Couldn’t put it down! Great read, engaging story that keeps you hooked every chapter. Can’t wait for more from this author.

3.5 stars. It was overall a good story. I liked that it took place in the 1980’s. He book kept me entertained and guessing who the bad guy was but it ended up being predictable at the end which was disappointing.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book.
In this story we’re following Kit, a newlywed that has just relocated to work with her husband at a water park in a somewhat remote small mountain town. When one of the water parks teenage employees goes missing, everything Kit thought she knew about the place she works completely changes.
I really like Faith Gardner’s style of writing, quick, easy to follow, with smart storylines, and this new book is no different. I read this in 2 sittings, I was infested and needed to know what happened.

A book about a dangerous waterpark and a missing girl had me intrigued from the very first time I heard this about Breakneck Bay. (Also this cover!!) The story was fast paced and literally never let up.

For me, the plot was lacking a little bit of the depth I was hoping for. I figured out who did it very early on and was really hoping I was wrong because it felt so obvious to me. I had hoped the waterpark would play a bigger factor in the story that it did. Besides the office/admin building and the Ouch Shack, it felt like the story rarely ever took place at Breakneck Bay.

I did enjoy the occasional POV from Hawk. I thought that added a lot to the story and it was definitely one of my favorite parts. Faith Gardner's writing was enjoyable and I know I'll continue to pick up whatever she writes.

All in all, I found this one to be okay, but lacking some of the depth and twists I had expected. I think going into this expecting more of a popcorn thriller will make it more enjoyable!

Thank you to Mirror House Press, Faith Gardner and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was pretty wild and I was definitely entertained. This author never misses. Insane from start to finish. Easy to get through. And what’s not to love about a book featuring an amusement park and a serial killer?

Make sure to add this to your list! Coming July of 2025! Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC

When I saw that Breakneck Bay was set at a waterpark, I was instantly intrigued. It's such a fresh, underused setting for a thriller.. Add in a serial killer and late 70s/ early 80s nostalgia vibes? This is a perfect book for starting Summerween off!

I loved the different time lines shifting from “Hawk” and Kits POVs.
This was fast paced and I actually liked that it didn’t have so many twist and turns like other thrillers normally do to throw you in loops, sometimes that’s when the story can get lost sometimes.
Another thing I loved was the flyers, police reports and the news articles that were included throughout the chapters

This is a great pick if you're looking for something a little different in your thriller rotation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book is set to publish July 24 2025 and is the perfect summer thriller.

The setting of the water park is genius. It brought back strong memories and I felt nostalgic. The ending didn't quite hit and it felt a little bland but the rest of the book was exciting.

This book's title, synopsis, and cover were all intriguing, but the ending didn't land quite right for me and could have been stronger. The water park setting added nostalgia for me, reminding me of past summers and many trips there with friends. I recommend this book to youth who love light fiction and mysteries. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

#Breakneck Bay

From the start, this book throws you into a fun, summery mystery with a unique water park setting that really stands out. It’s fast-paced and easy to get into. The only downside? A major clue is revealed too soon, which made the second half feel a bit too predictable. Still, it’s a solid, entertaining read with a cool atmosphere.

Kit Blue has moved herself from bright and rowdy Los Angeles to the quaint town of Hill Valley to be with her new husband, Mitch. Both of them work for Breakneck Bay Waterpark, Mitch as the manager and Kit working inside of the "Ouch Shack" where park goers head when they need medical assistance. Though Kit is very underqualified for the position, it makes her happy to spend a lot of her day working beside her husband, though she rarely sees him during work hours and truthfully, rarely sees home once they're home as well. When one of their seasonal park employees goes missing, Kit later learning that this young teenage girl and her husband had been seen together alone, her thoughts go haywire. Worse yet, her husband's office is vandalized with what looks like blood and teeth. Determined to get to the bottom of it, Kit begins asking questions about this young girl, but the park owner and Mitch's best friend Creighton Marrs is also determined to keep law enforcement off his back and out of his park. When Mitch is attacked in their home, shot and left for dead, Kit knows that she needs to find the answers to what happened to her husband. Was it her low-life brother, come all the way from Los Angeles to create problems in her married life? Or was it Gloria, the young teenage girl who has apparently vanished into thin air. The truth is startling, leaving Kit questioning everything she knows not only about herself, but about the man she married less than a year ago.

