Argh. I wanted to like this, and only finished as it is a NetGalley that I asked to read.

My biggest complaints are the juvenile actions and dialogue. In addition all the profanity. Hawkins takes the profanity of F-words to strip clubs with her C-words. Just trash.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was okay, nothing over the top. I spent more time wondering why she took the job with such filthy dialogue.

There are a couple clever moments, but not enough to warrant anymore than one star. I didn't care how it ended, I just wanted it to end.

NetGalley thank you for accepting my request to read and review Reckless Girls.

#NetGalley
#RecklessGirls
#RachelHawkins
#Audiobook

I listened to the audio version of this book, and all I can say is, what an entertaining read! If you're looking for an enjoyable thriller that you could finish in one or two sittings, then look no further.

I loved the Before and Now timelines where we slowly learned about various characters pasts, and their motivations for being on the island. Even as the puzzle pieces were coming together, there was no way I could have predicted that ending. The deserted island itself was wonderfully creepy! You do have to suspend belief a little with this one as it does get a little crazy... but it's so worth it.

I really enjoyed The Wife Upstairs by this author, and will definitely read any other books she writes!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reader copy/listen! Wow what a great read/listen. I did not want to stop reading/listening. Loved all the back stories of each character and how it all lead to the present. Highly recommend

This one is a page turner from beginning to end. Rachel Hawkins has a way of keeping you guessing the entire time. We start out with Lux and Nico. The two have been dating for quite awhile and dreaming of sailing from Hawaii to new adventures on Nico's boat. An opportunity to do so arises when best friends Brittany and Amma offer Nico a large sum of money to take them sailing out to a deserted island for 2 weeks. Of course, Lux goes along for the trip. When they arrive, they find the island completely deserted other than Jake and Eliza. The six get along right away and enjoy their time exploring the island and the beauty of their surroundings. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the island and a backstory to it relating to sailors deserted their during WWII.

However, because this is a Hawkins novel, things start to get weird. It's hard, even as the reader, to know who exactly to trust. The story jumps back and forth in time and through varying points of view and even though you really have no idea how it will all tie together you find yourself wanting to keep reading to find out. I like how subtle the build up is. It's truly flawless and almost leans towards a psychological thriller with all the mind games going on. I don't know if I ended up liking Lux in the end (we are in her head the majority of the time) but I did enjoy the ride that this book is and the mystery surrounding all the characters.

I did listen to the audiobook so I’m sure that altered my reading experience but I did adore the narration and it was a very well done audio experience.

Excellent audio narration. I enjoyed the story and found the plot to be entertaining and at some points amusing. The twist at the end was unexpected and I didn't see it coming which is always fun.. Solid story with a great narration. I would recommend it.

Lux was adrift in life after her mother’s death until she met Nico the exciting guy she followed to Hawaii to have an adventure. Except that his boat has been in for repairs so their plans to explore the world are put on hold... at least until an opportunity comes along. Brittany and Amma are two friends on vacation in need of a boat to take them to some off the grid island in the middle of nowhere. Meroe Island comes with its own interesting somewhat dark history, it’s secluded and deserted and seemingly perfect for a couple weeks away. The price is right and with the boat repaired the four of them set out for the island and an adventure...
When they arrive they meet Eliza and Jake a fun rich couple who are eager to join in on the fun. The group of six have fun together for a few days of fun in the sun and then a stranger arrives. Immediately everybody dislikes Robbie the new arrival. He’s not really a great person but they all just dislike him for basically no reason

The book kind of takes forever for anything to actually happen. There are “Before” chapters that are backstory on the characters that isn’t all that necessary. There are also some accounts of other random people that have been to the island. At no point does anything really feel suspenseful. The island doesn’t really seem creepy at all. Mostly it’s a lot of drama with annoying people and it’s boring.


I don’t like any of the people in this book. Lux is an idiot plain and simple and living in her head throughout the story makes me hate her. Sadly she’s not the worst of them because Nico is just plain awful and clearly always was but she just refused to notice it. I get why Brittany and Amma became friends and all but in all the glimpses of the past it’s obvious that Amma should have just gone home and left Brittany it makes zero sense why they stayed together.

I wanted to like this more but sadly the people are stupid and annoying. Moral of the story rich guys suck so take their stuff and punish them for having things cause they are rich and you are girls you deserve stuff.

The narration was fine the story just wasn’t great.

