When I was first offered this novel, I was excited because I had been fortunate enough to read Gilbert's debut She Started It before it was released-- and had been riveted.

Everyone knows that the sophomore novel is the most challenging (for obvious reasons), but I have to say, for an oversaturated genre, Sian was able to put her unique fingerprints all over this one. She takes a common premise (murder on the water) and ratchets up the intrigue with not just any boat, but a superyacht, not a run-of-the-mill staff, but instead, modelesque stewardesses, a flurry of red-herrings, intersecting plotlines, multiple murders, and one big fat mess of a catastrophic disaster.

Will people complain about any or all of the above? Sure, but they are missing the point-- we are reading for an escape, not for believability here and I for one am happy to escape from the world for a bit to get a fictional peek behind the curtain of what it's like to live on deck a superyacht serving the elite without a second glance, just as I am equally happy to close the book afterwards, not having to have experienced their tragedies!

At times there might have been a tad much going on, but overall it kept the pacing and kept me turning the digital pages. Gilbert is going on my auto buy list from now on.

I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited when I saw Sian Gilbert had a new book coming out. I loved her previous book. Multiple characters that act and look the same stuck on a yacht in the middle of the ocean. Sounds like a great setting!

Sian Gilbert has a way of making you hate almost all of the characters. And the multiple POVS make it somewhat more difficult in figuring out exactly what’s going on. There were moments when it felt slow… And I had expected more from the ending especially with how her previous book ended. However the twist in the epilogue was not one I saw coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A locked-door mystery which takes place on a yacht; the characters all look- and even act- alike. Sasha is starting her career as a stewardess on a billionaire's yacht, where a year ago one of the stewardesses was murdered. It doesn't take long for another murder to occur. The stewardesses/coworkers all look alike, the same beauty, the same long blond hair, same high cheekbones. We need to learn who killed the recent person and the past one. It is a typical locked room mystery with several suspects, all pointing the fingers at each other.

They are kind of awful to each other, none of them are people you are really rooting for. The characterization in this novel was really lacking, once the killer was revealed I wasn't surprised, it was a bit of a letdown. It is definitely very readable, but not very interesting. I didn't like any of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published June 17, 2025.

4.5 big stars! If this is what the show Below Deck is like, then I need to start watching! A deliciously fun whodunit on a superyacht with lies and deceit. What a fun book!

A book about murder on a yacht, what more can you ask for? It started out slow and eventually worked its way to the murders. The book was told from many different points of view and there were many characters on the super yacht. The characters were not that charming and the women were pretty catty. There were several different parts to the book and it wasn’t until the third or fourth part that things started happening. I would give this 3 1/2 stars because it had a satisfying conclusion. It just took a long time to get there.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for my ARC book. I enjoyed Sian Gilbert’s first book better than this one. But I will read her books again.

After reading the author’s debut novel “She Started It”, which I absolutely loved, I couldn’t wait to read this newest release. While I did enjoy this book, I think I’ve just gotten to a point where I’m a little tired of locked room (yacht) mysteries. This story had many POV’s to keep track of (which was fairly easy once the story took off), but then I felt it started to drag on through the middle. Now, I will admit that I didn’t read this book as fast as I usually do because of other life activities going on, so I’m not sure if that affected how I felt each time I picked the book back up…

To briefly sum this story up, we have Sasha who gets a dream job on the billionaire yacht ‘Ophelia’. Sasha thinks this job as a stewardess on the yacht will be an escape from her past. Little does Sasha know that she has walked into another nightmare.

Upon arriving on the ‘Ophelia’, Sasha meets all her coworkers/stewardesses, and amazingly they look exactly like she does. Sasha no longer stands out as being blond and beautiful, because the other stewardesses are blond and beautiful as well. They are exact replicas of each other. Saha also finds out that these other women that she works with are not very friendly, and they are very cutthroat. How will Sasha survive this journey in the middle of the Atlantic ocean when women and items go disappearing almost daily?

If you like locked room mysteries, with lots of finger pointing 🫵- then this is the book for you! Although I didn’t enjoy it as much as the author’s debut, it was still a fun read and I think many who are new to this genre will enjoy it even more than I did.

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own.
Publication date: June 17, 2025

interesting and twisty thriller! there are a TON of twists and the vibes are interesting. the characters are fun too! 4.5 stars, tysm for the arc.

