DNFed this one, I could not get into the writing at all, the word choice was bizarre and felt like a thesaurus was used to help while writing . Anything involving crypto currency is a solid no from me.

Dani Fox and Sawyer Stone document their life sailing around the World and posting about it on their youtube channel. They are currently in Exuma, Bahamas and living their best life partying with their fellow cruisers when Dani disappears and Sawyer has no recollection of her disappearance. Everyone is frantic to find her when her prescheduled videos start to go live on the youtube channel, Sailing with the Foxes, that paint her boyfriend, Sawyer, in a bad light. We get an inside to the Royal Bahamas Police Force investigation through Inspector Knowles and there are a few different leads she has along with the internet sleuths looking into it as well.

This story did keep me on my toes for most of it. There is speculation thrown on quite a few people and the possibility that she just was attacked by a shark on her morning swim. Sawyer seemed like such a creep(which clearly he was from the relationship he had with his deceased wife's sister) but when I learned the overall plan, it made sense. The other cruisers were very eager to defend their own, even when it went against what they had originally said. There were also quite a few guys thrown in to have bad images and have potential to be the reason Dani went missing. Overall, it was a good story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was different. The beginning kind of drug on. Then the disappearance was just thrown in there.
It was not a favorite listen. And the ending kind of left you hanging to see if there will be a sequel or if that’s just how the author decided to end it.
Narration was decent. But all around didn’t love this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ALC. I almost didn’t finish this one. I was bored the first 50 or so pages. It does pick up but then get predictable. Also, the ending is left wide open. Hoping a 2nd book is in the works or that’s the worst ending I’ve ever read!

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the advance reading copy. I enjoyed the storyline for this novel that depicted Sawyer and Dani in the Bahamas blogging their adventures until Dani goes missing. However, I was able to guess the ending fairly early into this novel so I wasn't very engaged the last 50% of the novel. It's an OK read

4.5/5

This was a fun entertaining read from start to finish. So many manipulations and characters that you’ll love to hate.

The book was so atmospheric and dropping us in the midst of cruisers. You’ll learn a lot about the lifestyle and laid-back, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere” attitudes.

You’ll also get more insight into the influencer life and then narcissistic tendencies that come with it.

When writing a book about terrible people, I find that many authors have a hard time writing them in a way that the reader WANTS to read about them. This author captured the very essence of what it is to be an unlikable YET INTERESTING character. I really love that about this book.

I did the audiobook and that was very well done.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗿𝘀. 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱/𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮 "𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱" 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀....𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?

I really enjoyed this one, the story held me captive and entertained throughout. The narration was amazing, this audio book was better than a movie!

I enjoyed this one. It was twisty and combined all the negative parts of social media to tell an enthralling story. I did not like Dani, but she was written for her role very well.

Fans of unreliable narrators will find themselves hanging on every word of this book. There is no shortage of characters whose stories simply don’t add up and readers will be guessing until the end not knowing who to trust.

ON THE SURFACE features Sawyer and Dani who are living the cruising lifestyle; sailing from port to port. Dani documents their travels as a social media influencer which brings extra scrutiny when she disappears in the Bahamas. The mystery deepens when we learn that Dani is not Sawyer’s first love interest to meet with disaster.

Rachel McGuire gives us plenty of characters to dislike. We question their veracity and motivation. The plot emphasizes the ugly side of social media and what people are willing to do to get their fifteen minutes of fame.

The audiobook is deftly narrated. The full cast truly brings the story to life and makes it easy to follow the many twists throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to an advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was just not good. It was derivative of so many books in the genre. I assumed what was going on from the get go, which I was willing to overlook if the story included some other more unique aspects but it just felt like so many other thrillers I’ve read. The characters were so unlikeable - which was clearly on purpose but they weren’t a fun type of unlikeable. The ending was quite abrupt and felt dissatisfying as well. I did enjoy the audiobook production however. The narrators were all fantastic.

Name of Book: On the Surface
Author: Rachel McGuire (Debut Author)
Series: Hummingbird Hallow B&B Mystery
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Frankie Corzo, Evan Sibley, Chante’ McCormick, Savy Des-Etages and David Bendena
Publisher: Dreamscape Media/Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Thriller
Pub Date: July 9, 2024
My Rating: 2.5 Stars
Pages: 298


There is no doubt this cover got my attention-a lazy afternoon floating in the beautiful Bahamas.
Additionally I love to support debut authors and also am an audiobook fan. When I saw this story has five narrators, I was sure it going to be great.

