This was a short, wild ride and my first book by Rachel Hawkins. And to keep it simple, I really liked it. I didn’t even read the blurb before diving in so I had no idea what I was in for. Two girls vacationing in Hawaii hire Lux and her boyfriend to take them to a deserted island that’s rumored to have a dark past. When they get to the island they find two other people there and Lux instantly hits it off with them but soon discovers secrets everywhere.
It wasn’t scary but it was thrilling and so fast paced with twists and turns. It’s told in a split timeline. The past is told from different POVs but the present is told from only Lux’s POVs. Definitely dive into this one.

Wow, what a ride! I love Rachel Hawkins writing. She has a way of drawing you in from the very first sentence and keeping you intrigued until the end!

Reckless Girls was a super fun, quick read that kept me guessing throughout the book. the ending was wild and I didn't see it coming!

Would absolutely recommend if you enjoyed her other books!

This was a fast read that I could not put down! It’s hard to find a book that keeps the momentum, and this one did. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley

Was a fun thriller , but there were aspects of the story/plot that I found a little questionable and far fetched. Would recommend for a quick entertaining read.

Reckless Girls is not my usual fare, but Rachel Hawkins’ novel did not disappoint. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys that slow descent into madness, where even you begin to question everyone’s motivations, then this book is for you.

There was a lot to enjoy in this book, but as strange as it may be, I loved Lux and Nico the most. Not because I found them #couplegoals but because I wanted to see how long Nico could convince Lux that he was what she wanted, and how long it would take Lux to realize she was just going through the motions. Nico’s subtle digs and Lux’s rationalizations kept me hooked because these kinds of relationships are all too real, and Rachel Hawkins paints that picture with astounding ease.

And that's not even to mention Brittany, Amma, Eliza, and Jake. If two’s company and three’s a crowd, then six is a disaster waiting to happen. The building of all these characters is helped along by chapters set in the “Before.” Not only do we see how Lux and Nico first met, but we also get glimpses of their relationship leading up to the start of the book. Then Brittany and Amma’s perspectives are added in, and eventually, so is Eliza’s. It paints a full picture of the entire ensemble, pushing us ever closer to the answers we seek in the “Now.”

Much of Reckless Girls is a slow windup to an explosive end, but instead of feeling bored or anxious about what was to come, I found myself settling in deeper and deeper with every page, wondering when the ticking timebomb would go off. And when it finally did? Oh, it was worth it.

Pretty good! This was my first read by Hawkins. I enjoyed the story but thought more could have happened... it didn't thrill me enough!

I enjoyed this book. It did get a little confusing going back and forth. I had to really pay attention. Overall it was enjoyable and a good book. I would definitely recommend this book.

Lux has been waiting for her life to begin since her mother died of cancer. Amidst her grief, she begins dating Nico, a gorgeous albeit flighty sailor, and the pair move to Hawaii to “have adventures.” The problem is that they’re broke. Enter Amma and Brittany, young women who SAY they’re best friends, but something about their story doesn’t add up. The girls hire Lux and Nico to take them to remote Meroe Island in the Pacific, an island with a sinister history of shipwrecks, disappearances, and possibly cannibalism. When the group arrives at Meroe, they find Eliza and Jake, a beautiful wealthy couple who don’t seem to have a reason for being there. Six hot people who are basically strangers on a remote island with no cell service and dwindling fresh water supply… what could go wrong?

This book is marketed as a thriller, but I believe “suspense novel” would be a better descriptor. There’s an eerie feeling pervading most of the story and the reader is left questioning a lot of characters’ motives, but it does not have the pacing of a thriller. Over half of this novel is mostly character driven and pretty slow-burn. For the last 20% the pace picks up almost suddenly and all of the reader’s questions are answered in the typical thriller “big reveal” twist at the very end.

I was interested in this book because I loved Hawkins’ last book, The Wife Upstairs, which remains my preference of the two. Reckless Girls was good (not great), but the perfect quick book to read between longer or more emotionally heavy reads. That is how I read it, and I enjoyed that experience. I would recommend this to someone looking for a beach read or if you generally like the whole “pretty people with secrets who behave recklessly” thing. If you’re interested in reading Hawkins, definitely go with The Wife Upstairs first!

