Tag: destination

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#BookReview: Strangers In The Villa by Robyn Harding

Twisty Destination Thriller. This is one of those destination thrillers where you think you know what is happening… and then suddenly you realize how wrong you were. Yet also one where virtually no one is overly “likeable”, so if you’re a reader where you have to have *someone* that is truly pure of heart or perfectly aligns with your every belief or however else you define “likeable”… know going in that this isn’t that kind of tale. And that you should read it anyway.

The setting in coastal Spain is used quite well both for creating tension in our primary couple and in setting up some truly stunning set pieces for our drama and different elements of our thriller. And it is absolutely *perfect* in setting in motion one particular literary technique, but naming the technique becomes a bit of a spoiler for the instant it is set in motion – so I won’t name it here. Just know that its use is one of the finer parts of this particular tale, showing true craftsmanship on the part of Harding (and, perhaps, her editors). And even with this technique, when you think you know where it is ultimately heading… no, no you do not. Because Harding is going to twist everything ten ways to Sunday in a manner that is perfectly logical for these characters…. once everything is revealed. But the revelations continue until almost literally the last word of the tale…

There *is* a touch of jalapeno ish spice, and there *are* some LGBT… let’s say “explorations”… here – just so those readers who care about the presence of these things (either direction, no judgement from me either way) are aware. Enough to piss off readers more ardent in their views either direction, for differing reasons, but also light enough that more moderate/ truly tolerant readers shouldn’t really have any real issues with.

Overall this is a fun and average-ish length tale of its type. One that won’t necessarily win any converts to the genre (though possible), but one which existing fans of the genre will absolutely enjoy. And which could in fact bring new readers to the author herself.

Very much recommended.

This review of Strangers In The Villa by Robyn Harding was originally written on March 9, 2026.

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#BookReview: This Stays Between Us by Sara Ochs

Less Destination-y, Less Thrill-y, Still Solid Sophomore Submittal. Ochs’ debut last year, The Resort, was a book where the exotic tropical setting played nearly as much into the plot as any of the characters themselves, and where the cat and mouse game kept you guessing nearly through the last words (at least per my review I wrote back then – nearly a year and over 200 books between reading this one and that one… I remembered it as solid, but yeah, I don’t retain most details that long. :D).

This one still takes you to the destination, and you absolutely still see the beauty in the various areas of Australia that she brings us to… it just isn’t *as* critical to the overall plot as the destination itself felt in The Resort. The thrills and suspense are still absolutely here, but in a more dual timeline nature where we see stuff happening in each that we know won’t end well in either, rather than the more cat and mouse active timeline investigation of the first book. Not to say that element is completely gone, as there is in fact an investigation here, and there are absolutely several twists even through the last words yet again. It just felt somehow… slightly “less” again. More solid standard than spectacular standout.

This could well be from the sheer fact that an author has a lifetime to craft their debut… and then just weeks, months if they are lucky, to craft their sophomore and subsequent efforts. So this isn’t really a knock on Ochs at all, just the nature of the beast, really. I’m not disparaging this book in any way whatsoever – it really was quite good, and actively better than some. This bodes well indeed for future efforts, as if *this* is *all* the dropoff we get from that phenomenal first foray, Ochs will certainly be an author to watch for the rest of her writing career, however long that may be.

Truly an excellent work that shows off several different regions of Australia well enough for someone who has only ever seen those regions on a screen and has never once so much as seen the Pacific Ocean – or even been within 300 miles (roughly 500 km, for those who refuse to use freedom units) of it. I’m sure my friends and colleagues who have actually been to – or even in some cases live in – the areas depicted might have a different take there, but it absolutely worked well enough for this Southern US man.

Very much recommended.

This review of This Stays Between Us by Sara Ochs was originally written on July 23, 2025.