On the Surface is the perfect twisty thriller for summer. Part destination thriller, part whodunnit, all pure entertainment.

I love a book filled with rollercoaster twists and unreliable narrators, and this book serves on both fronts. When you think of easy, fun, summer reading this is the type of book you want - fast paced enough to hold your attention, action and tension that keep you glued to the page, and plenty of WHOA moments that suck you in over and over again.

Not to mention, any story set on a boat is absolutely my jam lately - it's atmospheric in a very unique way that I just cannot get enough of.

I don't want to say too much because hints will spoil this one entirely, so go and enjoy the ride - you won't regret the fun.

Many thanks to the publisher for my copy!

3.75 stars

This one was a quick read told from several points of view with some twists and turns, some of which were predictable. However, this tale of a missing young female Youtube influencer last seen in her boyfriend’s sailboat after a night of partying, the ensuing police investigation, the parallel true crime cyber sleuthing, and really unlikeable main characters kept my interest. I also found the setting - an island in the Bahamas, living on a boat - to be a nice change from the usual land-based thriller. There was, in my view, a satisfactory ending, but I can see where some readers may have preferred a different outcome.

Overall, a light, enjoyable thriller read for the summer.

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

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

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. Right from the beginning I knew that I wouldn't like this book because the characters were so annoying to me. I'm not sure if that is how influencers are or if that is how the author sees them but it was driving me nuts. I couldn't connect with the characters and therefore, I didn't care to finish the story.

I hope others love this one but it wasn't for me.

Dani Fox is a struggling YouTuber with her own channel Sailing with the Foxes. Her and her boyfriend, Sawyer Stone III, are sailing around the world, but now are moored in the Bahamas, partying with the cruising community.

During one of those parties, Dani goes missing, and Sawyer becomes suspect number one.

Inspector Veronique Knowles investigates the case, and she soon discovers that Sawyer had an angry streak and money issues.

Would he kill Dani? Or is the truth more complicated than that?

I loved this book!

I adore twisty psychological thrillers and this book offered many twists and turns. Everyone is lying and you can’t trust anyone.

I enjoyed discovering the complexity of Dani and Sawyer’s relationship. She came from quite a disadvantaged background and was a little bit younger than him. Sawyer came from old money, but he made some bad investments along the way.

As I got to the end of the book, I realised that everything was premeditated and really well thought out.

I cannot wait for another book from this writing duo.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

I have to admit, I can spend many hours "flipping" through youtube videos to keep myself entertained. ON THE SURFACE takes a young influencer couple who have set their life into a youtube edition of a night time soap opera. Just the kind of thing that generates a fan club that will quickly turn into judge and jury when one of the characters disappears and circumstances point at the other person as the main suspect. In this case, Sawyer Stone and Dani Fox set themselves up as "the couple most likely to" and let their fans decide likely to what? Gone Girl vibes set on a 42' sailboat in the Bahamas was entertaining as we watched Sawyer twist on the hook. A debut to remember.

A maritime thriller set in the Bahamas featuring a cast of interesting characters. Enjoy novels set on board and although I guessed one of the twists early on, the story get me hooked til.The end.

I was slow to become fully engaged with this read but about half way through the plot came together and from there is was a fast, fun and entertaining read. The main characters were easy to like and the story line was well put together. I just wish it wasn't such a slow build up, explosive few chapters then a rushed conclusion. But, a good read overall.

I was so excited to read On the Surface by Rachel McGuire!
The perfect summer read an intriguing social media influencer thriller.
This was such an incredible read! The suspense was absolutely pulse-pounding.
As tension builds the story keeps that level of suspense until the very end.
I devoured this book as it hooks you immediately and never lets go.
Completely riveting….

Thank You NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Ooweeee! Talk about some unlikable and deplorable characters! This was a fun summer thriller that kept my interest. It definitely reminded me of a massively popular thriller but I don’t want to spoil it by comparing. Books set on boats are always intriguing and I enjoyed seeing how the cruisers interacted with each other. The ending was left open and I loved it but if you like a tightly wrapped bow then you might find yourself more frustrated.