My rating: 3 stars

Thank you to Negalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An actual closed circle mystery! I loved the setting of the island and slowly getting the back story on all of the characters.

I am a total sucker for all things Rachel Hawkins and this book had me intrigued from the cover! Absolutely beautiful and tropical and perfect. But with all things Hawkins, there had to be a dark twist in the scenic island setting. This book literally contained many of my nightmares: traveling to remote places, random strangers, being on a boat during a storm where I could possibly be thrown over, and being in a jungle without phones or connection to society. I loved the layout of this book-- from the pasts of all the characters to the current situation on Meroe Island! I started and finished this book in ONE DAY-- definitely stayed up too late past my bedtime-- but I HAD to know how it ended!! The ending was a bit far fetched for me to truly enjoy, but I did feel there was a conclusion to it all, albeit a little far out.

Things to Know:

-Quick read
-Short chapters
-January Book of the Month pick
-Check trigger warnings


I enjoyed the read, but I can’t help but feel like I expected a little more from it. Rachel Hawkin’s writing style is very enjoyable, and the short chapters made this read go super quickly. I would recommend this book to those who are fans of drama, horror, adventure, and action. I did not expect the ending which was a nice surprise since I am usually really good at guessing outcomes. I look forward to reading Rachel Hawkins earlier works, and works still to come.

Thank you Netgalley for early access to this title!

Personally, I loved Hawkins’ “The Wife Upstairs”, and I also enjoyed “The Ex Hex”, which she wrote under a pseudonym, but this one just didn’t hit home for me.

From the beginning I was getting “Lord of the Flies” vibes from this, and after teaching that book so many times to my students, it wasn’t what I was hoping for this book. Plus, they mention LOTF as well as Robinson Crusoe numerous times. More than all of this though, it just didn’t seem like a realistic or even plausible plot.

Lux has lost most people who matter to her, and meets Nico who seems ready to explore the world. After deciding to go along with him, there’s a snag in the plans and they end up stopping in Hawaii and are unable to move forward without enough funds to fix up their boat. Enter Brittany and Amma, who seem to have endless amounts of money and want to hire Nico to bring them to a deserted island. Lux is invited after the fact.

When they arrive at Meroe Island, a place known for death, murder, and disappearances, another couple is already there. The six of them bond – a bit too much, and events take on a nearly carefree “what happens at Meroe, stays at Meroe” mindset. Only, it doesn’t. There’s more going on that what Lux (our main narrator) is truly aware of, but it isn’t until it’s too late that everything starts to be revealed. And at that point, Lux might have even become someone she no longer recognizes.

TW: murder, death, gore, drugs, revenge

Lux has been dealt a difficult hand in life. After losing her mother, she meets a handsome, rich young man named Nico who more or less sweeps her off of her feet. He is planning a sailing trip to Hawaii shortly after they meet and asks Lux to meet him there. Since she doesn't have much else going on in her life, she takes a leap and agrees. Once in Hawaii, things are not going as Lux had planned. Shortly after arriving, she learns Nico's boat suffered some damage on the trip, and they can't go on their adventure until they earn enough money to fix it. One day out of the blue, Nico meets two girls who want to hire him to take them to an abandoned island for an absurd amount of money. They even offer to pay to fix his boat to go on this trip. Being the charming boyfriend that he is, he says he will not take them without bringing his girlfriend, Lux. The four of them embark on this adventure which is supposed to only be two weeks long. Once arriving at the island, they find it is not deserted like they thought. There is another couple, on a very expensive yacht, also docked at the island. Although they all become friends and have fun for the first couple of nights, things start to get crazy as relationships become strained and others develop. Once Lux realizes this adventure is not what it originally seemed, it's too late.
I was first drawn to this book by the beautiful cover and the intriguing cover. It did not disappoint. There are so many stories and subplots that I didn't see where it was heading until the very end, I also enjoyed that it takes place in paradise. It was a good winter read to getaway without getting away. Rachel Hawkins did an excellent job on this one.

