On the Surface
By Rachel McGuire

Thank you so much Dreamscape Media, Crooked Lane Books, & NetGalley for the ALC & ARC.

Blurb:
A YouTubing cruiser couple sails the world living their best lives—until one of them goes missing and their whole world capsizes, in this captivating psychological thriller perfect for fans of Something in the Water and Saint X.

✨ My thoughts:
I couldn’t put this one down! If I wasn’t reading it, I was listening to it until I was done. Fun, engrossing, and perfect for a beach, pool, or vacation read! The cast of characters in the audiobook were just too good. I’d love to see this as a movie. It’s a bit of a slow burn, and the characters are not at all likable, but trust me, this story is highly entertaining and enjoyable. It has secrets and mystery that’ll keep you turning the pages. Ahh so much drama… I inhaled this twisty popcorn thriller. This is one you’ll want to read in the heat of summer. On the Surface is out 7/9/24, get to it while it’s hot!

Happy reading 📖

On the Surface is a fantastic domestic suspense that will keep you guessing until the very end. This story centers on social media and internet fame, which is incredibly compelling, and well done. It is, simply put, deliciously intriguing and a binge read.

I definitely recommend this story to all the thriller readers, and to those who are intrigued by social media and internet fame.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, which had several narrators for the multiple POVs. It was incredibly well done. I listened at 2x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced audiobook copy.

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

This was a decent thriller that I listened to on audio. 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.

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!

Let’s go cruizin’! ⚓️
Dani and Sawyer have joined the cruising community, exploring the Caribbean. Dani documents all their adventures on her You Tube channel,” Sailing with the Fox’s.”

It’s all a dream come true. Until reality raises its ugly head.
Their money is running low and tempers are running high.

Now, to compound their troubles, Dani goes missing and all eyes turn to Sawyer! He swears his innocence but this isn’t the first time someone in Sawyer’s life met with an unnatural ending.

This is a debut for the writing duo of Rachel Graham and Lee-Ann McGuire Whitlock, under the pen name Rachel McGuire. I had no idea it was a collaboration until finishing the audio.

The storyline was solid though a bit predictable at times. But I loved the final twist! Well played!🙌🏼

🎧: The audio version involved a large cast of narrators. For me, the standout was the narrator for Sawyer’s character!

If you’re looking for a summer getaway…set sail with this gripping debut thriller!⛵

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media

Thank you Dreamscape Media, Netgalley, #partner for an advanced ALC of On the Surface in exchange for my honest review.

There is nothing I love more than a debut that keeps me on my toes! And this is exactly that!!! From the cover that just screams summer thriller to an entertaining story that is chock-full of drama, unlikeable characters and more, I could not put this one down until I reached the conclusion. I’ve really come to love books that delve into the whole influencer lifestyle and this one takes it to a whole new level! The twists are expertly placed, really keeping you on your toes and I was never quite sure who I could completely trust. I also loved the setting of this one, parts set on an island and parts set on a sailboat. It really makes for quite an atmospheric read!

This is definitely a great book to add to your summer reading pile…it’s such a binge-worthy read, one you won’t want to miss! And I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what comes next from this author for sure!


Audio thoughts: I did do the audio for this one & loved the full-cast narration. All the narrators – Frankie Corzo, Evan Sibleyz Chante McCormick, Savy Des-Etages & David Bendena – did a fantastic job in bringing this story to life.

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!

A reluctant influencer, Sawyer essentially just tolerates Dani using their adventures for content. Already pretty miserable, things get worse for him when Dani in a way that looks very bad for Sawyer.

This was an interesting story but the way it was put together made it a bit boring. Right from the start you're getting both sides of the story so there is essentially no mystery. I think it would have been much more impactful and tense if we got the story from Sawyer almost all the way through and then switched to Dani, maybe with a bit of quick alternation at the end but the way it was just felt a little flat. There were some good twists and turns at the end, the last 1/4 moved quickly and was interesting, I would try more from this author.

Some of the story is predictable and some of it is unexpected. It made a great combination of thinking you knew what was coming to just turn around and surprise you. It was a great listen.

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!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I really loved this one! I know many people aren’t fans of open endings, but I love them! It’s about two Youtube “cruisers” - one day the girlfriend goes missing and the whole world believes the boyfriend killed her. That’s all you need to know going into it!!