This book was a slow burn with a big payoff later on. Sawyer and Dani are fascinatingly complex characters. This story is very well crafted and well executed. The twists were very shocking. I won't say anything more about this exciting read in order to avoid spoilers.

The story begins when a couple goes scuba diving, and one of them dies. In the following chapter we meet Sawyer and Dani, and I was like wait! What just happened? Go back to the person who died! This is what grabbed me, and kept me going throughout the book because I needed answers. Then Dani disappears, and that had me turning the pages even quicker than before.
This book was wild! When the main character is some type of Influencer they always have a wild beginning, middle and end, and this is no exception. Join the ride when this book publishes tomorrow!

On the Surface
Rachel McGuire
7.9.24

Seriously, books with unlikeable characters got me raging lately! Luckily, this plot had all the saving Grace to pull me through.
I love that the theme throughout is focused on SM influencers and the lengths they’ll go to in order to gain views and sponsers but there’s a big twist and that I won’t reveal.

The setting is the most enjoyable part, the idea of sailing around the world in a sort of never-ending vacation is a tad appealing to me – the rest, not so much.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to companion read/listen to this – I think the audio gave additional depth to some of the more shallow characters.
Definitely a twisty beach read that will appeal to fans of the genre!

My thanks to @CrookedLaneBooks and to @Dreamscape_Media for these gifted copies!

Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

Do you ever think about just getting in a boat and sailing away from it all? Living on a boat, just the water, wind, and sky for your most dependable company as you hop from port to port all around the world? 

If you loved Gone Girl but also the drama and suspense of at-sea thrillers, then I think you might love Rachel McGuire’s On the Surface (which has such a pretty cover, perfect for a summertime beach read). This releases on July 9th. 

The first half of this book isn’t as solid as the back half, but I’m telling you that the back half practically flies by. I also had some issues with the character building of the law enforcement officers in this book because it seemed a little forced, as if McGuire didn’t completely believe in the veracity of her own characters, but when it came to the rest of the cast the character building was absolutely fascinating. 

🍒You Got🍒

💣 Youtubers who are attempting circumnavigation of the globe but ran out of crypto
💣 Partying in the Bahamas with Boomers
💣 I’m too pretty to go to jail
💣 Main characters with dark pasts? Please and thank you
💣 Is it malignant narcissism or is it Maybelline?
💣 Is he a psychopath or just apathetic? Or is he just an a$$hol3?
💣 Users gonna use, every dang time
💣 Internet sleuths ruin lives
💣 Amateur sleuths ruin investigations
💣 Utilizing Perverts for Your Own Endeavors 101
💣 PR crisis management for when your life goes to hell? Don’t worry, I got you
💣 Very mild spice for one scene
💣 Mild TW for addiction
💣 Mild TW for mention of CSA
💣 TW for description of SA (from victim POV)

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Domestic Thriller/Murder Thriller/Suspense Thriller

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books, Rachel McGuire and Netgalley.
I loved this book! Right up until the ending. Bummer dude!
Fast paced. Intriguing as hell, Everything I love and appreciate in a great story. Yet? That ending was a bit bothersome.
I'm not sure if I hated that ending or was just a bit worried that it may end up a duopoly.
Still, I was entertained! I didn't like anybody, but the writing was compelling as anything.
So, even with that damnable end, I'm still giving this 4 stars.
I enjoyed the neck outta this one.

Just what is the price of fame? In today’s world where social media influencing is recognized as a legit profession, and where a random video posted by a no-name person has the potential to go viral, launching them into stardom, it seems like everyone is driving down the road to fame, many without a map.

