Such a fun and twisty summer read that kept me guessing the entire book. One of the only books I’ve ever read in one sitting. This could’ve been a 5 star for me but I found the ending to be a little disappointing. We were kind of spoon fed the resolution and the perpetrator and their reasoning was just a little too far-fetched for my liking. This was my first book by Lorna Dounaeva and I’m looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

A good plot with lots of twists and turns I didn’t expect.

When siblings Willow and Josh decide to go on their first holiday with their friends, their mum Patsy nervously checks out the resort in Bulgaria.

Kelly, an ex pat working at the resort, offers to keep an eye on the teenagers for a small fee.

When the group experience lots of unfortunate accidents, Willow starts to question if they are just coincidence or if someone is targeting the group.

The story is told mainly through Willow, with some chapters interspersed by other people.

Overall a good read, kept me intrigued till the end

Willow and Josh are siblings and they’re travelling to Bulgaria with some of their friends to celebrate Josh’s 18th birthday. Their mother was hesitant to let them go by themselves but she connected with Kelly, a woman who owns a kiosk at the resort. Kelly tells her she could keep an eye on the kids for a small fee.

Almost as soon as they arrive, strange accidents starts to happen. At first, it looks like bad luck but as their stay prolonged, more weird things are happening.

Obviously Kelly is keeping an eye on them but for them, she’s the kiosk lady so they never really paid much attention to her.

There’s friendship, mystery and a twist I didn’t see coming.

It’s 3rd person but different POV however, it’s well written and easy to follow and fast pace.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was amazing! I loved that the setting took place in Bulgaria - I’ve never seen that done before. This book was incredibly suspenseful with a twist that I never could have guessed. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and i now am looking forward to reading everything else she has put out. I would say she is comparative to Freida McFadden.

Oh my goodness, get ready to go for a ride full of waves with this book!! I just was so caught into this book! I couldn't put it down. It was full of suspense. Loved it!

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 16th August!

A series of unfortunate events and a holiday what could possible go wrong?! This book was a top notch thriller I devoured it in less than a day! I loved the setting and I was transported there whilst reading it, oh one can dream!

A great twisty plot with many exciting turns and twists that kept me engaged until the very last page! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars I’d highly recommend this book! 😊

I received and ARC copy of Lorna Dounaeva's new thriller, The Beach. The blurb on the NetGalley site seemed enticing and like something I would enjoy reading.

Siblings Willow and Josh are preparing for the next chapter of their lives - the end of high school, heading off to university, and Josh's upcoming 18th birthday. To celebrate, Willow has the idea of taking a holiday in Bulgaria with a few of their friends and Josh is on board, helping convince their mom. As their mother, Patsy, begins researching the resort where her children will be staying, she comes across a woman named Kelly, who works at Paradise Palms, and offers to keep an eye on the kids and their friends, easing Patsy's mind.

But no sooner do Willow, Josh, and their friends arrive at Paradise Palms when strange accidents begin to happen. Tiana slips off a balcony falling into the pool, nearly drowning. Hugo goes crashing into the side of a building in a kiteboarding accident. The girls are nearly run over while spending a day in the city. And all the while, Willow has a strange feeling that someone is watching them.

When Josh doesn't show up for his birthday dinner and no one can find him, Willow isn't sure what to do or who to trust, especially when everyone has their secrets they want to protect.

Were all of these simply freak accidents, or is there something much more sinister at play?

I found this book to be an engaging, quick read and enjoyed it. I feel like there were some loose ends that were unresolved but overall, this was a fun summer thriller.

I was given access to an uncorrected advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review by NetGalley and Victory Editing.

#NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.Lorna Dounaeva has a way with story telling that pulls you in and keeps you in suspense from beginning to end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

18 year old Willow and her about to turn 18 year old brother Josh head to a beach resort in Bulgaria with 4 friends. Their mother, Patsy, is afraid to let them travel by themselves, but she is contacted by Kelly, a lady who works at the resort who will keep an eye on them for a fee, so she pays it and assumes all will be well, and obviously, it isn't.

This book started out ok. Interesting location on the Black Sea in Bulgaria, weird stuff starts happening to the kids, I am curious as to why these things are happening. There was really no character development, but I can deal with that if the story is good. And then really went off the rails midway through.

Mild spoiler alerts.........No one really ever figured out what was going on, the author just eventually told us. The perpetrator's reason for doing what they did was a reach. The way the perpetrator pulled it off was definitely farfetched. The business the perpetrator was involved in at their age, with no one knowing was unbelievable. Kelly's situation was absurd.

I like the premise of this book but the actual execution didn't work for me at all. I don't like leaving bad reviews, but this was a bit of a mess.

This is my second book by author Lorna Dounaeva and she hit it out of the park again! She has a way with story telling that pulls you in and keeps you in suspense from beginning to end. Friendship, love interests, mystery, suspense, and a twist I never saw coming! Add The Beach to the top of your TBR pile!

Siblings Willow and Josh, and their friends, take a trip to an island paradise. Their mother, Patsy, is hesitant to let them go, but she connects with a woman who works at the resort who promises to look after them and send updates on the kids and their friends. When tragedy strikes, is someone targeting the group, and is the woman Patsy hired who she says she is?

Wow!!!! Mind is blown. I had absolutely no idea who did what in this book. She nailed it. 5 stars all day long.

3.5* rounded up
Siblings Willow and Josh head off on their first holiday without parents for Josh's 18th birthday. They go to Bulgaria with some friends, expecting it to be amazing and enjoying their freedom. Once they get there, though, strange things start happening, and some of their friends end up hurt. When Josh goes missing, Willow is sure that he's been kidnapped by whoever she has felt watching her the whole time. She's determined to find her brother and bring him home.

I have been a little unsure how I felt about this one. It started off fairly slow, and even with the odd accident happening, it was just them on holiday. It wasn't until they discovered Josh was missing that things started to pick up a little. And that was great. Sort of. Some of the things that happened just seemed a little too far-fetched. The last few chapters pulled all the story together and explained everything. But then it ended the way it did, and it left me feeling a little annoyed. However, props to the author for not giving any clues as to what had really happened. I certainly did not see any of it coming.

A dark holiday read so right up my street. The novel centres on Willow and Josh, teenage siblings on their first holiday away with friends. Things most definitely do not go as expected.

The characterisation was on the whole good and you felt you got to know the individuals. The ending did for me feel a little rushed and could probably have been a chapter or two longer with a tad more detail but this did not detract from a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing company for this advanced review copy. I'm now off to read some of this authors other novels.

This was a fast and fun read. Not the next Stephen King horror best seller, but rivals Frieda McFadden with its twists nd turns

If you picked up The Beach expecting a summer romcom, you would be greatly mistaken. Instead, you would find a thrilling mystery filled with lots of twist and turns. It was a great read.

You thought you were keeping them safe. You let the evil in. My heart twists as I watch my teenagers, Willow and Josh, head off on their first holiday without me. They're spreading their wings, venturing out into the world, and I feel a mix of pride and anxiety. Choosing a quiet resort in Bulgaria seems like a safe bet, but I can't shake the worry gnawing at my gut. Good book! Wow! Bit of a crazy storyline! Had me glued to my kindle! This book had suspense, intriguing, murder, mystery, a great who done it and some crazy twists and turns! I definitely recommend reading this one! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!