An in depth psychological thriller. After the big twist/reveal about halfway through we really get into the kind of the killer. Kept me riveted throughout this book!

This was a great thriller with several twists and turns that I didn’t expect or predict!

Torin and Madison are friends who start a duo music group. With their success they are encouraged to form a band. They rather easily complete the band and all decide to go to a cabin for the weekend. A snowstorm derails their plans when they are in an accident. From there, they try to figure out how to survive in a blizzard in the middle of nowhere and they start dying one by one.

Sometimes when stories have this many characters I get confused but the author did a great job of developing the characters enough that they each stood out in the story. I thought I had it figured out at about the 40% in mark. But I was definitely incorrect! When the plot twist happened I was shocked!!

This thriller is definitely a different concept than many others I have read. Being a big music fan myself, I loved the aspect of them being in a band. I found the story to be very engaging and a quick page turner. I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, and Harlequin Trade publishing, as well as the author for this advanced readers copy.

It’s Pub Day for this amazing book!! There is so much to love in here. Female friendships turned toxic. I mean, what’s a little murder between band mates? This is my favorite of all of Mckinnon’s books. The flow of the writing kept me completely entranced, as did the characters. The dual timeline was done so well with the past gradually catching up to the present for an explosive shock. If you haven’t read this, I highly recommend it.

Interesting plot that definitely held a suspenseful thrilling ride. Besides a the documentary of a famous band sub-context, it is vastly different than Daisy Jones and the Six which it has been likened to.

Five women are on the edge of stardom with their band Bittersweet. As they travel together to an event in the Catskills, a car crash will have devastating consequences upon the group.

I loved every minute of this book. From the very beginning I was hooked. The writing is fantastic and the story is even better! I was not expecting such a huge twist in this book.

Only One Survives is a gripping addictive thriller. It's what a happens when Daisy Jones And The Six has dead people.

It's a blend of music, the amazing friendships we cultivate in young adulthood and the freedom of finding our way in our own. It's complicatedly layered with jealousy, selfishness and the quest to be known.

It makes you wonder what you would do on your rise to the top.

So good

One of those books that keeps you on the edge and wondering who's who and if what you read is what is really happening.
A well plotted and tightly knitted story, growing suspense, toxic relationships, and a dual timeline that helps you to understand and is never confusing.
Loved it, a page turner that kept surprising me and on the edge.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Hannah Mary McKinnon’s new release “Only One Survives” was fun and exciting for me to read. I love McKinnon’s storytelling, and how she weaves women’s fiction with Thrillers. Cabins always scare me. The title to this was electric enough to scare me! The musical element really had me loving it more. McKinnon does it again!!
#OnlyOneSurvives #NetGalley Thank you for the advanced reading copy in exchange for a fair and honest Review.

"Becoming the star is easier when the rest of your band is dead..."
Starting a band has challenges, but Vienna and Madison think as long as they have each other their band Bittersweet will be successful until one fateful day on a snowy mountain everything changes. Their van slides off the side killing one member and critically wounding another. An abandoned cabin sits idly in the snowy woods beckoning them in for shelter. What they don't know is that not everyone will survive. Each member will meet a gruesome fate. Madison disappears completely while Vienna is the only survivor...she thinks...
This is jaw dropping and twisted. The eeriness is amplified with the chilling atmosphere. You will not be able to predict this one because not everything is as it seems. A lot of characters to keep up with, but it helps that it is laid out with blogs, social media and news reports. It is really that good that I highly recommend you add this one to your TBR. It is so hot outside that I was relieved by the snowy scenes. It took me awhile to get to the end because it wasn't something I could enjoy while on the beach.
Thank you NetGalley andHarlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Only One Survives is true to it's name and will have you on the edge of your seat as they fall one by one.
Vienna Taylor didn't have it easy growing up, but behind her drums it all disappeared. Her best friend Madison sang and played the guitar, and together they formed an all girl band named Bittersweet. Things were looking up and they were finally getting noticed. But things took a turn when on the way to a gig they got caught in a blizzard and their car went off the road. With one member dead and another injured they find a place out of the storm but instead of finding safety one by one her bandmates begin to die, and Madison disappears. Vienna is forced to face the truth, was her friend capable of killing their bandmates? She can't believe it, but do the innocent run?
This was such a fun book, I couldn't put it down, and it had me guessing long past what made sense. This twisty thriller will keep you guessing and leave you awestruck. A must read!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Shotgun Beginning Focuses Into Laser Ending. This is one of those stories that opens up with a lot of moving parts, even as we only really get a single perspective of them, so it can be a bit difficult of a read to get into at first. Compelling, to be sure, particularly the accident during the blizzard, but through these intro sections the tale doesn't seem to know what it wants to be yet... and thus the reader may find it difficult to follow.

