Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to review this title.

A 3.75 rating.

First, I want to address the beautiful cover. That is what really drew me in and want to read this book. The bright yellow with the island vibe details were well done and complements the story.

This was my first thriller read from author Rachel Hawkins. Having only read The Ex-Hex from her alias and not really enjoying it I was hesitant to dive into this story. However, the cover art won me over and within the first 15% I was hooked. This story follows Lux (our main character) who has poor judgement when it comes to the men in her life. Her current boyfriend, Nico, is a sailor who is down on his luck but refuses to ask his family for funds to help repair his boat so that they can continue their journey. One day after losing her job Nico approaches Lux with a chance to earn a lot of money for sailing two women (Brittany and Amma) to an abandon island so they can check a box off of their traveling list. When they approach the island, they encounter two fellow sailors with a dirty secret and an additional free-range traveler who happens upon the island a few days later. What follows is a story of betrayal, murder and a twisted friendship.

This story was definitely worth reading and will keep you engaged from page one.

Thank you MacMillan, Rachel Hawkins, and Netgalley for this audio in exchange for my review. This is the second book I’ve listened to of this author and definitely will not be the last. Loved every second of listening to it! 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2 rating from me.

3.5 stars

Have you ever seen that movie “The Beach?” Well look out! Here is the literary equivalent!! I was psyched when I read the publisher’s description!

We meet Lux, the narrator of the present day storyline. After losing her mom to a lengthy battle with Cancer and being neglected by her dad, she decides it’s time for a fresh start. So when she meets the laidback handsome Nico, she can’t help but be swept off her feet and jumps at the chance to sail around the world with him. However, a year later, they are still in Hawaii with Lux unhappily working as a maid to keep them afloat while Nico spends his days at the dock. While there, he meets Amma and Brittany, two young and beautiful college friends travelling together. After talking Lux into coming along on another adventure, Nico agrees to take the two of them to a remote island, which unbeknownst to them, is notorious for having bad juju. When they get there, they discover that another couple has already beat them there. However, the six of them become fast friends until betrayals start happening and hidden truths start being revealed. When someone dies, Lux starts questioning how well she really knows any of them and could one of them be a murderer?

I loved the setting of this story. I had vivid images in my mind of the boats, the island and the ocean. I also thought the plot was well executed with spot on pacing. There was no boredom to be felt as the story moved along at a fast pace. Yet there was something lacking…

I kept waiting for something really big and out of left field to happen but it never did. There were several twists and a suspenseful atmosphere but overall the plot just didn’t peak for me. I also had a hard time with some of the characters being portrayed as shallow caricatures . There was nothing redeeming about them so it was challenging to connect or care about them.

The audiobook performance was super engaging. Well narrated and good fun! I would recommend this book as it’s a unique framework for a domestic thriller and was a quick and intriguing read. Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have very mixed feelings about this book! I really enjoyed the setting and the overall idea of this book but I felt the pacing and ending were a miss.
The first 75% was good and entertaining. We got flashbacks of most characters and it was fun trying to guess how they would be connected (I did end up guessing correctly)!
The last 25% got a little gruesome and weird for me. I wished we would have gotten a different ending out of this book.
I would recommend this book to readers who aren’t afraid of very dark books, enjoy revenge plots and enjoy reading mysteries set on a desert island.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

Yikes! This book started out really well. The setting is intriguing and the writing throughout is excellent. I thought I'd really like it, but it devolved into something so dark and violent that I didn't really enjoy it. There is not a single character to like or to care about, although that doesn't become totally clear until the latter part of the book. I was grateful to have access to this book through NetGalley (my thanks also to St. Martin's Press/Macmillan Audio), and in the NetGalley feedback, I did say I'd recommend it to book clubs and through readers' advisory, especially since it's seems many people gave this book high ratings. However, I'd want to make sure the prospective reader would enjoy a dark book, because I don't think it's for everyone. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Barrie Kreinik, and she was absolutely wonderful in every way.

#RecklessGirls is a adventurous story that was entertaining and had me until the end. This story takes place in a paradise with sunny beaches and has a adventure with some love, action and deception. #BarrieKreinik did a terrific job narrating this story. #RachelHawkins is one of my new favorite authors. Thank you #Netgalley and #MacmillanAudio for giving me this awesome opportunity.

This was an excellent thriller and I definitely did not predict the ending. Realistic characters and it was interesting how everyone's true motives were gradually revealed.

