With friends like these, you really don't need enemies.
A brilliant read, a cast of the most unlikeable amoral characters and a tale about the lengths people will go to protect what they have or want regardless of the cost to others.

Conscious of how her life differs from those of her childhood friends Libby and Maggie, Hannah has always been grateful to continue to be invited to the annual New Year's Eve party. Waking to discover that the yacht (this year's party venue) has slipped it's mooring, begins Hannah's journey of discovery about both herself and those she once thought of as friends.

This suspenseful thriller has a feel of reality TV at times, as the worst of human nature erupts as social norms become forgotten in the race to survive. It's also heart breaking as Hannah learns the truth about her so called friends while learning to trust and believe in herself.

Containing a number of twists and turns, as in the Blackout (the previous book of Sarah's I've read), the multi-directional danger in the Yacht provides content to keep the reader entertained and second guessing.

While the book leaves some questions unanswered, there is respite provided via its positive ending. Although it may not be the one you were expecting.

Slightly different but equally rollercoaster ride-filled as her previous novels, I'll definitely be checking out more from Sarah.

Unfortunately this book was a miss for me. I liked the ‘locked door’ part where the characters were stuck on the yacht, but found the ‘castaway’ part hard to believe and very slow. I was hoping for a big payoff with the ending but it was somewhat predictable. It was a short book that had some good action so while it didn’t work for me, others might find it an entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Avon Books and NetGallery for this arc! When Hannah is invited to yet another over the top New Year’s party on a private yacht in Italy by her best friends from university she glad to reunite with her friends but is uncomfortable being the only one who isn’t Uber rich and watching them flaunt their excesses. She isn’t jealous just tired of being treated like a pauper by them and their uppity partners. When the day after the party they find the yacht has been untied and is adrift in the sea with no fuel or radio. Everything and everyone comes apart and then the first person goes missing. This story has plenty of characters you love to hate and the twists and turns keep you glued to the story, Definitely hard to put down.

This book was a lot of fun. A locked room mystery set aboard a yacht? YES PLEASE. The back half was a little ummm ok now we're reading Castaway, but overall it was a lot of fun. Good twist at the very end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon publishers for the advanced copy. The novel will be published on January 4, 2024. Great way to kick off 2024 reading! Enjoy!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Avon Books and Sarah Goodwin for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Yacht, to be published 4 January 2024. 4/5 Stars for this ‘locked door’ thriller at sea. Hannah had wealthy friends who invited her to a New Year’s Eve party on a yacht. These were friends from university from 10 years ago. Unfortunately, not all of the members of the group advanced and/or matured at the same rate, which created havoc itself. Then add being lost at sea with this group and it turns into a terror voyage. Good read. #NetGalley #AvonBooks #SarahGoodwin. #TheYacht

Another great book from Sarah Goodwin who can do no wrong when it comes to writing exciting thrillers. This is the fifth book I have read of hers and have loved them all and this was no exception.

This book is based on a luxurious yacht at a marina in Italy . Hannah has been invited to her very rich friend Libby and her husband Olly's New Year's Eve party, though this time they've gone even more upmarket and limited to guestlist to 6 to include Maggie and her fiancé Leon, Hannah and Harry,

All apart from Hannah are very well off and Hannah begins to wonder why they invited her. She seems to only have one ally as they all fall out after a drunken night and a few drugs along the way, they then find themselves drifting out to sea. they were only supposed to be tied to the quay but someone the rope has been untied. the following day, one of the friends goes missing but who did it? a very bumpy ride with so many twists and turns and a cat and mouse trail.

This book is a very exciting, edge of your seat thriller that will keep you up all night needing to know what
happens next. I loved every second. My only issue was in relation to an anchor. I don't know a lot about yachts but they must all have one or more than one when I googled it?

A big thanks to Avon Books UK, Avon and Netgalley for the advance copy.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley.

On New Year's Eve in 2023, Hannah and her friends decide to celebrate in grand style aboard a luxurious yacht in an Italian marina. They party lavishly under the starry sky until they're completely spent. The next morning, their joy turns to horror as they wake up to discover they've been cast adrift into the boundless ocean. Stranded with no land in sight and the yacht's fuel depleted, the situation takes a chilling turn when the first person mysteriously disappears.

While Hannah seemed the most relatable amidst this curious bunch, her choices left me scratching my head. Driving twelve long hours for a disastrous weekend felt like a peculiar choice indeed as did some of her other decisions. Libby and Maggie's characters were spoiled and snobby, why would Hannah ever be friends with them in the first place? Olly and Harry were... an experience, to say the least. Their demeanor and self-entitlement seemed to reach remarkable levels. Overall, not one character was actually likable.

As for the narrative, the pacing was a tad lengthy, causing my interest to wane; shortening it might have kept the suspense and intrigue afloat.

A well paced and clever thriller. Yes, it's a locked yacht trope and yes most of the characters are heinous people but it's a page turner! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read- and no spoilers from me.

