Rachel Hawkins just keeps knocking her books out of the park. What a great story that never let up! Great read.

3.5 stars rounded down.

I really enjoyed the Jane Eyre-inspired The Wife Upstairs and, whIle this didn’t have the literary cheekiness of that novel, it was a gripping enough thriller to keep me stuck in my sun lounger turning the digital equivalent of pages for most of a day.

Lux is alone in the world so when the very hot Nico suggests she comes with him to Hawaii and then go sailing around the world once his yacht is fixed she has little hesitation. But after months in Hawaii of working dead end jobs and living on a sofa in a crummy apartment, Lux wishes Nico would swallow his pride and ask his parents for the funds to repair the Susannah.

Out of the blue, two college girls pay for the repairs and charter the boat plus Nico and Lux, to go to an extremely remote island in the Pacific for a couple of weeks. But when they arrive there’s already a plush catamaran moored up and a well-heeled couple to spoil the isolation. At first they all get along but when a third vessel turns up, things start going sour fast.

Honestly, this was everything you could ask for in a mystery/thriller - developed characters with interesting back stories, fraught relationships, mysterious and maybe haunted setting, a fast-paced narrative with good (if not unforeseeable) twists, and a wild ride of a resolution.

However, at 2am after my indiscriminate gulping down of the whole novel, it did start to fall apart a bit. There were some pretty substantial holes in the plot and at least a couple of “But hang on…”s not least of which is the characters' inability to use the Internet.

But this type of novel is not really meant to be sipped at and savored, examined from every perspective. It’s meant to be chugged down and enjoyed for what it is, and it did that very well.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

I really loved this new book! The entire time I did have an uneasy feeling. You just knew paradise was too good to be true. I definitely got Blue Lagoon vibes but also the Beach and you just knew something sinister was lurking around the corner. I thought the twists were good. I felt like I knew what was going on but just not quite.

I found this book interesting initially, it was modern and intriguing with a strong, humorous opening. But before long, I found myself not as engaged as I would have liked. I’m not sure if it was the Hawaiian holiday atmosphere, or perhaps the characters I couldn’t quite gather the interest for. Ultimately, it was a ride that seemed to leave the dock without me having boarded. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc.

Is it the season for lost in the wildness books or what? This one was a lot of fun and switched it up by taking place in a deserted atoll off the coast of Hawaii. Lots of secret agendas and I felt like two of the backstories were a little too close to each other but it was enjoyable. I liked the letters from people who had visited the island between some of the chapters. The ending was a little muddled--I had to re-read some of it but it was fun getting there.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

I was thrilled to be approved for Reckless Girls! After having read The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, which I loved, I wanted to immediately dive into this book. This was one twisted read, and I mean that in a good way. I loved starting the novel off in Hawaii with Lux and her boyfriend, Nico, who have aspirations to sail beyond Hawaii together on Nico's boat. Enter Brittany and Amma, who offer to pay Nico to take them to the island Meroe Island, which has a very dark history from WW2. Then we eventually encounter Jake and Eliza, who appear, at first to be an unwelcome party on Meroe. I loved how each character's background is revealed slowly revealed in the alternating past/present chapters. As far as the characters go, I got a little annoyed by all of them because they were just not very smart, but I think I liked Jack the most. His sarcastic remarks throughout the book had me laughing out loud at times. This book gave me all the feels of an island isolation, which at times you can imagine would be the most wonderful feeling in the world, but at times, pure panic sets in. I got Leonardo Decaprio's movie, The Beach feels from this book. This, too, could be made into a movie. I really enjoyed it! 3.5 stars!!!

This book was incredible. From the very first page, I was hooked! I finished it in two days and I wish is was not over. Hawkins always delivers and this newest novel is no different. The peek into the characters previous lives was such a fun way to consume this story, just getting bits and pieces at a time made me more invested in the process. The twist at the end caught me off guard in the best way possible. Highly recommend!

I don't have a lot to say about this one, save for the fact that this book was entertaining in the strangest way for me. I hated probably every single character introduced, so I found it incredibly cathartic when they started being offed.

I was incredibly drawn in by the setting for this novel - I even ended up tweeting Rachel to ask if it was based on a real place (Palmyra Atoll, for the fellow curious!). A deserted island with an ominous past, and traces of military history lingering that lent the island an overt spookyness. Sharks, poisonous fish, and noises in the trees completed the atmosphere.

I may have hated the characters, but the general feeling of Oh No that pervaded the plot kept me reading. After a lukewarm first twenty percent or so, I ended up bingeing the rest on a Friday night. Once the action starts, it doesn't stop and I couldn't stop reading.

