This book was definitely not what I was expecting. I read the author’s previous book The wife upstairs and I have to say I really liked that one and came with expectations to this one that unfortunately for me were not met.
The premise is very promising, a boat trip to a deserted island had me excited, but then nothing I read makes sense, I don't buy that there are certain things on an island that is impossible that they want me to believe. I was about to leave it halfway but I continued until the end, that at least has surprised me, but it can't be that everything closes it all in 40 or 50 pages.
Anyway, I hope I like the author's next book better, but this is just my personal opinion.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC on exchange of my honest review.

Wow this story, was not what I expected when I started reading this book. I don’t know if anyone remembers the movie The Beach with Leonardo DeCaprio, but this book totally had that same vibe. It honestly read like I was watching a movie, I was so engrossed in what was going to happen that when the craziness started I was, “what?!??”. 😂 I honestly liked all the characters, even though they were all fake and it was meant to be like that. The story though does go slow at first, but it works because it lulls you into a false sense of security, and then bang it goes downhill fast after that. 😂

Overall I really liked it and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was made into a movie one day, because I sure as heck was craving popcorn while I read it.

Review will be posted on 2/8/2022

Lux has been living a depressing life since she left college to help take care of her sick mother. After her mother's death, Lux tries to pick up her life again. She is working as a waitress in San Diego, and while at the restaurant, she meets Nico Johannsen. They hit it off and he asks her to come along with him on his boat, the Susannah, as he is going to take an epic trip. She agrees, because what else does she have going on? Nothing. She meets him out in Hawaii to set sail, but the Susannah needs some major repairs before they can go. Lux is cleaning hotel rooms to make some money, but all this changes when Nico comes across Brittany and Amma who offer Nico a ton of cash to sail they to Meroe Island in the Pacific. They pay to fix the boat and now they can all go out to the uninhabited island together for two weeks. Quite an adventure, right? Although the voyage over wasn't easy, once they get to Meroe, they are in awe of its beauty. Jake and Eliza, are also docked at the island, and initially, the whole group gets along. However, as the characters get to know one another, secrets are slowly revealed and alliances are questioned. Perhaps life on this desolate tropical island isn't paradise after all, not to mention the island's creepy history. Lux is in over her head at this point in the suspenseful thriller, Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins.

While I didn't always agree with Lux's decisions in Reckless Girls, I felt badly for her as she is definitely on a different path than she imagined she would be. When she meets Nico, unfortunately she latches onto him and I wish she would have been more hesitant, but she is all in for this adventure. She has nothing waiting for her at home anymore, but she decides to go. I couldn't help but think would someone really do this? Does she even know Brittany and Amma well enough to spend two weeks with them on a remote island? How Brittany and Amma they get their money? Also, Nico gave me bad vibes from the start. He comes from a wealthy family, but is estranged from them, so he has to make his own way in the world. I didn't trust him and felt like he wasn't sharing the entire truth with Lux. Hawkins provides readers with flashbacks, so they can get to know the characters before this trip and let's just say, most of the characters are withholding secrets.

The setting of Meroe Island in the Pacific was extremely well done by Hawkins. It definitely had Gilligan's Island vibes, but with a layer of horror in that the history of the island is beyond eerie. I was worried about what might be in the jungle and on top of the character's unpredictable and hedonistic behavior, it was stressing me out. Also, while I thought the setting of Meroe Island was beyond creepy and felt like a prison at times, I didn't think it was entirely a "Gothic suspense" as was indicated in the synopsis. Gothic suspense novels, at least in my mind, are more like Jane Eyre--- a protagonist in a crumbling castle or gloomy mansion that has supernatural elements. While Reckless Girls fit some of those characteristics, it felt too soapy to me to be entirely Gothic.

Hawkins includes a lot of plot twists and some that worked for me in Reckless Girls; however, there were other events that I felt were just too unbelievable. That was my only issue with Reckless Girls--at times I really didn't buy into what was happening. It just seemed extremely unlikely. Nonetheless, it made for an interesting story and one that I was addicted to.

So, if you are looking for a thriller that's filled with drama, secrets, and a creepy setting to boot, give Reckless Girls a try this winter. Have you read it? Are you a fan of Rachel Hawkins? Let me know in the comments below.

I read "The Wife Upstairs" and loved it. Couldn't wait to read 'Reckless Girls" and I adored it! Generally this type of plot seems to involve being stranded on a skip trip, but Rachel Hawkins takes these 6 twentysomethings and plants them on a tropical island with a rich history of disaster.

