So although you may call yourself a psychological thriller lover please proceed with caution, this is not the book for anyone looking for a boy meets girl and maybe gets annoyed and disappears for a bit kind of thing .

Fun fact, this is a debut . These TWO ladies, write with such talent you would believe they have been writing since the womb. Rachel McGuire is the pen name for the collaboration between Rachel Graham and Lee-Ann McGuire Whitlock.

Move over James Patterson we have new authors to idolize.

Teaser :

A YouTubing cruiser couple sails the world living their best life—until one of them goes missing and their whole world capsizes, in this captivating psychological thriller perfect for fans of Something in the Water and Saint X.

Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox, a young couple who spends their time circumnavigating the globe aboard their 42-foot sailboat and documenting it for their fledgling YouTube channel Sailing with the Foxes, have anchored in Exuma, in the Bahamas. As they wait for the price of crypto to rebound so they can provision and continue their journey, they’re partying and exploring with their fellow cruisers off shore. On the surface, everything looks perfect. But one night, Dani vanishes after a boat party, and Sawyer has no memory of her disappearance.

The search for Dani is initially fueled by concerns that she drowned during one of her daily ocean swims, but Dani's prescheduled video posts, recorded before she went missing, soon reveal a darker side to her relationship with Sawyer. Meanwhile, Royal Bahamas Police Force Inspector Veronique Knowles has her hands full trying to keep the investigation on course as the story of the American woman missing in the Bahamas goes viral and the internet sleuths unearth secrets from Sawyer’s past. Sawyer Stone is far from perfect, but is he a murderer?

Quick read with a good twist! I liked the concept of this book and the overall premise - it was new, unique, and very current.
One thing that was mentioned a lot which I thought was strange was that Dani and Sawyer ‘worked together well.’ I felt it was oversaid too much and just wasn’t necessary. Also the comments made by the uncle didn’t really match the story and felt like it was just added fluff.

This Gone Girl-esque story reeled you in from the start to figure out who was lying. Dani vanishes without a trace, is Sawyer responsible or is he being set up? It was an easy read which kept me engaged, the ending was maybe a bit rushed as it wasn't quite clear why certain characters ended up the way they did. I could see where the author was heading but it would have been nice to dive a little deeper into it ;)

📜On The Surface
✍️Rachel McGuire
📠Crooked Lane Books
📚Mystery/Thriller, Fiction
🗓️Pub date: July 9, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @crookedlanebooks for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to @rachelmcguireauthor for bringing me on a much needed virtual trip to the islands and for writing a jaw-dropping book 🤩🌴🌊

✨While Dani strives to become a well-known You Tube sensation, and Sawyer waits for his cryptocurrency to rise again, they spend their time cruising the islands off the Bahamas on their 42-foot boat.

✨Dani spends the majority of her time creating a perfect persona online, from her outfits, make-up, and to staged “fails” that viewers will love and come back for more.

✨ However, there’s a certain sinister backstory that she’s keeping hidden. Dani and Sawyer’s relationship isn’t all butterflies and roses, so when she goes missing after an on-island party, eyebrows are raised. New pre-recorded videos on her feed are scheduled to air, and some of their real relationship is unveiled.

✨Investigators race to uncover the hidden tales of love and lust gone wrong and whether Sawyer is capable of murder.

✨ This book was sunshine and sand in a little thrilling package! Gorgeous scenery, clear-as-glass ocean waters, and the warm Bahama sun made me escape cold Boston weather. Expertly written, I loved every minute of this thriller and already want to read it a second time! This book is going to be the hottest thriller of the summer!

✨QOTD: Where’s your favorite Caribbean destination?

#netgalley #onthesurface #rachelmcguire#crookedlanebooks #thrillerfiction #summerreleases #mysteryfiction #watchoutforthisone #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #ivegotbooks #killmewithwords #idratherbereading #readthisbook #psychthriller #bestbooks #tropicalthriller
#readyforvacation

This is one of those books where you feel like you can’t trust any of the characters and that is one of my favourite things when incorporated in Thriller or Horror books.

I did not want to put this book down because I found myself so immersed in the mystery behind Dani’s disappearance along with Sawyer’s past. I also loved the actual atmosphere of the book with it being set in the Bahamas and it surrounding Youtube and cruising.

What I did not love is how much this reminded me of Gone Girl. That’s not me saying I don’t love that book and movie, it’s actually the opposite. It’s because I love it so much that it took me back when it was revealed the all-too-familiar plot twist.

However, I think it was executed in such a fantastic way, especially with the other great reveal at the very end.

I think this is a great book for those wanting to try out the genre!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

On the Surface by Rachel McGuire has me feeling two very different ways about it. On one hand it is well written, a thriller that is a fascinating study on social media and created reality. On the other hand it seems formulaic, with too many parallels of a very well known thriller that has been celebrated over the last few years.

The story follows Sawyer as he becomes a person of interest and suspect in a police investigation and the court of public opinion. His young and beautiful girlfriend (and first mate), Dani, has gone missing and the YouTube channel she managed for them, coupled with the Bahaman cruising community’s commitment to bringing attention to her disappearance, draws the public’s interest to the mystery..

The mystery and structure of the book are great, but as mentioned this seemed turn for turn to use the same elements of the other well known thriller and to not do it as well. If you haven’t read that book (which I won’t disclose as it may be a spoiler, but if you’re a fan of thrillers you definitely have read it) then this is a very engaging story. The exploration of social media, armchair detectives, and warping of reality is done in an interesting way I could believe in. I also liked the inclusion of law enforcements’ perspective and struggle throughout the story.

Ultimately as conflict as I am, I can recommend this as a well written thriller, but this may make you angry at being a blatant knock off. Rating it a three star with encouragement to read this if you don’t mind recycled elements, and want to explore the social media slant in a thriller.

