Lucia finds herself dragged to Nantucket this summer so her mom can visit her new boyfriend. Lucia is already trying to recover from trauma, but things become worse when she stumbles across a dead body on the beach.

I love YA thrillers and so was excited for this one. However, it didn't really live up to its synopsis. Part of the problem is that the intrigue doesn't really start until halfway through. We don't even get the body until over 20% in, and it is a lot of set-up before that. Even after the body discovery, it still takes a while to get going. My other problem is that it didn't seem to know what genre it ultimately wanted to be in (there are some supernatural elements toward the end without spoiling anything). I wish if it was going that route that it had committed from the start. That would have been more interesting I think than surprise - supernatural!

Lucia is dragged away from home for the summer so her mom can vacation with her new rich boyfriend in Nantucket. But this could be a good thing for Lucia, to help her get over the death of her best friend. Only…one morning Lucia comes across a dead body on the beach which sends her spiraling. More weird things start happening on the coast, which leads to all kinds of questions, a lot of which stem around four mysterious girls.
This book was more like a realistic fiction than a mystery for me. So much of what Lucia is going through takes the focus of the book, even though there is a bit of a mystery with the dead body. A few details I felt were left unresolved, and there could have been more discussions about the future between Lucia and her mom. I still enjoyed it, but just at a 3 star level.

It took me a while to get into this book and what was happening, and it felt a bit like it dragged on, but as the book continued, it picked up a bit and was easier to get through. Overall, I enjoyed the story, and it was immersive, which is always a plus in my book.

This is a YA murder mystery set in Nantucket. Lutia goes for the summer with her mom to visit her mother's boyfriend, upon arriving she enters a world of wealth that she not only isn't used to but wasn't prepared for. With this unexpected world comes the cute college aged son of her mom's boyfriend and his snobby friends. During her stay in Nantucket Lutia meets three mysterious girls who are free spirited, and fun. She also managed to find a dead body of a young red head washed up on shore. Soon Lutia is scribbling notes on the back on smoothie receipt paper and enlisting the three mysterious girls to solve the murder of the young girl that washed up on shore. Is the murderer just on the island, or are they perhaps in her house?

3.5

I first had this as a blog tour post and made a 15 Reactions post. I’ll be reusing some of that in here, just to make it easier and also it’s there. I liked this book but there was just always something holding me back that made me not rate it higher. For one the book didn’t lean a lot into the classic YA Mystery/Thriller genre where the main character/s decides to solve the mystery themselves. It did but stopped just when I thought Courage could’ve taken it further and then picked up again late into the book. Throughout the book I kept feeling at various times it would really go for it, faster pace, go for the throat. And just when I thought it would happen it floated away.

Another thing I had a big issue with was there was a subtle fantasy element to it. Things happened, the main female character thought she saw something, and I would get excited because I thought it meant surprise fantasy element! Just what I thought this book needed to elevate it and me to rate it higher. But that element never came true and yes, fantasy wasn’t one of the genres listed but every time it happened it felt like it should be (a fantasy book). I suppose maybe that was kudos to the author for making me believe. It still left me annoyed.

I had trouble connecting most of the time to most of the characters. I understood why Lucia was the way she was – didn’t help much. I wanted her to dig deeper into the investigation and she didn’t. Her mom was a difficult character for me in that she seemed to be thinking mostly about herself and half forcing her daughter to do what she and the boyfriend wanted to do. The boyfriend and his son weren’t the best characters either – I think I liked the boyfriend less than the mom. But at the same time, maybe what I felt (their staleness) were through the eyes of Lucia and how she perceived them – I think then if they’re “boring” to me it’s fine.

The pacing was inconsistent and that added to my rating it lower. It went from slow to medium and then all of a sudden fast at the end – it confused me. With a mystery pacing is even more important as you need to progress through each section of the plot at the right time. So for the mystery to only start after 20% – it doesn’t work for me. There’s also 3 girls that are a large part of the plot and just when I think I understand them/their place something about them, their personalities fell. If you’re wondering why I just mentioned them at the end of the review, it’s because I felt like even though the author tried, they didn’t add much to the plot. I could see where they could’ve, but I think Courage just didn’t work with the whole thing properly.

The whole plot and mystery didn’t seem all fleshed out to me. I understood everything but it kept feeling like something was missing – just like all the other aspects about this book. But at the same time I did enjoy it! Reading’s weird like that!

At first, I wasn't sure about this one. It was quite a slow burn, but once things picked up I was hooked and holding on for dear life. A real feminine powerhouse with some unexpected twists. The setting was beautiful and the descriptions were so well written I felt like I was there. Perfect summer thriller.

Slow burn but worth it. The setting was really vivid and I liked how the tension built quietly. Not a ton of action, but it kept me thinking.

This is the perfect summer beach read! I loved the atmospheric setting of Nantucket and the feeling of escape it inspired. I also enjoyed the intricate plot filled with dark secrets, and trying to solve the murder alongside the main character. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to immerse themself in a thrilling mystery!

Lucia has been struggling, and her mom thinks that time away on Nantucket--with her mom's new boyfriend--is just what Lucia needs to cheer her up. That illusion is shattered when Lucia finds a dead girl on the beach.

No one claims to know anything about the dead girl at first, and people in Nantucket are strangely insistent on how safe their island is. In fact, they seem to care more about protecting the reputation than solving the murder.

Lucia tries to move past it by obsessively checking to see if there's more information about the girl and by falling in with a mysteriously bewitching trio of girls. Her new friends seem dangerous and strangely otherworldly. In a town were money and power matter more than truth, will this crime be solved or will the murderer go free?

This is the type of read I would have enjoyed as a teen. The murder mystery, the beach, and the theme of what lurks beneath glamours facades all fascinated me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC!

Nothing Bad Happens Here by Rachel Ekstrom Courage is a gripping small-town thriller with a chilling undercurrent. When a glamorous New Yorker returns to her hometown and a murder follows, secrets unravel fast. Twisty, atmospheric, and emotionally layered—this debut delivers suspense with a side of heart. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects.

This had that suspenseful atmosphere that I was looking for and enjoyed in this type of book. I thought the use of Nantucket was a great setting and was invested in what was happening there. The characters were everything that I was looking for and wanted in this type of story. It had that mystery element that I was hoping for and had me guessing from start to finish. Rachel Ekstrom Courage wrote this well and left me wanting to read more from them.

I'm going to say it, Lucia has been dealt a pretty terrible hand from the jump. She's lost her best friend, and in her grief pretty much everyone else. Her mom has done everything she can to help. She's looking forward to being alone and only leaving her house to work at the bookstore. It's not exciting, but it's habit which has its own healing properties.

Then her mom meets Todd and the next thing she knows, Lucia is tagging along with her mom to spend the summer with the new boyfriend and his son on Nantucket Island. Things are looking surprisingly bright until during a morning beach picnic to celebrate her first day of a job with her mom and Todd, Lucia stumbles across the body of a girl washed up on the beach. Nothing bad ever happens there though.

It would have been very easy for Lucia's character to become parody, but she's well written as a grieving girl who is slowly trying to find a new normal only to be hit with a traumatic event right out of the gate. Having grown up in a small community where "nothing bad happens", the events that happen are pretty believable.

If you're looking for a fairly straightforward thriller that has a loveable and believable main character, you can find it here. 4 stars.

Thank you to @rachelekstromcourage and @tbrbeyondtours for providing me with a copy of this book for the purposes of review. My opinions are, as always, honest and my own.

Want to see some more? Check out all the other tour stops here: https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/

What a great read I flew through this book and yes it is YA thriller and I’m here to tell you it has a dash of magical realism that adds a unique twist to the story, When Lucia ends up on the sandy shores of New England for a family Vacation which really it’s more like her mom hanging out with her new boyfriend. The vacation turns dark when she literally stumbles into trouble and it’s the dead kind. Lucia is already trying to come to terms with her own grief and now she finds herself thrown into a tourist town full of smug locals, townies, secrets and a dead body. She’s really out of her league but that doesn’t stop her from diving head first in trying to solve the mystery. So yep this book has a perfect mix of suspense, intrigue, and just the right amount of magical realism to keep you hooked. So if you want a well rounded diet of suspense and intrigue then this one should be on your TBR.

I liked the premise of the book and at the beginning I was hooked. I loved the descriptions of Nantucket which made me believe that I was actually there. But as for the Characters I was not keen on Lucia and her actions. The only saving grace was Selah and her friends who would of been better main characters as there were clearly more 3D. I also found the ending a bit lacking an really was dying to know what happened to Selah and girls.

For all the above reasons Nothing Bad Happens Here 3 stars

Nothing Bad Happens Here is a moody, atmospheric YA thriller that pulls you into the dark side of a seemingly perfect summer escape. Lucia, the main character, is thrown into an unfamiliar world full of wealth, secrets, and suspicion—and the way the author introduces her, her mother, and her mom’s too-charming boyfriend sets the tone immediately. Nothing feels quite right, and that tension keeps you turning pages.

One of the strongest parts of the book is the setting—Nantucket isn’t just a backdrop; it adds to the sense of something simmering under the surface. The cast of characters, especially Selah and her pack of wild besties, bring a chaotic energy that’s hard to look away from. It’s giving Big Little Lies meets We Were Liars in all the best ways.

The mystery itself unfolds at a good pace, and while the twist at the end was a little predictable, it was still satisfying. If you enjoy a thriller with emotional depth, a strong sense of place, and characters who aren’t what they seem, this book is definitely worth adding to your TBR. A fun, fast read with an eerie edge!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)

"𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅. 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂."

Special thanks to @tbrbeyondtours @delacortepress @rachelekstromcourage for the #gifted physical and eARC copy of this book.

What a great ya mystery/thriller based in New England over summer. This brings so much to the table it's definitely worth the read!