Of course, something goes wrong - one ends up missing and another dead. Is it the curse of this island or is there something else going on? I'll be honest, I would totally love to go on a vacation to a destination with a cryptic history like this one! I was a tad bored in the beginning, but the story picked up. Toward the end, it was a wild ride and I couldn't put the book down.

I hope you'll have the same results. I'm pretty confident Rachel Hawkins is on my auto-buy list from here out...

The opening scene of Reckless Girls, in which plucky mid-twenties narrator Lux McAllister cracks jokes and narrates from her hospitality job in an upscale Hawaiian resort, hooked me with its easy dialogue and preview of the adventurous, if somewhat shoestring budget, life led by Lux and her boyfriend, Nico. Not long after the opening, we learn that Nico has been hired by young twenty-somethings to captain a 2-week trip to the mysterious, deserted, and erstwhile haunted Meroe Island in the Pacific. Lux, having overcome her share of personal tragedies and craving adventure, joins Nico and the girls on Nico's own small boat, The cabin is cramped, they nearly capsize in typhoon like conditions, but eventually make it to the idyllic isle reminiscent of Gilligan's Island or for readers, Alex Garland's "The Beach".

Two glamorous strangers are already camped out at what would have been their deserted island but Lux, Nico, and their two passengers, Brittany and Amma, make fast friends with the Aussie, Jake, and his girlfriend, Eliza. Over the course of the next few days, the story unfolds like a dream, with the crew drinking, laughing, and lazing day and night. Early warning signs of trouble - Lux's suspicion that Amma and Nico, both trust fund kids, look like they belong together, is plainly foreshadowed. Brittany is earnest and a fast friend to Lux, while Amma is mysterious, cold...and a bit crazy. When an unwelcome third party, a single, skinny, pervy guys shows up and literally crashes the party, things go south quickly.

The story was relayed via multiple narrators and perspectives, with flashbacks to everyone's lives interspersed. Some readers found this confusing, but I thought it added complexity and interest to the story. I second-guessed the intentions and the reliability of nearly every narrator. While there was a twist at the end that I worked out a few chapters before, it was only just before the conclusion that it became evident to me, so for most of the book, the author kept me in the dark.

This was, in essence, a popcorn thriller and psychological drama. It was a page-turner, which I craved to kick off the year, and I enjoyed it. The book will appeal to fans of "We were never here", or any story about female travelers finding their adventures going off the rails.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins, and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Readers' Copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful ride of “what’s going to happen next.” The way the story is weaved makes for a remarkable story that had be wondering the whole way through

Unfortunately I was not able to review this title within the set time frame. I am looking forward to reading it soon and would like to thank the publisher for the opportunity.

Lux McAllister and her boyfriend Nico are hired to take two young women on their small sailing boat to the uninhabited island of Meroe in the South Pacific. The island has a mysterious history with lots of strange rumors. There they meet Jake and Eliza, a rich couple who have docked there too. Things seem to go quite well for a few days as the six have a great time partying and getting to know each other. However, they soon realize how cut off they are from civilization when another boat arrives and some mysterious things begin to happen - someone disappears, someone ends up dead.
This was 3.5 stars for me. Seems like a great beach read!

I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would! It wasn’t the usual suspenseful book I’m into, but the characters and story made it so that I couldn’t put it down! Story is Lux follows her boyfriend Nico to Hawaii where they are struggling with money. One day Nico meets two girls who offer him a lot of cash to take them to a hidden deserted island for some adventure. When they arrive they see another boat is already there, a rich couple who quickly gets along with them. Before long, the six of them are exploring the island and it’s hidden secrets. But the island isn’t the only one with secrets. The book goes back and forth in time telling how everyone came together. It was an interesting read and so unique! I really enjoyed it and will definitely read more from this author.

This is my first book by Hawkins and it won’t be my last. While I liked this book, I didn’t love it. The ending left me wanting a little bit more and reminded me of We Were Never Here. Also I really wanted more drama between some of the characters. Def would recommend.

