This story has a great concept: seven people who are practically strangers on a weird maybe even curse island. The whole thing was very intriguing. And makes it even more so because there wasn’t a single good person among the bunch. It’s just uncovering who they all are. It’s easy to tell they aren’t being authentic when they are first introduced, so the uncovering is almost as intriguing as the island itself. And I was there for it……until the end. The end when everything is laid out just felt like this big fat cop-out. My favorite part of the book was it’s length. I appreciate that the author didn’t drag the story further out in order to pad the pages. I think shorter books are underrated. But this one did remind me of a mixture of several other books I’d read, original while not being completely original, if that makes sense.
Also, the narrator was fabulous. I actually caught myself thinking there were multiple narrators, which is quite impressive.

Lux McAllister’s life hasn’t turned out the way she had planned. Mourning the loss of her mother and living in Maui with her boyfriend Nico, they aren’t exactly rolling in the dough despite Nico’s rich family. When two women hire Nico to sail them to a remote island for $50k, Lux decides to throw caution to the wind and join them despite her reservations.

When the foursome arrives at Meroe Island, they find that it’s already inhabited by a rich couple, Jake and Eliza. Soon the drinks are flowing, the sun is shining and the six of them are having the time of their lives. Then when a mysterious stranger
sails to the island, things start to unravel and secrets start coming to light.

At first I was intrigued by this storyline and the secrets in the characters’ pasts but unfortunately, Reckless Girls fell flat for me. I didn’t care for any of the characters, they were superficial and the dialogue left much to be desired. The ending was abrupt and too unbelievable for me.

On a positive note, this book was a quick read and may be well suited for readers who are new to the thriller genre.

The audiobook is narrated by Barrie Kreinik and she did amazing job. This is the second book I’ve listened to that she has narrated and I enjoy her tone of voice and her cadence.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story about secrets- the kind people vacationing together shouldn’t keep.

I didn’t intend to read this yesterday, but I opened it & got sucked in. I love books like this- where the environment is as much a character in the story as any member of the cast. Usually, I feel like they’re set in cold, wintery spaces- but this was a sunny thriller with a definite sense of impending doom artfully woven onto every page. There were a couple elements that straightened my suspension of disbelief a bit, but overall such an enjoyable read!

Thank you so much netgalley macmillan audio & St. Martin’s Press for the Alc & eArc!

Thanks NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy.

The narrator did a fantastic job. The sorry itself was just ok.

4.5 rounded up
Grabbed me from the start. Good characters and story. Great narration. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

2.5 stars

I don’t think I really liked this… I haven’t read any other books by Rachel Hawkins, so maybe this is just how her books are. I didn’t hate it, there were just a few things that didn’t work for me, and I guessed quite a bit of what was happening, which is always disappointing.
Some things I liked:
•The setting. I love the South Pacific and would love to do more travelling there (it’s one of the few areas of the world that I actually have done a bit of travelling in). I liked that it was set on a possibly cursed atoll (I liked that they specified that it was an atoll and not an island).
•That the chapters set in the past are only told from the POV of the female characters. I like how this helped to develop their backstories while leaving the male characters fairly one dimensional (because the story really wasn’t about them).
Some things I didn’t like:
•That the start of the book is set on Maui. This location didn’t seem very believable to me. Okay, maybe things have changed, but when I visited Maui it was almost solely old retired folks who owned timeshares, not one of the islands where the cool, young folks were. Also, the narrator pronounced the resort Lux worked at incorrectly.
•The fucking around. This has nothing to do with being sex-negative or being horrified by cheating or anything, it just felt like it didn’t need to be there, it didn’t really add anything to the story. The ends could have been achieved via other means. Plus, beach sex? Wouldn’t that be rather gritty?
•The loose ends. Maybe not exactly loose ends. But, there were lots of comments about characters not acting like themselves and it was just kind of never explained or expanded on? Plus, we don’t really know enough about any of the characters to know if they actually were acting out of character.
•The ending. I just didn’t really get it. It seemed excessive and not overly satisfying to me.

I’m surprised I didn’t see the twist coming. After realizing FINALLY what was happening, I felt like I missed some key signs. And that’s fairly rare for me. I found myself completely involved in this book, and it went fairly quick so that was nice too. Never felt like it was dragging and there was always something going on. A solid 4.

Twisted and great story! 4.5☆
Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. I enjoyed the plot with not knowing what was coming next.i did not anticipate the ending .... at all!

LOVED THIS BOOK! The characters, the scenery, the drama, the plot - it was all done beautifully. I loved the ending and how it tied back to where the main character ended up

Thank you NetGalley for the advance audio book in exchange for an honest review!

I have never read this author before. Shame on me! I have seen her name and heard good things, but I just hadn't picked up anything by her. Well, I really enjoyed this one! I definitely want to read more by Rachel Hawkins!

Things I Liked:
I had literal GOOSEBUMPS at one point! This is definitely a thriller, with lots of suspense and plenty of twists and turns. It took a while for the first body to turn up, but the characters were well developed and the stage was set for suspense so it was worth the wait. The characters had real personality and the reader will understand their motives. Aside from Lux, I didn't really like any of the other characters. But that was because there was a lot of detail and info about them making bad choices and being terrible people in general. Sometimes it's more interesting to read about people I dislike! The tension between the way I think they should act versus the actions they take adds
the unease and sense of darkness.
I liked the narrator. That can make or break the audio book for me, and I enjoyed this one.

And THE ENDING! OMG! I will leave it at that.

Things I Disliked:
Like I said above, I disliked some of the characters, but that was due to the author's skilled writing so it's not a bad thing. The point of view and the timeline shifted at point, and I'm old - it's hard for me to keep up! That gets kind of confusing to me and I end up missing major details. For this audio book specifically, though, it made sense, and did add to the overall plot and experience.

Overall, I definitely recommend if you like suspense, thrillers or getting goosebumps! Happy reading!

An adventure gone wrong. 6 people, 2 boats and a remote island with some bad juju.

Lux and Nico are hired by two girls to sail to a remote island near Hawaii called Meroe Island. Once they get there they learn that they aren't they only one’s on the Island. Lux's soon discovers everyone isn't exactly who they say they are and everyone is keeping secrets.

I found it to be extremely slow paced. I would say that things only began to happen around the 70% mark. With all of that build up, I was expecting something more at the end. I also honestly didn’t really care for the characters.

Even though this one didn't work for me, I absolutely loved the audiobook. I think that Barrie Kreinik did an amazing job. I honestly kept pushing through with this on because of her. Each of her voices for the six characters who are different genders and have different accents was fantastic.
(My rating below is for the audiobook)

Thank you to Netgalley, McMillian Audio and St. Martin's Press for the advanced ebook/audiobook.

I really enjoyed The Wife Upstairs and I wanted to enjoy this one too. It just didn't have the twists or suspense I was craving from Rachel Hawkins. This one was incredibly slow at the beginning and then moved super fast at the end, so the pacing could have been more even. If it was another author I may not have picked it up again in after not getting into it at the beginning. It wasn't realistic enough either. It could have been better executed.

I mostly listened to this one on audiobook and the narrator was fantastic.

Let’s get reckless and do a math review, shall we?

+15 points = That cover! You’re going to pick this up with the expectation that it’ll be a page-turning beach read, right? Well good news! What you see is what you get.

+15 points = The setting. Reckless Girls is a “locked island” thriller that plops seven 20-something characters on a remote South Pacific island where some creepy things have happened in the past. It’s like “Bachelor in Paradise” meets “The Island of Doctor Moreau” (minus Marlon Brando in pancake makeup and a mumu, praise jeebus).

+70 points = Length + suspense. This book can, and easily might be, binged all in one go. I had a hard time putting it down after I started and finished it in a day.

-5 points = The colorful-yet-uncreative language. So many F-bombs are dropped it’s a wonder the entire island doesn’t explode. 206 of them to be exact.

