This was a slow build for me but once all the groundwork was laid, I felt like things started to really pick up and dots were connecting. It got more fun to listen the further along you go all the way up to the epilogue! And WOW! What a way to end the story!! Loved that last narration change. But the narration between the 2 MC’s was hard to distinguish. There were some differences in the way they spoke but the way they sounded was very similar. Other than that, great! Thank you Source books, net galley and Sara Ochs for the chance to review the ALC.

This was for sure an interesting read..super twisty. Just the way I like my thrillers. I loved the different POVs. I did NOT see the ending coming!!

4.4⭐️ What felt like your typical traveler murder mystery, actually got quite twisty and emotional

Cass lives on an idyllic Thai island with the “Permanents”. When Brooke arrives, they strike up a friendship and she joins the tight knit group

But both young women are keeping big secrets and when travelers start to die, they’re determined to solve the mystery and hide who they really are

This was an easy 4 ⭐️ read, a perfect vacation book. But when the reveals came, it took it to the next level. Suddenly we have heart, and I felt so much empathy for Brooke and Cass

What I did miss was more of a connection with the Permanents. They were integral but kept at a two dimensional distance which seemed like a miss - I’d have loved to spend more time with them, getting more of a sense of who they were as individuals

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by 4 people. Two of them had accents but the American narrators didn’t change their pitch or accent at all, even when they were speaking as Scottish Logan or English Daniel. It was super weird and unusual for an audiobook. Odd choice and slightly confusing

All in all, a fun vacation read and excited to read more from author Sara Ochs

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for access to this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review

This was gifted by Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A fast paced vacation thriller set on the remote parts of Thailand, compared to Rachel Hawkins, and we were never here. Signed me up! In this book, we get to follow two women, a curious group, and a murder. This island vacation may not be all it’s cracked up to be. The resort has three simple rules
1)breathe even if something goes wrong
2)always go diving with someone you trust
3) don’t panic if your oxygen is running out
Simple rules right? Only one of our guests has a secret and somebody has found out the Islanders and big and there are many places to hide, so can you make it out alive?

Initially, I was drawn to the Comparisons to other authors and books that I enjoy. Plus, I also enjoy a survival style thriller with some domestic thriller elements where we’re finding out about somebody’s past. I thought this book was fun. I definitely recommend it for a nice quick summer read. I don’t think that it did anything out of the ordinary or anything that I haven’t seen before but I did enjoy the book

In "The Resort," we are transported to the tranquil setting of Koh Sang, a resort island in the Gulf of Thailand, and meet a group of enigmatic permanent residents. Having fled their pasts, they form an unlikely family. However, their harmony is disrupted when a guest's death sets off a chain of events, unveiling hidden motives.

This story was difficult to get into and it was easy to identify the red herrings the author scattering throughout the plot. The characters lack the depth needed to form a meaningful connection, and their unlikable traits make it challenging to empathize with their experiences.

The audio format presents challenges as the narrator fails to differentiate between the international characters with distinct voices or accents. This hampered immersion and added complexity to an already intricate narrative. Another drawback is the distracting mispronunciations throughout the audiobook (definitely a pet peeve of mine). I would recommend the digital or physical version over the audio format for a better reading experience.

While "The Resort" offers glimpses into the mysterious lives of its characters and the beautiful setting of Koh Sang, the slow pace, underdeveloped characters, and audio narration may leave readers yearning for a more engaging and immersive storytelling experience.

The Resort is a story filled with secrets right until the end. Cass, a girl on the run from her own troubled past, winds up on the island to start over. She fits in with a group of people who have all claim the island as their new home and are all running from things in their past. All is going well until a dive student is found dead. This just happens to be the second death in a short amount of time and there is someone else on the island questioning things and ready to turn Cass’ life upside down.

This book has multiple twists and angles as you unravel the mystery behind the deaths on the island. There are a lot of characters that you are introduced to in this book and I did find that a little confusing at first to keep them all straight. However once I learned who was who, the secrets really started to spill out. Check this book out if you want a story that will keep you wondering until the end.

The Resort is a twisty, fun beach read about the expat community at a Thai resort -- largely people hiding out from their previous lives for various reasons -- which creates problems when someone comes looking for the truth. Mysterious people and deaths about and the quick misdirects keep you guessing through the end.

This audiobook was entertaining enough to make me finish.

It did seem at points to be a bit long winded. I listend at 1.75x and it still seemed to drag a bit. The narrator has a nice voice but could use a bit more range.

The story however was good! Nothing was particularly twisty. I do like the location, being in Thailand and the description of the island is nice.

All in all, it was entertaining. It wasn’t particularly thrilling or edge of the seat suspenseful like I prefer.

3.5 stars. Good read to keep you turning pages and I liked the setting. The characters felt a bit one-dimensional, but thriller lovers will be entertained. My biggest gripe with this was with the narrators on audio. It sounded to me like they were both maybe British speaking people who were trying to do an American accent and the way they pronounced some of the words was distracting. And given that so many of the characters (actually maybe all but one?) weren’t American, I didn’t understand the choice. Give us a British or Australian narrator!

