaviour exhibited by her father, whilst also still being sharply aware of her own sister’s mental health issues. It is a complex family dynamic that Jess understands but is forced to confront as she tries and keeps all the plates spinning. A lot of people are overwhelmed by their busy lives and are not able to spend much time with their families. A family retreat can help you re-establish your bond of love and relationship with your partner and children. It helps you get closer to each other and become a more united family. It also helps you have some fun time together in a place where you can do things that you enjoy as a family. It is also a great way to have a break from the daily routine. It helps you realize what is really important in your life. What happens at a family retreat?A family retreat is an opportunity for a family to spend time together in a relaxing, stress-free environment. The purpose of a family retreat is entertainment, rest, and relaxation . Many families enjoy using family retreats as a way to spend quality time together as a family and to give them an opportunity to get to know each other more. Family retreats can be very beneficial to a family because the retreat is fun for the kids and also gives the parents a break from the everyday pressures of life. They’re also a great tool for parents to relax, recharge and find time for themselves. It's an all-around win-win! What are family retreats for?

The narrative focuses on the female characters, the mothers, and their desire to protect their children. The author is a former clinical psychologist, which came across in the astute observations about human behaviour and in Jess's therapy sessions, in particular. Centred on a short period of time during two families' summer holidays, in idyllic Dorset, this is slow-burning with hidden secrets, where I felt invested in Jess and her holiday neighbour, Helen. There was a dramatic twist in the tale, which brought the potential tragedy closer to home. The ending, whilst tragic, was satisfying and justified, compared with the alternatives, although I did struggle with the open ending of the cause of Jess's father's behaviour. Jess is a GP and is hoping for a lovely break in Dorset. She immerses herself into village life immediately and meets a mother with children similar to hers in ages. They form a friendship but Jess feels it is very one sided as she is really trying but Helen is very closed. Spending days with the children on the beach seems idyllic but Helen only starts to show another side when she gets calls from her sister. Jess is struggling with not coping well as a GP and a parent so gets involved with Helen to help her sister but trouble is on the horizon and neither see it coming.She meets another woman who is staying at the cabins for the summer, and she has two children roughly the same age as Jess's. Although Jess finds Helen a little stand-offish at first, she soon finds herself embroiled in this woman's life. This idyllic Dorset cottage might just be the perfect escape. But when the neighbour hints at a dire predicament, Jess puts the idea of sun-kissed, sandy bliss on hold. Like a door nudged ajar, the lure of solving someone's problems invites her in.

First, I admit that I really disliked the first 50% of this book (which made it a long haul). It moved very slowly, and it seemed so predictable, but not all of it was. Fuelled by a heady rush of altruism, she decides to act - a choice that will have unforgettable, potentially devastating consequences. GP Jess, her writer husband Rob and their children Sam and Ruby retreat to a seaside cottage for a month as Rob believes Jess in particular needs a break from their London life. At a fundraising event Jess meets Helen, their initial meeting is not auspicious but then something changes when Helen asks for Jess’s help. Jess is a GP in the East End of London and a mother of two young children. From the outset, the reader is aware that her professional behaviour has been questionable of late, and so she is taking a break. Gradually, as the story progresses, it becomes clear what has happened and how her responses – conditioned by her experiences within her own family – have brought about a level of misjudgement that has affected her clinical work. Rob, her husband, organises a few weeks in a rental cottage in Dorset. It’s away from the daily pressures of work but stuffed, as they all are, into a tiny cottage, her role in the family is brought into sharp relief. Rob then has to depart unexpectedly on an urgent work assignment, so Mum and the two young children are left to manage daily life.

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On holiday with her family, Jess starts to ingratiate herself with the other people living near her country cottage – villagers and visitors. And while on the surface, it is all sweeping beaches and sinking your toes into the sand here, there are several harrowing stories playing out beneath the picturesque surface. A horror is about to explode in the idyll. These guidelines and standards aim to keep the content on Booking.com relevant and family-friendly, without limiting expression or strong opinions. They're also applicable regardless of the comment's tone. This is a well-paced tale where tension builds slowly over the course of the book. I adored the sweeping, dramatic setting which could be picture perfect one minute and a brooding, angry, dangerous threat the next. There’s a sub-plot featuring Jess’s parents which I thought really added to the story. Making characters that already felt real to me even more believable. With the extended absence of husband Rob (away on a business trip in the US), with the strange behaviour of her father, with the pressure to return to work, with two young children to look after and the need to fit into a new community, it’s no wonder that Jess has the weight of the world on her shoulders. We will be teaming up with Uganda Adventure Safaris, accompanied by their professional guide, Chris, for the duration of the retreat. Chris will be showing us what makes Uganda so special as we hike the Murchison Falls and drive through 5 National Parks for a chance to see Elephant, Buffalo, Giraffe, Lion, Hyena and Leopard, just to name a few. We will set out on foot to trek Gorilla and Chimpanzee, which will for sure be one of the most memorable experiences of your life...whilst also focusing on your yoga practice."