Feeling like I needed a little bit of an escape in terms of a compelling and easier read, like a thriller, and having heard good reviews on Rachel Hawkins’ previous release The Wife Upstairs, I recently downloaded Reckless Girls thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio. I appreciate audio books like this one because they are easy to listen to and not miss anything while working through other tasks in my day.

Lux and her boyfriend Nico are stuck working mundane jobs in Hawaii (or at least Lux is) while trying to save up to fix Nico’s boat so they can set off on a grand world wide adventure. When they are approached by two travelling friends who want to pay them an exceptional amount of money to take them to a deserted island in the middle of the pacific with a rather dark past for two weeks of bliss in “paradise”, they take advantage of the offer and set sail with these two strangers. When they arrive they are surprised to find another couple has also decided to visit this strange, deserted paradise. They all quickly become friends and spend their time swimming and exploring, until things start to feel a little off, like maybe this trip and this island and maybe even each are are not quite what they seem to be.

As expected, this book was an escape, particularly to a tropical pacific ocean island. There were elements to the story that certainly did make it a thriller. Unfortunately I predicted the shocking twist much before it was revealed, before we were suppose to know what it was, making it less shocking and a little bit disappointing. The suspense wasn’t quite there for me, even though the story itself was enjoyable enough. I wish I had felt a bit more of that unknown.

In addition to it not quite being suspenseful enough, I also disliked the ending. I just felt like it was wrong. I thought the actions of the character at the end were not reflective to who she was and how she would have acted. This is one of the things I felt was off but I also have some more questions that I think ultimately are plot holes that sort of leave the story and the big reveal fallen apart.

While the plot twists, suspense, and plot holes/lingering questions left this thriller to be a bit of a letdown, I will say the narrator of the audiobook did a great job. She was easy to listen to, even with the sped turned up. It was an easy story to follow in general which means I could listen while driving or out for a walk or doing the dishes without missing anything, always a plus, and I appreciated the imagery of the jungle and the island.

All in all, a fine escape through a disappointing thriller.

I listened to the audio and enjoyed the book overall but it was such a slow build that when the end finally came, I was sort of glad to see the characters meet their fates. Characters weren’t particularly likable and I found myself rooting for no one. Overall it wasn’t my cup of tea but it did keep me engaged to the final pages.

Reckless Girls
Rachel Hawkins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to Macmillen Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Lux and her boyfriend Nico are looking for a new adventure when the perfect opportunity comes along - to ferry new friends Amma and Brittany to a deserted island. Only the island isn’t as deserted as they think… before long, someone is missing and someone is dead. What started off as an exciting trip to a tropical destination quickly turns into a fight for survival. Will anyone make it off the island alive?

BUCKLE UP, folks! This was a wiiiild ride. Instantly gripping, this one had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. Hawkins did an incredible job of setting the scene- I felt like I was also on this god-forsaken island with Lux and Co. The ending totally delivered on the promise of danger and suspense. I think this is a perfect winter book to read in the cozy comfort of your own home. Highly recommend the audiobook! The narrator did a fantastic job.

This book was amazing! There were so many twists and turns. I was genuinely shocked by the ending. If you’re a fan of Lucy Foley or Ruth Ware, you’ll be a fan of this book as well!!

I first read Kristin Hawkins with “The Wife Upstairs” and when I saw she’d written another book, I just knew I had to pick it up!

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, drama-filled book, get this one!

From the cover, I never guessed that this would be a reimagined modern day Lord of the Flies. Well written (and imagined) title with great narration. Thanks Netgallery for giving me an early chance at this novel.

First off, Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book. I liked the concept of the book and the setting. Unfortunately, it was not the book for me. I felt like with only 7 characters there should have been at least one I could connect with and like; but I truly could not. I found a lot of the book and twists to be predictable and unbelievable..

Thank you to Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ALC of Reckless Girls.

This was a really good book! I was a little apprehensive to request it at first, because I hadn't heard the best reviews for Hawkin's previous book, but the amazing cover of the book drew me in, and I'm really glad I did!

