Life in Hawaii isn’t quite living up to the dream that Lux and her boyfriend Nico imagined when they set sail for Maui. She is a maid at a high end hotel, and he seems content enough to let her clean rooms and pay the bills while he works on the docks.

Their boat-“The Susannah” is in need of repairs they can’t afford-the adventures they planned are on hold.

Until, college friends Brittany and Amma, arrive and offer Nico $50,000 to be their Captain. They want to travel to Meroe Island-named for a shipwreck where 32 sailors lived-but only 8 survived. It’s beautiful, and off the beaten path but some say it’s cursed- which makes it seem just dangerous enough to be alluring…..

But, when they get there-they aren’t alone.

A beautiful Catamaran, “The Azure Sky” is already there-and now, with Jake and Eliza, they become a party of six on the exotic Island.

How many will survive this time?

I don’t know why the synopsis calls this “gothic suspense “-I don’t think it fits that description at all.

It reminded me of Samantha Downing’s “He Started It” in style. That one was a road trip-this one a sailing adventure and both were a “may the best man win” kind of book. If that is appealing to you-grab a life vest and set sail with this bunch..I could practically smell the suntan oil, and feel the heat of the sun.

3.75 rounded up!
I was engaged from start to finish BUT, I preferred last year’s “The Wife Upstairs”, which made my 2020 FAVORITES list.

Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for inviting me to read an EARLY copy of this title, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Available January 4, 2022.

Rachel Hawkins is one of those authors that you need to read every book they release. This was an exciting read that kept me turning pages into the night. Thank you to to the publisher and to NetGalley. My review opinion is my own.

Twentysomethings pay Lux and her boyfriend to sail them to a remote island. The island is mysterious and soon a visitor proves trouble. What follows is the author signature style of mystery, suspense and late night page turning to conclusion. A exciting read that I highly recommend.

I did not enjoy this book and gave up about 1/3 through. Did not finish and would not recommend; highly disappointed. Thank you for the advance copy though.

Loved this! I haven’t had time to read lately but I started this and finished it in 2-3 days. Couldn’t put it down!

Nico & Lux (boyfriend & girlfriend) are hired by Amma & Brittany to sail them to Meroe Island, an island that has been considered deserted since the end of World War 2. When they arrive they meet Eliza & Jake, another couple who happen to be on the island also. Everyone is looking forward to rest & relaxation however the trip turns out to be anything but that.

Many twists/turns especially towards the ending that I didn’t see coming. 5 stars! Love Rachel Hawkins! Thanks to NetGalley & the Publisher for the ARC.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for the advanced reading copy of Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins.

Earlier this year I read Rachel Hawkins the Wife Upstairs. It had good pacing and short chapters but I found it to be easily predictable and the ending was very convenient. This was nothing like that. While the chapters were short and fast paced the story took me by surprise. Hawkins writing style is so readable. I will definitely continue to read more of her work in the future.

I went into this book not knowing anything (how I personally like to go into thrillers), which I’m glad I did.

Without giving away too much. This novel takes place in two timelines the before and the now. The story follows Lux who after surviving the tragic loss of her mother is looking for an escape with her new boyfriend. Lux finds herself on a deserted island with her boyfriend and four strangers. From there secrets are revealed.

Who loves deserted island adventure books?! 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ This may be my favorite sub-genre ever. And book friends, this was a glowing and dazzling 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read!

One deserted island (with a mysterious history of shipwrecks and cannibalism). Six visitors embarking on a free-spirited journey. Two weeks of sun-drenched days and intoxicating nights spent under the stars. But when you introduce countless secrets, things can take a turn fast.

When one person goes missing and another turns up dead, the friends begin to suspect the worst of the island and each other. Their little secluded paradise turns into a dangerous place that they may not escape.

This is a modern-day retelling of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None that you won't be able to put down! Mark your calendars for January 4, 2022. You won't want to miss this one! 🎉🎉🎉

Thanks so much to @ladyhawkins @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the ARC. I absolutely loved this one!

