Adrift since losing her mother to cancer, Luxe McAlister is searching for direction in her life. She has followed her sexy and preternaturally chill boyfriend Nico to Maui with the promise of sailing around the world on his boat, the Susannah. But with costly repairs needed, the boat, and the couple, are dry docked. At least until they meet Amma and Brittany, college besties willing to pay $50,000 for a chartered tour to Meroe Island (historical site of some unspeakable terrors). The foursome set sail with stores of Spam and a plan to spend two weeks on the isolated island. Told through alternating perspectives and time shifts, this thriller’s brisk pacing keeps intrigue high. Cracks start to show in our young travelers’ narratives and readers become wary of the seemingly impetuous decisions made by Luxe and her new friends. Are these young women truly as reckless as they seem, or are they hiding their true intentions behind bright smiles and bikinis?

Six people find themselves on Meroe Island, looking for an adventure in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Meroe Island has a macabre history riddled with darkness, visiting the island is a thrilling and adventurous opportunity for thrillseekers. When one person goes missing and another winds up dead, those remaining are left wondering what they have gotten themselves into.

I'll be in the vast minority in not being over the moon in love with Reckless Girls, but I read a far different book than what I was expecting. I wanted to be creeped out and on the edge of my seat, but I found by the time the "creep factor" set in, things were almost immediately resolved. I'll be the first to admit I don't typically enjoy a slow burn, but this plot moved along too quickly even for me.

I did enjoy the alternating timelines and getting a look into each character's past. The final twist is one I definitely did not see coming, and I felt the ending was just good, not great.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Rachel Hawkins for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story for me just took a long time to start with what the synopsis describes the plot to be which is a group of people on an island and someone turns up dead and they have to start suspecting each other of being the killer. But the first dead person didn’t show up in the book until at least ¾ of the way through and while I really enjoyed reading it until then because the dynamics between all the people on the island as well as all the tidbits there was about why these people were there were really good and I loved the drama and soap opera of it all. But once the first murder took place, man was it a wild ride of just people ending up dead and it was really interesting figuring out all the motivations for what was happening and how it ended was good. I enjoyed reading this since I like the author but it just took too long for me to get to the mystery good part.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

I was totally hooked from the first page of this tropical thriller. I loved being able to reminisce in memories of past sailing trips and a vacation to Hawaii, although thankfully my trips ended much better than Lux’s!

I’m a huge fan of semi-closed-room thrillers that take place on isolated islands: think Death in the Family, The Fiance, Her Dark Lies, and The Guest List. Instead of a dark and stormy night, Hawkins took this setting and added a splash of sunshine and sand, but the atmosphere of isolation was definitely still there.

Reckless Girls is told from the point of view of Lux in present day, as well as flashbacks from Lux, Brittany and Amma, and Eliza. It is clear early on from the flashbacks that many of the characters in present day aren’t who they seem, and I couldn’t wait to see how it all played out. There are also creepy news articles, letters, and social media posts scattered throughout that highlight the curse of Meroe Island.

This is a very quick read that I easily could have finished in a day, thanks to short chapters and fascinating storytelling. I got definite Lord of the Flies and And Then There Were None vibes, but in a sunny modern setting that contrasted fabulously with the subject matter. Reckless Girls will be published in early 2022, and this is definitely one you don’t want to miss.

This book was such a page turner! I am really liking Rachel Hawkins writing style. I will defiantly order this book for the library because many of my patrons will love this story!

I will be honest, I am a fan of thrillers, but I was not a fan of Rachel Hawkins until this book! WOW! This really showed she can write. I enjoyed the secrets and plotline. The characters were divine and it read just like a movie. I hope they turn this into a thriller movie!

A super fast entertaining read. Another one of those books were traveling women are keeping secrets, and murders abound. I am surprised that this book is going to be published in January - it is a trashy beach read. Our main character Lux has recently lost her mom to cancer, has dropped out of college and is working at a bar when a gorgeous, rich young man changes her life. Nico asks her to go to Hawaii with him, and pursue a life traveling on his boat, the Susannah (named after a previous girlfriend). Nico meets two recent college girls who charter their boat to a deserted Island, that was the scene of a shipwreck and creepy loss of life in WWII. Once they arrive, a young couple from Australia also lands there and a drunken vacation ensues. Only, there are secrets, and hidden motives, and of course, another stranger landing, and then lots of murder. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC.

This is a pretty quick read that managed to keep my attention the entire time. I liked that there was a main character, but you got little snippets from other POVs. Like the last book I read, there were enough clues dropped throughout that helped you figure out most of the twists. The ending was also satisfying and left things open ended, which I always like. I’d recommend this book and give it 3.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

💛Book Review💛

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

After I read The Wife Upstairs, I periodically would check for book updates from Rachel Hawkins about her next release. When Reckless Girls popped up on NetGalley, I wished upon a star and thankfully St. Martin’s Press granted me access to the ARC! 💛💛💛

It. Was. Guuuuudddd! Lux is a bit of an unanchored gal after her mom passes and she’s estranged from her father. So when a handsome man walked into the diner she works at and asks her out, the answer was a no-brainer. Even better, he asks her to go to Hawaii with him!

