The Bittersweet is an all-girl rock band. Drummer Vienna Taylor & guitarist Madison Pierce had taken their high school dreams of becoming famous full-time musicians to new heights with the addition of 3 band members. With a hit single and a record deal, things are looking up. But when the Bittersweet's van crashes in a remote mountain road during a snowstorm, several band members are injured or killed. The survivors find shelter in a remote abandoned cabin.

Then Vienna is horrified to see each of her fellow band members meeting a gruesome end, with Madison vanishing into the night. A few weeks later, Vienna is keeping incognito in a new apartment.

Vienna's plans to publish a memoir may reveal what really happened to the Bittersweet. But all her fans ready to learn the truth?

A twisty, mind-bending read.

As I was reading this I was so intrigued by the story and I think she does such an amazing job of gripping you, which is a must have for me in a thriller. Although, there were some triggers in this book I wasn’t ready for so unfortunately I couldn’t dig into it as much as I would have loved to. I will definitely read another one of hers asap.

Get on for a wild ride! This one is a rock n roll fantasy gone wrong! 5 stars for showing the ugly side of the climb for fame.
A lot of flawed people with harsh upbringings reach for fame and fortune and our protagonist, Vienna Taylor fits that model to a tee. She is growing up poor, has a horrible mother and stepfather who use her while they go out drinking. The only person she can trust is her beloved grandmother who has dementia.
She becomes besties with Madison Pierce who seems to live the opposite life coming from a rich, two parent family. Madison seems to always get what she wants and has overbearing but attentive parents. They form a band together and start to get lots of attention. They have started the climb to fame!
The book opens with the aftermath of a horrible car accident that happens to a girl band in the Catskills Mts in a winter storm. The chapters flip back and forth between the past and present. We learn the history of the band and the evolution of Vienna and Madison’s relationship.
One by one people start dying. Is it all a result of the car accident and unyielding winter conditions or is of them a killer? This book delves deep into the dark side of fame and the ruthlessness it takes to make it to the top.
I started to suspect I had things figured out about 3/4 the way through the book. A few of the details of what happened in the second half of the book were way over the top and I had to suspend reality quite a bit. It was still worth finishing and definitely chilling.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade publishers for this exciting ARC.

WHAT A WILD RIDE! This was my first book my Hannah Mary McKinnon and I can’t wait to read more! This story had my head SPINNING - unsure of who was lying, who was telling the truth and questioning everything and everyone. So what happened to The Bittersweet? There’s only one way to find out - grab your copy today!!!

This is my first read from this author and it wont be my last!! This is such a fun action packed thriller, filled with lots of twists!
The book’s premise of an all female pop rock band is a pretty cool one. The story goes on into the craziness that occurs through the night when the band has an accident and ends up in a cabin. Then the drama begins! The story bounces around from past to present, but in a good way! It’s a very suspenseful and entertaining story!
I really enjoyed the writing style of the author. I will definitely seek out more of her books!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ecopy of this great story!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a girl band as they get stranded in the winter. They don't know who they can trust.

This book was not for me. I really struggled with the way this book was written with random flashbacks. I also felt like the characters were not likeable and I just didn't care about what happened. I also feel like the twists were very unlikely and I had a hard time believing them.

I hope others love this one.

Unfortunately, this was not my faith by this author. I felt like the entire plot was way too far-fetched. I think if you have a knack for suspending reality and wanting some thing out of the box and you may enjoy this one.

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!