Now to go read all of her other books that I have on my shelf!

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed the character build up and events that led up to the end. Wish there was more to the story but overall I’ve always liked Rachel Hawkins’ writing!

Two weeks on a deserted island off the coast of Maui, a group of strangers collide to live off the grid. No worries, no stress, no work, just the sand, the jungle and the ocean. Soon, a place that is open and free will feel like nothing more than a trap.

When Amma and Brittany ask Nico to sail them to the remote island of Meroe for a sum of $50k, he cannot say no. But he will only make the voyage if his girlfriend Lux, will come along for the adventure.

Upon arrival they find they are not the only ones looking for a place to escape. Jake and Eliza are there as well. On their beautiful boat with top shelf alcohol. What could they possibly be looking to get away from.

Enter Robbie, who shows up a week later. Something is off, he’s alone and just plain weird.
Can they survive this so-called haunted island with a history of its own? Or will it turn them against each other?

There is so much going on in this book! And I was there for every bit of it. Told in dual timelines we find out how these characters met, their traumatic history and how they are connected in ways even they don’t realize. Pack your bags, because this is a trip you will not forget for a long time!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Rachel Hawkins for my gifted E-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Vacationing on an inhabited tropical island in the middle of the ocean with everything you need on the sailboat - who wouldn't want to go? Sun tanning all day lying in the white beach with white sand between your toes and friends to drink wine and chat with all day sounds like a dream come true? The storyline was twisted yet predictable. The beginning of the book was slow; it wasn't until 37% into the book that something slightly exciting happens. Still, the mention of the event only last a hot minute and I wanted to DNF. But I was curious of what else they would find so I painfully kept reading, not expecting too much from this book.

The author went back and forth between the past and present, but I think it would have been better written if the past was written in the first portion of the book followed by the present events.

I really enjoyed Rachel Hawkins previous book - The Wife Upstairs - so I was extremely eager to read this one. This book wasn't nearly as good as The Wife Upstairs.

Overall, it was a quick read, hard to stay with the book, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they absolutely didn't have anything left to read. Still I would tell them not to waste their time on this one.

The plot of this book is unlike any I’ve read before and it had me intrigued from the very beginning. What should be a dream trip becomes very…questionable. For everyone involved. Whatever you think is happening, I can almost promise you that’s not it. As hard as I tried to predict the ending I couldn’t. There’s so much mystery & confusion surrounding every character, you almost have to make mental notes to keep things straight (but it adds to the insanity in a good way). I won’t lie, I struggled for the first half because I was so impatient and wanted to know everyone’s secrets & what the heck was going on. I’m so glad I didn’t skim or flip ahead, you need ALL the details for context. And the ending? Totally worth the suspense.

This book by Rachel Hawkins was a rollercoaster, I honestly had no idea where it was going to take me next. I really enjoyed this read, it had the perfect amount of plot, twists, and questionable decisions to keep me on the edge of my seat.

A really satisfying thriller, and the isolated setting on a deserted island with a dark history and a cast of questionable characters add to the suspense. I will recommend to fans of Ruth Ware and Kimberly Belle.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for digital review copy.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this new thriller.
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins, is sort of a mix between the classic Agatha Christie book And Then There Were None and Alex Garland's The Beach. A dark atmospheric mystery, even though it is set on the sandy beaches of an isolated island out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The characters are all different and unique, not cookie cutter, with foibles and traits that make them memorable. Some characters stand out more than others. The plot moves well with plenty of twists. There are few slow parts, which is rare in a thriller, nor is information just dumped or assumed to be known by the readers by the author. Some things are omitted, but not enough to make the story seem like, what is this about at the end. There are flashbacks, but that also doesn't bog the story down, and perspectives change from the main character to others, but again, not in a overwhelming sense. Ms. Hawkins does a very good job of keeping the narrative flowing and not losing the reader.