Sawyer and Dani currently anchored in Exuma, in the Bahamas. Everything looks perfect – until one night when Dani vanishes after a boat party. Even worse Sawyer has no memory of her disappearance.
It is believed Dani drowned during one of her daily ocean swims.
However, her pre-scheduled video post reveals that Sawyer is far from perfect, but is he a murderer? It appears Sawyer’s wife Emily died on a diving trip where only Sawyer and Emily were present.
Since Dani has millions of followers on You Tube her disappearance has gone ‘viral, The Royal Bahamas Police Force and Inspector Veronique Knowles are overwhelmed with trying resolve this case.

.
Yes! The narrators did a great job performing the characters-they made it clear who was speaking. The only problem is all the characters are unlikable having similar personalities. Their conversations usually involve sex or money with added profanity to make their point clear. The story promises a big twist so I hung in there curious of the big twist. I read a lot of thrillers and this was not a big wow twist.
Disappointed that this did not work for me; the characters never got all that interesting - I got to the point where I really I didn’t care whodunit.

About the Author~ Rachel McGuire is the pen name for the collaboration between Rachel Graham and Lee-Ann McGuire Whitlock.

Rachel Graham has worked as a firefighter, paramedic, clinical researcher, and health consultant. She lives in San Diego, California with her family.

Lee-Ann McGuire Whitlock is a former lawyer, serial entrepreneur, and national pub t rivia champion several times over. She and her husband, two children, two Cavalier King Charles spaniels split their time between Arkansas and Vancouver, Canada.

On the Surface is their first thriller.

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media/Crooked Lance Books for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 9, 2024.

First off this cover is stunning, this was a quick read with a full cast, multi-narrator which worked out perfectly with all the different characters. Each narrator had their own part and they did amazing.

💙 Unreliable Narrator
🩷 Beach Read
💙 Exotic Locale
🩷 Social Media Influencer
💙 Missing Person
🩷 Multiple POVs

I had fun trying to piece together what happened with the missing person with the twists and turns.

I had a little upset for how the book had ended but 3 stars are still good in my eyes and i would read this again just because i did enjoy my time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the Audio ARC.

This book never let me figure out who it was that I could trust. I was so intrigued by the storyline, the disappearance of Dani, and the YouTube channel. This really felt like the darkest side of being an influencer. I predicted most of how the story was going to turn out, but, I still really enjoyed it. I loved the multi POV and each of the narrators. Sawyer's specifically did the best job at making me really dislike him. A read that will be perfect for summertime!

I LOVED this book. I received an audio arc of On the Surface, debut novel for two writers collaborating as Rachel McGuire, and the worst part was finishing and realizing they have no more books. Yet. Hurry up ladies and write again.

This is the era of "influencers" as main characters, and as a sixty year old woman I swore I'd never read another one again. I can't get past the idea of nothing making a career for someone. Paint and sell art? Have ideas and write books? Be skillful and fix cars, air conditioners, houses? All those professions make sense to me, but showing yourself putting on makeup or eating at a restaurant and people pay for that? It makes the brain hurt.

But, McGuire wrote an influencer main character I did not hate. Might say I even liked her. Loved the pace of the book, the unknown (to me) world of life on a boat, a cast of characters who felt real, intrigue, mystery, twists and turns - McGuire did it all.

And, if you think I over-rate because it's Netgalley and I care about future books, please take a look at my average stars. I am very hard to please so when I tell you this one is worth reading, it's a real, genuine opinion.

This book was enjoyable. I wasn't really sure what I was getting into but I did have fun while I was reading it. It felt very inspired by Gone Girl, which is one of my favorites, but it also felt like an original take one the idea. The story really moved, which I appreciated. Good pacing goes a long way in keeping my interest. My only real grievance with this book is that it felt unfinished. I understand the authors chose to leave the ending open-ended but I would have preferred to have a little bit more resolution when it came to exactly what was going to happen with the chaos the characters managed to create. The only way it's forgivable is if there's a sequel coming!

Thanks NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

On The Surface (audio)
4⭐️

Rich young people. Internet sleuths. Influencers. Unlikeable characters. Oh the drama that would obviously ensue!

Dani and Sawyer are part of the “cruisers” lifestyle. Living on a boat in the Bahamas. Dani is a rising social media star through her video documentation of their unique life. Everything takes a turn when Dani goes missing. Unfortunately for Sawyer this isn’t the first time one of his significant others were a part of an at-sea incident.

