3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
I loved the setting of The Resort by Sara Ochs, it was well described and I was able to picture myself there. I did not expect the ending; until the epilogue I thought that the story was extremely predictable.
I did find the book a bit slow, especially in the beginning, but I was glad that I pushed through.
Overall The Resort is worth reading for thriller fans.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

The Resort would make a great beach read for those who prefer suspense to romance in their vacation reading. I loved just about everything about this novel.

The story unfolds through Cass and Brooke in alternating chapters. It is told in first person point of view but I didn't have trouble remember who was the narrator of each chapter.

Cass is a "permanent" (an expat) who works at the resort as a dive master. Brooke is an Instagram travel influencer who has recently arrived at the resort. The main cast is made up of 4 other resort visitors and 4 other permenants who work at the resort. While it isn't unusual to go on vacation to get away from regular life, these characters are all hiding deeper secrets.

The only characters we really get to know are the two narrators as we only know the other characters through Brooke and Cass. This made figuring out the culprit(s) difficult - it was easier to rule out who wasn't involved.

Thailand was a good place to set the story. Corruption and illegal activities lurk just below the beautiful setting. This setting made the plot more believable. The island is small and heavily reliant on tourism. While there are a few other businesses on the island, the resort is the major employer. The permanents know that if tourism dried up or the resort went under the lives they have carefully crafted on the island would come to an end. With their secrets that's enough of a motive to cover up anything that might harm tourism or the resort.

I had trouble putting down the book. It was perfectly paced as clues are doled out just enough to keep the reader engaged but to allow time to shift what the reader believes to be true.

As I mentioned we don't get to know the other characters as well as Brooke and Cass as we only get to see them through the lenses of Brooke and Cass. So one of the things I didn't like was the epilogue. It felt a little forced as there were no indications or clues in the rest of the novel to what was revealed. Unless of course, it is meant to serve as a jumping-off point for a sequel.

Up to that point, I was loving the book and definitely recommend reading it.

If you think this plot sounds familiar but not the title, The Resort is the U.S. title. It was released last summer in the U.K. under the title The Dive.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/02/the-resort-by-sara-ochs-review.html

This book was good. Just good. It kept my attention, built great suspense and good characters. My main issue is the twists. They were both pretty lame. The first reveal is my least favorite of any reveal. Using rape as a plot twist story line feels like a cheap cop out for shock value. Like they couldn’t come up with anything interesting so they threw in an overly detailed trauma. It upset me so much I almost stopped reading. The twist about what happened in the hotel was weird because why?? It was just strange and dull compared to its build up. I loved the epilogue

There is trouble in paradise when people staying at the Koh Sang Resort start dying. And it seems as though some of the staff at the resort have some serious secrets to hide. You find out right away that Cass, one of the narrators and a dive instructor at the resort, came to Koh Sang for anonymity and a fresh start. Lately, she begins to have an unsettling feeling that someone is watching her. Her worst fears come true when she finds ominous and threatening letters left on her doorstep. She's been so careful at starting over - how could someone from her past find her? When tragedy begins to strike the resort, Cass can't help but question her own frame of mind and sanity. Is it possible that history is repeating itself?

The Resort will give you some of those 'locked room' vibes with its setting on a remote island in Thailand. I loved how the employees at the resort each had something to hide and the anticipation of finding out their secrets. I also enjoy an unreliable narrator (Cass) because you're not quite sure if you can put your trust in them. Overall, this was a slow burn with several things coming into play that kept me guessing. The Resort is an enjoyable and twisty read!

I started this one in August and finished it in February if that tells you anything. It really makes you work for it and gets going about 85% in. The ending is a roller coaster and kept me flipping pages though!

The WOW factor of this book...
Content warning: Mental illness, pedophilia, self-harm, trauma

This book was thought provoking and so jaw dropping because of the craziest twists and secrets all of the characters had. I didn't see the end coming at all and was completely shocked!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark via Netgalley for providing an advance digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book!

