3.5 stars rounded up. I was so excited to learn that Rachel Hawkins had written a new book since I enjoyed reading her first book, The Wife Upstairs, so much. Reckless Girls was a great name for this suspenseful book since all the female characters had disguised ulterior motives and hidden secrets. All the characters were well developed and believable. I listened to the audiobook that was brilliantly narrated by Barrie Kreinik. Every time I listen to an audiobook narrated by Barrie Kreinik I have more respect for her as a performer. Reckless Girls was about secrets, dealing with grief and loss, trust, survival and a little romance thrown in for good measure. I loved the cover and thought it was very eye catching.

Timing and presence was everything. Lux McAllister had recently lost her mother to cancer. When Lux had learned of her mother’s diagnosis she did not hesitate to leave college so she could care for her mother full time. Her parents had divorced years ago and Lux and her mother had resettled in California. Her dad married again and had new family. He had cut off all ties with Lux and her mom. Now with her mother’s death, Lux found herself all on her own with little to aspire for. Without the college education she chose to leave behind, Lux found herself destined to waitressing. On one of her shifts, she caught the eye of a very handsome man. There was an instant attraction for both of them. That was the night Lux met Nico. Nico had a boat called the Susannah and he was determined to sail it to Hawaii. Lux followed Nico to Maui where she secured a menial job as a housekeeper for a major tourist hotel. Lux hated her job but she knew her earnings would help Nico pay for the repairs the Susannah needed and then they could take the boat on romantic adventures. The only problem was that Nico was in no rush to leave Maui. He was content staying there for now. By this time, Lux and Nico had been in a romantic relationship for over a year and Lux was beginning to get impatient.

Around this time, Nico was approached by two young women that were traveling together. They asked Nico to captain a boat to take them to Meroe Island, a remote and deserted island that had a history of shipwrecks, being used during World War II and cannibalism..They offered to pay him $50,000 if he would. When Lux met Brittany and Amma she liked them even though she thought she wouldn’t. Lux convinced Nico to have the necessary repairs done to the Susannah so they could use the boat to do this. Brittany and Amma had told Lux and Nico that had met at college and had decided to travel together. This was their last destination before they returned home. With the repairs completed, Nico, Lux, Brittany and Amma set off for Meroe Island. When the Susannah was swept up by a big storm, after only a little into their journey, Lux began to question Nico’s commitment to protect her and care for her. Seeds of doubt began to surface in Lux’s mind about Nico’s feelings for her but she put them aside for now. Finally, Meroe Island came into view. It was breathtaking and picture perfect but another boat was spotted anchored by its shore. It was a big, fancy and well maintained catamaran that boasted the name, Azure Sky. Lux, Nico, Brittany and Amma were not alone on the island. They had company. Jake and Eliza welcomed them to Meroe Island and the six of them settled into an easy and comfortable friendship until another boat invaded their tranquility more than a week later. That seventh person upset everything and strange and unsettling things began to occur.

I enjoyed most of Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. The last part of the audiobook and the ending left me unsatisfied and wondering what had happened. Most of Reckless Girls was so promising. Unfortunately, the ending did not work for me. I can’t wait to see what Rachel Hawkins will write next even though I did not totally love this one.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a really fun thriller, I couldn't put it down! I really enjoy Rachel Hawkins's work and she's only getting better!

Thank you for the review edition.

Rachel Hawkins has done it again - I was completely absorbed in this book. It was verrrrrry farfetched, but quite a wild ride and I enjoyed every minute!

3.5🌟
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was a fun thriller to read. It had romance, mystery and was a quick read. Think Lost meets Clue and the ending well that was worth reading this book!

Lux has been drifting through life. She had been in college but left when her mother got sick and then spent her time nursing her through her end. Now she is waitressing and trying to decide what to do next when Nico walks in. He is gorgeous and seems to want to be with her. After a few weeks together, Nico suggests that they get on his ship and sail to Hawaii. Months later, Lux is in another dead end job while Nico spends his time at the marina. That changes when two girls, Brittany and Emma, offer him $50,000 to take them to a deserted island.

Meroe Island is gorgeous but has a haunted reputation. Over the years, those stranded there have not survived or survived by means they aren't willing to discuss later. It served as a military airstrip during the war and that occasionally brings travelers to visit but they don't stay long. But the four arrive and are entranced with the views and the sheltered cove they find.

The only fly in the ointment is that another ship is there, but Jake and Elisa are Australians who are great mates, willing to share their food and drink and soon the six of them are all friends, spending their days sunning and swimming and their nights partying. But as the days go by, secrets start to emerge and tensions start to bubble up. Then the first person goes missing, then another....

This is my first Rachel Hawkins novel and she is a great suspense writer. Each character has their own backstory and there is also an underlying class theme going on. There are secrets and betrayals and realliances until the end story is played out. This book is recommended for readers of psychological thrillers.

