I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook of On the Surface, by Rachel McGuire and multiple narrators. Such a fun listen!!!! Lots of twists and unreliable (and thoroughly unlikeable) narrators-which I love! So, there wasn't much to like about this book (regarding characters)- but there was a lot to love about the full picture. Does that make sense? If it does, then I highly recommend you download On the Surface immediately!!!! Such an entertaining read!!!

Not a likable character to be found but I was hooked on the twists snd the story. This book reminds me of another hit bestseller (made into a movie) from years ago. I certainly thought this would be a 4.5 read but then I got to the end of the book, and like WHAT?

The narration was good but the story just did not work for me. I tired it in book form too and I just could not get into it. I think it might be that the protagonists are so awful. I just did not like them.

I have a feeling I know who this story was based on...
And I think it hit a little too close to that story.

3 ⭐️ for fans of influencers and true crime. It was humorous, entertaining, but some parts I didn’t care for or were slow. My husband guessed the inspiration for this story.

Thanks NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this arc!

Thank you @crookedlanebooks @dreamscape_media @katerockbooktours
@rachelmcguireauthor for my complimentary digital and audio copies. My thoughts are my own.

Dani and Sawyer are YouTube influencers, who host a struggling show called Sailing with the Foxes. When Dani disappears after a boat party, her boyfriend, Sawyer, has no idea of her whereabouts. He becomes the number one suspect when Dani’s pre-scheduled videos appear on YouTube and she describes abuse at his hands. The interest in Dani’s disappearance causes their YouTube channel to gain thousands of followers. However, Dani is nowhere to be found and the search for her continues for days as more and more twists are revealed.

The fast-moving suspense in this one kept me thoroughly engaged. Sawyer and Dani proved to be totally unlikable and self-centered characters. I had to keep reading to see what would happen next! The twists kept coming and the final reveal was jaw-dropping!

I highly recommend this for thriller lovers.

3.5 rounded up. I enjoyed this audiobook for the most part. I do like when an audio book is read by different narrators. The story was good and relevant in todays world. A couple nice twists and I really did like it up until the end. Underwhelming. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the chance to review the ALC

Thanks NetGalley and Rachel McGuire for the chance to listen to this ARC!

On the Surface fell a little flat for me. I did like the writing style and all the details. I could picture everything and felt like I was there in the ocean on the boats with the characters. However, I didn't like or connect to any of the characters. I feel like the ending was partially predictable but then also left us with more questions than answers. There were a couple decent twists here and there though, and I did enjoy those!

Utterly phenomenal!
Just a couple of sociopaths living their best lives. What's not to love?

Set in the Bahamas which makes for a spectacular backdrop as well as adds some complications -US citizens on foreign soil. The boat life and all the differences that come along with that. So absolutely fun. Honestly I don't want to say too much because I don't want to ruin a spectacular read that I would recommend to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my advance copy of this audiobook

the audiobook has good acting and it reminds me of gone girl, you dont know what happened to her, it was like a 'page turner' but with voices.
Dani just cares about her tiktok and how she will get followers, her boyfriend was such an asshole always talking bad about her what she wears what she does he was really annoying in the story.
Set in the bahamas it was a good thriller you find out in the end what happens.

4 out of 5 stars

Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.

Gone Girl but with TikTok and Youtube influencers but also add a boat! This was a really good Summer thriller! Dani is obsessed with her TikTok account, she really wants to be among the top influencer's and she will do whatever it takes to get there. Set in the Bahamas this novel is a fun thriller.

Well, no. When I can figure it out halfway, not good writing. Kind of boring. Characters are extremely unlikeable.