Always so glad to get a Thriller to listen too… Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins is such a crazy tale of boats, islands and secrets. And it seems everyone in this story has a secret or two.. so good. Lux & her boyfriend Nico have been In Hawaii for a few months, they came on Nico’s boat The Susanna.. they are in a rut on this beautiful place and are getting bored. Two friends with some serious issues, meet Nico and Lux and ask them to use The Susanna to get to the remote island of Meroe. Meroe, has a a reputation for being filled with old ghosts. There are rumors there were cannibalism, murders & shipwrecks. Nico and Lux, for the opportunity to get out of Hawaii and see knew islands. They get their supplies, prepare the boat and head out for the 3 day journey to Meroe. Brittany and Amma, the couple are enjoying the sail. They get along and there seem to be no issues. As the pull up to Meroe.. they are completely surprised at seeing another boat anchored. What are the chances? It is a beautiful catamaran and the couple appear to be very rich. They all introduce themselves and they seem to get along.. the plan is to stay for two weeks and it seems like summer break for the first few days. They are drinking, not really eating and in the sun all day. They begin to lose concept of time and their inhibitions. One day another boat pulls up, his boat and his presence feel like bad luck.. there is a bad vibe to him. Trouble is coming.. He is looking for a different kind of party and he is not shy about saying it. Things become very twisted and wacky. Couples start to turn on each other, secrets come out.. people start turning on each other? Lux doesn’t know which way is up and when one person goes missing and one person is murdered.. she fears for her life.. will she be able to get off the island? Will she die on the island, with these crazy people? This book was a fat paced read for me. With most thrillers, I had to see how it was going to end. There were some twists and turns that I didn’t figure out.. which is always good.. I love to have to guess.. Barrie Kreinik did a great job narrating. She did a great job with switching between all the characters.. she kept a great pace..this was a 4 star read for me.. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did..

Reckless Girls
By Rachel Hawkins

An Atmospheric and Tension-filled Drama
⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Meroe Island is a beautiful deserted island. But it is also an eerie spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and rumors of murder. 

Lux McAllister and her boyfriend Nico Johannsen have agreed to take two adventure-seeking passengers, Brittany and Amma, both twenty-two, to the island aboard their boat, The Susannah. The three-day voyage is somewhat harrowing when a storm threatens to sweep one of them off the sailboat. Once The Susannah arrives, they are disappointed to find a luxury catamaran already anchored on the island. However, the four newcomers instantly bond with the wealthy couple Jake and Eliza, who are more than willing to share their food, alcohol, and boat with the others. The six enjoy exploring the island and sharing meals and drinks on the beach or the boat. 

But when a seventh visitor arrives on the haunted island, the spell is broken, and tensions mount. When one person goes missing, and another turns up dead, the remaining friends wonder if they will ever make it off the island alive. 

REVIEW
RECKLESS GIRLS is an atmospheric and tension-filled drama that may keep you on the edge of your seat. Like the mysterious island, the characters are not what or who they appear to be.  

The protagonist and narrator, Lux, is a believable twenty-something who is just trying to figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. When she meets Nico, his dreams of sailing around the world become her dreams. Author Rachel Hawkins creates an intriguing mystery with the relationship between Brittney and Amma. There is something strange with these two, but it's hard to figure out exactly what it is.

A Sir Walter Scott's quote, "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, went first we practice to deceive!" comes to mind when I think about the lies, secrets, and betrayals of these reckless girls. Some startling and strange twists pepper this sinister plot. 

The narrator for the audiobook, Barrie Kreinik, was able to expertly shift between multiple accents and evoke the mysterious and foreboding nature of the island for listeners. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 


Publisher Macmillian Audio
Published January 4, 2022
Narrated Barrie Kreinik
Review     www.bluestockingreviews.com

Reckless Girls is such a different tone from Hawkins' last book. This is a perfect, popcorn thriller that had such a great tropical setting. It was definitely fun to read this during the winter. I enjoy this author's storytelling and will continue to pick up her books. This story definitely has moments where I was frustrated with characters' stupid decisions. It ultimately kept my attention the whole time and it was a solid thriller/mystery.

Lux and her boyfriend Nico.are hired by two young women to sail to a remote island in the South Pacific. Lux sees this trip as a great opportunity to escape from her normal life and make some money. He recently went through a tragedy. He thinks the couple can have a nice getaway.
As they arrive on the Island, the place is remote and beautiful but very remote. They make friends with another couple, Jake and Eliza who are also on the island. The six people become fast friends until a seventh stranger shows up. Seemingly paradise takes a very dark turn. This thriller takes you on a crazy ride. Do the friends turn on each other? Do they survive? What does this stranger add to their friendship?

This book was a bit of a miss for me. I looked forward to listening to this because I thought the plot sounded terrific. I really liked the whole island suspense vibe. My problem with the story is the characters and slow plot. There wasn't even one character that I cared about, so it was hard to be invested in them. Also, I found the plot moved very slowly and the suspense just wasn't there.

Lux is a girl seeking solidity and unconditional love after the loss of her mother. She meets someone in her home state of California who may just be that person. The man who could save her from a now lonely and sad life. Nico is an adventurer. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but unwilling to embrace the life he's expected to live. He sweeps Lux into a whirlwind romance that leaves her more than willing to follow him where ever the wind blows.

When Nico decides to travel to Hawaii to seek a bigger life, Lux makes the leap with him. Their life is uncomplicated and simple on the island. Nico is working on his boat "The Suzanna," and he tells Lux it will one day bring them all around the world. Lux, who is becoming impatient with Nico constantly putting the brakes on their dreams, is ready for Nico to make good on the pretty pictures he's painted in her mind.

