Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox are what is known as "cruisers"...people who live on their boat and spend their time circumnavigating the globe. They have a YouTube channel called Sailing with the Foxes, that is semi-successful, but they are broke thanks to all of the boat repairs and Sawyer's cryptocurrency schemes. They have a very volatile & contentious relationship, at least in part because of all of the stress. One night, after a boat party with some fellow cruisers, Sawyer wakes up to find Dani missing. He got blackout drunk at the party and has no memory of even getting back to their boat, much less anything that happened after. When Dani's closest cruiser friend goes to the authorities and reports her missing & tells them that Dani has been abused by Sawyer for years, and then videos start posting on the Sailing with the Foxes channel with Dani looking scared & hinting at being afraid of Sawyer, the investigation turns towards him. 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 run rampant over the investigation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, right up until the very end. At first Sawyer & Dani both seemed to be unreliable narrators, and then when I found out what was really happening, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it would all play out. I really did not like Sawyer or Dani. Neither one of them had any redeeming qualities. My favorite character in the book by far, had to be Inspector Knowles. She did not put up with anything, you couldn't get anything past her, and I loved her investigative process. I was disappointed with the ending however. Inspector Knowles had spent almost the entire book working tirelessly on the case, and then the book just ended, without her getting the evidence she needed, the guilty person going free, no repercussions for all the time and resources wasted. It almost felt like reading the book had been pointless. Except for that, this was a very enjoyable & suspenseful read, that would make the perfect addition to your beach bag!

Look at that Cover!! This book is awesome while sitting under swaying palm trees and watching sailboats gliding across the water, but if you don't have that No Worries it is a great summer read. It is fast-paced and the kind of thriller that will make a great movie!! What a debut!!
Dani Fox loves her YouTube channel "Sailing with the Foxes". As she sails around the world with Sawyer Stone, she videos her status and locale. The social media loves her...or the men do. While partying at one of the islands in the Bahamas, Sawyer and Dani leave together in a drunken state. The next morning, Sawyer awakens with no memory of their night and Dani is gone, but left behind a pre-scheduled video revealing a darker side of Sawyer. Inspector Veronique also reveals a shady past of Sawyer's that may steer the investigation towards him.
This beautiful scenery carries the mystery into the dark waters that Dani was swimming in and thought to have drowned. The glamorous couple become an even larger than life on social media as the ratings soar even with her gone. Inspector Veronique needs to find her as the public outcry for this American couple wants answers.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good social media influencer thriller and this one was so much fun!!! A perfect beach read, this book has an ambitious Bahama boat influencer faking her disappearance in order to increase her following. Told from multiple POVs, this book explores the realm of intimate partner domestic abuse, the power of online followers and a twisty police procedural wrapped into one fast-paced thriller that was especially great on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

On The Surface by Rachel McGuire follows two "cruisers", Dani Fox and Sawyer Stone III as they make a name for themselves enjoying life on their sailboat currently anchored in the Bahamas. A few people who know the couple well suspect there is trouble in paradise and go to the local authorities when Dani is missing. Soon, Dani's disappearance goes viral, and internet sleuths are searching for Dani and digging up dirt on Sawyer.

The setting in the Bahamas and the background information of the "Cruiser Community" helped make this an interesting book. Unfortunately, it's bogged down by too many unlikable characters and improbable circumstances. The plot may seem familiar at first, but this story has a few twists to make it unique. Even though I couldn't connect with either Dani or Sawyer, I really liked the Royal Bahamas Police Force Inspector Veronique Knowles. She didn't let pressure from her superiors, the media, or the community get in the way of conducting a thorough investigation into Dani's disappearance and the aftermath. She was so likable and worked well with the officer assisting her with the investigation. Unfortunately, before things could be fully wrapped up, the book ended abruptly with an ambiguous ending which was disappointing. 3.5 stars

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Oh this was fun!
That ending though - I was still breathless to hear more!
A perfect beach read, guilty pleasure and entertaining read.
I loved these unlikable MCs, their rich friends and the police.

This took me a minute to get through but was a fun and entertaining read. The main couple was definitely unlikable but I enjoyed reading about their scheming and secrets. I think the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly, but overall a good book!

DNFed this one, I could not get into the writing at all, the word choice was bizarre and felt like a thesaurus was used to help while writing . Anything involving crypto currency is a solid no from me.

