Reckless is certainly a good title. Lux joins her boyfriend in taking two girls to a desert island. They find another couple already there. It seems like paradise. A party every day. But there are secrets, lies, and betrayals. Only one will survive.
I read this in a day. Lots of surprises. Gilligan's Island gone bad.
Thank you, NetGalley!

Woah!! What a dark and twisty book! I loved the different stories throughout the book but how they connected into one big story. I also really loved the creepy island vibes! I’ve never read anything like this before. I didn’t know who to trust through out the whole book and thought everyone was a suspect!

I don’t even have word to describe how much I liked this book. Bonus star alert. I would give this 6/5 if I could. This is one of those rare books I will read a second time. The characters, oh my the characters… so amazing. So well developed they feel like people you want to befriend. I loved them so much, I was sad when things started to unravel for them but not as sad as when I finished the book and had to bid them adieu. The atmosphere was also amazing. Tropical island, surrounded by ocean. Friends, lovers, betrayal, deceit, this book has it all. This book is firmly planted in my top 10 of all time. Two huge thumbs up! Rave rave rave. Read. This. Book.

Lux and Nico decide to travel with two strangers to a remote island with some sordid history. They meet two other wealthy castaways and it seems too good to be true.. which means it is, right?

I was not a huge fan of Hawkin's first book, but this one had a GORGEOUS cover and a completely different plot. You want to adventure to a deserted island where it was rumored people ate themselves? What in the Jaws is this?! I'm not a fan of water, so my thalassophobia could never, but let these strangers have it.

Halfway through this novel, I was pretty invested, but then the craziness started to set in. I predicted one of the twists a little early, but nevermind that; it just got a little ludicrous, and far too unbelievable by the end. I was never really scared, and believe me - I should be scared if we're in the middle of the water. I've also started to see that I'm not a HUGE fan of one setting thrillers, unless they're done EXTREMELY well, and this just wasn't the case for me with this one.

This is being released in January, so maybe it'll give you all the summer vibes in the dead of winter. Give it a try when it comes out. It just wasn't for me.

VERDICT: Three Stars

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this one in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the chaotic energy this book brought, from the characters to the different timelines, everything felt like a whirlwind. I loved this idea of wanderlust driving these different groups of people from all walks of life to this crazy deserted island. The main character, Lux is perfectly created and flawed and I very much enjoyed being inside her head. However, I thought the ending left some things unfinished and not in a great way. This would make a fantastic short TV series or some sort of film.

Another amazing thriller by Rachel Hawkins. When boyfriend and girlfriend, Nico and Lux ,set sail with college best friends, Brittany and Amma, they think they are exploring the sea and life through an adventure. But when they dock on Meroe Island and meet another couple, everyone quickly realizes secrets that may affect their return home. Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel. It was hard to put down!

This was the second book by Rachel Hawkins for me and I can’t wait to read the third one.
This was a well written thriller with a twist I didn't see coming. Set on mysterious deserted island with a dark history. With beautiful rich people and time on their hands. What could possibly go wrong?

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the honest review.

Let’s see, creepy deserted island that’s supposedly haunted. Group of people that wants to explore and see what it’s like to live off the grid on said island. But when they get there, there is someone already there. Sign me up! This was really enjoyable even though the ending knocked off half a star for me. I didn’t love how it wrapped up. But overall a solid thriller. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 stars

“What am I when you strip everything else away? I’m a motherfucking survivor.”

3.5 stars

Reckless Girls is a tension-packed read about a group of mostly entitled 20 somethings who stumble upon each other during a trip to a remote island. What starts off as a fun journey filled with alcohol and beautiful people becomes a dangerous and sinister stay that leads to murder.

After Lux meets Nico while waitressing at a restaurant in San Diego, she follows him to Hawaii with the idea that they will sail around the world. However, due to some setbacks, she finds herself a hotel maid at an elite resort. When Nico is offered the opportunity to charter two friends Brittany and Amma, to a mysterious and remote island, both he and Lux jump at the chance. When the foursome arrives at Meroe Island, they find a luxury boat docked and occupied by Eliza and Jack. The six bond quickly, but what starts off as fun turns chaotic and deathly dangerous.

