First off- I loved the cover! It made me want to head to paradise! This book was hard to put down- definitely a page turner. . It really kept me reading. It had many twists and turns and surprises-a couple of which I saw coming but most I did not. Readers will enjoy the various points of view-noting we never hear the men’s side of the stories.
I was pulling for Lux each step of the way! The ending however was a tad odd and a bit short on details . I would’ve liked a little better wrap up.
I’ll definitely be recommending this book! It reminded me a tad of The Guest list by Lucy Foley, so if you enjoy that bit of suspense, you’ll like this one too!
Thanks to Net Galley for this advanced copy.

Super fast paced and I was expecting to give it a really high rating up until the last few chapters. I hated how everything "came together" it all felt so unrealistic and made me feel let down after reading the whole book!

I wanted to get my new year of reading off to a good start. From the description in the synopsis, Reckless Girls had this kind of ‘80s slasher-final girl / Lord of the Flies feel going on. I cannot think of a better way to kick 2022 into gear other than with a Jason-meets-Piggy story.

There was so much more to Reckless Girls than I expected. Hawkins tossed together an incredibly deceitful cast. The story was filled with great flashbacks that slowly revealed the truth behind this nasty group of liars and self-important jerks. I loved to hate all of them.

With such a small, intimate cast Hawkins was really able to focus on the characters. I really got to know the persona that each was trying to portray, or so I thought. This focus on character versus action really set the story apart for me. Reckless Girls isn’t so much about what happened but who did what to whom. The action was perfectly placed events of treachery and obliviousness between the other characters.

I would have to say that Jim Carrey’s Grinch summed it up best, “Trust no one!”

*4.5 Stars

I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and surprise ending to this book. An enjoyable, quick popcorn read.

Lux and Nico are in Hawaii waiting for his boat to be repaired, when two girls, Brittany and Amma hire him to take them to Meroe Island. The Island has a dark history back in WWII. When they arrive at the island, they realize they are not the only ones there. A rich couple, Eliza and Jake are already there. While they are all getting to know each other, who knows who you can really trust?

This is a fast paced thriller with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Well, what did I just read? I usually enjoy Rachel Hawkins' books, but this one did not do it this time. I will say that I did give it an extra star because it was easy to read and I wanted to keep reading.

This book was about a girl named Lux, who was kinda lost in life after her mom passed away from cancer and so she delved headfirst into her boyfriend, Nico's life. Lux and Nico are hired by a couple of girls, Brittany and Amma, to sail them to a deserted island with a spooky past for a couple of weeks. They go to the island and there's already a boat there with two more people, Eliza and Jake. They all have weird, crazy connections to one another and I found it a bit far fetched. Some of the supposed twists I saw a mile away and didn't really feel like the main character would act the way she did in the end. Overall, I just wasn't impressed with this one. It was a quick read, but I've read much better by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Meroe Island has a reputation. Amid the beauty, the island has a reputation of despair, murder, and cannibalism. The reputation of the island has kept many away, but it has also lured many to the pristine beaches. Lux and her boyfriend, Nico, arrive at Meroe Island by way of a charter. Two young women have paid Nico a lot of money to take them to Meroe Island. While on the island, they meet another adventurous young couple. The six of them are enjoying the rest, relaxation, and peacefulness that the island offers. But when another stranger sails in, the dynamics change and the isolation of the island gets to all of them. Six people visit the island. Will all six leave?


Rachel Hawkins had Agatha Christie on her mind when she wrote Reckless Girls. It had a very serious "And Then There Were None" vibe. One thing that struck me is that Lux and Nico were both incredibly young. The narrator had an "older" voice and it created some difficulty with me imagining their story. The author jumps around in timelines. Going back to Amma & Brittany's past. As well as how Lux and Nico met. There really wasn't anything about this book that was shocking. In fact, it was a bit boring. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS



Bottom Line - Rachel Hawkins had lofty ambitions when she tried to channel the great Agatha Christie. I think she fell short, but I can see where others would enjoy it.



Details:

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
On Twitter
Pages: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 1/4/2021
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.

A slow burn that turned into an unconventional locked room thriller.
Lux and Nico have plans to sail the world, if they can get their boat fixed. When Brittany and Amma show up offering Nico enough money to not only fix their boat but go on an adventure to a deserted island (with a nefarious history) they jump at the chance. When they arrive at Meroe island there's another couple already anchored and the six strike up a friendship instantly. Jake and Eliza are a likable couple who supply good food, good wine and good times. When another sailor shows up, things start going sideways and the six are soon left without the proper equipment to leave the island. What's up with this new interloper? Will the island's history get to them before help arrives? You'll have to dive into this one to find out!
The author does a masterful job at creating atmosphere and suspense. You can feel the sand between your toes and envision the beauty of the island. When things start to go sideways the suspense ramps up into a visceral foreboding that keeps you turning the pages. There is some foreshadowing that goes on that make some of the ultimate reveal less surprising but it's done in a way that still make for an interesting conclusion.
If you enjoy getting to know your characters with a 'now and before' format that builds in intensity, I recommend you add this to your TBR pile soon.

