⭐️ 2.5 ⭐️
Rounded up to 3 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I’m afraid The Resort was more of a miss than a hit for me (the cover is also very misleading!).

The book is well-written and I do like Sarah Godwin’s writing style, I just failed to be completely gripped by the story.

It started off well and I loved the remote, snowy backdrop which gave it an eerie sense of atmosphere. Sadly, after the first few chapters it completely lost my interest. I thought it became extremely repetitive (nothing really happened) and I skim read a great chunk of it because I just wanted to get to the end.

It ended as I thought it would, a bit too far-fetched and slightly cringeworthy. Sadly not the book for me.

The Resort tells of Mila and her husband Ethan who travel abroad to a ski resort to attend her sister’s wedding who is Jess in which the sisters both have a strained relationship. Whilst travelling the couple get lost, there car breaks down and in the middle of this they’re stuck whilst a snow storm is approaching with no cellphone service. They end up taking shelter in an abandoned cabin in middle of nowhere in a forest. After waking up mila finds out she is all alone and Ethan has somehow disappeared with no traces of him to be found, with a sprained ankle she tries to find him but to no avail she isn’t able too. While stuck in the middle of nowhere and injured on top of that, she gets the feeling something or someone is watching and following her every move.

The resort is well written with the right amount of twists and suspense, in the second half of the book the plot increases and makes you want to read on to see what will unfold. A true edge of your seat read that is perfect for reading at night when everything is quiet.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review. I always look forward to what Sarah Goodwin releases

This book was a book of two halves for me. The first part of the book I really enjoyed. I enjoyed the horror movie esq way that the book unfolded and I enjoyed learning about the characters and their backstory. However I felt like the storyline lost its way a little bit for me and lost all the tense drama as it progresses.

I’ve been stewing on this review for a few days because I had mixed feelings after reading this and I wanted to be sure that I was being somewhat objective and not just giving gut reactions. But I’ve settled on three stars, maybe 3.5 stars, for my experience with this story.

On the one hand, I loved the horror movie way that the plot begins to unfold. After being stranded at an abandoned settlement, creepy and sinister things begin to occur. I felt transported into the situation and the eerie atmosphere created a claustrophobic tension. Even if this part of the story did get a little repetitive at times, I still felt unnerved by it all. I enjoyed trying to solve the mysteries along with Mila.

The flashbacks from the sisters’ lives gave us insight into Mila's motivations for appeasing her sister, even though they did nothing to make me like this character. If anything, they made me feel for her sister more.

But the second half is where things started to fall off for me. It becomes more of a domestic thriller, rather than a psychological horror story. I think this disconnect is one reason I lost the connection I felt with it. It just seemed like two completely different stories with such a dramatic plot shift. I loved the survival, almost supernatural aura of the first half of the book, and after losing that intensity I felt my interests waning.

Nevertheless, I still think it’s a decent mystery/thriller, and I think that readers will probably fall somewhere around a bell curve with this one. I didn’t expect the direction that this story went, and I almost wish it didn’t. Even if this particular story isn’t a favorite of mine, I did like the writing style in general and would consider checking out other books by this author.

Really enjoyed this new read by Sarah Goodwin. So much creepy tension and downright terrifying situations! Lots of great characters and relationships. And so many twists and turns.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

What did I just read, this book was just so good.. Mila & Ethan have travelled abroad to attend her sisters wedding and whilst driving the final distance to their destination their vehicle breaks down in the middle of nowhere, would you stay in an abandoned cabin…. Read it to see what happens, ooh it’s so good x

The Resort tells the story of Mila who travels with her husband from England to Bavaria for her sister’s wedding. On the drive to the resort, their car breaks down and they are lost in a little abandoned village.
This book was frightening and scary and claustrophobic. I stayed up way too late reading it even though I was freaked out. I loved all the situations and how Mila worked to get out of them and I could visually see in my mind everything that was happening. It would have been a 5 star read but at 90% finished the story became cliche and dumb. I was disappointed in the end and how it turned out. If not for this and the reveal, I would have given it 5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is an unbelievable, over the top plot. It did not grip me and I felt very uninvolved. The characters were interesting though. I think it just lacked something, but I’m not sure what exactly.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a book where I had no idea what was going on, in a good way. While traveling to her sister’s destination wedding, Mila and her hubby Ethan get stranded in the Alps and have to walk to try and get help. What they find is an abandoned settlement covered in snow. Out of options, they have to stay in one of the cabins for the night and, in the morning, Ethan has disappeared. My first thought was, “Mila, go trace the footprints in the snow outside” but, well, there are none. Mila also has the feeling that she’s being watched, and she finds evidence of weird animal activity. So I really had no idea if this was a supernatural ghost story, a horror novel, a slasher or what was going on. As Mila, I kept thinking there had to be a rational explanation but I couldn’t see how. It was hard to put the book down, as Mila’s situation keeps getting worse. The suspense, the unease, the creepiness factor, everything builds up to an insanely good climax. Mila is a very flawed character. She’s always late and her life is a mess, but when she finds herself trying to survive with almost no food and in dire circumstances, her resourcefulness makes it easier to root for her. This is a suspenseful, propulsive and addictive novel.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Avon Books UK!

This is a vacation gone wrong story Winter style!

Mila and Ethan are traveling abroad to a ski resort wedding for her sister. Mila and her sister's relationship is fraught as their parents have always favored Mila even while her sister continues to excel in all life's moments.