This book sucked me in from the start, but it lags in the middle and then takes a crazy and unexpected turn.

I was drawn to Lux’s voice; she makes a compelling narrator. Additional POVs are shared through flashbacks that took place a few years before the island adventure. The reader sees not only how Lux met Nico but also how their charter guests, Brittany and Amma, met. Through old diaries, letters, and emails, the reader learns the dark history of Meroe Island.

The strongest part of this book is the atmospheric island setting. The island stokes the tension between characters and adds an additional layer of suspense to the events. I felt the eerie creepiness through the pages. It is clear that something is off about Meroe Island, and Hawkins captures that feeling.

I am still not sure how I feel about the ending. Part of it is because I wasn’t expecting it, and I was reading this book the wrong way; the other part is because it reeks of plot holes and implausibility. It goes off the rails and gets messy! At the same time, I admire it because this book took me somewhere unexpected. To fully buy it and embrace the change, I think I would need more of Lux and Eliza’s backstories.

As a jaded thriller reader, I am rarely surprised about how things play out, and this book did surprise me, which was a win. At the same time, it didn’t quite work. Pay attention to the title--it holds a lot of meaning!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A suspense/mystery story set on a deserted island starring a mixture of rich millennials and millennials trying to fit in with them? Sign me up.

I admittedly am not much of thriller person. I tend to find them a little predictable, and if they don't move quickly I get bored easily, but the pacing of this novel mixed with the setting made this a quick and exciting read for me.

Lux is both living in Hawaii with her beautiful boyfriend Nico and flailing at the same time. Trying to help support their dream of sailing to Tahiti, Lux finds herself cleaning after the rich at a resort in Maui. When Nico meets Amma and Brittany, who offer a large sum of money in exchange for a charter to a deserted island, Nico doesn't hesitate. Lux is a lot more hesitant, but in the end agrees to make the journey. The moment they land on the island, they meet Jake and Eliza, a rich couple out of Australia. From this point on its sun, sand, and a lot of wine - or is everything the way it seems??

This is my first Rachel Hawkins book, and I guess I need to read more! Hawkins keeps a good pace, which is what kept me interested. The real drama starts around 60% through, but there is plenty of plot and intrigue before that point. She also uses flashback chapters to help develop the characters and add to the plot. I found this to be a quick read, and would definitely make for a quick beach read. Some parts definitely felt a bit predictable, but this thriller is intriguing - especially the concept of being on an island, truly off grid, with people you can't trust. The dialogue wasn't always the strongest - but thriller and suspense fans will definitely enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Riveting! I could not stop reading this novel once I began. I enjoy fast paced novels loaded with a variety of interesting characters, lots of drama and an unbelievable surprising ending that I didn’t see coming. I devoured this novel and would highly recommend it to anyone who has a strong stomach and likes suspense. I’m a huge fan of Rachel Hawkins and I was thrilled to have an opportunity to read her newest unputdownable novel.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book. I hope to read more books by this author.

This is my second book by Rachel Hawkins and I'm falling in love with the writing style of this author. Lux meets Nico, starts liking him and follows him along to Hawaii with a dream that she'd travel the world in his boat. When two girls hire Nico to sail them to a remote island, Lux tags along, but all is not as it seems. The island is beautiful, yet weird and there is another couple there. Six strangers on a strange island and things start happening.
It's a thriller that has enough suspense and character development. You'd start liking the characters but then everyone has something to hide.
I was up all night to finish reading it, it was too good. I won't call it a page turner though because the first half is a light read. The story is written well with enough imagery and flows smoothly.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Rachel Hawkins and Netgalley.
I absolutely adored the crap outta this book!
First of all, who sets sail on the Pacific ocean in a 26 foot boat? That's madness! My parents had the damn near exact boat "maybe 2 feet longer." And it was a lake and river boat. I felt safe in it. Had it gone into and over an ocean! No way!
But, getting past the horror of that...
From the beginning, this story had my full attention, and I was engaged. Towards the end I did have one very messed up night of actual scare me silly, nightmares.
Hawkins is not someone I've read before, but if she keeps this up? I'll be reading all her odd stuff!
Seriously.
I will admit that I did know almost from when the people converged, what was going on. I still enjoyed every bit of the ride!
I was essentially thrown by the ending, but in reflection? I get it, and like it.
This was originally a 4 star review. But, I've not been able to stop thinking about it!
All the stars!