“I Did Warn Her,” by Sian Gilbert is a thriller involving murder and mayhem on a Superyacht crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Gibraltar to New York City. It is told from the perspective of the various stewardesses on board as well as a passenger posing as an escort for one of the two wealthy guests to find out what happened to her best friend during a previous voyage with the same guests a year ago.

The initial impression was that of a reality TV show, as all the stewardesses were catty and cruel to each other, like an adult version of teenage “mean girls.” At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the book since I am not a fan of reality TV; however, the book quickly pulled me in with its intrigue and suspicious characters, all of whom seemed to have a secret they were trying hard to protect. The suspense escalates and just when the reader thinks everything is concluded, the final chapter adds an unsuspected twist. All in all this was an entertaining read, with a fresh perspective on the thriller genre with its setting onboard a yacht on a transatlantic voyage.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Marrow for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 4/5!!!

I Did Warn Her is a locked room mystery set aboard a billionaire’s yacht, the Ophelia. The luxurious super yacht is decorated with stewardesses that all look nearly identical, but all have very different and intriguing pasts that brought them to work on board. As the Ophelia embarks on its journey across the Atlantic, a stewardess is found dead and everyone is a suspect.

The crew and guests aboard the Ophelia are chaotic and entertaining, but the six POVs was hard to track at first. While the many POVs worked to tell this story, creating a space for rivalries and distrust, I typically do not love this many voices to tell a story. Most of the “model-gorgeous” stewardesses are incredibly catty, with each believing she is the most superior; and the plot becomes even juicier when the yacht’s owner brings more beautiful and secretive guests on board. The dynamic between the guests and crew was realistic and sometimes unsettling, but highly entertaining.

I loved the five-part structure of this book; it is fast paced, with steady drama, that keeps you guessing until the very end. With everyone having something to hide, the isolation on the open seas heightens the tension, making every interaction that much more tense and nail-biting.

The voyeuristic nature worked here, as you get a peek behind the curtain into the lives of the ultra-wealthy and the secrets they are able to keep covered. I would highly recommend this whodunnit on the high seas.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for an advanced copy of I Did Warn Her. I read Sian Gilbert's debut novel last year and have been waiting for her next ever since, I am beyond thankful to have gotten the opportunity to read her next novel early.

'It's aaaammmaaaazing' - said in Aesha's iconic voice. I have been a huge fan of Below Deck for years and to find out one of my top authors last year was releasing a Below Deck inspired whodunit I was sat and impatiently waiting. And boy did Sian deliver, as with her last novel we follow the most unlikable group out there, in a secluded location and the bodies are just piling up. I think this novel was a phenomenal follow up to She Started It, with going into the book knowing how well Sian writes dislikable people it really helped flow the story along. The multiple points of view from the stews helped add touches of humor in a high stakes thriller. I would like to say this book also had me on the edge of my seat towards the end, like genuinely was getting scared.

If you are a fan of Below Deck, catty drama, & honestly - Clue - this novel felt like a cozy game of Clue with some bratty people, I think this is a perfect next read for you. Sian was one of my favorite authors last year, and she will be again this year.

Thanks netgalley for a copy of this book to review. I liked the premise of the book, i think there needs to be more books that take place on cruise ships or yachts. This gave off Below Deck vibes. But man i struggled with this book. It was overdone, overdone in having so many different points of views, for example one chapter is Sasha, another chapter Imogen, Jade, Effie, etc. Over done in terms of there being so many ping pong back and fourth things going on that it felt like it was being forced when it shouldn't have been. It just didn't feel smooth and flowy as a story should feel. I don't think any of the characters were likable, they were vile to each other.

I received a free copy of, I Did Warn Her, by Sian Gilbert, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Ophelia is a yacht, that had seen some trouble, death, people belongings going missing, when someone else is found dead, everyone is looked at as the perp. This was such a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a multiple POV type, so if you don’t like seeing different POV’s, this book is not for you. There’s alot of cruelness that is annoying at times and most of the characters were unlikable. There were so many characters and plot twists, that just fell short. I gave this book 3 stars because I was interested to know what was going on, but all in all, the story wasn’t developed as well as I had hoped for.

