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The Cruise

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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.

Audible Audio

Published September 2, 2025

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Naima Brown

6 books58 followers

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5 stars
196 (15%)
4 stars
488 (37%)
3 stars
465 (35%)
2 stars
117 (9%)
1 star
26 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
Profile Image for Stacey.
411 reviews57 followers
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
Profile Image for Sherwood Smith.
Author 169 books37.6k followers
Read
September 17, 2025
I 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.
Profile Image for Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) .
984 reviews258 followers
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.
Profile Image for ♤Tonya Johnson♡.
773 reviews22 followers
March 8, 2026
Free listen on Audible that ended up being good!! A full cast of narrators made it even better.
Profile Image for Vanya.
158 reviews15 followers
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.
Profile Image for Lois .
2,436 reviews637 followers
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.
Profile Image for Dixie.
251 reviews6 followers
September 22, 2025
This book was not bad. It just needs a one giant trigger warning. Like the entire freaking thing.
Profile Image for Brandon Gilbert.
215 reviews
October 4, 2025
I’ve never read a book like this. I really enjoyed. Five stars wasn’t enough.
Profile Image for Chloe Frisby.
22 reviews10 followers
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.
Profile Image for Hayley Calvert.
51 reviews
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.
Profile Image for Noa.
64 reviews1 follower
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
Profile Image for Erika Miller.
316 reviews
September 8, 2025
This was really good...included with an audible subscription. I enjoyed the full cast.
Profile Image for Anne.
232 reviews1 follower
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
Profile Image for Abby.
534 reviews1 follower
October 20, 2025
2.25: if I hear “the squad” one more time I’m going to explode
Profile Image for Just D.
222 reviews9 followers
September 14, 2025
Intriguing. Kept me until the end but didn't go where expected. Check your triggers.
Profile Image for Jay  Ward A.K.A. Chris Chambers.
311 reviews2 followers
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!”
46 reviews3 followers
Read
October 13, 2025
This 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.
Profile Image for Shelley Amar.
105 reviews
September 9, 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..
54 reviews
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.
Profile Image for Caitlin.
79 reviews3 followers
January 16, 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
1 review
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.
Profile Image for Vanessa Astle.
61 reviews
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.
Profile Image for Morgan.
168 reviews
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.
Profile Image for I’m reading.
477 reviews1 follower
March 8, 2026
This was a really good read that touches a lot of deep traumatic situations for many women.
TRIGGER WARNERS : SA, attempted rape, rape, grooming, domestic abuse, and school shooting.



POSSIBLE SPOILERS……..:.::.. POSSIBLE SPOILERS






This is the classic truth of people in position and people in power taking advantage of those without power/position. Women not being believed and those not being held accountable.

“The Squad” comes to play in this book. It consists of 6 women who were taking advantage of and one survivor of school shooting. They get their revenge.

From book summery ;

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. Shes 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, shes 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.
The complete list of narrators includes:
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kianna Ford.
2 reviews
February 20, 2026
There were certain elements of this story that I loved, but other parts gave adult Disney channel vibes. I liked the squad’s background stories because it helped me understand their motivations and gave women who were victims a powerful voice. As a reality TV watcher, I also liked how this took place on a competition show. I felt like I could easily see how this would be a set up for a great ending.

The book started losing steam for me when the poor decision-making from the main character was always magically excused and the love story that threw a wrench in the plan made me gag. It went from a hip, female-rage revenge story to a corny quickly. The problems the main character had to navigate felt so manufactured, as if they’re only there because they HAD to be. She didn’t learn anything new or think strategically at all. I didn’t love the ending either. The way the mission was completed and the explanation of what happened after made me roll my eyes so hard. Everything was so unbelievable, which in fiction is fine, but this book didn’t start off that way in my opinion.

The volcano story sent me over the edge LOL.

Two stars for girl power though 🩷
Profile Image for Evelyn Wambui.
46 reviews1 follower
November 2, 2025
I did the audio for this one and wow! That was a piece of audio theatre - 17 actors performed this audio book it was an audio book performance! I’m not sure I’d have read read it if that was the option but boy I’m I glad I listened to this one!

I also loved the storyline…the story went exactly where it was meant to, no twists or turns…for someone who is used to major twists, I kept looking for them but in the end appreciated that they made no effort to…

Also, doesn’t everyone need a ‘squad’! It was great to hear its premise and all the backstories that made the ladies part of the squad.

As for Laura…hmmm. I know they said it was a trauma reaction but giiiiirrrrlll!!! Considering everything Bailey did when she called for her mission???!!! Girl stepped out baaad!!!!! Would have wanted to hear more about her in the end but understood why she had to step out after losing track of the mission’s focus!

An overall 4 star for me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Brenda TXLassy88.
92 reviews1 follower
November 16, 2025
Let’s start with my response: “Well, damn!”

This story covers multiple accounts from different characters on some very hard topics regarding violence against women. So please go into this story with a clear head and good mental health.

This story is one of the most edge-of-your-seat stories I’ve read/heard thus far. The level these ladies have gone to in order to bring just once to their abusers is next level on another planet. But The Cruise follows one character’s, Sarah (Bailey throughout the story), plot for renegade justice.

The story begins with one of the abusers, Teddy Griffin, Gianna’s abuser, being released after serving only 6 of a 39 year prison sentence. Gianna tells Bailey her story, not knowing she had indirectly set in motion a series of events that would change her life and forever link her to the squad.

Give The Cruise a listen on audible to find out how.
Profile Image for Sylvie Rochon.
2,540 reviews
September 17, 2025
I loved the uniqueness of this audible original! Bailey Collins is a producer fod the reality-tv show the Cruise. The TV show has 5 woman and 5 men contestants vying for the grand prize of 500,000$. But while searching for the season 2 contestants, Bailey discovers that one of the people hoping to be chosen for the show is Eli Murphy, the guy who sexually assaulted her on prom night years ago. Bailey enlists her gang of women friends, fellow abuse survivors to help her get revenge. I thought the stories being told about each victim were done delicately and with great realism. It had great social commentary and highlighted the power of women when they band together. Loved the full cast audiobook!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews