The Vacation

Catalyst #4

by Samantha M. Thomas

Can reevaluating everything you thought you wanted out of your life prove to be the catalyst to live the life you’ve always dreamed of?

Jane
Plain Jane. It describes me more than I’d like it to. I’ve always played it safe. Instead of testing the waters myself, I use the pages of romance books to live vicariously the brave heroines.
When one of my best friends has a destination wedding, I decide this is the week I’ll be who I’ve always wanted to be. So I set up a plan to have a one-night stand and use him to learn about what I truly like.
The only problem is, I never saw a man like Pierce Vanstone coming.

Pierce
Owning a hotel and resort empire is all I know. Traveling around the world for most of the year doesn’t leave room for attachments, and I’m more than okay with that.
When my home away from home is booked, I’m more than a little annoyed. That is until I see the beauty who’s staying there.
My goal for the week is to get her under me by any means necessary. The chase only makes me want her more.

Can a vacation in a tropical paradise let you be who you always wanted to be? Or will the bubble pop once you go home?

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2023

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a heartfelt book!! It gave me all the feelings. I absolutely loved Pierce. Sexy. Strong minded and dominant in bed. Yes please. Jane was a little timid and I could feel for her cause well she reminds me of my self. She struggles finding herself and someone to love her for who she is. A big romance at heart but afraid of getting hurt. This book was soo good! I’m 100% going to have to go back and read the other books.

This book is sad toward the end and talks about loosing a parent. To say I cried was an understatement. So a heads up when reading this book. However it’s worth the happy ending. ;) ♥️♥️

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being the last one within her friend group to find her HEA Jane on top of everything else going on in her life Jane feels like she is in a slump. So when her best friends wedding comes with a little vacation time she’s gonna make this a time for her, be the Jane she’s never been before. Jumping feet first into her vacation plan definitely works out in her favor.

Pierce is just doing his normal rounds around his properties when he runs into the vixen whoms taken his villa out from under him. From first glance Pierce knows Jane is different and he makes it his mission to know her. What he didn’t expect is for Jane to turn his world upside down and make him want things he never had before.

This is the last book with the catalyst series and it’s an amazing ending. Being able to jump into this world that Samantha has written for us. To see these four women grow together and find their HEA is amazing. A huge thank you to Samantha for letting me have this chance to ARC you books. I’m a forever reader for yours.

[Kay Emm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vacation tells a compelling story about Jane who attends one of her best friends weddings at The Vanstone, a resort in the Northern Mariana Islands. While here, Jane promises herself that she’s going to step outside of her comfort zone and leave the “old” Jane back in Texas. Being younger than her besties, she feels like she has a lot of catching up to do. She feels that her vacation will be the perfect time to stretch her wings.

I enjoyed reading about the complexities of the FMC and the MMC and getting to know the supporting characters in the friend group, who all have their own stories.

What “shouldn’t have ended up as the perfect love story”, was just that. It was perfectly imperfect. This story was a breath of fresh air and gave me the perfect amount of spice I was looking for. This was the first book I read by Samantha M. Thomas and I will be adding the other books in this series to my TBR.

I leave this review freely and was honored to be provided an ARC of The Vacation.

[Hannah Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review

5/5 stars
4/5 spice

This book took me by a very pleasant surprise.
I didn't expect so much spice but WOW!
This book had me talking to myself.. which is how i know a book is good!
So if you are looking for a nice romance book with some hot scenes this ones for you!
Enjoy!

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vacation is the last book in the Catalyst series, but the first one I've read! I'll need to remedy that ASAP!

I was introduced to the four friends in Thomas' novella The Beginning. It is a quick fun read, but the short of it is that the four girls find out they all have the same boyfriend. It too is a HEA since they dump the cheater and become lifelong besties. My understanding is that the series then covers each of the girls' love stories: The Detour (Bea & Riggs), The List (Penelope & Andy), The Case (Larkin & Theo), and now The Vacation (Jane & Pierce).

