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Safari Murder Party
In this darkly funny, slightly unhinged, heart-pounding thriller, two office rivals must team up to escape wild animals and even wilder coworkers on a corporate retreat gone wrong.
Fletcher Spence is dying for a promotion. And her colleagues are more than happy to oblige.
After three years working seventy-hour weeks as assistant to the most terrifying CEO in the magazine world, Fletcher finally finagled a spot on Cartwright Media’s annual corporate retreat—a famously luxurious week on the Cartwrights’ private island, where promotions are handed out like party favors. And her plan to snag her dream job as a travel magazine photographer was going great...until her boss’s dramatic death reveals his last will and Whoever survives the week will inherit the company.
So now she’s stuck on her billionaire boss’s safari park island, surrounded by wild animals and on the run from coworkers who’ve swapped coffee cups for machetes and briefcases for hunting rifles.
To Fletcher’s dismay, her only ally might be her boss’s insufferably gorgeous son, Waylon Cartwright. Despite their hostile history, Fletcher is at least 80 percent sure he won’t try to kill her this week. Plus, his experience on the island might come in handy while they fend off lions and tigers and...marketing executives? Oh my.
While Fletcher battles her own ambitions and her unexpected attraction to Waylon, her power-hungry, bloodthirsty colleagues will do anything to stop them from escaping with their lives. Everyone knows the media industry is cutthroat, but in this safari party, it’s never been more true.
Fletcher Spence is dying for a promotion. And her colleagues are more than happy to oblige.
After three years working seventy-hour weeks as assistant to the most terrifying CEO in the magazine world, Fletcher finally finagled a spot on Cartwright Media’s annual corporate retreat—a famously luxurious week on the Cartwrights’ private island, where promotions are handed out like party favors. And her plan to snag her dream job as a travel magazine photographer was going great...until her boss’s dramatic death reveals his last will and Whoever survives the week will inherit the company.
So now she’s stuck on her billionaire boss’s safari park island, surrounded by wild animals and on the run from coworkers who’ve swapped coffee cups for machetes and briefcases for hunting rifles.
To Fletcher’s dismay, her only ally might be her boss’s insufferably gorgeous son, Waylon Cartwright. Despite their hostile history, Fletcher is at least 80 percent sure he won’t try to kill her this week. Plus, his experience on the island might come in handy while they fend off lions and tigers and...marketing executives? Oh my.
While Fletcher battles her own ambitions and her unexpected attraction to Waylon, her power-hungry, bloodthirsty colleagues will do anything to stop them from escaping with their lives. Everyone knows the media industry is cutthroat, but in this safari party, it’s never been more true.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2026
About the author
Rachel Moore
3 books579 followersRachel Moore is the author of high-stakes, genre-blending novels. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and two cats she’s violently allergic to. (The cats, not the husband.) On the rare occasion she isn’t writing happy endings, you can find her collecting dictionaries, drinking entirely too much coffee, and drifting through the library stacks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 382 reviews
June 2, 2026
What a fun, wild ride! A darkly comedic combo of survival thriller and corporate satire with a hefty dose of romance, Safari Murder Party was a rollicking good time from beginning to end. From the laugh-out-loud-funny dialogue to the diabolical cat-and-mouse games, this adult debut had everything I could want in a palate-cleansing-ish kind of read. I mean, even the characters were absolutely flawless. Running the gamut from sweet and endearing to manipulative and evil, I had a blast trying to work out who the worst of the bunch was as bodies started dropping like flies. A deliciously unhinged romp through a Succession-meets-Survivor-like story, there were also a couple of steamy moments that will make you weak at the knees. After all, this unlikely duo was perfect romcom material.
So what was it about this genre-bending tale that won me over so completely? Well, on top of the action-packed plot, witty characters, and hilarious hijinks was a storyline that explored greed, agency, love, and ambition. Utilizing satire in the best possible way, it had me grinning with glee as I flew through the pages all while my mind churned away. By the end of this wickedly funny novel, however, it was the blend of slasher and romcom vibes that did me in. After all, not every author could pull that kind of combo off like Ms. Moore did. Addictive, thrilling, and beyond original, it’s sure to work just as well for a mystery/thriller lover as it will for a romance reader. A campy, corporate-retreat-gone-wrong story, this book was an absolute blast from start to finish. Go get it now. Rating of 4.5 stars.
Other things I loved:
- Enemies-to-lovers romance
- Glass Onion feel
- Whodunnit-ish vibe
- Isolated locked-room setting
- Sarcastic banter
- Suspicious characters
- Punchy chapters
- Fast-paced plot
- Oodles of scheming liars
SYNOPSIS:
After three years working seventy-hour weeks as assistant to the most terrifying CEO in the magazine world, Fletcher finally finagled a spot on Cartwright Media’s annual corporate retreat—a famously luxurious week on the Cartwrights’ private island, where promotions are handed out like party favors. And her plan to snag her dream job as a travel magazine photographer was going great...until her boss’s dramatic death reveals his last will and testament: Whoever survives the week will inherit the company.
