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The Squad #1
The Cruise
Bailey Collins believed she had outrun what Eli Murphy did to her in high school. Ten years and thousands of miles away from the scene of the crime, Bailey is laser-focused on her career. She's a rising star at her TV network, newly promoted as senior producer for the reality show, The Cruise. Things are on the up. And then Eli Murphy applies to be a contestant on The Cruise.
It’s taken a lot for Bailey to make something of her life and to heal from her adolescent trauma. She's changed her name and chopped her hair into a severe blonde pixie. But what she really owes her new life to is The Squad, the group of ride-or-die sisters-for-life survivors who have bonded over group therapy and stayed closely linked. They're always ready to assist one of their own in seeking the justice so often denied them.
Being stuck incognito on a luxury yacht with Eli might actually provide the opportunity for closure that Bailey has been waiting a decade for. As senior producer, she's in the perfect position to cast him and five members of The Squad as the female contestants on the show. As an all-new season of The Cruise sets sail, Bailey and her secret squad begin their own game for the ultimate revenge.
The complete list of narrators Catherine Văn-Davies, Mitchell Bourke, Genevieve Hegney, Lola Bond, Chika Ikogwe, Andrea Solonge, Ayeesha Ash, Chloe Tobin, Alpha Sylla, Nic English, Cam Ralph, Ben Chapple, Emma Jones, Rowan Witt, Katherine Beck, and Jayden Koulizakis.
It’s taken a lot for Bailey to make something of her life and to heal from her adolescent trauma. She's changed her name and chopped her hair into a severe blonde pixie. But what she really owes her new life to is The Squad, the group of ride-or-die sisters-for-life survivors who have bonded over group therapy and stayed closely linked. They're always ready to assist one of their own in seeking the justice so often denied them.
Being stuck incognito on a luxury yacht with Eli might actually provide the opportunity for closure that Bailey has been waiting a decade for. As senior producer, she's in the perfect position to cast him and five members of The Squad as the female contestants on the show. As an all-new season of The Cruise sets sail, Bailey and her secret squad begin their own game for the ultimate revenge.
The complete list of narrators Catherine Văn-Davies, Mitchell Bourke, Genevieve Hegney, Lola Bond, Chika Ikogwe, Andrea Solonge, Ayeesha Ash, Chloe Tobin, Alpha Sylla, Nic English, Cam Ralph, Ben Chapple, Emma Jones, Rowan Witt, Katherine Beck, and Jayden Koulizakis.
Audible Audio
Published September 2, 2025
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September 29, 2025
Sharks don't always remember every fish they have devoured.
Bailey Collins is so thrilled when she is promoted to senior producer of the hit reality television show called "The Cruise." As she is filtering through videos of possible contestants for the next season, a familiar face fills her screen. Eli Murphey is not a name that Bailey has heard in a long time, but one that brings up raw emotions that she has suppressed for years. For in this name, Bailey is brought back to her high school years, where Eli did something terrible to her that completely changed the trajectory of her life. Baliey knows there is only one thing to do. She needs "the squad"(a group of friends who have been wronged in the past) to come together to make things right and take Eli down for good. As the new season begins, Bailey and the Squad plan a revenge game of their own that will make headlines for years to come.
**Wonderful story and production! Loved it!** 💙⛴️🌊
Audible Original
Duration: 8 hours and 43 minutes
Full Cast Narration
Bailey Collins is so thrilled when she is promoted to senior producer of the hit reality television show called "The Cruise." As she is filtering through videos of possible contestants for the next season, a familiar face fills her screen. Eli Murphey is not a name that Bailey has heard in a long time, but one that brings up raw emotions that she has suppressed for years. For in this name, Bailey is brought back to her high school years, where Eli did something terrible to her that completely changed the trajectory of her life. Baliey knows there is only one thing to do. She needs "the squad"(a group of friends who have been wronged in the past) to come together to make things right and take Eli down for good. As the new season begins, Bailey and the Squad plan a revenge game of their own that will make headlines for years to come.
**Wonderful story and production! Loved it!** 💙⛴️🌊
Audible Original
Duration: 8 hours and 43 minutes
Full Cast Narration
October 19, 2025
This would have been perfect if not for the Scooby Doo-esque ending.