The premise for this one is that the besties and their partners have flown to the Northern Mariana Islands for Penelope and Andy's destination wedding. They're all there for the week to enjoy a vacation before the main event. They're staying at a luxury resort called The Vanstone in private villas. Fancy! Jane is thrilled all her friends have found their partners however as the romantic of the group, she feels left out; she is still flying solo. She feels lost in life, and her work has not been fulfilling. She believes she has made most of her choices either out of fear of disappointing her mother, and/or what made the most sense to provide security. She needs to find her passion, both in the bedroom and the boardroom... or whatever she decides to do professionally. She sets the intention to take time during this week in paradise to do some soul searching and pleasure seeking.

On her first day at the resort, she sees a very handsome stranger and they lock eyes momentarily. She wants to explore her sexuality and figures what better time and place to be adventurous. She meets him again later at the hotel bar. He is just as excited to see her as she is to see him. She learns that he is none other than the owner of the resort - Pierce Vanstone. With some liquid courage she opens up to him to express her desires. The gentleman that he is, he does not take advantage of her in her tipsy state, but he does circle back after she's had some time for the effects of the alcohol to wear off.

Pierce is slightly older than her, and a lot more experienced. He wants to make this week everything she could ever dream of, and more. He was instantly attracted to her, and the more time he spends with her, the more captivated he becomes. They share some very spicy fun times together, and their shared holiday changes them both.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I loved how Pierce helps Jane become more confident and self-assured, and own her own pleasure. That confidence translates into other areas of her life. Similarly, I loved how Jane helps Pierce re-evaluate his priorities and figure out what is really important in life. They're a beautiful couple with ups and downs, but their love and support for one another is the stuff of romance novels. Pierce has definitely taken a place on my book boyfriend list. He isn't perfect, but he is true and everything he does is with respect and consideration for Jane.

I definitely recommend picking up a copy, or join me and start the series from the beginning.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun, enjoyable read! I was quickly swept away in this romance between Jane and Pierce, and some of their scenes were H-O-T-T hot! This is the fourth book in the Catalyst series, but I think all the books can be read as standalones. Each girl in the friend group has their own romance and seeing them in this book made me want to their stories that much more. I know what's next on by TBR!

Jane has always lived a very controlled life, taking the path of least resistance and having a safe, reliable career as a teacher. She likes to plan her life, but she yearns to be swept away by the prince charmings that she reads about in her romance novels. While at a resort for Pen and Andy's wedding, she decides she wants to have a vacation fling to discover what she really wants in a man. In comes Pierce Vanstone, the owner of the resort. He is immediately attracted to Jane and is more than willing to go along with her plan. Feelings start to quickly form between the two, but how can a relationship work when they live a world apart?

There were so many things I loved about this book, the growth in Jane's confidence, Pierce making sure Jane was comfortable and that he had her consent for anything he wanted to do, and the friendship between all four of the girls. I haven't read the previous three books in this series yet, but the friendship between Jane, Bea, Larkin, Penelope is wonderful and I love how all the girls are there for each other through everything that happens. I connected with Jane a lot, with it being easier to go along with the flow instead of making a fuss. Even though she had planned on being a different version of herself on vacation, I really think Pierce helped bring out that side of her and encouraged her to go after what she wanted. Jane helped Pierce too, making him realize that he was ready to settle down in life and make a change. They both came in to each other's lives at the right moment I think and it was great reading their love story unfold. I loved how Pierce was there for Jane through one of the toughest times in her life and instead of allowing her to push him away, he stood by her side.

This could be a great summer read, although I love these sorts of romances all time of year. Plenty of spice, friendship, and love between soulmates. Who doesn't love a happily ever after?

Thank you to R&R Book Tours and the author, Samantha M. Thomas, for the copy of this book! This review is being left voluntarily.

