Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of “Beneath the Surface” in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is full of unlikable characters that are quite entertaining to watch. Overall the plot moves slowly, with each chapter devoted to one of the Kingsley family members having the same argument as to why thy should take over the family business. It was fairly predictable and I expected more out of the ending.

While this started slowly, it certainly picked up!

This fun thriller is about wealthy people behaving badly. I personally love all the drama of the super wealthy. There is a full cast of characters you’ll love to hate.

Richard Kingsley has invited his children on his new mega expensive yacht.
Cue - the kids didn’t know their siblings are invited. Richards new, very much younger wife is hosting. Richard has an announcement.

Expect housewives of beverly hills vibes, secrets, betrayal, and lies with this fun popcorn thriller.

Many thanks to @netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced reading copy.

I tried a few times to get into this one. I loved her previous books, but I just couldn't get into it, sadly! I will still read her future books!

I do not want to leave a bad review on my accounts, so I will just post it here!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own!

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I don't really agree with its classification as a thriller. Maybe just a family drama. The problems I had are that none of the characters are likable. They are almost parodies of what they area supposed to be (the gold digger, the over-the-top toxic male head of the family, the idiot sons). The dialogue and storylines are just kind of repetitive to me. This looks as if its the start of a series, but I don't think I will continue on with it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced readers copy of this book for my honest review.

Gripping family psychological thriller with many surprises and twists and turns. Secrets are revealed as the Kingsley family spends one fateful weekend on the family yacht, vying to be the successor to the family business. Great read with a somewhat surprising ending - I can't wait to read the sequel to this book.

I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few books from Kaira Rouda. I thought this was a good read though I did have a hard time with all the unlikable characters. I don’t have to love every character but it’s nice when there’s at least one to root for. That being said, I still read this from start to finish in just a day.

There is a second book in this series coming next year and I’ve already added it to my list as I am curious to see where the story goes next.

Overall an intriguing and entertaining story.

The concept of this story had great potential - somewhat-corrupt family decides successor when patriarch no longer can continue. But the execution needed a LOT more work to be successful. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

"You are cordially invited to an overnight voyage on the Splendid Seas. An invitation to Catalina Island from billionaire CEO Richard Kingsley. For his sons, Ted and John, and their wives, it’s an opportunity to curry favor, gain control of a real estate empire, and secure their family’s futures. For the controlling patriarch, succession is a contest. He and his newest wife won’t make it an easy win. Then Richard’s estranged live-wire daughter, Sibley, crashes the party. She’s the least of the night’s surprises. As the stakes for the inheritance of the Kingsley legacy are raised, the beautiful waters of the Pacific look more like a menacing illusion. Let the games begin for a family who has everything money can buy, and has used lies, deception, and more to keep it. This weekend one of them will be crowned heir. One is in line to lose everything. That’s the plan. But in the coming storm, so much can go dangerously wrong."
What storm will happen, will anyone be crowned heir for the real estate empire, will have to read the book to find out.
Thrilling, suspenseful, fast paced. I have been to Catalina island love that the author put this in her story.
I give this book 5 stars.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer , netgalley, and the author for a chance to leave an honest review.
Published Sept 5th, 2023.

Twisted family members on a yacht getaway with all plotting against each other. Secrets prove that no one has good intentions. Told from perspectives of several characters make this #thriller a #5⭐️read!

I adore #KairaRouda as a favorite writer of #psychologicalsuspense!

Thank you, Kaira Rouda, Thomas & Mercer, & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

Think #Succession on the seas with this one. If you love Succession like I do then you will be into this one! This is a wild, weekend voyage on a mega yacht full of estranged family members, secrets and one company they are all vying for. I don’t want to say too much but this was a fun ride and I’m already excited for book two.
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Huge thank you to #thomasandmercer and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Great book! Loved the setting and I was fortunate to obtain a hard copy along with a fun package! definitely an author I will look out for in the future!

Richard Kingsley is a very wealthy man and has bought an enormous yacht named Splendid Sea. He takes it for a weekend to Catalina Island along with his 5th wife Sabrina. He is in his 80's and needs to pass the control of his mega Co. to one of his children. He has three, John the oldest has the brains, Ted, has the looks and Sibley who appears be the odd one.
The wives come along for the weekend. John with Rachel, and Ted with Paige and Sibley shows up with some unfavorable guy, Colson.

