I read a book of Goodwin's a few years ago and I have been chasing the high of that read ever since. The last few have of hers have not been wins for me, but this one I would count as a win. Did I love it? No. BUT, did I hate it? Also no. Thus, a win. I thought that the concept for this book was really interesting, and the tone of this novel was pretty well-paced and suspenseful. I will say, though, that where this book did lose me was the setting and the characters. The characters were just so unlikeable, and I couldn't fathom caring about their well-being. I know that's sort of rude, but like if you're that unlikeable I just can't muster care. They also just didn't feel distinct enough--after a while all the characters just morphed into a large homounclus of suck. I think, too, that because I didn't care about any of the characters that made it hard to really get invested in the plot or care.
Tonally, this book was pretty well done--Goodwin manages to create suspense with her pacing. But the characters, plot, etc. just made it hard to get invested into the world and story Goodwin had created.

Whoa! This one had me on the edge of my seat - I read through it in just a day. I highly recommend going in as blind as possible - it was definitely not what I expected!

Lila Wilde, influencer and daughter of a millionaire rock star, is newly engaged on a trip to Thailand. She doesn’t want the party to stop, so she invites those willing from the club to join her and her fiancé on her private jet to the secluded home. What transpires is a plane crash, with no flight plan and crashing miles away from the tail and the black box, they survivors are unsure about their odds of being rescued. What follows is a wild story for survival against the environment, and others, and against all odds. Who will make it out alive to tell the story.

I really enjoy Godwin’s writing and stories. They are always something a little different and quite a ride and this is no different. Enjoyable, you feel stuck in the jungle with Lila and the others hoping for a way out.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This was a perfect escape on a winter day. It tells the story of a socialite Lila who gets proposed to and decides to take the party to her villa. But mid-flight an episode of Lost occurs and they are left stranded. Intriguing ,page turning and definitely a great read.

This is one of those books that is difficult to review without giving anything away. I loved it and had a lot of fun reading it. This is the perfect beach/vacation read. Or if you are like me, and it is a dreary winter here in Texas, it is a great escape book! Unlikeable Lila and her equally shallow, unlikeable friends and a few unlikeable strangers take a ride on a private jet to fly to Thailand to party with her also unlikeable DJ boyfriend. Seeing a theme here? Bear with me, it works! Just pick this one up and settle in for a fun escape! Oh, and that beautiful cover!! I would also check out some of Sarah Goodwin's other books. She is one of my favorite authors for a quick, easy and suspenseful read!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Sarah Goodwin and Avon Books UK | Avon for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this! This is a gripping thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish, the plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns, making it impossible to predict what will happen next.
The writing is both engaging and suspenseful, with well-developed characters that add depth to the narrative.
The pacing of the novel is perfect, with just the right amount of tension to keep readers hooked without feeling overwhelmed.
The setting is vividly described, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall reading experience.
Highly recommended!

Absolutely fantastic, I really enjoyed it. It was perfectly paced and kept me guessing all the way through. I couldn't put it down and read it in a couple of hours

Sarah Goodwin is an auto read for me!
I’ll read anything she writes!
This is an engaging and well written story. This fast-paced story really ramped up the tension throughout.
Goodwin keeps things fast paced in this exciting thriller which is definitely worth reading.

From looking at the blurb, I was considering not reading this....40 pages in, I was thinking of bailing, but...once you get into the 'meat' it's actually a good read. Plenty of incidents along the way keep you engaged.
Well written and I might well look up more of Sarah's books. Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

If I could throw this book at you and shout read this book now I would.

It’s a string thriller and a perfect beach read. It was such a rollicking good read.
Well written and fast paced and a great thriller

4.5 Stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this much-appreciated ARC. Sarah Goodwin has proven herself to be a leading writer of survival fiction. She immerses the reader in spine-tingling outdoor adventures, with finely drawn characters who must endure. The characters may be kind and helpful or selfish and villainous, but nature does not choose their fates. She places various personalities in situations where they must survive a challenging environment as well as each other. Reviewing one of the author's earlier books, I remarked that fans of the TV reality series Alone or Naked and Afraid XL should enjoy Goodwin's fiction. The Private Jet takes the thrills and chills of survival to the extreme. It was gripping and tension-filled throughout.