After reading and loving The Wife Upstairs last year, I was SO excited to read this one! I actually went into reading Reckless Girls totally blind, not even reading the synopsis, which typically is my preferred way of reading thrillers. So keeping it vague, this story follows Lux McAllister and her boyfriend Nico, who are hired to sail two women to deserted island in the South Pacific. Lux, who followed Nico to Hawaii hoping it would lead to a life of traveling, becomes stuck instead was just fired from her job, and sees this as an opportunity to finally kickstart their plans to sail away. Their passengers, Brittany and Amma, two rich college friends, have their own reasons for wanting to escape. On the island, they meet Jake and Eliza, who are perfect in every way and happy to share their expensive wine and food. But Meroe Island has a haunted history of stranded soldiers, cannibalism, and other horror stories, and before long the Island starts to mess with our group of adventurers too. No one on the island is truthful about their motives and they all have secrets that come to light. Soon people go missing, a dead body is found, and no one is safe.

I really enjoyed this story! I still loved TWU a little more but this one was great too. I loved reading the harrowing descriptions of boat life, grief, and island despair compared to the sought-after paradise the cover entails. It was amazing how the dual timelines of before and after revealed each characters flaws and motives just when you thought you already knew all you could about them. I always love flawed characters and unmoral actions in a novel. I never really knew where this story was going to end up but it was twisty and tense (and sometimes a little scary too!) I highly recommend this to my fellow thriller lovers!

Lux and her boyfriend Nico have dreams of sailing the world in Nico's boat, The Susannah. Lux is dreaming of the day they can do just that and leave her dead end job behind. Nico is approached by Brittany and Amma to sail to a deserted tropical island, Meroe Island. In spite of the mysterious rumors surrounding Meroe Island, including murder, they jump at this opportunity for an adventure, and the four sail off to a tropical paradise. When they arrive it appears they are not the only ones with such plan, Jake and Eliza are there on their boat, The Azure Sky. The 5 start out getting along seemingly, days of swimming, laying on the beach and partying into the night. When a stranger arrives, things begin to go sideways and Lux begins to suspect things are not all they seem with everyone. It becomes clear that there are a lot of secrets on this Island.

This story took you for quite a ride. It kept me interested as to see what the outcome would be. This is my first book by this author and I will definitely go back and read her debut novel.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

Lux is down and out when she meets the charming and rich Nico, so she follows him to Hawaii where she works as a maid for a few, while he lives the life until he can fix his boat and they can finally sail away together.

The day that she gets fired, Nico gets an offer from two random women.. sail with them to the infamous Mereo Island, and they will fix his boat, and that's where the book becomes interesting..

*Unpopular(-ish) opinion*

I had such high hopes for this one after 'The Wife Upstairs', but it just fell short for me, and I really ended up struggling through a lot of it... ugh.

Pros:
The plot of strangers on a secluded Mereo Island; ALL with a freaky histories (the island included)
The emerging mysteries of the characters pasts, and current interactions with each other
The whole general idea that the book is supposed to be conveying for women

I did, in fact, LOVE the overall though that Hawkins wanted to portray in this one that geared towards woman's revenge and independence, I just could not fathom why it took so long to get to. I thought that the big reveal was just rushed and too shaky. I needed more to happen on the way to it.

I'll still look forward to her next book! She will have a bounce back.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

3.5 stars. This reads really fast, which I enjoyed. This is my third book by this author. Throughout the book is this premise that the island is haunted, which is never really delivered on. I did not really understand why they blamed everything that happened on the island. Other than that, it was an average thriller. I liked the current chapters better than the chapters about the past. (The book is dual timeline with chapters about the past explaining more background about the relationships between the characters.) I enjoy this author's writing style. I would read more from her.

Meroe Island has a haunting history and when Lux, Amma, Brittany and Nick sail there they think they've discovered paradise. Over time the friends learn that the rumors about the island are true their leisurely adventure turns into something they hadn't expected.

The latest Rachel Hawkins novel was a disappointment. It fell flat, compared to last year's The Wife Upstairs. The characters lacked dept and excitement. Lots of gorgeous and deceiving people. The language was too foul; sometimes the f-word was so unnecessary.. it was simply too much. The scary scenes were not scary at all. Basically, there was tremendous buildup and I am still waiting for satisfaction to settle. I am very disappointed because I really enjoyed the setting, the beginning felt so promising and, let's be honest, the cover is so gorgeous!

