The Yacht is a mix between a survival story and a locked room psychological thriller. Six friends meet in Italy to celebrate NYE on a private yacht. They were never supposed to leave the harbor; however, on January 1, they find themselves floating far out to sea. Did someone intentionally set them loose? How well do these friends really know each other? Who will survive?

The first half of The Yacht is a locked room psychological thriller with a cast of very unlikable characters. The second half of the book is a survival story similar to Cast Away. While both parts are well-written, it felt like two different books. Additionally, the second half of the book was much slower paced than the first half, meaning that the end dragged. The big reveal at the end wasn't that surprising - I had already figured out most of it. Overall, I didn't overly enjoy this book.

Thank you #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for allowing me to read this early.his was a locked door type mystery/thriller that seriously had me reading with one eye open, and shivers down my back, and I couldn’t put it down. I had a feeling about some of the shock that came at the end of the book.

The yacht follows six friends who gather on a docked yacht to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Things quickly get out of hand as our MC starts to realize these people really aren’t her friends and she can’t trust any of them.

After alcohol and drug infused partying escalates to fights and threats, the night eventually dies down and everyone retreats to their beds.

Unfortunately the trouble doesn’t end there and the guests awaken to find themselves stranded in the middle of the ocean with no fuel, limited food and no way to contact help.

This book highlights people’s true nature and how we shouldn’t believe everything we see online, things are for show and you never really know what the truth is lurking beneath the surface.

This is a locked room thriller that gives off claustrophobic vibes especially when anyone can be the enemy. I truly felt bad for Hannah and her predicament. It is eery reading about something tragic that could so easily happen to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for a copy of this novel!

Hannah, Maggie and Libby are long term friends. While Maggie and Hannah were at school together, Libby met them at university. Privileged Libby has always seen the New Year in with an over-the-top party. This year, now married to titled Olly, festivities are to be held on their new yacht berthed in the marina at Ventimiglia, on the French/Italian border.
Far from being a fun filled and luxurious experience, it’s soon clear that Hannah is regarded with scorn, not only by Libby’s husband Olly, but also by Leon, Maggie’s partner. Olly is an upper-class snob, Leon a violent bully and Libby and Maggie a spiteful pair who add their own catty comments.
Both women have made successful careers since leaving uni, while Hannah’s company foundered, leaving her working in a call centre. She finds a certain amount of support when the final guest, Harry arrives, but once the alcohol begins to flow, things begin to get out of hand.
My first thoughts were that if these were Hannah’s friends, what must her enemies be like? Even long-term friend Harry, who she’s had a crush on for years and a hope that things might move onto something much closer, at times appears to stand back and let the others insult her. Escaping to her cabin, Hannah crashes out, only to wake the next morning to discover the yacht has slipped its moorings and it drifting out at sea.
What happens afterwards is cleverly delivered by the author, as every type of unpleasant behaviour comes into play, and secrets begin to emerge. The discovery that there is no way the yacht can be steered and that they are all truly at the mercy of the sea brings highlights the selfishness of entitled Maggie, Libby, Olly and Leon, who clearly go through life expecting others to sort out their problems. And then, of course, there’s Olly’s suspicion about Libby. Who is she having an affair with? It’s a question that only adds to the growing tension on board.
The Yacht is yet another excellent book by Sarah Goodwin, who is a past master at taking characters (some pleasant, some not as much) and putting them into stressful and difficult situations. It’s a roller coaster of a read and in my opinion one of her best so far.
My thanks to Avon, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Yacht in exchange for an honest review.

Another locked room eat-the-rich thriller, this time on a boat to keep it fresh. Sarah Goodwin always tells a twisty, well-plotted story so it’s a quick and easy read

Having really enjoyed this authors earlier book The Resort (a 4 star read for me) when I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy of this, I jumped at the chance. And I'm glad I did because this was another hit for me.
First off, the blurb made this sound right up my street. A locked room mystery, a group of friends, set on a luxury yacht etc. I was expecting some rich people drama and boy did I get it!
The plot drew me in right away and I loved how right from the first page, the story got going right away. I was fully invested throughout and was completely on the main character Hannah's side the whole time.
One thing I really enjoy about this authors writing style is how it all flows so well. It really makes you want to keep reading.
I found the whole story to be an easy read, very enjoyable, fast paced, thrilling, packed full of tension and rich people drama.
The characters were all well defined and whilst most of them were very unlikeable, it never annoyed me or put me off reading it.
One slight thing that didn't work for me unfortunately was the reveal. I thought it was totally obvious right from the very start who was behind it all, but having said that it didn't spoil my enjoyment.
I recommend this if you are looking for a fast paced thriller, that will keep you turning the pages.
Now that I have read a few books by this author and enjoyed them all, I will definitely be reading her next work.

