Reckless Girls is not a thriller. I went into this thinking it was going to be an isolated thriller on an island with six people. That sounds like an action packed edge of your seat thriller. I did not get that.

What I got was a fiction read about 6 people being stranded on an island who are all insufferable and just love having sex and swearing. The last 10% of the book was the thriller and that was a wild ride full of randomness that we didn't see throughout the book.

I think if this was pitched completely different it would have read better, but going into this thinking it's a thriller is a real let down.

I have seen so many mixed reviews for Reckless Girls, so I put it off. I am glad that I finally picked it up because I really enjoyed it! It had it's flaws and lots of parts were predictable, but it was a quick, fast-paced read and I was entertained throughout the whole book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Quick synopsis:
Lux and her boyfriend Nico agree to transport two besties to a haunted, isolated island on his boat. When they get there they meet a rich, fun-loving couple and go into party mode. After a few days things start going downhill as the island's creepy vibes sink in. Lux realizes she can't trust anyone and there's no way off the island. Will they all make it out alive?

I liked Rachel Hawkins' other book, The Wife Upstairs, and have her new one, The Villa, on my kindle. (Thanks @stmartinspress!) I am really excited to read that one now.

This book did not live up to my expectations after loving the wife upstairs. I was not a fan of the big reveal and found the book to be a bit frustrating.

I am a fan of previous Rachel Hawkins book so I was happy to be approved for Reckless Girls.

This book was moderately OK for me. I didn’t love it, but I also didn’t hate it. It was marketed as a suspense and thriller and I didn’t super feel that until towards the end of the book. I was hoping for more suspense.

I did however really enjoy the multiple storylines and different backgrounds for the characters!

Excellent read for a long weekend in the cabin! As soon as you start you can’t stop so be prepared to emerge yourself into this story. I love Rachel Hawkins books. You never know what to expect to happen next.

Lux McAllister and her boyfriend, Nico, currently living on Maui, are hired to sail two women, Amma and Brittany, to Meroe Island, a remote island in the South Pacific. It's every bit the paradise they expected, but they didn’t expect to find another boat, the Azure Sky, anchored off the beach. On board are Jake and Eliza, a true golden couple, and the six young adults become fast friends.

The book is well written and a pretty quick read. The story switches between "Now" and "Before" with the Before chapters giving us the background on each of the characters. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to although I really had to wonder how much beer and wine they had on the Azure Sky; even though everyone seemed to be drinking from the same supply, it never seemed to run out. The location was perfect and I swear I could feel the humidity in the air although it's pretty humid here too! I wasn't too crazy about the ending, it seemed rushed and not realistic. I really wish we could give half stars because this is definitely a 3.5. Unfortunately I have to round down but it was good fiction.

Be forewarned that the f-bomb is dropped many many times. Personally I didn't find it that offensive but I think over 200 times in a 320-page book is a bit excessive.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

This thriller/suspense follows Lux as she journeys to find herself post her mother passing away from cancer. Lux meets Nico in a bar and they hit it off fairly quickly. After months together, Nico finally invites Lux to go to Hawaii with him in hopes of sailing onto further adventures. After his boat breaks and he refuses to ask for help from his wealthy parents, Lux and Nico finally catch a break when they find two girls, Brittany and Amma, who fix the boat and pay them a small fortune to captain them to a small deserted island. Once the arrive, it’s obvious that this deserted island holds more than they bargained for.

I just finished reading "Reckless Girls", by Rachel Hawkins. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
For starters, I have read alot of books by this author, and have enjoyed them all...but this one not so much.
It is about a group of young people who take off for an adventure at a deserted island. While there, they encounter another couple...and everything is going well...until it's not. Somehow, secrets and lies are exposed, and nothing is as it seems.
It all seemed a little too convoluted for me. I felt like there was just too much in the book that didn't make sense. Without giving anything away, I didn't get a strong feeling for any of the characters and there were things that happened in the book that didn't make all that much sense.
For me to enjoy a book, I need to be vested in the characters...and I just wasn't. I didn't care for any of them. I felt that they were all pretentious, spoiled, and vacuous. The story was too difficult to process at some points. I almost felt like I was missing something important.
Maybe it will appeal to a younger audience sho can relate to the characters sense of entitlement. I am not sure. Suffice it to say...this book just wasn't for me.
Happy Reading.

Remote Island? ✅
Sunshine?✅
Fun?✅

Nico, Lux, Amma and Brittany travel to the remote island of Meroe to get away. Largely funded by Amma and Brittany, whom they just met. Nico and Lux think they are going for a short adventure, but it turns out to be a deadly one. Suddenly, the Island becomes crowded with Eliza and Jake and then Robbie. There is a murder among them.

Alternating POVs and past/present timelines. I enjoyed this YA thriller. I only wish the ending had felt a little more complete.


Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the #gifted copy.

I can sometimes be hit or Miss with Rachel Hawkins books but this was so fun! I think her thrillers are easy and fast paced and this was exactly that.