The narrator, Lila White, is a socialite/influencer who is self-absorbed and spoiled and who feels entitled due to her rock-star father's great wealth. He indulges her financially. Lila obsesses about her appearance, wearing designer clothes and fine jewelry. She has an assortment of credit cards with unlimited purchasing power, talented makeup artists and hair designers, and easy access to her father's private pilot and other employees.

Her boyfriend, DJ Bryce, is a shallow want-to-be celebrity attracted by Lila's fame and wealth. She slowly realized that fact after taking him on a vacation to Thailand and showering him with expensive clothes and accessories. They are enjoying Thailand's frantic nightlife at an exclusive night club. Bryce is drinking and swallowing an assortment of pills, and Lila suspects he spiked her drink. The place is buzzing with music, dancing, alcohol, and drugs when Bryce proposes. The nightclub has social influencers, minor celebrities, tourists, and locals enjoying the evening. Lila accepts the proposal, although she is disappointed he ignored her hints that they become engaged at a romantic site of her parents' engagement.

She invites the crowd of rich and famous and ordinary strangers to continue the party at her father's luxurious villa about an hour away by private jet. The pilot is on standby, and she tells him to omit a flight plan as there is no time. The flight experiences turbulence, causing the plane to crash deep in the jungle. Only a few of the thirty-eight people on board survive, and some still alive are injured. A section of the plane that contained its black box is missing, so there is no information on the location of the crash, making search efforts unlikely.

The survivors, including Bryce, blame the unlikeable Lila for causing their dire predicament. A social hierarchy had developed with the self-entitled sleeping in the plane section, whereas those they consider below them 'ordinary people' and the injured must stay outside. Bryce has already attached himself to the few celebrities lazing about within the plane, and Lila understands his true intentions towards her as a fame seeker.

She remains outside, caring for the injured and helping some hard-working people build structures for greater comfort. She feels guilty for the accident and is upset with Bryce's treatment of her. She gradually changes from the entitled character to a brave survivalist with compassion for others. She participates in foraging for food and searching for water, and her selfishness decreases in a desperate situation in the jungle. Bryce has made Lila return her large, ornate engagement ring that may make him the target of bandits.

While wandering in this steamy jungle, they encounter many obstacles, including everything you can imagine that would lead to danger and suffering. There are poisonous snakes, wild boars, tigers, ticks, leeches, bats, biting insects, poachers armed with rifles, and dengue fever. More will die in this riveting, shocking story, highlighting prestige, bravery, determination, changes in outlook for better or worse, resilience, resourcefulness, death, and sacrificing others for greedy purposes.
After living on some unappetizing fruit, the need for protein is extreme, and they are forced to subsist on insects, snakes, spiders, etc, and other disgusting food sources we have seen eaten on TV reality shows. Hope is gone when they realize no rescue is coming. This was a riveting, suspenseful, and shocking story throughout. It was atmospheric and character-driven.
From the beginning, we know that Lila survives and is being interviewed for her story. How were they rescued? Who else is alive after the ordeal?

Highly recommended for readers of adventure and survival stories. The book will be published today.

Sarah Goodwin is one of my favorite authors. I have read several of her books and enjoyed every single one. I find them hard to put down and gripping. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

You can always guarantee a good escape with Sarah Goodwin. This was a taunt thriller set on a stunning thai island where murder comes a calling. A plane is stranded like in Lost and then The Beach takes over. A good mix with Goodwin's flair for the dramatic and the twists and atmospheric memories

Another win for me for Sarah Goodwin. I love isolated setting thrillers and this book didn't disappoint. Flying to a private villa Lila Wilde, some friends and strangers board her father's private jet, during a storm they crash land in the jungle and the situation devolves from there.

The story is at times gruesome, scary and hopeful. I enjoyed the different ways that the characters dealt with the situation they found themselves in and the way that the stresses of the crash changed them, bringing out the best in some and worst in others.

I found the characters compelling and the story was well paced, I did find it a little drawn out in the middle however this helped with building the tension.

I would recommend this book and author and will continue to work through their backlist in addition to new releases.