Whoa! I listened to this book on audio and was so immersed in the story that I didn’t realize I was 60% of the way through before *something* happened, and I didn’t even care. Lux and the other characters were so well written that I felt like I was listening to a friend tell me a story, with some time jumps to the past to explain a side character’s back story. A small part of the plot twist is easy to figure out early on, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story and my need to read to see what would happen next. This is one I was not expecting at all, and I really appreciate what the author does with the story. I’ll be recommending this one to anyone who asks for a new quick twisty read. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author.
I really thought I would love this novel , wonderful setting, vacation on an island.
Unfortunately, I did not like the characters, slow paced, it did not keep me interested.

Reckless Girls is a closed-circle mystery that primarily takes place on Meroe Island, a remote island with a dark history. We follow Lux and her boyfriend, Nico, as they provide transport to the island for two best friends, Amma and Brittany. When the group arrives at the island, they are surprised to find another couple, Jake and Eliza, already on the island. At first, the groups merge and enjoy each other's company, but as time goes on tensions rise as Lux begins to question her island companions and the secrets they keep.⁠
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I really enjoyed this one for its isolated setting and the way flashbacks and the dark history of the island are revealed. I enjoyed this one more than Hawkin's previous novel, The Wife Upstairs. I did think that the pacing was a little slow, to begin with, but once I was hooked I breezed through to the end very quickly. I gave Reckless Girls 4 stars and would recommend it for some dark beach reading or for fellow lovers of closed-circle mysteries.

This was my second book by Rachel Hawkins and while I loved the book I could only give it 4 stars. I would like to thank Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin's Press for providing me with advanced reader's copy in return for an honest review. I enjoyed the story and it was almost impossible for me to figure out the twists...there were many of them. At times I found the book slow going I was expecting a much faster pace. The characters were all very interesting all very complicated and I can't say that I was drawn to any one of them in particular. However, in saying I expected a faster pace the book kept me interested from beginning to end and I found myself unable to put it down in the final fourth as I wanted to know what would happen. I can't say that I loved the end. It didn't wrap up quite the way I was wanting or expected. If you like adventure, remote islands that are spooky, characters who are very complicated but beautiful beaches and gorgeous weather then don't hesitate to read this book you will love it. I have to give compliments to the designer of the cover. This is an absolutely beautiful cover. Again my thanks to Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin's Press. The views expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was my first book by this author and it was very entertaining. A beautiful and creepy island locale was the setting. Six people end up together on a deserted Island and things get even more interesting when another unwanted person arrives. As the suspense escalates secrets are exposed and loyalties fracture. Some great twists at the end and some I definitely didn’t see coming. This was a suspenseful and enjoyable book!

It was an interesting book. Lux and her boyfriend, Nico (who owns a boat) agree to take two woman to an Island near Hawaii. Lux had a hard life and Nico's life expectations did not measure-up to the predictions. It quickly becomes a murder mystery with many twists and turns. A good read that holds your interest.

This is my second book by Rachel Hawkins and I absolutely loved it. A happy young couple takes a trip to a deserted island with strangers they meet while vacationing in Hawaii. Sounds *totally* normal right? [insert eye roll] Even though the plot is a bit outlandish, I was quickly immersed in the main character’s perspective. Every chapter gave off a major feeling of impending doom. From the moment they started there trip, there were so many moments I felt panicked—not knowing what fresh hell was going to occur next. The time on the island was insanity and gave me major Beaches vibes, machete and all (this is even mentioned in the book.) All of the characters were so suspicious and it honestly took me a million different places trying to figure out what was going to happen. Hawkins is great at this!

I think some readers may not like the ending, but I loved it. That last moment was awesome. Now the epilogue i could’ve done without. But I definitely appreciate the authors method of storytelling and somehow connecting all the pieces together in the end. It was truly an experience to say the least.

Lastly, I’m glad I read this in the winter because sand, sun and alcohol does not sound appealing anytime soon.

Thank you to #netgalley and @StMartinsPress for my advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Rachel Hawkins’ last book, which is what made me want to pick up this one. This book did not live up to my expectations. I thought this book was going to be entirely different from what I read. I was hoping for a whole lot more of a mystery/thriller and it never really got there.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.This book reeled me in from the start. Just when I thought I had figured it out, it turns out I was SO WRONG!This is the kind of story that made me read it all in one day, it was THAT GOOD!This is my 2nd book from this author. While I didn't care for my first one by her I am happy I gave her another chance.

I enjoyed this one, but not as much as her previous book, The Wife Upstairs. None of the characters I really cared for all that much, but I was still interested in seeing how the story played out. Definitely will keep this author’s future books on my radar to read.