Lux and her boyfriend Nico are hired to sail two friends to a secluded island. When they get there there is already another boat anchored. The foursome now becomes a group of six and they all settle into the island and have a good time. But of course, things eventually turn deadly as someone new joins them on the island, someone goes missing and another turns up dead.

This is a fast paced thriller that was a lot of fun, even if you can predict what's coming next. I really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere of the remote island they were on. The characters were ones you were never quite rooting for because you knew they were bad people and you wanted to know why.

I do wish the ending was a little better. It was kind of lackluster but it’s not a deal breaker, I still enjoyed the book!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars- I found the first half rather slow. I didn’t feel the characters had any real personalities. The descriptions of what was happening on the island made me want to finish this but the ending was such a letdown. I reread the last few chapters twice and still didn’t understand what really happened.

This book had me from page one! When Lux and her boyfriend are approached by two strangers who want to hire them to sail to a paradise island, how could they say no? (Ok, they probably should have said no.....but anyway....). Hearts are broken and lives are destroyed when the island of paradise turns into an island of terror. It's Agatha Christie meets Outer Banks. I loved it!

Life in Hawaii isn’t quite living up to the dream that Lux and her boyfriend Nico imagined when they set sail for Maui. She has had to take a job as a maid at a high end hotel, and he seems content enough to let her clean rooms and pay the bills while he works on the docks.

Their boat-“The Susannah” is in need of repairs they can’t afford-the adventures they planned are on hold.

Until, college friends Brittany and Amma, arrive and offer Nico $50,000 to be their Captain. They want to travel to Meroe Island-named for a shipwreck where 32 sailors lived-but only 8 survived. It’s beautiful, and off the beaten path but some say it’s cursed- which makes it seem just dangerous enough to be alluring…..

But, when they get there-they aren’t alone.

A beautiful Catamaran, “The Azure Sky” is anchored offshore and now, with Jake and Eliza, they become a party of six on the exotic Island.

How many will survive this time?

I don’t know why the synopsis calls this “gothic suspense “-I don’t think it fits that description at all.

It reminded me of Samantha Downing’s “He Started It” in style. That one was a road trip-this one a sailing adventure and both were a “may the best man win” kind of book. If that is appealing to you-grab a life vest and set sail with this bunch..I could practically smell the suntan oil, and feel the heat of the sun.

I loved this one ! I love a locked room type of mystery and this one is fast paced and doesn’t disappoint! Thank you for an opportunity to read it !

Chaos abound in Reckless Girls — Lux agrees to join her boyfriend Nico who accepts a job to sail 2 young women from Hawaii to Meroe Island. The girls, Brittany and Amma, have money to spend and are looking for an adventure off the beaten path. ⁣

When they arrive at Meroe, another boat is there with a picture perfect couple, Eliza and Jake. The crew of 6 begin to bond and spend their time on the remote island together, however as time continues, all isn’t as it seems. There are increasing fractions among the group as another visitor arrives and the unusual history surrounding the island surfaces. ⁣
⁣
Overall, Reckless Girls has a slower pace with tension that continues to build but ramps up, significantly, in the last quarter of the book — Far fetched and unrealistic? Yeah, a bit, and it’s best to know that heading into the story. I’ve seen lots of mixed reviews for this one and I get it. The amount of action in the conclusion of the book is definitely a reach but I still enjoyed the ride.

First of all I love the cover, it is mighty cold here in Massachusetts and I could tell just by the cover this one was going to take place somewhere warm. Luckily, it did and it made me long to be where the weather is much, much warmer. The setting in this one had me from the very beginning. The idea of a creepy deserted island with a creepy past in the pacific ocean definitely had my attention! It was just as eerie as promised as Hawkins set the scene for a lord of the flies esque plot line. A group of strangers find themselves stuck on a deserted island with no way to communicate with the outside world. All of them have secrets, some worth killing over. I enjoyed the multiple POV and the back and forth between the past and the present day. It really provided the build up needed to keep the story interesting and provided the necessary backstory details. It was a quick and enjoyable read. However, I did not love the ending. It was a bit strange and far fetched for my liking but overall a good story.

I recorded a review of this thriller as an audiobook, and I’m glad I did. The audiobook narrator was exceptionally good, and had it not been for their delivery I may not have made it to completion of this novel. This book was what I deemed a White Lotus meets White Feminism, a thriller without a lot of thrills. It was a perfectly acceptable and fun beach read, if you’re looking for something beach related to sink into for a weekend.

This just didn't hold my attention and I honestly didn't care about what was going to happen to any of the characters. I usually love all of Rachel's books so maybe it was just the plot here that didn't work for me? IDK. Just not feeling it.

Not every book works for everyone eh?

