Rachel Hawkins’ modern retelling of Jane Eyre THE WIFE UPSTAIRS was so entertaining that when I was offered the opportunity to review her latest thriller I jumped at the chance! Thank you to Net Galley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lux is at a dead end. After following her boyfriend to Hawaii on the promise of a worldwide trip, she’s stuck cleaning hotel rooms and increasingly unsatisfied with her lot in life. When two women hire Lux and her boyfriend to charter them to a deserted island, Lux is hopeful that the payout will put her dreams back on track. But what starts off as an idyllic vacation turns sour as old secrets and new danger emerge. Will Lux make it out or will the island mark her final destination?

RECKLESS GIRLS is a rollicking thriller. The setting of a deserted island could’ve been trite but it’s actually a sharply executed plot with plenty of drama and atmosphere. There were a few times I wanted to scream at the page because the characters were being dumb but it’s all a part of the spell of this genre.

Even though I’m not a huge thriller fan, I devoured this in the space of a day and the final pages left me applauding Hawkins’ cleverness. You may be able to predict a few key points (they are on a deserted island…) but I bet you will still enjoy the madcap ride. If you want to start of 2022 with a snappy popcorn thriller, add this book to your TBR! (Please note this is an adult book and contains mature situations including violence, drug use, and strong language.)

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

I'm just going to put this out there....if Rachel Hawkins released her version of the phone book (for the non old people....that's a printed directory of everyone's land line...back in the day.), I would buy a copy for myself and a copy for friends. She is becoming a favorite thriller writer for me. She is just so darn original.

Let's talk about Reckless Girls. My only regret. I did not read this one while sipping a cocktail on the beach. If you are going on a beach trip and beach reads are a real thing for you.....TAKE this BOOK. Sorry for yelling...but I feel very passionate about this. This story was compulsive. I could not stop reading. I may or may not have woken up at 1:30 am and picked right back up to where I was before my eyes forced me to put the book down. I was completely intrigued.

The characters were amazing. Not all likeable. But amazing.

The setting chef's kiss.

The premise a little flash of Lord of the Flies (one of my favorite books ever).

The ending...5 stars. I adored it.

I pretty much picked this one up blind based on the author alone. I loved The Woman Upstairs....I might love this one more...the jury is still out. I say all this to say...if you want full details read the synopsis as this is a completely no spoiler review. However, I recommend going in blind. Just trust me ok? This one is probably going to be my favorite thriller of the year.

Like Rachel Hawkin's previous book, The Wife Upstairs, this is a fun thriller that I finished is a couple of days. Main character Lux and her boyfriend Nico are hired by 2 girls to sail them over to Meroe Island, a deserted island that has an old abandoned airstrip on it from World War II. The island setting is creepy and Hawkins sets the mood perfectly with her description of the abandoned island. When they get to the island, they find another boat there and it is not long before strange things begin happening. Everyone has secrets and backstories and things are not what they seem - throw that all together with the spookiness of the island and you have an intriguing thriller. Highly recommend and I will definitely be looking forward to Rachel Hawkins' next book. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

At first the story drew me right in. The beautiful and eerie setting of this mysterious island, 6 characters thrown together and you had the feeling that something nefarious was going to go down but what would it be. In the end I didn’t love the big reveal with the ending. It felt a little too out there and unrealistic. All the language was a turn off for me as well.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rachel Hawkins does not disappoint! This kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more! If you liked The Wife Upstairs pick this up ASAP!

Another amazing read by Rachel Hawkins! Reckless Girls is super addictive and was very hard to put down! From the first few pages, it already reels you in and keeps you turning the pages. I just kept wanting more and more. Enjoyed this book very much and I am now sleep deprived, thanks! Highly recommend!

Lux and Nico are living in Hawaii and are saving up to be able to repair his boat to sail over the world. Two girls approach him and offer money to sail them to a mysterious island with a strange history. Lux isn't so sure, but she tags along. While there, others sail to the island as well and tensions begin to grow.



This was a great and unexpected read. You know something is going to happen, but you can't quite put your finger on it. The book goes back and forth from the past to the present as the story unravels. Hawkins really outdoes herself with developing the plot and characters. I could not put this one down!


Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press

I am DNFing at 54%. I have been attempting to read this for the last several weeks and nothing is holding my attention. I'm having a hard time connecting with any of the characters and it just seems like nothing is happening. I think this could just be me.

The writing great and flows well and reads well.

I really loved The Wife Upstairs, give that one a try first.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this title by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. A wildly readable page turner with lots of intrigue and secrets with a villain you love to hate. Highly recommend!

I was recently in Maui and had no idea that the island played a part in this book. While it wasn’t the main location, it did feel a little serendipitous that I started reading the book while there. However, that’s where the good feelings stop and I was sucked into a well-crafted story full of deceit and peril.
We have seven people who are brought together to a desert island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There is no fresh water and long history of unspeakable acts. While it looks like paradise, remember that looks can be deceiving.
One character voices the current viewpoint, but we get glimpses from the past from some of the other characters, giving the story its depth and intrigue. Quickly we learn that things are not quite what they seem to be.
I loved the twists and turns and while I did successfully predict some of them, there were a few that threw me for a loop. Do yourself a favor and put this on your TBR list and block out a good chunk of time to read it because you won’t want to put it down!