First of all, I loved the setting. The deserted island was a suspenseful, eerie setting. It definitely set the tone for the book. I also liked the characters. They were all mysterious and kept me interested in knowing more about them. The plot line was also intriguing. It was a bit of a slow burn, but overall kept me interested.

Usually when reading by audio, I only listen to it when I am doing something, like driving or cleaning, but in this case, I actually sat down and just listened to the book to find out what happened.

If you are looking for an atmospheric thriller that will keep your attention, definitely try this one out! It is being published January 4, 2022, so make sure you get a copy!

4ish stars

I liked this one but didn’t love it. It was a good story, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did The Wife Upstairs, even though I’m trying not to compare them. I liked the protagonist; I did want to yell at her a few times, though. I was looking forward to another story that’s set in a deserted location, and there was a lot of potential to this basic idea. Some of the plot twists felt a bit predictable, although I did appreciate the very ending. Ultimately, it was a good story, even if I didn’t think it was as amazing as her last book, and I am looking forward to her next.

After witnessing the popularity of The Wife Upatairs, I was excited to read Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins.
It's a fast-paced and charged narrative that I believe our customers will love.

The audiobook was great, no complaints there as far as the narrator and the sound quality is concerned.
The book on the other hand left me wanting more. I wish the last 15% of the novel had been introduced sooner. Most of this book felt like an island drama rather than a thriller. As weird as it is to say, I wish people had started dying sooner because the reveal was interesting but I felt it all happened much too quick.

When a group of 6 travelers paths cross on the beautiful isolated island of Meroe, it’s all paradise at first, even though the island has a somewhat creepy vibe. The longer the vacation goes, the more things start to unravel. So many dark secrets, so many ulterior motives for being there. When one goes missing and another turns up dead, all of a sudden reality sets in. Who are these people and will any of them survive Meroe Island? While the narrator fit the story and the creep factor was there,, it was filled with unnecessary language and the twists really didn’t deliver. Perhaps Hawkins was overly ambitious with this one, leaving the reader disappointed in the end.

I am a huge fan of Rachel’s books. This one didn’t hold the same love as some others. I did finish it in one day (audio) and the narrator was good. I didn’t enjoy the ending.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins prior to publication. The description had “gothic suspense” in it, so I knew I had to listen to this book! My favorite part about this book was the setting: “an isolated Pacific island with a dark history.” It had me dreaming of crystal clear blue lagoons and white sand beaches while I was stuck with a dreary day in North Carolina. My least favorite part of the book was the characters, they really weren’t likable and blamed their selfish behavior on first the island and then later on socioeconomic status. Despite not really liking the characters, the story still kept my attention and was the perfect length to listen to. While this is not my favorite suspense book by Rachel Hawkins, I still believe that it is worth a listen.

3.5 Stars, rounded up.

Lux and Nico are living in Hawaii saving up money to fix his boat so that they can head out on an adventure. Lux, who recently lost her mother to cancer and has no relationship with her father is working as a housekeeper in a nice hotel. Nico, a very rich son who has decided not to ask his family for money, is working at a marina.

Enter Brittany and Amma, a couple of recent college grads with lots of money who want to sail to a deserted Meroe island. With Lux's encouragement, they convince the girls to not only pay the $50,000 that they had offered Nico but to also pay for the repairs to his boat. Nico also says he won't go unless Lux can go with them. When they reach the island they discover that they are not the only people wanting to get away from civilization.
On a beautiful catamaran they meet Jake and Eliza, a slightly older couple with lots of supplies and liquor.

The location is gorgeous and the descriptions of the island really bring it to life. But, the are is a lot of wariness due to the history of the island and deaths that had occurred there decades earlier. There are plenty of hints that these people are not all who they proclaim to be but most of the book deals with them getting to know each other and flash backs of the women where we get to know them better.

The twists at the end mostly make sense since we had been learning about their pasts but I think it turns a little too much too quickly for my comfort. I had a problem with Lux's decisions in the end because it just didn't seem in character for her. That, or I just wanted to believe someone had a little humanity.

The narrator for this audio book was great!! She had the various accents down.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance audio copy of Reckless Girls in exchange for this honest review.