What a whirlwind of a novel. I personally interacted with Faith Gardner on TikTok after a preview of this very novel showed up on my "For You Page". Of course I commented that I was in the middle of reading her story, and she so graciously responded. Bonus points for an author who personally interacts with fans of her novels, and truthfully, a fan I am now! This was my first novel by this author, and I have just added another of hers to my Kindle to read at a later time because I enjoyed Breakneck Bay so much. Growing up not far from several water and amusement parks and only a short drive away from the Waterpark Capitol of America (Wisconsin Dells), this book hit home! It had everything I look for in novels, including a strong FMC, an intense storyline and true crime! You can't go wrong, and Faith Gardner definitely hit this one of out of the water(park!). Definitely add this one to your TBRs ladies and gents, you will not be disappointed!

Thank you to Netgalley, Faith Gardner and Xpresso Book Tours for an ARC of Breakneck Bay. The opinions above are my own.

This book transports you to a vibrant summer world from the very first page! The setting in a water park adds a fresh and intriguing touch to the suspense, making it super entertaining. The story is easy to follow, allowing you to dive into the plot effortlessly.

However, despite its fast pace, the story loses a bit of excitement when a key clue about the suspect is revealed rather obviously halfway through the book. This makes the second half feel a bit predictable, and I would have liked to see more twists and turns.

Despite that, the book remains a fun read thanks to its setting and the central mystery. I give it 4 out of 5 stars for holding my attention and creating such a captivating summer suspense atmosphere.

The mystery had me hooked from the start to finish. The pace of the book is quite fast and comes to satisfying conclusions on most chapters.

I personally feel the ending could have been more suspenseful but overall still enjoyed the book

I really enjoyed this serial killer/amusement thriller. So addicting and fast paced, I didn't know what to expect and couldn't put it down. I was fully invested in what would happen. While I'm a little disappointed in the decisions Kit made in the end, I can also give her a pass. I had too much fun with the story to let it take away a star. Highly recommend and I look forward to reading more of the author's books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an arc copy, all opinions are my own.

Really fast paced , good book! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review!!!

This was such a fun, fast-paced read. I loved the idea behind the story and flew through it in just a couple sittings. It’s definitely a popcorn thriller, the kind you can devour in one go without overthinking it.

While the concept really pulled me in, I did feel like something was missing. I wanted just a bit more depth or shock to really make it stand out. That said, the suspense kept me turning the pages and I was hooked enough to keep guessing until the end.

If you’re in the mood for a quick, bingeable thriller with a solid premise, this one is worth picking up.

Breakneck Bay was dark, unsettling and violent in all the right ways. I would go so far as to call this the perfect summer thriller, and the 70's/80's throwback just enhances the vintage dark serial killer ambience. Curl up on the beach, pool deck or in your air conditioned bedroom and read this for a great thrill.

An excellent thriller with dark and disturbing components, this one is definitely addictive and fast paced so prepare to read in one sitting 😆

I loved the setting of this one! A throw back into the 1980s where serial killers are at their prime and the public are in a panic. Enter the creepy location surrounding missing / dead persons, a water park! I love that.. I love murder mystery set at theme parks and a water park just seems to up the anti that extra notch, something about the water component just makes it extra creepy and threatening 🤷🏼‍♀️😂

I definitely enjoyed the read and would recommend :)

Thank you to Faith Gardner and Mirror House Press for the gifted copy!

Publishes - July 24th

Summerween is here and this book has kicked it off for me in the creepiest, most psychologically thrilling of ways. This was actually my first book by Faith Gardner, but it absolutely will not be my last.

Newly married, Kit moves to the “boonies” with her husband to work at the Breakneck Bay water park. When a girl goes missing and her husband’s office is vandalized with blood, Kit starts to wonder just how much she knows her husband.

This had everything I could ask for in a thriller. An 80’s, nostalgic setting. A theme park. Serial killers. Betrayal. Multiple Timelines.

Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley & Faith Gardner for an ARC of this book! ✨

Breakneck Bay, or as locals call it ‘Break-your-neck Bay, is a wild & dangerous waterpark. Years ago, a teenage employee died on the property…. and now another teen employee disappears without a trace. Since all the other employees are staying tight-lipped, Kit takes it upon herself to investigate Gloria’s disappearance.

This is not super fast-paced with a plot twist that comes out of nowhere—this is more like a consistent, well-paced, interesting thriller with breadcrumbs along the way to help you & the main character, Kit, see the whole picture.

I love the flyers, police reports, & news articles that are included in the book! Elements like that make the story more lively & fun to read.

I enjoyed this book and I actually would love to read more books by this author.

I feel like this book was nothing new. In fact, I had read a similar book a few weeks before reading this one. I felt that this book was quite convoluted and just dragged without needing to. It just wasn’t for me.