5 out of 5 Stars!

Ten years ago, six college students went on a study abroad trip to Australia. This program is supposed to introduce them to the beauty and culture of Australia. But in reality, it turns into a nightmare. When one of the students, Phoebe, suddenly goes missing in a small outback town, everyone thinks she just ran off. So the group decides to pack up and leave. All of their secrets can stay in that town. But, 10 years later they all get a phone call that could threaten to unleash those secrets. Phoebe’s body has been found. Everyone is summoned back to Australia, confronted with their past selves and by the police. Slowly but surely, secrets are starting to unearth in that small outback town. Everyone knew something about Phoebe’s murder. And someone may not make it out alive…

After reading “The Resort” by Sara Ochs, I was really excited to read “This Stays Between Us”! And thankfully, this book did not disappoint! “The Resort” was one of my first Book of the Month boxes, so I still remember it to this day. I love Ochs' writing style and how she could create so many twists in one book. As stated in other reviews, I am a sucker for multiple viewpoints which “The Resort” and “This Stays Between Us” had.

The first chapter of this book really, really hooked me. If you are on the fence reading this book, I would recommend the first chapter to see if you get obsessed like I did! I don’t want to give too much away, but I think it would capture any mystery reader. Like I said above, there were so many twists and turns in the book. Not only are you trying to uncover what happened to Phoebe, who we know was found dead, but there are other mysteries that are uncovered along the way. You are really left guessing until the last page about what really happened.

There are multiple viewpoints in this book: one of Claire, our main character, and one of Phoebe ten years ago during the study abroad summer. I thought Sara Ochs did a great job of creating a craving between both perspectives. Sometimes I feel like books are one-sided, where you want to read one perspective more than the other, which creates boredom throughout the book. But, both Claire and Phoebe’s perspectives were very intriguing throughout.

The last 50% of this novel went incredibly quickly, which really made this a fast read for me. The first 50% was great too, but it took me a little longer to read with the plot setting up and the introduction of the characters. There were so many characters in this book, not enough to confuse you but enough to create so much doubt and twists. Claire, our main character, was really smart and had great development throughout the story. I liked hearing her perspective as much as I liked Phoebe’s.

“This Stays Between Us” will be coming out July 15th, 2025! If you are looking for a great summer mystery, set in beautiful Australia, I would highly recommend it!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark, Sara Ochs, and Netgally for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The perfect fast paced thriller that will keep you second guessing who is telling the truth and who you can trust. Set in the ever changing landscape of Australia this story follows six college students on their idealistic study abroad trip that turns sinister. Switching timelines between the trip and ten years later, we get to find out what actually happened the night Phoebe went missing. This book kept me up all night with its well-developed characters and fast plot. Definitely add to your TBR list!

Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have previously read a book from this author and really enjoyed it, so I was excited for this one. I ended up really liking this one as well! A great book to read during summer. I loved the setting in this book, I felt it was very different from anything I have read.

A group of six students traveled to Sidney, Australia for a month-long study abroad program to experience Australian culture, but not everyone returned home safely. Ten years later, the remains of one of the participants is found. Now ten years later, the other former students return to Sidney for a reunion and also face being questioned by law enforcement.

This engaging destination thriller has two timelines - events in the present are narrated by Claire who is from the U.S. The timeline from ten years ago is narrated by Phoebe, the young woman who goes missing. There are lots of hikes, hook-ups, and drunken nights in this part of the story. In the present, the characters worry about what the police know and wonder who harmed Phoebe. No matter what timeline we're in, the characters all have secrets and nobody is particularly likable. That doesn't mean the story didn't keep my interest, though! 

There are a few different plot twists to keep you guessing.  I don't want to get into spoiler territory, but for me, there is one twist too many at the end that doesn't seem to line up with previous things in the story. Even though I didn't love the ending, I did love the setting.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Ten years ago a group of students take off for a month long study abroad trip. They all look forward to exploring Australia and forming new friendships. Phoebe and Claire become the best of friends. It doesn't take long for the group to unravel. There are many secrets being kept within the group. One member is dead and Phoebe's disappears. Ten years later Claire gets the call that she has dreaded; Phoebe's remains have been found. Now, the group must return to Australia as part of the investigation. It is time for the truth to be revealed that Claire has tried so hard to keep secret This is a twisty destination thriller that is told in dual timelines and multiple POV's between Claire and Phoebe.