That's basically what this book boiled down to for me: readability and a really satisfying sense that everyone got what was coming to them in the end.

I liked this better then Hawkins' previous story. I thought the setting in the South Pacific was really cool. I enjoyed the gothic elements. Some of the characters felt a little flat for me.

This was a quick read! A great suspenseful summer read to break up all the lighter summer books I’ve been binging! I really enjoyed this one, and the authors writing is so creative as the chapters go back and forth with dual narrators. Definitely check this book out!

This was a great tropical thriller- I really felt like I was in the pacific with the characters. The book was almost perfect for me- I was a little confused by the last few pages. One of my best reads of 2021. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

4.5/5

Huge 5 stars for me! Paula Hawkins does a fabulous job of weaving this storyline together seamlessly. So many giant twists and turns that left me craving more and more. I could not put this book down, finished in one day.
Strong characters, setting and great POVs.
I loved the curve balls and creep factor!
Highly recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Loved this book! I couldn’t put it down. The book starts with Lux and her boyfriend living in Hawaii. They meet a couple girls and sail to a remote island, where they meet Jake, Eliza and Robbie. At that point I couldn’t put the book down :).

Excellent suspenseful thriller! Lux and Nico are living in Hawaii barely making ends meet, while saving to try to fix Nico’s boat. Then they meet two college girls who offer to pay for the repairs, if they will take them to a secluded island they want to spend some time on. Lux is more than ready to get away after dealing with a devastating loss and Nico is always up for adventure. This is not just any secluded island, this island has a reputation for being gorgeous but also deadly. When the couple and their new friends finally reach the island everything is great until they find that they aren’t the only visitors to the island paradise. Full of twists and turns this book is impossible to put down.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my ARC!

Lux and her boyfriend, Nico, are hired to charter Brittany and Amma, two college friends to Mereo, a deserted island for a two-week excursion. When the four arrive, they’re shocked to find a couple, Jake and Eliza, already there with a luxury catamaran.

Despite the oddity of finding others on the island, the two groups become friendly, enjoying parties on the beach, days of sunning, swimming, and exploring the surrounding jungle. Later, the arrival of another man causes cracks to form in the new and tenuous friendships. It’s obvious from the start there’s something “off” with Brittany and Amma, but as the story progresses it’s clear they’re not the only ones keeping secrets.

Timelines shift between past and present, slowly unraveling the backstories of Lux, Eliza, Brittany and Amma. The island becomes a character, at times beautiful and lush, others creepy and claustrophobic. A virtual Eden, it has a sinister past involving marooned soldiers and rumors of cannibalism. The author does an exceptional job with setting, making everything from the hot sun and warm salt water to cool jungle shadows come alive. It’s the chapters on the island that kept me the most enthralled.

I did waffle on how I felt about several of the characters due to their chameleon like personalities. And while I was able to ferret out part of the ending twist before the big reveal, I still enjoyed seeing myself proved right.

This is an entertaining read, quick and easy, perfect for beach or poolside. The ending is highly satisfying yet at the same time may leave you torn. It’s hard to say more without leading into spoiler territory, but the author definitely delivered a movie-worthy conclusion. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for review purposes.

Reckless Girls takes place in the beautiful Hawaii islands, where Lux and her boyfriend Nico are offered an opportunity of a lifetime! They are hired by two college BFF, Brittany & Amma, to sail them to Meroe Island for $50K. Metro Island is remote and mysterious, it makes for a good locked down mystery. Things take a turn when a sketchy stranger arrives to the island and everyone’s secrets comes out! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

#RecklessGirls #NetGalley #Edelweiss
Another knock out from Rachel Hawkins. A loved the thrilling suspense of the plot and the untruthfulness of the characters.

Rachel Hawkins is the master of dread in Reckless Girl. This book will make you uncomfortable in the best way and with a tropical, sandy, sunny, setting it is the perfect summer read.

We are taken to a deserted island near Maui where 6 near-strangers find themselves quickly forming bonds and enjoying the laid back freedom that comes with the break from civilization. Hawkins relays present day events through our main character, Lux, a 25 year old woman who is looking to travel the world with her new boyfriend, Nico. Best friends, Brittany and Amma, hire the pair to sail them to the mysterious Meroe Island in Nico’s boat, the Susannah. When they arrive, they encounter a very wealthy couple, Eliza and Jake, who have also chosen to spend some time on the island. The two groups form a fast and easy friendship, but when a strange drifter also lands on the shores of Meroe Island, things unravel fast.

