I received a free e-copy of Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins from NetGalley for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the unfolding of the backstories of the different characters, showing their different paths to the remote island they all found themselves on. Some of it was easy to see coming, some surprised me a little bit, but made sense in hindsight. Did everyone deserve what they got? You'll have to decide for yourself....
A fun bit of escapist entertainment, well narrated and and enjoyable.

I loved that I could speed this one up to 1.75 and the narrator was still nice to listen to. I did find her to be a bit overdramatic at times, which made me roll my eyes a bit. But, it fell in line with the main character so it wasn't too bad. It was very easy to listen to this books for hours at a time and was overall an enjoyable experience.

The book itself I didn't love, but it was a solid middle ground mystery. I loved the concept of this book. A bunch of strangers, a couple of lovers, stuck on a deserted island that has a LOT of speculation of being haunted/bad vibes. But it fell flat. I guessed VERY early on the entire plot of the book which was very disappointing. While it did keep me interested, and I listened in two days, it wasn't what I was hoping. I found the main woman to be very annoying constantly saying that she "knew she shouldn't do this" or her constant insecurities and apologies. You need a lot of willful ignorance throughout this book to believe almost any of it. I mean two weeks on an island with no water and these people are drinking 3 bottles of wine a night. Who the heck brings 75 bottles of wine on a boat trip? It was however entertaining and a fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! Unlike many, I haven't read Rachel Hawkins best seller, the Wife Upstairs, so this was my first Hawkins book and I was blown away! There were just enough twists to keep you guessing and I didn't see a single one coming. It's definitely a page turner.

In this story we meet Luxe and her new boyfriend Nico. The couple is living in Hawaii and Luxe is trying to escape a painful past. Early on, Nico is hired by two women, Brittany and Amma, who charter his sail boat to take them to a deserted island. Once they arrive at the island, they discover that they are not alone on the island. A rich couple, Jake and Eliza are already on the island. The six hit it off immediately, however, secrets abound and no one is who they seem to be.

This was a wild ride and I will definitely be reading the Wife Upstairs very soon. As for the narration, it was superb. This book is narrated by the same woman who read We Are the Brennan's and I enjoyed her then. However in this book, she really reveals her range by reading with an Australian, a British and an American accent throughout. Loved it. She has become one of my favorite narrators. Great book! 4.75 stars!

It’s a place of beauty with a horrible history. Meroe Island known for its piercing blue waters attracts adventure seekers.

Nico owns the Susannah a small boat. He’s the type of guy who makes friends easily. When he was in San Diego he met Lux. Lux had out her life on hold to take care of her sick mother. Nico offered her an escape. For the next year she lived with Nico in Maui. When Nico was working at the marina he met Amma and Brittany. They too were looking for an adventure. They heard about Meroe Island a deserted paradise. The four of them travel the Pacific Ocean. The plan was to escape for two weeks. When they arrived they saw another boat already there.
Four becomes six. After two weeks Lux begins to feels trapped and her paranoia and anxiety climb higher as another person visits the island.
Rachel Hawkins alternated between the present and past providing a flawless transition into the backstories of each of these characters and how there past choices brought them to this moment. They were shaped by the events that took place in the past. In a place where nothing seems real it all came together seamlessly.
This is a claustrophobic gothic thriller set on an isolated island with six individuals. With heart stopping tension building between the couples giving readers a slow and steady suspenseful climatic ending that will leave readers speechless and shocked.

Rachel Hawkins is the New York Times bestselling author of Hex Hall. My introduction to Rachel didn’t begin with Hex Hall or The Wife Upstairs. It started with Reckless Girls. Now that I’ve been indoctrinated into the Rachel Hawkins fan club I’m eager to get my hands on The Wife Upstairs.

I had one slight setback with its day to day activities going on for far longer than my patience could handle. With that said I was also expecting more danger to be spread throughout the adventure.
Told from Lux’s narrative Rachel does a great job voicing her concerns regarding the legendary dangers of being on a remote island with strangers. Lux is the main narrative. Everything is explored through the eyes of Lux. Lux provides that jumpy on the edge of your seat eeriness that creates for an exciting story.

Narrator:
Barrie Kreinik is the solo performer of Reckless Girls. I highly recommend investing in both the ebook and the audiobook. I enjoy following along to Barrie’s performance in this unabridged audiobook. I listened using the Netgalley app. The audio quality is great.
I love revisiting a book I’ve read with an audiobook. I get to focus my attention on key aspects of characters personality traits. Nothing satisfies my curious mind more than a revisit to a great read with a great narrator giving voice to Lux’s character. I’ve become spoiled by audiobooks allowing the narrators to do the hard work for me.