[Leigha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vacation by Samantha M. Thomas
4/5
3/5
This was the perfect summer read to wrap up summer with. I'm not a huge contemporary romance reader but this book just sounded too good to pass up and I am so glad I didn't. It was full of humor, romance, and spice. The Vacation is book 4 in The Catalyst series. It can be read as a standalone but I'll be checking out the first 3 now that I've enjoyed this one so much. In The Vacation we follow Jane who is the last of her friend group to find her HEA, and as one of the hopeless romantic she's feeling sort of left behind. On her friend’s destination wedding trip, she decides it’s time to be the person she's always wanted to be. She wants to come out of her shell, learn how to be sexy, and learn to stop playing it safe. What she didn't plan on was meeting a man like Pierce. Pierce has only had one goal in life, to grow his resort empire. He’s never been one for relationships, never had the time or the care for one and he's been okay with that. He's never wanted for more but when he locks eyes on Jane, he knows he has to have her, and suddenly she has him thinking differently about what he wants in his future. Can Pierce help Jane find her confident pleasure-seeking side? Or will their week of paradise turn into heartbreak neither was prepared for? This was a fun read and while it had its sad moments, I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book deals with some heavy grief topics, so have a tissue box handy, and if you are not up to reading it then pass until you are. Jane and Pierce have a lot of ups and downs in their relationship that makes them so much more real and has you rooting for them till the very end. It is a perfectly imperfect love story that will have you laughing and crying. Pierce is a top book boyfriend and I absolutely adore him. There is a perfect amount of spice, I couldn't ask for a more perfect ratio in the book. The writing was great and found myself easily devouring this book, I ended up reading over half of it in one day. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a spicy/fluffy age-gap romance.
Tropes:
Age gap
Vacation fling?
Billionaire
He falls first
Triggers:
Grief of a loved one is depicted on page
Thank you to Samantha M. Thomas for the gifted copy or review!

[Katslovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! this book took me by surprise in the best way ever, I'm so very grateful for the arc PB copy I received from the author through RR BookTours, because once I started reading it I just couldn't put the book down, I finished it all in one sitting, that's how good this story was.

This story was simply fantastic page by page and while is the fourth and last book in the series it can definitely be read as a standalone BUT I need to read the other books in the series because Samantha M. Thomas is an author I need to read more of.

Jane is a woman trying to find herself, a hopeless romantic trying to figure out how to find the fairytale she has been chasing for years. Now she is the last in her group of best friends who is single and while she is attending her friend's destination wedding in an exotic island she decides for once she is ready to let go and explore the things she wanted, so when the perfect opportunity presents it self in the name of Pierce Vanstone, owner of the resort she is staying in she jumps into the opportunity because Pierce makes her fell beautiful and desire in every way.

Pierce is stunned from the first moment he lands his eyes on Jane. He knows he needs to have her and he won't stop until he does. When he discovers all of Jane's self doubts he make his mission to show her how special and beautiful she is. While he is doing this he discovers that he will do everything for her and the two weeks they have together isn't enough for him. Pierce Vanstone is the ultimate book boyfriend and you need to read this book to find why.

This book was sexy, entertaining and I love the friendship through the pages. Definitely is a must read!

[Emely Ruby Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

To begin my review all I can say is wow I enjoyed every page of this book. I wish I could erase my memory so I can read it again. I will continue to read this series because I absolutely loved this one. This is the most sincerely emotional book I have read this summer.

A love story that began as a vacation fling but ended in everything a person could wish for in a lifetime. As somebody who's currently going through grief I can say most of the things involving grief in this book is absolutely great. There's so much I loved about this book but it's so well detailed and written I couldn't put it down.


Janes thought it was great to go on vacation to relieve stress but little did she know this vacation was going to change her life. Talk about right person right time. Pierce had his life running around his empire but a simple checkout to his hotels was going to change his life the way it did. They went through so much in so little time it made them realized what really matters. They have a love story we all deserve to live at least once in their lifetime.


I totally recommend this book. This is my first book by Samantha but it wont be the last as I plan to read the other books on this series this year.

