How about that trip to Catalina? Richard Kingsley, a billionaire, invites his horrible children John, Ted, and Sibley, for a trip on his yacht because he has things to tell them. Of course, they bring their equally awful partners. This hops around between the group as secrets, lies come out and family unity (never a strong point for this group) dissolves. This is one unhappy group of people. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A fast read.

If you like reading about billionaires acting badly or are Jones-ing for something to fill the Succession withdrawal, this is for you.

Patriarch and billionaire Richard Kingsley needs to select a successor for his business. He invites his grown children to join him aboard his new luxury yacht for a family outing to Catalina Island. What should be a happy family gathering is anything but. Richard gets his kicks from turning his two sons Ted and John against each other to determine who will take over the family business. Richard even invited Sibley his daughter to join them. Sibley, always dramatic, makes her entry from a helicopter. The brothers revile their rebel sister, even more so when they find out she has switched sides—joining her Uncle Walter, Richard’s brother and nemesis. Richard, however, takes it all in stride, even having a fondness for his rebel daughter that the brothers don’t understand. Adding to the mix are the spouses and Richard’s fifth and youngest wife Serena. Everyone has secrets, some that will help them gain the reins of the business and a few that will work against them. Tension increases on the way to Catalina when a major storm causes outages on the yacht and rocks an already rocky group to commit acts that add to the turmoil of a family that is about to explode. Will Richard Kingsley name an heir? Will everyone live to enjoy their fortune?

Author Kaira Rouda spins a thrilling contemporary King Lear full of lies, backstabbing, deception, and even murder. Using a devious slow burn, Rouda spins and twists multiple viewpoints to keep us guessing and turning the pages. Just when you begin to sympathize a little with a character (if that’s even possible), she blows that out of the water.

Beneath the Surface works like a locked room thriller. The characters can’t leave the yacht and are forced to interact with each other. The different characters' viewpoints let you in on their secrets so that you know more than the other characters, therefore ratcheting up the tense atmosphere. Sibley was the only character who seemed a little cliché for a female rebel with her counterculture tats and appearance along with bringing a suspect male friend. But other than that, the characters all have realistic lives, successes, failures, and demons where family loyalty plays little part in their actions. Beneath the surface, what the siblings really want is their father’s respect and love. That gives us sympathy for the siblings. Power rules, not love.

Beneath the Surface is a perfect summer escapist read. It’s also book one of a new series, so the good news is you’ll be hearing more about the Kingsley family in the future.

Thanks to Kaira Rouda, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge @kairarouda fan and I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by her and this one is no different! 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗘 is a fun, bingeable, mystery read that is filled with nothing but family drama, secrets, deceit, and power struggles.

Filled with twists and turns along the way that will leave you thinking that you have it figured out but do you really? 🤔

Perfect for fans of the tv show 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡!

Highly recommend if you need a quick, enjoyable book 𝗣𝗟𝗨𝗦 it’s a first in a series!

I rated this a 4.75/5! I loved this book so much! The characters, the plot twist!!! I didn’t see that coming! Would most definitely recommend!!

The chapters were fast paced, but it almost felt too rush. I felt like the characters weren't fully thought out, and the plot twists didn't really shock me.

The children of a wealthy billionaire and their families are on a cruise on his new expensive yacht. A storm is coming though, both literal and metaphorical.

I liked the general idea of this, but I think there were too many POVs. Especially because at first it seems like it will just be Paige and John as they are the first two and then there is a an article (shift in writing style, which I liked). But to me, that made it feel like those would be the two POVs. However, after that, we get multiple more. it was just overwhelming, and I think this particularly story could've been told through one or two.

3.5 stars

The Kingsley siblings are about to embark on an overnight trip to Catalina Island on their father’s new yacht. Sounds like the perfect family get together…..until you realize they’re all there to battle to be the heir to their father’s company. While the seas become rough, they are no match for the manipulation and tension taking place onboard the yacht. Who will come out on top, and at what cost?

Calling all lovers of fast reads and family dramas, this one is for you. This family is stuffed full of drama, lies, and manipulation. Not a single character (besides Paige) is likable but they are definitely interesting.

The concept of a family filled with conniving, warring siblings on a yacht in the middle of a storm is definitely an intriguing one. However, much like the seas they were experiencing, the flow of the story felt a bit choppy. I have a feeling this was due to the fact it was told between 5 different perspectives, which normally I love but in this story there was a bit too much repetition between the POVs.

