Audrey is forced to help her ex boyfriend, now a millionaire with lots of darkness and secrets. What does he have on her and who is extorting him and how does the past impact what is happening now. Luxury is mixed with a group of people all with motives to hurt him. The book starts off at a slow pace and it took me a bit to get into it but when i did, I got involved in the mystery, the danger and the romance

This was fun! Perfect beach read. This has tons of twists, set on an island, and characters that I could not figure out! Definitely recommend if you like a fun but twisty thriller.

Tyson and Audrey are connected from their haunting pasts. When a foot washes ashore, it threatens to unearth everything they have tried hard to keep hidden. When a yacht trip turns deadly, the whodunnit plot unfolds. Such a page-turner! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC.
What a great read, especially the setting of St. Barth's, a playground for the wealthy .... wished I could afford to visit!
The story is fast moving, the protagonist likeable and I rushed through the book until the deep-sea dive. That is one of my nightmares - I could barely breathe! The ending was unexpected, I never guessed the perpetrator.
I loved this read and recommend it highly!

Sunburned is a great beach read—full of glamorous locations, an eccentric billionaire, and crimes old and new. It is reminiscent of Agatha Christie in a good way. Would definitely recommend this quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Sunburned is the kind of thriller that draws you in with its beaches, yachts, and paradise vibe- and then hits you with an undercurrent of danger that won’t let go. It’s the perfect balance between tropical escape and classic whodunnit, with a story that’s both glamorous and deeply unsettling.

The story centers around Audrey, a discovery agent with a knock for digging up buried truths. She’s pulled back into the world of her ex, Tyson - a billionaire whose paranoia is escalating fast. He ropes her into helping him find out who’s blackmailing him, and against her better judgement, Audrey flies to his private estate on a stunning island in St. Barth’s.

What starts as a favor spirals into something much more dangerous. Tyson has gathered a group of his potential suspects: his distant wife Samira, his own brother Cody, Cody’s influencer girlfriend Jennifer, the flirty butler Laurent, and Tyson’s intense business partner Allison.

Wood really dives into the messiness of secrets and fractured relationships with this story. The tension builds in all the right ways. The pace of the story is perfect, and the twists just seemed to keep coming and will keep you guessing until the end.

This is definitely a must-read if you’re a fan of psychological thrillers and morally complex characters. It’s definitely a wild ride of betrayal, secrets, and suspense.

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this one, I absolutely loved it!

Tyson Dale is mega rich, a massive jerk, and very paranoid (for good reason). Eleven years ago, he made some choices that were life altering for him but for others as well. And those choices are coming back to him.

Audrey and Tyson dated years ago, and it did not end well, with Audrey having no desire to see Tyson again. In the intervening years Audrey has used her computer skills to create a career as a discovery agent (finding information for lawyers in preparation for litigation). She is surprised when Tyson hires her for a secret project, flying her to his private residence in St. Barths. She is even more surprised to see how he has changed, and to be accused of blackmailing him.

Tyson’s past is catching up to him, and it involves Audrey, as well as others. However, there is a house full of suspects, as Tyson’s wife and her best friend, Tyson’s brother and girlfriend, and Tyson’s business partner all have reasons to hate him but most of them also need him for various reasons. And all of them are hiding secrets, which Audrey will have to uncover both to protect herself and catch a killer.

The story has plenty of surprises and will keep the reader guessing. It alternates between past and present, as the reader gets insight into what happened eleven years ago. Will you figure out the significance of past events before the characters do? I figured out two of the significant connections well before the author revealed them but there were still plenty of surprises.

I really enjoyed this book and the authors writing style. I found the plot quickly enticing and the characters interesting, and the short chapters made for a quickly paced read for me. The plot progressed at a perfect speed and I didn’t feel it was dragging or rushed at any point. While I did guess part of the twist at the end, most of it was quite surprising to me

This is one of those wonderfully-convoluted novels that had me guessing all the way through! Protagonist Audrey was on a scuba diving excursion 11 years ago when 5 of them went missing. In the present she's still consumed with the mysteries surrounding the past and how it has seemed to collide with events today. Lots of suspense as she begins to uncover events that no one else deemed important. Extortion, blackmail...what's not to love?
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Sunburned had me guessing throughout the book: who is blackmailing tech billionaire Tyson? Who is the murderer? I could not put the book down until I finished this most entertaining novel.

I liked the main female character, Audrey, who is smart, resourceful, and independent. The fabulous setting of St. Barth’s, which is where Audrey must go to figure out who is blackmailing her former billionaire boyfriend, adds to the enjoyment of the story. Supporting characters are developed, and the reader is kept interested by viewing the interactions and guessing motivations of these characters.

There is even a bit of romance, so, for me, this book ticked all the satisfying reading boxes.

Really good story. I enjoyed all of it. It was a lighter read for me and I'm glad I checked it out. Definitely one I recommend and would say people would enjoy.

