Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted copy of Reckless Girls!

I’d give this a middle-of-the-road 3 stars. It started off strong, and I was intrigued by the mystery. However, it slowed down and became pretty boring, and then things went wild at the end. Not liking any of the characters made it difficult to care what happened to any of them.

Not at all what I expected. The story was very interesting and I flew through it but it was very strange at some points. Very atmospheric, the perfect "read on the beach" kind of book. It went in a direction that I didn't love but I still couldn't put it down. Overall, a good popcorn thriller.

Reckless Girls was a good baby step back into my thriller era. This story is told from the point of view of Lux, a woman who lost her mother and has a rocky, nonexistent relationship with her father. and is now living in Hawaii with her boyfriend and dreaming of adventurous trips on the boat they are trying to fix up. When her boyfriend is hired to take two women to a deserted island, they all begin a journey that throws together 6 strangers on an island with a dark history and weaves together the past and present of all of these people trying to survive. While I enjoyed this book, I also guessed most of it before the end. I think some of the decisions that characters made were just frustrating. However, ultimately I had a good time and none of that bothered me too much. This will not be the book I talk about for years to come, but is was definitely worth the read and was a good time while I was in it.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins weaves an engrossing survival thriller set on a remote island, complete with eerie atmosphere and creeping tension. The author excels at building suspense, especially through the relationships and frictions among the central characters. However, the pacing slows down in the middle, and some plot twists feel familiar rather than surprising. It is an enjoyable read for thriller fans, but it stops short of being truly memorable.

Reckless Girls is a cast of random people who get together on a deserted island with a sketchy history. What could go wrong? (said with copious amounts of sarcasm). Of course there's drinking, drugs, lies, cheating and a whole lot of secrets.

Reckless girls left me with mixed emotions. The story wasn't horrible, it was intriguing, but I hated every single character on a deep level, the entire book. Every single one of them was unreliable, and honestly the amount of secrets and poor decision making each one harbored made the story flow, and opened the book up for a lot, but I just felt like every time there was a build up in action it would fall flat. And the ending just seemed messy. I felt like this story could have gone in a lot of directions, and honestly I didn't see it ending the way it did, I was taken by surprise by that.

I enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful and had good characters. Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for the opportunity.

Lux McAllister lost everything she ever cared about when her mom passed away. Floating along in a bit of a depression, a cute guy shows up while she's working and she develops a little crush. The guy, Nico, comes back in repeatedly to see Lux and finally gets brave enough to ask her out. Nico regales her with his dreams of restoring his boat and sailing around the world. Oh a whim, Lux decides to travel to Hawaii with Nico, where she ends up working a job she does not enjoy while Nico works at the marina and tries to repair his boat.

Presented with the opportunity of a lifetime, Nico is hired by two friend to sail his boat to a remote island in the South Pacific. Nico readily agrees, so long as Lux gets to accompany them, and the women quickly agree. The island is know for a tragedy that involved shipwreck, cannibalism and possibly murder! While beautiful, Meroe Island is every bit creepy, especially as another boat is found docked on the island where they didn't anticipate others to be.

I have mixed feelings about this book, though I enjoyed it overall. I felt like I need something more than the wrap up in the last few dozen pages.

4 out of 5 stars.

Chefs kiss 💋 no notes

Okay, but for real... this book was SO GOOD. I have been in a bit of a reading rut with thrillers lately (they've all felt the same & boring) and Reckless Girls reminded me why I do love this genre. This book was a wild ride... filled with thrills and intrigue. The whole deserted island was the perfect setting and at times felt vaguely reminiscent of The Beach {the movie, still haven't read that yet 🤦‍♀️} and that whole "leave the world behind but don't screw it up" vibe. I loved the twists and didn't see all of them coming, which was nice. I really enjoyed how the other letters and notes from other island visitors were scattered throughout the novel, bringing even more interest and engagement to the entire book. I read this book in one swoop, and it was fantastic.