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins is a head spinning psychological thriller.
I really loved the characters that were well written, dynamic and multi-dimensional.

The setting of Meroe Island makes the perfect setting for a murder.

This is a complex, well written thriller.

I really enjoyed this book and all the twists and turns and the ENDING OMG!!!

2.5 stars rounded up

What I Liked:
-Unique plot and the book was an easy, quick read. I read this in one sitting.
-Loved the setting and how creepy the island seemed.
-I didn't guess the plot twist at the end!
-I liked how we got to see each characters story in flashbacks.

What I Didn't Like/Wanted More Of:
-The pacing was SUPER off. The beginning and middle were way too long and the ending was way to quick. It was almost confusing, it was so quick.
-I didn't get a good grasp of these characters at all. The were very flat. I actually hated them all.
-There were a lot of plot holes that I just couldn't get behind. Maybe plot holes is the wrong word, but a lot of what happened just was SO unrealistic.
-I didn't really understand the necessity behind the like, social media posts and quotes between each section?

Multiple POV. This was a quick read! We have Lux and Nico. Lux moved to Hawaii to follow her boyfriend in hope for adventure after a tragic but those plans were derailed when his boat needed some fixing. Now they get the opportunity when Nico is asked by two young women, Brittany & Amma, if he can take them to an island that is inhabited and has history of tragedy. With the money they are offering him her is able to fix the boat and do Lux is able to join them. However, when they arrive at the island there is already a couple there who seem to have it all. Soon the six of them Willow into a routine the days they spend there but then things begin to change and comes to head when a newcomer goes to the island. Everyone seems to have secrets and their own reasons for being there. What Lux was hoping to be an adventure with her boyfriend to something more and maybe a bit dangerous.

Overall, I enjoyed this one more than the authors previous book, The Wife Upstairs. However, I didn’t really care for the characters but kept reading because I wanted to see if I was able to see what was coming. I was able to piece most things together and you see how each person slowly begins to really crumble under secrets? The island? Lies?. If you like quick reads where most of the story takes place at an island and with some iffy characters you just might love this one.

Thanks to stmartinspress and netgalley for my review copy.

Locked boat/island thriller with 2 POV’s- Lux now and Before in 3rd person.

This had the feeling of everything being just a tinge off which added to the atmosphere Hawkins was going for!

The characters felt a bit vapid to me, not much growth for any of them.

I enjoyed this book, however not as much as The Wife Upstairs. It was a fast-pace novel set on a "deserted island." These young people who are trapped on the island due to no radio signal find who they can trust and who can be their enemy. This novel took me on a wild ride, however, I was not a fan of any of the characters. They all had their own issues and the ways they would go to take one another down. I felt the last few chapters were a little rushed and I would have enjoyed if the author slowed down a tad to create more of a suspense.

What initially drew me to Reckless Girls was the cover. I thought it was one of the more eye-catching ones. Then I read the blurb, and I thought, “Hmmm, this sounds interesting.” But I didn’t request it. I figured that if I were meant to read it, it would find a way to me. A week later, I had an email from SMP asking me to review it. How could I say no? I am glad that I accepted because I couldn’t put this book down.

Reckless Girls had an exciting plotline. Lux and Nico are stuck in Hawaii while they work to fund repairs and supplies for their boat, The Susannah. A big break comes their way when two women, Brittany and Amma, pay for the boat repairs and hire them for a trip to Meroe Island, a deserted island that has a reputation for being haunted. When they get there, they find another ship already there and meet Eliza and Jake. Things are going well when a mysterious stranger appears and throws everything out of whack. Lux has to figure out who she can trust. Because if she can’t, she will become one of Meroe Island’s legends.

Reckless Girl had a lightening fast plotline. From the beginning, where Lux worked at the hotel to the end, it didn’t slow down. That rapid pace did the book justice. If that book didn’t move as fast as it did, it would have lost some of its oomph. What impressed me about Reckless Girls also was that there was no lag in the book. The author did a fantastic job keeping that from happening.

There are multiple POVs in Reckless Girls. I am not a fan of multiple POVs. I find that they drag the book down if not done right. But in the case of Reckless Girls, not only did they work, but I enjoyed them. The main POV was Lux’s, but then were POVs from Amma, Brittany, and (later on in the book) Eliza. The author’s snippets into each person’s backstory made me understand them better and understand why they did what they did.

I liked Lux. She had overcome a lot to get to where she was at the beginning of the story. Hell, she even legally owned The Susannah (it gets into it at the beginning of the book). But, I did think she was a pushover when it came to Nico. Early in the book, it was pretty evident that he didn’t care for her the way she cared for him.