[niks bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ // 4 stars

☁️The Vacation (Book 4 in The Catalyst Series)
🌺*Can be read as Standalone 
☁️Publication Date: August 31, 2023
🌺Genre: Billionaire Romance (contemporary spicy romance)

🐚my thoughts:

🌊this book is a very sweet & sexy read (there is spice!) that includes some grief on page. i loved watching our main female character, Jane, grow and the development brought to her through this authors writing was phenomenal in my opinion.

🌿there is some insta-lust but our main male character, pierce, realizes that he may just feel something more in himself for Jane. He gives off playboy vibes and has fun with the idea of chasing her, meanwhile she struggles with self-confidence and is more so quite & innocent…🤭

🌊overall, this was a great read. if you like spice - great! if you dont care for it - its easy to skip over in my opinion.

TROPES:
💋age-gap
🐚billionaire
💋vacation fling-turned more
🐚found family
💋innocent girl meets playboy

thank you to @rrbooktours + @authorsamanthamthomas for the arc; all opinions/reviews are my own✨💗

[nvl_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Vacation by Samantha M Thomas

Jane, a 30 year old teacher is feeling like she will never find her happily ever after she loves reading romance and really wants to meet someone. She thinks she is plain and not sexy at all. When one of her best friends has a weeklong destination wedding at an island resort, she decide she is going to move out of her comfort zone and experiment. She meets Pierce, a 42-year-old resort owner and they have a hot fling. They fall in love, but are unsure how to keep it going from 5000 miles apart.

This is the fourth book in the series, but can be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed the journey of Jane and Pierce. The character development was great. The plot had just enough spice, humor, grief, difficult family relationships, and friendship. I also love that we got to see more of the characters from the first three books.

Great romance with some heat that I definitely recommend.

[Gel · Rating 4 out of 5]

**ARC review**
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶/5

This book was so cute! It's the first book I've read by Samantha and I would definitely read more of her work! First of all, as a teacher, I felt like she did a great job portraying the struggles and conflicts that come along with the job.

I thought the plot was pretty original and I liked the twist about 70% of the way through the book. I loved the MMC. He was a reformed playboy, but she didn't dive too much into his past which was refreshing. Jane is sweet, quiet, and innocent. She is the last of her friends to find love and tired of being alone. She is looking for a one night stand on vacation but finds much more. She can be frustrating at times, but most of the time I was able to validate why she acted the way she did. A lot of the plot was predictable, but it was still a sweet story.

What I was NOT expecting was how smutty it was 🔥🥵

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a sweet girl next door meets older billionaire spicy romance!

[lisas_libraryy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so cute!
Jane wasn’t sure she was happy with the direction her life was going. All of her friends were settling down, getting married, having kids, and she was single and hadn’t even had a big O if you know what I mean.. She goes to one of her best friends weddings at a resort on an island and meets Pierce Vanstone who owns the resort and her entire life changes!

I loved getting to know Jane and Pierce through this book. Pierce surprised me. I really thought he was going to be this rugged bad boy type, but he turns out to be a hopeless romantic. Jane goes through a really rough time and it takes her a little bit, but she finally figures out what she wants to do with her life.

The spice was good, and not overpowering!

Overall a good book, and I’d definitely recommend to someone who likes cute, fluffy romances! 🙌🏼

*There are some chapters based on grief and death*

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you SO MUCH to the author for gifting me a copy of this book!

I read this book in one day. It's such a quick read and the story is captivating. I loved all of the characters, and the premise of the story was right up my alley!
Jane is a super relatable character. I understood all of emotions regarding her self confidence and anxiety toward certain situations. It was amazing to see her grow into herself and learn what she needed in order to feel comfortable in her skin.
And Pierce was a wonderful love interest! I was a little iffy about him at first, but he quickly grew on me. His character development was spot on as well. The way he treated Jane and the way he credited her for the positive changes in his life made my heart so happy.
Overall, this was a cute (but spicy 🥵) story! It will give you ALLLL the feels. Highly recommend if you enjoy spicy romances!

