I received an ARC of this book from William Morrow via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. First of all, don't read the blurb on Goodreads as it contains a major spoiler! However, to be fair, I guessed the dead body's identity pretty early on.

This is a fast read because the chapters are short, and I enjoyed the very vivid descriptions of Thailand. Sometimes the descriptions were a little much, though - a whole paragraph about the decoration of a room, for instance.

There were a lof of allusions to what happened to Saskia in her past, but when we found out what it was, I was left skeptical. I didn't really find her actions in the past or her reaction in the present day to be believable. And then that means that the consequences in the present-day become very far-fetched, in my opinion.

I was waiting for another big twist at the end, which I suppose we received in the very last chapter, but I also found this fairly unbelievable and not consistent with the character's prior actions/ personality.

A not very thrilling thriller for me.

2.5 stars This book was okay. Reading the plot it sounded like it was going to be a good one, but unfortunately for me it was so slow. 2 couples go on a trip to Thailand and it seems like one couple just gripes about not having money the whole time and the other has too much money. When it finally got to the best part it was over.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.

Phoebe Morgan has created an enthralling page turner that leaves you unable to stop until you have reached the end! Saskia, Theo, Lucas, and Holly are on holiday in Thailand when something from the past comes back to haunt them. Initially I thought this book would leave me terrified to travel to unknown worlds, but it quickly turns to show you that secrets are the scariest and most dangerous things of all. This story is ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ meets ‘Revenge’. Very well written and developed, and the ending twist garnered an audible gasp as I took in the last pages. What an excellent read!

A great atmospheric, eerie, summer thriller with MULTIPLE twists!! Two couples go on the trip of a lifetime to Thailand and a murder ensues. If you like psychological thrillers with secrets and unreliable narrators- this one is for you!!

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Trip.

The best thing about The Trip is Thailand, which is on my to-go list of destinations.

The blurb is false advertising; the plot is not heart stopping and the vicious murder doesn't occur until the end of the book.

The narrative is a mishmash of tropes found in all genre thrillers.

The basic gist is the same you've read time and time again; a group of (insert number) friends go on an amazing trip together but all four of them harbor a deeeep, darkkkk secret.

Odd things happen. Stuff goes missing. Stolen. A stranger appears.

We get POVs from Saskia, Holly, and Lucas but Lucas' was useless; Caleb would have been a better perspective.

And why is Saskia and Holly written from first person and Lucas the third person? It was distracting to follow the flow of the writing style every time it shifted.

The perspectives only served as filler and to bump up the word count since the only thing Lucas thinks about is how poor he is and how he's going to afford this trip.

Saskia is constantly fretting, Holly is worried about Saskia and creeped out by Caleb, and those ruminations and descriptions make up 90% of the plot.

The narrative is made up of the friends' travel and sightseeing day trips, which is the less fun version of looking at someone's vacation photos.

None of the characters are well developed and it's never explained how Caleb tracked them down in Thailand.

This was not suspenseful, thrilling or interesting, and sounded like so many previous books I've read.

I loved this book for the plot. A vacation gone awry, I mean this book checked that box off my anxiety card. It follows 4 friends as they’re on vacation in Thailand, when lo and behold a mysterious man from one of their pasts turns up out of nowhere. Causing their vacation to sour on the drop. I found myself yelling at all 4 characters on each page turn. I gave this book 3 stars on the count that I ended up guessing the big twist, BUT, the other two twists. Did not see coming at all. And on the very last page I said to myself “And that is why I don't have friends”. A reminder that maybe, you don’t really know someone at all.

Phoebe Morgan's THE TRIP is a relatively engaging, though ultimately forgettable, thriller.

Things don't go as planned almost from the start of the titular trip to Thailand on which the four 30-something Brits at the center of this novel have embarked. Though initially more of an inconvenience than an actual danger, the issues with the trip continue to increase in seriousness - in a manner that would likely induce even the most willing-to-suspend-disbelief reader to slip into a state of incredulity.

Though the author was effective in building tension, she never really succeeded in inducing readers - or, at least, this reader - to feel any real attachment towards her characters.

The finale twists were reasonably well-executed though largely predictable.

I wouldn't disuade a friend from reading this book, but I also wouldn't really encourage him/her to do so.

The plot and synopsis sounded like a home run for me but it just wasn't. It was very slow and not a lot really happened at all for a thriller. The characters were bland enough that I had a hard time differentiating them and remembering which couple was which. By the end, I just wanted to be finished so I could move on. Just not for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC on exchange for my honest review.

So all in all not a bad read. However I did feel like the first half was a but more drawn out, so much so that it may have been a bit tedious in the details of their adventures or thoughts running around Bangcock. I thought it might go in a different direction than it did with how many times workers and people around them warned them and then stated after then.
That or these people were all super paranoid...except where it was needed.
I think the second half I would've like to see more of. Their time on Koh Samet felt like it could've held more suspense and thrill. A perfect idyllic setting for what was going on. A quartet being stalked by some supposed random do gooder. But instead it all kind of wraps up quite fast. The flow of the first part versus the last part didn't match. I think that's my issue with this story.
Otherwise I do like a good thriller set on a vacation.