I read this author's debut, The Resort and loved it so was excited for this follow-up. The first few chapters were a bit slower in setting everything up, but then it's twisty and fast-paced and hard to put down. The story is set in Australia, which had my attention immediately and you can practically feel the steamy heat. We are following six study-abroad students whose time is cut short when Phoebe goes missing. Ten years later, the group reunites after Phoebe's remains are found. We find out early on who the killer is and the POV's are from both that character and Phoebe. I found that interesting, although I did not really connect with any character in particular. All in all, though, the story totally had my attention after the first 15-20% and I look forward to a third novel from Sara Ochs! Oh, and extra points for the gorgeous cover!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Sara Ochs and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of July 15, 2025.

If you enjoy a fast-paced thriller, this book is for you. The fast pace begins right on the first page and does not stop until the very end. What I loved most is throughout the book, I was constantly changing my mind on who did it. Then you get to the ending and WOW!!! I will be buying a physical copy of this one when its released so I can annotate as I read through it again. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

What happened to Phoebe ten years ago? Claire narrates this story in the present and Phoebe during the summer that six students did a big Australian adventure and she ended up dead. Her remains have just been found, the other five students have come back to Australia, and the police want answers. They've all kept a secret or two, they're all pretty unlikeable. This plot might seem familiae but Ochs does a nice job with the Australian setting and there's a twist I didn't expect. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good one for travel.

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Ten years ago, a group of college students spent a month in Australia - but when one of them vanished, the trip ended in tragedy. Now, a body’s been found in the outback, and the group is forced to face what really happened.

📚 Published in the US as This Stays Between Us (Sourcebooks Landmark) and in the UK as The Outback (Transworld/Random House UK). Same book - two titles, depending on where you are!

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
Gripped immediately! It’s fast-paced, twisty, and the dual timeline worked really well. I loved Claire from the start. She felt relatable, and easy to connect with. In the past, Phoebe took a bit longer to connect with, as her story unfolds slowly but it gets quietly heartbreaking.

Even though the flashbacks are set ten years earlier, it didn’t feel YA. The way they bond so quickly felt believable (reminded me of my Birthright-Israel trip at 16 - intense bonds, fast friendships).

Although I didn’t guess whodunnit, I wasn’t shocked - however, the epilogue was super juicy!

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
This was a fast-paced, character-driven whodunnit that I found entertaining and addictive. Definitely worth picking up this summer!

🎧 Narrated by Leah Horowitz + Suzy Jackson
📖 Publishes 07•15•25 | 432 pages | 13h 52m

Thanks to @sourcebooks & @netgalley for the early copy!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted ARC. This cover intrigued me and I was so excited for the chance to read it early. Once I started, I felt discouraged and like I had read so many books similar to this one. But I’m happy I continued! This started off right away with dual timelines with narrators for each timelines. There were a lot of characters between the timelines and it was quite a bit to keep track of at first, but it became easier as it went along! The characters are all suspects as we try to find who murdered their friend years ago. Everyone has secrets, and they all seem to have a motive and opportunity. It is such a wild ride to the end and then the insane final twist just sealed it for me! This is a bingeable, intense thriller, but I do think it could have been edited down to make it shorter. I would recommend this for a summer thriller to thrown in your beach bag!

This Stays Between Us - Sara Ochs
Pub Date - 7/15/25
Rating - 3/5
Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley, Sara Ochs, and Sourcebooks Landmark for this gifted advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Sara Ochs books are perfect for vacation reads! This book, set in Australia, follows a group of friends who reunite after ten years when they get a phone call that the body of their friend Phoebe was discovered. Slowly, the story unfolds as we find out what really happened those years ago during this group's month long study abroad.

I liked this story, but found it very long winded and laggy in some parts. I enjoyed the dual POV with past and present clearly defined, which helped the story build slowly. I didn't feel the connection to the characters that I was hoping for, nor was I hooked to the book in order to find out who the killer was. The whole time I was wondering why they all still wanted to hang out/talk to each other when they obviously all hated each other. The last 25% is where it starts picking up, and by then I was skimming to find out the killer.

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

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If you have read Sara Ochs other book, The Resort, this is not exactly the same. Though it feels like it may be. Still a good read. A group of students become fast friends during an adventure abroad in Australia. Coming from different countries and backgrounds they really know little about one another but a month in they feel like family…until 1 of them dies and a 2nd is suspected dead. Fast forward 10 years and they are now trying to solve that suspected murder and all the secrets are unraveling. Nothings as it seems. Just when you think you know you don’t. And the connections between characters you won’t see coming! The only downside for me with this book is that it moved a bit slow at times. I really wanted to know what happened, but a little more quicker. Overall, good read!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC!