NOTE: I received this audiobook for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was looking forward to this audiobook because Rachel Hawkins' The Wife Upstairs was such a success, being a part of the Book of the Month Club selections in 2021. Simply put, this book has a lot of things going for it. It's light, it's fun. It attempts to comment on some class-related issues, but the commentary is a bit thrown in there at the end as rich people get what's coming to them. I went into this book thinking it would be a fun deserted island thriller. It didn't disappoint in that way. Where it did disappoint is in the female characters just not being as developed as they could be. Many ended up being cardboard cutouts of what it means to be a young woman: think insta-loving, bro browsing. All in all, the narration was well done, but the book could have been an hour shorter maintaining the same plot fairly easily. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Aside from the fact that it took entirely too long for anything of significance to occur in this book, I just, in general, did not vibe with the writing or the characters. There was this sense of foreboding the entire time, which usually I appreciate in a mystery/thriller/suspense book .... but it has to lead somewhere.

Something that really frustrated me about the book was the main character's reactions to certain events. When she catches her boyfriend cheating on her, and then when she betrays Eliza by sleeping with Jake, and finally how she handles the final scene when she chooses to kill Eliza ... none of her choices made sense to me or seemed rational. It was frustrating to read from her perspective because I constantly was annoyed by her.

I had tried to read Hawkin's first novel and couldn't finish, but thought this one sounded interested and thought perhaps I would give her a second chance, but I think she is just not an author I vibe with.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the audiobook. This was a perfect getaway to a secluded island and the trip goes awry. The story is with flash backs from Lux and Emma’s past as well as present day. I enjoyed the pacing of the story and wondering what will happen. I got turned off with the story once there was cheating involved and the 2nd half of the story and how it unfolded seemed so far fetched. The narrator did a great job in creating different accents for the characters.

This one was unfortunately not for me. I enjoyed The Wife Upstairs and had high hopes for this one but honestly was distracted by the CONSTANT profanity. Like every sentence had to include the "f word" and to me, that's just lazy writing. I wish this one could have been better for me, so disappointed.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

Lux and Nico have wanderers hearts. They meet one another in San Diego and decide to sail around the Pacific together with the first stop being Hawaii. Their island stay becomes extended due to boat damage and needing money to make the repairs. In comes besties Brittany and Amma who are looking for an authentic off-the-beaten-path experience. They ask Nico to charter them to the deserted Meroe Island and offer to repair his boat and pay him $50,000! Lux meets the girls and hits it off with them so she comes on board with the plan and the four of them sail off together for an adventure. When they arrive on the island, another couple, Jake and Eliza, is already there aboard their luxurious catamaran Azure Sky. Everyone vibes well together and they adopt a "the more the merrier" approach to the situation.....that is until a random man sails up to the island and the mood changes when one of them goes missing.

Most of the characters have baggage of some sort which is slowly revealed through a "before" timeline and showcases the secrets being hidden. Hawkins does a great job at creating this sense of unease and I was anxiously waiting for the shoe to drop. This definitely gave me "The Beach" vibes, a 2000 movie staring Leonardo DiCaprio. The story gets dark and when things fly off the rails towards the end of the book, you have to be able to suspend reality and just go along for the ride. I thought the narration was well done and the audiobook version was enjoyable. Barrie Kreinik gives each character a distinct personality and does a good job with the accents. This is a story for people who enjoy revenge plots, unreliable narrators and deserted islands.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced audio copy!

This is the first book I’ve read by Rachel Hawkins, and I’ve heard good things about her previous works, so I was excited to read this new thriller!

Hawkins weaves a story where the setting, a beautifully vibrant and hauntingly mysterious atoll in the Pacific, is very much a character in its own right. It’s clear from the start that most of the characters have some pretty heavy secrets they are hiding, and then a death sets off a series of events that will impact all of them.

I guessed pretty early on the who and why of the book, so there weren’t really twists for me as I progressed through the plot, but I enjoyed the ride regardless! I found some of the characters to be pretty detestable, but I’m fairly certain this was the author’s intention.

Overall this was a fun thriller with a fabulous setting, and I enjoyed it! Thanks so much to NetGalley and MacMillan for this advanced reader copy!