This would be the perfect beach read, except for the fact that so much happens in the book on the beach, readers might find themselves using their umbrella for more than sun shade. A better place might be before a nice roaring fire, on a cold winter's day, enjoying the sunlight by proxy and trying not to jump at every noise. A very tense story with many surprises.

Reckless Girls follows a group of young adults as they meet up randomly on a deserted island. I enjoyed the story and read quickly to get to the ending. There was a major plot hole in the ending that’s hard for me to get past. But overall, very enjoyable read.

This is my second Rachel Hawkins book, and I think I have a found a new go-to author. The setting makes this book stand apart from your traditional psychological thrillers. It’s 1 part thriller, 2 parts adventure novel. It was a fun, fast read with new twists on almost every page!

Review of Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First, I know my photo doesn’t contain the actual cover since it’s an eARC but I’m sure you all have seen the fabulous cover of this upcoming novel! Second, I loved this book. It was a great thriller that kept me clueless and in the dark until almost the very last page. I loved the setting and the mysterious characters.

Synopsis: Lux is living in Hawaii with her boyfriend Nico waiting to save enough money to sail around the world on his boat. They meet a pair of young women named Amma and Brittany who charter their boat to sail to a remote pacific island called Meroe will a mysterious and dangerous past. The four set sail and on arrival meet more sailing adventurers named Jake and Eliza. Then things get strange. This story has flashbacks to all characters slowly revealing their pasts and secrets.

This was a great thriller that will keep you guessing. It comes out January 2022. Thank you so much to @stmartinpress, @netgalley, @ladyhawkins for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reckless Girls is a little like reading "Lord of the Flies" meets "And Then There Were None." (Agatha Christie) It details the story of Luxe McAllister who, with her boyfriend and two other paying customers, make their way to an Island in the Pacific with an infamous and mystical history. There, the 4 adventurers meet 3 other similar-minded people with wanderlust who each have their own interconnected experiences and backgrounds. The result is chaos.

Overall, it is a quick, easy, enjoyable read that is not too complicated and easy to piece together. I would recommend it if one is looking for a fun thriller.

Reckless Girls is the second book I’ve read from Rachel Hawkins. I loved The Wife Upstairs so I was really looking forward to reading this one. This thriller takes place on a deserted island and explores theme of trust, troubled pasts, and survival. I had mixed feelings about this book. I really loved the trapped on a deserted island vibe, but the ending was so predictable. I was able to guess the twists and predict the ending from the beginning. In my opinion, the pacing was too slow and I felt that things were repeated multiple times. I’m not sure if I had high expectations for this novel since I loved The Wife Upstairs. However, the book did have me turning the pages since I liked the atmosphere. If you like locked room mysteries, you’ll enjoy this one.

How, in the vast, wide open Pacific Ocean, on an uninhabited island near the Hawaiian islands, can Hawkins craft such a tense and claustrophobic tale!?

Reckless Girls…they come in many forms and for many motivations. Liz, recklessly follows a new boyfriend on a sailing excursion with two more reckless sorts: Brittany, throwing caution to the wind follows Amma, a new friend, traveling around the world; Amma, reckless in her lies.

They later meet Jake and his reckless girlfriend, Eliza.

While some are reckless the reader will soon learn that some are dangerous too.

A true page turner.

Full review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4152215091

Ah, this one sucked me in! It’s a fun, quick read that kept me on my toes.
Lux and Nico are in Maui, waiting to finish their sailing trip. An opportunity comes up and they are hired to charter 2 girls out to a deserted island with a tragic past. There they meet others and they enjoy island bliss until bodies start turning up.
“How can one mistake––yes, one big mistake, but still just that, an accident, a single bad moment of judgement in a lifetime of good choices––end everything?”
I have to say, there was not one likeable character! Oddly enough, the story held out and kept me interested. I needed to know the mystery of the island and ultimately, what happened. When I wasn’t reading, I wanted to get back to it. It was a mix of the perfect tropical vacation with everything that could go wrong. I loved it! It was a total escapist read.