This one started out strong. I was intrigued to see how Hannah would gel with her rich snobby friends whilst on board the yacht for New Years Eve. Her friends were awful though and how she put up with them was beyond me. The first half of the book was decent for me, I was intrigued in the storyline. The second half veered slightly into boring territory unfortunately and I found myself skimming the pages. The twist at the end was one I had predicted too so I didn't get the greatest of vibes from the book overall.

Sarah Goodwin has once again proven herself as a master of the mystery genre with her enthralling novel The Yacht. The story revolves around a gripping locked-room mystery unfolding on a luxurious yacht as six friends embark on a New Year's adventure they just might come to regret. The author skillfully crafts characters with shades of moral ambiguity making it hard to decide who to like or trust. Being stranded at sea is likely to evoke fear in almost everyone and the author weaves this with survivalist themes keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The audience is left guessing as the story unfolds new revelations and unexpected developments at each turn. Sarah Goodwin emerges as an author to watch out for, demonstrating a talent for crafting well-executed thrillers that transcend the standard tropes of the genre. Her novels delve into complex themes, elevating the reading experience beyond mere entertainment.

This was an unputtdownable thriller that had me constantly guessing and second guessing - so many twists and turns that I never saw coming! I finished this in two sittings, and the period between the first and second sittings was a hard wait! The story was a bit unrealistic at times, but that was due to the crazy characters and once in a lifetime situation that they found themselves in. Overall a fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing till the very end!

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hopes were high as my buddy and I delved into this much-anticipated book, eager for a thrilling narrative. However, the story failed to unfold as the gripping thriller we envisioned, steering more towards a dramatic exploration of friendships marred by a tapestry of lies.

Disappointment lingered as the suspense we craved remained elusive, overshadowed by the unfolding drama of intricate relationships. In our shared reading experience, the book transformed into a discussion on the complexities of friendships and the repercussions of deceit, offering a unique perspective even in its departure from the anticipated genre.

While the novel fell short of its promise as a heart-pounding thriller, it inadvertently became a catalyst for engaging conversations between reading companions. The communal aspect of our buddy read softened the blow of unmet expectations, turning the letdown into an opportunity to explore and reflect on the diverse facets of literature.

In the end, the journey may not have led us where we initially hoped, but the shared experience added a layer of depth to the disappointment, turning it into a unique exploration of the human condition within the pages of a book that defied our genre expectations.

OMG OMG OMG this book. I had been super disappointed by Sarah Goodwin's last book offering but I kept hoping to have a redemption from her and this is it!! While I still think Stranded is her best book this one comes in at a close second. I was white knuckling my kindle the closer I got to the end of the book.

Hannah is looking forward to escaping her mundane life working in a call center to meet up with friends from uni (much richer friends) and her friend Libby's annual epic New Year's Eve bash, this year occurring on a yacht off the coast of Italy. Tempers flare during the party and most of the guests aren't getting along. Then one disappears and all hell breaks loose.

I read this book in two sittings and couldn't put it down for the second half. What a thrilling story. I look very much forward to more of her books.

My thanks to Avon and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Survival meet locked door meet the open seas
And then just for fun add a handful of unlikeable characters whose friendship spans decades but they clearly don’t like each other.

Hannah is invited to ring in the new year with her Uber rich pals on a yacht moored to the pier. But by nights end, the yacht is floating in the sea and things start happening… disappearance, murder and even worse… egos in action. 😉

I read this in one sitting so it’s not the writing that didn’t give it a 5 stars, perhaps more of the loose ends … and the disbelief that certain things could actually happen (stuck on a rock? Diving down to grab things? No answers on what happened with the first person).

Bottom line:
Reads fast but you need to suspend belief

Hugely tense with a full cast of reprehensible characters, some worse than others but with little to redeem any of them!
For me the level of animosity between the group of rich friends both with each other and against Hannah, the token"povo friend" escalated a little too quickly with the party barely starting before they were at each others throats and although as the story continues the reasons become apparent it would have been more believable that a false veneer of social nicety existed for at least a few hours!
That said the tension is very high throughout the book with no real clue as to who has done what and why until the options become limited!

This was so good! The premise was different than what I expected and made me definitely think twice about getting on any boats 😂

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, it is not working for me right now. It is nothing against the story or the author, but I couldn't get into the story/characters. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!

This was the perfect time to read this especially with NYE right around the corner. Two things I love in thrillers and romance: forced proximity.
This story in particular, the characters are trapped at sea. And it feels so suffocating. I thought this was incredibly well written and gripping. I thoroughly had fun with this one.

Sarah, you had my attention from page one! Bravo on this action packed book!

“The Yacht,” is perfect for fans of “locked room mysteries.” This story is about a New Years Eve party that goes off the rails when friends start to die, all while trapped at sea. I could not put it down.

With 6 well developed characters, it’s easy to track who is who, and I loved to hate a lot of them!

SPOILER ALERT-

(My only critique is I wish I knew a bit more about what happened with Libby!)