RICHARD, intends to put the children against each other during the weekend to see who comes out on top. The winner gets the head of the business.

What he didn't expect was to find how much the family is dysfunctional. There is such maneuvering around each other for the sake of money and power. There are episodes of burglary, cheaters, thief, lying, gambling, and stealing, and complete mistrust of each other. But the family just explodes when the outcome is for money and power.

It was an interesting read to see how a filthy rich family is no different from a middle class when it comes right down to looking really close. There can be a dangerous and disappointing outcome.

I wasn't attached to any Character as there was no depth to speak of in this plot. It was a bunch of folks wanting the same thing from the top of the money pit. But, it was fun to guess who would win and who would loose. It keeps you guessing to the end.

If you like family drama & the conflicts that arise from having tons of money, this one is for you! It is a suspenseful book involving many unlikable characters willing to lie and basically stop at nothing to get what they want, I'd say fans of reality-type shows would really enjoy this one, which is book one of a series.

This author writes books that are delicious and juicy tales of human nature. I loved the setting of this one being on a yacht heading over to Catalina Island. Being from So Cal there were a lot of good references. The characters on this one were a little too hideous for me. She is a master at creating over the top characters and situations, but this time they were just ugly people. There was no one to root for. The book was definitely entertaining and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Beneath the Surface by Kaira Rouda.

I haven't seen all of Succession yet, but I would imagine that this has a lot of those qualities. A bunch of family members cutting each other's throats in order to be named primary heir to the family fortune. But in this story they're all on a giant boat, with an unexpected visitor.

Ugh, okay. Even though most of the story took place in the ocean, instead I felt more like I was in a sludgy swamp of unlikable leeches the whole time. Just arguing, backbiting, whining, the lot of them. So gross. And I'm not one who would turn her nose up at a story like this when there is some sort of protagonist, or hopeful arch to hold on to. In this story? Nope, that boat could have straight up sunk at any point, and I would have felt nothing except for a bit of guilty relief.

3.5 ⭐️’s
When Ted and Paige Kingsley received the invitation to sail on Ted’s father’s luxurious yacht for the weekend, they were led to believe they would be the only ones on board. Excited at the prospect, Ted is sure that Richard is going to hand over the reins of his mega wealthy company to Ted. BUT…when they arrived they were greeted by Ted’s half brother, John, and his wife, Rachel. They, too, thought they would be the only ones onboard. The two men have always tried to one up the other and each will do almost anything to win the prize. When their wild younger half sister makes an appearance, things heat up. Pitted against each other, they all vie for Richard’s attention. Even his newest young wife wants in on the action. As the journey from Newport to the Catalina Islands commence, a storm brews, but it’s not just in the ocean, there’s plenty of storm filled moments aboard the yacht as well. Little by little, Richard shares his surprises, as the storm wanes someone will walk away with the prize, while someone else will lose everything. A story of greed, dysfunction and family drama, this book was a bit predictable, but fun nevertheless. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Another great story from Kiara Rouda! This story of a corrupt family on a mega yacht and how they were trying to gain control over the family business was intriguing and I really enjoyed this unique setting. I thought the different chapters coming from different points of view added so much to the depth of the story since everybody had a different aim in the story. I think my favourite character was Paige and I loved how things happened for her in the end. I’ll be looking forward to the next entry in the Kingsley series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the chance to read this book. It was a great story!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was an easy addictive read. The characters were all just terrible people from a mega rich family. The multiple POVs made this a quick fun read

Obscenely rich family gathers for some good family time on the new yacht. The problem is there isn’t a likable one in the bunch. Each one is more conniving than the last. Money certainly doesn’t buy happiness here. It feels like the last one standing will win control of the family business… or will they? I felt the storyline was outrageous but also that was the intent, and I felt the writing could have been a bit more polished. Thanks to NetGalley for the read!

Rich people family drama... am I right?! This read was fun and easy to binge. The story is
multiple POV and usually that distracts me and confuses me! But it worked for this story. There was a plethora of unenjoyable characters. but the family drama kept me turning the page.