Thank you Netgalley and Mira for the eBook. My opinions are being left voluntarily. This book kept be wondering where we were gonna go. I did switch to audiobook and felt lost by the narration and story. It's a great summer beach read.

3.5/5

this was an interesting read. loved the 180 about halfway through. it kept me guessing the whole time which i loved!

3.5⭐️

I have conflicting thoughts on this book. There were a lot of things about it really enjoyed. I thought I had a grip on where the story was going but fell victim to all the red herrings the author planted along the way and it was very surprising. I feel like the past-tense POV was a little dull and could have been pared down a bit. It obviously worked to inform some of the things that happened in the present, but I do think a lot of it felt repetitive.

I was really intrigued by what was going on as the women were trapped in the cabin. I thought it was going to be more of a locked room mystery and I was surprised when it turned into something completely different. The second half of the book also had moments that really intrigued and surprised me but I feel like once there was an answer to what had happened the exposition got really out of control.

I think the story was really interesting and had so many elements that I enjoyed but overall it felt too long and like there was too much over explaining what had happened instead of trusting readers to understand. I will still recommend it as I think it’s a good book and I am interested in reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Mira for an advanced e-pub!

𝟐.𝟓 ⭐️ 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐢𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲, 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐈’𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫—𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧), 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲! 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝’𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝐻𝒶𝓃𝓃𝒶𝒽 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝓎 𝑀𝒸𝒦𝒾𝓃𝓃𝑜𝓃, 𝐻𝒶𝓇𝓁𝑒𝓆𝓊𝒾𝓃 𝒯𝓇𝒶𝒹𝑒 𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

Fast paced thriller! I was hooked right away! Only One Survives is about a group of women who are in a band and end up in a tragic car accident. The book goes between different time periods: before the accident, during the time of the accident and after the accident. But was it all an accident?

Definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Vienna and Madison are best friends brought together in high school by their ridiculous talent for and shared love of music. They even perform as a locally popular duo. Both have bigger dreams which leads to the formation after high school of The Bittersweet with 3 more band members added in. While on the road to a gig, a trip that is being documented by a journalist along for the ride-they careen off the road in the Catskills during a snowstorm. With some members badly injured and no one around for miles, they are forced to hole up in an abandoned cabin to ride out the storm but as the storm rages on, the girls end up dead one by one until one vanishes and only one survives. All fingers point to one band member but is everything really as it seems? Ooohkay-we got a really toxic friendship with our two main characters here, and this is an intense ride as it becomes clear that one of them is willing to achieve fame at all costs. This book has been compared to Daisy Jones and the Six and I see that in the jealousy between band members. After all DJ totally gave off Fleetwood Mac vibes and if ever there was a band full of jealousy and doomed relationships... Anyway, that's about where the comparison ends with DJ. I'd say this is a combo of Daisy Jones meets Gone Girl. Took me a minute to get into but I was up til late finishing it. Definitely worth the read.

This was a really fun, twisty thriller. The first half felt like a pretty typical domestic tale about a band's rise to fame. Vienna's ability to thrive in spite of the abuse she endured made her a sympathetic heroine.

And then the second half came along and everything went off the rails. It was very entertaining. I couldn't put it down. This one's for you if you're interested in music, social media drama, female friendships, family drama (CW: abuse), and unreliable narrators.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Another hit from one of my favorite authors. This was definitely an edge of your seat thriller. A who done it that I didn't see coming. I also didn't see the second big twist coming. While I do believe this to be geared more toward young adults I did enjoy it.

It's about a group of ladies in a band but is way more than that. It's more about the actual characters than their music. About how they meet. How they interact. How they start getting noticed... Until it takes a twisted road trip that you won't forget.

Icy roads. Band members. A tag along documenter. Women who were close. Two sisters. Two who were best friends and almost as close as sisters. They are on their way to meet other bands. To become recognized. Becoming famous beyond their wildest dreams when this accident happens. There lives are forever changed. At least two of them...