Reckless Girls is Rachel Hawkins' sophomore novel in the adult thriller genre. Earlier this year I read and enjoyed her The Wife Upstairs, which was a loose retelling of Jane Eyre. This new novel is not a retelling per se, but definitely a nod to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Our main character Lux and her boyfriend end up taking a pair of vacationers to a remote Pacific island where they run into another couple enjoying this otherwise uninhabited tropical paradise. Just as in other closed circle mysteries, things start going south pretty quickly. We begin learning of unexpected connections between the various characters and their reasons for coming to this island.

I must say I liked this novel even better than The Wife Upstairs, primarily because I really liked the main character Lux. Most of the novel is written from her point of view, and her character is very relatable and down to earth. As in the first novel, the main theme here also appears to be getting revenge on the rich and powerful, and taking from them what don't deserve. I do think if Hawkins continues to write thrillers, she should probably venture into some other themes as well.

I received an audio ARC of this novel from Netgalley.com. The audiobook is excellent and I highly recommend this format. 4 out of 5 stars.

I found the story interesting. I expected horror from the description but it was more of a psychological mystery. I enjoyed the beginning and middle more than the end. I found the ending a bit confusing.
Lux and Her boyfriend Nico, two 20 somethings living in Hawaii with dead end jobs..
Nico is an avid sailor who owns a boat that needs some fixing. He meets up with a couple of wealthy young women who are willing to fix his boat and give him money in exchange for a ride to mysterious uninhabited island. Looks loses her job in a hotel and has talked into joining Nico and the two women.

The women are Brittany, and Amma , both seem to have mysterious backgrounds. When the four arrive on the island they are surprised to see another boat there. They meet up with a slightly older couple and it becomes party central.

The island has a history of violence ,murder and cannibalism. It is on knowing why the young women wish to go there other than an adventure. Soon there are cracks in the friendships and the story becomes tense. The new couple also has a mysterious background. It is kind of a theme with the story.

The narration was very good I give it 3 1/2 stars rounded up to four. Thank you NetGalley and Bookoutre for the opportunity to listen.

This was just ok for me. I really didn’t like any of the characters and as some of the (preposterous) events unfolded I didn’t have anybody to root for and simply didn’t care. I did really like the narrator in this audiobook and thought she did a fantastic job. Thank you for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A great quick thriller set on a deserted island. Totally bingeable read that if the kiddos weren't home for Christmas break i could of read in one day. The narrator was absolutely fantastic and did a great job with character voices.

Definitely a page turner for those who love a revenge type thriller.

I was very much looking forward to this book, having loved the last Rachel Hawkins title--The Wife Upstairs. The main character, Luxe, leads us through the journey of this story, but she never lets us know who she really is. I had issues with the choices of all the characters and the overall lack of accountability of anyone. The flashbacks of some of the characters did make the story interesting and gives the reader a bit more insight, but in the end, it really doesn't matter because the story is wrapped up in such a madcap, ridiculous way that it all doesn't even matter. But having said all that, this book was entertaining but it was so extremely implausible that I was literally rolling my eyes around a dozen times.

I think the narrator was quite fitting. She took on the voice of a young girl that had no clue what she was doing or where she going.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Listening Copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really want to like this audiobook but it just isn’t for me. I was bored and had to stop reading it .

I can’t recommend it .

I wish I had a brighter review to match this cover, but unfortunately, I don’t.

A “locked island mystery” sounds super intriguing right?! Well, at around 50% I was still struggling to figure out what the point of the plot was. It was going nowhere FAST. We get introduced to the characters in the past and present but I didn’t feel enough of a connection for those chapters to even matter.
I found myself waiting for something to happen so my focus was waning.

That moment where I became gripped because of a twist, never really came. The so-called revelation was so dull that it didn’t excite me. I can see where some would think the ending justified the drawn out storyline but it wasn’t enough for me. Sadly, I was disappointed.

What I liked: the narrator did a good job with the multiple characters and their accents.

Rating: 2.75 ⭐️
Pub date: 1/4/22

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for my advanced audio copy.

This one had some great stand out moments but was on the slow side and I never warmed to any of the characters. I loved the concept though, even if it didn’t quite pack the punch I was anticipating.

The narrator for the audio did a good job conveying the various characters.