The Trip was a good psychological thriller that kept me engaged until the very end. What happens when a vacation ends in murder? Read this book and find out.

I was hooked from the first couple of pages all the way to the end! Thailand with British friends! Very entertaining. Atmospheric and mysterious. Well done! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was not what i expected. I did not like this book, the plot was poor and the writing was quite bad. There were far too many “ominous” lines and wanna be foretelling and “spooky” and some didn’t even make sense!!!
The plot felt week, many many parts of the book were given too much detail that had nothing to do with the plot or were entertaining. I found myself absolutely knowing what was going to happen (and was correct) and thinking so many times this MUST be this authors first work. Come to find out she’s an editor AND multi time author. I was really disappointed.
Apologies to the author, but I will not be recommending this book.

This book was an ARC from Netgalley. The book description sounded right up my alley, but the actual plot was a bit of a missed opportunity. The characters and there stories were all just a bit boring. The two "good" characters are left completely corrupted and given no resolution. The overall story ended with a depressive feeling. We learn little to nothing about the villain or how he located the group in Thailand to begin with. I wasn't invested in them or the outcome. The book seemed to move along at a very slow place, and could have been reduced to a short story. This was an ARC so this book does have some typos and need of further editing. Nothing that significantly altered the story. Overall, this story felt very basic from a plot and character development standpoint. #netgalley #phoebemorgan #williammarrow #thailand #beachthiller #mystery #thepastneverstaysburied

Phoebe Morgan is the author of The Wild Girls. Her new book features a murderous trip to Thailand.

Lucas, Holly, Saskia and Theo are off to Thailand for a luxurious vacation. Everyone has a secret it seems - it's just a matter of time before they surface.

A bit of a Patricia Highsmith style story that features an unknown British man who hooks up with the couple in Bangkok but then doesn't seem to want to leave. Morgan twists the screws as she creates a claustrophobic scene even on the bright Thai beaches. If you are a thriller lover, a vacation-gone-wrong reader or just want to take a vicarious trip to Thailand, The Trip is for you! #williammorrow #thetrip #phoebemorgan

How well do you know your friends? Four friends are on the vacation of a lifetime in Thailand. Until a vicious murder shatters their paradise! Great read!! This book was definitely a great thriller! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! It had suspense, intriguing, murder, mystery, plenty of secrets, a great who done it and a few crazy twists and turns! The story was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collin’s publishing for sharing this book with me!

The Trip was not what I expected, in a very good way! Two couples on a dream vacation in Thailand, all with their own worries and secrets, but one of their secrets may end up with someone dying. Phoebe Morgan does a fantastic job of making you feel like you are right in Thailand, experiencing the heat, anxiety and dread right alongside the characters.

Thank you NetGalley, Phoebe Morgan, and William Morrow for the ARC of The Trip.

The premise of this book drew me in. 4 friends on vacation in an exotic location then someone dies.

The book starts with 4 friends (2 couples - Saskia & Theo and Holly & Lucas) leaving the UK for Thailand. After arriving at their destination everything starts going wrong. There is a mix up with their reservation and they have to find somewhere else to stay for the night. They leave the luxury hotel to end up in a hostel not too far away. Not letting the rough start to their trip get them down, the next day they set off to explore the local sights. Holly loses her bag which has everyone’s passports, her wallet, and phone. Luckily Caleb comes to the rescue finding her bag and returning it to her. After their day out the couples return, gather their belongings, and leave the hostel and check into the luxury hotel. At the hotel they run into Caleb, who becomes a 5th wheel on their vacation. He turns up everywhere they go. At first they think he’s just a lonely traveler and don’t mind him tagging along. However, his constant presence begins bothering them but he doesn’t take the hints that they want to be left alone. That is because he knows one of the 4 friends and wants something from them.

The book is told in multiple POVs. Saskia and Holly’s POVs are told in first person and they are the ones moving the story forward, albeit very slowly. Lucas POV is in third person and seems to only be there to remind everyone that he is too broke to be on this vacation. This book moved a little too slowly for me. I felt Lucas’ POV was unnecessary and the story would be just as impactful without it. At least 3/4 of the book is just the couples on vacation with Caleb showing up everywhere they go and threatening the one he knows to go along with his plan. Then someone dies, the remaining characters go home, with one final twist and the book is over.

The Trip by Phoebe Morgan was everything you want in a great beach read - fast-moving, suspenseful, exotic location! Perfect for my thriller-loving library patrons.

The Trip is about two couples who take a trip to Bangkok. One of the couples is in a rather dire financial situation while the other couple is quite rich.

Each of them has their secrets. The addition of a villain who incorporates himself into their lives ups the ante for the couples.

Some of the secrets become easy enough to figure out prior to the reveals, while some other surprised me. I wish that the whole book had been hard to figure out.

I read the book quickly. The addition of the Bangkok streets and culture was fun to read and the private home that they rented on a peaceful island was relaxing.

It is a good read

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!