I devoured Sian Gilbert’s debut novel “She Started It” and this book was just as captivating! I love the multiple perspectives and the Who-Done-It feel!

Sasha is newbie to super-yachts and joins the crew of Ophelia to escape the drama going on in her own life. Little does she know she’s walking into even more chaos! The stewardesses are all look-alikes, a fact that is embedded in so many of the secrets on board! The billionaires, the guests, the captain, the chief, the chef, the bosun and deckhands are all hiding things and all ready to turn on each other to save themselves!

The constant dramatic inner monologues and finger pointing of who did what kept me intrigued throughout the story! Just when I thought there would be details that didn’t get addressed, BAM! Sian Gilbert strikes again and gave a shocking ending that tied everything up!

Sasha is a last minute hire on the luxurious yacht, The Ophelia. Sasha and her fellow stewardesses were tempted to work for the yacht and indulge in the guest's every wish by high wages and the chance to leave their problems behind. Not everything on the Ophelia is as it seems and the owner and his guests have lots of secrets. When a crew member turns up dead everyone is a suspect.

there were many perspectives and twists throughout the book. You are constantly wondering who did it as more and more secrets are revealed. I really enjoyed the author's sarcastic tone through the book. Some of the characters were likable and others not so much but each brought something to the story.

I just finished I Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert, and I have thoughts. This book took me on a ride I didn’t fully expect, and I’m still sitting with the aftershocks.

Right away, the setting and premise pulled me in—an exclusive hen party on a remote island, full of wealthy, glamorous women who all seem to be hiding something. I’m always a sucker for isolated settings where things start to unravel, and this one delivers on that front. The tension builds steadily, and the island feels increasingly claustrophobic as the story progresses. You can practically hear the waves crashing and feel the creeping dread as secrets start surfacing.

The structure alternates between the perspectives of the woman who organized the trip and the one who wasn’t invited. I loved this narrative choice—it added a layer of suspense and made me question everything I thought I knew. You can feel the simmering resentment, the subtle manipulation, and the complicated dynamics between so-called friends. It’s very much a story about privilege, power, and the toxicity that can brew underneath picture-perfect lives.

There were moments when I genuinely didn’t know who to trust. I found myself flipping back and forth, trying to piece together what was really happening. The twist when it comes hits hard—not in a completely out-of-left-field way, but more like a gut punch you realize was winding up the whole time. That’s one of the things I appreciated most: the breadcrumbs are there if you’re paying attention.

That said, some of the characters felt a bit caricatured at times, especially in how cruel or shallow they were. But honestly, it kind of worked for the story, since it’s all about appearances vs. reality. The psychological tension outweighed any nitpicks I had about believability.

Overall, if you're into twisty thrillers with a dark edge, I Did Warn Her is a great pick. It’s chilling in all the right ways and makes you think twice about who you trust—and who you choose to leave behind.

Fantastic book! I would highly recommend both this book and other books by this author. Be sure to read this book!

somewhere between 4.25-4.5⭐️ on this one but i’m rounding up!

this was a thriller that felt like reading Titanic conspiracy theory fanfiction. like what really went on on a fancy boat full of rich people and the staff who were forced to cater to their every whim?? 👀

everyone had secrets, everyone was lying, everyone DESPISED at least one other person onboard, and while at times this *bordered* on confusing (esp in the beginning when we were just getting to know everyone), i actually felt like that element of slight befuddlement is what kept me on my toes the entire time

i FLEW through this in 24 hours and i think that’s the best way to consume it. this was so bingeable and so tense and had me doubting everyone, questioning everything, and i loved it

as far as this author goes, i think she nailed it with her sophomore release after “She Started It” which i read in fall 2023 and i think i liked this one even a little bit MORE

thank you to netgalley and william morrow for this arc!

I Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert is a fun read about the crew on a luxury super yacht and their trip ends up going horribly wrong. Of course, it’s not the first time a voyage of this super yacht went badly, either. If you like twists and turns this book is full of them, almost too many really. The POV also shifts between six different characters and with one going by a nickname for most of the book but not her chapter titles, it can get a bit confusing. Between trying to keep the twists straight and keep the characters straight every time the chapter and POV changed it seemed a little much at times. I did have fun reading it and I definitely didn’t guess quite a few of these twists but I could see how the 6 different POVs alone could be too much for some people.

I read She Started It back when it came out and thought it was a fun surprise! Isolated areas are one of my favorite type of tropes in books so having this one set on a luxury yacht was perfect! I will say that none of the characters are particularly likeable until later in the book. In fact most of them I will say I actively disliked, but I believe that was the idea. The author's writing style is very easy to read and has great pacing, and I really love that about her books. The ending caught me a little off guard as well which was a pleasant surprise. Looking forward to her next!

3 ⭐️
Expected publication date - June 17, 2025

WHAT I LOVED - The locked room mystery, on a superyacht, crossing the Atlantic.

WHAT I LIKED - Waiting to see which horrendous characters would die.

WHAT I DISLIKED - Every character was pretty awful.

WOULD I RECOMMEND? Possibly. It would depend on the person reading it. It was a quick read, I just did not care what happened to any of the characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

After She Started It, I became a Sian Gilbert fan, and it continues after I Did Warn Her. As a fellow Below Deck watcher, Sian really captured the culture of a Superyacht with, of course, an added whodunnit element. It held my attention and I enjoyed the unpredictability. I gave it 3 stars because I felt like the story was setting up for a big plot twist that didn’t really come. There were some nice surprises along the way, but nothing that knocked me out of my seat because all the characters were set up to be suspicious. There were also some clichés along the way, like characters pointing the finger at another and everyone blindly hopping on the bandwagon, but that’s expected with any whodunnit. Overall, a solid and fun read!