From the beginning this seemed like modern twist on the film L'Avventura (1960) about the disappearance of a young woman during a boating trip, so I was hooked. Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox are young, trendy social media darlings who are sailing around the globe posting their adventures - when Dani disappears. Thanks so much for the ARC/audiobook dear NetGalley!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook. The storyline was very catchy and I was hooked. It was giving me pieces of other real mystery cases that I’ve followed in the past. But as the book hit 65% in I thought it went down hill and started becoming childish. The ending was rushed and expected.

This book held so much promise, but failed to deliver. I found the characters annoying and the story moved very slow. The book left so many things unresolved at the end. I cannot go into any details without giving spoilers, but I had really hoped for something more exciting.

Gripping from the start - great read to prioritize for the summer for any setting. The physical copy and audio copy are great picks here, but my favorite was the audio.

This book captured my interest from the beginning and the rest of its entirety held some good twists. While one component was expected, won’t add any spoilers here, it didn’t detract from an otherwise great read. Majority of the cast were terrible people, but in a good way. The ending left much to the imagination, but I think it worked well here.

🎧 This book was narrated by an awesome cast! Frankie Corzo, Evan Sibley, Chanté McCormick, Savy Des-Etages, and David Bendena did a great job being us through this story. I always love a full cast, but this group really brought a cinematic quality to this popcorn thriller. I think they aided in my experience here and really helped paint the picture of our characters which may not have been the same by the physical copy.

Thank you #NetGalley and @Dreamscape_Media for an ALC and to @rachelmcguireauthor for an ARC of #OntheSurface in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook of On the Surface and thought it was a fun listen with talented narrators.

I was immediately drawn into the story & while it utilizes some existing thriller themes, I was entertained! There were a few twists and turns, along with some unreliable narrators.

I thought the POVs were really well done and appreciated that there was a different actor for each POV- it really added to the story. Sometimes if there are multiple POVs, it can be hard to follow in audiobooks, but everyone’s voice in this audiobook was really different and easy to tell who was who.

I enjoyed the social media themes explored throughout the book, it really makes you think a bit about how we use social media in these situations and how it can positively/negatively impact those in the situation.

I also liked that the setting was in the Bahamas, it felt tropical and beachy, which was nice to listen to during the summer season. There were a few slow spots, but overall I would recommend this audiobook/book to fans of thrillers, especially psychological!

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and the author Rachel McGuire for the gifted ARC copy of this audiobook.

Two horrible people with an Instagram following, what could go wrong? It's not new territory and all the characters are pretty unlikeable, but it's fast-paced and does the job for Summer beach reading!

I think Gone Girl in the Caribbean or Gone Girl on a Boat is a fair summary of this story. The characters were unlikeable, and the story was a bit predictable but entertaining.

Oh this was fun! The narration was fantastic!
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.

"On the Surface" by Rachel McGuire, narrated by a talented cast of actors is a psychological thriller perfect for fans of twisty plots and unreliable narrators.
As a fan of true crime podcasts and thrillers, I was immediately drawn to the story of Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox, a young couple who document their sailing adventures on YouTube. On the surface, their life seems idyllic - they've escaped the chaos of land to live on their 42-foot sailboat, exploring the world and sharing their experiences with their followers. But when Dani vanishes during a party in the Bahamas, everything changes.
The investigation that follows is complex and multi-layered, with Inspector Veronique Knowles from the Royal Bahamas Police Force trying to untangle the truth from the web of secrets and lies. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Sawyer and Dani's relationship was far from perfect, and that both of them have secrets they're hiding.
I loved how the audiobook was produced, with multiple narrators bringing the characters to life. It added a level of depth and intimacy to the story, making it feel like I was right there with Sawyer and Dani as they navigated their lives on the high seas.
The plot is expertly woven, with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. I loved how the author explored themes of social media, fame, and the pressure to present a perfect image online. It's a timely commentary on our society's obsession with social media, and how it can distort our perceptions of reality.
Overall "On the Surface" is for fans of psychological thrillers. It's a gripping and suspenseful listen that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The narrators are excellent, the plot is twisty and engaging, and the themes are thought-provoking.