Happy Wednesday! It’s Hump Day and the perfect time to trot out a five star read. I’ve had a couple of clunkers lately, including a near DNF (in retrospect, I wish I’d followed through), so I’m happy to share a book I can recommend. Thanks to Kim of By Hook or by Book for bringing this one to my attention!
BOOK BLURB:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs comes Reckless Girls, a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.
When Lux McAllister and her boyfriend, Nico, are hired to sail two women to a remote island in the South Pacific, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. Stuck in a dead-end job in Hawaii, and longing to travel the world after a family tragedy, Lux is eager to climb on board The Susannah and set out on an adventure. She’s also quick to bond with their passengers, college best friends Brittany and Amma. The two women say they want to travel off the beaten path. But like Lux, they may have other reasons to be seeking an escape.
Shimmering on the horizon after days at sea, Meroe Island is every bit the paradise the foursome expects, despite a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. But what they don’t expect is to discover another boat already anchored off Meroe’s sandy beaches. The owners of the Azure Sky, Jake and Eliza, are a true golden couple: gorgeous, laidback, and if their sleek catamaran and well-stocked bar are any indication, rich. Now a party of six, the new friends settle in to experience life on an exotic island, and the serenity of being completely off the grid. Lux hasn’t felt like she truly belonged anywhere in years, yet here on Meroe, with these fellow free spirits, she finally has a sense of peace.
But with the arrival of a skeevy stranger sailing alone in pursuit of a darker kind of good time, the balance of the group is disrupted. Soon, cracks begin to emerge: it seems that Brittany and Amma haven’t been completely honest with Lux about their pasts––and perhaps not even with each other. And though Jake and Eliza seem like the perfect pair, the rocky history of their relationship begins to resurface, and their reasons for sailing to Meroe might not be as innocent as they first appeared.
When it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in on them. And when one person goes missing, and another turns up dead, Lux begins to wonder if any of them are going to make it off the island alive.
MY REVIEW:
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my ARC!
Lux and her boyfriend, Nico, are hired to charter Brittany and Amma, two college friends to Mereo, a deserted island for a two-week excursion. When the four arrive, they’re shocked to find a couple, Jake and Eliza, already there with a luxury catamaran.
Despite the oddity of finding others on the island, the two groups become friendly, enjoying parties on the beach, days of sunning, swimming, and exploring the surrounding jungle. Later, the arrival of another man causes cracks to form in the new and tenuous friendships. It’s obvious from the start there’s something “off” with Brittany and Amma, but as the story progresses it’s clear they’re not the only ones keeping secrets.
Timelines shift between past and present, slowly unraveling the backstories of Lux, Eliza, Brittany and Amma. The island becomes a character, at times beautiful and lush, others creepy and claustrophobic. A virtual Eden, it has a sinister past involving marooned soldiers and rumors of cannibalism. The author does an exceptional job with setting, making everything from the hot sun and warm salt water to cool jungle shadows come alive. It’s the chapters on the island that kept me the most enthralled.
I did waffle on how I felt about several of the characters due to their chameleon like personalities. And while I was able to ferret out part of the ending twist before the big reveal, I still enjoyed seeing myself proved right.
This is an entertaining read, quick and easy, perfect for beach or poolside. The ending is highly satisfying yet at the same time may leave you torn. It’s hard to say more without leading into spoiler territory, but the author definitely delivered a movie-worthy conclusion. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for review purposes.
RELEASE DATE IS JAN 4, 2022
Sounds good but I’ll have forgotten it by January!
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That’s kind of the way with books like this. A highly entertaining read, but like popcorn the substance doesn’t linger for long 😉
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😀 I said that wrong Mae, I meant I’d read it but it isn’t availabe until January and then I’ll have forgotten all about it and be on to something elde 🙂
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Ah, now I get it. Duh!
It still does fit the popcorn read though, Fraggle. Highly entertaining, but I’m not sure it will be lasting.
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Don’t worry Fraggle. I’ll keep reminding you!🤣
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LOL!
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It’s my mission in life to make Fraggle’s tbr as long as ours!😁
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OMG you’re stalking me!! 🤣
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“Every breath you take. Every move you make…I’ll be watching you!”😆
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I’ll put me clean knickers on then. 🤣
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Bwahaha!😂
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I’m chuffed about the stalking and building Fraggle’s TBR.
You hear that, Fraggle? Positively chuffed, LOL! 😉
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🤣😂🤣😂🤣
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I hear it! I’m chuffed you are chuffing. 🤣
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😀
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Mae. This sounds like a good one!
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It makes a fun beach read, Jill!
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Sounds like a great read 😊
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It’s great for passing a few hours by the pool, Jenny! 🙂
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Oh, I AM a fan of Ruth Ware. This sounds good. And isn’t “Lux” a cool character name? Good review, Mae!
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I do love the name Lux, and it fit the MC perfectly in this book, Priscilla. I’m a fan of Ruth Ware as well, and Lucy Foley. Probably why I enjoyed this story so much, LOL!
