⭐️⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this in advance.
That’s where my thanks yous end though. This may be the worst book I have read all year. The plot was thin. The characters were unbearably awful. Dani was vapid and unlikable from the start. Sawyer was somehow even worse. The editing of this book was terrible.

Influencers suck.

Yeah, I said it and, #sorrynotsorry, they do.

Well, in On the Surface, Rachel McGuire brings us some of the suckiest of the suckiest! You will hate these people.

It’s okay, though, since you’ll love to read them.

This is a wonderfully twisty tale of awful people and the horrible things they do. The only character I liked was the police inspector. Everyone else needed to be drowned.

The author does a great job of making you wonder who is telling the truth and what’s really happening and there are definite surprises ahead!

An absolute blast of a read full of people you hate!

• ARC via Publisher

This was such a great, suspenseful thriller! I couldn't put this book down and I would love to read more by this author. You'll never guess the twist at the end!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of On the Surface by Rachel McGuire, published by Crooked Lane Books

This was one of the best reads all year, I loved the plot, the characters, the writing style, the twists and turns. It was awesome. I didn't want the story to end but I wanted to know the ending. The setting and characters are well described, story is told from a few different characters, it reads so well.
I sailed through this book, it was so good and fun to read.
Main characters Sawyer and Dani are living the life on their boat, making friends, posting videos on YouTube, hoping to get enough views to start making money, funds are tight as Sawyer's investments have tanked and this lifestyle requires money. They attend a party one evening on another couples boat, the next morning Dani has disappeared and Sawyer can't remember the events of the night before.
This is a must read psychological thriller, I will be watching for more books from this author.

On the Surface is quite the beach read, which is perfect since it will be coming out in the summer! One of my favorite things about this story is the multi-first person unreliable narratives. It immersed me in the story and made the twists and turns much more enjoyable. Every chapter drops a clue that McGuire uses perfectly in the last 50 pages. This book is also a nod to the era of internet sleuthing and the debate of whether they do more harm than good when it comes to true crime happening in real time. What happened to Dani Fox? While that, my friend, you’ll have to find out for yourself. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me access to this ARC!

This was such a fun read! I loved the setting and the character development. The two main characters start out unlikeable, then somehow become even more so over time - but in a “love to hate them” way. There were some great twists I didn’t see coming.

Missing girl on a boat. Boyfriend is under suspicion and has a wife who passed away under suspicious circumstances. What could go wrong? I loved the premise and found myself getting more and more into into it until it was revealed what really happened and then I found myself not really caring as much. I feel that the storyline could have been developed more and just don’t like what actually happened and the social influencer parts was a big yawn.

I happily requested an ARC of On the Surface after receiving a promotional email from Crooked Lane Books. In a time when most people post their entire lives on social media, I thought On the Surface was such an interesting premise. Told from alternating perspectives in alternating timelines, it was apparent from the beginning that there would be no "reliable" narrator. In fact, by the end the reader should truly hate Dani and Sawyer (and most probably do...) which is such a testament to the great character development throughout the novel. Notably, I loved the quippy internal dialogue -- I actually laughed out loud at a few of them. On the Surface will be THE beach read for 2024!

I did not enjoy this book at all . as someone who does social media and YouTube I was super intrigued , but it was kind of flat in my opinion it started off good but as the book went on it kinda of felt like it was dragging. I didn't feel a sense of urgency to keep reading the book . didn't like the two main characters. I could not connect with or relate to them, and that detracted from the story for me. I have read books with dislikable characters before, but not like that. I never really got to a point where I could care about them.

The ending was very abrupt; it was open-ended actually, with several loose threads left untied. I thought the book had some missing pages at first. There were a couple of unanswered questions, and I was dissatisfied with the lack of a moral resolution in the book's ending. Therefore, i gave the book 2 stars and that was generous.

On the Surface tells the story of a young woman who goes missing at sea, leaving her partner behind as a chief suspect. It’s also the story of the deception and evil that lie hidden under a charismatic personality. And it’s the story of twisted thoughts and minds that hide in the dark recesses of the internet.

Cruisers Sawyer and Dani have almost run out of money, due to Sawyer’s bad investments. They are anchored in the Bahamas while Dani films content for “Sailing with the Foxes”, their YouTube channel that she hopes to monetize. Viewership is not growing quickly until one morning, after a wild alcohol and drug filled party on a neighboring yacht, Sawyer wakes up with a terrific hangover to discover he is alone. Dani is missing. Rumors spread quickly among the other cruisers: he murdered his first wife, he had an affair with her sister and he was abusive to Dani. As prerecorded videos post to their channel, Dani hints that the last rumor is true. Neighbors alert the Bahamian police to potential crime and Dani’s disappearance goes viral. Hundreds of internet sleuths are on the case, floating more and more unrealistic solutions. But where is Dani? And is Sawyer guilty?

On the Surface is a well constructed thriller that is impossible to put down. None of the characters are likable except Bahamian Police Inspector Veronique Knowles. She tries to pull the truth from a web of deceit and manipulation but time is running out. If you take On the Surface to the beach, you wont have time to get in the water! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Rachel McGuire for this ARC.

I appreciate books that deliver thrills and chills. All the hints are taken seriously. As the sharks close in, the characters stayed true to themselves from start to finish, which is pretty amazing for a thriller. While I am not surprised at the outcome, I was a little sad about the ending. The only reason I give four stars is because I wanted a more final ending, and not a let's sail away ending.
If you are a thriller person, On The Surface will not disappoint.