While some of the twists were a bit predictable, I enjoyed the way they played out and they made for a very entertaining story. The ending wrapped up nicely which I was especially excited to see. Since this is a series I rather have the story feel complete and leave me guessing what this crazy family will get up to next instead of leaving on a cliff hanger (I’m way too impatient for those 😂).

All in all it was a solid family drama that I flew through. Can’t wait for book 2!

PUBLICATION DAY: September 5, 2023

The Kingsley’s have all been invited on a family vacation on the patriarch’s new yacht. An overnight trip to the Catalina Islands - what could go wrong? In a family filled with jealousy, insecurity, and intense competition - well that just about anything can. And when the unpredictable sister unexpectedly joins in the fun, and a storm begins to brew - it’s not just nature who is preparing to unleash their fury.

PROS and CONS:
Family dynamics are key in this fast paced book! And toxic ones only are allowed onboard this yacht. This book was quite repetitive, with characters repeating their motivations quite regularly. But there were bombs to be dropped and lives to be ruined, so it was entertaining to say the least!

READ IT?
If you’re looking for…a super easy read with drama aplenty - then this one’s for you!

3 Stars

Unless she writes dystopian, science fiction, or fairy tales, I will always read Kaira Rouda‘s books. I have read almost all of them and she’s an automatic, must-read author. When I saw the cover, I didn’t even need to know what this book was about. I just wanted to read it. And I was not disappointed! Beneath the Surface is about a billionaire who invites his sons and their wives to Catalina Island. They are all dying to know who he will make the next CEO of his business and it’s just as cut-throat and nasty as you’d expect.



Synopsis:

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.

SO GOOD.



This book will be out on September 5, don’t miss it!

This book is essentially a book about a horrible family who do awful things (to each other and others). It's fast-paced, which I always like, but a few things irritated me such as inaccuracies and inconsistencies. ("Reverse split sharing" doesn't make the shares of a company worthless. And at the beginning one of the characters says they're working on their MBA and will graduate in 6 months, and then near the end she says she's "graduating next month", as an example of each.) The characters are also supposedly on this mega-yacht, and I don't think yachts that big would be affected by ocean waves as badly as it supposedly was in the story.

It was also sort of weird that the sons called their dad by his first name when talking about him, but then called him "Dad" to his face. It got pretty repetitive with the characters repeating the same things over and over. I was thinking "We KNOW! We GET IT ALREADY!" but that might just be building the characters' whiny and entitled personalities.

This book needs a bit more research put into it, but willing to put those things aside it was a good read.

Beneath the Surface is an American family drama featuring the most hideous cast of characters I’ve encountered in a long time. I requested this because I really enjoyed Best Day Ever by this author, and while it seems she usually writes domestic suspense thrillers, which I’ve gone right off, the blurb suggested a change in genre, and I liked the sound of a mystery set on a yacht. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it - the only mystery was which one of these revolting people would meet a sticky end, how and why, but by the time this was revealed, I really didn’t care.

Three Kingsley heirs are summoned to their ghastly domineering father’s new luxury superyacht for an overnight trip to Catalina island, each hoping to be announced as his successor at the family company. They and their partners can’t stand each other, or the billionaire’s much younger new wife, but each of them has their own agenda - and one is prepared to kill to get what they want.

This is narrated in clunky first person present from four different perspectives - Paige the neurotic wife of Ted, the charming younger son, Richard the controlling patriarch, Serena his calculating spouse, John the bitter eldest son, and eventually Sibley, the wild-child younger daughter. They’re all obsessed with status and their wealthy-folk problems - principally not having enough money to lord it over everyone else, and they wonder why no one loves them. While I don’t need to like characters to enjoy a book, they do need to have something to make them interesting, but this bunch don’t have a redeeming feature between them: even Paige, who works for a charity, does it to look good not because she actually cares. Their internal monologues are horribly repetitive, and the dialogue so banal I would’ve bailed had this not been an ARC for NetGalley. Nobody gets what they deserve and the ending was most unsatisfying. This appears to be the start of a series but I will not be continuing it. Very disappointing.

Deplorable characters, dysfunctional family all invited for a weekend trip on a yacht with some thinking they were the only invites. Lies, backstabbing, and scandal all come to the surface, and you won't be able to put this book down until you reach the conclusion.