And that’s how Lux finds herself living “the dream” aka working at a resort, living in a house with her boyfriend, Nico, and several other people, and counting down the days until they can sail away.

Unfortunately, Nico’s boat needs some work. When they make the acquaintance of two beautiful women who offer them $50,000 to take the to Meroe Island, the couple knows the answer has to be yes. Brittany and Amma have an air of mystery about them. Benign to the eye, but something feels amiss; but as Lux gets to know them she realizes she likes the company of female friends and realizes just how much she’s been missing it.

As they embark to the island, which is abandoned and deemed haunted after WWII soldiers were stranded there years ago, the group can’t help but be enamored by the islands mysterious allure and wild nature. When their joined by a couple, things really get interesting.

Rachel Hawkins has a writing style that gives voice to every moment and character. At times, I find that frustrating, because I’m eager for the action. Rest assured, it comes. I read this in a day and I’m sad it’s over. Hawkins does it again! This was a knockout for me!

I thoroughly enjoyed Rachel Hawkins' " Reckess Girls" . It's the story of a couple, Nico & Lux taking two paying girls to an island atoll in the Pacific. As I was reading I realized this story seemed similar to Vincent Bugliosi's And The Sea Will Tell based on an actual case of his that took place on a Pacific atoll of Palmyra.

The plot kind of gets predictable as the days spent on Meroe Island slowly go by..exploring the jungle, hikes, waterfalls, drunken debauchery, death...
Tobe stuck on an island with no fresh water and the fish deadly to eat stretches reality as they are all healthy with no mention of bugs, sharks (brief) and other bothersome elements.

A fast read and the author does give a shout out to And the Sea Will Tell in the epilogue.

Lux McAllister is at loose ends, working odd jobs trying to keep a roof over her head when she meets golden boy Nico - a charismatic rich kid, the black sheep of his wealthy family ready to sail off around the world. Lux falls fast and hard and joins him aboard his boat to sail to Hawaii. There she works cleaning motel rooms while Nico wanders as he pleases until two college friends offer him fifty thousand dollars to sail them to the deserted Meroe Island for two weeks in paradise. Just sand, surf, sun . . . and an eerie island history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, ghosts, murder and more. Meroe Island may or may not be haunted, but it's one gorgeous setting for four young people seeking adventure. When they arrive and drop anchor, they find another couple there before them so they all become friends and let the champagne and good times roll. Just another day in paradise, right?

Reckless Girls sets sail at a fast clip from Lux's point of view as she joins Nico for the adventure of a lifetime. However, once everyone gathers on the island, it quickly becomes obvious that each of these six people are hiding dark secrets and harboring malevolent thoughts and intentions. They each have a personal agenda, and readers slowly learn some of their background from chapters set in the past which begins to cut through the smoke screen surrounding these people in the present. It's never quite clear who to trust and who not to turn your back on. Things really begin to come to a head with the arrival of another boat and a dark stranger with cold eyes. Paradise begins to unravel, bodies show up and boats disappear. I was one hundred percent in at least three fourths of the way through - couldn't put the book down even though I can't say I ever formed a tight reader/character bond with any of the characters. And then the big reveal at the end came, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

Reckless Girls explores the dark, inner emotions in people that are only drawn out under the extremest of conditions - life or death type situations or situations where people stand to lose something they're not willing to give up and so they embrace their dark side. It explores what people may do when their backs are against the wall with only one perceived way out for survival. It's a winner take all story where only one person can walk away with the gold. I found it to be well paced and plotted until near the end where it floundered a bit for me. I highly recommend everyone read this and decide for yourself. I'm sure many will say it couldn't have ended any other way, and they're probably right. In thinking back over the story as a whole, it was always headed in this direction. For fans of mystery, suspense and dark thrillers.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Net Galley for the eARC of Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins.
I literally started this book and finished it in a day. I could not put this one down. I love when that happens!

Lux and Nicco live in Hawaii and have hopes of sailing on Nicco's boat. They are both trying to escape their pasts. Nicco is approached by Amma and Brittany and they ask if he could take them by boat to a deserted island. Why not? Nicco, Lux Amma and Brittany sail to the island but once they arrive they find that they are not alone. Enter Jake and Eliza. They all seem to hit if off well but are soon visited by a young man on the island. Things start taking a turn for the worse. Just who are these people really? And what's up with this island? Will the six of them make it off the island alive?

If you are looking for a quick thriller that you can't put down, I recommend Reckless Girls! I really enjoyed this one!

Reckless Girls will release on January 4, 2022

I found this book to be well written and hard to put down. There were some plot twist at the end that didn't hold true for me. However the book lived up to my expectations. I definitely see this book being a favorite of my library's patrons. We love thrillers in my community!

