⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨ (4.5/5)

Short Synopsis: Daisy Jones and The Six but make it a thriller.

I did this one as an audiobook and the narrator was a perfect fit. Many have compared this one to Daisy Jones and The Six by TJR, and IMO that’s totally fair.

The story jumped back and forth and flowed well. It was a little slow in the beginning while we got acquainted with everyone and their unsavory antics. The pacing picked up and the similarities with the style of DJATS really came into play about midway through the story at which point it was totally invested.

There was codependency, backstabby stuff and mommy issues galore on this one. Talk about conniving!

I loved that Vienna & Madison were such a force. Their characters were both so well defined and I loved how they played off each other.

I def recommend this one.

I really liked the audiobook was done. The interview style is always so much more fun on audio in my opinion. I’m also a sucker for the one by one trope. I enjoyed the twists and turns it took. Overall, a solid 3 star read. Nothing spectacular but a fun ride!

Multiple timelines and POV’s keep you hooked on reading this one. It was hard for me to put down. Great job by the author to keep me wondering what had really happened.

The first half was slow, I really had to force my myself ti pick it up and keep reading. But the second half was much better . Although dual timeline is not my favorite, and the book had an interesting twist at the end. It surprised me!

This had a good pace and it kept me engaged and wanting to know what happened!!! This story is about a female rock band. They are on their way to an event when the van hits some icy weather. One is dead and one badly injured but one by one they start disappearing. Definitely enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
What a roller coaster ride of a novel! The story of Vienna, Madison, and their band The Bittersweet has so many twists-and most of them you’ll never see coming. This truly had me guessing right up until the last page. Loved it!!

For fans of Meghan Miranda....Okay, buckle up, because "Only One Survives" is a total rollercoaster! You've got these two high school besties (total opposites) who decide to start a band. Then, years later, they get the whole crew back together for something even bigger.

The book jumps back and forth between their high school days and the present, and man, it's intense. In the present, bam! Car crash, and things get seriously messed up. The past fills in all the blanks, showing you how they got to this crazy point.

The way it flips between timelines is seriously addictive. You're always dying to get back to the present and see what happens next. The tension just keeps building, and when you think you know what's going on? BAM! That ending twist? Didn't see it coming.

Seriously, this book is a wild ride of thrills and emotions. You'll be hooked from the first page. If you love a story with a killer twist, you have to read this one!

“Perfect for Daisy Jones & The Six fans who want an element of mystery and twisted suspense with their music”

This book was such a crazy time from beginning to end. I loved how this book was more than just a thriller, and it really kept my attention throughout. I did feel that the book was slow at times and dragged a little at the beginning, but when it finally started to pick up in the second part I seriously could not put it down. Everytime I thought I had guessed what was going to happen or what the next twist was going to be, I was always wrong to the point where it kept me guessing til the very end. Plus, I’ll be thinking about that ending for a very long time. Overall, I really loved the mixed media aspects of the book including transcripts of podcasts/articles, and I felt that this was a very solid thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book was full of suspense and twists I did not see coming. It was a unique story and I really enjoyed it.
This review was also posted on Goodreads

Will the spotlight change who you are and what you’re capable of?

This book was full of twists and turns. Broken up into parts 1&2, just when you think you have a grasp on motive and means/— things can change.

Fun book, couldn’t put it down. #teamvienna

Thank you netgalley, the publisher and author for giving me a chance to read this.

There were a couple of twist that kinda surprised me. But it still wasn't what I was expecting. It was a thriller but had a toxic vibe to it.

Hannah Mary McKinnon’s Only One Survives is a chilling, gripping thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The story follows Vienna Taylor, a drummer in an up-and-coming all-female pop rock band, as her dream of musical fame spirals into a nightmare after a horrific crash on an icy mountain road. When the van carrying the band veers off the road during a blizzard, Vienna’s world shatters as one of her bandmates dies and another is severely injured. Seeking shelter in an abandoned cabin, the remaining members of the group begin to meet gruesome ends, and Vienna’s closest friend, Madison, disappears without a trace.