Talk about family drama….this family takes the cake! The Kingsley family is extremely wealthy, and with this wealth comes secret after secret. In trying to decide which family member will inherit control of the family, Richard brings them all together on a fateful cruise, and the Kingsley family will NEVER again be the same!

Billionaire Richard Kingsley along with Serena (wife number 5), invite his children and their significant others to a weekend get together on his new yacht. Little do they know that Richard will be springing some news on them and having them play a little game of who will inherit his company. None of these people like each other and we learn more about their nasty lives as the story is told from each of their point of views. This was my first read by this author and it wasn't a bad story but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I like a bit more action in my fictional stories. There were a few twists to the story, some I figured out beforehand and some I didn't see coming. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this! Rich people in the middle of the ocean all with something to gain…..this was fast paced and intriguing. I was pleased that I never saw the next twist.

Richard Kingsley is a billionaire at the helm of his very successful enterprise. He is on wife number 6 (who’s counting?!) and has invited his children and their spouses to join him for a weekend on his massive yacht, The Splendid Seas. Richard and his newest wife Serena welcome them aboard hoping for a wonderful weekend. Everyone seems to have their own agenda and no one is very truthful.

Ted and John, sons of Richard join the ship and tension is almost immediate between these two. They have a long deep seated competitive past and both are jockeying to take over the company once Richard isn’t around. But the dram doesn’t stop there! Sibley, Richards estranged daughter also was invited making quite the waves when she joins them aboard. She definitely is a black sheep but Richard is quite loyal to all of his offspring!

A storm rolls in making it quite the dangerous trip and before we know it lies are being uncovered and tragic events happen. Not everyone who boarded the ship will leave the ship! 😱 Let me tell you the drama is quite intense! If you’re looking for a good backstabbing, scandalous story with devious spoiled characters make sure to grab a copy of this book!

An interesting start to what seems like will be a new series for Rouda. I didn't initially know about it being a series and it made me more skeptical as that isn't usually my thing. I feel like those often end up as cozies or just too drawn out.

Her writing had been kind of hit or miss for me before but I have been really liking her more recent releases. I feel like she's grown as a writer and I'll keep tuning in and keep an eye on this Succession at sea story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

3.5 Stars

I received an advanced copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.

A wealthy family gathers on Catalina Island following an invitation from billionaire CEO Richard Kingsley. The purpose is to secure their futures and gain control over a real estate empire, leading to a succession battle among his sons and their wives. Sibley, Richard's estranged daughter, adds a surprising twist to the event. As the contest for the Kingsley legacy intensifies, the idyllic atmosphere of the island contrasts with the escalating tensions and deceptions within the family. With money, lies, and deception at play, the weekend unfolds as a high-stakes game where one member stands to gain while another risks losing everything. Amidst a brewing storm, the family's plans could easily go awry.

In this novel, imagine a dysfunctional family saga set against the backdrop of a luxurious yacht. The initial half of the book brims with captivating family dynamics, adding a generous dash of tension and intrigue. However, as the story progresses, the family drama takes on a life of its own, verging into the realm of overwhelming.

By the time the conclusion approached, the narrative took an unexpected turn, delving into territories that stretched the bounds of believability. While the story's outset was engaging, the culmination seemed to take a detour into the realms of the implausible and downright outrageous.

Kaira Rouda is underrated, in my humble opinion. I have enjoyed all of her books. This one reads like one of those night-time soaps from the 90's. And that's a good thing, as I loved those shows! Oh, the over-the-top drama! We basically have a family of rich, spoiled brats on a yacht cruising off Catalina. The yacht is owned by much-married, billionaire Daddy and he has a plan for one of his horrible offspring to "win" his fortune. To say backstabbing ensues is putting it mildly. We also have lies and secrets revealed, and I couldn't stop reading. The story is told from multiple POV's and that got to be a little much at times but was all brought back together for the big reveal. This family is just bonkers, and I had a lot of fun reading this. I especially enjoyed Sibley. My understanding is that this is the start of a series. Well, cool beans! I'm there!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Kaira Rouda and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and various other retail and social media sites upon publication.

This is a really good book! I have read several of Rouda’s novels, and she has become a go-to author for me. Her latest, the first of a new Kingsley series, is about an overnight family cruise to Catalina Island on the Kingsley family patriarch’s new luxury yacht. The story is told in chapters from various perspectives of those family members onboard. Rouda is a master at creating compelling, multi-level stories, and I’m here for it! Recommended this book and all of her other books.