Honestly, I don't know how I slept on this novel for so long - it's been in my TBR since its release a few years ago. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book! I finished this one in 3 days. It held my interest and I desperately wanted to figure out what the heck was going on with this island!! I did not see it coming the way it all played out and in the end I was happy with the plot twist. I did get a little emotional and some of the things the characters did made me mad, but I understand the why. I will continue to read books by Rachel Hawkins and recommend them to my friends and patrons. Thank you again!

This is one of those books where everyone is making bad decisions from the get go so you KNOW it won’t end well. I kind of wanted a stronger ending for Lux but if the goal was for me to be stressed and curious the whole time. It worked!!

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but it has been three years and I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

This book wasn’t quite for me. The premise and setting initially pulled me in—it had all the makings of a great, atmospheric read—but I didn’t enjoy the whole journey.

One thing that stood out was the frequent use of the f-word. Oddly enough, I can watch movies where it’s used, but reading it feels unnecessary and always takes me out of the story. Timing might have been a factor as well, but when I realized I wasn’t feeling it, I decided to move on. While I can see how this could work for fans of slow-burning suspense and isolated settings, it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

A fun and crazy travel thriller set in a tropical island. Dual timeline, multiple POVs. It kept me on my toes and had a crazy ending. Some stuff was predictable, but it was still a fun beach read thriller!

I really love Rachel Hawkins, and I also loved this novel, Reckless Girls. While the novel had a lot going on (shady characters, questionable relationships and friendships, etc., I found myself not truly liking or rooting for any of the characters, which is why this novel wasn't my favorite of her works. Overall, a fun, solid, and fast read. I look forward to reading more novels by Hawkins in the future.

Reckless Girls* is a gripping, atmospheric thriller that takes readers on a dark and suspenseful adventure, blending tropical escapism with mounting tension. Set on a remote Pacific island, this novel weaves together mystery, psychological drama, and secrets.

The island itself feels alive with its eerie beauty and dangerous allure, amplifying the suspense and the characters’ growing unease. The tension is palpable as the group's relationships begin to fray, and secrets—both about the island and the people on it—slowly come to light. While the characters are intriguing and the interactions between the characters are taut with tension, the drama is a slow burn.

If you are a fan of island-set mysteries. Rachel Hawkins delivers a sharp story with deceit, and danger for readers who enjoy stories about paradise gone wrong.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins is a sun-soaked thriller that drops readers into a seemingly idyllic tropical paradise before unraveling into a sinister, suspenseful ride. The novel follows Lux and her boyfriend, Nico, who are hired to sail two glamorous young women to the remote and mysterious Meroe Island. What begins as a carefree getaway soon becomes a psychological game of secrets, lies, and danger.

The slow burn of the first half is engaging, but the second half, where the real action unfolds, sometimes feels rushed and predictable. Some twists don’t quite land with the impact they could have, as particular character motivations feel underdeveloped or too convenient.

That said, Reckless Girls still delivers an enjoyable, escapist read for fans of beachy thrillers with darker undertones. It’s a fun and atmospheric ride, even if it doesn’t quite stick the landing. If you’re looking for a quick, twisty read with glamorous characters and a creepy island setting, this book offers plenty to satisfy.

It reminded me in some ways (island setting; thriller; young beautiful characters) of One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware, which I also recently read.

I cannot read anything else about rich people behaving badly. It’s just not a trope that works for me.

Rachel Hawkins is such a great writer! I really enjoyed this thriller! Lots of great twists, but also lots of trigger warnings so check those if needed.

Very meh and forgettable. Nothing that stands out from this one. Not a compelling read- I skimmed a lot of it. The ending was also a little unbelievable. Bleh.

Archived prior to being able to read the book. Lost interest in trying to pick it up. I was originally interested but as it sat in my library, I did not feel the summary grabbed my attention anymore.