There was a lot going on in this book, but not in a way where you were lost or confused. The plot was executed in such a clever way, that you were left guessing the whole way through. There were twists and turns galore, some small and some really big ones. I enjoyed the pace of this story. There were so many unreliable narrators that you didn't know who or what to believe. There was no way I would've guessed the major twist. No way AT ALL! The Resort is gripping, action packed, and such a wild ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Resort is a thriller about a beach resort in Thailand where murder seems to be a regular occurrence. It is twisted, suspenseful and full of unreliable narrators and so many red herrings. It was a fun and wild ride with a beautiful setting and the ending absolutely threw me for a loop.

This was my first read from this author and I would have no problem reading her in the future. The location where this story takes place is not one that I have ever been interested in visiting and the author absolutely describes it so beautifully. While I may never visit, I can understand the beauty through her words. Secrets aplenty from every single character we meet-some dangerous, others benign. The author weaves the story very well with some very well placed twists that are unexpected but necessary to pull the story together believably. A very good psychological thriller.

Cass and Brooke are intertwined in many ways, their pasts, presents, and futures in ways they neither of them even know. When Brooke finds her way to the tropical island on the resort where Cass works she quickly learns that everyone around her has secrets and some of those secrets could be deadly.

This book was very well woven with some intricate characters that are all well developed. The story takes many turns that I never saw coming. I really enjoyed it!

I have to admit it. I almost DNF’d this book. However, the reward at the end of this story is better than any treasure one expects to find on the beach.

There was nothing bad about the start of this book; there are a lot of characters and moving pieces in the beginning as the author is building up the backstory and laying the blueprints. But I found it to drag a little bit. So I took my Kindle to a doctor’s appointment and was committed to finishing this book. And I am so happy I did.

Around the 35% mark, the book starts taking off. As the past lives of our characters begins to unfold, the story is thick with tension. The author is successful with this because there are so many characters and everyone is hiding something. What drove me a little crazy in the beginning from moving slowly, is what ends up eventually making this mystery so chaotic and enjoyable. I appreciated seeing someone take a different approach: instead of one character having secrets and being deceptive, several are and in varying degrees. Even the minor characters are harboring secrets. It would not be a stretch to say no one in this story is completely honest.

The characters are all in the “morally grey” category. You will feel like you love a character and then they do something that makes you give them major side-eye. Then you’ll feel uneasy about another character, only to never really be able to put your finger on why.

The ending of this story was wild. The finale impacts every single character in a major way, which was, again, a departure from the norm. Usually, we see a few characters majorly affected, and then it trickles down. With this book, every character experiences life-changing effects.

There is also an epilogue to this story. It will blow your mind. I was torn between feeling sad when I read it, and also feeling like I wanted to read the entire book again with the new information, because I felt I’d see the story differently.

Read this if:

1. You like crazy twists
2. You love a tropical paradise setting with an air of mystery
3. You want something that breaks the mold just enough to be thrilling in new ways

Interesting twist at the very end. A lot of trauma dropped in but a compelling story nonetheless! The interconnectedness of the characters and the perspective made it mysterious what what going on in truth.

After the prologue, I was worried this would be too much like several other thrillers that have come out recently, and was pleasantly surprised that it went in another direction. Great for fans of an unreliable narrator, and extra twisty twists.

Well that ending sure packs a punch.

I'll be honest I wasn't sure where this story was heading - it started off super descriptive and the sheer number of adjectives made it feel a little bit forced. But that ended pretty quickly and I fell into the rhythm of the story. I looooove unreliable narrators and we had two of them!!

I really like books where the main characters have a secret past that is alluded to throughout the story and you don't quite get the details until the very end. It's very Freida McFadden.

Some of the plot lines were a little far fetched/campy and I got lost towards the end a few times but it was a very entertaining book. Maybe I would have benefited from more character development from the side characters, who ultimately all were pretty important.

I normally hate epilogues. This one was incredible.

I will definitely read more books by this author.

Man alive the first 60% of this dragged for me - but the end flew - so much going on it was a little wacky but pretty satisfying.

This was quite the thriller! Set in a gorgeous tropical setting, it was one of those edge-of-your-seat thrillers you just cannot stop reading!

