"On the Surface" is a thriller that begins with an intense and intriguing premise, immediately drawing readers into its gripping narrative. From the start, the story sets a high pace, creating a sense of anticipation and excitement. I found myself particularly captivated halfway through the audiobook, as the plot thickened and the tension escalated.

However, around the 60% mark, the core mystery of the thriller was revealed, which led to a noticeable shift in the story's momentum. Once the main twist was exposed, I felt that the narrative lost some of its initial spark and began to feel repetitive. The unfolding events didn't quite match the earlier suspense, and the drive to uncover new secrets diminished.

As the story progressed towards its conclusion, I hoped for a climax that would restore the earlier intensity and deliver a powerful, suspenseful ending. Unfortunately, the ending felt abrupt and fell short of my expectations. It lacked the punch and dramatic flair that a strong thriller finale demands.

Despite these drawbacks, I did appreciate the vivid summer setting that the author skillfully wove into the plot. The scenes set out on the water added a unique and refreshing backdrop to the story, enhancing the overall reading experience.

In summary, while "On the Surface" had the potential to be a standout thriller with its strong start and captivating premise, it ultimately leaned more towards a mystery. I was left wanting more of the thrilling elements that the beginning promised. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read, especially for those who appreciate a good summer mystery.

Ooweeee! Talk about some unlikable and deplorable characters! This was a fun summer thriller that kept my interest. It definitely reminded me of a massively popular thriller but I don’t want to spoil it by comparing. Books set on boats are always intriguing and I enjoyed seeing how the cruisers interacted with each other. The ending was left open and I loved it but if you like a tightly wrapped bow then you might find yourself more frustrated.

The book was really good! I was so invested in the plot. The characters were well written and there were some things that I did not expect to happen! The narrator wasn’t the best. Only because I felt like they weren’t like invested in the book. It was sorta hard to understand the narrator as well at times

This audiobook was incredible!! I loved the multiple narrators, it made the story so much easier to follow. The characters were well written and I was so invested in their story. I'm not a huge fan of speculative endings, and I wish a few more things had been wrapped up before the book ended. This was a fun book and did a good job combining influencers and thriller!!

Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox are a young couple who are sailing the world and sharing their adventures on their fledgling Youtube channel Sailing with the Foxes. They've currently anchored in Exuma, in the Bahamas, and are waiting for the price of crypto to rebound so they can provision and continue their journey. In the meantime, they are partying and exploring with their fellow cruisers. On the surface, their lives look perfect. But one night, Dani disappears after a boat party and Sawyer has no memory of her disappearance. The search for Dani is fueled by concerns that she may have drowned on one of her daily swims, but when Dani's pre-scheduled Youtube videos post and show a darker side to her relationship with Sawyer, suspicion turns in his direction.

ON THE SURFACE is a fun 'locked room' type thriller set in Exuma, Bahamas. The setting of the Bahamas and mostly on a boat is excellent, making this a perfect summer beach read. It's a quick and easy read that keeps you wanting to know more as the plot thickens.

I really enjoyed the cruisers aspect of the story with the tie in to social media influencers and the reality vs what you see online. The world of cruisers is something I had no clue about so it was fun to discover this lifestyle in this thriller.

ON THE SURFACE is told in multiple POV in the first person, with Sawyer, Dani, and Detective Knowles as the main POVs. The characters here are all fairly unlikeable but they are well-developed, compelling, and hiding a host of secrets. I enjoyed the plot of this book which is relatively fast-paced, binge-worthy, and intriguing, hooking me in from early on. It's a twisty read that kept me guessing right up to the end. I will say that I personally found the ending to be too open-ended for my tastes and I was left feeling adrift with too many questions unanswered.

I really enjoyed the full cast audiobook narration which was very well done.

Overall, a great debut!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Dreamscape Media, of this advanced listener copy for the opportunity to listen to this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.

On the Surface
Rachel McGuire
7.9.24

Seriously, books with unlikeable characters got me raging lately! Luckily, this plot had all the saving Grace to pull me through.

I love that the theme throughout is focused on SM influencers and the lengths they’ll go to in order to gain views and sponsers but there’s a big twist and that I won’t reveal.

The setting is the most enjoyable part, the idea of sailing around the world in a sort of never-ending vacation is a tad appealing to me – the rest, not so much.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to companion read/listen to this – I think the audio gave additional depth to some of the more shallow characters.
Definitely a twisty beach read that will appeal to fans of the genre!

My thanks to @CrookedLaneBooks and to @Dreamscape_Media for these gifted copies!

On the Surface by Rachel McGuire is a nice thriller to take on a vacation with you. I thought it was well-written and the multicast of narrators did a great job as well. This is a good quality book that will appeal to a lot of readers. I like how it is so current! It's a suspenseful thriller and I recommend it!

Quick and suspenseful read.

Dani and Sawyer sail the world displaying their relationship and cruising adventures on YouTube. What many don't know is their relationship looks a lot different when the camera is not rolling. Dani goes missing and Sawyer is immediately the suspect. What can Sawyer do to clear his name, or simply escape the accusations?? Local investigators have their work cut out for them working with minimal clues and invading amateurs trying to solve the case first.

I enjoyed the twists and turns although somewhat predictable.
Quick and easy read, definitely recommend.

I listened to the audiobook of "On the Surface".
All narrators did a great job at portraying their roles and delivering the intended emotions.

Thank you, Rachel McGuire, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this story and the way it unfolded. The use of multiple narrators to voice the different characters POVs was a great touch! I thought it really helped bring each character to life. My biggest issue with the book was the pacing. I started to loose interest after a while. There wasn’t a lot of action going on. It was very much a slow burn thriller. There were definitely some great twists, I just wish the middle part while Dani was missing hadn’t felt so tedious. I’m not going to go into much more detail about the plot, I don’t want to spoil anything.

I’d recommend this book if you like boats, social medical influencer culture, and you don’t mind a slow burn to your thrillers!

Wow, this was GOOD! This is my favorite thriller of the year so far. So many twists and turns, it was great. The audiobook has multiple narrators for all the characters (it switches PoV’s) and they were all perfect. My favorite character is Royal Bahamas Police Force Inspector Veronique Knowles, she sees things others miss. The ending was intriguing, it was almost like another story beginning and I want to know how it really ends.

How far would you go to get likes and follows? Once you reach the Youtube threshold to monetize, how do you get people interested in you? You just need that ONE thing to go viral… If you like Gone Girl or a Bonnie & Clyde dynamic, you will probably like this.

*Provided an ALC (advance listening copy) audiobook from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

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!