Sarah Goodwin's latest novel unfolds as a modern and intricately woven "locked room mystery" set against the expansive backdrop of the open sea. The story centers around Hannah, whose life appears to pale in comparison to the seemingly flawless worlds of her friends, Libby and Maggie. Despite the glaring disparities in wealth and relationship success, Hannah reluctantly joins them on a yacht in Italy for a New Year's Eve celebration with their husbands. However, confronted with disparaging comments, Hannah reaches her breaking point and decides to leave, only to discover that the yacht has drifted away from the shore, leaving them adrift at sea without any means of communication with the mainland.

In her signature style, Goodwin skillfully spins a tale of lies, deceit, condescension, and confusion, all set against the vastness of the open sea. Amidst the chaos, Hannah emerges as a compelling and assertive character, adding depth and nuance to the narrative. This masterfully executed novel delves into the true essence of genuine friendship versus mere entitlement. While most characters prove to be truly unlikeable, Goodwin's storytelling prowess kept me thoroughly engaged, eagerly anticipating her next literary creation.

This was another great thriller from this author. It was a very tense read which kept me up late into the night reading once I started I could not put it down. The characters were well written and well developed. It was a real page turner, with lots of twists and turns. I will be highly recommending this to everyone fantastic thriller. Thanks to netgallery and the publisher for my advanced copy.

First off I do love a locked room thriller even though they are everywhere at the moment but the isolated yacht setting of this one with a bunch of rich obnoxious people sounded up my alley. I don’t mind an unlikeable character but I really have no idea why any of these people were friends in the first place, it got toxic pretty quickly and I wasn’t really rooting for anyone which you kind of want in these types of mysteries. I would say the pacing was also a little slow for my liking as well and it did feel like it dragged in parts.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

How lovely would it be to spend New Year's Eve on a luxury yacht moored in a beautiful Italian harbour with your oldest friends. Well after reading this great novel by Sarah Goodwin I'll be quite happy at home in my pj's.
Hannah has often spent New Year's Eve with Libby and her husband Olly, each year they've tried to outdo the previous year. This year might just be the year but for all the wrong reasons.
This novel was another page turner from Sarah, a tense locked room scenario. It's hard to imagine how Hannah, a mild mannered woman, could be friends with some really unlikeable people but she shows great fortitude and patience in dealing with them.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, I'm under no obligation to leave my review

It wont take any reader a second looking at the pic and blurb to work put what this book is about, it makes no apologies and is very good at what the author has set out to do
6 reunited friends’ on a luxury yacht for a New Years Eve party and nothing is as seems and none of the 6 are either, there are some total psychopaths amongst the group and ‘love to hate’ characters that the phrase could have been invented for…..
There’s peril, high dudgeon and survival and an ultimate ending that I think most will guess but tbh didn’t change my enjoyment of the book
As say its done well, good writing and great characters but I can’t help but think maybe reunions and possibly/ boats, yachts etc have been overdone, still I chose to read it and I do enjoy them so can’t have it both ways!
All aboard for a good thriller 🤗

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This book revolves around a university reunion on a yacht. This is a locked room mystery, set on New Year’s Eve. Hannah travels all the way there and it seems that all her friends are super successful and really have their lives sorted, but not her. As time moves on, the atmosphere becomes tenser and darker, and Hannah decides she is going to leave. The next morning, however, they wake to no wifi, and they’re stranded. And it’s not too long before someone disappears.

This was a great, nervy and tense read. The characters were well written, and I really warmed to Hannah, who seemed the nicest of them all. It was a real page turner, with lots of twists and turns. Well worth a read if locked room mysteries are your thing.

A twisty and intriguing thriller. The pace was so slow which took from the tension and suspense. The ending was totally unpredictable though.

Wow!!! Thank you Netgalley, Sarah Goodwin, and Avon Books for the advanced ebook. I honestly am not sure what I expected from this book but whatever I expected it was definitely not it (in a great way). The twists and turns this book took and just the crazy wild ride and journey into finding one self. I loved it!

What better way to celebrate New Year’s Eve than on a private luxury yacht with your closest friends?! Even though a few of the party goers would prefer not everyone attend.

Six people are about to board the yacht for a cruise like no other. The next morning the yacht sets sail and one party goer is missing. Tempers are high. Fingers are pointing! Who can you trust? Who will survive!

This is no Gilligan's Island, folks. So grab a life-vest. We’re about to hit some choppy waters!