Sawyer and Dani are cruisers - living on their boat and filming their adventures for their YouTube channel. After a night of partying with friends, Dani goes missing and suspicion falls on Sawyer, especially after he wakes up battered and bruised with no memory of the night before. Did he do it? Where is Dani? And who IS Sawyer anyway?

If you like an unreliable narrator, this book has that in spades - in fact, can you trust ANYONE'S side of the story at all? Told through Dani and Sawyer's perspectives plus some of the cruisers and local police as well as a blast from Sawyer's past, you'll be hanging out to find out what happens, who's the bad guy and do they get what's coming to them.

I found the pacing a little off here - the beginning and end were both super fast-paced while the middle dragged a bit but there was enough to keep me reading.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

I enjoyed this one. It was twisty and combined all the negative parts of social media to tell an enthralling story. I did not like Dani, but she was written for her role very well.

⛵️📸Book Review:
Title: On The Surface
Author: Rachel McGuire
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3.5 stars (rounded up)

Oh, that Dani Fox is definitely a sneaky one. In today's world of social media, it really wouldn't be surprising for a situation like this to happen. Or maybe it has? I really enjoyed the beginning and middle of this plot, but I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. Realistically, why would Sawyer take her back? Even if it was fake?
Okay, I'll stop giving out too many details now!

Living their life on the water as "cruisers," Dani Fox, and Sawyer Sloane III are trying to make a success with their YouTube channel showing off all of their adventures. But they just can't seem to hit the number of followers that will bring in all the money. This is unacceptable to Dani, who believes her look is exactly what will make her famous. Then she disappears.

The number one suspect is the boyfriend, of course. But what if he actually has nothing to do with it? Even with his shady past, his volatile temper, and accusations from Dani herself, of physical abuse? Dani is determined to be seen, missing or not. How far will she go to achieve the fame she so desperately desires?

Published: July 9th, 2024

Thank you, @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars, rounded down.

This is a slow burn mystery, it starts in an exciting way, then has somewhat of a Gone Girl vibe until things change yet again. I listened to the audiobook and the full cast, multi-narrator format really works for the unfolding of the story.

Dani Fox and her boyfriend Sawyer Stone are full time "cruisers", part of a community of nomadic people who live aboard their sailboats and yachts. Currently they are anchored off the cays in the Bahamas, ramping up their YouTube channel with hopes for monetization for much needed income. However, after a party, Sawyer wakes up the next morning to Dani's absence, and what she has been telling people seems to indicate that Sawyer is abusive and may have had a hand in her disappearance. As the police, including inspector Veronique Knowles begin to investigate, they are joined by a bevy of internet sleuths and everyone has their opinions about what happened. Who is telling the truth? Is anyone?

While some parts of this book went exactly the way I was expecting, other twists were a surprise and helped me to enjoy my experience with the book. I wasn't incredibly enamored with the ending, which made me round my rating down rather than up. It felt rather jarring after the long leadup.

I loved the Veronique character, and her narrator was fantastic. I also liked how this book captures the insidious nature of social media and influencers. There have been many books lauding the input of web sleuths, but this book shines the light on the various ways these people can impede investigations and cause real problems with police investigations and prosecution. There's real caution to be had here, and one main takeaway is to be very careful about what you believe as everything can be manipulated and curated.

For all of the positives, the characters seem more like caricatures than real people. They aren't as well developed as they could have been, and possibly having so many POV characters was a drawback. I think if it was just focused on Sawyer, Dani, and Veronique, it would have been a bit stronger as a narrative.

Overall, this is a decent, fast-paced read. It's a little predictable, but it has enough unique qualities to make it worth reading, especially in the warm days of summer by the water.

Things are not always what they seem. Especially in the world of social media and especially too-good-to-be-true relationships. Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox are cruisers who have a YouTube channel called "Sailing with the Foxes" which they're trying to monetize while also waiting for the price of bitcoin to bounce back. Once night, after a potluck party with other cruisers in the Bahamas, Sawyer wakes up to Dani missing and no recollection of what happened the evening before.
Royal Bahamas police force inspector Veronique Knowles has been called in to find Dani. She has her hands full trying to keep the investigation on course with all the internet traffic and online "police" getting in her way. Meanwhile, Dani had scheduled posts to the channel which reveal a darker side to her relationship with Sawyer. But is he a killer?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this e-arc.*

•••𝘿𝙉𝙁 @28%•••

𝘼 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙏𝙪𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨—𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙨.