Top tier narration, actual execution of promised revenge —no come to Jesus moment where the protagonist decides the best revenge is living well🙄, compelling side characters, you name it.
Loved watching the protagonist lose her marbles in real time. If you promise revenge, GIVE ME IT. This? Watching her so hyperfocused on it that she's willing to ruin her life if it means he goes down?
Exactly what I went into this hoping for.
Everything was going great until the villain's comeuppance scene. It felt a little too contrived? Too neat?
If not for the collateral damage, would have preferred the jet ski(?) plan.
And what the hell happened to Lauren? Sigh. This is why we don't commit murder for our friends, people. I want to be understanding of her traumatic past but I'm really not. Everyone there had trauma. GET. WITH. THE. PROGRAM.
Geez.
Top tier narration, actual execution of promised revenge —no come to Jesus moment where the protagonist decides the best revenge is living well🙄, compelling side characters, you name it.
Loved watching the protagonist lose her marbles in real time. If you promise revenge, GIVE ME IT. This? Watching her so hyperfocused on it that she's willing to ruin her life if it means he goes down?
Exactly what I went into this hoping for.
Everything was going great until the villain's comeuppance scene. It felt a little too contrived? Too neat?
If not for the collateral damage, would have preferred the jet ski(?) plan.
And what the hell happened to Lauren? Sigh. This is why we don't commit murder for our friends, people. I want to be understanding of her traumatic past but I'm really not. Everyone there had trauma. GET. WITH. THE. PROGRAM.
Geez.
Read
September 17, 2025I listened to this while doing my daily steps. I will say that it really got me going, though when I finished I felt a bit depressed and maybe a bit guilty, as though I'd stood by at a lynching. Strong words, I realize, but this is such an angry book, though on the surface it's a revenge fantasy against the predators who ruin women's lives, via the vehicle of a popular reality TV show. Its best aspect is that it also fosters female friendship through an off-book, very very secret, support circle called The Squad.
But mostly this book is angry. The key women's backstories are woven in, set in separate chapters interspersed through the ongoing plot. These followed the same exact emotional arc: normal life, introduce predator (from crazy stalker to school shooter to groomer and predator on teenagers), angry results and finding one another in the Squad, reinforcing one another's rage. These are repeated high-emotional notes that justify lethal anger without really examining it and its consequences. Even in the chapter where our first person narrator .
The reality TV plot was interesting (and reinforces my wish to stay away from that particular form of entertainment), the writing sharp and vivid. Dynamic interactions outside of the main revenge thrust.
It also has the ring of truth, right down to the migraines; this narrator is a broken person, consumed by toxic anger, and though achieving the goal, after which we're told everything is fine, great-- there's even a totally unexpected romance that gets two lines of "tell"--we end up without any insight or acknowledgment of what anger does to human beings. What focused group anger does to civilization. Reading that especially now was . . . disturbing. And though the ending was upbeat on the surface, I was left wondering when this ticking time bomb of a narrator would explode, taking out all around her in the name of totally justified female rage.
But mostly this book is angry. The key women's backstories are woven in, set in separate chapters interspersed through the ongoing plot. These followed the same exact emotional arc: normal life, introduce predator (from crazy stalker to school shooter to groomer and predator on teenagers), angry results and finding one another in the Squad, reinforcing one another's rage. These are repeated high-emotional notes that justify lethal anger without really examining it and its consequences. Even in the chapter where our first person narrator .
The reality TV plot was interesting (and reinforces my wish to stay away from that particular form of entertainment), the writing sharp and vivid. Dynamic interactions outside of the main revenge thrust.
It also has the ring of truth, right down to the migraines; this narrator is a broken person, consumed by toxic anger, and though achieving the goal, after which we're told everything is fine, great-- there's even a totally unexpected romance that gets two lines of "tell"--we end up without any insight or acknowledgment of what anger does to human beings. What focused group anger does to civilization. Reading that especially now was . . . disturbing. And though the ending was upbeat on the surface, I was left wondering when this ticking time bomb of a narrator would explode, taking out all around her in the name of totally justified female rage.
October 14, 2026
This was a book I was hesitant to read. For a couple of reasons. The sensitive subject it revolves around and the rating on Goodreads. I am so glad I did because I ended up liking it.
The character I connected with was Sarah (Bailey). What she went through is all too familiar with a lot of women.