I'm somewhere between 2.5 & 3 starts for this one. I loved the family upstairs, so I was really excited to read this. But, for most of it, I was kind of bored. There were parts that were really confusing (like all the emails) and there's one major plot twist toward the end that is the most confusing at all (not elaborating due to spoiler). None of the characters are likeable, which actually helps to move it toward the 3 star rating. You hate them all so much that you want to know what happens to all of them. I liked reading about their backstories and toward the end when it all starts unravelling, I was the most interested. But, then it ended, and I was left more confused. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this one to be a nice, slow burn! I read this pretty quickly as well since I couldn’t put it down. I found the storyline to be very entertaining and the characters quite likable in their horribleness. I really enjoyed the twists in this one. Definitely recommend for readers who love a slow burn mystery/suspense read!

My second read from this Author and this one did not disappoint.
While it was a little slow at times, the intriguing plot kept me reading. This is a story where you are kept in suspense waiting for something to happen. All the characters had likable and unlikable traits but I felt very distrusting of them all. Good story with an interesting ending.
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and the Author, Rachel Hawkins for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lux is trying to figure out what she wants and how to make it happen when she follows new love, Nico, to Hawaii where they aren’t exactly living it up. While she is trying to figure out where the money is going to come from to fix his boat so they can travel they are given an opportunity to take 2 college girls to a remote island. The money offered would let them fix the boat and still have money to travel. Secrets are revealed and tension rises, and it remains to be seen who will survive and how far will they go to be the survivor.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins and St. Martins Press for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

I really enjoyed the wife upstairs so was excited when netgalley awarded me an ARC of this book.

As I read this book, I was constantly trying to piece it all together. I knew there was something, but couldn’t quit fit it together. It kept me guessing right until the end.

The book goes back and forth between the before and now which gave us slight insight into the girls pasts are glimpses into personalities.

Overall, I really enjoyed the characters in this book and the storyline, even though I found the characters to be a bit of a hot mess at times.

I was definitely in the mood for a thriller and this one hit all the marks and kept me guessing through the whole story.

I got to the end and was like whhhhaaat! I had no idea and could not have guessed that ending at all. I loved the multi POV of these characters and that the time line went from present to past and back again. It really weaved all those secrets into this story even more. Then you add in the reports and letters from other travellers and this story just gets more and more interesting and you put it down and then right back up because you can feel something is just about to happen.

I feel like telling you more will give too much away you'll just have to read, maybe not on a deserted paradise beach though.

3.75 Stars

“Reckless Girls” by Rachel Hawkins is a suspense/thriller set on a deserted island that had me up all night to get to the end. After reading Hawkins’ “The Wife Upstairs” and loving it last year, I knew I had to give this one a read.

Lux McAllister has been coasting by and living in Hawaii with her boyfriend, Nico, for six months when they get an offer they can’t refuse. College best friends, Amma and Brittany, want to hire them to take them to a remote, deserted island, Meroe Island. Meroe Island has a bit of a creepy history and Nico is ready for the adventure. Lux finds herself being talking into going as well but problems arise pretty soon after they sail off.

This starts off a little slow as Hawkins lays the ground work and introduces all the characters. It’s in Lux’s POV with alternating flashbacks between the other female characters. I really enjoyed that aspect because you get the sense that not everyone is being honest with everyone else and I like trying to figure out how it’s all going to play out in the end. It was also interesting to me to see how different the characters were when you got in their heads vs. how they came across in Lux’s point of view.

Things really pick up once the group gets to the island, they see they’re not the only ones interested in a remote island vacation. Jake and Eliza quickly welcome them and they spend time exploring the island and getting to know one another. Eventually another character shows up and things finally start going sideways. I really enjoyed the creep factor and how well Hawkins was able to build the suspense with all the different characters. As I mentioned above, the island itself has a creepy history and that comes into play with the building tension.

My only real complaint is the ending. It’s okay if you don’t look at it too hard but for me, it left way too many questions to be completely happy with it overall. In the end I do recommend this because mostly, this was a fun, page-turning read. Just beware the ending may have you rolling your eyes in disbelief.

Hawkins is a great writer and I really enjoy how readable her stories are and how descriptive she is. I look forward to reading more from her in the future!

I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.