This is my first experience with Rachel Hawkins, and I enjoyed her description of the setting. Meroe is lush and beautiful, but deadly. The sailboats, even if Nico’s seems a bit cramped with 4 people, make me want to sail myself with such dreamy accommodations. I loved her character names, but liking the characters was difficult.

They are all twenty-something years old and extremely privileged, with the exception of Lux to a point. It was hard to root for them because when you got the backstories, they came across as brats to a degree. Yes, some experienced some trauma and great loss turning them into the present characters in the book, but even so, redeeming qualities were few. Lux is the main female character, and she is described as a survivor of sorts. However, she is very wishy-washy. I am a bit surprised that so much hinged on her character.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this story, and I’m not sure if that is indicative of Hawkins’s writing because this is my first experience with her. I had a hard time keeping up with the audio and switching POVs at times. Thankfully, the narrator had such a flair for accents (American, British, Aussie) that was the only way I knew what was happening. I have a love-hate relationship with alternating perspectives. This book isn’t the best use of them, but it also isn’t the worst either. I liked it, but it was hard for me to keep up, particularly in the middle section of the book.

Based on other reviews of a print version, the author said in her acknowledgements that she has always wanted to write a “boat murder” book, and she has accomplished that. The ending surprised me a little, and I think that is primarily because I couldn’t keep the story straight in my head during the middle of the listen. Clearly, it will come across differently in print.

This book was a good piece of escapist fiction for me. I appreciated the tropical locale in a dreary December! I also like the literary references (The Virgin Suicides and the Island of Dr. Moreau...even if the second was a bit heavy-handed). A solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

**Do brace yourself for the language if that is something that bothers you.**

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listen!

I really enjoyed The Wife Upstairs, so I was excited to listen to another thriller from Rachel Hawkins, and this one was also very suspenseful. The story is about a young woman named Lux who sails with her boyfriend from Hawaii to a remote island in the South Pacific when they are hired to take 2 women there. Initially they enjoy lounging in the sun and partying with a wealthy couple who sailed their luxury catamaran to the same island. But then they discover that Meroe Island has dark secrets in its past involving shipwrecks and cannibalism, and another stranger arrives who has an ominous feeling about him. As the storyline digs into the pasts of some of the characters, things start to take a darker turn. In the end I found that the characters were not exactly likeable although I did feel sorry for some of their circumstances. But the twists were outstanding and made for a thrilling and fast paced story.
Barrie Kreinik did a fantastic job of narrating the audiobook. Her take on the on many different personalities and accents and her storytelling really kept me on the edge of my seat.

It took me a while to decide if I was going to stick with this book but I'm glad I did. It took quite a few chapters to get attached to the characters, and I will say that I never really liked them, but they did get more entertaining as it went on. So forget that they are douchy 20-something beach bums and stick with it. You will be rewarded.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this one, so it did really keep me guessing. About halfway through, I was pretty convinced it was a bizarre Christie-retelling of And Then There Were None. All of the characters are hiding something, so I was pretty sure I was going to find out the dirt on all of them and why they must all die, but it took a different turn. I should have expected that from other Rachel Hawkins books. They always have wonderfully juicy plot twists and this one was no exception.

Stick with it. It started really hooking me about 20% in and I ended up loving it!

Reckless Girls sucked me in from the beginning. I haven’t read a book like it and was really enjoying the refreshing island setting and story. The big plot twist and ending had so much potential. While I didn’t see it coming, it felt almost disappointing after such a good setup throughout the book. I was left wanting more/something different but could see why Hawkins went the way she did. Overall, this book is a quick, twisty thriller that would make a great beach read!

The narrator did a great job with emotion and voice changes. I will be adding her to my list of narrators to listen to as she made the story a great listen!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 Stars Rounded Up

It's probably my own fault that I didn't like this book. I should have researched it more. I don't usually like raunchy books full of sex talk and swearing. 😬 Maybe I'm a prude. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Thought I would enjoy this since I liked The Wife Upstairs so much. Boy was I wrong! Horrible characters that you couldn't possibly route for, a convoluted story that I didn't care if I ever got straight, and more F-bombs than remotely necessary. I will say the reader's ability to switch from American to British to Australian accents was amazing! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A young woman, Lux is trying to figure her life out when she meets a charming, handsome Nico and sails to Hawaii with him. They have plans to sail around the world together once they can save up the money to make needed repairs for his boat. Luck would have it that Nico is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime when he is asked to take two wealthy young women, Brittany and Amma, to a remote island for an incredible amount of money. Not only will they make the needed repairs to the boat but they want him to bring Lux along. What could possibly go wrong? The fact that the island is uninhabitable due to the lack of food and water for starters. There are also rumors of misfortune to those that have stayed on the island in the past which also doesn't bode well for the young travelers. There is also a lot of deception, betrayal and secrets amongst the group during this vacation. Everything begins to spiral out of control as the group finds themselves in danger.

