Somehow this was my first read from Ochs but will not be my last. This was dynamite. I loved the setting (Australian outback), the band of likeable characters, and the near constant plot development that culminates in a pretty excellent conclusion. I found myself really invested in the characters and feeling for them deeply (Pheobe…. IYKYK). And the epilogue? WOW. Definitely recommend picking this up if you like a vacation-esque who dun it!

I really enjoyed this one! It’s got that “dark secrets from the past” vibe I love, mixed with a moody Australian setting that totally pulled me in. Claire’s guilt over what happened to Phoebe had me hooked from the start — but just when I thought I knew what was going on, the story threw another twist. I liked how the characters had all changed since college, and watching their past and present lives collide was super compelling. It’s tense, atmospheric, and just the right amount of messy. If you liked The Resort, you’ll probably be into this too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of This Stays Between Us by Sara Ochs.

This started out as a very suspenseful story with the added plus of taking place in varied scenic locations in Australia. The descriptions of the areas traveled too were done in a way that I could envision actualy being there.

Beyond that though it was pretty similar to others in the genre. Definitely a solid book and entertaining but nothing revolutionary.

A twisty thriller set in the Australian Outback., following the group whose college trip ended very badly while they come together again for the first time while it seems that their past isn't done with them yet.

While I definitely enjoyed this book, I did not need the extra twist at the end.

**Spoiler** After we find out that the main character was not, in fact, the killer, We find out that she still condemned the other girl to. her death by locking her in the mine, I found that this "twist" undermined the whole rest of the story. It basically negated the redemption arc out FMC had been on for the whole of the novel.

This book was a slow burn and very enjoyable. It was hard to put down and I found myself trying to pick it back up any chance I got. I did not guess all of the twists which is always a bonus for thrillers. It reminded me a bit of the book We Were Never Here with the college kids behaving badly and deadly consequences.

I really enjoyed this book..

Great twisty going on in there.

Wonderful second book! keep them coming.

Pretty standard formula thriller for 2025 – a whole cast of characters with shady actions, an unreliable narrator, red herrings at every turn, big twist at the end where SURPRISE! the narrator who was guilt ridden at accidentally killing her friend actually IS evil and did it with full intention of doing so! SURPRISSSSEEEE! Never could’ve seen it coming. I enjoyed this fine, I was just whelmed.

A very quick popcorn thriller about Claire and her group of friends that did a program abroad. Everyone has their secret in the group but a murderer? 10 years later the group is called back to australia as the investigation began after the remains of their friend has been found. Who killed Phoebe?

It was quick read of a who done it troop. I wasn’t the biggest fan as the writing style isn’t for me and I didn’t enjoy the main character or any of the side characters. They were no development in them and the plot and how it concluded seem to develop as you go along. Basically everything happened for convenience which I didn’t enjoy as much.

I did however loved the dual POVs.

This book was decent kept me turning the pages because I had to see this book through !!! I would recommend to my friends and book buddies !!

Wow, what a ride! This Stays Between Us was a page turner right from the very first line. It was fast-paced and twisty and, just when I thought I had it figured out, it took a turn that kept me on my toes.

The characters were so well developed and multi-layered, adding to the suspenseful nature of the book. I really loved the dual timeline between Claire and Phoebe which also added additional depth to the story.

If you're looking for a book you can devour in 24 hours, this is it!

I had some high hopes for this book but it was kind of disappointing.

I enjoyed the Australian setting. The split timeline was effective but the character still felt a little flat. We knew the main two pretty well but the rest might as well not even been in the book.

I found it unbelievable that every single child on that one month trip had some dark secret or horrible family situation. It wasn’t a group for people with traumas.

I don’t like books where you can’t figure out the ending and in this case, we really couldn’t figure out the killer because we learned nothing about them the whole book. I barely remembered him as being part of the group.

This was such a twisty, fast paced read! I’m kind of burned out on destination thrillers, so I didn’t enjoy this as much as I should have, but it was still a pretty good read! Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC 🦘

This will be released on July 15th 🌴

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#mystery #thriller #arc #netgalley

3.5 overall
The book starts off a bit dry and slow but picks up after the first few chapters.

The characters are mostly unlikable, except for Tomas. Which is disappointing to say the least.

Supporting Tesla is supporting Facism. I’d personally change it before my book went to print in the year 2025.

The mystery was twisty and I suspected everyone. The romances felt like the secondary plot which is fine.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book. At no point did I guess what had happened to Phoebe. 10 years after her death her friends reunite to find out the truth. This book had me guessing until the end.

This was entertaining but nothing special compared to similar novels in this genre. A decent read but offers nothing new or unique.

A reunion of a small group of study abroad students raises questions and suspicions into the disappearance of one of their friends 10 years earlier.

This book had me on the edge of my seat and considering new suspects by the chapter. The flashbacks and different perspectives offered interesting insight and made it difficult to put down. Overall, it was a fun and twisty read - 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author for the advance reader’s copy.

I love novels that alternate perspectives and time frames. In Sarah Ochs new novel, a group of friends embark in an adventure in Australia in the past where a member of the group goes missing. In the present, we are reunited with the same group who decide to meet again. The planned reunion hits a snag when said friend 's body is discovered and the quest to figure out who done it is on. There are a lot of characters to root for intermingled with a lot of characters who will make you cringe. I enjoyed all the mini twists that I was not expecting (especially the twist in the epilogue) Overall, this book was an enjoyable read and kept me guessing.

3.5 stars rounded down

I loved the book’s premise with a group of friends coming back together years later and piecing together the mystery of what happened during their time in university. The Australian Outback was also such a unique book setting. The characters were mostly unlikable, which isn’t a bad thing. But they were forgettable, and I was mixed up with who was who during the beginning of the book.

There were a lot of mini twists throughout the book that kept my interest along the way. I was able to predict most of them, including the big reveal. But some were definitely unexpected! It kept the pace steady throughout the book with the timing of the reveals.

Overall, it’s a solid thriller that’s easy to read, has lots of twists, and a fun vacation-y setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced reader copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of This Stays Between Us by Sara Ochs.

This started out as a very suspenseful story with the added plus of taking place in varied scenic locations in Australia. The descriptions of the areas traveled too were done in a way that I could envision actualy being there.
However, after a while I began to ask myself, is there such a thing as too many plot twists? So many times, it would seem like a character was assured that one thing was absolutely what had happened for whatever reason, and then a chapter later it was - oops, guess that was all wrong! Aslo, I had to make a list to keep track of the characters at the beginning (maybe just the way my brain works).
Overall, a fairly enjoyable read, just left me feeling a bit whiplashed with all of the false leads.

This story is told from dual points of view and that makes this book one that is hard to put down!! Phoebe and Claire switch back and forth giving their perspective about the events leading up to the murder. But-there is a twist and the reader doesn’t see it coming! This is a suspenseful read and one that keeps you wanting to read later into the night!!