What I loved about this book was the satisfying ending.
The character I connected with was Sarah (Bailey). What she went through is all too familiar with a lot of women.
What I loved about this book was the satisfying ending.
March 5, 2026
Free listen on Audible that ended up being good!! A full cast of narrators made it even better.
April 29, 2026
TW: SA, a lot of it!
The premise seemed very similar to Heather Gudenkauf’s Every One is Watching which I finished a couple weeks back. I thought I knew which way it was going, but I was surprised. This book is so much better. The narration with a full cast was excellent and the reality TV part felt familiar to a lot of Netflix reality shows.
My one major complain is the mention of migraines in so much detail. As a chronic migraine sufferer, it sucks to hear about how the migraine is building up and how the pain feels as it sometimes lead to migraine itself. I see this pattern that FMC has a migraine in all recent thrillers I’ve listened as a part of audible plus. It’s exhausting to live through migraines and hear about it too.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending as it wasn’t as clever as the rest of the book. Overall, it was good for a freebie.
The premise seemed very similar to Heather Gudenkauf’s Every One is Watching which I finished a couple weeks back. I thought I knew which way it was going, but I was surprised. This book is so much better. The narration with a full cast was excellent and the reality TV part felt familiar to a lot of Netflix reality shows.
My one major complain is the mention of migraines in so much detail. As a chronic migraine sufferer, it sucks to hear about how the migraine is building up and how the pain feels as it sometimes lead to migraine itself. I see this pattern that FMC has a migraine in all recent thrillers I’ve listened as a part of audible plus. It’s exhausting to live through migraines and hear about it too.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending as it wasn’t as clever as the rest of the book. Overall, it was good for a freebie.
September 4, 2025
4.5 Stars Rounded Up
This was considerably better than I expected. This had a ton of narrators and background noises, sort of similar to enhanced audio. I found it distracting but still enjoyed this very much.
This was considerably better than I expected. This had a ton of narrators and background noises, sort of similar to enhanced audio. I found it distracting but still enjoyed this very much.
February 19, 2026
Let's go girls
October 23, 2026
Big thanks to Allen & Unwin for sending us a copy to read and review.
Naima Brown’s third book outing The Cruise is a revenge thriller.
A story about a producer on a popular reality show that comes across someone from her past that auditions then realises she can get vengeance but it doesn’t go according to plan.
Bailey Collins has just been promoted to senior producer on the reality tv show The Cruise.
She has not been defined by what happened to her a decade before and with a complete makeover and name change she is ready and determined to make this career change a hit.
Also in her corner are a group of women who will do anything for each other.
When a man from her past sends in his demo tape, she is in a position to manipulate casting.
All for the game of retribution and punishment.
Then it fails to work…..
This is a book of female friendships that takes it to the next level.
There were some elements that I enjoyed and some that I thought, well this has been done before aka not very original.
It’s also predictable and the ending fell a little flat.
But overall I plodded, finished, closed the book and thought ok and then went about my day.
Once you get your head around all the cast, the idea of a luxurious yacht is very inviting and the plot is well written.
I must find my copy of Naima’s second book and give it a go, I’ve heard great things.
Naima Brown’s third book outing The Cruise is a revenge thriller.
A story about a producer on a popular reality show that comes across someone from her past that auditions then realises she can get vengeance but it doesn’t go according to plan.
Bailey Collins has just been promoted to senior producer on the reality tv show The Cruise.
She has not been defined by what happened to her a decade before and with a complete makeover and name change she is ready and determined to make this career change a hit.
Also in her corner are a group of women who will do anything for each other.
When a man from her past sends in his demo tape, she is in a position to manipulate casting.
All for the game of retribution and punishment.
Then it fails to work…..
This is a book of female friendships that takes it to the next level.
There were some elements that I enjoyed and some that I thought, well this has been done before aka not very original.
It’s also predictable and the ending fell a little flat.
But overall I plodded, finished, closed the book and thought ok and then went about my day.
Once you get your head around all the cast, the idea of a luxurious yacht is very inviting and the plot is well written.
I must find my copy of Naima’s second book and give it a go, I’ve heard great things.
May 4, 2026
A revenge story set amongst an isolated reality TV show setting onboard a cruise ship. Ummm yes please!
