A great summer thriller! Fast-paced and engaging. I definitely wanted to keep reading to know what happened and to see if my theories were correct. Because I was right, the predictability took away some of the thrill for me, but I still enjoyed reading. I was also able to get through it quickly. The boat and Bahamas setting give such summer vibes, so this would be a good one to read on the beach! 🏖

*2.5 rounded up to 3*

I wanted to listen to this audiobook on the premise that it was Gone Girl on the water--and GG is a 3* rating from me as well, honestly, and I was hoping for a *better* Gone Girl, set on the water. For me, however, it remained a flat GG on the water (and I know I'm not exactly in the majority for not loving GG or finding the twist anything but obvious when it came out). The characters are grating and stereotyped and the audiobook narrators "add" to these feelings. Redundancy is also an issue with the writing in this title. Why even give it stars?

Because I KNOW there are other people out there who love this (stereo)type of mystery more than me and will race through this book to see who it all comes together, and I want them to have it without the star rating being dragged down. For those of you described in this paragraph: Enjoy! Love it! Have fun!

My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this title in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for a free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This is, quite frankly, Gone Girl on the water, only less well written.

None of the characters are in anyway relatable or understandable, their motivations weak and their thought processes eye-roll worthy.

The 'missing' girl reads as though she were written by a man (not a compliment) and the ending was convoluted to the point of stupidity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dani Fox and Sawyer Stone are cruising around the Bahamas living the boating life. Dani is an aspiring social media influencer hell bent on boosting her numbers to make herself rich and famous. After an epic boat party Sawyer wakes hungover, bloody, sore and worse to find Dani missing. Where is she? Did they have a fight and she went overboard? She swims every morning could she have drowned? This can't be happening again, could it? It is always the husband. As Bahamian police begin to investigate the disappearance all signs point to Sawyer as the perpetrator. But is he?

I liked the idea of a Gone Girl esque mystery set in a boating community in the Bahamas. This is a multi-character POV story. I am okay with a novel that all the characters are suspects and have some amount on unlikability but these characters were flat and stereotypical making them unlikable but not in the fun way. While the mystery itself is good enough the twists were obvious and lackluster. There was nothing overtly good or bad about this novel, it was just fair across the board. I rounded up to the 3 stars.

I had the audio version read by Frankie Corzo; Evan Sibley; Chanté McCormick; Savy Des-Etages, and David Bendena. I find it difficult to fully judge the performances because I am not sure who voiced which character. There were a couple that I was okay with and a couple that I loathed. A few of the character accents and voices were horrible. Not the most entertaining audio book.

What a fun listen! Very entertaining. Multiple narrators. Fast story. If you're looking for a fun beach read, popcorn thriller- this is your book. I had a lot of fun reading this one and it went by super quick.

Dani Fox runs a YouTube channel called sailing with the foxes. One day Dani realizes she can turn her channel viral if she adds some spice. Spice meaning, crime. After engineering her own kidnapping, Dani rakes in the dough. How does her boyfriend turned suspect handle it all? That's the fun part. Get ready for some crazy twists! Can't wait to read more from this author duo!!

Rachel McGuire’s "On the Surface" is a masterclass in suspense and psychological depth, deserving of every one of its five stars. From the first page, McGuire hooks readers with a gripping narrative that is as intricate as it is compelling. The story delves into the complexities of human relationships, unearthing hidden motives and dark secrets beneath a seemingly perfect exterior.

The novel's protagonist is richly developed, navigating a labyrinth of personal and professional challenges with both resilience and vulnerability. McGuire’s sharp, evocative prose brings each character to life, creating a vivid tapestry of emotion and intrigue. The plot is meticulously crafted, with twists that are both surprising and satisfying, ensuring that readers are continually engaged and guessing.

The pacing is expertly managed, maintaining a balance between intense moments of suspense and quieter, reflective scenes that deepen character development. McGuire’s ability to weave together multiple storylines without losing momentum is impressive, making "On the Surface" a standout in contemporary fiction.

Overall, "On the Surface" is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and character-driven stories. McGuire has delivered a remarkable novel that resonates on multiple levels, offering both a riveting plot and profound insights into the human condition.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

I was intrigued by the premise and loved the cover but found the characters too unlikable and the social media aspects to be so obnoxious. Yet i couldn’t stop because i wanted to know where the story was going. I basically hate read this book.

This reminder me a lot of gone girl. I think that’s one thing that gave away this story for me is I had the twist figured out. Seemed a bit obvious. I liked the premise of the story. The audio was well done. I think the characters were super unlikeable tho.

I found myself enjoying authorRachel McGuire writing style as the glided across the surface of this entertaining read.

𝘖𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 centers around cruisers Sawyer Stone III & Dani Fox. Dani is determined to make it as a social media influencer by documenting their life on the sea.
Sawyer has put all of their money into crypto, & while waiting for it to bounce back they spend their time partying, mingling & swimming. Until one day Dani vanishes after a boat party.
Thanks to online sleuths, the finger is pointed at Sawyer. Sawyer has no recollection of the party or how he got back to their boat.
The story takes off but Sawyer is determined to prove his innocence & find Dani.

This book is a SLOW BURN in every sense of the word with severely unlikable characters.
Sawyer was a huge waspy a-hole and Danni was definitely a big witch (but switch the w for a b lol).

I appreciated how the book depicted life on the seas and the different areas of the Bahamas but it was a bit predictable.
I did like the ending; it was something I already had in mind but this is a quick read with a physical copy but kind of drags with the audio reading.