This noted, as the story progresses, things become ever more clear and pointed and the book finally decides what it wants to be... and oh, boy. Absolutely several interesting twists here, both within the story and in how the story itself subverts expectations of the reader.

Ultimately this is going to be one of those stories that seems like a bit of a challenge up front, even if compelling, but stick with it long enough for the tale to figure itself out. Because once it does, you're in for a fun time indeed.

Very much recommended.

This twisted thriller is full of surprises and revelations that I just didn’t see coming! Sure, there were clues and I did figure out some things about the band and the interactions between the characters, but there was so much that caught me with my mouth open, totally unsuspecting that the book was going in that direction. The story of a rock girl band would normally not be my kind of story because I’m not a rock fan, but the way the story developed, with Madison and Vienna meeting and starting their own duo and then including others who combined to create the sensationally popular Bittersweet, was a compelling read with lots of reasons to keep me reading. The first reason, of course, was that I really wanted to know who survived the horrible accident in the blizzard and what happened to the other members of the band. I could have never guessed the revelations that were like a snowball rolling downhill; they just picked up momentum and kept growing. I was not a real fan of any of the characters because I didn’t consider them particularly likable. On the other hand, all of them were well-developed and dynamic. The plot moved along at a good pace and then, like the revelations, picked up speed and took off like a rocket ship so that once I got to the second part and found out who survived, I really wanted to know what happened in that isolated mountain cabin and why only one survived. What a nail-biting story, with escalating tension and an immersive plot. The reading experience was like no other, with my determination to piece the clues together and the author’s mastery of keeping things secret until she was ready to reveal them. This was brilliantly written and intriguingly complex…highly recommend it, but be prepared to stay up late reading!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This story starts out with a horrific car crash. The band members end up taking shelter in an abandoned cabin during a winter storm. One by one, they start dying, and one band member goes missing.

This book is a pretty good ride. You are reading from the perspective of Vienna, who is one of the surviving members of the band. It jumps between the past and present and each timeline is fascinating. I found myself wanting to read the next chapter to see what would happen next.

I really enjoyed the main characters and this book took its time developing them. Vienna is all sorts of complicated, and I loved every minute of it. You never know who to watch out for in this book.

Overall, this is a pretty fast-paced read. The characters were complex, and the plot was well thought out. I would recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC to review. All opinions are my own. This book is available today, July 16, 2024!

It was a dream come true…until it became a nightmare. Best friends Vienna and Madison are about to achieve their dream. Their band is about to hit it big. They should be celebrating a bright future, but when a blizzard sends off the road in the mountains their future, their very survival, can be measured in hours. Now maybe it was because I was reading this one in the middle of a major storm (I had no power and the wind outside was howling) but I really got into this one. The story was intense and so many of the twists took me by surprise. It’s clear that fame is a dangerous beast! I believe this is my first time reading Hannah Mary McKinnon and I have to say I’m quite impressed and look forward to checking out more of her work. I’d like to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Only One Survives.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R34EWZZUNLXQBD/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This was not at all the story I was expecting from the synopsis. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more had I not gone in with different expectations. Not so spoiler alert, the majority of it doesn’t take place at the cabin. It’s not really a survival thriller like I thought it was going to be. There's a lot of backstory about Vienna and Madison growing up and forming the band. Then there's a lot of present day after the accident, with few flashbacks to the actual accident. The story becomes more about toxic friendships, the price of fame and fortune gone wrong, what people are willing to do to both obtain and maintain it. I found myself wanting to skim by the end. It was all just a little underwhelming to me. I have one particular gripe about it that is somewhat spoilery, so I’ll hide it here: I like unreliable narrators when they’re done right, but in this case it pissed me off. It wasn’t a known thing from the beginning, and instead I felt duped by the author when halfway through it was like… just kidding, this character isn’t at all like I told you they were, for the first 200 pages I was lying to you. And when that understanding and connection I’d been building with the character got ripped away, I was left not knowing how to feel anymore. Overall, it was just okay for me.

