I’ve been a big fan of Rouda’s books since I read Best Day Ever back in 2017. Her books are all kinds of creepy and twisty! This newest book is the start of the new Kingsley Family series, I really look forward to seeing what will happen next in the series. At this point, Beneath the Surface is available on Kindle Unlimited as both a Kindle copy and an audiobook.
Beneath the Surface is a September 2023 release by Thomas & Mercer Publishers
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, see disclosures for more detail.
About the Book:
You are cordially invited to an overnight voyage on the Splendid Seas.
An invitation to Catalina Island from billionaire CEO Richard Kingsley. For his sons, Ted and John, and their wives, it’s an opportunity to curry favor, gain control of a real estate empire, and secure their family’s futures. For the controlling patriarch, succession is a contest. He and his newest wife won’t make it an easy win.
Then Richard’s estranged live-wire daughter, Sibley, crashes the party. She’s the least of the night’s surprises. As the stakes for the inheritance of the Kingsley legacy are raised, the beautiful waters of the Pacific look more like a menacing illusion.
Let the games begin for a family who has everything money can buy, and has used lies, deception, and more to keep it. This weekend one of them will be crowned heir. One is in line to lose everything. That’s the plan. But in the coming storm, so much can go dangerously wrong.
My Review:
I gave this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
Juicy family drama. There is not really one likable character in the bunch, but that makes the book more enjoyable!
Mega-billionaire Richard Kingsley has purchased an enormous yacht and has invited his children and their spouses to join him for a weekend sail to Catalina Island. His sons Ted and John each think that they are the perfect candidate to succeed their father at the helm of his business, and they set out to convince Richard of that fact during the trip. Then their sister Sibley arrives, toting her ne’er-do-well boyfriend and wanting to stir up trouble. But each of the people on board, including Richard’s wife, have secrets they are keeping and they want the best outcome without spilling those secrets.
It’s pretty fun to watch rich people behaving badly, and these people are definitely behaving badly. Everyone is lying, cheating, maneuvering, and there is no one to trust. I’m interested to see that this is the first in a new series, because I don’t know how many more bad things these people could do! Maybe we’ll learn more about their children? This is definitely a soap opera style popcorn thriller. Totally unbelievable, not much depth, but fun to read anyway.
About the Author:
From Kaira Rouda’s website, https://kairarouda.com/
Kaira Rouda is an award-winning USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Her novel, The Next Wife, won two Silver Falchion Awards for Best Suspense Novel and runner up to Best Book of the Year. To date, her noels have been translated into a dozen languages.
A former magazine editor and society columnist, Kaira won the Stevie Award for Women in Business for creating the first female-focused residential real estate brand, Real Living, and growing the brand to more than 22 states before its sale to Berkshire Hathaway. Her first book, Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs led to a national speaking tour where she inspired thousands.
Active in the areas of homelessness, food security, and empowering women and girls, in her twenties, as a volunteer, she created the first emergency walk-in shelter for homeless families in Central Ohio. Kaira has received numerous awards for her community service including the national Kiwanis Service to Mankind Award, and most recently was named a Kickass Woman of Orange County by Orange Coast Magazine. Kaira was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsome to the California Volunteers Commission.
She lives in Southern California with her husband, Congressman Harley Rouda, and is at work on her next novel.
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KairaRoudaBooks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kairarouda/