It held my attention the whole time and I really didn’t see the end coming.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins is more of a dramatic mystery than a solid thriller novel, but it doesn't disappoint. Set on a remote island, the overwhelming claustrophobia starts to envelop each page rather quickly. With excellent, distinct characters, twisty plot lines, and atmospheric writing, you'll enjoy with one if you like whodunit mysteries and domestic dramas.

I thoroughly enjoyed Rachel Hawkins’ book “The Wife Upstairs”, so I was super excited to be able to receive an ARC of this title from NetGalley. This is a story about a group of strangers who travel to a deserted island, and begin to learn various secrets about each other. I rated it 3/5 ⭐️‘s because while it was a good storyline, there were a few times where a “twist” was very quickly thrown in and then that was it. Overall however, I did enjoy the book.

Although this was a slow burn, I did enjoy the book especially toward the end. The characters were all entitled 20 something year olds on vacation, so they were obviously going to be kind of annoying and make some terrible decisions, but it fit the story so I didn't mind as other people I spoke to. The book was entertaining and there was a lot of drama. It took me awhile to get into the book, but once I got to the halfway mark I didn't want to put it down.

I was excited to have the opportunity to read Reckless Girls because I enjoyed Rachel Hawkins’ previous book, The Wife Upstairs. This book was even better. It was a classic isolated, closed-circle mystery, which I enjoy, plus the constant sense of peril that comes with a thriller. It was a roller coaster ride of thinking things are going to work out and then another twist is thrown in happens. It was full of suspense, unexpected twists, and plenty of “no, don’t go in there!” I had a few question marks toward the end, but overall, I give Reckless Girls a strong recommendation for mystery or thriller fans, I received this Advanced Reader Copy of Reckless Girls from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the Wife Upstairs last year I was really excited to read Rachel Hawkins next release, Reckless Girls. The cover and the story were really speaking to me but sadly the book was not for me. This story follows Lux and her boyfriend Nico as they are hired to take two young woman to the secluded and possibly haunted Meroe Island in the south pacific. When they arrive to the island they find that there is already a boat anchored there but soon become friends with the couple on the other boat. For days the six of them enjoy a peaceful island paradise until another boat shows up and this time the party is not a fun one. I have really enjoyed books about people sailing all over the world and just traveling from island to island and really enjoyed that aspect of this book. I also really liked the history that the author gave to the Island, in fact I spent some time googling it because I wanted to know more about it. Sadly it is not a real place but that doesn't take away from the vibes of this book. Even though the writing was great I was just never that invested in any of the characters and the ending really left me wanting more. If you like a slower paced thriller and one that is set on a lush tropical island than I would check this one out as I think I am in the minority on this one. My disappointment with this one doesn't diminish the fact that I think Rachel is an excellent author and I can't wait to read her next release The Villas which comes out early 2023. Thank you St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy for review.

Excellent book. Author kept the reader guessing until the very last page. In addition to suspense, the book takes the ready away by portraying a luxurious lifestyle. When things take a turn, the evils of the island are written in such a descriptive manner I felt the anxiety along with the main character! Highly recommend.

I love me a good "locked room" island mystery. I really enjoyed the setting of Reckless Girls. Rachel Hawkins did a great job bringing the tropics to life. The characters were fun or fun to hate and I enjoyed reading about their backgrounds. I loved the exploration of the island and the finds! This was a great thriller and I look forward to her next book!

There is not much that I have found about Rachel Hawkins writing that I don't love. So it came as no surprise to me that I absolutely adored Reckless Girls! I am actually quite behind on my reviews and I can still VIVIDLY remember reading this book and what it was about from back in January (it is now July)! It left that much of an impression on me!

I think one of the things that I loved the most about this book was the setting and story were so different from your every day, run-of-the-mill mystery novel. Again, that's exactly what I love about Rachel Hawkins! She sets herself apart from everyone else and their writing with unique characters, plots, and settings!

Parts of the story were slightly unrealistic, but to me, that's not that big of a deal because in my eyes, I'm reading fiction to begin with so I don't expect every aspect of a book that I'm reading to be or feel factual! Some parts had me shaking my head like, No No No, but other than that, it didn't seem to distract me from what I was reading.

I felt like Hawkins really delved in and provided complex and interesting characters. There were quite a few important characters, but they weren't hard to keep track of who was who and who was doing what, which I really appreciate in a book!

Overall, as it was no surprise to me, I was thoroughly impressed with this book and super stoked that I got to read it! As is the usual case, I can't wait for the next book written by Rachel Hawkins!!

I would like to offer a HUGE THANK YOU to Rachel Hawkins, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Reckless Girls, which has allowed me to contribute this honest and unbiased review.
1 like

I literally flew through this book. An ensemble of six captivating characters are together on a deserted island living carefree and reckless! The book alternates between the "then" and "now" showing us the character's backstories. I was so intrigued about how the characters and their stories were going to weave together. This suspenseful and binge-worthy beach read is full of dark secrets and revenge.
4.5 huge stars. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

I enjoyed this at first, but then became confused. It was bizarre but definitely had entertainment value. The author did a good job building the anxiety and tension through the book. Nico started out as dreamy and then slowly gave off a weird vibe. I never trusted Brittany and Amma. I felt like something was off. One of them, if not both, were shady. I liked Lux. She was well developed.