Such a fun, wicked read even if I found the twist a little deceitful to the reader. It still worked and I was hooked!

Rating 3.5
It started out great. I was hooked in the beginning about at 70-80% or so it fizzled out. Some of the twists I did not see coming but some were predictable. I did not like the ending and the person who was messing with Vienna was easy to figure out for me. Overall, it was ok but not memorable.

This was not expected. The first 50% felt boring and annoying at times. I was thinking my review would say the main character and her ignoring Madison's behavior became annoying. Well, get to 50-60%, and the story isn't boring. Parts of this reminded me of Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, which I gave 5 stars. I’d give this 3.50-3.75 stars. I’ll round up to 4 stars. The second half was wild, but the first half felt like it dragged a bit. With me even thinking of dnfing, but I'm glad I didn't.

Loved this book. It had some great twists and plenty of suspense. When the all-female band Bittersweet drives off an icy mountain, trouble begins. Who do you trust?? I had to stay up late into the evening to finish this story, I just had to know how it ended. Boy, was I surprised at the turn of events. I would highly recommend this book to all who enjoy a good suspenseful thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trading Publishing for the advance reading copy.

McKinnon's Only One Survives masterfully combines the intensity of rock 'n' roll with the tension of a thriller. This novel takes you deep into the dark side of fame and friendship, keeping you on edge with its gripping, unpredictable storyline. The characters are raw and real, making their struggles and fears palpable. If you're into stories that mix music, mystery, and suspense, this book is a must-read.

Hannah Mary McKinnon always delivers with a twisty tale that keeps you guessing. Her latest novel is classic Hannah. Loved the premise of a girl rock band. As the story progresses you are questioning everything and everyone. I love how this story unraveled and how it makes you feel lots of different emotions. It had some great spooky vibes to it as well. Always enjoyable picking up her books!

This was a really cool read. I enjoyed the structure of the story going between present day and before/after the accident. The band aspect of the story was unique and interesting for a suspense read. I was shocked at the mid story twist and from that point on I was totally hooked trying to figure out how this would all end. Towards the end of the story as things started to unravel, I got a feeling of unease as crazier and crazier things started to occur. I also enjoyed the different mediums such as news articles and interviews. This story was gripping and I really enjoyed it. The ending was great!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my copy of this ARC which published 7/16/24.

🌟 Just finished the most gripping read, and I’m still buzzing from the rollercoaster of emotions! 🎸✨ "Only One Survives" takes us on a wild journey through fame, friendship, and the incredible strength of women. Vienna and Madison’s bond is electric, and let me tell you, their drive to succeed is contagious! From their heartwarming beginnings to the tragic moments that test their friendship, every page pulled me deeper into their world. 📚💖

If you’re looking for a book that combines intense twists with unforgettable characters, this is it! It’s like an 80's rock anthem that you can’t help but crank up to full volume! 🎶💥 I dove into this story and found myself lost in the highs and lows, and trust me, you’ll want to carve out some time to get fully immersed. Go grab a copy and let me know what you think! Happy reading! 📖✨ #Books #Fiction #MustRead #BookLovers #BittersweetBond

4.5 rounded down to 4

Hannah Mary McKinnon is back and questions how well do you know your friends:

All Vienna Taylor wanted was to make music as a drummer, it was part of her, her escape and when all the hard work pays off, along with her best friend Madison, they form an all female group, The Bittersweet. They are just starting to find a following, getting recognition when the unforeseeable happens, an icy road sends them on the fight for their lives. They take shelter in an abandoned cabin hoping to outlast the winter storm. But one by one Vienna's friends and bandmates meet a gruesome end and her best friend Madison disappeared into the night and Vienna struggles to come to terms with it and the end of the Bittersweet. What happened to the Bittersweet? Is Madison still out there? But do guilty people run?

Wow, this book really surprised me. I have read a few books by McKinnon and I have learned that she does not always take the road most traveled with her books and the twists that she employs along the way are amazing. Only One Survives is no exception. I really enjoyed this book and it kept me really entertained in wanting to know what happened to the band that night as well as what is going to happen to Vienna in the present.

I loved that McKinnon had two timelines in this book, I felt that it help keep the reader on their toes as we go back and forth to discover how the band came together but also what happened the night of the tragic accident.

With two timelines, I was surprised that we only got Vienna's POV, I thought that McKinnon would have more than one band member have a POV but it really worked in McKinnon's favour. The reader is really able to see the progression of Vienna through her story, of being a girl who loved drumming for the escape it provided her to the (almost) rockstar she wanted to be and the changes in her personality along the way and the way she interacts with the people around her. There were many times when I wanted Vienna to say something and stick up for herself, but it was just who she was. You will feel sorry for Vienna in both timelines with her different struggles.

I will say that the book felt a little long winded by the end as I knew how it was going to play out, but everything up to that point was really well done. Plus that ending was everything I wanted it to be.

I think this is now my favourite book by McKinnon so far. I was glued to my seat in both timelines to see how everything was going to unfold, highly recommended book if you are looking for one with suspense (I would say domestic suspense type book) or a music related book of the coming of age of a band.

Enjoy!!!!

I loved this book! It’s one of those books that has you seeing a character a certain way at first but then BAM! You were wrong. And it makes you want to reread the first half of the book to catch things you may have missed! And even when the truth about a person is out…I was still surprised at the ending! #teamVienna
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced readers copy.