4.5 stars
Today is Bittersweet day!
It seems like ages ago when Hannah Mary McKinnon announced the plot of Only One Survives, and I've been anxiously awaiting since!
I love books about bands (Opal &Nev, Daisy Jones et al.) and once I found out her newest thriller centered on all-woman band The Bittersweet, I was hooked without needing one detail more.
Only One Survives is very well my new favourite of Hannah Mary's.
So join me in meeting the band - Vienna, Madison, Isabel, Gabi and Evelina.
This book is out today. (As I semi-creepily peer out the window anxiously awaiting my pre-order copy to land at my doorstep...)
And don't miss the Spotify playlist to accompany the book, picked by the author herself, along with original lyrics!
Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollinsca @htpbooks for my eARC for preview.

What really happened to The Bittersweet? I'd love to blurt out every juicy detail; you've got to read the thrilling story for yourself!

Picture this - an all-female band on the brink of stardom. They're on their way to an event when disaster strikes - their vehicle veers off a remote mountain road, and things turn dark. There's a fatal accident and a chilling disappearance.

From there, it's a heart-pounding tale of survival, friendship, and betrayal. With shifting timelines and unexpected twists, you'll be on the edge of your seat as the band members face one harrowing ordeal after another.

But that's just the start - the narrative delves deep into the complex relationship between the two lead members, Madison and Vienna. Once the action kicks off, you'll be unable to put the book down. "Only One Survives" is a story that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster - wild, intoxicating, and utterly captivating.

Although I have most of Ms. McKinnon's books on my TBR list, I was shocked to find this is the first I've read! I'm so impressed by this book and her kindness that I'll move them up on my list.

Thanks to the author and HTP Books/Mira for providing an ARC of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

#OnlyOneSurvives #HannahMaryMcKinnon #htpbooks #MIRA #htpinfluencer #pulsepoint #thepulse #thrillerbooklovers #thehive

Only One Survives is the perfect story of the ugly side of fame, and the lengths some will go to gain and keep it.

Firstly, I love how ambiguous the blurb is and how the foreshadowing gives nothing away while maintaining a lovely level of creepiness and foreboding. For a while I didn’t know if this was going to be a ghost story, if one of the characters was murdering the others, or if it was an outside person who had happened upon their unfortunate party.
The book is told in alternating timelines, before the accident the Bittersweet suffers and the years leading up to it, and after. We get amazing unreliable narrating and villains, toxic relationships, and a good look into what fame does to a person. The intensity throughout was so well done, I read this book in 2 sittings in 12 hours after having been in a slump.
The outcome was SHOCKING, and the final twist at the end was even more shocking despite having guessed at it previously.

I loved this book, I couldn’t put it down from start to finish and I’ve already added the author’s backlog to my TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 7/16/24

Thank you so much to HTP Books for the ARC!

This was such a fun and twisty read! I absolutely loved it!

Just when I thought I had everything figured out, McKinnon threw me a major curve ball and I LOVED the plot twists! And yes, twists plural because they just kept coming!

When a girl band crashes their car and ends up stranded in the snow, they take shelter at a nearest place they can find, an abandoned cabin in the woods. The stress and fear brings out the absolute worst in some of them and reveals what they have been hiding all along.

The story alternates between current day and past timelines in short chapters that had me flipping pages so quickly! The character building was done so well as they were all unique and easily distinguishable! If you're looking for a perfect thriller you won't be able to put down, this is it!

This one stars with an interesting premise, all female band started by two best friends, a car accident, major snowstorm, secluded cabin, one missing… sounds good right?!

Part 1 had me hooked, the story started in the present with an article/blog about the band and a tragedy. It then flips back to the past prior to the accident - how the two friends came to meet and their shared loved of music and the making of the band. The writing was smooth, I enjoyed the back and forth in timelines, the addition of social media comments and activity was fun, it was very well done…

Part 2 is where I start to lose interest…without giving anything away, I just didn’t believe it, the twist felt unbelievable to me based on the behavior and thoughts in part 1. It started to feel predictable and I figured what happened towards the end was inevitable… it was a little over the top for me and it just kept getting more ridiculous as it went on (400 pages)…

The grand reveal happened early and was not convincing based on the flow of the first part and the end was inevitable, no shock factor. The first half of the book was great, the second, not so much. Still a good read, but just adjust expectations on plausibility.

As mentioned, I do enjoy the writing and will read future work by this author. You Will Remember Me remains my favorite Hannah Mary McKinnon book to date.

Thank-you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC!