What you see on the surface is not always the whole story.

What is not to like about this book? Set in the Bahamas, we meet cruisers and social media influencers Dani and Sawyer. They cruise around the world and post about it online. Hard life right? But then Dani goes missing after a night of drinking and partying and Sawyer is the prime suspect. He woke up with the hangover from hell and no memory of the night before. Gotta be him right??

While I did guess most of the twists in this story it was still a very enjoyable read. Full of unlikeable characters except for the police, it was certainly a page turner.

Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on July 9th.

Perfect for summer reading, this is the story of a girl who goes missing and who is the blame? The boyfriend of course! The couple lives on a boat and sails from place to place. I love this setting because it’s unique and fits the story perfectly. The story shows how far people will go for fame and money. It had me questioning people’s motives at every turn. An excellent story and I can’t wait to read more by this author!

This book was okay for me. There were things about it that I liked, and things about it that I didn’t like.

I think this book had a very important theme, that exploitation on social media is so dangerous and unfortunately, common. People will stop at nothing for likes, followers, and monetization. At one point a character in the book said something along the lines of perception is what matters, not reality. And in the age of social media, that’s become the truth.

However, this book is VERY similar to Gone Girl(I have only seen the film adaptation, I have not read the book!). I found it to be very predictable. And not one character was likable besides MAYBE a couple of the insignificant side characters. It’s hard to like a book when every single relevant character is horrible.

Overall, I was somewhat disappointed by this book. I was pretty excited about it and I just expected more, I think.

Book Tour Feature coming to Instagram on 6/13!

I appreciate Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse for including me in the tour for this book, and thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane for the gifted advance copy!

What does the generation who grew up with their phones as their right hand do for money? This novel is a twisty read about influencers, living more of a free life and what someone will do for the green greed. Dani and Sawyer appear to be living the life down in the Bahamas on a sailboat. No schedule, no work and nothing but beauty around, right? Appearances are deceiving and Dani has done just that with her followers. So when she goes missing and Sawyer becomes suspect number one, the Internet goes wild becoming super sleuths in finding out the truth about what happened to Dani and what Sawyer did with her body. Another death from Sawyer's past resurfaces and that death is now being called into question as well. Dani's uncle being one of the only people to really know Dani and the person she really is has a pretty good feeling that Sawyer didn't do anything but these videos that were preschedule to post, are showing otherwise. With each video the case continues to blow up on the internet and the investigators know they have a mess of a case on their hands with all of the infiltration from the sleuths running their own investigations and they know all eyes are on them as this is a blonde American beauty that has gone missing. What happened to Dani and who will benefit the most? Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse is excited for this summer beach read!

Fans of ‘Gone Girl’ will absolutely LOVE this book! I read this in less than 12 hours, I couldn’t put it down! I was completely invested in Sawyer and Dani’s story - who’s lying and who’s telling the truth? What happened to Dani and is Sawyer responsible for her disappearance? This gave me all the vibes of the Gabe & Tina Watson case (if you’re familiar). This was an amazing read and I highly recommend any thriller lover read this!

On the Surface is fun and thrilling book with a slow burn mystery that takes place in the Bahamas. A couple sailing the world and uploading YouTube videos as they go - hoping to gain followers and money along the way. When Dani goes missing after a night of partying with her boyfriend, Sawyer, fingers quickly point to him as the culprit. The book changes viewpoints and everyone is hiding something.

This book kept my attention and it did keep me guessing. The ending was kind of abrupt, I was hoping to see justice for what happened and see some closure with characters. BUT I did enjoy the open ended interpretation.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!

This was a fun book! Influencer and unlikeable characters are a great combination. This is one of those books that is hard to stop reading once you get into it. I enjoyed it and would recommend to others. Definitely an entertaining book.

Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

I always find it fascinating when I see a thriller that involves influencers. Pair that with this beautiful cover and I knew I had to read!
We all are loving this one over at @thrillerbookloversthepulse !!
I was absolutely hooked from the beginning and it kept me engaged throughout.
Dani and Sawyer are cruises and docked in the Bahamas. Dani runs their YouTube channel that documents their life as cruisers. Sawyer isn’t a fan of it but he puts up with it for Dani. After a party that Sawyer wakes up from hungover, he realizes Dani is missing and he remembers nothing. Which leaves him as the prime suspect.
Definitely a fun read with very unlikeable characters. Thriller fans will want to pick this one up!

Right off the bat the first thing that sucked me into this book was the gorgeous cover! What better way to get in the mood for summer than with the Caribbean Sea and a boat? Thats the life! But I don’t want Dani or Sawyer’s life. Talk about two peas in a pod. These two were a match made in hell. The level of manipulation in this book was quite impressive! I read On the Surface in just two days because I enjoyed it so much!

Sawyer and Dani are living a life many people dream about. They have a sailboat and a YouTube channel where Dani highlights the ups and downs of life living on a boat. It’s definitely not all sunshine and fresh fish. The living quarters are tight and money for needed repairs is limited.
Then the unthinkable happens. Dani is gone and some unflattering information rises to the surface about Sawyer. He is no stranger to loss, and the Internet true crime aficionados are split between believing in his guilt or his innocence. Several of Dani’s preplanned posts just add fuel to the fire. A fire that just might consume Sawyer. Guilty or innocent, you’ll have to decide.
Too very unlikable characters and a whirlwind of questions surround both of them. Told from both of their perspectives, the author provided more details as the story progressed. I thought that I had this book figured out, then Bam, one twist after another were revealed. Oh, and that ending. Wow. Just wow.

On the Surface follows the mysterious disappearance of a young YouTuber, and the boyfriend and friends left behind to search for her. Looks can be deceiving in this psychological thriller set in the beautiful Caribbean. Sinister motives exist amongst the breathtaking views and hot people.

Dani is a self centered wannabe YouTube star. She goes missing at sea. Her boyfriend, Sawyer, is the main suspect. There aren’t any likable characters in this book but I did love the sea vibes. There is a lot of boat talk. Thank goodness for the Kindle dictionary feature. I loved the fast paced story and I loved the investigation chapters (Knowles). Good read! 🛥️🛟⚓️

Dani and Sawyer spend their time sailing around the world and sharing their cruising lifestyle on their YouTube channel. They appear to be living their best lives until Dani goes missing after a party. What could have happened to Dani? Is Sawyer responsible for Dani’s disappearance?

On the Surface is the collision of the dangers of the cruising lifestyle, influencer culture, the impact of the media, and Internet detectives. It’s a fun beach read with its idyllic setting, morally grey characters, and enough secrets and deception to make it entertaining.

Wow! This book was much better than I anticipated. We all know we only see what’s “on the surface” with most people. And 90% of the time, that’s a fairly accurate representation of one’s character. But, as the cruisers soon find out, there’s much more lurking below the surface with some people. Dani Fox goes missing and of course her boyfriend is suspect numero uno. Lots of craziness ensues post-disappearance so buckle up and enjoy the wild ride!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book. I really enjoyed this one and its big element of suspense. So many untrustworthy characters i didn't know who i could trust. The book kept me hooked with wanting to know what was going to happen next. A great thriller.

I am an absolute sucker for any thrillers set on a boat/island and was immediately intrigued by this. This is a really good summer thriller if you want something really intriguing & fast paced.

There is a steady drip of reveals throughout the story and really examines social media influencer culture. I will say that the plot was wildly predictable and the author very much spoon-fed the plot to us. The ending was incredibly disappointing but it’s no secret that I am not a fan of open-endings, I find them very lazy and frustrating but that is definitely personal preference!

Overall I enjoyed the story & would recommend to someone who wants a fast, intriguing summer read!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I really wanted to like this book but it wasn't for me. I couldn't relate in any way.

This is the perfect summer thriller. Fast-paced with untrustworthy characters, this book will either make you want to go on a tropical vacation or avoid one completely. The ending was unexpected and a little abrupt, but it was satisfying all the same.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

The review will be published May 24/24 on my Instagram, @snacks.and.paperbacks. The review is already published to Goodreads.

This starts with a fascinating premise: the "cruiser" boats all meet together in a cove and party, sharing food and drinks--mostly alcohol--until the wee. hours of the morning. But this time something goes wrong and Dani is missing in the morning even though she usually goes for a swim in the early hours so no foul play is suspected until later. And since she has a YouTube show called "Sailing with the Foxes," some assume she's just being overly dramatic for the "likes" and followers she'll gain. But partner, Sawyer can't remember even getting back to their boat the night before so he's no help at all. Of course, nothing is as it seems and there's a satisfying moment at the end where it all comes together and you realize you didn't see THAT at all! Great snarky humor!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A pretty decent mystery/thriller in which the only likeable main character is the investigating cop. Not really my cup of tea in the end, as I prefer having a non-cop to root for, but it was refreshing to read a mystery/thriller in which the main characters were both aware that they were horrible people.