This locked room thriller was unputdownable! I devoured it in 2 sittings! I was at a complete loss as to who to trust or who to run from! Witnessing everyone come apart at the seams as the danger increases, with lives hanging in dire jeopardy.

This was my second read from Sarah Goodwin. She has a remarkable insight as to what humans are capable of when they feel their lives are at risk. Survival.

I have one more book from Sarah Goodwin on my shelf, and that will have to hold me until her next release The Festival which she provides a sneak-peak for at the end of her acknowledgments!😱 (Gimme! Gimme!)🙏

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK

Sarah Goodwin’s latest novel is a twisty modern ‘locked room mystery’ – but one that unfolds on the open sea. The plot is centred on Hannah, who cannot match her former friends Libby and Maggie in money or relationship success, but who decides to join them on a yacht in Italy for a New Year’s Eve celebration together with their husbands. After overhearing some disparaging comments and deciding she has had enough of these so-called ‘friends’, Hannah wants to leave but finds that the yacht has cut loose from its moorings and is now adrift at sea, with no way of contacting people onshore. In what follows, the author spins a powerful web of lies, deceit, condescension and confusion, but the saving grace in the middle of it is lead character Hannah who becomes more assertive as her horrendous time offshore continues. Masterfully executed, this novel shines a light on the true values of genuine friendship and mere entitlement. Although the majority of the characters were truly unlikeable, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and cannot wait to see what Sarah Goodwin writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC and to write this unbiased book review.

Hannah agrees to go on a luxury yacht, stationed on the Italian coast, with her friends for New Year's Eve. Unlike her friends, Hannah is not wealthy. Hannah feels like the misfit, lacking any success or money. The party on the docked yacht is as crazy as you might think, given the party throwers have endless money. However, as the night goes on, Hannah overhears some of her friends making fun of her. She decides to go to bed, wake up early, and leave the yacht,

However, when Hannah wakes up in the morning, she quickly learns that the yacht has been untied from the marina dock and is floating in the middle of the ocean. There is no land in sight and no fuel in the engines. Things continue to take a turn for the worse, as one of Hannah's friends goes missing. Given they are on a yacht, there are not many places to hide.... Hannah is quickly running out of time to save herself.

This was a fun read! I enjoy this quick paced lock-room thriller. I was hooked form the beginning and could not stop, wondering where the author might take us. I enjoyed the writing and the scenery. The imagery was strong - I felt like I was right there with the characters. The descriptions of the sea, storms, and overall despair were extremely realistic and added suspense.

Some parts were a bit unbelievable. I found it hard to believe that the yacht never passed a single boat. The main character, Hannah, is likeable and finally gets a back bone. The rest of the characters are unbearable, but this just adds to the vibes of the rich friends being awful.

A great read from Sarah Goodwin! My first and not my last!

Thank you Avon Books UK, Avon, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I hated the characters in the beginning of the story which nearly made me give up. I thought these are just rich idiots, too much much money and little sense. The idea of the story kept me reading. I felt the book was okay, not Sarah Goodwin’s best. I’ve read her previous books and really enjoyed them. The story dragged for me and I couldn’t take to the characters at all.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Yacht by Sarah Goodwin unfolds as a slow-paced yet suspenseful thriller when four college friends reunite for a New Year's Party on a yacht. Amidst the drugs, booze, and interpersonal conflicts, the celebration takes a dark turn when they wake up to find their Yacht adrift.

While the initial narrative grips the reader with a dark and intriguing setup, the (slow) pacing is disappointing. The second half feels dragged, and Hannah's questionable decision to rescue her antagonistic friends adds complexity to their already strained dynamics.

The ending provides an unexpected twist, unveiling the culprit behind the yacht drifting. However, some loose ends, like the fate of a missing friend (the first one to disappear when the yacht drifted), remain unsolved. The New Year celebrations at the beginning of the narrative raises eyebrows when Hannah's friends and their beaus give in to excessive substance use. It's a miracle that they didn't suffer its consequences that same night.

The Yacht by Sarah Goodwin is a suspenseful but uneven read, with a slow pace and surprising twists. Despite its flaws, it keeps some intrigue, making it an okay choice for readers who don't mind a slow-burn thriller.

I loved this book. I honestly did not know what would happen (mostly) and was surprised by the ending (I had considered it very early on but talked myself out of it). Except for Hannah (who was a bit annoying too) I haven't really read a book where I couldn't stand a majority of the characters. Her wealthy friends were absolutely horrible and it make for a great read. The plot kept moving forward and it was really well done. I felt scared and miserable too as I was reading what was unfolding. I'm going to look for all of Sarah Goodwin's books now. I love when I find a thriller writer I never knew about before!