ONLY ONE SURVIVES is a murderous look at the trapping of seeking fame and becoming the next big thing in music. McKinnon continues delivering binge-able thrillers that keep you feverishly flipping the pages to discover what is going to happen.

The thing about a darkly entertaining psychological mystery is when done well, it pulls you into the web of secrets, lies, and duplicitous acts right along with the characters. And this book dragged me into the blizzard toward the investigation of the deaths of these young bandmates. Also, the author used the past and the present to enrich the backstory while still misdirecting the reader in ways that only become clear as the plot unravels. Vienna and Maddison will vie for the reader’s sympathy and attention, but who will come out on top? I am not going to tell you. This you have read for yourself. Trust me, it is worth it.

ONLY ONE SURVIVES is a one-sitting (maybe two if you get interrupted like I did) read that pushes the limits of how far people will go to reach a goal. There are twists, turns, misdirections, unreliable characters, and oh yeah, murder. Honestly, McKinnon keeps getting better. I cannot wait to read what dark plot she gifts us next.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, HTP Books, and Mira Books for the advanced reading copy.

This. Was. Amazing. Beyond a thrilling ride. How such a novel came from the nicest author I've ever had the chance of meeting, I have no idea. But I am astonished and bewildered at the suspense, darkness, and complete 180 this book took. I mean the twists and turns were just phenomenal. I truly enjoyed getting to know EmVee and then later on The Bittersweet. Starting before "the accident" and ending with roughly 2-3 months "after the accident." The story is told from Vienna's point of view with snippets of interviews and articles detailing the story in such a wholesome way. The vibe of the story reminds me of Daisy Jones and the Six (with murder) and Yellowjackets (although if you've seen the show this book definitely isn't as gory I promise).

Overall, this book had me hooked from page one until the very end. It's one that I'll be recommending till the end of time.

What a wild, totally fun and twisted thriller!

What won't some do for fame? The Bittersweet all-girl pop rock band is on the cusp of finding out. Drummer Vienna Taylor and her best friend, guitarist and vocalist, Madison Pierce, are just about to realize their dream after the release of their first single. On the way to a meet and greet party in the Catskills in a blizzard, their SUV crashes. One of the band members is dead and others are injured as they make their way to an abandoned house. Not all of the women will survive, and Vienna sees her hopes and plans fall apart.

This was so fast paced and absorbing as the hits just kept on coming that I could not put it down and read it all today. I had no idea, nor did I anticipate or expect the sudden detour the story took and after that it was a mad dash to the ending. There were quite a few characters, but the author gave the main ones great attention and they came alive on the pages as individuals. Both Vienna and Madison were believable and equally surprising. As the narrative passed the halfway mark, I just could not wait to see what happened next as everything is revealed. Go into this blind and you will enjoy it a lot more. Even if you're not a fan of 80s music and perhaps the artists and songs mentioned don't ring a bell, the story is still quite entertaining, and I enjoyed it.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Amy Hall, did a great job of speaking all the different characters but this definitely would have benefited from a larger cast because of the predominantly female voices. The listening always adds to the experience, and this was a well-done production.

Don't read too much about this before you dive in. Enjoy!

I love Hannah Mary McKinnon, the beginning started off strong, I was hooked. I felt like the middle dragged and there was just too much fluff. Too much about the band before that didn't really give me any important information about the characters. The twists just happened without any valid information. For me it wasn't my favorite by this author, I really wanted to love it more than I did.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for a gifted ARC copy.

I've been on such a thriller kick this summer and I was in love with the cover of Only One Survives when I saw it. I love the concept of a thriller that revolves around an all-girl band because I knew we'd have a cast of interesting characters. I found the dual timelines to be engaging as the story flipped back and forth between post-accident and senior year in high school.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book is how it tackled the issue of parasocial fans and social media. It's something I've noticed and thought about a lot in recent years. The way people act like they personally know celebrities and spend hours online speculating about their lives is so unsettling to me. I'm also always down for people behaving badly which this book has plenty of!

