I find it hard to believe that this is a debut novel as it was so well written. It is a fast-paced book about Reece, a hopeless romantic and Ann, the no nonsense attorney. Told through both of their perspectives, we find the themes of friendship, recovery and the ideals of marriage through the lens of reality dating shows.
Reese goes missing after attending a singles retreat called Last Chance and Ann goes to find what happened to her friend. Did she decide to stay and keep a low profile? Did she disappear never to return? Why do people at the Last Chance seem like they have things to hide? To find out more you need to read this book. Thanks for #Netgalley and #CamCat books for the Advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended.

This audiobook was a very slow go for me as I wasn’t enjoying the narration or the characters however, the more involved I became in the story, the more enjoyable it became and in the end I thought it was a good mystery. I thank Netgalley and CamCat books for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook.

Phaux Island—near Hawaii—is the imaginary remote tropical setting of The Last Chance Resort, a singles retreat destination featured in Emily C. Watson’s debut missing person mystery novel, “Beneath the Marigolds,” an engaging dual timeline audiobook narrated by Lisa Larsen and Emily O’Brien that I’ve just heard and enjoyed thoroughly.

The premise of the novel focuses on two besties, Reese Marigold—a hopeful romantic, in search of a forever love; and Ann Stone, a lawyer and recovering alcoholic.

When Reese is invited to a glamorous month-long singles dating retreat on an island, she’s all-in; but Ann refuses to participate, knowing that the temptations for libations will be too strong to resist.

However, when Reese fails to return home after her designated stay is over, Ann is more than worried, she’s terrified, and determined to find Reese regardless of what happens to her in the process.

Consequently, off she goes to Phaux Island in search of her friend only to discover that things aren’t as they appear. Is this truly a singles retreat? Are there hidden cameras about? What’s really going on? Is this some type of televised dating game show where the contestants are unaware? Is this even legal? What the heck?

TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Emily C. Watson, Publisher CamCat Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Members’ Audiobooks for this advanced reader’s / listener’s copy for review.

Whitson’s worthy debut follows Reese Marigold on her quest for love when she disappears on an a free island vacation. Her best friend Ann, a lawyer, follows in her friends footsteps, trying to locate her best friend, sure that a terrible fate has befallen Reese.

Man, that bad guy was SUCH an asshole! I loved hating them. This was an interesting ride and I was hooked from the beginning! I am now off to look for more books by Emily C. Watson to add to my TBR!

#BeneaththeMarigolds
#NetGalley

Ann's friend goes missing on an exclusive island. It's a dating resort and Ann is determined to find out that had happened to her friend. She discovers that the island and the people on the island are hiding dark secrets. The author did great job keeping the reader engrossed with the plot and added twists and turns to keep the story entertaining. The narrator was perfect for this story and made listening to story a wonderful experience.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and CamCat Publishing, LLC for this audiobook and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This story captivated me in the beginning all way to the end! The twists, turns and unexpected plot twists. The story centers around Reese Marigold, who disappeared after spending a month at Last Chance Retreat, an exclusive singles retreat on Phaux Island, off the coast of Hawaii. When Reese had been missing for thirty-one days, her friend Ann Stone, a corporate attorney, knows something terrible has happened to her friend, and she is determined to go to the island and find out what happened to Reese. After checking into Last Chance, Ann soon discovers that the resort is more than what it claims to be, it has the feel of a reality dating show like the Bachelor / Bachelorette. The story is intriguing and easy to read. It is setup in dual perspectives between Reese’s time on island and Ann’s time on the island. At the end their timelines sort of come together. Great book! Many thanks to NetGalley for the Audiobook. All opinions expressed in this review are my own

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The story follows Ann and Reese as they look for love on a Hawaiian island. Ann is on the island pretending to look for love while looking for clues about what has happened to her friend Reese who has gone missing. In flashbacks, Reese participates in the activities looking for love, all the while feeling like something is not right.
I thought that the story was interesting and fast-paced. I was invested in Ann's quest to find out what happened to her friend. While both women were at a retreat for love, that was not the main focus of the book. I was also pleased to see that the ending had focused on resolution, not love.
This is a good book for people who like mysteries.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a pretty good read, some things were not as much as a mystery as i think they might have supposed to be but overall was good and would recommend.

I was attracted to this audiobook by the summary of a mystery of a missing girl and a Hawaiian retreat. What I got was a bit of a confusing mess, flipping back and forth in time to follow the story of a girl gone missing and the question of what am I listening to.
Not a bad premise for a story, we have 2 POV's with Reese who attends a dating scheme on a remote island and goes missing and her friend Ann who follows in her shoes to try to find her. It is an bit difficult to follow because both stories follow the same itinerary and several people have drinking problems. But by the end I felt the story came together with a bizarre resolution. Literally the past coming and hitting you in the face.
Not the best written and tied together mystery, but it was entertaining. If your a fan of the Bachelor, this would be a fun read.
Technically 2.5 Stars
Thank you to CamCat Books and NetGalley for an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A book full of twists and turns that had me hooked from the beginning. Ann and Reese's stories are told through dual timelines that flowed together flawlessly. The plot was well conceived and it was an easy pace to follow as everything is revealed. Both of the main characters are likeable and very well developed. They both have had rough lives up until they visit the island. Their pasts cause them to not trust what is happening on the island and, in the end, causes them more heartache than they have ever experienced.
The narration by Lisa Larsen and Emily O'Brian is superb. It was easy to switch from one point of view to another. I enjoyed the narration from beginning to end.
I am extremely grateful to CamCat Books for providing me with this fabulous audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I liked this one, although I did guess what was going on pretty quickly. Still kept me interested, and the narrators were good!

