Reckless Girls wasn't that bad at first, but there was a big mistake made by the author that made the plot beyond implausible. I can suspend disbelief, no problem, but what she did was just so egregious that it dropped my rating from three to two stars.
.
.
.
.
.
SPOILER ALERT
.
.
.
How in the hell did Amma and Brittany spend a lot of time with Chloe, then run into her again, as Eliza, without Amma recognizing her? Because I'm sorry, but Amma would have been fit to be tied at seeing Chloe/Eliza again. She basically hated her. So how did she meet her again and just be like "oh well" and continue hanging out on a deserted island with her? It makes ZERO sense.

Additionally, nothing really happened until I was more than 75% of the way into the book, which was also a bummer. This book didn't do it for me, but maybe it'll be different for you.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

An intriguing and gripping story. I guessed a few things ahead of time but still really enjoyed seeing how everything came together. I really liked hearing from the different characters and finding out how things all began.

This is my second read from this author and I'm looking forward to reading more!

If you could spend several weeks on a deserted island with your boyfriend and two strangers, would you do it? The answer would be a sound “no” after reading “Reckless Girls,” a novel by Rachel Hawkins.

The novel’s cover illustrated and front teaser fool you into thinking this might be a beach read for a chilly winter day. Again, the answer is “no.” It’s a thriller with a “never in real life” situation on a creepy island with even creepier people.

It’s an escape to a warm climate with a touch of gothic mystery and a boatload of “oh, no, she didn’t …” You want to put it down, but then you pick it back up and keep reading. You have to see what happens next and who does what to whom.

The unreality starts with Lux McAllister and her boyfriend Nico being hired to sail two college friends, Brittany and Amma, to a remote South Pacific Island. The women say they want an adventure off the beaten path, which seems to be a perfect fit for Nico, who wants to live the life of a vagabond sailor on his boat, The Susannah. Lux craves time with her man, but she also needs to put a family tragedy behind her.

When they reach the uninhabited Meroe Island, there’s another sailboat anchored offshore. The Azure Sky is a high-end, high-tech catamaran loaded with fancy food, wine and a golden couple named Jake and Eliza. Beneath the blue skies and along the sandy beaches, the dream vacationers stake a claim to romantic Meroe Island despite tales of stranded sailors, cannibalism and possible murder. Being off the grid lets the six live as free spirits - at least for a while.

This is where the story takes another turn beyond the possible. A stranger on a ragged boat shows up, changing paradise into a haunting backdrop for friends now enemies and lovers now haters. But as farfetched as it seems, Reckless Girls continues to hold a reader’s attention. You know it’s not going to end well for Lux and others, but you want to see how far they’re willing to go.

No, Reckless Girls is not a beach read, but it is an interesting read. Twists and turns, murder and mystery, and characters that you either love or hate. When the last page is turned, you’ll be glad you made the journey. Maybe an escape is just what readers need right now.

Lux has followed her hot boyfriend, Nico, from San Diego to Hawaii. He comes from wealth but has decided to just live a chill seafaring life on his boat — once he can get it seaworthy again. For months, she’s been working at a posh hotel and living in someone else’s living room with Nico, waiting for the glamour and adventure to start.

When two college-age women approach Nico with the proposal of taking them out to the tiny atoll of Meroe Island for a couple of weeks of off-the-grid vacationing, Lux is excited that their dreams can start coming to pass: The girls are going to pay for the repairs to the Susannah as well as give him a hefty fee for the job. And they invite Lux along.

After a three-day sail that includes a rough storm, the four arrive at the harbor of Meroe Island, where they are dismayed to see another boat already anchored. But the rich occupants of the sleek catamaran Azure Sky are super-friendly and welcoming and happy to share all they have brought along, which includes much finer fare than the Susannah has (and a very well-stocked bar). Soon, the six new friends are having a good time and living the high life. Lux is able to settle in and relax and enjoy being part of a group, which she hasn’t felt for a long time.

Meroe Island, however, has a dark past, and as the group explores the island they find some remnants of that. They mostly shake off what they find, but then their idyll is fully disrupted by an odd, lone stranger. Soon enough, cracks in the various relationships show up, and as the book progresses, readers learn a bit at a time about the dark pasts (and true motives for this vacation) of various characters.

When they’re cut off from contact from civilization, things get real. One person goes missing, and then another turns up dead. It turns from vacation idyll into nightmare, and it’s not clear who may survive.

Reckless Girls is a serviceable thriller, with characters of dubious intents stuck on an isolated island together. I’d have enjoyed it more if it weren’t for the constant profanity. It just seemed so unnecessary and bombarded my senses. I won’t be reading another book of Hawkins from here on out.

This was wild and I loved it. Rachel Hawkins is definitely an auto buy author for me now and I liked this even more than The Family Upstairs. This really stands out in a sea of thrillers that all tend to feel the same. The ending was underwhelming for me but that's almost always the case with thrillers for me. I highly recommend for a super unique thriller!

