All drummer Vienna ever wanted was to make music. If that came with fame, she’d take it—as long as her best friend, guitarist Madison, was sharing the spotlight. And with their new all-female pop rock band gaining traction, soon everyone would hear their songs. Except, on the way to an event, the Bittersweet’s van careened off an icy mountain road—leaving one member dead and another severely injured. In order to survive the frigid night, the rest took shelter in a nearby abandoned cabin where a terrifying nightmare ensued. What really happened to the Bittersweet?

ONLY ONE SURVIVES is a lively thriller that offers a front-row seat to the tumultuous world of female friendships, jealousy, and the price of fame. The story introduces us to Vienna, a character with a complicated background and undeniable charm. Her friendship with Madison is endearing, yet there is an underlying sense of unease that lingers. Madison had this suspicious energy around her, that warrants the reader to watch her cautiously.

As the story progressed, alternating between the past and present, I found myself eagerly turning the pages in anticipation of what would happen next. While I thoroughly enjoyed the thrilling chapters set in the woods and cabin, the second part of the book introduced a shocking twist that I did not foresee. However, I must admit that the plot's pace slowed down somewhat after this revelation, causing me to lose a bit of focus. Despite this minor setback, ONLY ONE SURVIVES overall delivers a compelling performance, effectively capturing the essence of a cinematic experience and immersing the reader in the blizzard-like atmosphere alongside the characters.

As always Hannah smashes every expectation I have for a book, somehow everything she writes gets better and better. I absolutely devoured Only One Survives. The twists & turns had me flipping through pages so quick lol! An absolute must read.

Only One Survives delivers a tense, survival-driven thriller, but it doesn't fully live up to its potential. The premise—strangers trapped in a dire situation where only one can make it out alive—promises high stakes and gripping drama, and while the story has its moments of intensity, it often falls into familiar tropes.

The characters are distinct but feel somewhat underdeveloped, making it harder to become fully invested in their fates. While the plot builds suspense effectively in parts, the twists and turns are fairly predictable, and the emotional stakes don’t hit as hard as they could. The pacing is quick, which keeps the story moving, but it sometimes feels rushed, particularly in the final act where the resolution feels a bit too convenient.

For readers looking for a fast-paced, survival-themed thriller, Only One Survives offers an entertaining escape. However, those seeking a more original or deeper exploration of its themes may find it lacking. It’s a decent read, but not particularly memorable.

Madison and Vienna meet in high school and become fast friends. They are from totally different backgrounds, and Madison's parents do not want them to be friends, but they continue secretly. They form a musical duo, MV with both on vocals and Vienna playing drums and Madison playing guitar. Eventually they both end up in New York and are part of an all-girl band, named the Bittersweet. In a snowstorm on their way to a party, their van goes off the road and what happens next is unimaginable. Who survives?

Only One Survives is told in dual timelines, before the accident and after the accident. It is Vienna's POV and we learn about her and Madison's past through her eyes. It does jump back and forth, but I didn't have any problems keeping up. At times this did slow the story down somewhat for me, and the first half of the story was a slow build up. We learn who survives the crash within the first half of the book, but the rest is how the others die and eventually, who was responsible. The twists in this one came as a surprise to me and kept me reading to find out what exactly happened. My jaw dropped more than once. Social Media plays a big part in the story with Team Madison and Team Vienna going back and forth. There is another storyline dealing with Vienna's family, her upbringing and the relationship between her and her mother that adds another layer to this story. As this book wrapped up, there was one more twist that had my jaw dropping, although it might have been a bit over the top. I can't say anymore about this book without spoiling it, but if you enjoy a twisty mystery/thriller, than I recommend you pick this one up. Hannah Mary McKinnon continues to entertain me with her stories, and I will pick up whatever she writes.

The young all-female rock band called Bittersweet were headed to their next event, but they were driving in a terrible blizzard. Weather conditions were horrid and they became involved in a devastating car accident that left one of the girls dead, another severely injured, and one missing.

Due to an eerie series of events, the remaining survivors of the accident seemed to find safety in a dilapidated cabin near where the accident took place. However, the horrors they already experienced were only the beginning. Whether it is the frigid weather conditions, or the fact that there is not much in the way of warmth and supplies in the cabin, the survivors of the car accident are in for the ride of their lives.

Meanwhile, there is history that defines some of the relationships among the girls. With Vienna from a troubled household and Madison from a privileged one, their lives couldn’t have been more different. Sadly, I could relate to Vienna in more ways than one. Madison was quite relatable in her ways as well. With tension from the very start, and never once letting up, Only One Survives is an impeccable thriller.

Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I loved the all girl band as the main characters in this book. Who was messing with them and what was going on. Kept me reading to find out the answers. I will read more books by this author.

The premise of the all girl band and the accident was intriguing. However I lost interest with most of the characters. The twists were rather unbelievable and I figured out who was messing with Vienna early on. The ending was jarring and not at all satisfying.

I love novels by Hannan Mary McKinnon and this one was no different. I loved how hooked on this novel I was from beginning to end and waiting to see what would happen next,. It was a fast-paced, addicting read that I would recommend.

Hannah Mary McKinnon delivered us another gripping thriller with Only One Survives!! This is a dark and twisted tale that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story follows Vienna Taylor, a drummer whose dreams of making it big turn into a nightmare when her friends and bandmates die one by one after a horrific accident on a snowy winter night!

What I loved most about this book were the flashbacks to the time before the accident. These scenes gave so much depth to the relationships between the band members, especially Vienna and Madison. It added an emotional layer, making me care about the characters and their dynamics, which only made the events after the accident all the more chilling. These glimpses into their past felt like puzzle pieces slowly falling into place, giving context to the mystery that was unfolding before my eyes.