It's kind of difficult to talk about the book without spoiling anything, but as a big thriller fan, I was entertained! My only criticism is that it felt like some parts of the books were meandering in pace- like the scenes and conversations were maybe overexplained instead of trusting the reader to fill in gaps and keep up. Other than that though, I would recommend going into this one blind because it was quite a ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Vienna comes from a tough family situation and Madison comes from a wealthy family but her parents want to dictate all aspects of her life and she rebels. They accidently become best friends at school through their music. Vienna is a drummer and Madison is guitar and vocals. They are a great duo but realize they need a full band in order to get where they want to go and The Bittersweet is formed. Vienna writes their first song and it is really trending when they take a trip to the mountains with Libby who is going to do a documentary on them and their van goes through a guard rail and down the mountain. Isabel is killed instantly and Evelina and Libby are hurt pretty badly. In a snow storm, they search for shelter and help but as the time goes by they realize they might have to wait until after the snowstorm. One begins to turn against the others -- who will survive the night and why? Is there more fame in being a survivor of the hottest girl band around?

This one had my jaw dropping open a couple times! Lots of twists and turns and secrets!

Only One Survives initially captivated me as a compelling thriller, but I found that its grip weakened around the halfway mark. The story begins with an enthralling portrayal of an up-and-coming girl rock band that faces a harrowing accident. However, a significant plot twist is revealed rather abruptly at the midpoint, leading to a shift that I found to be a bit excessive. Furthermore, the evolution of the main character became grating, which detracted from my enjoyment of the book. While I would rate it three stars for its strong start, the latter half didn't resonate with me. If you have an interest in rock bands and enjoy unbelievable plotlines, this book may still appeal to you.

Only One Survives kept me on my toes the entire time. The dual timeline was expertly used to the show the tensions and challenges of Madison and Vienna's friendship. The story had layers and kept me asking questions. Fast-paced, exciting and interesting storyline and characters that kept me guessing. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

4.5 stars- This book was amazing and deserves to get more hype! There are so many twists and intense moments. It's very psychological and has a lot of unreliable characters. I really was shocked when the truth would get revealed, one by one.
I will say, some were a bit easier than others to predict or figure out. But I feel like most psychological thrillers have moments when this is the case. The final reveal I was not expecting to happen the way it did.

I will say, the first half of the book felt completely different than the 2nd half. The first half was more like fiction while we learn about the backstory of how the band, The Bittersweet, was formed. We also get flashbacks from the pov of Vienna, about her very traumatic upbringing and the formation of her friendship with Madison. After the accident, we find out how everyone was trying to survive.

But then the second half, the ugly nitty gritty thriller-y vibes kick in full force. I don't want to reveal anything that could be a spoiler!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin trade publishing for this E-ARC.

I don’t normally like books that make me feel dumb when I don’t see the twist coming but I’m am IN on this book.

I wholeheartedly love this book. Boy, did I not know what was happening. I don’t like guessing the book or really reading the back blurb of what’s gonna happen cause I don’t want to ruin the book. But I don’t think it would’ve mattered. This book was wild. I loved every second of it.

You follow Madison and Vienna from high school and on as their friendship and life expands. Their friendship and life is tumultuous, fun, sad, exciting, and going places. Unfortunately things happen and they get into a car crash in the Catskills in the winter. It’s downhill from there.

The twists in this books is insane. I loved it. What a wild ride.

If you want a book that perhaps has been done before but with a new twist, do yourself a favor and read this book. It’s the normal books of only one survivor but with a beautifully written story.

This book was frightening, intense and heart throbbing. The narration and witted twists and the well balanced pace will attract you to the very end! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

This was a story about the formation and end of a band that sounded like they would have played really uninspired songs. And before they even get the chance there is a car accident that kills all but one of them. Well, kind of. Actually, not. The one survivor is left to explain what happened to the rest of her bandmates, including the one that is missing. This book is so beyond ridiculous. I hope that was the point. What will people do to be famous? How much does the truth matter when you have the opinion of the uninformed masses of the internet acting like they are informed? There was a bit of a nod to the lunacy of hashtag fame and how fleeting it can be. And how it turns on a dime.

Well, it's certainly a little scary. Bratty teenage girls are dangerous!

"Only One Survives" is presented as a dual timeline: current events in the cabin and the past meeting of friends and the start of their band. There was more focus spent on the timeline in high school which slowed down the thriller part of the story, but is framed very well to keep the truth a surprise. It's a story of competition, jealousy, and manipulation. It also highlights the transient nature of fame, especially on social media.