The synopsis makes the book to be so much better than it actually was.

We follow the points of view of Cass, a scuba diving instructor and Brooke, a social media influencer on vacation in Thailand.

It honestly started off very dry.
After about 3 chapters in I started to not vibe with Brooke anymore but my god, as we neared the final chapters I couldn’t even stand reading her POV . She labelled anyone she met the killer and acted very impulsively.

I feel for Brooke, I really do, but I still didn’t like her in the end and she had her anger and want of revenge completely misdirected towards Cass.

I felt like Brooke’s and Cass (each of their) stories took away a lot from the “main” plot of who killed Lucy.

Final thoughts: started off not being engaging and having not very compelling characters.

The story unfolds at a decent pace,while information is slowly revealed that allows you to start putting things together. I liked the book, but I really struggled to like the characters. There wasn't enough character development or personality. Additionally, I found parts of the storyline to be somewhat farfetched. The narration was "ok." The woman narrator's true accent bled through intermittently throughout the book. I liked the surprise twist at the end. Overall, it's a decent read, but it won't be in my "recommend" pile.

The premise of the book was really good but it was hard to stay interested throughout because of the narrator. Her tone was blah and the same throughout. However, I loved the story, so I will purchase the book when it is released to reread.

Took a bit for me to get into this book. If it hadn't had so many excellent reviews, it would have been a DNF for me. It was good incentive I finally got into it but it really took too long to grab my jnterest.

I had to force myself to finish the audiobook version of this book. The narrator was flat. Very little to none distinction between characters.
The many characters staying at the resort have skeletons in their closets. It was a bit hard to keep track of. I had to go back several chapters on more than 1 occasion because it felt like I missed something.
Overall the story has promise but didn’t deliver. Too many stories within a story, flashbacks, and “cool down” chapters. You get built up for a reveal and then the next chapter feels like filler.

Cas is getting married. She lives on the island and is happy. She teaches diving classes
Cas has a past that involves her sister dying she doesn't want anyone to know about
Brooke just moved to the island 2 weeks ago
Brooke is an influencer who also has a past she doesn't want anyone to know about

This island isn't right. Lucy, a student diver, tried to tell Brooke about it but ends up not getting the chance to tell the entire story before she disappears.
Lucy isn't the only one to disappear. People are dying on this island. There are hidden secrets here. No one is talking. Things are covered up
A secret can't be revealed if the people who know it are dying

There are two points of view in this thriller. We have Cass and her life at the Koh Sang Resort. Then we have Brooke a travel influencer. There are secrets both of them are hiding. There was a recent death on the island that was deemed an accident.

I really enjoyed this mystery/thriller. I had no idea what their secrets were and how the book would end up. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did an awesome job. The writing hooked me from the get go and I had to listen to it all in one sitting. 😆 The ending of the book was 🤯.

I’m torn. This book was a bit crazy and felt chaotic at times, however, I’m giving it 4 ⭐️ for great scenery, a decent plot, and a great twist.
Honestly I think the twist was so good because there were so many motives floating out there, you just couldn’t pin down who would kill who and for what reason. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Like I said, I’m a bit torn with this book.
The story is two POVs and is told between the characters Cass and Brooke. Cass has come to the island to escape something, while Brooke has come to the island to find something. What they end up discovering is that people are not always trust worthy and that deception surrounds them.
The characters weren’t un likable, but I didn’t really connect with any either. All in all the first few chapters and last few chapters are what make this a good thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the audio ARC.

This book was really difficult to get into, and to finish. Case goes to this amazing Thailand resort to escape her past. Then a person from her past that knows the truth comes back to being the memories back and threaten her future. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was my first Sara Ochs book, but I'll be heading over to read The Dive next, as this one was so good! I promise not to give anything away, but that was a complete perfection of an ending (chef's kiss!). I was all wrapped up in Cass and "the permanents" from the start of this book, and felt completely immersed in their complicated friendship dynamic and the secrets that drove each of them to start a new life abroad. Ochs expertly parsed out details until the EPIC ending that was so good and so satisfying. Totally a winner

Thank you so much NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and RB Media for my advanced copy and the chance to review it honestly.

The three rules to follow during your vacation at Koh Sang Resort is to leave the past behind, always be careful of who you trust, and if you’re found out… RUN.

I received The Resort as an ALC and I loved it. I listened to it in one sitting and I was not disappointed. I love a good destination thriller and this one sure did deliver! I enjoyed our unreliable narrator and thought the book narrators killed it. They all did a great job bringing this story to life and letting this story unravel in the most entertaining way. My favorite part? The epilogue. The Resort is out 2/6/24 and I plan on getting myself a physical copy for my shelves.

Happy reading!