I enjoyed Gilberts debut a lot, this was very lackluster. I think it was way too ambitious for a sophomore release. There were so many different POV's from way too many unlikable and cruel characters that it made your head dizzy in the wrong way. It didn't lead to any sort of confusion on who the villain is at all. The premise was amazing and could have been executed much better.

ARC Review: I Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert

Sian Gilbert delivers a thrilling and twisty ride with I Did Warn Her. This suspenseful novel kept me hooked from start to finish, with an epilogue that packed an extra twist I didn’t see coming—it elevated the whole story to another level.

If you’re a fan of Below Deck, you’ll love the below-deck-inspired setting, complete with all the drama and intrigue of luxury yacht life—but with a sinister, thrilling whodunit twist. I especially loved how the author gave a nod to Below Deck in the story, which added a fun layer for fans of the show.

The characters were intriguing and well-crafted, but I’ll admit they were a bit hard to follow at first. It took a few chapters to fully grasp who everyone was and how they fit into the narrative. However, once the pieces clicked, I was completely immersed in their tangled dynamics.

One of the best aspects of this book was how unpredictable it was. I thought I had the plot figured out, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The unexpected turns and shocking revelations kept me second-guessing until the very end.

Overall, I Did Warn Her is a solid thriller with great characters, plenty of surprises, and an unforgettable ending. With its blend of high-stakes drama and clever twists, it’s perfect for fans of psychological suspense and Below Deck alike. A solid 4 stars!

thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review!

yeah I think Sian Gilbert is just not for me. her books have great premises but the execution doesn't bear those ideas out. this book just has waaaaaayyyy too many samey characters running around. virtually all of them are horrible people and also not even interesting. like! make me care about all the juicy backstabbing on the luxury yacht! it shouldn't be that hard! I didn't even care about how the plot was gonna resolve itself because I didn't care about the characters. like the epilogue is clearly supposed to end with a big !!! but my reaction was more... who was that again?

like her other book, it's a pretty breezy read at least.

This is an ARC from NetGalley. This book was over the top in the worst ways possible. This was definitely inspired by Below Deck, as the show was mentioned several times. All the stewardesses, taking the backstabbing, jealous, and sabotage to a level 20 from the beginning with little to no justification took me out of the story from the very beginning. Unfortunately, it never recovered. Everyone just ignoring multiple deaths in a locked door environment was just laughable. None of the characters were worth rooting for. #netgalley #ididwarnher #lockedroommystery #yatching #multiplepov

I received a Netgalley ARC for this book and the publisher reached out to encourage my review of it. So, I made it my next read. It wasn't that bad, in that it moved quickly.

I just have to say that I didn't care for the setting or nearly all of the characters.

I never watch Below Deck and have no desire to watch it - ever. So, reading this with so many stereotypes of all the people aboard the superyacht was tiring.

However, there were quite a few chapters that ended with good enough hooks that I wanted to keep reading it and coming back to it.

PS - I didn't love the cover artwork - I think there is so many other options, given what happens in the book. LMK if you read and agree?

I now know more than I ever did about yacht culture and the super rich. This is one warped 1%.

This is a suspenseful book and I was dying to know what was behind everything.

If I had one complaint it was that our stewardesses are interchangeable. The thing is...they're suppose to be. It's part of the plot. But all the different POV characters kind of ran together for me. They're all one woman in voice.

Despite that, I enjoyed the read. I mean I couldn't tell you if girl one was dead or girl three or girl four, but I knew that I kind of liked them (even though they were a little mean girl) and I wanted to know the way of everything.

Good beach read.

I absolutely love Below Deck, so I was excited to get this book (the author even references the show a few times). The story is narrated by super yacht Ophelia’s lookalike stewardesses: chief stew Jade, Imogene, Effie and newbie Sasha. Also chiming in is Jasmine, an escort of one of two businessmen chartering the boat. The Ophelia is seemingly plagued by problems including a stewardess that disappeared during one of its last season’s charters. This season is shaping up no better, with missing jewelry, other items, and eventually, a death that that some suspect is murder. Are the current unsavory guests killing, or is it someone on the crew? Will they all survive this trouble filled last charter or will more bodies hit the water?

I absolutely devoured this entertaining locked room thriller. With a fun cast of characters, excellent writing and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, this book is sure to please you (bonus points if you are a Below Deckie like me). 4.25 Stars rounded to 4.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.