While you follow what happened in the first half of this book the second half will blow you away. Or at least it did me. I didn't see it coming and just didn't expect what actually happened. The author did a great job of revealing the events and how the two remaining women handled losing the four other women. All the band members except one perished. Everything seems pretty cut and dried until it doesn't.

I liked all of these characters except Vienna's mother, "stepdad" and Madison's parents. Madison was hard to like most of the time too. She was very controlling and so self-centered. Always wanting to be the center of attention. Her way or else.

This story was so good and so creepy. It was so well written and proved to be just what I needed at this time. A thriller!!

Thank you to @MIRABooks for the digital copy to review!

I am a HUGE fan of @HannahMaryMcKinnon, and so I knew I would love this without even reading it, but can confirm, it is excellent! I love a good drama that involves music, murder, and fame and my goodness this one has it all. There were a few twists in here that had my jaw dropped and I loved it. I won’t say anything else for spoiler purposes but you definitely need this on your list if you don’t have it already!

If you’ve ever been in a band or enjoyed playing instruments, then this book is for you! A journey of individuals passionate about their talent, becoming a duo then band, and a song going viral to put them on the map! But then the story takes a turn into a thriller and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you Hannah Mary McKinnon, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!

This one kept me guessing until the very end. The book was written from many different perspectives, which at times made it a bit hard to follow and remember. I feel like there were some discrepancies in the stories, or points when the main characters said that someone else did something when it truly was them. There was a lot of extra fluff here that likely was not needed.

This book follows the lives of best friends Vienna and Madison. Initially the two of them start a band together, but eventually they recruit additional band members. While on an outing together as the full band, Bittersweet, they get into an accident during a snowstorm and in the middle of nowhere. They are able to find a nearby cabin to wait out the storm, but from there, all of the craziness begins. Who can you trust?

This was a fun thriller about toxic female relationships and the lengths someone may go to achieve fame - and the cost of it.

I was completely riveted by this one in the first half but felt that midway through when things mixed up a bit, the pacing slowed a bit. It was kind of an up-and-down throughout the book when it came to my interest but my intrigue in these characters maintained - though I wish we got more background on some of the band mates.

I do think that this one stretched my belief a bit when it came to the mystery/execution but not in a way that spoils the fun I think. Really it came to not thinking the characters were capable/smart enough for certain things to happen how they did 😂

This book is told in a few different formats too - past (before the accident/during), present (following the accident) and includes bits from media reports (articles, talk shows, etc). I do wish that there was more time spent when the actual accident occurred but I did enjoy the narrative overall and especially with how it all got turned on its head a bit at the midway point.

Anyways, this is one I recommend for sure but would add that this one leans to be more character focused with a bit of that “unraveling into madness” element to it.

An all-female pop rock band starts experiencing some measure of recognition, and among the group are best friends Vienna and Madison. Vienna is mostly interested in making music, while Madison is also interested in the fame that could come with it. While traveling through a blizzard on the way to an event, they are in an accident. One band member dies, one is horribly injured, and the group takes shelter in a nearby cabin. People start dying, and Madison just flat out vanishes. Vienna is unsure if Madison had something to do with the deaths, or if she is also a victim.

I found the first half of this book a lot more enjoyable than the rest. The initial pacing was really good, the storyline was interesting, and the dynamics between the characters kept my attention. In the second half, which is when I usually expect the momentum in a thriller to build, I thought the story lost steam, and as it went on I became less invested in figuring out exactly what is going on.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Mary McKinnon, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Vienna and Madison have an unlikely friendship, and that friendship turns to rising fame, followed by tragedy. This story had several twists that kept me guessing at the ending.

Rock ‘n’ Roll with a dash of murder. This is a locked room thriller that meets Daisy Jones & The Six.

A band is form when 5 girls are in high school. The two main characters, Madison and Vienna. One a lead guitarist and the other the drummer. They are well on their way to becoming a successful band and striving towards fame.

One day they have a horrific car accident that leaves the stranded during a snowstorm. One instantly dies and another severely injured. With just three band members left, they take refuge at an abandoned cabin.

How far are you willing to go for the price of fame? Twists and turns with lies and murder. This is perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid. This was my first book by Hannah Mary McKinnon and it won’t be my last.