I could have sworn I’ve read other books by this author, but this is my first. It moves quickly and kept my interest throughout. It takes a different turn than I expected and I enjoyed the characters but it wasn’t the best mystery/thriller I’ve ever read. Still good!

This was a hard one to rate. I did enjoy the book. Lux and her boyfriend Nico are kid to take a couple of girls to a deserted island. An island with a disturbing past. While there, they encounter another couple as well a single male adventurer. With the characters intertwining and revealing hidden connections, it did keep me listening as I wanted to figure out what was really going on. HOWEVER. How could the main character ,Lux, not have done a quick Google search on her mysterious boyfriend. Or the 2 women she was headed to a deserted island with. I just couldn’t get past that fact. Overall a fun, quick and thrilling read. Maybe the lack of internet research from the characters won’t bother others as much as me!

**A huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

I did not know what to expect from this story. I didn’t really read the synopsis before starting it as I enjoyed her previous work. I listened to this on audio and the narrator did an excellent job with the various characters and their voices.

The story itself was good but I didn’t really understand the premise. I get that the title says that it is about the girls but it to me, it wasn’t a cohesive plotline.

I'm going to be completely honest here. This book fell flat for me. All characters were very unlikeable and I just couldn't connect enough to really worry about what kind of troubles they were getting into. There are some definite plot holes and it's the kind of thriller/mystery where you don't see things coming, but not because it's so well written. More like, they just come out of absolutely nowhere and make no sense.

I was really looking forward to this book since I enjoyed Hawkins' previous novel, The Wife Upstairs. I'm disappointed that this one did not work out for me, but when she comes out with another I plan to try again.

This book is set on Meroe Island which is a desolate spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Six twenty-somethings are embarking on the journey to this island and they will be cut-off from civilization. They start to feel like the island is closing in on them. One person goes missing and another turns up dead. The remaining friends begin to wonder who else will be swept away from this island. I would like to thank NetGalley, Macmillian Audio and St. Martins Press for a Kindle copy of this book. I enjoyed listening to the audio and following along with the book. It was an excellent experience and the narrator, Barrie Kreinik, did a great job. I enjoyed The Wife Upstairs and was looking forward to reading Rachel's next book. I was not disappointed and read the book in one sitting. I found the characters very interesting and well-developed. The plot was unique and held my attention to the very end. The colorful cover is very eye-catching and well designed. If you enjoy mystery thrillers, you don't want to miss reading this one.

After the death of her mother, 25 year old Lux moved to Maui to travel around the world with Nico, her charming boyfriend on his boat. When she arrives, she finds out their plans are being put on hold as The Susannah needs a new engine, that he can't afford. Now, months later, Nico comes to her with great news... Two college girls, Brittany and Amma are offering him 50 grand to sail them to the isolated Meroe Island. Lux is hesitant at first, but reluctantly agrees to join them on their trip. When they arrive on the island, they discover that they're not alone. A beautiful couple has already docked, and made themselves at home. Jake and Eliza become quick friends with the group, but then a third stranger joins the party, making everyone uncomfortable and blowing hidden secrets straight out of the water.

I loved this WAY more than I thought I was going to. Although the plot was pretty obvious at times, there were times I had no idea where it was going to go next. The story is definitely not plausible, but you can't help but want to know more. I read this in one sitting, it was extremely addictive, the writing style is so easy to get drawn into and I couldn't stop turning the pages. I was so invested in the story and what was going to happen next with these characters. I loved discovering the secrets everyone was hiding and who was trustworthy on the island. None of these characters are necessarily likable, but you can't help but be drawn to them and their interesting personalities. The story is told in both the past and present, which I found intriguing to learn the backstory of who these characters were. The main POV is Lux, but we also get some chapters from other characters as well. We also learn about the dark history of the island through letters, emails and text messages which was a fun way to tell that part of the story!

I listened to this on audio, and I think the narrator did a really great job with these characters and the overall creepy vibes of the island. Definitely recommend this one to thriller lovers, who love isolated island stories!

This was good! It’s my second novel by this author and she’s really found her stride with this one.
It was crazy, mysterious and very well done. I enjoyed everything about it and loved the ending. I chose to listen to this book on audio and the narrator, Barrie Kreinik was fabulous. I highly recommend listening to this book.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

Well that took a turn I wasn’t expecting. Super quick read with a ton of unexpected twists. The characters are well written and flawed. It’s great to see how each character fits together and how they interact with each other.