The Resort is one of those thrillers that is an easy read that you think you have figured out. The twists take a little longer to play out but once they do you won’t want to stop reading until you get to the very end! This book explores how far people will go to preserve themselves, their lifestyles and outrun their pasts. The twists when even your chosen family is not what they seem to be is too too good! This story kept me hooked from the first page to the very last! Highly recommend.

I do think it’s worth mentioning though that the content warnings should be noted prior to diving in, as the content could be too disturbing for some: self harm, mental illness, parental abuse/parental mental illness, rape and grooming/pedophilia.


Thank you NetGalley, Source Landmark and Sara Ochs for this ARC.

"The Resort" by University of Louisville law professor Ochs was a total page-turner. I'm sleepy today because I couldn't put it down last night. It reads like research for when "The White Lotus" will go to Asia, and we will get a glimpse into the employers' side of things. Well, the only rich guest at this resort is influencer Brooke, and let's say she's got a few secrets up her sleeve. But she's not as twisty as the characters in "The White Lotus" - I mean, have you seen that show?

Anyway, what surprised me about "The Resort" was how heartfelt it was. The characters' intentions were good, but things kept going from bad to the very worst for them, talking about having the most rotten luck. The tension between the diving instructor Cass and influencer Brooke was a blast to read. Like watching the train wreck that was the Armand/Shane interaction, but in a more wholesome way. The plot was expertly woven together to keep me guessing until the end. My one point of contention was the ending, and I know endings are important in thrillers. Still, by then, I already was all in, so even if it felt like a scrimmage, and the epilogue could have been cut, it didn't dim the rest of this delightful novel. The weather is crappy here, but this is the obvious choice for a beach read.

Sure, there were some occasional awkward sentences, but honestly, that just added to the charm. It was like the book was saying, "Hey, I may not be perfect, but I'm damn entertaining." And it was! Overall, "The Resort" was a tense, hilarious, and thoroughly enjoyable read. I'm excited to see what this talented author comes up with next!

I love a good thriller set in an isolated-locale. The Resort is set at the Koh Sang Resort on a remote Thai Island. There is a crew of expat resort staff that call themselves the "permanents." All of them have come to the island to escape something in their lives, and the rule is they don't talk about their pasts. But, even the resort guests seem to have something they are hiding.

Along with an isolated-locale comes the closed circle of suspects, and in The Resort, with some many people hiding from their past, it made for many plausible suspects when resort guests started dying.

This one definitely kept me guessing, I was trying to put the pieces together, but with a couple big twists I didn't see coming, and the gaslighting of characters, it was hard to figure out who could be trusted.

Having read so many thrillers, I've been struggling to find stories that are unique and unpredictable. This one definitely was that. This was an unputdownable thriller that had me surprised even to the very end.

That being said, and this isn't a fault of the book, this is entirely my preference, the ending didn't leave me satisfied. I like to have my thrillers all wrapped up, the villans get their just desserts, and those who are left can slowly heal and move on with their lives. But, again, that's just me!

I'd say, if you are looking for an exciting and unique thriller, this is a good one to try!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

“𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞. 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧. 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝.”
 
I’m always attracted to gorgeous covers, and this book is no exception; add to the fact that it is set on a remote tropical island had me excited to dive in.
 
Sara Ochs creates an atmospheric story set on in paradise, a tropical island with a tight-knit group of friends, known as the Permanents, a chosen family. The Permanents live and work on the island of Koh Sang, all of which are running away from their past and all have things to hide. They are all unlikeable in their own way, yet I couldn’t help but root for Cass and Logan, as a couple in particular. Cass and Brooke’s points of view are strong, distinct and also very unreliable, for a multitude of good reasons. There are so many layers of deception and hidden agendas, which Ochs balances well, making sharp observations behind the way in which a woman’s anger is often interpreted as crazy. The descriptions of the island, especially when the characters are diving, are vivid and easy to picture. The story also really highlights how quickly we trust others, especially when we are desperate to fit in, leading to the question how well do we really know those around us? The ending didn’t quite live up to the rest of the book for me - partly because I predicted early on that one character would be involved, which saddened me, however the twist at the very end made up for it!
  
The Resort is a story of envy, hiding from the past, doubt, rage and trust. It’s a solid debut that shows a lot of promise in Sara Ochs’ writing. Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC!