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In Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins, we have two couples, two boats, both guys rich, both girls not rich, then two more girls who charter one of the boats to sail to an isolated island. The premise almost makes you think of Gilligan's island until you realize that this island is not blessed with good luck but instead harbors evil vibes. Enter a skeevy boating stranger into the mix of happy friends, and all heck breaks loose. 7 people on the deserted island…who will survive? This book was beautifully paced, well written, and a thrill a minute. I could not put it down. This should be a massive win for Rachel Hawkins when released in January 2022. Please dont jump to the end…let the story suck you in! @ladyhawkins @stmartinspress @netgalley #netgalley
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Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book which was delightful.

#reading #books #bookstagram #book #booksofinstagram #JustBooksBookstagram #bookish #lindaleereads2021 #mmdbookclub #idratherbereading #readinglife #fallreading #modernmrsdarcy #prettybookcover #november 🦃

🔊Song Pairing: Islands in the Stream - Dolly Patron & Kenny Rogers (because I have a twisted sense of humour)

💭What I thought would happen:

I loved The Wife Upstairs and the cover of this book. I knew I needed it in my life

📖What actually happens:

Lux is living the wanderer’s dream when she followers her ever dreamy frat boy boyfriend Nico to Maui. The 2 get an offer to sail two east coast college girls to a remote island known for cannibalism, death and despair (ahh pass).

When nearing there is a boat already anchored. Who is the mystery couple on the baller boat? What is going on with the tension between the college girls? Why are there so many red flags popping up around Nico? Is Lux a survivor or will Meroe Island be the death of her?!

🗯Thoughts:

This was in my top 10 most anticipated books of the year, I suffered from too-high-of-expectation-itis.

This book is basically Lord of the Flies with trust fund assholes. It had so much potential to be mind blowing but flatlined in its attempt. I went from bored senseless to reading induced anxiety where I had to put the book down to take a breather.

The twists could be seen a mile away. If I’m being honest I didn’t care if anyone or everyone survived the island getaway. If I wanted a mediocre island thriller I’d watch The Beach.

There were parts I really did like. The tension and drama fuelled my hate fire. Questionable decisions made by people that are not me give me life. I think this book reads like it will get picked up as a movie and I would 💯 watch.

I will continue to auto-buy Rachel Hawkins books!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⛵️ Reckless Girls ⛵️
By Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: St Martin’s Press (Jan 4. 2022)

I didn’t get the point of the title until the end of the novel and by then my jaw was still wide open.

I know a few of you love my favourite thriller quote but ‘dang it, these people are bat shit crazy’.

The novel begins quickly as the storyline unfolds from the present day of a couple living on the coast of Hawaii trying to save up money to get sailing on their boat. The BF of the MC Nico has walked away from family money and wants to live a free spirit life… and he’s convinced Lux to go along with him. One day they’re approached by 2 friends (Amma & Brittany) who want to rent Nico’s services to take them to a deserted island for two weeks of supposed bliss.

What happens on the island got my heart thumping and my head thinking, people are nuts. If I could say anything without giving it away, I would say, it is an easy ‘flip the pages’ vacation thriller that I couldn’t put down.

I didn’t like any characters in the book 😂 but dang it, it worked in this one. Character building was 👌🏻

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in return for an honest review!

This is a hypnotic, glittering tale of wealthy people on boats, seeking the ultimate thrill on a deserted island with a dark history. During WWII, soldiers abandoned there had to turn to cannibalism to survive, and one was tried and executed. Despite its brutal past, young adventurous twenty-two-year-old friends Brittany and Amma hire the handsome Nico and his girlfriend Lux to take them out there.

But when they arrive at the island, they find another boat is already there. Wealthy Jake and Eliza are free with the wine and the food, and soon the two groups treat both boats as their own and the island as their own paradise.

Lux clings to the handsome, charming Nico as he promises adventure after the hard years of her mother's cancer and death, even as he fails to deliver on many of his promises. Nico's perfect as the asshole who cares about Lux, but not too much, and who puts his own wants and needs above all else. Jake and Eliza appear to be the perfect wealthy couple, very in love despite only having been together for a month. Amma and Brittany try to appear carefree, but slowly the truth about their meeting in a grief recovery group leaks out. But several members of the group are hiding secrets even darker than those.