First, I want to say that I was offered an opportunity to read this book by email from NetGalley, and the cover alone made it a "100% YES" response. I love the colors, the title, the entire vibe. I found the main characters in this book to be completely despicable, in the best way for the reader. The combination of luxury cruising the Carribean, deep sea swimming, diving, boat top barbecues and murder was exactly what I needed to bust me out of my cold day winter reading blahs. I found the chapters to be nicely paced and engaging, allowing me to flip pages and kill this beauty off in just a few fun reads. Well done! I look forward to reading more of Rachel McGuire's work. Super fun!

"On The Surface" is like a thrilling rollercoaster ride you won't want to get off. Picture this: a YouTube-famous couple sailing the world, living their dream life. Sounds perfect, right? Well, hold on tight because things are about to take a crazy twist.

Sawyer and Dani are the adventurous duo behind the YouTube channel "Sailing with the Foxes." They're living the dream on their sailboat, documenting their epic global journey. But paradise takes a dark turn when Dani mysteriously disappears during a boat party in the Bahamas, and Sawyer can't remember a thing.

The search for Dani kicks off with worries of a tragic ocean accident, but Dani's pre-recorded videos hint at a much more complicated relationship with Sawyer. Enter Inspector Veronique Knowles, who's got her hands full trying to solve this mystery while the internet sleuths dig up secrets from Sawyer's past.

This book had me on the edge of my seat, racing through the pages to uncover the truth. Is Sawyer a murderer, or is there something even more sinister at play? The twists and turns in this story are like a maze you won't see coming.

If you're into pulse-pounding, jaw-dropping thrillers that keep you guessing until the very end, "On The Surface" is your next must-read. Seriously, don't start this one unless you're ready for a wild ride! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So as other reviews have said, the characters aren’t really likable, but I found the wonderfully unlikable. It was kind of great to read about them and so I quite enjoyed this book.

Reading “on the surface” in winter time definitely gives you a mental escape from the cold, set on the tropical waters of the Bahamas this book visually pleasing, however that may be the only warm aspect of the plot.

The book follows two main characters, Sawyer and Dani, who spend their time sailing around on their small sized boat and capturing content for their online social media presence. From the get go it is clear Dani’s goal is to go viral and become “insta famous”, and what is also clear is that Sawyer is getting a little sick of her antics.

The relationship seems to be strained and Dani makes it a point to let everybody know exactly how volatile it can be.

After a party with the other cruisers, Dani is last seen dragging a drunk and disorderly Sawyer back to their boat. After that, Dani disappears and the search to find her begins.

This book highlights the sordid and shallow side of social media and the dangers viewers face in being easily swept up and manipulated with the drama. The spotlight on the characters enhances their flaws and terrible personalities, not a single character in this book is likeable, which as a reader made me less invested in seeing and caring what happens to them.

This book was a slow burn in multiple points of view. The change in POV was done well, it was interesting to hear alternative perspectives, however the hints were potentially lacking in subtlety as I was able to predict the plot twists far in advance.

The plot and setting had great potential to be captivating and interesting, but the delivery fell a little short for me, especially with the abrupt ending the left a lot to be answered for.

If you are looking for an easy to follow, slow burn, exotic thriller, this could be the book for you. Averaging 300 pages you can definitely finish this story in one sitting if you want to reach your reading goals for the end of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

On The Surface by Rachel McGuire started off well with a group of misfit boaters just hanging out living the dream. Sawyer and Dani are a couple, and soon Dani goes missing. There's a ton of clues that point to Sawyer, but no sign of Dani. I like the book initially but it devolved into something not quite so appealing, there's a lot of backstory to Dani, and it felt rote and familiar. I lost interest about halfway through the book not really caring about the characters as they are highly unlikeable. Meh.

This is one mind bending read. The story starts off slow, Sawyer and Dani are cruisers and want to be YouTube sensations. Everything changes when Dani goes missing. All I can say is that nothing is what we expect. Birds of a feather flock together sums this story. A thriller with intense personalities. Well written.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

I started reading this book early in the morning and after a few chapters was seriously considering whether I could cancel my plans for the rest of the day and keep reading. Sailing with the Foxes is a small Youtube channel telling the story of two cruisers, Dani and Sawyer, and their trip around the world. They're broke and haven't made it very far, but the two have big plans. After blacking out at a late night party, Sawyer wakes up alone in the cabin of their boat with no idea how he got back aboard. Dani has vanished, leaving behind her passport, camera, and other valuables. Immediately, rumors begin to fly. Did Dani drown during one of her daily swims? Did she flee an abusive relationship? Did Sawyer kill her? If this is reminding you of recent news stories, the characters in the book make that same comparison. I had some guesses about Dani's fate and wasn't completely wrong, but the plot was a lot more complex than I first expected it to be. I absolutely LOVED this one!

Ooh this one was full of suspense and kept me wondering what the heck was going on! I enjoyed every single minute of this wild ride!

What would you do to earn money? How far would you go? Whew! This book took us there.

Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox are cruisers. They spend their time on their boat cruising the world. They also share their adventures on their YouTube channel. While in the Bahamas, Dani vanishes after a boat party, and Sawyer has no memory of what happened Of course, Sawyer becomes a suspect in Dani’s disappearance. What ensues from there is a crazy story of what people will do for money with some twists I didn’t expect.

This was an edge of your seat book. Just when I thought I had it figured out, there was another twist. I had trouble liking the characters, and that’s why the book was so good. The impact of social media on criminal investigations was so well laid out.

This is a great thriller. I would recommend this book and put it on your TBR. The book will be published on July 9, 2024.

Thank you, @netgalley, Crooked Lane Books, and the author, Rachel McGuire, for the e-ARC.