The beginning of the book is a bit tough to get through as Hawkins lays the ground work and gives the background for Lux and Nico, but once the group arrives on the island you are hit with a constant feeling of trouble lurking just beyond your perspective. This sense of dread is contrasted by the depiction of the beautiful setting and the easy going fun our characters seem to be having. It is the equivalent to the opening scenes in a horror movie where everyone is having fun and enjoying life, but the constant suspenseful music in the background alerts the audience to impending doom. The fact that Hawkins can achieve such suspense with mere words on a page shows just how talented she is.

However, the last third of the novel falls a bit short for me. All that sinister suspense culminates in a lackluster resolution that wasn’t so dreadful after all. It might have been an even stronger read if the real action trickled out a bit more slowly rather than all at once in a few chapters. I still gave it 4 stars because it is a good solid read that I enjoyed right up to the end bit.

This was my first Rachel Hawkins book as I have been on the wait-list for The Wife Upstairs at my library for months now. Looking forward to reading that one and any other books Hawkins puts out in the future!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, the author, and Netgalley for a free e-copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins is a sun-dressed slow-burn thriller that would make that perfect beach or vacation read! The story revolves around a group of 6 people who meet on the mysterious Meroe Island. Lux and Nico are in a relationship, and they're hired by best friends Brittany and Amma to take them to the island. While there, they meet married lovebirds Jake and Eliza. Cue sex, drugs, and parties. Unfortunately, the island has a way of bringing out the worst of people - betrayal, violence, and murder. Will the group of 6 survive their island vacation? And what secrets from their pasts are itching to come out?

Here is a chilling excerpt from the prologue, when an as-yet-unnamed character is drowning in the ocean:

"Salt water and blood taste the same.
She’d never thought of that until now, until she was drowning in both, blood gushing from the wound in her temple, the sea rushing into her mouth.
Both are warm, tangy.
Both threaten to consume her.
It’s dark, but she can hear the waves lapping against the side of the boat, hear the frantic arguing somewhere above her. Moments ago, that argument mattered to her, but now she only cares about the pain in her head, the stinging of the salt, the ache deep in her chest.
In a way, it’s easier to let go. To let it happen."

After I read that excerpt, I knew I had to keep reading to find out what happens to the 6 characters. This book is definitely a page-turner. I could not put this book down! I ended up finishing it in 1 day because I couldn't stop reading. One highlight of this book is that this is a slow-burn thriller. The author takes her time introducing us to each character and has plenty of chapters set in the past to let us get to know what they were like before they sailed to Meroe Island. The chapters from the past also reveal secrets from the characters' lives that they're hiding from each other. I particularly enjoyed Lux's chapters and identified with her the most.

Another highlight of this book is the exquisite island setting. I love thrillers that are set in haunted or creepy locations, and the island in this book definitely fits the bill. Interspersed between chapters from the main 6 characters' perspectives are letters, notes, and emails from people who have previously stayed at Meroe Island. It becomes pretty obvious that being on the island doesn't lead to a relaxing vacation. I love these types of thrillers, because they're more interesting than the typical domestic thriller that takes place in a house. I enjoyed this book because I prefer reading about murders and missing people in an exotic setting.

As the characters slowly go crazy and secrets from the past are revealed, the plot takes its time and allows us to savor each revelation. There aren't any overtly exciting scenes until halfway through, but that's the beauty of a slow-burn thriller. We feel an increasing sense of unease and suspense without having anything to point to. As we read on, we feel terrified because we know something bad is around the corner. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of slow-burn thrillers, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in January!

ok, this was fun. A beach read if ever there was one! I loved Hex Hall over a decade ago, so imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this adult mashup of The Beach-meets-Murder On the Orient Express-meets-Dead to Me by the same author. Reckless Girls has it all: a gorgeous but mysterious (and deadly?) deserted island, a slew of shallow, beautiful, cunning people, and of course, an unexplained death.

Look, no one in this book is particularly likable. Narrator Lux, grieving the death of her mother, is rudderless and superficial. She follows her "human golden retriever" boyfriend Nico across the globe, only to get caught up in more than one love triangle with yet more unpleasant people. But shallow people make (lots and lots, really SO MANY) bad decisions and that's what makes this book so much fun. I wasn't surprised by the *twist* - it seemed fairly obvious after the first third - but that didn't even matter. And I don't regret staying up late to finish it in one night.

I give this 3.5 starts, rounded up.