I will preface this with saying, I had a really great time with this book.

These characters, as unreliable and unlikable as most of them are, are interesting and fresh. Hawkins does a very good job making these people interesting enough to care about, and while their flaws are inevitably the central focus of each character, they do not take away from what happens to them. It adds to it.

I was able to pinpoint a few of the plot twists before they happened, which was something that also happened when I read <i>The Wife Upstairs</i> (also by Hawkins), but it didn't take a way from my enjoyment of the story or the twists, when they did happen. I had a very good time in this world, regardless.

This is a book I'd love to see played out in a mini-series or a movie or something. All in all, I had a good time.

I’m kind of middle of the road on this book. There were things that I liked, and things that rarely ever work for me in books (so it’s a me not the book kind of thing). My rating reflects my overall reading experience. What really worked for me was the remote island setting, making this like a closed door mystery. I also appreciated the pacing which had me flying through the book to find out what ultimately happens. While I never really connected with any of the characters, I did enjoy that we were given some backstory on them. The major part that didn’t work for me was the typical partying and sleeping around of the twenty something characters. I’m just getting too old to tolerate that in books and need to continually remind myself not to get sucked into hyped books with this trope. Again, it’s not the book, it’s me.

Overall this is a fast read with a cool setting, but I finished it only a week ago and have already forgotten the ending because I just didn’t care.

Since my review copy was for the audio version, the audiobook narration was good, no complaints there.

I really enjoyed the ride reading Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. This was a twisty, dark and emotional read. Developing complex relationship and interweaving backstories and current situation, Hawkins creates a plot that will make you think. There is certainly a good amount of thrill factor too. The Hawaiian setting was particularly charming considering I read this in the middle of the winter. The warmth of the atmosphere was a good juxtaposition to the cool nature of the characters. The Audiobook narration was also fantastic!

Get ready to set sail! This audiobook is a adventure!

"Reckless Girls" by Rachel Hawkins starts off with Lux and and Nico living in beautiful Maui. Nico owns a sail boat named "The Susannah". Two women (Brittany and Amma) approach Nico and offer him fifty thousand dollars in exchange for he and Lux sailing them to the remote island of Meroe Atoll. Lux is unemployed so this offer seems like a dream come true. Granted it's a creepy island with a troubled history (shipwrecks, possible murders, cannibalism), but what can possibly go wrong?

As the crew of four arrive at Meroe Atoll they find they are not alone. Another couple (Jake and Eliza) are already there, but they all get along soon becoming friends, sharing drinks, and enjoying the beach. However, tension rises when a third boat arrives with a dark seedy character and things begin to go horribly wrong.

I enjoyed listening to "Reckless Girls" audiobook. The storyline is a bit of a stretch, but keeps you guessing. It's something you have to go into without expectation and just allow yourself to roll with it. The narration by Barrie Kreinik is awesome!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for free access in exchange for my honest opinion. "Reckless Girls" audiobook will be published January 4, 2022

I had an ARC of this (thank you!)
This was a fun little read. Beach read with thriller
I definitely enjoyed this one
Lost island, mystery, characters with backstories

This was so interesting. I wasn't sure where this story was going, but it took me along for the ride. The protagonist was flawed, and yet still likable. Some of her decisions were questionable, but you could see her reasoning behind her choices. I really enjoyed the isolated feeling that the island provided, as well as learning more about each character through their backstories. This would be a great book for a book club discussion. The narrator was very good. I will definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun, quick read.

3.5⭐
I loved this book from the beginning. I was hooked and felt the suspense creeping up on me once the characters arrived on a deserted Meroe Island in the south Pacific; blue sky and clear water.... paradise! Locked room paradise. 🌊🌴

There's "And Then There Were None" vibe to it. Six "pretty" people with secrets, ulterior motives, and none are who they appear to be. When the seventh arrived on the island, things went from bad to worse.

I don't like any characters, but it was fun to see how it'll all play out! What made me drop the rating the three stars is the last few chapters. "Something" doesn't add up! 😉

The audio narrated by Barrie Kreinik was excellent!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an audio ARC.
Available 04 Jan 2022!

What I liked:

Fast-paced narration
Interesting plot line (at least until halfway through)
Exciting destination/environment
Sassy characters
Excellent use if swear words (lol)
Terrific narration by Barrie Kreinik (Migrations, Waiting for the Night Song, The Book of Moods, etc.)