The audio book was cool because I did like the different voices (I'm not an audiobook person so this was my very first audiobook). I did like having the audio to go with the e-book.

Overall, if you're looking for a predictable slowburn this is for you.

If you're looking for a twisty summer thriller-- you'll love One the Surface!

A YouTubing couple sails the world sharing everything for the world to see but things might not always be as good as they make it out to be. In fact-- it's about to get a lot worse.

Sawyer & Dani are broke. Dani is doing everything she can to make exciting content to make money, even if that means taking dangerous risks. But one night Dani vanishes from the boat & everyone around them worry about the darker side that they have seen of her & Sawyer's relationship. When prerecorded posts start popping up while Dani is missing, no one knows what to think & who to trust.

Seriously just pick this one up! So good!

Thank you so much NetGalley & Dreamscape Media

Great book. It kept my interest from the first chapter to the last. A YouTubing cruiser couple sails the world living their best lives, until one of them goes missing....
I would recommend this book to read and for my library to purchase.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the e-audiobook!

This was a fun, easy listen but I didn't find the plot or mystery/solution to be rather groundbreaking. This is an easy popcorn listen (which is what I was looking for when I requested this).

3.5 stars
I'm not quite sure what I thought of this one - I feel like I need to sit on it for a moment to decide. I enjoyed the beginning quite a bit. The story is set in the beautiful Caribbean waters with the cruisers lifestyle. I loved the added social media aspect where Dani is trying to make a name for herself and Sawyer finds it annoying. It was also interesting to see how social media can get involved in a case and make decisions on who is guilty or what happened, without having the facts, which can affect law enforcement's ability to solve the case. The ending fell a bit flat for me though and I started to lose interest, unfortunately.

Thank you to Netgalley, Rachel McGuire and Dreamscape Media for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was a decent novel, however I didn't like this book as much as I thought. Still it was an enjoyable thriller perfect for a day at the beach.

It was narrated by a full cast and the narrators were very pleasant. I enjoyed the beginning of this book, but unfortunately I got bored in the middle.

With that being said, I may pick up this book again at a later date.
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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I thought that this was going to be a Gone Girl type of book. Everything was pointing in that direction, but then my socks were knocked off and I was thrilled by this thriller. I loved the reference to all the social media and press and how it affects cases and condemns people in a court of opinion before the facts are all even brought to light. The setting was both beautiful and remote which was a excellent contrast to bring out the unsettling feelings about the characters as the plot develops. I will be recommending this thriller for sure. An excellent summer read with all the tropical and Beach references. I definitely have no interest in living on a boat after this.

Set in the “cruisers’” lifestyle—living and seeing the world on a sailboat—this is a perfect summer thriller.

Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox are young and beautiful, and sailing around the world makes for amazing content for Dani’s new YouTube channel 𝑆𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑜𝑥𝑒𝑠.

But when Dani disappears after a party with fellow cruisers, all things point to Sawyer - it’s always the boyfriend, right? When the Bahamian Royal Police begin their investigation, dark secrets emerge, but something does not add up.

The dynamics between Sawyer and Dani give this a strong domestic suspense feel. While neither character is terribly likable, they are both compelling - you want to see what they do next. The plot wasn’t overly complicated, yet it was nice to sit back and enjoy the waves and rolls of each twist. I loved the atmosphere of life on a boat, the relationships within the cruiser community, and the effects of Dani’s influencer lifestyle.

What I wasn’t prepared for was such an open ending. I tend to like answers, but as in life, we don’t always get them.

🎧I paired my reading with the audiobook from #dreamscapesmedia, and the full cast did a great job with this production.

Thank you @KateRockBookTours @RachelMcGuireAuthor and @CrookedLaneBooks for a spot on tour and this fabulous book package.

Thank you @dreamscape_media for the gifted audiobook.

This was a fun audio listen. I wanted a little bit more. It annoyed it. The characters were hateable but the wnvironment was something new to me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Audiobook Review

I saw this cover and knew I had to read it! I love a good cover. I was feeling like I was in a little bit of a slump and this one got me right out! The best way to describe this read is it’s a modern tropical Gone Girl. It is written by a couple authors who tag teamed this amazing book and their pen name is Rachel McGuire. The rollercoaster ride that is this book was so full of twists and turns that made for pure entertainment!

The audio was just fantastic!! It is read by a cast of five narrators. I know that sounds like a lot, but it sure did work! Each narrator made the story so real and read their parts perfect! I felt like I was in a movie. This is now one of my favorite beach reads of the summer! The island vibes were so great in this read!

What you can enjoy in the book:
⛵️ Unreliable narrator
🌊 Missing person trope
⛵️ Exotic location
🦈 Unlikeable characters
⛵️ Multiple POV’s
🐠 Addictive thriller
⛵️ Social media influencer

Thank you to the author Rachel McGuire and Net Galley for the advanced copy of the audio book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Rachel McGuire for the Advanced Readers copy of On The Surface, I throughly enjoyed this audiobook! There was several different voices, which I love with audiobooks! The cover of this is so beautiful, I will probably buy a copy for my shelf!

It was fast paced, captivating and really sucked me in. I felt a dislike toward almost every character which made it SO hard for me to figure out the mystery! And I was surprised, I love it when I can’t figure it out!

Sawyer and Dani set sail, and Dani is going to video it all for her YouTube channel. It’s going to be their dreams come true if they can make it work! Money starts to run low, and all the sudden Sawyer is the main suspect in a missing persons case. Not just any person though, Dani is missing, and it’s not the first time the law has looked at Sawyer for something sketchy with his partner.