I must admit, I was rooting for Bailey and her friends, and I found the story satisfying. Sometimes we just want the bad guys to feel how we felt 🤷🏼♀️
Full cast narration made this story extra immersive.
TW: SA
I must admit, I was rooting for Bailey and her friends, and I found the story satisfying. Sometimes we just want the bad guys to feel how we felt 🤷🏼♀️
Full cast narration made this story extra immersive.
TW: SA
September 22, 2025
This book was not bad. It just needs a one giant trigger warning. Like the entire freaking thing.
October 4, 2025
I’ve never read a book like this. I really enjoyed. Five stars wasn’t enough.
October 26, 2025
As a reality TV lover I ATE THIS UP. As a reality lover, I also acknowledge this could never happen. That’s why it’s fiction, and I loved it.
November 2, 2025
I got fed up hearing of the 'squad' and the 'missions'. The Cruise would have been the most boring reality TV show and the characters apart from wanting revenge had no personality.
September 13, 2025
This book was written by an author who doesn’t know the difference between a headache and a migraine. The concept was interesting but the plot was a little boring, every point of tension seemed to magically go the narrators way in convenient but unrealistic ways. Idk if it’s because I listened as an audiobook but I found the accent changes confusing
September 8, 2025
This was really good...included with an audible subscription. I enjoyed the full cast.
September 11, 2025
I see Kim is liking my updates right this second so I gotta update that I finished this book and it was good but could’ve been better 🫡 HI KIM LOVE YOU
October 20, 2025
2.25: if I hear “the squad” one more time I’m going to explode
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Woowzers, this has to be one of the most satisfying books I have read in a long time!
At face value, this book intrigued me straight away. A reality TV show, a squad of strong women and the word revenge? I was all in. Sign me up...and who doesn’t love a bit of revenge (fictional, obviously)?
But aside from being an utterly addicting and suspenseful read, this book goes so much deeper. It takes an intimate look at women’s experiences at the hands of bad men, and the ways those experiences impact lives.
As Naima says, this book is “a quilted mosaic of the experiences of far too many women that I know and love, and elements of my own life and of the stories we hear at an unacceptable frequency.” And I think that really sums up what made this book hit the way it did.
We get to know our squad and the trauma they have faced while they cook up their plot of revenge, and I was locked in and seated the entire way through. I loved getting to know these women and seeing the relationships and friendships between them develop, but the book also looks at abuse of power and what feels like such a universal experience for women who have, in one way or another, dealt with bad men.
There was something almost liberating about reading this. Watching these women take all of those experiences and turn them into something of their own felt like one big F you to the men out there that so many of us women have faced in various degrees.
This was satisfying, infuriating, empowering and, honestly, just SO good. I cannot wait to see what is next! Thank you to Allen & Unwin, and Naima Brown for sending me a physical ARC. All opinions are my own.
At face value, this book intrigued me straight away. A reality TV show, a squad of strong women and the word revenge? I was all in. Sign me up...and who doesn’t love a bit of revenge (fictional, obviously)?
But aside from being an utterly addicting and suspenseful read, this book goes so much deeper. It takes an intimate look at women’s experiences at the hands of bad men, and the ways those experiences impact lives.
As Naima says, this book is “a quilted mosaic of the experiences of far too many women that I know and love, and elements of my own life and of the stories we hear at an unacceptable frequency.” And I think that really sums up what made this book hit the way it did.
We get to know our squad and the trauma they have faced while they cook up their plot of revenge, and I was locked in and seated the entire way through. I loved getting to know these women and seeing the relationships and friendships between them develop, but the book also looks at abuse of power and what feels like such a universal experience for women who have, in one way or another, dealt with bad men.
There was something almost liberating about reading this. Watching these women take all of those experiences and turn them into something of their own felt like one big F you to the men out there that so many of us women have faced in various degrees.
This was satisfying, infuriating, empowering and, honestly, just SO good. I cannot wait to see what is next! Thank you to Allen & Unwin, and Naima Brown for sending me a physical ARC. All opinions are my own.
October 3, 2026
I read Naima Brown’s Mother Tongue earlier this year and really enjoyed it, so I was keen to pick up her new release, The Cruise, which appears to be the first instalment in an upcoming Squad Series.
