A riveting story from the start following two couples Nate and Layla, and Jude and Sophie wo were good friends until a event at Sophie's and Jude's wedding when Layla caused trouble. Nate and Layla are living the Insta-life of their dreams in Bali. Jude and Sophie live in London and after Sophie has a frightening experience they decide to visit their friends in Bali.
But then secrets start to come out and the tension rises especially between Layla and Sophie, and as Nate and Jude try to smooth things over a terrible secret comes out which results in a climax nobody could predict.
Highly recommend for a fast paced gripping story.

They Had It Coming is a sun-soaked, suspense-laced destination thriller that proves paradise isn't always what it seems.

Set against the vivid, sensory-rich backdrop of Bali, this novel hooks you from the start and slowly unravels a tangled web of secrets, betrayals, and buried tensions.

After a traumatic burglary at their London flat, newlyweds Sophie and Jude seize the chance to visit old friends Nate and Layla, now living their dream life on the island.

But from the moment they arrive, it's clear that not everything is as picture-perfect as the Instagram posts suggest.

The villa isn't finished, old resentments bubble just beneath the surface, and the tension - especially between Sophie and Layla is palpable.

Nikki Smith masterfully drip-feeds the reader tantalising hints about what happened at Sophie and Jude's wedding a year earlier, gradually layering the plot with simmering suspicion and twisty revelations.

Just when you think you know where it’s going, she throws in another sharp turn.

The alternating perspectives offer a fascinating glimpse into each character’s psyche, revealing their selfishness, flaws, and desperation to keep their secrets hidden - at any cost.

The characters aren't particularly likeable and that's exactly what makes them so compelling.

They’re deeply flawed, morally murky, and their self-preservation instincts make for some brilliantly explosive confrontations.

No one escapes unscathed, and by the end, you're left pondering who really “had it coming.”

Nikki Smith’s lush, immersive settings are a character in their own right.

You can almost feel the heat, smell the frangipani, and hear the waves crashing - all while the plot tightens like a noose.

Her writing is sharp, her pacing relentless, and the emotional tension lingers long after the final page.

They Had It Coming is a compulsively readable, atmospheric thriller that blends exotic escapism with razor-sharp psychological drama.

It’s dark, addictive, and entirely unputdownable. If you love your beach reads with a sinister edge, this one’s for you.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed They Had It Coming and would definitely recommend it as a holiday/summer read.
The story starts with Jude and Sophie heading to Bali for a holiday with their friends Nate and Layla who have moved out there to escape the London rat race. Their new life in Bali appears to be idyllic with lots of new friends, a luxurious villa and beautiful beaches. However, it soon becomes apparent that all is not as it seems. All four characters have secrets they are trying to hide, and both Sophie and Layla have experienced traumatic times in the past that haunts them. Their new life story ends with a couple of twists that I genuinely didn’t see coming and it is all nicely tied up.
I’ve read a couple of other Nikki Smith books and they can be relied upon as an entertaining and satisfying read.
Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an advance copy in return for my honest opinion.
I’ve published this review in Goodreads and will also post a shortened version on Amazon.

A trip to Bali- blissful beaches suggest a relaxing and picturesque setting but not in Nikki Smith's hands. Four friends (two couples: Layla and Nate, Sophie and Jude) come together and their reunion starts turning sour as all of them struggle with their problems and grudges. The change in lifestyle that suggests a wonderful life by the insta digital nomads isn't quite true. The quest for revenge and get rich schemes are cleverly threaded throughout and the negative impact on the Balinese is exposed. Each new day brings more problems. As usual, Nikki Smith excels, she can posit any scenario and slowly peel off the gloss. A wicked summer read.

They had it coming is set in Bali when Sophie and Jude go to visit their friends who have moved there. There is tension between the characters due to events in the past and it is not until near the end that we find out what the secret is and it is slightly underwhelming. The characters are not particularly likeable, each with lies and secrets of their own. It also shows the toxic side of people moving to these places for a different life and the negative impact it can have in locals and the local businesses.

