This one was captivating right from the very first chapter, and kept me hooked the entire time. I love this author’s books, and this one did not disappoint!

Easily, McKinnon's most twisty work yet. I'm absolutely delighted with this one and would even read it again. That's says a lot for a Psychological Thriller. There was something so <i>Crime & Punishment</i> in this character work. It was very well executed, IMO.

In Only One Survives, we follow Vienna and Madison, long-time friends who end up following their childhood dreams and successfully create their own all-female rock band. Unfortunately, just as the band, The Bittersweet, is gaining traction in the music scene, the van they're traveling in on their way to an event, loses its traction and careens off a mountain road during a blizzard.

After the vehicle settles, they discover one bandmate dead and another severely injured. Luckily, the girls are able to locate an abandoned cabin nearby and take shelter there from the storm. What should have been a safe haven though, ultimately results in even more death. The final shock is Madison actually disappearing into the night, her outcome unknown.

The trauma of that horrific night has messed with Vienna's memories. She can hardly decipher the reality from her nightmares. Unsurprisingly, the tragedy of The Bittersweet becomes a bit of a legend in pop culture. The Reader alternates back and forth through time and characters. There's some interesting mixed media elements, with online platforms discussing the mystery behind what actually happened to The Bittersweet. There are a lot of theories, of course, as there often are after a tragedy such as this, but no one really knows.

Only the survivors would know, or would they?

I absolutely loved my time reading this book. It felt like an experience. I did end up listening to the audiobook and felt the narration was perfect for the story. These characters were super engaging. I was hooked into Vienna and Madison's friendship. We got a lot of details from their earlier lives and really got to see their relationship blossom and their reasons behind their sort of codependency. It was fascinating.

Additionally, I do tend to love stories featuring music, or musicians, so this definitely played right into those tastes. I know there are a ton of wonderfully-talented individuals writing in the Adult Thriller space, but IMHO, Hannah Mary McKinnon is thus far underrated. One of the things I love most about her work is that she's constantly improving. Each book, she's just crushing it, taking risks and doing different things. This one is a journey, and she def got me with some of the reveals.

I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this one to all the Thriller Readers out there who love the use of mixed media elements, strong character development and jaw-dropping twists!

A female rock group produces a big hit and are on their was to superstardom when they are involved in a tragic car accident and their world implodes.
    Although this is an absorbing murder/psychological thriller with an assortment of intriguing characters woven through it, what the author really presented was how personalities change with fame.    
    The money was not enough, the social media wasn't promoting them enough. There was the bickering: who took credit for the writing, who brought more to the table, who was getting more attention from the fans.
    There's sabotage in his once tight group and long time relationships become meaningless. It's every "man" for themselves. there's only going to be one winner and the reader will be surprised at who prevails and how.
    A page turner!

I got this as an ARC from Netgalley. I'm gonna start with ripping off the bandaid. This book wasn't my favorite and it took me almost a month to finish.

Only One Survives follows 2 timelines. The past where Vienna and Madison meet each other and finally become friends after butting heads with each other. Then the present where they're in a majorly successful girl band that they founded.

The past is all about their beginnings and how they became The Bittersweet. The challenges they overcame, the falling outs, etc. The future begins with a terrible wreck and moves forward from there.

I felt that the character development wasn't as strong as it could have been. The twists were a little too predictable. I think this could have been a solid book with some more detail but it wasn't terrible.

3.5⭐️ Only One Survives was entertaining and outlandish in equal measure. I came away uncertain whether or not I’d enjoyed it, yet I was compelled to listen straight through in one sitting. A quick, thrilling beach read, if not one that’s likely to stick with you.

Thank you Hannah Mary McKinnon, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

WOW! This book took me on a ride, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

From the start Vienna and Madison were destined to be friends. Vienna came from a broken home, and Madison stems from overprotective parents. Vienna and Madison secretly created the brilliant musical duo MV while in high school. They gain traction after moving to NYC and start playing at local bars.

Vienna puts a flyer out to find other bandmates without telling Madison and the Bittersweet is born.

The all female band is gaining traction but within the band, tensions are high. One night they are heading to a show during a snowstorm and get into a horrific accident. Bandmates are dead and missing.

Without giving too much of the book away, the twists and turns are fun and unexpected. I thought I knew who the mastermind was but I was completely wrong.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read another Hannah Mary McKinnon story!

This book was a great book with lots of twists and turns. Had a hard time putting it down. The story is about two friends from completely different backgrounds that meet in school and how fame changes them and what lengths they will go to for that fame!