The suspense builds relentlessly as Vienna is left to grapple with what happened that fateful night. With her memories blurred and conflicting emotions swirling, she is forced to confront the possibility that Madison—her best friend—may have had a darker side and could be responsible for the deaths. The questions are endless: Was it truly an accident? Or was there something far more sinister going on behind the scenes?

McKinnon expertly weaves a tale of suspense, guilt, and the fragility of friendship. The isolated, snowbound setting heightens the tension, and the psychological drama between the bandmates intensifies with every twist. Vienna’s internal struggle, coupled with her fear and confusion, makes for a deeply compelling narrative that explores the complexity of human nature and the lengths people will go to in order to protect themselves or others.

Only One Survives is a captivating thriller that will resonate with fans of psychological suspense. The shocking twists and dark, atmospheric tension will keep you hooked until the final, jaw-dropping conclusion. This is a must-read for anyone who loves stories about trust, betrayal, and survival.

I believe this was my first book by this author and it was a pretty decent thriller. A couple of the big plot twists did shock me but one of them towards the end I thought was kinda dumb. I definitely preferred reading about the accident and after the accident rather than the past parts. I love music with my whole heart but I don't care to read about bands and everything. I really disliked the main character Vienna but that shouldn't be a big surprise.

This was a welcome change to your usual thriller with the rockstar drama added to it! The twists and turns were great I loved how you figured out who did it while still having to figure out they why. This book honestly kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I read it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for a honest review.

Thriller that centers female friendships and rockstar drama? Okay, diva!

Not at all what I thought this was going to be and a totally welcome surprise! Well paced with brilliant characters that you root for (or at least want to know more about) from go.

And not entirely predictable which was a great change of pace, thriller wise.

I would like to start off by thanking netgalley for the arc of this book. If you love a mystery thriller with teenage rockstars this book is exactly for you.
Everything is going as Vienna Taylor wanted. She wanted to be a drummer and her best friend/guitarist Madison is just the person to help with the spotlight by signing lead. Just as all of this was coming to a head their van crashed off an icy mountain during a blizzard. Unfortunately one of their band members dies and another one is greatly injured. They managed to find a cabin that is abandoned to stay in, although one by one all her band members either meet their end or in Madisons case, disappeared. What really happened during that night?

I absolutely loved this book! It was so well written and well done. It honestly kept me at the edge of my seat until the very end wanting to find out what really happened.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for granting me an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

“I guess it’s the price you pay for fame.”

This book was a roller coaster of emotions! A gripping tale of female friendship, rivalry, and ambition, Only One Survives is harrowing in its inner look at the cost of fame… and how far some will go to get it.

I was hooked immediately! Full of twists and turns, I couldn’t put this book down as I eagerly raced to the end in an effort to figure out what was going on. This one will definitely keep you on your toes.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book.

I was really hooked at the beginning. I kept reading because I was so curious as to where it was going. Then came part 2. You find out what happens but the rest of the book is spent figuring out WHY. This was the part I figured out quickly. Since I now knew who and I had a good (correct) guess for why, the book was very boring. I didn’t find this to be very suspenseful/thriller. Honestly it felt very lifetime movie.

This is a case of set your expectations right, and you might have an okay time.

I thought I would be reading a thriller about a girl band that gets stranded in a creepy cabin in winter. While that does happen, it's not where you spend most of your time. Most of this book is a contemporary story about two 20 year olds living in NY and forming a band. They meet in high school, bond over toxic parents, and then go on to have an equally toxic friendship. Later, when things go bad for the band, the story becomes a commentary on the price of fame. It was totally fine, just not what I was looking for.

When I started reading the book, I kept thinking why in the world is this "thriller" 400 pages??? Here's why: You're basically told everything once, and then retold again. Any thrill this could have had was sapped by the weird structure and pacing. Parts also felt really discordant. You had these super mundane and reality based living life chapters, followed by train to cuckoo town events requiring full suspension of disbelief.

This wasn't bad, but I'd much prefer either a ticket to cuckoo town thriller, or a serious contemporary with a mystery element. Both in one, just didn't work for me.