-5 points = The title. Fine, I guess the girls here are reckless, but the men sure aren’t any better. It just as easily could have been called D-Bag Guys. Not a good one in the bunch.

-10 points = The ending. After a very twisty and complicated plot, readers are left with a final act that wraps things up The Lamest Way Possible. (See my Goodreads bio for hint/spoiler.) Seriously??? Sigh.

Extra credit = The audiobook. Narrator Barrie Kreinik is new to me, but I will most definitely be looking up what else she’s done. Her skill taking on the voices of multiple characters with varying accents and genders is worth a round of applause. I highly recommend this format, though you’ll miss out on the Acknowledgements at the end of the print/ebook version where Hawkins shares that Reckless Girls was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to write a “boat murder” book.

3.5 stars

I loved it! This was another one of those books where I was sucked in and intrigued by Lux and Nico that I did not want to stop reading it! The "Reckless Girls" title is spot and describes all four of the girls on the island. Each character comes with secrets, and I enjoyed how the author slowly releases their pasts throughout the entire book. The end fell a little flat for me, but I would still recommend this book! Had the end had a bit more substance and explanation, this would have been a five star from me! I also enjoyed the narrator of this book - easy to listen to and follow along!

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Very captivating with amazing character development. Two girls show up to Hawaii and ask a island couple to take them to a remote island. However the island has some other unexpected guests and some unexpected events start to happen. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐⭐⭐


Very interesting story!

Lux and her boyfriend Nick agree to take two women to an island called Meroe. When they get there, there's another boat with a couple already there.


This island is said to be cursed and so it seems! It hold so much history. Stories of people trapped here and left for dead. Cannibalism also. I don't want to spoil this book at all. What I WILL say , if you're a big fan of thrillers with so many twists and turns, this is for you!!!! I really enjoyed this book and can not wait to read more by Rachel Hawkins.



Reckless Girls is set to release on January 4,2022. You're not going to want to put this one down!

A big thank you to @NetGalley and @Macmillan for this ARC

This book was a fun thriller! I did a combination of listening and reading this book because I couldn't get through it quick enough. This book is out January 4th 2022 and you should add it to your TBR! The audiobook narrator was fantastic. There weren't any characters I liked and was rooting for, but that was exactly what made it fun. The island location was also well described without being over done. Of course I figured nothing out, and I loved how it worked out! This is a book I don't want to give too much away, but the back story fills in a few blanks while the island situation is unfolding.
Thank you to Netgalley, McMillian Audio and St. Martin's Press for the advanced ebook/audiobook so I could fly through this great book!

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the advance copy of this book.
I haven’t read Rachel Hawkins other thriller but the premise of this one sounded interesting so I figured why not give this one a try. Honestly I didn’t end up liking it very much. I didn’t like it but I also didn’t hate it. The whole time I just kept imagining the movie The Perfect Getaway. It’s not the same but I mean some couples on an island and murder. My real complaint is that I just never got into the characters. Lux maybe but the rest weren’t that deep for me. I did appreciate who the one behind the murders ended up being. If thrillers are your thing and a tropical Murder sounds fun check this out. The release date is January 4th!

I didn't love this. It just seemed implausible and yet also predictable.


Review copy provided by publisher.

Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book early!!! Releases 1/4/22.

Lux lives in Hawaii with her boyfriend Nico. It's paradise! Nico is fixing up his boat, The Susannah, so they can sail the world.

One day after losing her job, Lux finds out that two girls, Brittany & Amma, are paying her & Nico to sail them to a deserted island. Adventure of a lifetime?? Maybe??

The group arrives at Meroe and meets Jake & Eliza. They all become fast friends and enjoy island life together.

Soon, Lux starts to feel uneasy & that things aren't quite....okay. Someone goes missing, a dead body is found in the jungle - will Lux get off this island alive?

I was expecting a few more twists or something a little more surprising, but truthfully it was a tad underwhelming. The writing was fantastic though, Rachel Hawkins is great at showing instead of telling, and that really works well when the setting/environment is such a huge part of the story.