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This sounds like a great read. I immediately thought of the true story, “And The Sea Will Tell” by Vincent Bugliosi. It was also a made-for-TV movie starring James Brolin. Just grabbed my ARC of this one!
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Wow, I don’t remember the movie or the true story. I’m going to have to look them up. So glad you were able to grab an ARC, Joan. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
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Oooh. This sounds like a good one. Glad you got away from the duds.
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I was so due for a good read, Staci, and this one delivered!
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This does sound good. Thanks for the review.
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Thanks, Michele. It was an entertaining read!
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I’ve seen this one around and it totally had me at island setting. I’m very curious about that ending, now! Great review, Mae!
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Yeah, the ending will likely generate some discussion, LOL. I could so see this as a movie, Tessa. I’d be breaking out the popcorn! 🙂
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Thank you for your review of this one, Mae. It has grabbed me and I’m heading off to NetGalley to request it!
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Yay! Joan just grabbed it, too. I can’t wait to see your review, Jan! Fingers crossed you get approved!
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Yep. They immediately approved it!
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WOOHOO! 🙂
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The setting is intriguing, Mae, as is the fifth character and how he brings about the cracks in the perfect getaway. I’m glad you found a good one after a couple of duds. The ending has me intrigued. Thanks for the review!
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I so needed a good read after the clunkers, Diana 🙂
This was SO entertaining. The ending is was rather curious!
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You did a good job of not spoiling it. 😀
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🙂
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Well, you did it again. I pre-ordered it. I like Gothic suspense, and I loved Agatha Christie’s 10 Little Indians, so thought I’d give this a try.
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Woohoo! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Judi. And I’ll be curious about your take on the ending. It’s definitely not 10 Little Indians style but it is highly entertaining.
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Someone might have asked, “What could go wrong?” Sounds pretty interesting, Mae.
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LOL! I like you approach with that question, Jacqui! 😉
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You had me at “island.” Nothing like a personality changing island to get the heart pumping. Added this one to the TBR. Thanks, Mae!
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Yay! The island setting is fabulous, Sue. I wish you happy reading when this one surfaces!
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Glad you got a good one. Thanks for the lovely review.
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I was due for a good one, LOL.
Thanks, John!
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I know right?
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I can see Hollywood written on this one. Tropical beach, tension, swimsuits, a bit of creepy, sounds pretty good.
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Yep. It delivered on all those things you said, Craig. Definitely one with movie potential!
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I’m so happy you enjoyed this as much as I did Mae!😁
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LOVED it! I was so glad to get approved by Net Galley.
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A perfect setting, some secrets and backstories… Wow! your review is good enough to arouse interest Mae. I am intrigued! Thanks for sharing a fab review.
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So glad you’re intrigued, Balroop. This was definitely an entertaining read!
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Great review, Mae! I love when they can bring a setting to life.
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Denise, the scenes on the island made me feel like I was there. I loved the setting!
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The clunkers make the good reads more enjoyable. It was just a set-up, Mae.🤣
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Ha, ha! I like that thinking, Pete!
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The Island sounds like the best part! I hadn’t heard of this one Mae, but it does sound interesting. Thanks for putting it on my radar.
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I think you’d like it Peachy. And the scenes on the island were my favorite parts of the book. I felt like I was there!
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I’ve read some YA titles by this author and enjoyed all of them. I read somewhere that she’s also writing under another name – can’t remember what it was. This sounds like an intriguing one – and I love that it’s set on an island.
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I was surprised she’s known for YA, Teri. This was an excellent suspense tale. It would make such an excellent movie. Interesting that she’s writing under another name, too. I wonder if that’s yet a different genre!
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This sounds very interesting and creepy, Mae. A bit like And Then There were None by Agatha Christie.
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It has kind of a touch of that, but the interaction of the characters is of different scope. I did really love the island setting, and how isolated the group was. A really enjoyable read, Robbie!
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It does sound like movie material – but not something I think I’d read, or, at least, not if I read the blurb first (they tend to put me off and this one didn’t sound like ‘I need it now’ kind of book). And the release is so far off!
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The release is really far off, Jina. I was surprised Net Galley approved me so soon. And I know what you mean about blurbs—they either grab you or they don’t! 🙂
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I like books with strong settings. This sounds like an interesting one, thanks!
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The island made for such an awesome setting, Jacquie. I love when an author turns a setting into a character itself, and this one did!
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You picked gripping psychological thrillers, Mae. The setting of an island would be a good place to hide the secrets. Great review, as always, Mae!
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Thanks, Miriam. The island setting added so much atmosphere to this one. I would so love to see it made into a movie!
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You’re Welcome, Mae. We went to Aruba one year. Not long after we came back, a young lady was dead (missing?). I didn’t follow up on the news.
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How sad. We had the same thing happen with the Dominican Republic. Several people died at resorts a few years after we were there. Very scary.
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It is scary, Mae. I wonderful what happened to those people who died.
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Thanks for the review, Mae. I like that cover, yellow with pink flowers.
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I thought it fit well with the island concept 🙂
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