The Cruise is pitched as a revenge fantasy: a group of women, bonded by shared trauma and calling themselves The Squad, set out to take down the men who have harmed them. At the centre is Bailey Collins, who has rebuilt her life after an assault on prom night. Now a successful producer of the hit reality show The Cruise, she’s riding high on the news that the series has been renewed for a second season. But when Bailey discovers her former predator, Eli Murphy, among the applicants for the new cast, she chooses revenge. She quietly assembles five Squad members and casts them alongside Eli, undercover. Will Bailey finally get the justice she’s been denied?
This is a story fuelled by female rage — a collective fury at how often men evade consequences for abuse and assault. That anger is felt through the entire book. It also comes with frequent references to past trauma, so keep that in mind if those themes are difficult for you.
It is also an unapologetically over‑the‑top, sensationalist read. Nothing about the plot resembles real life. It’s a fast, dramatic page turner. I flew through it, though it leaned more “popcorn thriller” than I expected and had a possibly too neat ending.
Pick this up if you’re in the mood for a cathartic takedown of terrible men — think Thelma & Louise, but with a reality‑TV twist.
Thank you @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy.
The Cruise is pitched as a revenge fantasy: a group of women, bonded by shared trauma and calling themselves The Squad, set out to take down the men who have harmed them. At the centre is Bailey Collins, who has rebuilt her life after an assault on prom night. Now a successful producer of the hit reality show The Cruise, she’s riding high on the news that the series has been renewed for a second season. But when Bailey discovers her former predator, Eli Murphy, among the applicants for the new cast, she chooses revenge. She quietly assembles five Squad members and casts them alongside Eli, undercover. Will Bailey finally get the justice she’s been denied?
This is a story fuelled by female rage — a collective fury at how often men evade consequences for abuse and assault. That anger is felt through the entire book. It also comes with frequent references to past trauma, so keep that in mind if those themes are difficult for you.
It is also an unapologetically over‑the‑top, sensationalist read. Nothing about the plot resembles real life. It’s a fast, dramatic page turner. I flew through it, though it leaned more “popcorn thriller” than I expected and had a possibly too neat ending.
Pick this up if you’re in the mood for a cathartic takedown of terrible men — think Thelma & Louise, but with a reality‑TV twist.
Thank you @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Cruise by Naima Brown
I requested the eARC for The Cruise by Naima Brown because I'd seen some early buzz about it on Bookstagram. It's definitely a pleasurable, if slightly morally grey page-turner!
Bailey Collins is a rising star who's just been promoted to senior producer of a massive reality TV dating show filmed aboard a luxury cruise ship (think Love Island, if the island were a cruise ship?). Bailey has completely rebuilt her life, her name, and her look after surviving a traumatic event in high school, and then the perpetrator's audition tape lands right in her inbox. Bailey sees the opportunity and, backed by her fiercely loyal, ride-or-die group of fellow survivors called "The Squad", she takes it. As the ship sets sail, a deeply complicated, high-stakes game of justice and revenge begins.
I was a bit shocked by the lengths the squad was willing to go for revenge, but I can't say I wasn't warned—it's marketed as a revenge fantasy thriller! Just be aware that some parts of the book may require trigger warnings.
If you enjoy revenge fantasy, women taking the law into their own hands, books that centre on female friendship, morally grey ideas, high-drama vibrant settings, or a gripping thriller that completely tears down the patriarchy, you might like this one.
@allenandunwin @naima_brown_official #NetGalley @NetGalley
#booksdeevaareads #2026bookshelf #designnerd #RevengeThriller
I requested the eARC for The Cruise by Naima Brown because I'd seen some early buzz about it on Bookstagram. It's definitely a pleasurable, if slightly morally grey page-turner!
Bailey Collins is a rising star who's just been promoted to senior producer of a massive reality TV dating show filmed aboard a luxury cruise ship (think Love Island, if the island were a cruise ship?). Bailey has completely rebuilt her life, her name, and her look after surviving a traumatic event in high school, and then the perpetrator's audition tape lands right in her inbox. Bailey sees the opportunity and, backed by her fiercely loyal, ride-or-die group of fellow survivors called "The Squad", she takes it. As the ship sets sail, a deeply complicated, high-stakes game of justice and revenge begins.
I was a bit shocked by the lengths the squad was willing to go for revenge, but I can't say I wasn't warned—it's marketed as a revenge fantasy thriller! Just be aware that some parts of the book may require trigger warnings.