When the renta, car engine suddenly stops in a strange forest area, Mila and Ethan are worried but not frightened. What happens next is a creepy series of obstacles that are sure to keep you guessing. If you like winter stories, domestic thrillers and twisty tales The Resort is for you!
#Avonbooks

Snow Drenched Chiller…
Atmosphere is king in this snow drenched chiller. A wedding at a luxurious ski resort beckons for Mila and Ethan. Driving through mountainous, treacherous terrain disaster strikes when their car breaks down. Night is falling fast and weather conditions are grim as they make their way on foot to some cabins that they had spotted earlier by way of a signpost. When they arrive everything is eerily silent, cabins in disrepair, as they break into one to shelter for the night. Come morning, Ethan has mysteriously disappeared and Mila is all alone - or is she? With a well crafted setting, perfect atmospherics and a slow build undercurrent of menace this is a tension fuelled suspense to read with the lights on.

Overall this was a well written book which I enjoyed but it did take me a while to get involved in the storyline. For me personally it wasn't an 'edge of seater' nor a page turner.

The characters were well described although I didn't like them all.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for this ARC but I am not sure I will read more from this author.

Mila and Jess have a strained sister relationship, but regardless of this, Jess invites Mila and her husband Ethan to join them at an all expense paid destination wedding in Germany. Mila (notoriously late to everything) is determined not to be late to her sisters wedding when she finds they are lost, the car has broken down, and a terrible snowstorm is coming. Trudging along she sprains her ankle, further slowing them down, when they happen upon an abandoned village of six huts. No help or hope in site they bunker down in one only for Mila to wake up alone and cold. Ethan is missing. And that’s not all Mila will be up against.

This book gives you such a chilling atmosphere. This situation is probably my worst nightmare and I felt immersed into the book and what Mia was going through.

The writer makes you feel like it’s you who’s stranded. I felt so scared for Mia & I was convinced something bad was going to happen to her. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through the book.

Think of the worst situation that could happen to you and this is it! If you like spine chilling books with a who done it element then this is for you!

I did find the ending to be far fetched, I couldn’t help find myself thinking really? But overall I really enjoyed the story and the writing , the perfect read for spooky season.

An atmospheric, claustrophobic, blood freezing journey to a destination wedding gone wrong.

Mila and Jess have a strained sister relationship, but regardless of this, Jess invites Mila and her husband Ethan to join them at an all expense paid destination wedding in Germany. Mila (notoriously late to everything) is determined not to be late to her sisters wedding when she finds they are lost, the car has broken down, and a terrible snowstorm is coming. Trudging along she sprains her ankle, further slowing them down, when they happen upon an abandoned village of six huts. No help or hope in site they bunker down in one only for Mila to wake up alone and cold. Ethan is missing. And that’s not all Mila will be up against.

Told in alternating views from Mila in her current situation and flashes from the past, this engaging thriller will have your blood running cold as you battle the elements and fight for survival right along with Mila.

The ending will blow you away!

Highly recommended for people who like spine tingling chills, cat and mouse tension, creepy abandoned towns and horrific surprises around every corner. A perfect one to grab up in chilly January of 2023!

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, the author and publishers for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

My full review will be posted to all my social media sites, blog platforms and retail sites on release day.

Twisty.

When Mila and Ethan's car breaks down on the way to her sister's wedding, they end up stranded in a disused village and trapped in the snow storm.

With a pacy start and a pacy second half I was gripped in Mila's terror of waking up alone and in a dire situation. I did guess the 'whodunnit' part but that in no way spoiled the story as the writing was so tense.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Sarah Goodwin always manages to pull the reader into the world of intrigue, mind games, and people struggling to survive, and on top of all that, her novels always take place in some abandoned corner of the world.

Be prepared for a whirlwind of action, emotion, and high tension.

Mila and Ethan travel to the Bavarian ski resort for her sister's wedding. They get lost and their car breaks down. They find themselves in an old abandoned village in the middle of a snowy and scary forest. And by the next morning, Ethan was gone too. Mila is totally alone and frantically searches for him, but first, she has to survive in the harsh circumstances.

Absolutely loved it, and like Goodwin's novel Stranded, The Resort is claustrophobic, gripping, and nail-biting till the end.
Superb psychological thriller!

Wow! Not sure where to start! Loved this book- my first by this author. I was drawn in from the first chapter and couldn’t stop reading to go to sleep! Although there were a few parts where it seemed to get bogged down with repetitive details in the middle it picked back up again quickly. The ending did surprise me- wasn’t what I expected. Overall this was a great book and would definitely recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to Netgalley, Sarah Goodwin and Avon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I’m not going to post my review on Goodreads because I don’t really have anything positive to say about this book. I requested it because a friend of mine told me she really liked “The Resort” but it turns out she mean the one written by Susan Watson. I did read this book, but largely because I kept trying to give it the benefit of the doubt. I’m not sure why the author chose that title and why the editors approved it as the abandoned town wasn’t a resort and they only spent one night at the actual Bavarian resort. The main character and her relationships were also unfathomable so I kept trying to see if the ship was going to turn around at some point. I might have almost given it 2 stars but the ending with the Bavarian police detective was the cherry on top of a bewildering sundae.

Mila sets out for her sister's wedding, located in the wintery landscape of Germany. Suddenly, their car breaks down and they find themselves lost without GPS or cellphone service. What unfolds over the next few days is enough to make Mila wonder if she will make it out alive. Also, why did her husband mysteriously disappear the first night they were stranded?

Synopsis of this book had me very interested and looking forward to diving in, and I enjoyed the creepy snowy vibes! It truly felt like one terrible thing after the other, which kept me on the edge of my seat til the very end.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

That took some pretty crazy turns - I had no idea what was coming until the end! Better than bog standard psychological thriller