Vacation on a deserted island sounds like a great time until everything starts to go wrong.

While this book started off very slow for me, I did enjoy the last half which was much more fast paced but as a result the ending felt a bit rushed. A lot of action happened in the last 25%. Most of the characters were unlikeable to me, but that was okay and it made sense in the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reckless Girls is a tension packed story about a group of entitled 20 year old’s that just happen to meet up on a deserted island. The story starts off with everyone having fun, drinking and partying, until it wasn’t fun anymore! Until someone ends up missing and dead.

Lux and Nico are approached about chartering the boat Nico is trying to restore to take Brittany and Amma to a famous deserted island. They are willing to pay enough to restore the boat and invited Nico’s girlfriend, Lux, along for the journey. Nico and Lux have been wanting a sailing adventure together and what a great opportunity to have it all funded by two beautiful and seemingly wealthy women.

Once they get there though, it isn’t as deserted as they thought it would be. Another couple is there but they all hit it off instantly. Something feels off though. The island has an eerie feeling to it that our author does a wonderful job communicating to the reader. The beautiful and mesmerizing Meroe Island really adds an additional layer of suspense to the storyline.

The story pulls you in quick and surprised me how interwoven the characters became. There was something about it though that didn’t quite work in the end. Maybe the ending came too quickly or some of the plot had holes in it that just didn’t get wrapped up. Maybe I read it too quickly and missed something. I also found it a bit far-fetched. It gets messy and has a lot of moving parts that had to all come together to make the ending work out, which wasn’t very realistic in my opinion. Overall, I did enjoy the story. I enjoyed the beautiful, creepy island better, but the story was a fun adventure.

Sometimes people do stupid things - and definitely in the case of the girls in this book. The story begins in Hawaii where Luz, the narrator, and her boyfriend live. They decide to take a job sailing two women to Meroe Island, an uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Meroe Island was both beautiful and creepy, as it had a sad history. They meet some other people who anchor near them at the Island. Everyone seems to have a secret and an agenda.

This would probably make a good beach read - and a quick one as I seemed to go through it pretty fast. The characters all have made bad decisions. Their past lives are questionable, and some are criminal. The girls in the book are definitely reckless, so the title is appropriate.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on January 4, 2022.

3.75 Deserted Island Stars

As the weather starts to turn cooler for me, this was an escapist read for me to Hawaii, with boats, crazy characters, and a deserted island. Our main character, Lux, has just lost her job at a high-end resort. Her boyfriend, Nico, has long promised her a trip at sea on his boat, The Susannah, but the boat has some serious repairs that need to be made before a trip can be made on her.

Enter two girls – are these the Reckless Girls of the title? – who are looking to hire a boat captain to take them to a deserted island, something off the beaten path. Nico sees a huge opportunity here and Lux reluctantly agrees to accompany the group.

The voyage starts out well and Lux is even enjoying herself and getting to know the other girls. However, when the group arrives at Meroe Island, there’s another boat anchored there. So much for their isolated island. The passengers on the other boat seem wealthy and have an abundance of food and drinks to share. The bigger group has feasts on the beach, explores the island, and mostly get along on their island paradise.

Along the way in the book, we get flashbacks about the earlier days of the girls – Brittany and Amma – as well as the rich couple on the other boat, and we start to realize things are not as they appear, and they all are more isolated than ever. An odd stranger shows up and then crazy things start to happen on the allegedly cursed island.

This one is well-paced, suspenseful, and I could tell it was building to an action-packed ending. But that ending! You could say things end up over the top making this a good escape from reality with some beach atmosphere thrown in.

Reckless Girls has everything you could ask for in a thriller--exotic (but dangerous) setting, strangers with sketchy backstories and some interesting twists along the way.

Author Rachel Hawkins masterfully weaves this tale of present-day narration mixed with chapters that dive into the cast of characters "before" the trip. I also really enjoyed the little tidbits she sprinkled in on the island itself, it totally added to the intrigue.

I absolutely flew through this book! While some of the elements are a bit predictable, I think it's mostly due to the author's approach to foreshadowing that really just makes you want to keep reading. Once the "action" starts so much happens, so quickly that it's a bit of whatever the boat version of whiplash would be.

You're not going to fall in love with any of the characters, but I think that's intentional and almost necessary to the storyline. But you will be intrigued and transported, which I really enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this and the opportunity to share my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

From the author of The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls will keep you on the edge of your seat. Six people, an uninhabited island and the unexpected.
This story grabbed my attention, but the ending was quick. Would love to see a sequel come out of this!
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Hawkins is a great author and really has thriller pacing down pat. The short and engaging chapters make it hard to put this book down. The setting was beautifully written, I felt like I was there on the deserted island. However, there were quite a few plot holes and I saw all the twists and turns coming. Flipping between the past and the present gave me a bit of whiplash too. I wish it would have been all in the past first then present day.