[Taylor Parry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. This freaking book. This book follows sweet and loving Jane and a cocky, and very determined Pierce. They meet at Pen and Andy (the list) destination wedding. Pierce is obsessed with her from word go. Jane is a little lost and needs help getting out of her head and out of her own way. Pierce does that 10 fold. His confidence and the way he teaches her to love herself is swoon worthy all in it's own. Add in this man's absolutely filthy mouth. And a solid touch her and die vibe. And you have a man that never stops surprising you. And twist me I was here for every new revelation. As always Samantha's characters are there for each other in all of the best ways. I was 100% not ready for this series to end! I already feel like these characters are long lost friends I cant wait to revisit.

[Casey (casey_bookish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of reading an ARC copy of this book.

I loved this book from the start, it is so easy to get immersed into the story because it so realistic.

How many of us often feel stagnated in life? I'm guessing most of us do.

Jane's used to playing it safe, but where has safe gotten her? She's not feeling fulfilled in her job, her love life feels empty and she's feeling a little envious of her friends.

Her friends are getting married and she's using the vacation to find herself. Which brings us to Pierce, owner of multiple resorts, hotels and Real Estate.

Without spoiling too much for future readers, Jane and Pierce have an undeniable intense chemistry that burns so hot.
They go through many tests from long distance, grief, potential blackmail to name a few but ultimately they have each other and it is such a beautiful thing to see/read. This books ends in the most beautiful way I could have imagined.

Highly recommend.

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book about Jane and Pierce. I love an older man troupe and this one was gooood.

So Jane is a middle school teacher and kind of a 'plain Jane' so to speak. She is the last of her friends to find love, get married, or to have kids. She is not even in a relationship!

And Pierce is married...to his work. LOL. He is a multi- like billionaire and very wealthy but doesn't take any time to enjoy the things he has or life in general.

Enter Jane's friends having a wedding at Pierce's resort in the tropics. Jane and Pierce meet and sparks fly! I love the steam and spice in this book. It is a 🔥4 out of 5 on that front. And both Jane and Pierce are looking for a one night or one week thing.

So what happens? YOU find out by reading the book!

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to read this book through an ARC. It was simply beautiful.
I love when a book has a beautiful cover as well. I am very into covers of books and I loved how this one came out. This was my first ever book by Samantha M Thomas but it won’t be my last. Her style of writing was very easy to Follow.
Although this book was the fourth book in the series I did enjoy it very much. I really liked Jane and Pierce. The way their characters came together.
Jane really needed this trip I believe to find herself. She needed to find herself and Pierce was there to help her along the way.
This book had such fun moments, sexy moments and there was some sadness.
I will be going back and reading the rest of the books within the series.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vacation by Samantha M Thomas is book four of The Catalyst Series. This book really took me by surprise with the emotional rollercoaster I experienced while reading it. This was a wonderfully written cute, fluffy romance. The plot and pace was well done that kept me intrigued until the very end. The characters to me were relatable and I really enjoyed reading Jane and Pierce’s story unfold. Both were surprising in such a good way. I really loved the Confidence that she finds in her relationship with him. I honestly loved the found family vibes that were woven throughout the book. This was a wonderful read and I really enjoyed it!

Final review:
4 out of 5 stars

[smut_shelf_bymegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book from Samantha M Thomas and I really enjoyed it! A perfect end of summer read! I loved Jane! She’s sweet and feisty but has a lot of insecurities and self doubt! A vacation is the perfect way to reset, have fun, try new experiences and live life. Pierce surprised me… in a good way! I love a good age gap! I want to eat him up! He saw a broken girl and was determined to put her back together! In the end they both found their happiness! This book had it all: happiness, grief, self doubt, real life struggles, excitement and some comedy! And any book that can make me legit “lol” is a great read! And we can’t forget the spice! Chefs kiss 😚

[Emily • The Pyjama Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has my heart right now! I am utterly in live with Pierce, Jane and all of the characters. There was so many amazing aspects to this book. When there was a sad moment I was literally crying with heartbreak, when there was a happy moment I was smiling like a giddy school girl. It's written with such love and I absolutely adore Samatha's easy to read writing style - It's something that makes or breaks a book for me. A definite must read for all those spicy romance lovers!!