Then they meet Brittany and Amma. Two girls who have money to spend, but need Nico's help to get them where they want to go. With reluctance, Lux is pulled into the plan, and the four make their way to the secluded and dangerous island of Meroe. Tales of death and madness surround this place, which is evidently the draw for Brittany and Amma. But once in sight of the island, they find they are not the only ones enticed by danger. They meet an Australia couple who are the epitome of fun and adventure. The two groups become fast friends, quickly creating their own version of Eden.

Until an unwanted guest stumbles upon their happy world and blows it all to smithereens. The hidden darkness in each of them will be revealed. And nothing will ever be the same again.

Such a fast paced, truly entertaining listen. This was a great book to go on long walks with. It kept me guessing and on my toes until the very end. Clever, enticing, and everything a reader could possibly want in a great thriller. Five stars for me.

I really liked twists near the end of the book. It made me like the book a lot more than I did. I also really liked the past and present storyline. However, I struggled with a few parts of the book. Some parts of the book were fairly slow and why do books need to add infidelity to create the conflict? I guess this doesn't do it for me, but I'm guessing this may work for others.

I thought the narrator did a great job creating different voices for each character.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed reading Rachel Hawkins' first book, The Wife Upstairs, and this new book did not disappoint. Reckless Girls was a real page-turner from the beginning to the end. I loved the island setting and the descriptions that brought it to life. The characters were loveable/hateable and kept me engaged in the story. It was an afternoon sit and read for me and just when I had it "figured out" and was down to the very end of the book,... wait...WHAT!? 

I both read the ebook version and listened to the audio version of this book. The audio version was well done and kept my attention.  Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

A great thriller to start off the New Year! Loved the fast pace and twists over and over. Definitely recommend the audiobook- the narrator did an amazing job!! Solid 4

Lux and her boyfriend, Nico, are commissioned to sail to Meroe Island, for all intents and purposes a deserted island, by Brittany and Ama. Upon arrival, they find they aren't the only ones looking for a private escape. They become fast friends with Jake and Eliza, who are wealthy and well-stocked for the trip. Their private party is crashed by Robbie, and their island paradise becomes something more dark and sinister. I enjoyed this thriller. The author did a nice job of keeping us strung along, giving enough story at a time to keep us interested, but not so much that it is obvious what will happen next. There was a nice balance of "before" and "after", and this kept the plot moving at a comfortable pace. The characters were a bit one-dimensional for my liking, and I would have preferred to see a bit more character development occur. However, the characters seemed par for the course in the thriller genre. I enjoyed the setting very much, and it gave the story a unique spin even if some of the standard thriller tropes were used. While the plot seems a bit far-fetched, it was a nice escape to a warm tropical climate from my cold winter here in Michigan. Thank you @netgalley and @macmillianaudio for an advanced listener's copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 3.5 stars

Quick read- really enjoyed most of the story- 4.5 stars for sure! I liked the multiple timelines and perspectives. Just a little disappointed in the ending.

This new thriller from Rachel Hawkins serves ALL the atmosphere with it’s island setting. The author keeps you guessing with a long list of suspects and keeps you entertained with a really fun location and characters. The ending wasn’t my favorite, but the process of reading was very fun! 4 Stars!

Hawkins' latest is absolutely a page-turner, and I really enjoyed the heightened sense of mystery created by the claustrophobic nature of the characters' circumstance: Spending time together on a deserted South Pacific island that's picture-perfect yet holds a lore of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and whispers of murder. I both read and listened to this book. The narrator, Barrie Kreinik, does an amazing job, especially performing all of the different accents of the main six characters. This narration enhanced the characterization of each, while making it easy to differentiate between them and stay focused as the narrative weaved back and forth between past and present.

When her boyfriend Nico is hired to transport college friends Amma and Brittany to the deserted Pacific Ocean island of Meroe, Lux McAllister tags along looking for adventure. Still somewhat adrift after the death of her mother and a lack of purpose/ambition, she's anxious for some fun and sun with her boyfriend. When the foursome reaches the island in Nico's boat The Susannah (named after his ex), they come upon a larger boat with wealthy and gorgeous Jake and Eliza aboard. The six quickly start hanging out, swimming, partying, and drinking, until another boat approaches with an odd man on board. His arrival starts a snowball effect of fear (Lux finds a skull in the jungle), horror, and violence. Is it the island itself that brings out the base instincts of its inhabitants or have those instincts been in these characters all along?

Hawkins's writing and plotting keep you engrossed, as the mystery and tension stay heightened throughout. Some minor quibbles--a lack of time spent on the connection between Lux and Nico and an ending that didn't 100% satisfy me--but all in all, this is a strong, tense mystery and an entertaining physical book to spend a snowy day with (especially for the gorgeous description of the beaches, sun, and sand) or a engrossing audiobook to listen to while cleaning or relaxing. If you like mysteries and books about the bad beneath the beauty, this one is for you. Definitely recommend!

4.5 stars. Reckless Girls was so much fun! There was adventure, mystery, and suspense all rolled up in one! It was one of those audiobooks that I can get into right away and I kept needing to come back to finish because I was enjoying every minute of it. The narrator was excellent.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.