During a night out socialite Lila Wilde impulsively invited a group of strangers to continue their party at her luxury villa only a short flight away. While the celebrations are continuing on Lila’s private jet, the plane suddenly gets into difficulties and the party turns much more sinister.

I have read most of this author’s books but none ever beat her first book, Stranded. This definitely comes close, the author is on top form with this latest offering. I was hooked almost straight away, really enjoying the writing style and once the drama starts the tension goes into overdrive. The isolation of the jungle setting was authentic and scary. Some of the scenes and what they had to endure was truly shocking and horrifying!

Even though there were a few unlikeable character’s I found them entertaining to read. As the book progressed you saw the changes in Lila during her journey and I found I connected with her more. This is definitely worth a read if you enjoy entertaining, fast paced survival thrillers. 4.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Sarah Goodwin certainly makes it difficult for me to like her characters. They always seem to be rich, young immature people that I can’t take too.
I’ve actually stopped reading two of her books for that reason, but this story pulled me right in. I was there in the Thai jungle with Lila Wilde and her contemporaries, most of them strangers. I couldn’t stop reading this story and by the end I was rooting for Lila.
Definitely my favourite of Sarah Goodwins books, I would recommend it if you like a good psychological thriller. I actually had a nightmare about a plane whilst reading this!
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Even if the book is not your cup of tea, one thing you can guarantee in a Sarah Goodwin book is that you'll be white-knuckling the book until nearly the end, every.single.time.

I have read several of her books right now (my favorite being Stranded) and even if I don't like the characters, I hang in there because this girl knows SUSPENSE. I found myself gripping my kindle in anticipation, waiting for the next shoe to drop. And they do. Often. She always makes it make sense and can create danger out of something that would be completely normal to others.

In this book, a spoiled influencer takes herself and her boyfriend (a no one and really, a loser) to Thailand. Here he plies her with unknown substances and she worries about her image and her skin care routine. Finally throwing caution into the wind at a club, she gets very drunk and invites 38 strangers to her house in another town via her family's private jet. As you can guess, said jet never makes it to its destination and instead the party winds up stranded in the jungle with nothing but booze and snack packets.

As conjured by the word jungle, there are snakes, bugs and other scary creatures to be found, not to mention the survivors are all dressed for the club and not mosquitos and other creepy crawlies.

The story of survival that follows is harrowing and at times unbelievable but you better believe I didn't care because I was on the edge of my seat.

The other thing I know about Sarah Goodwin's books, if you're going to start it, make sure you have time to finish!

My thanks to Netgalley and Avon Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I gave it four stars because the main character is completely unlikable despite her survivalist attitude. The rest of the posse ain't much to write home about either.

As always with Sarah Goodwin books there is such an intense and suspensful feel that makes you feel unsettled throughout, the present danger added to this and keeps you guessing.

Glitz, glamour, and a deadly game at 30,000 feet…THE HIGHER YOU FLY…
THE HARDER YOU FALL.

The blurb of this book is quite vague but it still drew me in so I requested an ARC of this. This was a solid 3.5 for me. I wish I could rate it higher but the lack of depth in the characters and tension throughout the book dropped it from a 4 to a 3.5. It is well written but it felt like some of the deeper character moments had been cut as sometimes they flipped from one thing to another very quickly. The author noted at the end that she had cut some of the gorier moments. I wonder if leaving them in would have helped with the character development more. The character arcs were what was expected but it felt... jolty in parts.

Good summer read though and keeps you reading. Just left me wanting something more.

Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the ARC

I always like reading a new spin on the good old plots of old. I think it's clever how thrillers thrill instantly when adding a common human fear. A plan crash on an island automatically ticks the blood pressure increase box. You're already wondering, fearing and thinking "what would I do?"
I also find it fascinating to see how people either adapt or react in survival mode. Because I don't think we can always say the "true" person comes out. We know from wars or traumatic circumstances around the world that people dknt always do what morally or preferably they would otherwise have done.

I found the people on this plan a category of quite hateful spoil squirts. And dint think I'd like many. Some definitely stuck to being able to be judged by their cover too! Lila I found softened in my affectipns so I did feel for her. And want know how she survived. And how it changes her as you get to eventually see through the pov switches.
It's very uncomfortable to see how naturally some.characters turned even worse than expected. But sadly predictable too.