Review by Booklist Review
Aspiring actress Belle receives the invitation of a lifetime: a week with friends on a luxury yacht in the Riviera, courtesy of her friend Summer's wealthy (and much older) boyfriend, John. It's tough to say no to the lavish gifts and extravagant meals, but it doesn't take long for Belle to see that something isn't quite right. She and Summer haven't been on the best of terms lately, and John is strangely paranoid and controlling. Belle has always known that Summer is a gold-digger, but is there something darker beneath the surface of her latest relationship? Alternate chapters chronicle Belle and Summer's friendship from their teen years to the present, and the story becomes more sinister as it progresses, demonstrating how Summer will stop at nothing to maintain her lifestyle. While St. John uses elements of frothy chick lit, the book has a surprisingly dark heart. Once the story gets going, clever twists abound, the gaslighting is abundant, and the extent of Summer's villainy is revealed. Fans of Liane Moriarty and Jessica Knoll will devour this story of beautiful people with horrible secrets.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
What should have been an idyllic vacation for struggling actress Belle Carter, the narrator of St. John's propulsive if occasionally preposterous Machiavellian debut, mutates into something more akin to Survivor: St. Tropez. Though Belle's former bestie, Summer Sanderson, the mistress of billionaire John Lyons, has ostensibly invited Belle to celebrate her birthday cruising the Riviera aboard Lyons's yacht, along with a few other friends and family, early warning signs suggest that Lyons may have a hidden agenda, as do the plutocrats he's meeting with. These signs include the young women being locked into their cabins at night and asked to surrender their passports as well as having only limited, monitored internet access--measures brushed off as necessary to protect the men's privacy. Belle may have her own plans, though the true picture of the high-stakes cat-and-mouse game involving her and the ruthless Summer only becomes visible as the twisty but far-fetched plot races toward the finish. Readers prepared to overlook unconvincing characters as well as several stupefying turns of events will be satisfied. St. John dishes up a diverting poolside-ready page-turner. Agent: Sarah Bedingfield, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary. (May)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Gal pals invited on a luxury cruise face rigid supervision, surveillance cameras, drugged drinks, and worse at the hands of a controlling, gold-digging birthday beeyotch. Aspiring Hollywood actress/cocktail waitress Belle is among the gaggle of friends invited on a Mediterranean cruise to celebrate the birthday of their ultraglamorous pal Summer--all expenses paid by her new boyfriend, John ("not a day over sixty-three to her twenty-six"). But as soon as they start the trip on John's private jet in Los Angeles, the girls learn that his generosity comes with many extremely irritating strings attached. Belle and Summer's friendship goes back to high school, but Summer's self-centered, freeloading, man-eating ways have been a problem all along. Now, it seems, the two are barely on speaking terms--yet, for some reason, Belle grits her teeth and gets onboard with a group that includes Summer's trashy mother, loudmouth sister, Brittani, Brittani's sexpot bff, Amythest [sic], and a couple of other thought leaders of the professional eye-candy set. The daily schedule on the ship is rigid and boring, and it is enforced by a pair of scary goons who make the girls go to spin class and lock them in their rooms at night. On top of everything else, there's no Wi-Fi. Talk about a supposedly fun thing they'll never do again! As Belle eavesdrops on John's conversations with various dinner guests, she begins to get a sense of just how dirty his money may be. Meanwhile, a series of flashbacks investigate the fate of a dead ex-boyfriend of Summer's who could not possibly have committed suicide because she dumped him. St. John's sizzling debut sparkles with yacht and fashion porn, and smart, decent Belle is easy to root for as the panic reaches its peak. Blingy, swingy fun plus a well-crafted, socially conscious suspense plot: Anchors aweigh! Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