This was a very good read, I was surprised by the ending though, sadder than I would have thought. The narration was good and overall would read more from this author.

Beneath the Marigolds was a quick and easy read told from two points of view. The writing style of the book kept my attention throughout the entirety of the book. I was drawn in from the moment I started the book. I was intrigued by the plot and was extremely curious to what had happened to Resse. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of Beneath the Marigolds.

I didn't realize what I was picking up.when this book was recommended to me but wow.

Anne is wrecked that her friend, Reece, had asked her to go on a trip from which she never returned. She goes on a mission to follow in Reece's footsteps to find out what happened.

Between Reece's story and Anne's the parallels are eerie as Anne gets closer and closer to the truth.

#netgalley
#arc
#beneaththemarigolds

Ann Stone is a lawyer whose best friend, Reese Marigold, has gone missing. She had attended Last Chance, which is an exclusive singles’ retreat on a remote island off the coast of Hawaii. Ann, sure the retreat has clues to her friend’s disappearance, decides to infiltrate the compound.

It doesn’t take long for Ann to realize there’s more to Last Chance than meets the eye. The clothes are extravagant, there is constant interviewing, and the odd dating guidelines make her wonder if the retreat could be a front for a reality dating show. If so, then maybe Reese is safe and is keeping a low profile until the show premieres. That seems a bit bizarre, but sinister occurrences are definitely afoot.
To get to the inside scoop of this retreat, Ann partakes in the unusual routines of the “journey to find true love.” As she gets deeper in, her attempt to find Reece, Ann realizes that she herself may never get off the island alive. 

I found, Beneath the Marigolds, to be an intriguing, fast-paced, psychological thriller.
Emily C. Whitson had crafted this novel in two voices. The story alternates between the points of view of Ann and Reese. The distinct writing style separating the two, as well as the two voices of narrators Larson and O’Brein, allow the listener to fully understand exactly who is telling the story. Reese seems flighty, immature, and a hopeless romantic. Ann, is far more reserved, realistic and settled. She, as is Reece, are both unlucky in love. Thus this particular retreat.

Both characters are are recovering alcoholics, and since they’re at a romantic retreat, they’re constantly being tempted with alcohol. It almost seems as if the people running the resort want them to regress.

There are many unexpected twists and turns in the plot, putting me in the mind of the excellent novel Gone Girl.
The ending was quite surprising to this reader, and I enjoyed how the story nicely wrapped up leaving no loose ends.
I highly recommend this novel of suspense with a unique plot line.
I also recommend the audio version with two narrators who portrayed Ann and Reece to perfection.
.

Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook. It is my pleasure to review this.
A romance retreat on a secluded island? Yes! Every action monitored by guards? Sounds odd.
The main character, Reese, starts to feel this is too staged and controlled, like a reality show. And so it goes with a twist that I could see coming at the end. I enjoyed the book and the narrators were easy to listen to. It would be a great beach read.

I loved the narration, the pacing, and the suspense of this listen. The plot twist caught me off guard - this was a great listen while cleaning and organizing for the holidays!

Reese Marigold is more than Ann Stone's good friend - she's the AA sponsor who was instrumental in Ann's recovery. So when Reese goes missing after going to a singles' retreat that promised to provide a soulmate, Ann vows to find out what happened to her and goes to that same retreat, held on an island near the coast of Hawaii. Reese is a hopeless romantic, Ann is a realist and a savvy lawyer, who gave up on love after her boyfriend broke her heart. She's cynical about the promises of the island, but what she discovers there is far from anything she expected to find, both upon her arrival and when the ultimate truths are revealed.
The story is told from both Reese's viewpoint and from Ann's. The dual narration of the audiobook is excellent and helps keep the two viewpoints straight. This was a most interesting and intriguing look at pop culture and the very different ways people look at love and life and what's important. It kept me entertained and guessing at what the underlying truths might be. I found it to be an excellent debut for this author, and will definitely be interested to see what she comes up with next.
Thanks to Netgalley and CamCat Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It did start off on the slower side of things but midway the pace picked up. It kept me intrigued and wanting to find out more about Reese and Ann. The flipping between the two characters wasn't overdone and was easy to keep up with. Which is a huge plus when listening/reading a story with multiple points of view. The other characters really helped developed the story and added to the emotion of it. If you decide to listen to this audiobook you won't be disappointed. Add this to your TBR!