The appearance of another boat with the creepy Robbie puts everyone on edge and brings hidden tensions to light. As the dangers close in, suddenly the deserted island doesn't seem as much like their own hidden paradise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wowser! What did I just read!!! This was a quick, easy read and sooooo good. This book is a real page turner and I devoured it quickly. The story begins in Hawaii where very rich Nico Johannsen has a boat and his girlfriend, Lux, has come to Hawaii to be with him and hopefully sail off into the sunset to exotic places. Nico meets 2 recent college grads traveling the world who want to charter his boat to take them to the Pacific Island of Meroe for 2 weeks. Nico wants Lux to go with them so they all set said for Meroe. When they get there, an expensive catamaran named Azure Sunset is already docked there. Jake Kelly and his girlfriend, Eliza, reek or wealth. They are invited to dine, drink and party with them which they all do. A couple days later, a tacky looking boat docks there and scruffy Robbie comes to shore. Of course, he is invited to party with them which he does although nobody likes him. This book is told in a before and now format so we can see how everyone's current situation evolves. This book is full of surprises and you will not be disappointed.

Thank you St. Martin's Press/McMillan for the ARC of this seat-grabber, page-turner book that I could not put down in exchange for an honest review.

A solid suspense-thriller, much as I expected from the author's other book I read. I didn't feel particularly fond of any characters, and the plot is quite outlandish; that being said, it was still an enjoyable read and one I could see being perfect for beach getaways this winter. 3.5 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Reckless Girls is THE thriller of 2022! Filled with plenty of twists and suspense, readers will be on the edge of their seats throughout guaranteed! Six twenty-somethings go on the vacation of a lifetime on an isolated island when everything begins to fall apart. They are cut off from the rest of the world when one goes missing and another turns up dead. What is happening on this island and will they make it out alive? Paradise couldn't be more wrong. I imagine this being incredible to read on the beach. Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Reckless Girls today!

A summer propulsive read came early and aren’t we all so lucky! This novel was so fun; I devoured it. Lux has followed her boyfriend, Nico to Maui where she dreams of starting a new life full of adventure. When she gets fired from her job as a hotel maid and her boyfriend is asked by two young tourists to sail his boat, The Susannah, to Meroe Island, Lux is eager to have an adventure and make some money. But Meroe Island, a remote island, is plagued with rumor and mystique having been the final resting place of many a navy member after a shipwreck and there are even rumors of cannibalism. Nevertheless, the foursome set sail ready to take on adventure. But it turns out they aren’t the only ones on the island and the more time they spend there, the more the island consumes them. This is a page-turning suspense novel that I can only describe as island gothic. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced review copy.

Murder mystery on an island? Sign me up!!! Lux and her boyfriend Nico sail off with 2 female passengers to a Pacific island. The island has a dark past. When they arrive on the island they find there is another couple already there. Another stranger shows up and then the fun starts! Not everyone is who they seem and then one person is missing and another dead who can you believe? This was a fast fun read as you have to keep reading to find out what is going on! I really enjoyed this book and all its twists! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. This one was hard to put down, and I raced through it. A modern take on the trope of strangers stuck on a deserted island, and one that had a surprising ending. This book was fast paced and well-written, full of twists and turns. Highly recommend for thriller fans.

Lux and Nico set off on the adventure of a lifetime sailing the South Pacific. Their journey is less Gilligans Island more Robinson Caruso with a bit of Nightmare on Elm Street tossed in for fun. It is a layered story that makes one root for various characters at different times…. And leaves you wondering about your own decisions. This is a must read. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

From Rachel Hawkins, the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, comes Reckless Girls, a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history,

Lux McAllister is not living her best life, working at a swanky hotel in Hawaii cleaning up after entitled rich guests just to pay the bills is not what she thought she would be doing with her life. Nico, her wealthy but laid back boyfriend, is determined to live life out on his boat and away from his demanding family and their money. After meeting two girls in a bar, Nico talks Lux into taking a two week boat trip to mysterious Meroe Island in the middle of the Pacific.

Six strangers meet on an isolated island, that’s rumored to be cursed, and chaos is bound to ensue. What starts off as a great time in paradise ends up being anything but an adventure.

This is the second book I've read by Rachel Hawkins and it did not disappoint. I was sucked in and could not put it down.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC.

Great read! A little slow at spots but no complaints! Great read
Perfect to kill a day. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins probably isn't the best choice for a vacation read. This book is about a trip that goes horribly wrong. Six visitors are enjoying a blissful couple of weeks on a deserted island when suddenly paradise becomes an upheaval of horror. Who will survive and how will they survive? Secrets unravel and the plot moves along quickly. Read and enjoy!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lux follows a man to Hawaii and then off on a chartered sailing expedition. Their clients have secrets and the other sailors they meet on the deserted island have things that they are hiding as well.