Brittany and Amma, I didn’t care for. Both had gone through traumatic experiences, and both were traveling to get over it. Their backstory was sad. I felt that there was more to what they wanted than what was being said from the beginning.

The book was made by the secondary characters (Jake, Eliza, Nico, and the guy who showed up uninvited and unannounced). They fleshed out the plotline and made the book much more interesting to read.

I loved that this mystery was set on a deserted island with a set amount of suspects. In books like this, I usually can figure out who was doing it and its motive. But in this book, the author threw that right out the window. I knew for sure that Lux wasn’t involved in anything. But everyone else was a suspect and had a motive. It made the book so enjoyable to read.

Reckless Girls have several twists, and they all made the book. There was one that I did see coming (it involved Amma and Brittany), but the others shocked the heck out of me. The last twist, the one right as the book ended and before it went to the epilogue, surprised the heck out of me. It was something that I didn’t see coming.

The end of Reckless Girls was one of the more shocking that I have read in a long time. It took me a while to get over it. I was not expecting what happened to happen. And, as I stated above, I did not expect the twist that led into the shocking epilogue.

I would recommend Reckless Girls to anyone over 21. There is sex, violence, and language.

I was excited to get Reckless Girls after having read The Wife Upstairs and enjoying it.

I read about 40% of this book before the sun came up one day when I couldn't sleep, I was instantly sucked in it was such a great story. I finished this book in the same day and ultimately - I'm upset.

I was totally along for this ride with Lux, Nico, Amma and Brittany. I was interested in their dynamic, and their backstories. Nico was hired by Amma and Brittany to sail from Hawaii to a deserted island that's rumored to be "cursed". After meeting Lux, the girls ask her to come along. Once they get to the island they meet another couple who are already there and the 6 of them hit it off quite well.

For about 85% of the book I was there on that deserted island with them! A locked room thriller in the middle of a deserted island! And then the ending just.... did not do it for me. I felt like it turned into a bad cheesy horror movie at the end.

I was torn with my rating since for the majority of the book I did enjoy it. I gave it 3 stars - probably 3.5 if we're rounding. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I will read more Rachel Hawkins in the future, but this one was disappointing for me

Looking for a fun tropical escape from the winter blahs? Look no further! Rachel Hawkins' latest thriller "Reckless Girls" is a wild tropical escape filled with twists, turns and a group of twenty-somethings doing bad things! :) It was a super fun ride and so many of the twists got me.

Meroe Island is a desolate spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism and even rumors of murder. When a group of twentysomething travelers embark on a journey to this remote and creepy island, craziness ensues.

Told in multiple viewpoints and seamlessly threading timelines together for the ultimate reveal, this book kept me turning pages well into the night!

Trigger warning: There is ALOT of bad language so if that's something that bothers you, I'd skip this one.

7 strangers on deserted island 🏝 in the middle of the ocean …. Legends of cannibals 😱… a young couple … two best friends … a rich couple … and a murder….

I do love a good locked room ( In this case a deserted island 🏝) and I loved this one ! It sucked me in right away and the story kept me so engaged that I read it con one long sitting which ended at around 1 am ! Thankfully I didn’t have to work the next day

This one started out exciting but kind of flopped at the midway point. Strangers turned fast friends hang out on a remote island, when all of a sudden a stranger no one trusts (for some reason?) "crashes the party", so to speak, and things aren't fun anymore. Idk man, I just...it had kind of a YA feel, like you know, maybe preteens would eat this up, but then there was profanity, so then, maybe not? Idk. I'm not sure why the stranger was immediately painted in a sketchy light right off the bat, I mean what if he was there to just hang out and explore, like you? That was the worst case of foreshadowing I've seen in a long time. I didn't enjoy the book, but I know others might. Overall I'll rate it 2.5 stars

Thanks netgalley for giving me a complimentary pdf so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 🧡

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
A special thanks to St. Martin Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Nico and his girlfriend Lux are stuck. Their boat is in need of some repairs and they are trying to raise the funds to set her right, when Nico runs in to 2 girls Amma and Brittany looking for adventure. They found this remote island called Meroe that’s off grid. After offering Nico a huge amount of money to take them there and repair his boat they develop a plan and set out.
After sailing to the island, they are settling in when Eliza and Jake show up in their boat to do the same, explore and drink on the beach.
As time moves on the group spends a lot of time together and forms fast friendships. But when a stranger arrives that no one knows or trust tensions rise. With the stress of being on a remote island, the group of 6 starts to crack under the pressure. It becomes clear that no one can trust anyone but themselves.
This book was pretty slow getting into but once you got moving things picked up pace quickly. I enjoyed the back-and-forth from present day to past events with each character in the past. This is one that’s going to stick in my head for a while!