If you enjoy revenge fantasy, women taking the law into their own hands, books that centre on female friendship, morally grey ideas, high-drama vibrant settings, or a gripping thriller that completely tears down the patriarchy, you might like this one.
@allenandunwin @naima_brown_official #NetGalley @NetGalley
#booksdeevaareads #2026bookshelf #designnerd #RevengeThriller
September 14, 2025
Intriguing. Kept me until the end but didn't go where expected. Check your triggers.
November 4, 2025
I just wrapped this book and up until the final 1/2hr of it I was all aboard. The story was simple, engaging enough, and I was waiting for the big twist. Well the big twist sure came! It just wasn’t in the form of how I was expecting a novel to twist on me…y’know, I’m a story-altering, surprise, that leaves you dating “no way!” Turns out the ending was about as interesting as a bologna sandwich on Wonder Bread. The twist was that there WAS NO TWIST! The ending just rolled thru across the finish line like a bicycle with nobody sitting on it. Just wobbling along, coasting towards its inevitable end as you stand by amazed that it’s even still up.
THAT was right about the time the TSUNAMI washed over me! It went from “novel” to an after school special called “Girl Power!” Oh my stars! (As Nancy Grace would say!) it was just an unbearable “c’mon girls, let’s hold each other up, find everything that’s ever bothered us about men, and stick to the plan!” celebration that carried on for a full 45mins until the final bell. Just SO corny. Of course EVERYTHING worked out to perfection for the ladies plans, nobody was even held in the least suspicious of any wrongdoing, and there HAD to be the eyeroll serving of icing on the cake as EVERYONE’S life magically improved 3-fold while the band stuck together tighter than the Blues Brothers regardless of all the brand new perfect boyfriends they all naturally ended up with as the sunset over the whole chick-fest.
It’s actually too bad because as this book was coming to a close I was looking forward to a great ending to a pretty good story. Instead I was frantically looking over my shoulder at every woman I passed by assuming she hated me just for being a guy. I’m looking forward to the book being written someday by a man talking about ALL the ways women do us wrong over the course of a lifetime! But it will never come because a greater percentage of men are stronger than most women which results in a whole lot of pointing fingers, sensitivity to the littlest things, and long conversations about what is called “abuse” way too often. Insert eyeroll. There’s abuse…and then there’s ABUSE. Tsunamis like this one only makes the rest of us a little bit more desensitized to claims when they’re made. It’s way too over the top. What happened to women like my Grandmother, Mother, and my old Aunts? Life is hard. Strap on the helmet ladies.
Obviously I’m not disregarding the terrible things that do happen, and probably more often than we hear about. I’m not heartless, dumb, or lack empathy at all! Yall know what I’m talking about and who I’m talking about…the types that look for an identity sometimes in the slightest instances. They adopt it for so many different reasons too. This ending just washed over me with all of that and had me to the point of saying out loud…”you have to be kidding me!”
THAT was right about the time the TSUNAMI washed over me! It went from “novel” to an after school special called “Girl Power!” Oh my stars! (As Nancy Grace would say!) it was just an unbearable “c’mon girls, let’s hold each other up, find everything that’s ever bothered us about men, and stick to the plan!” celebration that carried on for a full 45mins until the final bell. Just SO corny. Of course EVERYTHING worked out to perfection for the ladies plans, nobody was even held in the least suspicious of any wrongdoing, and there HAD to be the eyeroll serving of icing on the cake as EVERYONE’S life magically improved 3-fold while the band stuck together tighter than the Blues Brothers regardless of all the brand new perfect boyfriends they all naturally ended up with as the sunset over the whole chick-fest.
It’s actually too bad because as this book was coming to a close I was looking forward to a great ending to a pretty good story. Instead I was frantically looking over my shoulder at every woman I passed by assuming she hated me just for being a guy. I’m looking forward to the book being written someday by a man talking about ALL the ways women do us wrong over the course of a lifetime! But it will never come because a greater percentage of men are stronger than most women which results in a whole lot of pointing fingers, sensitivity to the littlest things, and long conversations about what is called “abuse” way too often. Insert eyeroll. There’s abuse…and then there’s ABUSE. Tsunamis like this one only makes the rest of us a little bit more desensitized to claims when they’re made. It’s way too over the top. What happened to women like my Grandmother, Mother, and my old Aunts? Life is hard. Strap on the helmet ladies.