What needs work:
Mixing and mingling of characters got confusing toward the second half
Unlikely turn of events
Uninteresting ending

Special thanks to MacMillan Audio for early access to this audiobook via the NetGalley app.

Reckless Girls messed with my head from very early on in the story. I was very intrigued and absorbed in the plot and guessing what was really behind the situation the characters found themselves in. The setting and vibe was somehow both freeing and claustrophobic at the same time. Twisty and fun but not the most memorable read for me. I did enjoy the audio and pacing of the story and it is easily binge worthy!

So this is like a 3.5 star novel. There was a quote that almost made me spit out my drink I laughed so hard. I do not want to ruin the moment so I am not listing it here... let me know if you read this book. The book was slightly predictable. The intro bit with the person bleeding was kind of lame now that I think about it more. This was an easy to read book, and an enjoyable one. I feel it would be good for YA crossovers into adult thriller as it was more suspense and not as gross as some adult novels can be.

2.5⭐
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing an e-arc and ALC. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I was really excited about this next thriller release from Rachel Hawkins but unfortunately this one was a bit of a miss for me. I didn't find anything about this book thrilling, suspenseful, or shocking.

This is told in dual timelines from multiple POVs. And I actually quite liked the format and style. However, I thought that by giving glimpses of the past, the twist became very obvious. And because of that the shock and twist factor I love in thrillers was nonexistent.

I also thought this was just lacking a general sense of tension and unease. It seemed the like author was trying to make the island feel ominous by throwing in random mentions of how past people on the island felt watched or like they weren't alone. But nothing actually felt dangerous or unsettling. It was definitely a case of the author telling me the island was spooky rather than it actually feeling spooky.

While I love a closed door mystery (limited cast of isolated characters), I personally found that the focus of the story being on personal relationship drama of the characters for so long, brought down the pace too much. The first 75% of this is really just relationship drama and the main character complaining. So by the time the action/reveals started happening, I was extra disappointed by the non-shocking twist.

I enjoyed the themes and style choices in here, unfortunately the mystery/thriller aspect itself wasn't everything I hoped. This was missing the suspense and ominous feeling of a dangerous, isolated island. And in the end I was left disappointed.

Reckless Girls is a thriller that combines elements of Gilligan's Island and Lord of the Flies. (Yes, an unlikely pairing for sure!). When Lux and her boyfriend Nico set sail for a remote Pacific island, they have no idea what awaits them. Their passengers, Amma and Brittany, have a complicated and toxic relationship, and when they arrive on the island, they find others who are likewise suffering from their own tortured pasts.

The story, itself is simple, but it is told in a way that draws readers in (while making us wish we al had our own desert island without the drama). Each character seems to be more evil than the next, and those who are not originally evil, soon find that in this environment, only survival skills will keep one alive.

This is a fun book to listen to with a tremendous narrator who adds to the telling. It is fast paced and good entertainment for when you are stressed or looking for something light.

Just finished listening to “Reckless Girls” by Rachel Hawkins on audiobook.

The cover is gorgeous and grabbed me.
I thought it would be enjoyable but unfortunately I did not finish. For some reason it did not grab me. Sorry.

Reckless Girls [out 1/4/2022]

⭐️⭐️

Sped through another thriller audiobook from @netgalley this week.

Lux and her boyfriend Nico are hired by two girls, Amma & Brittany, to sail from Maui to a remote island called Meroe. Once there, they meet Australians Jake and Eliza, and the six islanders party and chill under the sun. When a loner sails up and ruins their revelry, this idyllic vacation starts to go sideways.

Reckless Girls, unfortunately, was not for me. I think the title is very apt — these people are reckless. Silly people doing needlessly silly things. I disliked *every single* character, but really the reason this book didn’t work for me were the biiiig stretched w the plot and loose ends. 🚨Spoiler alert🚨ie, no one talking about Robby’s boat being gone when his body was found? Or the accidental shot at the end that felt v random?

The backstory catching up with modern day felt very forced, and I didn’t feel like there were clues scattered throughout for readers to put together. Lux and Nico’s involvement in this saga seemed random at best.

The good thing was that this read was short, so it was a very quick listen. But TBH I would not recommend as I think there are much more captivating thrillers out there!