I feel this could have been much better and that the story was dragged out and the answers were all rushed at the end.

What an enjoyable book of deceptions. It seems as though Layla, Nate, Jude and Sophie are all not being entirely truthful with each other.

And many of the revelations I certainly didn't see coming. It was unpredictable to say the least.

Set in Bali, amongst the digital nomad community, we see a slightly different side to Bali. But above all we saw many sides to our main characters and many of them not overly pleasant.

I'm not sure I totally connected with any of them, I was still keen to discover what was going to happen, especially with a different storyline happening in a separate time line that is interspersed which definitely intrigued me.

It may not be my new favourite from this author but its another solid thriller from her, and a perfect holiday read!

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Two couples, Nate and Layla and Jude and Sophie have known each other for ages. Nate and Layla have moved to Bali and the other couple are vising for an extended trip. However, it soon becomes obvious that they all have their secrets and things are not easy between them. I loved the Bali setting but I found the plot way too far fetched.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

They had it coming, follows a journey of 4 friends Nate, Layla, Jade, and Sophie. It also has throwback chapters from an unknown character.

Nate and Layla have moved from London to Bali. I have to say the setting was written beautifully and I am now so ready for a holiday.

Sophie and Jude travel out to see them after going through some difficulties in life.

There is a lot of tension between all the friends, and they all seem to be hiding something and have secrets!

With thrillers, I'm used to guessing or predicting what the twists and turns are, even if I'm wrong, but I found I couldn't do that with this book, as if there weren't enough little snippets or clues. However, that could just be me, so please don't let that judge the book for you.

I will definitely try something else from Nikki as I've heard great things about her other books.

Thank you @netgalley , @penguinUKbooks and @vikingbooksuk for an e-arc of this book

They Had It Coming, well I didn’t know where it was going!!
Nate and Layla have moved from London to Bali. Layla’s parents died in a car crash leaving her enough money to get out of the rat race and build their dream home in Bali. They are renting a super villa whilst this is being done. Their friends Jude and Sophie have been burgled and have decided to take a sabbatical from work and join them in Bali. There is a lot going on and a lot of secrecy as the couples have secrets from each other as well as their partners. Mix in that Layla ruined Sophie’s wedding day and has never forgiven her for it makes for a bumpy read.
This was a read I knew I was going to love from the first chapter. The words flowed well and the characters grabbed me from the start. I had no idea where this was going but what a few twists along the way!! The read had a good pace and I had no idea why we were going back years every now and again in some chapters but it all tied in perfectly at the end.
I would like to thank Penguin General uk, Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

A destination thriller set in Bali follows two previously inseparable couples. Told from the point of view of the four main characters it’s quickly clear that there are many secrets and no one is to be trusted. Things unravel quickly with a lot of twists and reveals. Intricate plotting and fast paced this is an excellent page turning beach read.

This was a brilliant book!
As soon as I saw it listed I was hoping I would be accepted! Thank you for the ARC copy of this I really appreciate it!

They Had it Coming follows two couples who used to be inseparable: Nate and Layla, and Jude and Sophie. We know that years ago, something happened to someone, but we don't know who it is or what really happened. In the present, Nate and Layla are living the Insta-life of their dreams in Bali. Jude and Sophie live in London, and after an unsettling experience at home, they decide to pay their old friends a visit. Soon enough, tension rises between the couples. Whatever happened that night in 2007? Who's lying and who can you trust?

First of all this book is so REAL! Yes, I said it!! The prologue of this book is captivating! I was hooked from the first 'flash'. The characters are built so well. That ending... OMG!!!

This was my first novel by Nikki Smith, it won't be the last!

