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.

This was definitely an interesting story. I could guess what was coming next sometimes but there were also moments wheŕe I had no idea. It was entertaining even though I did not like the characters, which happens to me pretty regularly with thrillers. So I can overlook that. I would recommend it even though I've read much better thrillers in the last months.

I thought this was a very creative plot line. I really enjoyed the way this was written and the engaging characters. I would highly recommend reading this thriller. I will be recommending this to my customers.

2.5 stars

It's a quick read and very much in the vein of a Rachel Hawkins book (The Villa, The Heiress). I'm a fan of those so this was right up my alley. It does have a Gone Girl vibe too.

You have two main POVs (Sawyer and Dani) and then several other (sometimes chapters only) POVs which can make it hard to keep track. It mostly works, but there's two really big plot holes that I guess could've detailed the book bc it is actually there but then never brought up again. But these are unreliable narrators in the grandest way.

The only likeable characters are the cops, so that's who I'm rooting for.

Fun little mystery that's perfect for the beach or vacation.

This was an interesting read by an author that I was not familiar with having never read their work before. I always enjoy a new to me author and I wasn’t disappointed.
I found the characters interesting and really had a depth to them with lots of details described for me to portray them in my mind and really get inside them.
The story line took me to a place I wasn’t expecting and kept me intrigued right until the end.
I would recommend to anyone interested in this genre and will be reading more.

Being from the desert in the southwest US, I absolutely love to read books about boats, ships, or any water whatsoever! Probably because I don’t have any water near me, it’s a fun ride and this book was exactly that! It was fast-paced, well-written and fun, but it did miss the super twisty/turny point for me. Overall, a good read!

Gritty and intense! Complex and compelling! An edgy mystery full pulse-pounding suspense, damning secrets and one shocking surprise after another! The fast pace of the of the twisted, wildly-captivating plot kept me swiping the pages feverishly long past my bedtime.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for the ARC! "On the Surface" revolves around 2 cruisers, Sawyer and Dani, whose adventures are documented on their YouTube channel.
Things take a dark turn when Dani goes missing after a boat party in the Bahamas, and Sawyer conveniently has no recollection of what went down. Naturally, Sawyer becomes the prime suspect in Dani's disappearance, setting the stage for a narrative filled with predictable twists and turns centered around the lure of money. One aspect I found interesting was the exploration of how social media impacts criminal investigations. It was decently laid out in the book, highlighting the complexities it introduces.

The characters, to be honest, weren't my cup of tea. It was a struggle to empathize with them, which, I suppose, adds a layer to the story. The book managed to keep me engaged, but not exactly on the edge of my seat. Predictability sneaks in, even with the twists.

In the end, "On the Surface" is an decent thriller & I foresee it being popular. The book is slated for release on July 9, 2024, which is the perfect time for a 'beach read'.

The title was definitely the description of this book. I liked this book but it didn’t wow me. The plot was interesting and I liked the writing style. The ending was the part that didn’t wow me. I wasn’t a fan.

This was good book, it didnt thrill me some of my favorite thrillers but the story line was great. I thought the plot was interesting and grew to like the characters, however it was a slow burn thriller. I think the alot of peopl will enjoy this book, it has a good concept but felt that the ending (the final twist) could have been better. 3 stars for me!

I rounded up from 3.5 stars to 4 stars. The title, description, and cover art stood out to me when I was browsing titles. The opening chapter immediately captured my attention; I loved the writing style.

I enjoyed the book's setting in the Bahamas; it was nice to read during wintertime. I kept reaching for the book, wanting to see what happened next. I thought the authors did a fantastic job of nailing the Gen Z lingo that Dani talked with. They did a great job with making the thoughts and life of an influencer as close to reality as possible (I've read books in the past about YouTubers where the author did no research and was happy this wasn't like that!)

One thing that bothered me was that the storyline was so predictable. I guessed what would happen by a few chapters in, and I don't even read that many thrillers. The two main characters, Dani and Sawyer, are highly unlikeable. It was hard to get through some of their perspective chapters because they had little redeeming qualities, but it was unique to read characters like that. It was a risk the authors took, and I appreciated that. Also, I wouldn't say I liked that no Bahama natives had accents or descriptions that made them stand out from the cruisers.

The ending was the worst part. It took away a whole star. I love a clean ending that ties up every loose end, and this was not it. The lack of a proper ending was very frustrating! Despite the negatives, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to a friend.

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the copy of On The Surface by Rachel McGuire. All opinions are my own.

#OntheSurface #NetGalley #ARC