I really enjoyed this story. It was unexpected and went in a different direction that I thought it was going which was a very pleasant surprise. Solid thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end. If you are a fan of Ruth Ware, Agatha Christie or Lucy Foley I believe you would enjoy this book. The audio version was narrated well.

4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #RecklessGirls #RachelHawkins

What a wild ride! I absolutely loved this thriller that unfolds on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific. This story of intrigue and suspense under sunny skies, blue seas, and sailing masts would make a perfect escape in the doldrums of Northern Hemisphere January! The narrator of this book did a great job as well, making this a fun listen. I highly recommend this!

A dark and twisty travel thriller that sees a group of strangers with suspect pasts sailing together to a deserted tropical island. Told in a dual timeline with multiple POVs this one kept me on my toes and had a deliciously jaw dropping ending. Perfect for fans of Roz Nay's Hunted and great on audio narrated by Barrie Kreinik. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copies!

I'm going to give this 3.5 and round it up. Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the audiobook ARC.

What I liked:
-The parallel storylines. I don't always enjoy "then/now" storytelling but Rachel Hawkins is very adept with it in this novel, and the switches are never jarring or inappropriately timed as they often are with this genre.
-The characters. I really enjoyed the gradual unravelling of each character's history and motives, and how well those snapshots were woven into the "present" narrative. Almost every character gets some history, but the primary narrative is focused on the women (hence the title).
-The tension. There is just enough of a dark/uncomfortable/"off" undercurrent between all of these characters to give you pause without ruining the discomfort and uneasiness that gradually ratchets up as soon as the group arrives at the island.

What I could take or leave:
-The island. Naming the island "Moreau" is a bit heavy-handed, especially since it takes a bit for the creepiness to settle in and start affecting the characters. Yes, we do get some early glimpses at why the island was given that name, but I still didn't latch on to the tension and borderline hysteria that grips you for the last third of the novel.

What I disliked:
-The finale. It was a bit too cliché for the drama on the island to have ended the way it did. Without spoilers - I do not buy the epilogue.
-The title. I went into this anticipating a chaotic energy akin to the movie Spring Breakers, and while I'm not disappointed with what I DID get I wouldn't characterize any of the characters or their actions as reckless.

Honorable Mention:
-Barrie Kreinik's narration. They switched very believably between accents & adopted deeper pitches for the male voices without the campy quality that a lot of non-male narrators have when they read male dialogue. The only unbelievable accent was the southern one, which I accept might be entirely because I am southern myself.

This story was a little predictable. With her last book I thought I knew what was going to happen and at the end I was thrown for a loop. I was hoping while I was reading/listening that the same thing would happen, but unfortunately there was not really a big twist. There was a lot going on that kept you involved in the story, I was just hoping for a little more shock based on her previous novel.

It hurts my heart to rate this one as only 3 stars, but it REALLY failed to resonate with me the way I was hoping it would. I was so intrigued by the description, and as a Rachel Hawkins fan, I was SO excited to read this. An abandoned island, a group of strangers, and a little romance...what else could you ask for? Well, a lot, apparently, because this one really wasn't all I hoped it would be. I think the biggest issue with this was the lack of character development, so it felt like all of these characters were thrown together for no reason (it becomes very apparent that that is not the case towards the end of the book) but for the most of the book I just felt myself wondering why it felt so randomly put together. The story just didn't seem to flow and the series of events just didn't make much sense logically. Without too many spoilers, the random romances in this just left a sour taste in my mouth and made me loath all of the characters. The ending made it seem like we should really be rooting for Lux, but the events leading up to it really made it hard for me to root for her and like her. The ending line was the best part of the book in my opinion and I felt like it really didn't fit Lux's storyline as well as I would have liked it to. The lack of likable characters really hurt this story. The ending twist just seemed way too convenient and just really didn't resonate with me. I am sad to say this was not one of my favorites from Rachel Hall. Although this one wasn't for me, I think many readers will still enjoy it for what it is. I did find it interesting and enjoyable but it just is not one that will stick with me for long. My favorite part of the audio was that it was narrated by Barrie Kreinik, who can make me enjoy any audiobook. She is a fantastic narrator. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Squee!! What a dark and twisty ride! A great narration and a fun quick weekend read. A sailing adventure to a deserted island turns lord of the flies.