I read The Beach Party last year and jumped at the arc for this. The Beach Party had been a solid 4/5. This book revolves around 2 couples and best friends. Nate and Leyla who after Leyla’s parents die in a car accident move to Bali to live as digital nomads, enjoying the sun, lifestyle and getting away from everything. Jude and Sophie, their best friends decide to take a sabbatical from the London commute and visit Bali to see how the other half live. Nate and Jude go back as friends from their university days and subsequently working at the same banking firm in London. We know that something happened at Sophie and Jude’s wedding that was caused by Leyla and led to a subsequent falling out and thawing of their friendship.

I loved this book. Everyone has secrets that threw me at every turn. Who has the most to gain or loose? I loved the reminders of a Bali I’d visited as a backpacker and the possibility of ditching uk grey skies to live in the sunshine. One of my favourite books this year and a perfect beach/holiday read. Next please!!

Thanks to the publishers and net galley in exchange for a review. I really enjoyed the setting of Bali and the flashback at the beginning made me realise from the start I was in for a slow peel to find out what had happened in the past for Sophie to want to get her revenge on her friend Layla. This was an easy read and would be a great beach choice.

An exotic thriller set in Bali around two toxic friendship couples, with secrets and twists. I found it an OK thriller. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for ARC.

Who doesn’t love a destination thriller right. I have never. Even to Bali, but reading They Had it Coming I felt like I was there. Beautiful beaches, cocktails, temples and so much more. A great read for a dreary day.

This was a suspenseful and addictive read about 4 people that I really didn’t like very much at all. These couples were supposedly best of friends but they were lying and hiding things from each other for years. It takes a while for the reader to understand exactly how much they are deceiving each other but when you find out it is jaw dropping. I loved the wild ending and didn’t see any of it coming.

Such a fun read. Thanks so much to Penguin, Viking Publishing on NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on May 22nd.

A great story with so many twists in it, what seems like a dream lifestyle isn't all it cracked up to be...

A luxurious thriller set in the sublime setting of Bali, where luscious cocktails in 5 star resorts are the norm now for Nate and Layla as they have swapped their hectic London life for a slower pace in paradise. Following the loss of her parents and the ensuing breakdown, Layla has revamped her lifestyle into an Insta-perfect one with wholesome smoothies, yoga and mindfulness poolside in a glorious villa. Nate continues to be a social butterfly, swapping his boardroom prowess for the modern and cool open hot desks on the island where all the deals are made. Their best friends Jude and Sophie have been distant since the wedding debaucle, but recent turmoil at work and home sees them clamouring to visit Bali for an extended trip. The temperatures are set to rise , as are tensions on their arrival. Old issues come bubbling to the surface. This is a sizzling summer thriller. #theyhaditcoming #Nikkismith #netgalley

Set in Bali, 'They Had it Coming' sees the reunion of four friends: Nate and Layla, Jude and Sophie. Until Nate and Layla moved abroad to establish a new life for themselves, the four were inseparable, working and playing together. But their friendship was not as tight as it seemed on the surface - they were all keeping secrets from each other. When they meet again, emotions that they have been holding in check for years begin to erupt as each seeks to get revenge on the person they think hurt them.
This novel was a story of two halves - the first half was gripping and left me with more questions than answers, which made me read on. The second half was a bit too speedy for me as answer after answer flooded out. It explored entitlement, jealousy and fear to name but a few of the reasons 'they had it coming'. I really enjoyed the setting too. This would be a great holiday read.

This was a book I had massive hopes for. It started off brilliantly – the first few chapters totally had me hooked. And honestly, for most of it, it was great. But then… it just went a bit off the rails.

It got way too much – like, trying too hard. The plot started jumping all over the place, random secrets from the past popped up that didn’t really add much, new storylines were chucked in that barely tied into the rest… It was like everything got thrown into the mix, and it just turned into a bit of a mess. So instead of a big, jaw-dropping finale with fireworks, we got a half-hearted sparkler. Bit of a letdown, really.

I do love the Bali vibe – not just the Instagrammable stuff, but the real, raw atmosphere too. And I enjoyed the glimpses into the characters’ pasts. But there just weren’t enough threads tying it all together, and at times I genuinely felt lost in it all.

Real shame, that.