Dani & Sawyer are cruisers, living life on a boat while documenting their journey on YouTube. After losing their savings, they’re hoping monetizing their channel will fix their money problems. Things are just starting to look up for them when Dani vanishes.

This was a very quick, enjoyable read! The chapters were the perfect length, and the paragraphs weren’t overly wordy. Typically if I encounter a lot of just info paragraphs I end up skimming them, but that wasn’t the case here. Everything was very well done! I would definitely recommend this read for fans of a destination thriller.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

I really enjoyed this one! First, the setting was wonderful. Second, the characters really kept me on my toes. Third, the twists were well done.

I did assume one of the twists from the beginning but it turned out to be way more than I anticipated!

This was shockingly good! I’m a sucker for a thriller set on a boat; put it in a boat and I will read it! On the Surface was everything I love about thrillers: fast-paced, filled with morally gray characters, and stuffed to the gills with genuinely surprising twists. I absolutely loved this book!

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 9th July.

This book was a great take on the modern day life of an influencer there were many concepts explored through this book mainly the role of social media plays in people’s lives and if the glamour behind the pictures is really the reality or something more! I throughly enjoyed it, it was very twisty and at times I thought I worked out what would happen next only so be thrown another curveball!

My favourite character was Bahamian Police Inspector Veronique Knowles. I loved the setting of this book it had an intriguing plot that kept me guessing till the end. I think this would be great if it was made into a tv series.

I would highly recommended this book to anyone who is a fan of domestic/ psychological thrillers and wants a twisty, captivating and impossible to put down thriller! 😊

This was an interesting take on a thriller and I enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read it.

The book has a good plot with some good twists towards the conclusion. The characters are both negative and we get that half way through. The beginning of the story is very slow and the authors seem to take a long time to build the background. The idea of cruisers was new to me and interesting, one I haven’t read before. The ups and downs of social media are done well. There is no thrill component as we know where the events go. The first half needs some editing to fasten the pace.

** SPOILER FREE REVIEW**
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (3.5)
.5/5 🌶 (.05)

This ARC was provided for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley and Publishers.

Synopisis - A YouTubing cruiser couple sails the world living their best life—until one of them goes missing and their whole world capsizes. Dani Fox vanishes, and Sawyer has no recollection of the night in question. The search for Dani is initially fueled by concerns that she drowned during one of her daily ocean swims, but Dani's pre-scheduled video posts, recorded before she went missing, soon reveal a darker side to her relationship with Sawyer.

If you're looking for an easy to follow, tropical thriller with multiple POVs, this book is for you.

I really enjoyed the comments section within this book.
In real life, I personally always find myself in the comment section of a viral post that I know nothing about. Reading the comments and sometimes leaving my own opinion too.
In this book, because I am getting multiple POVs, it's very interesting how suddenly reading the comments with the insider knowledge can start to bother you because it's all speculation and emotion, not fact.

Another aspect the book captured perfectly is internet personas vs. real life. You truly can not judge a person by their online presence, and you can not take everything you see at face value. You do not know what is going on behind closed doors

I received a free copy of, On the Surface, by Rachel McGuire, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Dani and Sawyer seem like the perfect youtube sensation, sailing around the world in their sailboat. All goes well til Dani disappears. What a read. I have never despised two characters more then Dani and Sawyer.

What a good read.

I was so involved in this plot and I kept thinking I had "solved" it, until I read another sentence, only to have my theory debunked! LOL

I like all the objects that are thrown into this mystery - crypto cash (why are so many illegal things associated with crypto - its crazy). Partying and just basically living a life that maybe 5% of the population can hope to live.

Where is Dani and is Sawyer responsible for her disappearance?

On some levels, this book reminded me of the Murdaugh boat incident where a young girl falls overboard. Obviously, this is not that story, but it made me think about it.

A decent amount of suspense kept me engaged to the end.

Okay now this book was FUN. I love modern day thrillers that involve influencers, social media, Internet personalities, etc.
None of the characters were likeable in this book and that only added to the intensity of the suspense because I wasn’t rooting for anyone, I just wanted to know the ending!
I do have to say that the ending felt rushed which took away from the story, but overall this was a really enjoyable thriller.
4 ⭐️

Five enthusiastic stars! I LOVE ocean/ water themed reads and I love mysteries so this was just perfect. Such a unique concept that is also very realistic. The characters were well developed and well thought out. I loved how they were portrayed. The atmosphere was perfect. This was a thrill ride from start to finish. So many plot twists! I can not praise the setting and descriptive narration of this one enough. It brought this whole story to life. This is one of those rare books where you dread getting to the end because you have to say goodbye to the story.
An absolutely phenomenal read!
Suspense in paradise.

There seems to be a lot of influencer-type books out now and I am here for it! On The Surface is the story about a couple who sails the world and chronicles it on their youtube channel. Then she happens to go missing after a party and of course he has no memory. Started off slow and honestly it didn't rally pick up until the second half; after that it ZOOMED! The ending was a bi more open ended than I care for, but I really enjoyed it regardless!

I can't resist books that take place on a sailboat. Why would you do this?? It sounds ready for drama and danger which is why I guess its a good setting for a book. I thought switching between Dani and Sawyer's first-person perspectives, with some third person stuff thrown in made the book seem more immediate than it might have otherwise but despite starting with a bang, it dragged a little about 2/3 in. I think with a book like this you need at least one character you like and I really didn't like any of them.

This one sounded interesting, but it missed the mark. The writing was disjointed. The pace was too slow for the genre, and I didn't connect with, or care about, the characters. The only ones who were slightly interesting were the cops. I wasn't surprised by the twists, which I found to be predictable.