I absolutely love the cover. It's so calm and intriguing.
The book itself is going to be a bit hard to review. I enjoyed the story line, even though I didn't like a single character in the book and saw the twists coming from a mile away. Actually, that first part is incorrect - I liked Emily; she did not deserve what happened to her.
Our 3 main characters - Dani, Sawyer, and Inspector Veronique Knowles - were all vastly different tone wise, and I appreciated that. I did find it odd that Dani and Sawyer were in first person and Veronique was in third person. It was jarring each time her chapters came up. Also, besides the prologue being in Emily's POV, we get a few other random one chapter long POVs in the book.
Dani was an attention seeker, which we see from the get-go. She is determined to make it as a social media influencer. It amazes me that they're having all these money issues, but she has plenty of money for *enhancements* and Botox? Plus her thousands of dollars of camera equipment. I feel like the boat should take precedent here, but what do I know? She was just all around unlikeable, which I understand was on purpose, but she wasn't a good good unlikeable, just a barely tolerable one.
I never saw the charm Sawyer supposedly had. I must have skipped those chapters? He gave me the ick every time he opened his mouth. Also, for whatever reason, I was under the impression Sawyer and Dani were married, but during the investigation, Dani was his girlfriend? Maybe that was a me issue and I read something wrong, but I was shocked when the police kept referring to Dani as his girlfriend.
Inspector Veronique Knowles was okay. Her character wasn't fleshed out, and we don't get any of her personality except she's good at her job and reserves judgment until she has all the facts. I do like that she was figuring out the truth in the end and went about it in a sensible way. It's a shame we'll never see how her investigation pans out.
The plot was slow at multiple points. The addition of internet sleuths was both hilarious (because I felt it was rather accurate - especially them ruining crime scenes as has happened before in some cases) and annoying at times, like the bar fight. Also, the ending... I can handle an open-ended ending, when it is done correctly, but this one just left way too many questions and plot lines up in the air.
I do believe the writing style is what kept me reading this book. I wasn't overly engaged in the book, mainly due to the characters, but the writing was easy to read. And the setting - I visited the Bahamas 4 months ago, and it's so beautiful that I could easily picture it throughout the story.
The audio narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life.

I kept thinking there was going to be a big twist, but it never came. I was able to predict most of the plot from page 1, and I was disappointed in the ending. I enjoyed the writing style of the author, and the story line really had a lot of potential, but it just didn’t pan out as a thriller. It was very suspenseful, but I was so confused when I realized I was on the last page of the book. I had to ask myself if I missed something. Not going to be a book I recommend, but I will check out other books by this author in the future.

This was a great thriller! It reminded me of Gone Girl, you have no idea who you can trust and everyone is up to no good. The audio was done well and kept me listening to find out what happened right up until the last page!

This book is a trip! You are thrown into this book from the very beginning and you aren’t sure where exactly the story is going, and once you think you have a firm grasp, the story does a little switcheroo. The author was very methodical (much like the characters) with how the storyline would play out. If you’re looking for lovable people in beautiful romantic places, this is not for you. But, if you want characters you love to hate and a tale that makes you wonder how it will all end, then buckle up! The pace of this is perfect. There are enough details that it keeps you intrigued and wanting more, yet it happens at a pace that you don’t feel bogged down in the details. I love how it highlights much of the negativity that is social media and more importantly how that can really play into the ugly side of the modern world. Not everything is as sparkly as it seems on your phone screen and how that instant gratification of likes and followers can be all consuming for some.

Great audiobook, would also be a great book to just read for those who don’t enjoy audio versions. I was impressed by the author as this is the first time I’ve read one one of her works, but this won’t be the last. Thank you Rachel McGuire, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook!

Gone Girl, but make it boat-y ⚓️

🛟 a missing ✨iNfLuEnCeR ✨

🛟 yachty naughties (bougie boat people)

🛟 it’s always the boyfriend/husband…..right?!

🛟 multi-pov (4)

What happens when an aspiring cruiser content creator goes missing in the Bahamas? Chaos ensues. But who is actually to blame?🔎

✏️ This is a really good beach-read. It’s pretty straightforward, but still twisty enough to binge by the pool. It’s really “the why”, and other small details that keep you wanting more. We also get sprinkles throughout of a secondary mystery, from earlier in time, which really helps keep interest high. You never know who a person really is.

3.75 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced audiobook, in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was so good from the start. I was absolutely hooked and found myself looking for more things to do just so I could listen to the book! The plot however, changed dramatically when the mystery was revealed earlier than I expected and I felt the end was just off at that point.

I couldn’t wait to dive into this book, pun intended! This book covers all my favorite water activities: scuba diving, secret beaches, boating to the Bahamas! Dani and Sawyer are YouTube social media influencers with a channel about their boating adventures to the Bahamas called, Sailing with the Foxes. Dani suddenly disappears after a night of partying with other sailors. An investigation begins and Sawyer is the lead subject. I loved the pacing, the way the story flowed.

The audiobook features a full cast and they all brought the story to life. It’s like listening to a tv show for your ears. So much praise for these narrators: Frankie Corzo, Evan Sibleyz Chante McCormick, Savy Des-Etages & David Bendena.

It’s twisty, fast past and such a great summer thrillers.

In the Bahamas, Dani and Sawyer appear to be living a fun and glamorous lifestyle aboard their sailboat in the Bahamas. They find themselves low on funds due to some mismanaged investments in crypto, so Dani turns to her growing YouTube audience in hopes of monetizing their story. After an evening of partying with friends on another boat, Dani goes missing. But of course there are some twists and turns that follow in this fun sun-soaked thriller.

The audiobook has great narration and it made for an enjoyable reading experience.