First let me say, Hawkins has some of the most beautiful cover art. I am always drawn to her books bc they are simply beautiful. I just wish I could say I was thrilled with the actual story as I am with its art! Overall I did enjoy it even if some of the twists were a bit cliche and predictable.

The setting of this book is phenomenal! The atmosphere is great also, a locked door novel but on an island... I mean what could go wrong right? How about....Everything!

I did get a little lost while going back and forth between the then and the now. But ultimately Hawkins did a great job wrapping it all up and resolving my questions by the books ending.

Also, I preferred the audio format for the novel, I think they did a splendid job overall!

As always thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review

Not fully on topic, but I love the name Lux. ANYWAYS I thought that this book was a book that I could not put down from start to finish. There was something so mundane about Lux's life and just something too good to be true about Amma and Brittanys offer. From the beginning I found myself sort of untrusting of everyone and trying to predict the plot twists (not successfully I might add) But overall, the beginning half of the book was slower to buildup, but the last half of the book absolutely made up for that in terms of pace and the amount of twists.

Reckless Girls

By Rachel Hawkins

Lux took off on what was supposed to be an adventure around the world with her boyfriend. Instead, she’s stuck in Hawaii cleaning hotel rooms until she gets fired. They seize the opportunity to take some tourist girls around to a remote island and the on an adventure. She quickly becomes friends with the traveling friends,Brittany and Amma. Something in the past happened with Brittany and Amma. They have a dark past secret keeping them tied together. They find more people on this remote island and together they all embark on what’s supposed to be an off the grid, relaxing experience. Instead, mysterious things start happening, someone goes missing, and the group starts turning on each other as secrets start to unravel.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the opportunity to listen to the ALC. I found the narration perfect with keeping up with the addictive book. I loved this atmospheric book full of tension, darkness, and twists. 🌟🌟🌟🌟
#recklessgirlsbook

A bingeable but predictable listen that doesn't leave much of an impression. It served as a time pass but I would not recommend to others.

I really really loved this audiobook! The plot was fast paced and it kept me interested the entire time. I also really enjoyed that reader of the book. It was very easy to listen to.

I enjoyed Reckless Girls much more than The Wife Upstairs. Reckless Girls had lots of twists and turns that were hard to predict. While some of the book wasn't exactly believable, it was believable enough that it doesn't make the reader want to drop the book and move on to something else. I would recommend this to anyone who likes tropical settings and twisty thrillers.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a decent read. I wouldn't say it is my favorite by this author, but it kept me interested,. The plot moved a little slower than I liked, but it had really good character development. The story was interesting with a few twists. Think Gilligan's Island with a twist.

The narrator was very good at emoting and doing accents. Some of the main characters didn't have much of a distinction between voices.

Excellent. Didn't want this one to end. I wanted m0re. Love Rachel Hawkins. Very talented author. Listened on audio book and then purchased to read it again! Very few books in the world I'd ever do that with!

This was slightly out there in the plot. Although I did find the beginning to really grab my attention which is what I am looking for in a suspense I found it slightly unrealistic to the point that I was just ready for it to be finished.

I loved this audiobook, full of twists and turns, kept me guessing until the very end! It was fun and entertaining to listen to as well! I liked that this told a story and I really got to know all the characters before the mystery presented itself.

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress for advanced copies in exchange for this review!

Reckless Girls • Rachel Hawkins
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“Plus it seems cool. To go off the grid.”
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👍🏼 Thumbs Up:
This book was compulsively readable! It didn’t hurt that I was reading it on the beach in Maui, which is where the book is set!

👎🏻 Thumbs Down:
Wasn’t the best thriller I’ve ever read – the twists connected a little too well. Still a fun popcorn thriller.

🤓 For Readers WHO:
Are fans of popcorn thrillers and travel-gone-wrong stories.

👉🏼 This is what’s WHAT:
Stuck in a dead end job in Hawaii – Lux is finally ready for her adventure when her boyfriend, Nico is paid a large chunk of money to charter his boat to a little known island for two girls looking for adventure. As you can expect, things don’t go so well once they arrive there and it becomes more of an adventure than anyone bargained for.

⏳WHEN I read this book:
I got completely wrapped into the story! I was visiting Maui at the time and the eeriness of reading a travel thriller while traveling was super fun.

🚨WHERE you should watch out:
Murder, car accident, family death, cheating

📍WHY you should read this book:
It’s just an enjoyable story!

📚 HOW I read this book:
eARC from @netgalley @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress

While I was a big fan of Hawkin’s “The Wife Upstairs” I found myself disappointed with her newest book “The Reckless Girls”

I got approved for both an ARC of the e-book and audiobook, which I have gotten about 3% of the way through. I just don’t see myself continuing reading this story after not finishing the author’s previous mystery/thriller book that has a similar cover.

This one was good, but not great for me. I liked the island setting, the characters and the build up. I do recommend that fans of the mystery/thriller genre give it a read. I don't want to say too much and give anything away.

An adequate take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, with a twist. A remote and exotic island, three beautiful women, two rich boyfriends. Who will remain standing?