This was my first from this author and it won't be my last! So many twists and turns. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning but once it pulls you in you can't stop! I love it!

Thank you for this arc!

I was completely captivated by the first part of this book. I had a hard time putting it down and was completely immersed in the dual timeline story that was being told. Sadly, the second half of this novel fell apart for me. I did appreciate the twist and thought it was clever but there was way too much story after that. I could have easily lost fifty pages of it and still come away with a firm grip on the story. I also did not enjoy the epilogue and thought it added nothing to the book.

McKinnon is a talented author but I feel like the story got a bit lost in the message or idea she was trying to portray. And I don't necessarily disagree with the message but it was just so repetitive and unrelenting that I found myself just skimming some pages so I could move onto the next thing.

However, I loved the first half of this book so much that I still think that it's a book worth picking up. And as much as I have talked about how I wasn't that impressed by the latter half of this book I do think that this story will stick around with me for a while. This book went to some dark places that I wasn't expecting and did it in such a seamless way that it felt natural even if what was happening was unpleasant.

McKinnon did a fabulous job of interweaving various timelines and a little bit of mixed media in the first half to build the suspense and anticipation of what was happening in the current time that I was truly swept up into the story. I hope that if the synopsis sounds good to you that you will give this book a try and hopefully enjoy the second half more than me!

This book was not what I expected! The story has multiple twists I didn’t see coming all the way up to the end. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. I think this book may be of particular interest to those who like a thriller and music!

Hannah Mary McKinnon is at the top of her game with Only One Survives.


Everytime I pick up a book by Hannah I’m always prepared to have my mind blown. She consistently exceeds my expectations for what a twist thriller can do. Only One Survives is perhaps my favourite of hers yet.

This book explores fame, fantasy, friendship and survival through the present day when the band Bittersweet is in a tragic accident with only one apparent survivor, Vienna; and the past when Vienna and her best friend Madison meet and build their friendship and band. Hannah writes incredibly strong, powerful and morally gray women. I’d love to see Vienna and Madison perform. Their bond is electric. And their drive is endless. They’ll stop at nothing to be a success.

Only One Survives is like an 80’s rock anthem – it soars and builds and you can’t tune it out. This is one of those books that you need to have time to sit down and be sucked into. There’s twists and turns, and like with all the best thrillers, not everything nor everyone is as it seems.

I adored this book. It’s hard to gush about it without giving away spoilers. I loved the dynamics of bittersweet, the tension building up to and after the accident, and the past POVs where we meet Madison and Vienna and see their trauma bond friendship develop. Go read it!

Thank you to the publisher for a Netgalley.

I went back and forth on this rating and settled on 4 stars. The overall plot itself was a 5 star for me. The pacing was a 3 star, so I settled in the middle.

When up and coming girl band, BIttersweet, get into a horrible car accident everything changes. With most of the band dead, one missing and one surviving, the story starts off running. Vienna & Madison's story though goes way back, which is where we spend time. As McKinnon flips back and forth from then, to the accident, to after the accident, it may feel like a lot of timelines. But it is not.

What I struggled with was at some point, I needed the story to stop diving into the past so much. It felt a smidge repetitive and it sometimes slowed down the current plot line. I am not talking about cutting out chunks of plot, but at times I didn't want to be stuck in the past pre accident.

With that being said, once this book took a certain turn, I was like and there it is. The reason I kept reading. The last 50% flew by for me and I couldn't stop reading. Highly recommend.

This was a great story filled with many twists that kept me guessing throughout the book! Loved the ending !! Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to read and review!

Loved this book! If you enjoy tales of musical groups then this is for you!
The all girl band Bittersweet is heading toward stardom but also towards a tragic bus wreck. The remaining survivors seek shelter but are soon dying off! Who is guilty of these deaths?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

A real page turner that had me trying to figure everything out until the very end! For fans of Daisy Jones & mysteries for sure!

Description
“For readers eagerly awaiting the return of Yellowjackets, this novel from McKinnon blends the musical highs of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and the Six with the darkness of The Girls by Emma Cline in a twisty thriller that is hard to resist.” —Library Journal

"Rock’n’roll with a dash or two of murder." —Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author

Becoming the star is easier when the rest of your band is dead…

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.

In Only One Survives, which I binged in one day yesterday on audio (but thank you @_mira_books_ for the ARC via @netgalley), a car accident occurs in the Catskills and 5 members of a girl band and their documentarian are injured and then many die. The truth behind what happened is explored through past flashbacks that explain the formation and evolution of the band and a current timeline that is written in first person in the mind of one of the survivors.

This book was so eerie and the pace was excellent - I think the back and forth timelines really moved the story forward in an ideal way because the past aspects really make you examine each character and wonder who is to blame. I was engaged the entire time and left to wonder, as usual, how a sweet person like Hannah Mary can come up with these thrilling books with a lot of malicious characters 🤣🤣

The audio narration was also great. I couldn't resist using this photo of my children 8 years ago playing the drums just like Vienna while she was in The Bittersweet ❤️

Imagine your band is on the cusp of fame, but a freak accident changes everything! The book is a blend of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Girls, making it a must-read for those who love a good rock 'n' roll mystery.
Hannah Mary McKinnon nails it with this atmospheric, character-driven story. The plot twists had my jaw on the floor, and the eerie cabin setting gave me chills. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone who loves a good rock 'n' roll mystery.