If you like cozy, forgettable thrillers, pick that one up. Otherwise, don't waste your time.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While it certainly was engrossing to read I would not classify it as a thriller. Nothing happened till about the 80-85% mark that would put it in the thriller category other than not having a lot of backstory on the characters, and then it went quickly, was not that surprising and is just a tad confusing. But still an enjoyable read. Made you want to keep reading to see what was going to happen.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an early copy.

This one missed the mark for me. I loved her last book so I was really looking forward to Reckless Girls but it did not live up to my expectations. I didn’t like a single character and thought it took way to long for anything to happen. The first 2/3 of the book was way to flow. I also found everything to be completely unrealistic which makes a thriller way less thrilling to me.

I've been looking forward to reading this one since I first heard about it, so I was so excited to being directly invited to read it by the publisher! Lux is the main narrator in this tropical island thriller. Following the death of her mom, Lux lives more in survival mode than anything else. With nothing tying her to Southern California anymore, she meets handsome Nico and follows him to Hawaii. When two college friends, six months later, approach him to act as their guide to sail to a deserted island, Lux tags along. But Meroe Island isn't as abandoned as they expected - another couple is already there, and soon secrets in all of their pasts begin to unfold.

It's a fast-paced read - with a lusciously vibrant setting that perfectly sets off the snow that fell as I finished the first half. The plot may have a few twists that readers will see coming, but the are still some unexpected surprises. I would've liked more than one shark sighting, but otherwise I really enjoyed reading this. It would make for a fun read on a beach vacation or any other kind of trip, really! And I can definitely see why this was a January Book of the Month Club choice - I think readers will find this to be a good discussion starter! I enjoyed Hawkins' THE WIFE UPSTAIRS, and this one, too, so I am really looking forward to seeing what she writes next!

When Lux and Nico are hired to ferry two young women aboard their boat, the Susannah, the four twenty-somethings set sail from Maui in search of adventure. Their destination is Meroe Island, a deserted atoll in the Pacific. Aware of the dark history of the island, the group is surprised to find a couple docked there who are also pursuing a sense of wanderlust. The six become fast friends--lounging and swimming all day and partying all night in the idyllic setting. To all appearances, they are a carefree group of vacationers.

But they discover that the island paradise is not as perfect as it seems--and living off the grid becomes quite perilous as the secrets and lies these individuals are keeping begin to unravel. As their past transgressions come to light, a series of betrayals emerges. Not knowing who--if anyone--is trustworthy, each must rely on their survival skills in hopes of returning to civilization alive.

Reckless Girls is an intricately woven tale of suspense with a cast of well-drawn characters. The plot's touches of Robinson Crusoe, Lord of the Flies, and Darwinism make it a compelling page turner written by an author who has proven herself to be a master storyteller.

👍🏼 Thumbs Up:

This book was compulsively readable! It didn’t hurt that I was reading it on the beach in Maui, which is where the book is set!

👎🏻 Thumbs Down:

Wasn’t the best thriller I’ve ever read – the twists connected a little too well. Still a fun popcorn thriller.

🤓 For Readers WHO:

Are fans of popcorn thrillers and travel-gone-wrong stories.

👉🏼 This is what’s WHAT:

Stuck in a dead end job in Hawaii – Lux is finally ready for her adventure when her boyfriend, Nico is paid a large chunk of money to charter his boat to a little known island for two girls looking for adventure. As you can expect, things don’t go so well once they arrive there and it becomes more of an adventure than anyone bargained for.

⏳WHEN I read this book:

I got completely wrapped into the story! I was visiting Maui at the time and the eeriness of reading a travel thriller while traveling was super fun.

🚨WHERE you should watch out:

Murder, car accident, family death, cheating

📍WHY you should read this book:

It’s just an enjoyable story!

📚 HOW I read this book:

eARC from Netgalley, Macmillian Audio, and St. Martin’s Press

Lux had a hard life. Her father divorced her mother and basically shut himself out of her life. Lux dropped out of college to care for her mother while she was dying from cancer. When she met Nico, she thought her life was about to change. Lux followed Nico to Hawaii. Their plan was to fix up his boat, the Susannah, and sail the world on a whim. But that takes money. Nico accepted a job to sail Brittany and Amman to a deserted island with a horrifying past. When they arrive, they are saddened to find a couple already there. The four of them bond with Jake and Eliza and seem to be having a good time. Then Robbie arrives and things really fall apart. Lux realizes that she doesn’t know anything about these people, including Nico. Personally, I had a difficult time enjoying this book. There was a lot of drinking and swearing mixed in among some island exploration. However, the last of the book picked up and I was surprised by the ending.