Another great thriller that I couldn't put down! I loved the storyline of getting stuck in the storm and how it influenced the storyline. Reminded me of Agatha Christie's and Then There Were None.

This was a mystery/thriller that kept you guessing. Liked it but didn’t love it. Recommend as it’s worth the read. Thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the ARC!

All drummer Vienna Taylor ever wanted was to make music with her best friend, guitarist Madison Pierce. Their new all-female pop rock band is gaining fame. But, on the way to an event, the Bittersweet’s van careens off an icy mountain road during a blizzard—leaving one member dead, another severely injured, and another gone missing. Guilty people run.

I was hooked from the prologue! I loved the format of the storytelling, with multimedia mix thrown in. Loved the snippets of news and forum conversations which gave us glimpses into the band’s popularity, as well as the past chapters when Vienna and Madison were just standard school girls.

This was a great popcorn thriller; fast-paced, twisty and unpredictable. The all-female band setting was an interesting backdrop. It did veer into a more standard thriller-y plot as we went along, but it was still interesting overall.

This was my introduction to the author and now I want more!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Love Hannah Mary McKinnon and have given so many of her novels 5 stars. This one was very well written and was definitely a page turner. The only fault I have in it, is that the story turned into one of the many books about a group of people trapped and mystery ensues. That theme has been done too much and I find myself mixing up all the other books with similar storylines. 4 stars

I have been loving Hannah Mary McKinnon's thrillers and this one did not disappoint. It takes on a feel of 'And Then There Were None' when the members of an all girl rock band get into an accident and are stranded in an awful storm. The story bounces back and forth between past and present day so we are well aware of what leads them to this point in time. It definitely kept me guessing and I didn't know who to trust.

Let me just say, this book is a wild ride! It has drama, twists, jealousy, unhinged characters and everything and more you could want in a summer thriller. I blew through it because it was so addictive!

I did enjoy the writing but I did not love the characters. I did not feel that I could relate to them. The story was well done and had a lot of great twists and turns.

I really enjoyed the latest from Hannah Mary McKinnon. A thrilling page turner about an all-female rock band who had a catastrophic accident where (no surprise) everyone died either at the scene or in the aftermath at a cabin they found. Dual timeline examines how the two leaders of the band met and formed their group, and then expanded it, and how it all fell apart. McKinnon did an excellent job of incorporating a twist, and then doing it again, and upending everything I thought I knew.

High school besties from different sides of the tracks, one all girl band and a dual timeline - yes to all of the above!

The Bittersweet is riding high. Until a car crash in a blizzards sets off a domino effect of madness and murder (maybe - or is it?).

The earlier timeline peels back the layers and shows us why things are happening.

Loved every minute!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

WHOA Hannah yes!

This is a binge worthy read. It is a realistic rendition of the dark side of fame and going viral, as well as how addicting that attention becomes.

Two friends from either side of the tracks bond together with their love for music. Then they go viral and the story follows their story.

The past and present timeless are very seamless. It is easy to follow what lead up to the accident then the unfounding of it all.

The build up is suspenseful then that *twist*. Wowza.

This thriller begins with a tragic car crash and then through backstory, centers around the passengers in the car: the rock group The Bittersweet. While there are six members of the band, the story mainly focuses on its two founders, Vienna and her best friend Madison

The story is mainly told through Vienna's POV, but also through blog posts, news articles, radio transcripts, and social media comments.

I really liked the focus on friendship and peer pressure, and I thought the characters were well-developed. There were an enormous number of shocking twists and turns throughout, so this is definitely a page-turned.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

This is possibly my new favourite from Hannah Mary McKinnon! What a totally bingeable, wild ride! If you're into thrillers, you need this one in your life. Such a page turner from start to finish!

It had everything I want in a thriller. It featured female friendships and an all female music group. The desire to be rich and famous and dreams of a better life. There was a past and present timeline in which all the pieces slowly fell into place. It had characters behaving badly. The story was full of secrets and lies, and I loved the twists - some I predicted, others I did not.

I won't give away any spoilers, just know that this is definitely one to read! Five stars from me for a highly entertaining story.

When the young women of an all girls rock band experience a tragic and fatal accident, the reader is thrown into a world full of friendship, secrets, jealousy and trauma.

I loved the alternating timelines and short chapters - they really kept the story moving! Hannah Mary McKinnon writes stories at the perfect pace to keep you enthralled with the mystery without feeling overwhelmed or bored. The snowy and isolated setting makes this a perfect sooky season read!

Not the most complex plot but that makes for a nice and easy read. I will say I started to catch onto the ending but watching it unfold was fun.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more from the author!