Honestly, I think if I was physically reading this instead of listening to the audiobook while working and commuting, I probably would have DNF'd this one.

This was somehow a really quick read even though the plot was incredibly slow. I recently read, and fairly enjoyed, The Wife Upstairs and the blurb for this one seemed even more up my alley. But truly no action happens until about 80 percent through the book. And even when it does, it felt pretty lackluster and over rather quickly.

This was very much character-driven but because everyone has a secret and the past is purposefully murky, you can't even get a good grip on who the characters *really* are. I've seen this done in a much more intriguing, satisfying way in other books and have really enjoyed it. I think, overall the style and execution of this book just did not work for me and there are a few other titles I would recommend before this one.

After thoroughly enjoying her debut thriller last year, THE WIFE UPSTAIRS, I could hardly wait to try this new release from Rachel Hawkins. I remember THE WIFE UPSTAIRS being one of those stories that, when I finished, I immediately wanted to go back and read it all over again so that I could revisit the suspense after putting all the pieces of the puzzle together and RECKLESS GIRLS gave me the same feeling!

I'm a sucker for a fast-paced story with a tropical/ocean background, so when the story began with a couple who have agreed to set sail from Hawaii, with two vacationing passengers, to a deserted island in exchange for the money needed to fix up their boat I was hooked! Much like her debut novel, Hawkins weaves in multiple twists and additional characters that kept me eagerly anticipating the finale of this wild journey and it did not disappoint. If you're looking for a quick and entertaining escape, give this one a try!

Reckless Girls will sweep you away, hopefully you are reading this on land and can’t be thrown overboard. This is the kind of book, that I suggest not to overthink much, just go on the wind blowing wild journey. You are sailing after all to a Remote island, that has a very sinister past, with rumors of murder and canibalism. So, when Nico and Lux, a young couple who own a boat decide to take two young women, Amma and Eliza over to Meroe Island, for an adventure, it seems the perfect thing to do. Remember you are reading a murder mystery, so everyone may not be exactly who they seem. Which just adds to the fun. Lux, narrates this book and she definitely has not had any fun in a long time. Her Mom has died of cancer and Nico seems the perfect boyfriend to take her away. First to Maui, and chartering this sail seems like such a great idea, as the women are offering a lot of money to do this. Then Lux will finally be able to travel with Nico as they planned. Will they get to live out their dream? Right on the first page, I learned some interesting facts, such as “Salt Water and Blood taste the Same....both are warm and tangy....both threaten to consume her”. So, it’s obvious someone is going to end up in the water, and is in danger of drowning, but who and why?

When Lux, Nico, Amma, and Brittany reach Meroe Island, another couple is already staying there. That is Eliza and Jack, who have a luxurious boat called the Azure Blue. So, right away I am swept up in their glamorous life; a beautiful young couple, endless bottles of wine, and fantastic food they share. Plus, Jack is smart enough to name his boat the Azure Blue, not The Susannah after his now ex-girlfriend like Nico. He’s just a more sophisticated guy, but will that be a problem?

Remember, this is an island with a dark and creepy past and these 6 may well be literally getting in over their head. They are surrounded by deep water and can not call for help. The group goes exploring and wants to find an air strip that Allied pilots used during WWII to refuel their planes. Yes, they find the small strip, but unfortunately Lux finds more. She finds a human skull. Nico, thinks this is fantastic, such a great addition to the adventure. Everyone, but Lux seems to agree. It’s an old skull, most likely from the war, so naturally Lux realizes she is overreacting to this discovery. This wouldn’t bother anyone, right? Nico finally agrees not to take the skull on the boat, so that helps calm things down. However, that’s just the first day. What could possibly go wrong? Many things are about to. Who is to be trusted and who is not, it’s best to just forget that and have a party. There is nothing a lot of liquor can’t solve after all.

You will eventually find out the whole messy story, with many twists and turns, lies, deception, and the book does not disappoint with it’s ending. This was such a fast paced, page turning book and I had the Audio Book, too, which enhanced the creepy and scary vibe all the more. I suggest if you go sailing to deserted islands, that you don’t go completely off the grid. Sometimes, cell phones really are a great invention. Enjoy your travels everyone. Pack light, but bring a few extras. 🥳👙🧳🌊⛵️⚓️🗺🏝💀🏴‍☠️ + 📲🔦⛏🔪🗡⚰️💉

Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing both the book and also 🎧 the audio book.

This was a quick, easy read but, to be honest, there really wasn't a lot going on for about 70% of the book. The character backstories and the information bursts about the island kept me reading and I was on the fence about the ending (although I think I liked it a bit more than other reviewers).

The island setting was super claustrophobic for me - being on a secluded island with a shady history with complete strangers is a not something that would even cross my mind as being something fun and adventurous; that being said, I would have liked for the island to be more of a character, especially with the creepy build up.

The characters were OK-ish, although for the most part stereotypical. I didn't really understand Amma's motivations in befriending Brittany, and I found Robbie to be unnecessary to the plot line. There were a couple of plot holes (what happened to Robbie's boat?), but nothing I really dwelt on.