𝙎𝙔𝙉𝙊𝙋𝙎𝙄𝙎
A carefree New England vacation is just what sixteen-year-old Lucia needs to chase her sadness away. At least, according to her mom, who whisks them away for the summer with her ridiculously wealthy new boyfriend. Nothing bad happens in Nantucket, a charming island with cobblestone streets and million-dollar cottages.

But when Lucia stumbles upon the body of a teenage girl on a beach, the discovery reopens old wounds from her past. With the dead girl's identity a mystery, Lucia takes it upon herself to investigate and crosses paths with Selah and her pack of devil-may-care besties. The three girls are beautiful, chaotic, and a little wild—and they help Lucia forget her crushing sense of grief and loneliness. But as Lucia becomes a part of their shimmering world, she begins to suspect that there are dark secrets hidden in this quiet enclave, and that uncovering them may be the key to solving the dead girl’s murder. Not everything on this island is what it seems…

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
March 18, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻 ❓️⁉️❓️ Have you ever vacationed or been to New England?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #booktour #tbrtours #delacortepress #rachelekstromcourage
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Actual Rating: 3.5/5

Follow sixteen-year-old Lucia as she is forced to spend her summer in picture-perfect Nantucket, where, according to literally everyone, nothing bad ever happens. But when Lucia stumbles upon the body of a teenage girl on the beach, old trauma reopens. When the girl's body continues to be unidentified, and the police and news doing nothing about it, Lucia decides to take matters into her own hands. Doing so, she crosses paths with Selah and her two besties, and gets swept up in their shimmering, care-free world.

Soon she beings to suspect that there are secrets hidden in this quite town, ones that will be key in finding out who killed the girl on the beach. Nothing on Nantucket is as it seems...

I was hooked from the moment I read the description for Nothing Bad Happens Here! It had a great premise, though I wish I loved it more. But, let's start with the positives, shall we?

Although it took some time for the investigation to get going, the world-building was awesome! Even though there wasn't anything murder related going on, Lucia's life was still interesting. Small towns already have this set dynamic to them, and it's cool seeing how the main character fits into it. For example, Lucia was so vastly different from the other teens on the island that I'm genuinely surprised she made friends with Selah and the other two. Generally though, I love reading books where set in small towns; it's so different from my life which is why I think I find it as intriguing as it was.

As well, the ending was CRAZY! Although I was not surprised at the final twist, I didn't actually expect Rachel Ekstrom Courage to end it like that. I only wish that there was an epilogue so I could see what happened after, even if it was a news report or interview or something else that I will not say because of spoilers.

Now going on to the things that annoyed me, specifically Lucia.

I think Lucia was my main issue with the book. I fully understand that she has trauma from her past, but she was so annoying and flip-floppy. Her moral compass was so inconsistent, and even for her age she was so irrational. Seriously though: who consistently hangs out with girls that she knows nothing about save for their names?!

Also, um... the supernatural aspect??? I swear you either have a book that has supernatural elements in it entirely, or you don't. You can't just plop it in one chapter more than halfway through and not really explain more. My reaction to reading that chapter is very accurately describe using this emoji: 🤦‍♀️

As I mentioned previously, the murder investigation does not really take the reigns that much. The first half especially is focused more on Lucia's character development and how she is adapting to her new life. It is not until the final quarter that it starts to get much more action packed and full of twists (even if they were not that shocking).

Overall, the plot of Never Thought I'd End Up Here was intriguing and the world-building was great, but the main character thoroughly annoyed me. I would not really put this on the same level as my favourite murder mystery books pacing and focus wise, but it was still a good murder mystery book (albeit one that is less investigation and more character).

Many thanks to Delacorte Press and the folks at TBR & Beyond Tours for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The further I got in this book... The more I realized I had massively underestimated this book!

Wow, it was WOW!!!

The plot was wild and the pace did this beautiful thing where is took a gentle plod then BOOM! You are getting smacked in the face! It was a ride and a half. Once I hit the middle of the book I was so glued I read until my eyes hurt so bad and I still had to finish it.

The writing blew me away! It was so dang good!!

4.5 stars!! WOW!!

I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did. Some plot twists were predictable, but others were not, and the main character's growth towards the end was great. I liked the mystery parts but the creative twist, too. It was entertaining and makes a great beach/summer reading.
A teen who has lost a friend is about to find another dead body at the beach where they are spending the summer, this time, she will take things into her own hands to find the culprit.

"Nothing Bad Happens Here" is the YA debut from Rachel Ekstrom Courage. I enjoyed the book overall. It was a quick, fast-paced read and will make a great beach read for teens and young adults this summer. It is described as a thriller, but as someone who primarily reads adult thrillers, I don't think that's accurate. There was a mystery to solve, but the book wasn't an action-packed page-turner. With that being said, it was still an enjoyable read. I liked the Nantucket setting and the "rich people behaving badly" trope. It was giving me "The O.C." vibes, which was fun, and the murder mystery was compelling. I did not like the ending, but I don't want to say too much. While this one wasn't a perfect fit for me, I am very excited to read the author's upcoming adult mystery.

Thank you to TBR & Beyond and the publisher for the gifted eARC.