What...what did I just read! So I went into this book blind because I really enjoyed The Wife Upstairs so I figured I would love this one. And I wasn't wrong. This story is about a mid twenties chick named Lux, a lost soul, latching on to a rich boy drifter named Nico with plans to sail the world. But, the boat is busted and they are broke in Hawaii. In walks Amma and Brittany. Two college girls looking for a ride to some creepy remote island. And they will pay, A LOT. So Lux, Nico and these two ladies head to Meroe Island, a place with a sordid history and all the bad juju. On the island already is a fancy pants couple with a luxury boat and booze. Excellent. So the 7 of them are having a blasty blast. But something is off with some of the islanders. There's some tension and spats here and there. Lux is beginning to realize that she really doesn't know any of these people well enough. Oh and don't forget to include the random American who shoes up. And we are also given a "before" and "after" timeline among multiple POVs. AND THE CONNECTION AMONG THEM ALL. Wow, loved it. It was definitely a slower build and I was getting skeptical. But then the last few chapters things were NUTS. I couldn't swipe fast enough on my kindle. It was such a blast to read. I call it a fun murder mystery. I will definitely recommend this to others.

I really enjoyed The Wife Upstairs and was highly anticipating this one. It was a little different but I did enjoy it. I liked the setting and the characters. I should have noticed something coming in the plot but had no idea.

3.75 stars rounded up. This was a quick read, but I had a hard time figuring out where it was going. But the end was good.

Ok I LOVED this one!! It was a slow burn but the characters were created and the story told in such a way that it didn’t feel like I was dragging myself through the beginning, I truly devoured every page. I love all Rachel Hawkins books but this might be my fav so far! Easy 5 stars

I loved this book! It kept me throughly entertained for the entire journey of this book! Quick read that I devoured!

There's just something about a suspense story set on a remote island that sucks me in every time. When I read the blurb for this book, I had to read it. A couple in Hawaii are hired to sail two young women out to an island in the South Pacific. When they reach the island, there's another boat already there. Two other people are already on the island. The group of six quickly become friends and set about enjoying their stay on Meroe Island. When a stranger shows up, the vibe changes.....and things take a sinister direction. Turns out, everything is not what it seems.

Although this sort of story has been done over and over and over again, I still love this plot line! Exotic vacation.....a group thrown together for fun in the sun....but then things go south. I always completely hate the characters in these novels, and find myself talking to them as I read -- idiots! What a stupid thing to do! Pull your head out! etc etc. But, the joy of hating an entire troupe of characters and watching their world implode just grabs my attention every time.

I enjoyed this book. Nothing new here....in fact, just read another book about six people going to an island and having it devolve into death and terror. Keep 'em coming writers -- I can't get enough of vacations gone wrong suspense! Formulaic, but fun!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martin's Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

Reckless Girls is an appropriate title for this fast paced and twisty thriller. Lux and her boyfriend, Nico are hired by Amma and Brittany to sail on Nico's boat to a mysterious remote island, off the coast of Hawaii. Once reaching the Island they encounter Jake and Eliza, a couple already enjoying the beautiful island. The six of them instantly bond and settle in for a vacation away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Everything goes well until a 7th person sails to the island.
Things start to unravel quickly, secrets are exposed, betrayals are inevitable.

Once I started reading, I didn't want to put the book down. Told mostly through Lux's point of view with flashbacks to Amma and Brittany's time before coming to the island, the story unfolds. I enjoyed Lux as a narrator, although I can't say I really liked or rooted for any of the characters in particular. The island was like a metaphor and represented the characters, with dark and mysterious past but a shiny and beautiful facade on first glance. Lots of twists and turns to the story, some are predictable but the end isn't something I seen coming. My only real complaint was there were some holes or unexplained plot lines throughout the story. It was like threads in a sweater that I wanted to pull for more information but there was none to be had, which left some of the tale a bit implausible. Overall a good book, fast paced and didn't want to stop reading until I got to the end. Rachel Hawkins is becoming one of my most read authors. 4 Stars!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy. What an interesting read this was! From the start, i felt like I knew Lux, but DAMN! I was mistaken. The twists and turns the author throws at us had me itching to get to the end of the story just to find out what was going to happen to our group. The book was more character driven than story driven and I liked that. How far would you go for revenge if no one would find out? Would definitely recommend.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins is a thriller novel. This one is a story that changes timelines during the book with most of the story being in the current time but also having chapters written in a before timeline. Most of the story is from the point of view of the main character, Lux, but there are some point of view changes.

Lux McAllister met her boyfriend Nico just after a rough time in her life when she had lost her mother. Nico promised Lux adventure and travel but the two have been staying on a Hawaiian island for quite some time and Lux is getting anxious to return to their travels. When Lux loses her crappy hotel job she sees it as a sign.

When Lux approaches Nico about leaving the island and continuing their trip he reminds her they need to get his boat repaired first. Nico has a plan though and introduces Lux to Brittany and Amma who want to hire Nico to take them to a remote island, Meroe Island. With promise of getting the boat repairs done and enough cash to travel after Lux reluctantly agrees to the two week trip.

When I started off reading Reckless Girls I tell you I was a little suspicious of the main character and wondering if I would like her, I mean who wants to leave Hawaii terrible job or not?? 🤣 Of course you know there is going to be something that is going to happen as the trip is planned and that mystery of what it would be sucked me right into the story. The author did a great job with the setting and I felt like I was right there on the island keeping my eye on our cast of characters and of course there were a few twists and turns along the way to keep the pages turning.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book and have pre-recommended it to friends. I teach elementary, so it isn't a good fit for any of my school population - except the teachers. I enjoyed letting the full mystery unravel all the way to the end. Always unknowns just on the horizon. Great vacation read.