I really appreciate the audiobook ARC for an honest review.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

If I had to sum up this novel in a single sentence, it would be: girl power gone awry. This was a quick read, I got through the audiobook in a single day and Barrie Kreinik does a decent job with the audiobook performance.

So basically, every character isn't a good person and every one of them is hiding something from everyone else. The narrative starts off slow but then kind of goes bonkers once secrets start to come to light. I didn't entirely love how all the pieces connected together, it was a little cliche, and convenient. Overall it was an enjoyable read even if it was a little chaotic.

I really wanted to like this book, but ended up disappointed. I was intrigued with the beginning where it started on Hawaii. Nico and Lux are dating and are offered big money to take 2 women to the isolated Meroe Island (where tragic things have happened in the past). They are in! This basically is all about beautiful, rich 20 year olds, who drink constantly, hide who they really are and what their past entails.

None of the characters were likable or all that interesting. The plot was somewhat outrageous and had a lot of holes that just didn’t make sense. This was a miss for me.

Publication date January 4, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance audio copy of this book in return for my honest review.

I really enjoyed The Wife Upstairs by the same author and am thankful I was given a chance to listen to this title. Unfortunately I was disappointed overall. The premise was promising, 6 friends/strangers on an island together, each with mysterious pasts that get revealed as the story progresses. I did not like any of the characters at all and found myself not caring what happened to them. This isn't a deal breaker for me, but that combined with dialogue and characters that felt flat, as well as a tediously slow progression of the plot, I just couldn't get into it. The writing overused swear words to an almost comical and annoying point for no purpose that I could see.

All that said, I did like the twist at the end, though the build up to it could have been more fraught with suspense and intrigue. By the time I got to the twist, I just didn't care anymore.

I'll definitely read another book by the author though, since The Wife Upstairs was so good. Hopefully this is just a fluke.

Thanks to #NetGalley #StMartinsPress and #MacMillianAudio for an electronic copy of both the book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Six strangers escape to gorgeous but deserted Meroe Island. Perfect adventure - beautiful people, carefree and careless. But as creepy legends of murder and cannibalism unfold, the strangers discover the island is littered with skulls and booby traps. Quickly, this dissolves into a “locked room” thriller with vibes of Cast Away, Gilligans Island, Lost, and Lord Of The Flies.

I love a good locked door - can’t escape thriller! The story starts strong. Each reckless girl gives both past and present POV, developing motive to why she’s escaping to a deserted island. The reckless girls are relentless in their motivation. It's nice to see girl empowerment in a thriller. But I felt the histories were a bit underdeveloped, causing ambivalence to whether the girls survived or not. The ending takes a big turn that will split readers; some will enjoy the big twist, and others will not. As many know, I’m not a fan of epilogues, and I didn’t need this one either. I can surmise what happens next. 😉

Lux hitched her life to rich boy turned adventurer Nico and they sailed to Hawaii. But their adventures are cut short when they have boat troubles. When Brittany and Amma hire the pair to sail them to a remote island it looks like Lux and Nico's adventures are back on track. The island is not what they expected, for starters a yacht with Jake and Eliza is already anchored there. They strike up an instant friendship and spend most of their time together but the island holds dark secrets. Will the instant friendships survive when idyllic days turn dark? Will any of them survive the adventure?

3.5 stars rounded up

What happens when you take a few groups of young adults and send them on a vacation to a beautiful atoll (island). Add in that this atoll has a bit of a reputation for not being kind to its inhabitants and something doesn't quite feel right in the woods. Now add in that many of our friends on the atoll have some buried secrets and we have ourselves a slow burn of a thriller set to simmer.

I didn't love any of these characters, some of the mysteries/drama weren't all that hard to see coming. I kept waiting for more action but maybe I just am not a locked-room (or in this case island) fan. I think this one will get a lot of love from some, for me it was a fine read but nothing super outstanding. It was better than The Wife Upstairs in my book though.

Fun story: At about the halfway point of the book the island setting and mystery got to me and I thought is this thing destined to be a Lord of the Flies re-imagining? At which point the book informed me: "This ain't lord of the flies, and I sure as fuck ain't piggy".

That also reminds me, if you don't like foul language in your reading maybe give this a pass as the F word is used quite liberally throughout.