Katherine St. John

A while back, The Lion's Den seemed to be advertised EVERYWHERE. Maybe it was just me and my book reading habit that the ads picked up on, but I kept seeing it over and over. I really wanted to take a dip into the waters of this book, but I kept putting it off. The ads had hyped the book up so much, what if it wasn't good anymore?! So I kept hiding and waiting... And then I finally decided to take the plunge and give this book a go. Well, it was quite the book!

If you like thrills packed tight with extra drama, then this book is for you! It's a soap opera lover's DREAM and will make you question what is actually going on. Right from the get go you'll know something is off, but will you be able to guess the twists before they happen? Try to be a super sleuth and pick apart this book! It's quite fun!

Belle is an actress. Well, kind of an actress. She's more so a bartender working really hard to try to be an actress. She's in some indie flicks and B movies, but she's out there! She's hot, she's got it, and she's working hard. One day, her good ole friend Summer invites her on the trip of a life time! Do you want to join Summer and her super old, super rich boyfriend on a yacht for a week to celebrate Summer's birthday?! It sounds like a blast! Or is it?

Summer was a good friend... kind of? Unreliable, never paid the rent, trying to get with Belle's love interests - you know, THAT kind of friend. The popular girl everyone pretended to like but everyone really despised. But now she's hitting the big time! She's got a super old boyfriend who's had too many marriages to count and wants all of Summer's friends on the yacht. A dream vacation, per say! Or... maybe... A dark and twisted nightmare?

But we aren't there yet! More of Summer's friends, her sister and Mom get to come along for the party of a lifetime! Although, there's a wee bit of a bump. One of Summer's sister's friends comes along instead of the verified and approved party... And this chick is HOT and everything that Summer despises (which is girls that rival her in any form. Be ugly or be square girlies!). And then the staff get controlling... And the girls get locked into their rooms... And no internet access... And nasty remarks or dictated schedules... Yelling... Screaming... Manipulation... Maybe not the dream week the girls were imaging!

This book gets wild FAST. It jumps back and forth between the present day and the months leading up to the trip. Summer's relationships are spotty and she proves to not be who she says she is. Belle also has an interesting past to follow, but shows herself to be a worthy lead character. I would say a lot of the girls feel fake and unlikable, but I'm guessing they were written that way. I only wish the book would have gone on for a couple more chapters so we could find out what REALLY happened... But alas, Katherine St. John leaves us off just a wee bit too soon. It definitely closes the book out, but not the way I would have liked it. I'm picky, what can I say?

As my first outing with Katherine St. John, I would say this is quite the success! I definitely want to grab a few more books from her and watch her style grow and evolve. This book is one dramatic thriller that packs quite a punch!

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.… (altro)