Obviously I’m not disregarding the terrible things that do happen, and probably more often than we hear about. I’m not heartless, dumb, or lack empathy at all! Yall know what I’m talking about and who I’m talking about…the types that look for an identity sometimes in the slightest instances. They adopt it for so many different reasons too. This ending just washed over me with all of that and had me to the point of saying out loud…”you have to be kidding me!”
Read
October 13, 2025This whole audiobook is a trigger.
mild spoiler, but also kinda not really:
if you're sensitive to all sorts of violence against women, even if women get the last laugh, put this on your tbr for later.
I enjoyed it, but it makes me a bit heated, and frustrated by feeling heated.... I think I need to physically shake some energy off.
Take care of yourselves.
I haven't been feeling like giving things actual ratings lately, but I thought it was good, even if I'm less able to handle stress atm.
mild spoiler, but also kinda not really:
if you're sensitive to all sorts of violence against women, even if women get the last laugh, put this on your tbr for later.
I enjoyed it, but it makes me a bit heated, and frustrated by feeling heated.... I think I need to physically shake some energy off.
Take care of yourselves.
I haven't been feeling like giving things actual ratings lately, but I thought it was good, even if I'm less able to handle stress atm.
September 8, 2025
I 100% did not expect this to go where it did. I admit I didn’t read the blurb, just liked the cover and Naima’s latest book is high on my TBR list so I thought why not. Since I’m a psycho and listen to books on 1.7 speed I tore through this. It was riveting with the full cast and the sound effects and a piece of true audio theatre. It was funny, full on, entertaining and I enjoyed it..
November 10, 2025
This book was good. Not great. Not terrible. Very predictable. Listening to it was good because it had some fun sounds and voices, but it was a quick read. There should be trigger warnings for those who have suffered trauma. I haven’t had past trauma and some of the stuff was hard to listen to. So just an FYI.
January 15, 2026
The feminine rage and the audacity of men.
This book tackled a lot of complex topics in a way that I found satisfying and rage inducing. It showed trauma responses and shame and pure rage in a way that ripped out my own traumatised heart and held it out on a platter.
The ending was incredibly unrealistic but THE DREAM SO IM GOING TO IGNORE THAT PART
This book tackled a lot of complex topics in a way that I found satisfying and rage inducing. It showed trauma responses and shame and pure rage in a way that ripped out my own traumatised heart and held it out on a platter.
The ending was incredibly unrealistic but THE DREAM SO IM GOING TO IGNORE THAT PART
October 31, 2025
Rating is for the audible book because the amazing performance by the narrators and production really elevated this story from a 4ish star up to 5 for me.
I think if I had read an actual book for this story, it would not have been near as entertaining or un-put-downable.
I think if I had read an actual book for this story, it would not have been near as entertaining or un-put-downable.
January 8, 2026
I could have gone without some graphic details but I’m also glad that this book showed the different types of abuse that people (specifically women in this book) go through and the fight it is to be believed, even by those closest to you.
October 10, 2025
Bailey Collins believed she had outrun what Eli Murphy did to her in high school. Ten years and thousands of miles away from the scene of the crime, Bailey is laser-focused on her career. She's a rising star at her TV network, newly promoted as senior producer for the reality show, The Cruise. Things are on the up. And then Eli Murphy applies to be a contestant on The Cruise.
It’s taken a lot for Bailey to make something of her life and to heal from her adolescent trauma. She's changed her name and chopped her hair into a severe blonde pixie. But what she really owes her new life to is The Squad, the group of ride-or-die sisters-for-life survivors who have bonded over group therapy and stayed closely linked. They're always ready to assist one of their own in seeking the justice so often denied them.
Being stuck incognito on a luxury yacht with Eli might actually provide the opportunity for closure that Bailey has been waiting a decade for. As senior producer, she's in the perfect position to cast him and five members of The Squad as the female contestants on the show. As an all-new season of The Cruise sets sail, Bailey and her secret squad begin their own game for the ultimate prize: revenge.