This book was so good! I literally never knew what was going to happen next. Just when I thought I knew whodunnit, I was wrong. I even tried to keep in mind that the author was trying to keep me guessing.
I also loved the setting - a steamy summer in Australia was the perfect environment for the shenanigans that occurred.
And I think Ochs did a great job of weaving the past into the present to present more of the story and increase our understanding.
I would absolutely read another Sara Ochs story!

A group of international students head to Australia for a study abroad program, one of them goes missing and 10 years later they return to the scene upon hearing that their fellow lost students remains were recovered. Claire has largely avoided the group for all of these years because she's got secrets, but so do the rest of the crew.

I read a LOT of these twisty thrillers and this one was one of the best I've read in a while. When you read so many it gets harder and harder to stand out, but this one got me. It's did not have it quite figured out and the final twist had me looking up from my kindle saying wow.

The Australian setting was one of the strongest parts for me. It gave the story a vivid sense of place, and I enjoyed being dropped into that world. The structure, moving back and forth in time, was handled well and gave a good rhythm to the storytelling.

But even with all that, I couldn’t connect the way I hoped to. The killer is known early, so the tension shifts more toward the "how" and "why," but I still felt a bit removed from it all. I didn’t feel pulled into the characters or emotionally caught up, no matter how well it was put together.

Still, I can see why this story works for others. There’s skill in the way it’s told, and I think readers who are more drawn to atmosphere and layered timelines might feel more involved than I did.

I was excited to read This Stays Between Us, a group of friends return to Australia after a month long study abroad trip to find out what happened to their friend, Phoebe, who didn’t make it home from the trip.

While I thought the premise was interesting, none of the characters worked for me. They all felt very one-dimensional, and I didn’t really understand why any of them were friends. None of them really even seemed to like each other. It’s also hard to believe that this group that became “best friends” by travelling together for a month 10 years ago are so quick to turn on each other.

I will say, I appreciated the backstory of Phoebe, she was so easy to hate, she had a horrible childhood and family, but it still didn’t make me more sympathetic to her. She continued to make choices solely to hurt others. Hurt people hurt people, I just wish she could’ve been given the tools to deal with her trauma without inflicting trauma on others.

Thank you to Sara Ochs and NetGalley for this ARC.

This Stays Between Us is a destination thriller set in Australia, about 6 study abroad students whose trip ends in a disappearance of a student that was never solved. Fast forward 10 years, and the body is found with our FMC claiming she was the murderer.
This story is told in a dual timeline -- we have Pheobe's (the murdered girl) POV in the past and Claire's (the murderer) POV in the present.
While there were a lot of elements to the story that I liked, I just didn't feel that tense build up or intrigue of caring how it ended. I felt that it moved a bit slow and I found myself just wanting to get to the end. Maybe too many characters to keep up with and not enough time spent for you to really get know them or connect to them?
Overall, if you're looking for a summer read and like a game of cat and mouse, this book will provide that. Just be prepared for a long chase.

Thank you, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, for providing the copy of This Stays Between Us by Sara Ochs. I love books that grab and keep my attention in the first few pages. I loved the pacing and how the past was woven into the present events, which gave more context for what was going on. The big reveal was a huge shock to me, so I loved the surprise! I couldn't put this book down, so if that’s what you're looking for, don’t miss this one! 5 stars

This was a solid thriller with an unreliable narrator who the author does a great job at helping you forget she is unreliable. There was some odd pacing in the beginning of the book that made it a little tougher to stick with in the beginning. After the first 20% the pace picks up and it was easy to stick with in terms of action and cadence.

After her debut thriller, “The Resort,” last year, Sara Ochs revisits another destination vacation setting with multiple characters and an unsolved murder. This time it was a month-long academic study for eight college students (plus a student advisor) in Australia that ended with one of them, Phoebe, missing. Ten years later, the survivors organized a planned reunion, but it becomes something else when Phoebe’s remains are discovered and the police would like a chat since they are all conveniently back in Sydney.

As she did in her previous book, we only have two POVs, “Claire Now” (who questionably tells us she killed Phoebe within the first few pages: that’s not a spoiler but a plot point), and “Phoebe Then.” There actually are a lot of characters (plus secrets and hookups) to keep track of, but we learn about them only via Claire’s and Phoebe’s perceptions. Whether or not to believe Claire’s quick confession is an issue, although she certainly is guilt-ridden.

Having experienced a similar story structure before with her previous book, I’m thinking this might become her signature style with past/present POVs of only two characters within an otherwise large cast, with a surprising epilogue as a final flourish. It definitely works and it moves the story forward as the past gets revealed via Phoebe and the present day interactions with the police. I wish, however, I could have trusted/liked Claire more. 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Hari has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The volatility of the Australian wildfires do play a part.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!