You are kept guessing through the entire book, with twists that had me questioning everyone's motives, especially Madison’s. Definitely Madison’s!!
The isolated cabin setting amps up the tension, and the slow reveal of what really happened to The Bittersweet was worth the wait. While I would have liked a bit more development in the final act, the book delivers a thrilling ride with a spine chilling conclusion. This book was full of suspense and emotional stakes!

Vienna Taylor and Madison Pierce became friends their senior year of high school, after getting into a fight on the first day. While serving detention together, they discover they both love music - both listening to it and playing it. The girls couldn’t be more different, with Madison’s wealthy upbringing and Vienna’s alcoholic abusive mother and creepy stepfather. But they have each other, and that’s what counts. After Madison leaves for college, Vienna figures their garage band days are over, as she’s stuck in their home town taking care of her ailing grandmother. After Grams dies, her mother kicks her out. Madison offers her a place to stay in her Brooklyn apartment with no hesitation, and in time, they start working on music again. After a performance goes viral, they add three more members to their group and give it a name - The Bittersweet. They’re on their way to big things when one day a car accident ends it all. At the end of it all, only one member of the band survives…but not because of the accident. One person lets the promise of fame lead them to do terrible things.

This was SO good! A true psychological suspense in my opinion - it check all the boxes: unreliable narrator, dual timeline, a bunch of terrible people (along with some innocent ones), and the added aspects of social media and the music industry. Most of the characters were unlikeable but the author still made it possible to empathize with them (to a point!). This is my first book by this author and it certainly won’t be my last!

This was an unsettling train wreck that you just cannot look away from, and I was invested in all of it. From the very beginning we are thrown into the action and trying to piece together everything that has already happened along with what we know about the characters and their relationships with each other. Then, watching everything unfold was just jaw dropping. I was instantly drawn into the story and read this in record time. There are quite a few characters at the beginning and I thought I would be confused but I settled in quickly and had no issues. Loved this one and definitely recommend it!

This book gave me all the "Yellowjackets" vibes, and I was loving it!! I really enjoyed the twisty, toxic friendships, the love-to-hate characters, and the middle of the way reveal. I could see this as a movie in my head, so I hope some day that that happens.

I really like Hannah Mary McKinnon’s writing, so I looked forward to this novel. Well written, I read this book within a day, and was pretty intrigued through the first half of the novel, and couldn’t put it down, The second half lost me a bit, although there really was an interesting twist to the storyline. Although it wasn’t my favourite book from McKinnon, I did enjoy it overall and do look forward to her next novel.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for this ARC!
3.5/5

“All drummer Vienna Taylor ever wanted was to make music. If that came with fame, she'd take it-as long as her best friend, guitarist Madison Pierce, was sharing the spotlight and singing lead.
And with their new all-female pop rock band gaining traction, soon everyone would hear their songs...

Except, on the way to an event, the Bittersweet's van careened off an icy mountain road during a blizzard-leaving one member dead and another severely injured.
In order to survive the frigid night, the rest took shelter in a nearby abandoned cabin. But Vienna's dreams devolved into a terrifying nightmare as, one by one, her fellow band members met a gruesome end…..and Madison simply vanished in the night.

What really happened to the Bittersweet? Did Vienna's closest friend finally decide to take center stage on her own terms?
She doesn't want to believe it.
But guilty people run.”

I was a little hesitant to read this as I figured the focus would be on the band part. But it was more on Vienna and Madison’s life, how they became best friends, and their story during and after high school.


Part 1 was great. I was so into it. Loved the different timelines, especially the time before the accident. Part 2 bored me. It was basically the same as part 1. This book was longer than it needed to me in my opinion.


Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a DRC. Only One Survives is available no.

Thank you so much for an early copy. Unfortunately I could not stay interested in it. But I know many will love this

This was a thriller with a few good twists but I just had a hard time getting really interested in what happened to the characters. None of the characters were very likable and the story seemed to drag on in a few parts. The fmc was self absorbed and immature and her narration was repetitive at times. Overall the book was interesting but I never really got invested or cared too much what was going on. I think it could have been stronger. Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy.

Omg is all I can say about this book! This book had me guessing the whole time. Definitely a page turner I couldn’t put it down. I had no idea what was coming and was totally not expecting the ending. Definitely recommend and will definitely read more from this Author!

Thank you to HTP Books for sending me a copy of ONLY ONE SURVIVES. This one is out July 16.

I really enjoyed this book. It put me through a roller coaster of emotions and really left me doubting my own instincts of where it was going the whole time. The characters, the atmosphere and a girl pop punk band, what else could you ask for?I love Hannah Mary McKinnon and will always have her on my auto read list.

Let me start by saying that I was heavily invested in this premise -- an all-girl rock band on their rise to fame, thwarted by a freak car accident and possibly murder? Heck yeah.

How this transpires is where the novel fell flat for me. Up until the second half, I devoured this story and couldn't wait to see what happens next. Once I got to the major "twist" in the back half of the book, I literally groaned. To me, it felt like the story needed varying perspectives. I'm all for an unreliable narrator, but COME ON.

The reader is also required to suspend disbelief with much of this book as well. A fast and entertaining read for sure, and maybe it was just me looking at other reviews. Take my feedback with a grain of salt, I suppose!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely loved this book, the first part is interesting as it tells the story of what happened to the band at the cabin following the car crash. I loved the back and forth of how the band came together as well as how Madison and Vienna became friends and the hard times Vienna had. What got me was the second part, everything following the crash and how Vienna was dealing with the fallout. The first part keeps you guessing about things and the second part turns everything you thought on its head! I absolutely could not stop reading this book and needed to know how everything would end!