I heard someone say this story is like a twisted season of Love Island and, despite not having seen that show, surmise that it's a pretty bang on description.

I really was excited for this book since I loved her previous book, The Wife Upstairs. This book was so odd - so many missing (big!) plot points, confusing timelines, and random new stories/journal entries. It was entertaining enough but not my favorite read.

(I apologize, I have forgotten everyone’s names after reading the book.) Main narrator has followed her boyfriend to Hawai’i, which was meant to be the first stop in their travels, but they must stay until he has enough money to fix his ship. Enter two young women, eager to visit Meroe Island, an island off the tourist trail known for the dark things that happened there. Crucially, it has no potable water source, and no food can be foraged, hinted, or fished there. Main narrator accompanies her boyfriend and these young women to the island, where they find another straight couple already docked on their luxury yacht.

▪ Tropical setting. I have to say I completely misunderstood the setting when I started reading this book. I thought the six characters would be on some luxury AirBnb-type cabin, not a deserted island. Basically, you could not pay me enough to go to a place like that, much less with people I barely know, so I had very little sympathy for the characters when things started going wrong. Because of course things would go wrong and they should have known that! It is built like a nineties horror movie, so I think it may particularly appeal to older Milenials who grew up on those films.

▪ Secrets and more secrets. This is the kind of story that is told in several layers fo flashbacks that slowly reveal the characters’ motivations. It is very well done, the construction is flawless. As a reader, I sometimes feel like I could see the reveals coming, but it was so shortly before the story actually revealed them that I may as well not have guessed at all. I never felt like the writer was going out of her way to hide things (I hate when books are, as I tend to describe them “mysteriously mysterious”) and I loved that. The mystery is complex and ruthlessly executed.

This is an excellent twisty thriller. It is not a spoiler to say that the ending made me revise my assessment from “yeah, it’s pretty good” to “I love it!” Great read.

Wow the twists and turns in this book kept coming quicker then I could ever have imagined. I did not see this ending coming especially with the intro. The experiences of being on that island and knowing there is minimal communication to civilization This leads to situations outside of their controls and a danger that lurks on the island.

Finished this in two days - exciting, fast-paced and full of genuine twists that I didn't see coming. Definitely filled the Yellowjackets-shaped hole in my heart. Will now be checking out anything else Rachel Hawkins writes.

This story was alright, it was poorly set up and was focused way too much on the backstories of each of the characters. This made it drag on, and made the ending feel incredibly rushed. This author is really good at romances but I have struggled to get through both of her thrillers!

Not what I was expecting, but I liked it. I didn't necessarily love all of the characters and thought some of it was a little far-fetched, but I didn't guess the major plot twist so it's definitely a win in my book. It was a quick and enjoyable read!

Reckless Girls is exactly my kind of thriller. The tension! The suspense! The girls!! Seriously, the last fifty pages of this book left me breathless. I love messy girls.

I loved this book! It pulled me in and I just wanted to flip the pages until I reached the end. And, man, what an ending it was. As much as I Enjoyed the Wife Upstairs, this had a bigger twist as it's not a chilling retelling of a classic. This is Hawkins at her most creative and delving in her wondrously twisted mind.

This is my second book by this author. I really enjoyed her thriller that came out in 2021, so decided to give her another try.

This follows a couple that is having some financial difficulties so take on a job of sailing two girls to a deserted island for a lot of money. When they get to this mysterious island, there is already another couple there. They get to know this couple and then another bot comes ashore with a lone passenger. Then weird stuff starts to happen.

My problem with this book is that none of the characters are likeable. So, I didn't care what happened to them. There was a lot of needless drama, and the plot twist wasn't even that interesting.

Overall, 2 stars. But, I am not done with this author!

Does escaping to a remote island sound exciting to you? Then you will enjoy this book! Lux has a boyfriend and a job in Hawaii. Two girls approach them to take them to Meroe Island, which is unfortunately not a real place. The island has a strange history with people being shipwrecked there and it being used as a WWII stopping point. The group lands on the island and quickly befriends another couple. Things seem to be going well when a stranger comes and upsets the vibes.
Get yourself a cup of tea and give yourself plenty of time because you won’t want to put this down!!!
I need to read “The Wife Upstairs” by Rachel Hawkins next. I want to thank the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Lux has had a tough life, but things are finally getting better. She has found the love of her life, Nico, and they are living in Hawaii until they can set sail the world. There are a few bumps in the road, though, as their boat needs repairs, but then a new opportunity comes up. Two young women hire them for a very large sum to visit a deserted location, known for its beauty and its danger (and a history of shipwreck and cannibalism).

Their idyllic visit to Meroe Island becomes complicated as they are forced to share the island with strangers. From there, the story gets very twisty and I can't share much more. The story alternates between the present and the backstory of different characters. Overall, I really enjoyed the bulk of this story, but then I found that it spiralled out of control towards the end...so the ending didn't work for me.

Thanks to the author, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.