Thank you to Hannah, HTP and NetGalley for the opportunity.

Vienna is a self taught drummer. She and her best friend, Madison, actually started a band in high school. So, when Vienna’s world falls apart after high school she heads to NYC to live with Madison. Vienna decides to start a new band, Bittersweet, and they are gaining lot of attention. On the way to an event, the Bittersweet’s van careened off an icy mountain road during a blizzard—leaving one member dead and another severely injured.

This story fluctuates between before the accident and after the accident. And it leads you astray in the first half of the book. And then it all comes to light!

This is not my favorite book by this author. I have read several. And I cannot put my finger on why. I just didn’t enjoy this book as well as some of her others. It is a book I enjoyed reading, while reading it. But if I put it down, I did not want to pick it back up.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I could not gobble this book up fast enough! While I have loved Hannah Mary McKinnon since I read You Will Remember Me, I found my new favorite by her. This book was so entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat! I highly recommend this great thriller!

****Many thanks to Hannah Mary McKinnon and MIRA books for my gifted copy!

I rated this 4.5 stars rounding up to 5 on Goodreads.

Thank you Netgalley, author and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.

The Bittersweet is an upcoming all-girl band that has the potential to become the next big thing but an unfortunate accident while on the road ends up having catastrophic events with the death of the majority of the band ladies , one missing and lone survivor Vienna with memory loss. What really happened that fateful night ? Where is the missing band member, guitarist Madison ? Will Vienna ever recover her memories to unlock what transpired during the gruesome event?

Okay, I did not see that coming!
What seemed like an accident of a group of friends/band members who take shelter in a remote isolated cabin during bad snow storm sounded like a survival story but as the story progressed it had me raising my eyebrows in shocking surprises !
The book is divided into 2 Parts. The first gives us the current timeline when the accident takes place and they are trying to survive /get help and alternative chapters narrates story from the past that involved the two main characters/friends Vienna and Madison, it's all about how they met each other as classmates in their teenage years , their respective families, friendship, their talent for music , how they end up creating their band , it's progression , eventual success, which is all laced with toxicity making your mind spin.

It's around the 50% mark into the book that the second part comes into play and we are introduced to the first big revelation/twists, this is when the story picked up in pace for me and brought the crazy thriller aspect into play.

The isolated setting initially, the unreliable narrator and crazy plot twists keeps you turning pages fast, short chapters help keep your attention too.
Including the social media frenzy , fan wars, unrelenting pursuit from press and media to air the ongoing scandalous story gives it an interesting touch especially in the current real world situation when everything out there is newsworthy.

Greed for fame, money , toxic friendship, girl band that rocks with a, be careful what you wish for , this book has this all and makes it a bingeable summer read.

It's a 4/5 ⭐ read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing MIRA for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Hannah Mary McKinnon. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Vienna and Madison grew up very differently, but became close friends in high school. Vienna had a tough home life, and Madison came from a wealthy family who had high expectations for her. Music united them. Vienna just wanted to play; Madison was looking for fame.. They eventually add 3 more women to their group and start having success. On the way to an event, the band's car goes off an icy mountain road in the Catskills during a blizzard, leaving one member severely injured. They take shelter in a nearby abandoned cabin, but who will survive?

Wow - my mouth dropped at the twist and I was all for it - bravo! This book had me questioning everyone and believing no one. This book really shows the ugly side of fame, the pull it has over so many people, and what some people will do to achieve it. McKinnon's writing nailed the tension and the atmospheric feel of a remote cabin in the mountains during a blizzard. I loved the social media blurbs plus the rock and roll theme throughout. Don't miss this one this summer!

Only One Survives by Hannah Mary McKinnon is a fast paced psychological thriller that follows high school best friends Vienna and Madison as they become rising star musicians. Unfortunately, their success is cut short after an accident as their band is on the way to a party in the Catskills.

Not only was this a fast paced thriller, but it also did a great job showing the realistic side effects of stardom. I very much enjoyed it and am adding McKinnon’s backlist to my to-read list!