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!!

This was a great thrilling read! I enjoyed the mystery and piecing together the "what you did that summer" vibe.

As with The Resort, Ochs has created a wonderfully immersive experience. Australia was vividly described and made such a great backdrop to the story. There's a desolation and desperation to both place and people. A group of students longing to escape and reinvent, but unintentionally (or maybe international) inviting danger.
Claire has been certain for the last ten years that she was the one who killed Phoebe. But when Phoebe's body is found and more information comes out during the investigation, Claire isn't so sure of her guilt anymore. But she is sure she can no longer trust any of her old friends. Because one of them has to be the guilty party.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

In this book we are following Claire as she heads back to Australia for a reunion of her study abroad trip that she took with five other people that ended with a students murder and another going missing. Claire, Josh, Declan, Keren, Ellery, and Adrien find out that their fellow study abroad student Phoebe was found in a mine and that she had been dead for years. Claire starts to investigate what happened and we get povs of the past and the events that lead to her death and a shocking twist in the epilogue. This newest book is just as good as her debut.

Wow! This packs a punch! As with her last novel Sara Ochs did not disappoint. From beginning to end you are on a ride full of twists and turns. I really enjoyed the friend group aspect and taking a trip to Australia in different timelines. There's a lot of characters, but even with that this did not get confusing. Which very few authors can articulate that! The writing style is very descriptive where you can truly feel it as if you were right there in this book! There are some extremely emotional moments in this novel. But it plays into the story very well. I did not see the ending coming. This is sure to be summers hottest thriller!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC of 'This Stays Between Us' by Sara Ochs - expected release date of 07/15/2025

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ochs books have a White Lotus kinda feel to them, but for a younger audience. This one was okay. Her description of the Aussie setting was great, I felt like I was there. Other than that, the storyline just felt eh. I didn't like any of the characters and the few she went into deep detail on were actually pretty intolerable. Throwing in a relationship out of the blue between Phoebe and Ellery was not necessary at all, like, why!? There were no hints to any intimacy between them anywhere in the book until the end. Also, the fact that there was an accidental death before the murder, I don't think that really needed to happen. Especially since it was just glossed over and life went on for the characters like normal after it. And for Josh to be the main bad guy/ killer, that was so underwhelming, we barely knew anything about him until the end, too. A lot was promised, hinted at, then at the end it felt rushed and thrown haphazardly together. But it all tied up, no loose ends by the finish.

This has strong "Dangerous Girls" vibes: a group of college kids head to Australia for an adventure exchange program and proceed to hook up, betray each other, bond, and (for some) die. Told in alternating POVs (Claire, now; Phoebe, then), the group returns to Australia a decade later when Phoebe's remains are discovered to try to figure out which one of them killed her. Fast-paced, addictive read.

I absolutely loved this book!! Amazing from start to finish. I was so into this book, and didn’t want the story to end. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

read if you like:
🌎 study abroad trips
🥶 cold case murders

summary:
This book seemed like a fun read for anyone who studied abroad (hello New Zealand!) and I was right! It follows a group that studied abroad together at Hamilton College in Australia, led by Phoebe and Claire, who became roommates and fast friends during their time down under. Despite having a blast with their friends and a seemingly perfect time, Phoebe disappears, and Claire is left to return to her life in the states. Ten years later, Phoebe’s body is found, and the group is called back to Australia for a reunion and the police investigation to understand what really happened to Phoebe the night she disappeared. As Claire reunites with her other friends there, it’s clear that more than just her has secrets to hide. As the investigation progresses, it’s clear that Claire’s secrets along with the others will shed light on what happened to Phoebe and who wanted her dead.

This book is written from dual POV’s — Claire’s in the present day, and Phoebe’s ten years ago during their time in Australia. The back and forth allows us to get to know both girls well, and see Claire’s evolution from student to adult and the trauma she lives with after Phoebe’s disappearance. Admittedly I wish we got to know the others in their group better, as I feel like it would have made the ending more dramatic! This aside though, the story has a fun premise (you don’t get many study abroad thrillers!) and moves quickly. It’s an easy read to follow and the ending isn’t very predictable — and ESPECIALLY the very end! it’s a classic thriller you won’t be able to put down.

If you like Australia or classic murder mysteries, check this book out when it releases on July 15! Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I was excited to get this ARC from NetGalley as I enjoyed her first book The Resort. I was confused a bit by the multiple people, but I eventually found my footing. It took me a while but once it started rolling I couldn't stop reading because I needed to see what happened next. I thought I had it all figured out what happened to Phoebe, but I was wrong. Really good book, highly recommended!

I enjoyed this mystery thriller! This story about a group of students who studied abroad kept me guessing until the end!
So many twist and turns! The pace of the book really picks uo in the second half!

Thanks to Netgalley for this eArc!

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark, for the early read in exchange for my honest review.

Ten years ago, six college students traveled to Australia for a summer study abroad. However, their trip took a dark turn when Phoebe, a troubled girl whose jealousy strained their friendships, vanished in a remote town. Initially presumed to have run away, the group attempted to move on, burying their secrets.

Now, a decade later, her remains have been found, and the former friends must return to the scene of the crime to confront the dark truths they thought they had escaped. The story unfolds through a dual timeline, exploring both Claire and Phoebe's past and present perspectives, which adds depth to the resurfacing mystery.

The author does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing throughout this classic whodunit, making every character seem guilty at some point. Just when I thought I had solved the mystery, I realized I was completely wrong. The pacing is perfect, and the story connects seamlessly from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a captivating mystery, and I will definitely read more from Ochs!