Rachel McGuire’s (pen name for writing duo Rachel Graham and Lee-Ann McGuire Whitlock) debut novel On the Surface features a protagonist who is driving down one such road, but she most definitely has a firm grasp on the map that will take her there. Dani Fox, alongside boyfriend Sawyer Stone III, are part of the cruiser community, a group of wealthy boaters who spend their days sailing around the globe, docking at various ports, and simply enjoying life and all it has to offer. Dani would give anything for her YouTube channel, Sailing with the Foxes, to take off, and she puts herself in increasingly risky scenarios (often wearing next to nothing) in an attempt to go viral and gain an easy following, much to the dismay of Sawyer, who wishes Dani would tone it down for the cameras just a little bit.

However, Dani has no idea that the moment she will become famous is the moment she will go missing. After a wild rager one night, Sawyer awakes to find Dani gone and missing without a trace. It should be no surprise to him that he is the police’s prime suspect, because it is always the boyfriend or husband who is responsible when a beautiful young woman goes missing … right? As Sawyer works to clear his name and find Dani, he must battle an online community of cybersleuths, as well as the actual authorities, who are convinced he knows more than he is telling. Just who is responsible for Dani’s disappearance and what are they hiding?

I picked up On the Surface because it seemed to be written in a similar vein to the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie story, and interestingly enough, this case is mentioned in the novel, albeit only in reference to the hashtag used by the young couple in their attempts to go viral, #vanlife. Like the tragic Petito-Laundrie case, this novel features a story that is captivatingly compelling, taking readers to the far reaches of the world, where everything seems perfect and tranquil on the surface, but where something more sinister is lurking underneath.

I found this book to be easy to read and get lost in - it is a perfect story to while away some summer hours … especially if that time is spent on a beach or some other tropical location! This book is both scintillating and menacing at the same time. While I found it fairly easy to figure out, the motives behind characters’ actions were a surprising mystery to me, and I quite enjoyed the unfolding of this book’s secrets.

Absolutely phenomenal summer read. Pick this one up and take it to the beach and just sit and enjoy. You will find yourself lost in the pages and on the edge of your seat.

When one of a famous YouTubing influencer couple goes missing, the search is on to find her.

This was a decent thriller. I did find at times that it was a bit slower than I usually prefer my thrillers to be and I tended to tune out a bit when the crypto talk came up, but obviously that's just a me thing. I didn't expect the ending to go the way it did so I was surprised. I look forward to reading more by these authors.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Sawyer and Dani are sailing the ocean as influencers on YouTube.

Dani seems to be very spoiled and their relationship volatile at best.

One night during a party, Sawyer gets drunk and Dani ends up missing. This isn't the first time that a woman connected with Sawyer has something happen to them. His wife ended up dead on an excursion.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this book and I didn't see the final twist coming.

Recommend for anyone looking for a suspenseful read!

On the Surface by Rachel McGuire. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox chronicle their sailing lives in their YouTube channel. When Dani goes missing, the posts keep coming and do not shed Sawyer in a nice light.

A great debut thriller for the summer! I found the life of cruisers fascinating and the plot was super unique with the influencer lifestyle mixed in. I had a feeling from the beginning what was going on, and I was right, which was revealed very quickly but there was so much more that happened so I was quite pleasured with the surprises.

“My classmates have put their Advanced Bullshittery skills to good use in selling IPOs and congressional testimony. For me it comes in handy during police interrogations.”

On the Surface comes out 7/9.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the debut thriller by the writing duo known as Rachel McGuire, wonderfully narrated by a full cast. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Sawyer Stone and Dani Fox are a young couple who spend their time documenting their "cruising" lifestyle. They have a 42' sailboat and are documenting their adventures for their YouTube channel, Sailing with the Foxes. Anchored in the Bahamas, they are partying with their fellow cruisers when Dani vanishes after a boat party. Sawyer has no memory of her disappearance so becomes an instant suspect.

I thought this was a great read - while it was a good mystery story as to what happened to Dani, it was also an introspection of the dark side of social media. Dani's disappearance was perfect viral fodder too - gorgeous young blond, boyfriend who was drunk and doesn't remember what happened, and enough speculation and accusations to go around. Liked the twists and turns and will be anxious to read more from this writing pair!