To start off, the cover of this books is absolutely gorgeous and I love it!
This book is a dual point of view story about Dani Fox who goes missing from her boyfriend’s boat while sailing in the Bahamas. It has the perfect summer theme!
I really loved the first half of this book. It was fast paced, twisty, and really kept my attention. The second half unfortunately lost me. We find out what happened to Danny and pursuit of justice begins, but there is no real resolution. I was disappointed in how the story just sort of stopped. With that being said, if a second book were to be released that continues the story, I would absolutely grab it to see what happens next!

While this book was well-written and action-packed, I somehow struggled with it. I didn’t get sucked into the story, despite me giving it multiple tries. Despite pushing through and finishing reading it, the open ending just… left a sour aftertaste. I’m sorry, I really wanted to love this one, yet I didn’t.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books, Rachel McGuire and Thriller Loves the Pulse for this ARC!

Just in time for summer, we at the Pulse have been reading the ultimate cruise adventure! Sawyer Stone and Dani Fox, the YouTube couple famously traveling the world on their 42’ boat, have docked in the Bahamas. Their reality show, Sailing with the Foxes, documents their adventures on the water. As they party in the Bahamas, everything looks perfect on the surface. But one night, Dani vanishes and Sawyer has no memory of her leaving. But as her pre recorded videos continue to post, a darker side of her and Sawyer’s relationship is revealed. Bahamas Police Inspector Veronique Knowles has her hands full trying to get to the bottom of things and find Dani.

First of all, I absolutely love the cover of this book! It screams “summer” to me so I was thrilled to get a pretty copy of it for my shelves! I love the whole “reality show” angle - it's quickly becoming a favorite in thrillers I have been reading lately! Getting to see how these seemingly perfect people behaved behind the scenes is deliciously fun! And while these characters were pretty perfect on the surface, they were quite unlikeable when the cameras weren’t rolling! Told from multiple points of view, we get to know these characters and a bit about their pasts as the search is on for Dani. If you enjoy character-driven stories, give this one a try :)

“On the Surface” releases July 9, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Dani Fox is trying to grow her YouTube channel, "Sailing with the Foxes."  She wants to be able to monetize her life at sea with her boyfriend, Sawyer Stone III.  Especially now since his investment in crypto went south.  They have anchored in the Bahamas for a bit.  Partying with other cruisers and exploring, everything is filmed to be edited and uploaded to her channel.  But when Dani goes missing after a party and Sawyer doesn't remember a thing, questions start to arise.  Her scheduled posts are still being uploaded and start to show a darker side of the relationship. 
As Royal Bahamas Police Inspector Veronique Knowles starts to investigate, Dani's disappearance goes viral.  The internet sleuths are running rampant.  They've even discovered secrets from Sawyer's past that make him the prime suspect.  But is he capable of doing what they are saying?

Told in multiple POV, this book was entertaining.  A popcorn thriller full of unlikable characters and lots of drama.  It had a great setting, and the "cruisers" life was definitely interesting.  Unfortunately, it was very predictable, and the ending was a bit abrupt.  I would still recommend this book to someone who dabbles in thrillers and doesn't like them to be too dark.

After seeing and loving this cover, I had to get my hands on it! A timely thriller about influencers and how far they’re willing to go for a like and subscribe. Unfortunately, this book was unoriginal and predictable with a cast of characters who I loathed. The ending was completely open ended, nothing was resolved, which I can admire when done well, but this was done so poorly. The plot was very reminiscent of another popular thriller from years ago. I wanted so much more from this one.

Exotic setting, unusual lead characters -- a couple who spend their life together cruising the seas and recording it all for YouTube -- and a bucketful of surprising twists all make this a genuine page turner. Take it to the beach and you might become so wrapped up in the story that you'll forget to go in the water.

The perfect summer drama read!!! The Bahamian / ocean setting and tropic vibes made me crave the beach. And the drama is excellent!!! Influencers, con artists, cruisers and a police inspector who is on to them all. There were a few unexpected twists which I love. The ending gave indication of how things were wrapping up but it wasn't a perfect closure. I thought that was very fitting for this book. Highly recommend if you're looking for some drama and mystery!

The perfect THRILLER to get your summer started! Once I started reading, I could NOT put it down!

One young cruiser (people that live on boats, traveling the world) with dreams of fame and fortune, create a YouTube channel, hoping to rake in the dough. Dani Fox will do anything to succeed and be noticed, ANYTHING. She and her boyfriend, owner of their boat, Serendipity, both star in Dani’s YouTube channel which has just been monetized. It’s growing but not making any money yet.

One day, after a late night partying with their fellow cruisers, Sawyer wakes up with no memory of getting home nor of anything that happened that night. Unfortunately, Dani is also MIA.