This book was quite entertaining. I enjoyed the plot of getting revenge on a man who had wronged someone no matter how many years it has been. This book laid out clearly and concisely how traumatic something can be, whether it be attempted or fully followed through and accomplished on the villians side. I honestly had no idea how much rape/SA was going to be brought up and discussed in this book, so I will definitely say to anyone wanting to listen to this audiobook that is triggered by rape/SA to please not listen unless you know you will be ok and have a good mental stability. I have read about so much different stuff, stuff that would have someone question your mentality 😅, but even for me rape/SA are really hard to hear or read about. Now, again the plot was good and I liked the feeling that the game show gave vibes of Big Brother. I did find myself caught between crossroads however on this book as even though the plot was there and it kept me entertained and enthralled, I found Bailey to be very contradictory. Her being a producer means that she doesn't mind the drama and finding things out and exposing some weaknesses of contestants, but since her girls were on board she didn't want to do any of that to them but if it were anyone else she didn't care and she brings this up within the book. As time went on she also got very messy with her revenge plan, she could've already lost her job with all the stuff she pulled and lies she told. She had to almost lose one of her girls forever to wake up and realize that she needed to calm down and talk to the squad about these things and talk out ideas or plans for her revenge. The revenge scene also seemed anticlimactic unfortunately. I almost wished for more to have happened as it felt like it was done and over with quickly but yet it took us so long to get to that very point. Now, dont get me wrong the revenge still left plenty satisfied but I just personally expected more. Unfortunately these few things had me rating the book 3.5 stars but I will say that it was plenty entertaining and kept my full attention the whole time. I was kept on the edge of my seat with anxiety for Bailey and her girls hoping that they would be successful. Im happy with the ending and the happy ending for Bailey. I would honestly like to see more books that branch off from this book that revolve around the other girls, maybe and hopefully the author is thinking about writing about the girls as well.
It’s taken a lot for Bailey to make something of her life and to heal from her adolescent trauma. She's changed her name and chopped her hair into a severe blonde pixie. But what she really owes her new life to is The Squad, the group of ride-or-die sisters-for-life survivors who have bonded over group therapy and stayed closely linked. They're always ready to assist one of their own in seeking the justice so often denied them.
Being stuck incognito on a luxury yacht with Eli might actually provide the opportunity for closure that Bailey has been waiting a decade for. As senior producer, she's in the perfect position to cast him and five members of The Squad as the female contestants on the show. As an all-new season of The Cruise sets sail, Bailey and her secret squad begin their own game for the ultimate prize: revenge.
This book was quite entertaining. I enjoyed the plot of getting revenge on a man who had wronged someone no matter how many years it has been. This book laid out clearly and concisely how traumatic something can be, whether it be attempted or fully followed through and accomplished on the villians side. I honestly had no idea how much rape/SA was going to be brought up and discussed in this book, so I will definitely say to anyone wanting to listen to this audiobook that is triggered by rape/SA to please not listen unless you know you will be ok and have a good mental stability. I have read about so much different stuff, stuff that would have someone question your mentality 😅, but even for me rape/SA are really hard to hear or read about. Now, again the plot was good and I liked the feeling that the game show gave vibes of Big Brother. I did find myself caught between crossroads however on this book as even though the plot was there and it kept me entertained and enthralled, I found Bailey to be very contradictory. Her being a producer means that she doesn't mind the drama and finding things out and exposing some weaknesses of contestants, but since her girls were on board she didn't want to do any of that to them but if it were anyone else she didn't care and she brings this up within the book. As time went on she also got very messy with her revenge plan, she could've already lost her job with all the stuff she pulled and lies she told. She had to almost lose one of her girls forever to wake up and realize that she needed to calm down and talk to the squad about these things and talk out ideas or plans for her revenge. The revenge scene also seemed anticlimactic unfortunately. I almost wished for more to have happened as it felt like it was done and over with quickly but yet it took us so long to get to that very point. Now, dont get me wrong the revenge still left plenty satisfied but I just personally expected more. Unfortunately these few things had me rating the book 3.5 stars but I will say that it was plenty entertaining and kept my full attention the whole time. I was kept on the edge of my seat with anxiety for Bailey and her girls hoping that they would be successful. Im happy with the ending and the happy ending for Bailey. I would honestly like to see more books that branch off from this book that revolve around the other girls, maybe and hopefully the author is thinking about writing about the girls as well.
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