This was a fun twisty mystery. Everyone has their secrets and suspicions. I loved that this audiobook had multiple narrators. I listened to the final chapter a few times because I was expecting more for an ending. Maybe it was just me, but it felt too abrupt and inconclusive.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio ARC.

Pub Date Jul 09 2024

Dani Fox and Sawyer Stone live on a boat called the Serendipity and document their lives on YouTube. When Dani goes missing after a drunken yacht party, Sawyer is the prime suspect. The investigation is told through the perspectives of Sawyer, the police, and the court of public opinion (the Internet sleuths who try to solve the case by watching Dani’s pre-scheduled, carefully edited YouTube videos). A thriller and a commentary on true crime obsession, this novel, while a bit predictable, will keep readers engaged until the very end. The audiobook is especially entertaining as there were multiple narrators for the multiple perspectives which added to the suspense.

Alternate Review (that may be a spoiler, but I thought it was predictable): It’s Gone Girl but with technology and boats.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced audiobook copy of this title from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fitting title for this book!

In On The Surface we are following Dany and Sawyer - a boating couple who've recently started a Youtube channel of their life on the water. Sawyer isn't as 'into it' as Dany, but he plays the role she's created since they're running low on money and he'll do just about anything to continue living the life he does. We see some cracks in their relationship early on, but it isn't until the night after a boat party that 'truth' starts coming the surface about their relationship. But what really is the truth?

Dany has gone missing and the prime suspect is Sawyer. He can't help but let the rage build inside of him as breadcrumbs from Dany start to surface during her disappearance and all signs of foul play are pointing in his direction, but again - what is the truth?

Is this a couple that has a darkness lurking just below the surface or is one of them trying to frame the other for a crime they didn't commit?

Dany is truly an unlikable character, but also fascinating. I'm sure there are so many influencers who think like her! Sawyer is also pretty unlikable as the story continues and by the end of it I hadn't them both! They definitely deserved each other. I really did enjoy the ending - I think it would make for a perfect movie format and would leave the audience in an uproar! I wasn't not expecting THAT twist!

If you are looking for a thriller 'who done it' book, but modern I'd say you'd enjoy On The Surface! I would highly recommend especially as an audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Sawyer and Dani are YouTubers trying to make it big with their Sailing with the Foxes channel. Dani goes missing and Sawyer has no memory of that night. Lots of secrets with Sawyer and Dani. Plenty of twists.

Quick read. I enjoyed the ensemble narration by Frankie Corzo; Evan Sibley; Chanté McCormick; Savy Des-Etages; and David Bendena.

3.5 stars, rounded down.

This is a slow burn mystery, it starts in an exciting way, then has somewhat of a Gone Girl vibe until things change yet again. I listened to the audiobook and the full cast, multi-narrator format really works for the unfolding of the story.

Dani Fox and her boyfriend Sawyer Stone are full time "cruisers", part of a community of nomadic people who live aboard their sailboats and yachts. Currently they are anchored off the cays in the Bahamas, ramping up their YouTube channel with hopes for monetization for much needed income. However, after a party, Sawyer wakes up the next morning to Dani's absence, and what she has been telling people seems to indicate that Sawyer is abusive and may have had a hand in her disappearance. As the police, including inspector Veronique Knowles begin to investigate, they are joined by a bevy of internet sleuths and everyone has their opinions about what happened. Who is telling the truth? Is anyone?

While some parts of this book went exactly the way I was expecting, other twists were a surprise and helped me to enjoy my experience with the book. I wasn't incredibly enamored with the ending, which made me round my rating down rather than up. It felt rather jarring after the long leadup.

I loved the Veronique character, and her narrator was fantastic. I also liked how this book captures the insidious nature of social media and influencers. There have been many books lauding the input of web sleuths, but this book shines the light on the various ways these people can impede investigations and cause real problems with police investigations and prosecution. There's real caution to be had here, and one main takeaway is to be very careful about what you believe as everything can be manipulated and curated.

For all of the positives, the characters seem more like caricatures than real people. They aren't as well developed as they could have been, and possibly having so many POV characters was a drawback. I think if it was just focused on Sawyer, Dani, and Veronique, it would have been a bit stronger as a narrative.

Overall, this is a decent, fast-paced read. It's a little predictable, but it has enough unique qualities to make it worth reading, especially in the warm days of summer by the water.