What happened to Dani and why is Sawyer being accused of hurting her?
——————————————-
I really enjoyed this thrilling and suspenseful book! It held my attention completely and surprised me many times throughout! However, I did not like the ending as it left me wanting more and a definite conclusion.

Readers who enjoy Ruth Ware, Sally Hepworth and Rachel Hawkins will love this one!

A page-turner in the extreme, On the Surface had me and everyone else at Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse hooked right from the start. Between the flipped script plot and the thoroughly unlikeable characters, I was entirely swept away by this craveable popcorn thriller. After all, the satirical slant and fast pace kept my eyes glued to the pages. Even the witty, thought-provoking social media commentary kept me happily enthralled. After all, instead of feeling lectured, it was a bang up job at entertainment.

The plot itself was utterly dripping in twists. With a premise that provided just a stepping off point, after no time at all, it was left quaking in the dust. More than once the direction took a sharp turn, only to reveal an even more stupendous and twisted bearing. From the attention-grabbing prologue to the shock-inducing last page, there wasn’t a moment where my fingers weren’t flying as my eyes hungrily ate up every word.

As for the characters, this book was full of some of the most vile sort, which made for a few deliciously perfect personas that I just loved to hate. Told via multiple POVs in the first-person, the games that were played filled each chapter with a definite sense of foreboding. Adding to the enjoyment was the fact that each of their personalities were perfectly hammered out, giving rise to distinct, clear cut identities that came alive on the page.

The only piece to this binge-worthy tale that slightly missed the mark for me was the finale. Hardly wrapped up with a nice, pretty, little bow, it left me wanting some answers. At the same time, that’s probably more of a me thing than a plot thing, because IYKYK, but I like my conclusions fully spelled out.

All in all, though, while I definitely needed to suspend all disbelief, the writing duo behind this addictive sensation had me in the palms of their hands. To be frank, this book just HAS to grace a screen near me someday soon. After all, I can so easily see it: a gorgeous locale, sexy sail boats, equally gorgeous characters—all on top of one killer plot. What’s not to love? So if you’ve already been hooked by this downright stunning cover, I beg of you to also discover the magic that is inside to boot. Rating of 4.5 stars.

★★★★.5
What makes this book a must-read? The cover, a visual masterpiece, is a window into the story's soul. The cleverly chosen title perfectly captures the dark and twisted tale that lies within. This debut psychological thriller results from a collaboration between Rachel Graham and Lee-Ann McGuire Whitlock, writing under the pen name Rachel McGuire. I'm eagerly awaiting their next project!

Do you like untrustworthy characters? Are psychopaths your cup of tea? How about YouTubers, cyber-sleuths, and life on the open sea? "On the Surface" might be the next read you're looking for!

Sawyer and Dani form a captivating pair at the story's core. The seasoned Sawyer has the expertise to keep the boat operational and manage affairs seamlessly. With her youthful savvy and social media know-how, Dani skillfully navigates the waters of online content creation. She understands how to capitalize on her appeal to generate the necessary funds for their way of life, although she may occasionally overestimate her knowledge.

One question: Is the ending open for interpretation, or can we look forward to a sequel?

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

OntheSurface #RachelMcGuire #NetGalley #Bahamas

I loved this thriller! Such an easy read, it had me wanting more the entire time. I loved the plot and trying to figure out what was going to happen the entire time. So many different twists and turns but they all came back together. The ending did fall a little flat, I’m hoping for a book 2?! If not it still ended decently.

I must say the setting of this book is very original. What’s not to like about a cruise to the Bahamas?

The theme of this thriller is very topical. If you’re into influencers, YouTubers, cyber-sleuths and police procedurals, this book has it all. The YouTube channel run by our two main characters is called Sailing with the Foxes and it was worrisome to see how it became the focus of their existence!

I found the idea of showing how the public perception of a crime can manipulate the truth very fascinating. It’s a great reminder of how nowadays we tend to see life through the lens of social media and this can be quite distorted from the truth.

Dani and Sawyer are the 2 main characters and POVs in this story and they sure as hell are unlikable narrators. But that’s also the main reason why I was so fascinated and subsequently hooked by their shenanigans and couldn’t put the book down until I knew what was going on.

The fact that Sawyer couldn’t remember a thing that had happened the night Dani went missing only fed into my curiosity!

I found the whole story extraordinarily realistic and well written, with an unconventional ending!

This is my first book by this author but it definitely won’t be my last.

And thanks once again to #Netgalley and #crookedlanebooks for my ADC!

Today I want to share a review for a thriller ARC I was thrilled to read early thanks to @thrillerbookloversthepulse and @crookedlanebooks: ON THE SURFACE by @rachelmcguireauthor, which is the pen name for the writing team of Rachel Graham and @leeannwhit. What a twisty, turny thriller this was! I flew through it.