The big reveal happens two-thirds in, so I felt the story lingered. It might be an entertaining read for someone interested in music stardom or social media celebrities.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

If you’ve read one of Hannah’s, then you know how fast they draw you in and refuse to let you go until the very end. This one was no different BUT, dare I say, I believe it was her BEST one yet?

Vienna has not had the best life, her mom hates her existence and her “stepdad” is a predator. Her only person is her grandma who sadly has dementia. But she meets Madison in school and they become fast friends and also a music duo. A drummer and guitarist and they’re actually very good. Life happens and they both end up in Brooklyn and form an actual band. And that is where the bad happens after a really terrible car accident. The choices and things that happen afterwards are jaw dropping and really make this story complete.

Think of Daisy Jones and the Six except add murder and suspense and you have a genius story. A story that is encapsulating and that will refuse to let you go. Honestly this was SOO good and probably my top 5 of the year! Five stars for a really thrilling reading adventure!

This very likely may end up being my favorite thriller I read this year! Every time I thought I knew something or became suspicious, I was surprised with a new twist I didn’t see coming. Highly recommend!

Holy moly what a toxic, bingeable thriller! The characters are nuts and psycho, and I couldn’t stop reading until I knew the truth.

So many things had Andrea and I texting back and forth going 😱 and using expletives 😂 - just some batsh!t crazy things happening in this one!

The beginning pulls you in with a mystery in the present timeline…what really happened the night of the Bittersweet’s car crash?!!! Although I felt the past spent a little too long developing, it showed us exactly what we needed to witness in the formation of Vienna and Madison’s dysfunctional relationship.

I wish I could say more, but I don’t want to give anything away! It’s got great twists along the way to keep you hooked. This is a must read if you’re looking for a wild ride!!

I honestly wish I hadn’t waited as long as I did to read this. I was hesitant when I first started. I put it down and now I wish I had kept with it because when it got good it kept getting better! There was so many twists in this book that kept my jaw dropping!

This book follows two high school best friends- Vienna who is a drummer and Madison- who plays guitar and sings. It is such an unlikely friendship. Things go from interesting to thrilling! You definitely will not regret picking this book up.

This is one of those books where the synopsis will have to do for a recap of the book so that I don't give up any of the juicy details.I don't want to spoil anything for the reader, so I won't get into any details.

What I will say about this title is that I really enjoyed this story of two high school friends whop start a band, only to expand upon that later in life. But with fame comes other emotions like envy and competition which cause a whole lot of bad stuff going on! The story is told in dual timelines of past and present and drops enough hints along the way to keep the reader guessing, which I really look for in a story like this one. I don't want obvious, I want twisty and unreliable in a mystery/suspense/thriller type of story and I got that with Only One Survives.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this tale of competing band mates. It kept me turning the pages and I loved the dark twists and turns of the plot which kept things fresh and interesting. An entertaining read.

This was really fun. A tour bus transporting a girll rock band crashed, in the middle of nowhere, in the winter, and all hell breaks loose. Who can you trust when people keep dying?

“𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤.”

Hannah Mary MacKinnon is a must-read author; I know I can count on her for unique main characters (Lucas from Never Coming Home has to be one of my all-time favourite villains) and rollercoaster plots. Her latest does not disappoint.

MacKinnon creates a completely enthralling twisted Behind the Music-type story of The Bittersweet, a up-and-coming female band that gets hit with tragedy. I thought the Bittersweet would be in the middle of their fame, especially with documentary filmmaker Libby following along, rather than being a fairly new band, which told me right away that this story would play with my expectations. The narration seamlessly weaves from the past with the formation of the band, to the day of the accident, and to the days post-accident, which have you wondering if everything is as it seems. You never know who to trust in a Hannah Mary MacKinnon story! The inclusion of blog posts, articles, and transcripts sprinkled throughout, allowed for well-placed social media commentary (I was reminded of the classic Team Jen vs. Team Angelina discourse of the 2000s with the #TeamVienna and #TeamMadison debates). Vienna and Madison are equally enthralling and maddening, as individuals and in their toxic friendship. There are some fantastic twists, and the ending had me holding my breath right to the last page.

Only One Survives is a story of music, female friendships, craving for fame, envy, and revenge. It is another well-executed addictive ride from Hannah Mary MacKinnon. Thank you to Mira and NetGalley for the ARC!