This is a story of Lux and her boyfriend, Nicole, sailing two rich women to a remote island. What could go wrong? Plenty, including murder.

I didn’t care for this book. Too much sex, drugs, and alcohol, but I am not the intended audience (I am well over 20)! That said, it’s well-written, and will be enjoyable for a lot of people.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- {RECKLESS GIRLS- Rachel Hawkins}

The jolt of excitement I needed in my reading life! Sexy strangers sailing out to a deserted island that has a history of ship wrecks and cannibalism. With nothing to do but lay in the sun, drink wine and explore beautiful jungles it seems like the perfect escape for this group of twenty-something year olds. But something about Meroe island isn’t quite right and by the time this group is figuring it out its far too late 🌴

Twists and turns I didn’t see coming and a unique storyline that had me hungrily turning the pages 🤪 Thank you to @netgalley for an ARC of Reckless Girls in exchange for an honest review. Without a doubt one of my most exciting summer reads!

I was so excited to get my hands on another read from Rachel Hawkins! I love the cover and the storyline even more knowing it has been a dream she has had since childhood to create an island adventure that has come to life through her writing! I love the character development even down to some of their names, and in the end I would say Lux became my fave of them all! this was like a modern day Gilligan's island meets Lord of the Flies in such a good combination! You get the rich and privileged, poor and underprivileged, add in some drama with a bunch of lies and deception all while being isolated leads to.....well, a lot of intrigue and death!! lux wanted to live and have a better life so she chased that dream going off with Nico who just lazily passed through life as his rich roots had him accustomed to, and then as everything seems to be falling apart and Lux feels stuck in Hawaii to never adventure off with Nico here comes Brittany and Amma into the picture with $50,000 and renewed is Lux's hopes and dreams!! Off to the isolated island of Meroe to have 14 live off the land days together when they encounter Jake and Eliza. The group of them starts out lavishly enjoying the island and each other divulging in the food, atmosphere, and fun until time starts to turn on them. Events happen, encounters happen, and then death rears its head and everything starts to unravel. Who can be trusted and who can't?! What are the motives behind the madness? Find out when you get your hands on a copy!!! To add I love the color pops of the book cover, and found this to be more of a slow crescendo of suspense building more anticipation as each chapter went by until towards the end when all the pieces connected! I was very pleased with this and kudos to Rachel Hawkins for this slow burning suspense/murder plot that unfolded elegantly in the compelling world of mystery and suspense. Thank you Netgalley for the copy and to St. Martin's Press!

Reckless Girls; I had a tough time finding someone to relate to in this story. Everyone seemed to had some sort of hidden agenda. I was still able to read the whole book and be entertained but felt it was lacking good character development. Thank you to NetGalley, St, Martin's Press, and author Rachel Hawkins for the ARC

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down! And exciting trip to a deserted island and who knows what can happen. The characters were really well-developed and interesting!

This is a suspenseful story about Lux and her boyfriend Nico who are hired to sail 2 young women to the small Meroe island. The island has a history and lots of rumors surrounding it. It was apparently the site of some war-time landings, and perhaps even cannibalism. Because of the remoteness of the island, they are surprised to find another boat there when they arrive, and they get to know Jake and Eliza who are enjoying a luxurious life and visit.

Eventually some of the relationships and friendships begin to falter, and strange things begin to happen. The suspense builds and there are several twists and turns in the story line.

I gave this book 3 stars because I felt like the characters and story weren't very developed. It's a super "light" that I was able to push through in an evening.