Any thriller fan would love this one, but especially those who enjoy:

🤳 Social media influencers
🛥️ Thrillers taking place almost exclusively off land
🧠 Psychological thrillers
👩‍❤️‍👨 Domestic thrillers
❌ A whole cast of unlikeable characters

I was captivated following the devious twists and turns this story took, never knowing who to believe or trust. Basically the entire cast was odious, with the exception of the police inspectors and the FBI attache, but I love a cast of unlikeable characters! I truly didn't know what was going to happen right up until the end, which makes a thriller top-notch in my book.

I hope you'll pick this one up when it releases on 9 July, and let me know what you think when you're done!

As the title suggests, what you see on the surface is just a glimpse into the complex lives of Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox. These YouTubers, document their sailing adventures in hopes of making it big on social media so they can fund their lifestyle. They’re always looking for the golden ticket or “foot” to get noticed. When Dani disappears and Sawyer has no memory of what happened, the Bahamian Police are contacted by a concerned friend from their cruising community.

The story is told from multiple POVs by unreliable and unlikeable characters. Each new discovery muddies the water a little more as the clues don’t add up. This storyline gave me some Gone Girl vibes, which deepened the intrigue. I enjoyed the inclusion of the amateur sleuths from the online true crime community as part of the investigation. This is a quick and captivating read with twists from beginning to end!

I went into the start of this book thinking it was going to feel familiar; an over done topic/troupe. To some extent it was, BUT there is manipulation, forethought, patience and they all come together for a slow burn with and ending I wasn't expecting. On the Surface kept my attention but it did feel as though it was longer than it needed to be. Entertaining, an easy and quick read, held my interest enough, but this feel short for me, and based on the overall rating on Good Reads, I'm in the minority. Take my review with a grain of salt, as others seem to enjoy On the Surface more than I did.
.
.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What you see on the surface is not always the whole story.

What is not to like about this book? Set in the Bahamas, we meet cruisers and social media influencers Dani and Sawyer. They cruise around the world and post about it online. Hard life right? But then Dani goes missing after a night of drinking and partying and Sawyer is the prime suspect. He woke up with the hangover from hell and no memory of the night before. Gotta be him right??

While I did guess most of the twists in this story it was still a very enjoyable read. Full of unlikeable characters except for the police, it was certainly a page turner.

Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on July 9th.

Perfect for summer reading, this is the story of a girl who goes missing and who is the blame? The boyfriend of course! The couple lives on a boat and sails from place to place. I love this setting because it’s unique and fits the story perfectly. The story shows how far people will go for fame and money. It had me questioning people’s motives at every turn. An excellent story and I can’t wait to read more by this author!

This book was okay for me. There were things about it that I liked, and things about it that I didn’t like.

I think this book had a very important theme, that exploitation on social media is so dangerous and unfortunately, common. People will stop at nothing for likes, followers, and monetization. At one point a character in the book said something along the lines of perception is what matters, not reality. And in the age of social media, that’s become the truth.

However, this book is VERY similar to Gone Girl(I have only seen the film adaptation, I have not read the book!). I found it to be very predictable. And not one character was likable besides MAYBE a couple of the insignificant side characters. It’s hard to like a book when every single relevant character is horrible.

Overall, I was somewhat disappointed by this book. I was pretty excited about it and I just expected more, I think.

Book Tour Feature coming to Instagram on 6/13!

I appreciate Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse for including me in the tour for this book, and thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane for the gifted advance copy!

What does the generation who grew up with their phones as their right hand do for money? This novel is a twisty read about influencers, living more of a free life and what someone will do for the green greed. Dani and Sawyer appear to be living the life down in the Bahamas on a sailboat. No schedule, no work and nothing but beauty around, right? Appearances are deceiving and Dani has done just that with her followers. So when she goes missing and Sawyer becomes suspect number one, the Internet goes wild becoming super sleuths in finding out the truth about what happened to Dani and what Sawyer did with her body. Another death from Sawyer's past resurfaces and that death is now being called into question as well. Dani's uncle being one of the only people to really know Dani and the person she really is has a pretty good feeling that Sawyer didn't do anything but these videos that were preschedule to post, are showing otherwise. With each video the case continues to blow up on the internet and the investigators know they have a mess of a case on their hands with all of the infiltration from the sleuths running their own investigations and they know all eyes are on them as this is a blonde American beauty that has gone missing. What happened to Dani and who will benefit the most? Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse is excited for this summer beach read!

Fans of ‘Gone Girl’ will absolutely LOVE this book! I read this in less than 12 hours, I couldn’t put it down! I was completely invested in Sawyer and Dani’s story - who’s lying and who’s telling the truth? What happened to Dani and is Sawyer responsible for her disappearance? This gave me all the vibes of the Gabe & Tina Watson case (if you’re familiar). This was an amazing read and I highly recommend any thriller lover read this!