I wasn’t a fan of this one so won’t say too much about it.
It’s the first in a series though and definitely had some succession vibes to it.
For me it just took too long to get going anywhere and got quite repetitive in parts.

Kaira Rouda strikes again, and Beneath the Surface is my new favorite book of hers thanks to the massive amounts of family drama and it is one of the most bingeable books I have read in a while. There is no end to rich people behaving badly in this story, and secrets abound just to be revealed as the book goes on. The Kingsleys are a hot mess, and I couldn't get enough of Richard's crazy antics. I don't think there is a single likable character in this book and in all honesty that was part of the fun for me. 😅

Brilliance Audio did that thing I like and gave the audiobook a full cast of narrators which was also fantastic. There are quite a few viewpoints, so it was nice to have the distinction of the different narrators. James Anderson Foster, Cynthia Farrell, Patrick Lawlor, Mia Barron, & Amy Landon did a great job voicing their parts and I didn't really have any complaints so I would definitely recommend the audio. This book + the audio is also currently available on Kindle Unlimited which was a nice perk, and I even bought a copy of the book to have on my shelf. I am so glad this is a series, and I can't wait to read the next one!

It's pretty fun to watch rich people behaving badly, and these people are definitely behaving badly. Everyone is lying, cheating, maneuvering, and there is no one to trust. I'm interested to see that this is the first in a new series, because I don't know how many more bad things these people could do! Maybe we'll learn more about their children? This is definitely a soap opera style popcorn thriller. Totally unbelievable, not much depth, but fun to read anyway.

Really good read with a lot of family drama amongst the Kingsleys which I happened to enjoy. There was many secrets and betrayals as well as backstabbing. I will say none of the characters are perfect but it will have you at the edge of your seat trying to see who will come out on top.

This author is a hit or miss for me. This time it was a hit for sure.

Family drama. The high seas. The ups and downs. Lies galore. What more do you need.

This one has enough twists and turns to keep you wanting more. It's possibly the best book by this author ever.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. This is my own thoughts about this book.

I absolutely LOVED this novel. What is better than some family drama? Family drama that ensure on a yacht in the middle of the ocean!

I loved the twists and turns, cat and mouse vibe to this novel. I was hooked from the very beginning. Full of lies, betrayals, deceit, greed and money this novel is sure to have you hooked!

I cannot recommend this one enough!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

A great thriller - I would recommend it!

I have to abandon this one at 30%. So far all I've learned is that all of the characters are vapid and awful, the ocean is a dark and scary place, and the head of the family has some surprise that he's going to unleash on his kids while on his megayacht. The dad's favorite room is the library, which is literally the only thing I could relate to. The writing comes across juvenile, which makes it really hard to believe that these characters are all middle to late aged and uber successful. It's also very repetitive. I feel like I've read the same paragraphs over and over again.

If you like Succession, this book is for you! The lies, the deceit, the suspense! I enjoyed this book and the setting. Would love to read more about these characters!

This was not for me. The story was kinda slow and I couldn't connect with the characters at all. I was hoping for something different

I liked The Succession style premise of this one. Money grubbing relatives are always wildly entertaining. There was a lot of dysfunction and back-stabbing, which kept the plot interesting. And I understand making all the characters flawed, but I think the story would've worked better if the reader had someone to root for. I could care less who would become crowned the family's next heir. The character's inner thoughts were really repetitive too and I wish got edited down. This seems to be the start of the series and I would probably check out the next one too since it did make for an interesting character study.

This novel is not smooth sailing for this dynamic family. So many deceptions, family feuds, drama and just craziness. I adore this author and I can always count on a delicious novel.

On a weekend voyage, the power-hungry children of an aging billionaire are unprepared for a storm of deceptions in a novel about ruthless family ambition by USA Today bestselling author Kaira Rouda.

This is family dysfunction at its finest. Beneath the Surface was just a fun read about bad people doing bad things. Everyone in this family will do whatever it takes to get what they want.

Thank you to @netgalley and @thomasmerceruk for allowing me to review this book.

Give me ridiculously rich, ridiculously dysfunctional families behaving badly any day of the week. The Kingsleys’ weekend yacht trip to Catalina Island is filled with drama, sibling rivalry, secrets, luxury & so much delicious sounding food you’ll end up feeling hungry 😋

Family patriarch Richard and his latest wife Serena invite his two sons and their wives to join them on Richard’s latest luxury purchase - a yacht. Richard loves pitting his kids against each other and this time it’s all about who’s going to be the president of the family real estate development business.

This was such a fun, entertaining read! A whole slew of unlikable characters doing their best to get what they want. It was like a reality show on steroids and I was so here for it.

Richard Kingsley is a womanizing, narcissistic billionaire who has invited his two sons and their wives and his daughter to spend a weekend with him and his trophy wife on their new mega yacht. Richard dangles succession of his empire in front of his boys, the same boys he has been pitting against each other their whole lives. A storm is on the way, both literally and figuratively and it’s a deviously delicious story that will make an excellent film! I thank Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Awesome family drama read. So much for a nice family reunion, money is at stake and let’s face it, people will do almost anything for money!
Fast paced and fun read. Loved it!

You are invited on an over night voyage with your family. Sounds fun right? Well what if you find out you are competing for your inheritance? and there is only one winner? secrets start to surface. lies, horrible truths. maybe even deaths. when money is at stake people do crazy things.

This was an incredible read! Lots of drama, secrets and great storyline! Can't wait to read more from Rouda!

Think Succession family drama but trapped on a boat. If this has been marketed as a family drama it would've knocked it out of the park...but it is most definitely not a thriller. Given it has been classified as a thriller I have to compare it to other thrillers and there it falls short. It was way more suspense than major twists and turns.

This is the ultimate read of a rich family doing some shady things. As the patriarch drops a bombshell on his family, the group works to stay in his good graces and end up on top. Seriously as I read this one, I could not figure out who I disliked the most. As soon as I figured it out, someone else jockeyed themself to the top of the list. The tagline for this one could be people behaving badly. A lifetime’s worth. And while this seems like I didn’t like the book, it was kinda like a train wreck that I could not look away, or at least put down the book. I wanted to know what happened to this despicable family.