I was so excited to read this book, it had a great premise & setup. Unfortunately, I tried the audio and ebook - neither of them were working for me. I don’t usually like DNFing this early into a book, but I was incredibly losing interest.

I may end up re-attempting to pick this book up again in the future - especially after seeing more reviews… as of now, it’s a DNF for me.

Gone Girls is one of my all-time favorite thrillers, so I was eagerly looking forward to this book after hearing it had that vibe to it… unfortunately, the characters were so off-putting and I just didn’t love the structure of the book.

Again, I might pick this back up later… but I’m going to DNF this one for now.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Dreamscape Media for the review copies in exchange for my honest review!

ON THE SURFACE started out strong. I was very interested to figure out what was going on with Dani and Sawyer. I found the pace and storyline to be a fun and read. I also liked the different POV's presented throughout the story. Overall, I found it to be a good debut!

Many thanks to Crooked Lane books and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the future.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #CookedLaneBooks for the book #OnTheSurface by #RachelMcGuire. I thoroughly enjoyed this book about a couple that sail around and and posting it all on YouTube “Sailing with the Foxes”. To everyone else they look like the perfect couple. That is until Dani goes missing and all eyes are on her boyfriend Sawyer. She disappears after a party and everyone thinks she’s drowned. Was Sawyer responsible?

Never have I disliked main characters more than in On the Surface. It is intentional, but it’s like a train wreck you can’t look away from. Dani and Sawyer are cruisers. Not on a cruise ship, but on their own boat circumnavigating the earth. Sawyer’s first wife died under mysterious circumstances during a scuba dive. He was initially a suspect, but because conditions were poor and they never found the boat operator, Sawyer got off without any punishment. Now he lives on his boat Serendipity with Dani. Dani is a classic narcissist who films everything they do. She is trying to become a YouTube star so they can make money and move on from the Bahamas. Sawyer’s investment in cryptocurrency was a bust and they need money. Dani starts telling people that Sawyer is abusing her, and then she disappears. Neither Dani or Sawyer really cares about the other, just about their image to the public. They don’t have any true friends because they don’t know how to be a friend to anyone. They are both truly selfish people and are really hard to like. But, it made the story better because no one besides these 2 horrible people could have come up with the schemes they did. It is a great debut from 2 authors writing together. Written in alternate points of view gave the book more depth and helped develop the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This twisty thriller has truly awful characters, but the story is fantastic. This book is like the demon love child between “Gone Girl” and “Reckless Girls” which I absolutely love!! It was unbelievably intricate and extremely entertaining. If you’re searching for a book that will keep you hooked, this is the one I strongly recommend.

This book was like a story from a true crime channel on YouTube, enjoyed it quite a bit. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

A debut novel, Rachel McGuire’s On The Surface (2024) is a mystery thriller set in the Bahamas. Dani Fox has a YouTube channel – Sailing with the Foxes, displaying her life aboard a boat with her boyfriend, Sawyer Stone III. They live an idyllic lifestyle with plenty of sun, pristine beaches, and travel to exotic locations - yet their relationship is not all it seems. When Dani disappears whilst having a morning swim, the internet goes wild as followers investigate and offer their take on the missing American woman. An entertaining tale with a surprising reveal and the discrepancy between life as lived and broadcast on social media. An enjoyable light read with minimal tension and a three stars read rating that has a Gone Girl vibe. With thanks to Crooked Lane Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

I liked this book for the most part. The writing style is good and the author does a good job of describing the lifestyle of “cruisers.” I enjoyed the author’s way of exposing the “fake” side of social media. There are a lot of characters, but their backgrounds are easy to keep up with. The flow of changing POV between characters is easy to follow.
The first half of the book is very slow, it becomes more intriguing and fast-paced during the last half of the book; it was hard to put down! It was predictable, especially once the connection of the prologue was revealed.
The main reason I have a hard time giving this book 4+ stars is because the ending was way too abrupt. I don’t even want to call it a cliff-hanger, it felt more like pages were missing. It left me feeling the emotion I’ve felt while watching a movie and the electricity goes out….never to know how it ends.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the arc!