I loved this! This is my first Katherine Wood/Katherine St. John book and I can’t wait to read another. This was the perfect mystery with a beautiful setting in St. Barts. The mystery weaves in for years and is the story of brothers and friends of Audrey and how their lives are intertwined. Greed, love, and business follow the crew to culminate in a deadly trip. This book kept me guessing until the very end.

“Sunburned” by Katherine Wood is a classical whodunnit with a very glamorous and romantic twist. It is a suspenseful escape that takes place on the tropical island of St. Barth and on a luxurious mega yacht. It’s a fun high stakes drama filled with tension and a great cast of untrustworthy characters. This book is a perfect beach read, it’s filled with atmosphere, manipulation, long buried secrets and a startling ending!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Someone is blackmailing billionaire tech businessman Tyson, who calls his ex-girlfriend Audrey, a “discovery agent” to uncover the person’s identity. Audrey, who wants nothing to do with Tyson since their acrimonious breakup 10 years ago, reluctantly agrees, as Tyson threatens to reveal Audrey’s secret if she refuses. When she meets up with Tyson and his group at idyllic St. Barth’s island, things take a deadly turn. Sunburned is an entertaining romp that features a stunning backdrop, interesting and eclectic characters, and a clever whodunnit that will keep readers guessing. The slow start lays the groundwork for the plot, as does the backstory interspersed between chapters, and that sets the stage for this perfect beach read, with pieces of the puzzle revealed as you flip the pages. Well written, a fun read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sunburned is a thrilling beach read that follows Audrey as she accepts her ex boyfriend’s invite to St. Barth’s. But paradise quickly turns into a nightmare. He’s being blackmailed by someone in his inner circle with sins of the past, and if she doesn’t help him figure out who is responsible he will reveal her involvement. Who can you trust when everyone has reasons for wanting her ex gone?

This one was hard to put down and kept me guessing until the very end.

This was an extremely fun, mysterious and adventurous summer read. The setting and cast of characters
added another level of fun to this read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Bantam for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Sunburned is the perfect mystery to take you to the beach and keep you on the sand trying to race to the end. A mix of locked room and alternating timelines, I see this one appealing to many lovers of the genre.

Audrey is our investigator, flown over to St. Barths by her ex from high school who has become a very odd (think Elon) billionaire. While she’s brought down to find who is blackmailing him, the topic of blackmail also puts Audrey at risk as it hits on a big secret from her past. The plot absolutely thickens on a boat out and you’ll definitely alternate between the person who is the culprit here. Absolutely pick this up if you like a mystery with a classic feel.

I loved this book. It was a really great combination of thriller, suspense, romance and "beach read." I love novels that include dual timelines and this was no exception. The dual timeline was done really well and it kept things moving quickly and contributed to the overall suspense of the novel. Katherine Wood's writing was captivating, easy, and kept the story fast paced making Sunburned an overall really enjoyable novel to read. The different plot points kept me guessing and every turn and I enjoyed all the twists--especially the ones I didn't see coming. Blackmail, romance, mystery, ghosts of the past, and murder set in the luxurious setting of St. Barths all come together to make this novel hard to put down and craving a a cocktail beachside. I will definitely be recommending this novel to family and friends. I will also check out more books from Katherine Wood in the future!

3.5 Stars!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me this ARC from NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own.

Audrey, a tech expert who helps investigate crimes, is our main character who is contacted by her ex-boyfriend, the eccentric billionaire, Tyson. Tyson needs help investigating who is attempting to blackmail him, after a foot washes up in the Everglades. Audrey agrees to fly out to St.Barth’s to meet with him, and is brought into the complicated web of people in Tyson’s life. This investigation has a lot at stake though - because whoever is attempting to blackmail Tyson could also uncover secrets from Audrey’s past as well.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters in this book. They’re all really diverse, and the author does a great job giving us background on all of them so we understand their actions. The flashbacks to explain Audrey, Tyson, and Cody’s relationship and history also kept me engaged and interested in the story.

I will say, the first part of the book felt a little long and it could have been edited down a bit. It felt like that section dragged on, and the second and third sections were more concise moving the story along. I also thought the romance aspect of this book took away from the main story, and didn’t really add anything overall, other than some spice to the book. Some of the twists were predictable, but I didn’t see the final one coming!

This book had a really fun setting though, and made for a great beach read. The setting of St.Barth’s was clearly well researched by the author, and I could see how she was inspired by her trip there to write this book!

Overall, an entertaining read, and if you like stories like the Knives Out movies, you’ll enjoy this book!

The good: This book was action-packed and exciting. Stuff was constantly happening. The plot moves quickly. I enjoyed the ride and did not figure out the twists and turns.

The bad: the writing is very disjointed and some of the plot points feel very random and just thrown in for no reason.