Good novel. Lots of plot twists.

I really loved this one! Island books are some of my favorites- and being stranded on a deserted island with a bunch of shady characters is right up my alley. I will
Definitely be recommending this one.

Ever dream about escaping to a deserted island? It may not be exactly what you're hoping for... Locked room mysteries are one of my favorite types, and this newest book by Rachel Hawkins didn't disappoint! The story and (mostly unlikeable) characters sucked me in and I couldn't put this down until I finished it. With definite nods to Agatha Christie, Reckless Girls slowly plays out the current storyline in tandem with the characters' histories (and secrets) to a taut and unexpected ending. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the advance digital copy!

I don’t know what I was expecting, but this was SO much better! Lux and Nico are enjoying life in Hawaii when they are hired to take a couple of young women to a remote island. The things they experience will change EVERYTHING! This was very suspenseful and kept me turning pages!

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins.

Lux and her boyfriend Nico have been given the chance of a lifetime. They are to sail their client Brittany and Amma to a remote island off of the South Pacific. And while Lux is quick to bond with the two passengers, it is clear that they have their own secrets, as well as a bit too much interest in Nico. But as they continue to sail, they meet more and more people interested in joining the small party of four, which pulls them further and further into dangerous territory. Will Lux and Nico survive this precarious trip, and remain together?

You know when you go to a restaurant (looking at you Cheesecake Factory) and the menu is so overwhelming that you end up just flipping to a page and picking the first thing you see? Wishing that they had just specialized in burgers, or pasta? That's a bit how this book was. Like, if you'd just stuck to a main plot point, then sure, I would have been into it. But with every added character, and storyline, I just got increasingly overwhelmed, leading to disinterest. It starts strong though, and maybe it's a me issue, but it was just too much.

This story reminded me of the Agatha Christie mystery <u>And Then There Were None...</u>

<img src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d3/52/47/d35247758f7476d389c988de25b8b859.gif"/>

Who was behind all the strange and sudden deaths on idyllic Meroe Island?

What had gotten into everyone?

In the end, no one was who they seemed to be: this island had a way of stripping you to your bare bones and forcing your real personality to come to the fore. Meroe's captivating beauty was quickly revealing itself to be a mirage!

<img src="https://i.makeagif.com/media/2-09-2014/fs4z3r.gif"/>

Brittany and Amma hire Lux McAllister and Nico to visit the remote, infamous island. They meet up with a wealthy young couple, Jake and Eliza, who have also decided to moor off the shores of this mystical island. Everything seems to be going along well, but soon passions flare, and just about everyone does a bit of "musical partners."

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/JCbak3N.gif"/>

As I listened to this well narrated audiobook, (or read the e-book, interchangeably) I caught the thread of several potential plot lines that, in the end, led <i>nowhere.</i> We never find out why Nico puts the title of the boat in Lux's name, apart from an odd explanation that it was for "tax reasons."
Then an odd young man, Robbie, crashes the scene and Lux catches him snooping around their boats. There are some text messages from a school chum that suggest that Robbie has become unpopular for some reason (but no explanation is given as to WHY he now only has one friend left in the world) and then you suspect that he may have been living on the island, but no.... Then you start to wonder why he cared how Jake and Eliza had so much money. Was Robbie an undercover cop, I wondered? (I should have saved my brain cells.)
I also had absolutely no idea what to make of Amma. Her character changed like a chameleon to match the needs of the changing plot. In the end, I had no idea why she did what she did - no spoilers here. Perhaps the Island had bewitched Amma? No idea! You read it, decide, then <tell me please!</i>

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The ending was incredibly action-packed and seemed to happen all at once. The Epilogue left me scratching my head. What was Lux up to - was she on a mission to reclaim every wronged girl, one stolen money clip at a time?

<img src="https://i.etsystatic.com/6067880/r/il/6de308/947028086/il_794xN.947028086_cd3o.jpg"/>

Despite all the questions I was left with, I did enjoy this mysterious - but ultimately deadly - romp on a deserted island (or was it really a deserted island?!!!) in the south Pacific. Rachel Hawkins always manages to keep my interest right to the very end. Did I suspect the culprit(s) and the various shenanigans: you bet, and I bet you will too. It was pretty transparent, but the suspense and the action do keep you listening or turning the page. You are so invested in finding out WHAT ON EARTH IS HAPPENING HERE!

Four out of five glistening, salty stars. (Big sigh: winters are COLD and SNOWY up here in Canada!) I enjoyed, vicariously, all the beach scenes and partying... while it lasted.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: January 4, 2022.