(Kindle, ARC Read)

[Anta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. I was not fully into it in the first chapters but then I couldn't stop and I chained everything. The romance is very well written and the protagonists are amazing. The relationship between jane and pierce is dreamed up and on complicity is just OMG-. The secondary characters are also incredible and the friendship between the girls is a nugget. This book did me a lot of good and brought me out of a reading breakdown that lasted more than a week. I hope everyone will like the book like me. Frankly, I really enjoyed my reading and I can't wait to read new things from the author.

[Andrea Mehalco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute book! The story follows Jane, a 30-year-old romance lover and teacher who truly feels plain, as she attends the beach resort wedding of one of her best friends. She is the youngest and the only one still single. While at the resort she meets Pierce, the 42-year-old resort owner, and they begin a hot vacation fling. Jane feels more like herself than ever after her fling with Pierce but is unsure what will happen when they return to reality and the almost 5,000 miles between them. The book continues to follow the couple as they navigate the distance, family issues, work, and friendship. The ending was cute and well deserved for both main characters! This is my first book by Samantha, and I will definitely be reading the first 3 books in this series now.

[Amanda Ruthenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

I devoured this book in half a day Pierce us a billionaire resort tycoon and Jane is a middle school teacher that doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life anymore.

The growth that these two characters go through together and separately is so realistic and hits home. I love how calm and safe Pierce made her feel with him while he was still taking charge in the bedroom and pushing her limits. I can’t wait to go back and read the other book that go with this series!

[Megan Wrye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y’all! I am a fantasy girl first and foremost but when I got the opportunity to arc this book it sounded so cute I couldn’t pass it up. I am SOO glad I did.

This is the 4th in a series but can be read as a stand-alone which I did! They are all guaranteed hea and I’m on my way after this review to snag the rest! Definitely do yourself a favor and go check it out for yourself. I have zero doubt you will find your new book boyfriend in Pierce.

Definitely recommend!!!!

[Lois Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually did start reading this book at the beach. This was the 4th book in the series and I did not read the other books before reading this one and you didn’t need to. I loved getting to know Jane and all her insecurities. She really grew in this book and Pierce was a big part of that. This book had a HEA and I was completely satisfied with it. The perfect book to finish the summer with.

[Claire Lct · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane is on holidays for a week to celebrate her best friend’s wedding. She decided to be out of her comfort zone and hook up with guys.
Pierce is the owner of the hotel.
Once they met they had an instant connection.

The vacation was a great read, it was fast paced. The first part was very spicy with some intriguing nose uses. During the book the plot dug deeper with long distance relationships, grief….

Pierce was a nice MMC to follow; he seemed to be so confident and took matters with his own hands. In the mean time he will also do EVERYTHING for his girl. We all need a guy like him in our life!
Jane was younger with less experience; I loved how confident she became thank to Pierce. They were so great together.

This book had a great found family vibes. I was so happy for our MMC. The vacation had a psychological part with mention of grief. It was so sad, it made me cry.

I recommend this book if you’re looking for a romance with spice, grief, long distance, age gap…

[Monet Lude · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW! Refreshing girl meets older hot man but holy spice. I went into this with no expectations as this was a first for me from the author but I will be diving into the others in the series. Loved the characters and overall great story.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was a great little read.

We meet Jane, who has gone on holiday for her friends wedding. She meets the owner, Pierce, of the resort and they begin a holiday romance.
It was what I would call a wholesome, sweet romance story with a whole LOT of spice.

About 70% into the book, things take a turn so I would suggest checking trigger warnings.

I dis enjoy this book and look forward to reading other books by this author.

I was kindly gifted this book for an honest review.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute vacation romance and more. Nice light ready after a heavy series. I can see the other coupes have books too.