This is a fun locked door thriller set on a super yacht. The story revolves around a bunch of stewardesses who all look alike. No one is very likeable and each one has their own grudges and secrets. While it was an overall fun read full of so many twists, a few issues I had was the amount of povs. It was a bit excessive and it took me a bit to remember who was who. The length of the book is way too long and I just don't think it needed to be as dragged out. If you love a long thriller, I think you would love this as a summer read.

I love a good locked room mystery set on a boat in the middle of the ocean. This one did not disappoint! There were many layers to the mystery and a lot going on. The multiple POV chapters kept the pace fast and moving forward. The characters were easy to keep track of (even though they all look the same). The ending was suspenseful, thrilling, and unexpected. I could not put this one down!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great and fun story. It was thrilling and suspenseful. I was hooked from the first page. I highly recommend checking out this book.

A drama filled read that read like a chapter from Bravo's below deck. An enjoyable fast paced read that left me wondering what would happen next.

This was like Clue and Below Deck had a baby. Tense and filled with twists and turns! I was shocked by the different surprises.

It always feels weird when my first instinct is to call a thriller, fun but that’s exactly what this was! So many secrets, so many miles from land, and so much murder. Short chapters with alternating POV makes this a quick read. Salacious and wildly entertaining, this will make the perfect summer thriller, just hope you aren’t on a boat when you read it. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow! This book was one heck of a wild ride! I honestly did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Part One started a bit slow with multiple POVS from all the stewardesses. The author introduces them one by one, giving us some insight into their personalities and backgrounds. And boy, were they detestable! I didn't like ANY of them. I thought, oh no, I am not going to be able to read this. I'm glad that I stuck with it though. Once I hit Part Two, chaos abounded, and the intensity shifted into high gear and remained until the end. There were so many secrets and lies, and different mysteries taking place all at the same time. I didn't know who to suspect for anything. Most of the cast were awful and had something to hide. This book rocked with action and excitement. I ended up really enjoying it. I would definitely recommend.

Huge thanks to William Morrow for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I Did Warn Her is a sleek, twist-filled locked-room mystery that delivers danger, secrets, and deception—all set against the glittering backdrop of a billionaire’s yacht. If you loved She Started It, this is another cunning thriller that will pull you in and keep you guessing until the very end.

The Ophelia is luxury at its finest, but beneath the polished surface lies a tangled web of secrets. The all-but-identical stewardesses—Sasha, Jade, Imogen, Euphemia, and Lola—each carry their own baggage, lured to the yacht by the promise of high wages and a chance to outrun their pasts. But when jewelry starts disappearing and whispers of a previous death resurface, paranoia sets in. And then, the real nightmare begins: one of their own turns up dead after a night of lavish partying.

Suddenly, the opulent escape becomes a claustrophobic prison where every guest and crew member is a suspect. The question isn’t just who’s hiding secrets—but who’s dangerous enough to kill?

This is a whodunit that thrives on its voyeuristic thrills and sharp character dynamics. The atmosphere is taut, the tension razor-sharp, and the twists relentless. It’s the kind of read where every chapter leaves you second-guessing who to trust and what’s lurking just beneath the surface.

If you’re a fan of locked-room mysteries, morally gray characters, and thrillers dripping with dark glamour, I Did Warn Her is one you don’t want to miss. Just be warned: once you’re aboard The Ophelia, there’s no getting off until the final, jaw-dropping reveal.

This book is the story of a super yacht and the staff and guests aboard. They all have secrets and suspicions arise when someone dies during their last trip of the season. I really liked this author’s last book She Started It and similarly, this book made me think of Mean Girls as well. The characters all have secrets and all seem to mostly be out for themselves. The story line kept me interested and wanting to know how the secrets come together and what was going to happen. I would recommend this book to reality TV lovers including Below Deck and people who love to hate book characters.

Sian Gilbert is back with her second novel, "I Did Warn Her." Her debut novel "She Started It" was an amazing read and this one was just as good.
The story unfolds aboard The Ophelia, a luxurious yacht owned by a billionaire, where the crew’s sole mission is to keep the wealthy guests satisfied—no matter the cost. Enter Sasha, the newest stewardess, a tall, blonde, gorgeous addition who blends seamlessly with her beautiful peers. But beneath the sleek veneer of The Ophelia, trouble brews: a stewardess from a previous charter died mysteriously, expensive jewelry keeps vanishing, and tensions among the crew simmers. When the owner brings aboard his best friend and two enigmatic women—each hiding their own secrets—a night of partying ends with a crew member dead. Suddenly, everyone’s a suspect, and Sasha finds herself at the center of a deadly game of trust and betrayal.

This book has nonstop action, and I loved the twists and turns that it delivered. Sian Gilbert is a brand-new voice in the thriller genre that is here to stay!

This read was incredibly juicy and I loved following the dark super yacht drama. A large cast of characters but easy to follow along and each with their own unique secrets. Right away you know something is off when you learn that all the stewardesses are basically clones of each other in appearance. How suspicious. That sets the tone for a fcked up voyage into the abyss.