So now she’s stuck on her billionaire boss’s safari park island, surrounded by wild animals and on the run from coworkers who’ve swapped coffee cups for machetes and briefcases for hunting rifles.
To Fletcher’s dismay, her only ally might be her boss’s insufferably gorgeous son, Waylon Cartwright. Despite their hostile history, Fletcher is at least 80 percent sure he won’t try to kill her this week. Plus, his experience on the island might come in handy while they fend off lions and tigers and...marketing executives? Oh my.
While Fletcher battles her own ambitions and her unexpected attraction to Waylon, her power-hungry, bloodthirsty colleagues will do anything to stop them from escaping with their lives. Everyone knows the media industry is cutthroat, but in this safari party, it’s never been more true.
Thank you Rachel Moore and Berkley Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: May 19, 2026
Content warning: death, murder, gun violence, violence, fire, sexual content, car accident, mention of: terminal illness
So what was it about this genre-bending tale that won me over so completely? Well, on top of the action-packed plot, witty characters, and hilarious hijinks was a storyline that explored greed, agency, love, and ambition. Utilizing satire in the best possible way, it had me grinning with glee as I flew through the pages all while my mind churned away. By the end of this wickedly funny novel, however, it was the blend of slasher and romcom vibes that did me in. After all, not every author could pull that kind of combo off like Ms. Moore did. Addictive, thrilling, and beyond original, it’s sure to work just as well for a mystery/thriller lover as it will for a romance reader. A campy, corporate-retreat-gone-wrong story, this book was an absolute blast from start to finish. Go get it now. Rating of 4.5 stars.
Other things I loved:
- Enemies-to-lovers romance
- Glass Onion feel
- Whodunnit-ish vibe
- Isolated locked-room setting
- Sarcastic banter
- Suspicious characters
- Punchy chapters
- Fast-paced plot
- Oodles of scheming liars
SYNOPSIS:
After three years working seventy-hour weeks as assistant to the most terrifying CEO in the magazine world, Fletcher finally finagled a spot on Cartwright Media’s annual corporate retreat—a famously luxurious week on the Cartwrights’ private island, where promotions are handed out like party favors. And her plan to snag her dream job as a travel magazine photographer was going great...until her boss’s dramatic death reveals his last will and testament: Whoever survives the week will inherit the company.
So now she’s stuck on her billionaire boss’s safari park island, surrounded by wild animals and on the run from coworkers who’ve swapped coffee cups for machetes and briefcases for hunting rifles.
To Fletcher’s dismay, her only ally might be her boss’s insufferably gorgeous son, Waylon Cartwright. Despite their hostile history, Fletcher is at least 80 percent sure he won’t try to kill her this week. Plus, his experience on the island might come in handy while they fend off lions and tigers and...marketing executives? Oh my.
While Fletcher battles her own ambitions and her unexpected attraction to Waylon, her power-hungry, bloodthirsty colleagues will do anything to stop them from escaping with their lives. Everyone knows the media industry is cutthroat, but in this safari party, it’s never been more true.
Thank you Rachel Moore and Berkley Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: May 19, 2026
Content warning: death, murder, gun violence, violence, fire, sexual content, car accident, mention of: terminal illness
October 27, 2025
This book reminds me of glass onion - camp, a bit silly, but also such a fun time. I loved Richard Connelly’s The Dangerous Game when I read it in high school, so the advertising of this was right up my alley.
While stylistically this is quite different from classic literature, it’s a solid book writing wise, although a bit slow at the start. The actual premise is very similar, but has some stylistic elements of a romcom and who-dunnit that make for a really compelling read.
Fletcher and Waylon are really solid characters, and while their hatred maybe seemed a bit contrived in places, their romance felt very fitting and managed to not feel out of place.
Given how “wild” the premise of this was, Moore handled the various moments of conflict and high tension extremely well without breaking the overall tone of the book. It has thrilling scenes without feeling like a thriller.
From what I’ve heard about in terms of the Inheritance games, I think this book would be something fans of those would really like - and if you haven’t read those (like me) but you have watched the Knives Out movies, I can say for sure that you’ll love this.
There’s one scene that would push this toward adult audiences in age just as an fyi, but if you’re someone who prefers to avoid spice, it’s definitely something you can skip without issue in this one and still have a great read. And if you don’t mind spice or even want it in your books, it’s well written and fits the story well.
Would definitely recommend and can’t wait to add to my shelves once this comes out!
Thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
While stylistically this is quite different from classic literature, it’s a solid book writing wise, although a bit slow at the start. The actual premise is very similar, but has some stylistic elements of a romcom and who-dunnit that make for a really compelling read.
Fletcher and Waylon are really solid characters, and while their hatred maybe seemed a bit contrived in places, their romance felt very fitting and managed to not feel out of place.
Given how “wild” the premise of this was, Moore handled the various moments of conflict and high tension extremely well without breaking the overall tone of the book. It has thrilling scenes without feeling like a thriller.
From what I’ve heard about in terms of the Inheritance games, I think this book would be something fans of those would really like - and if you haven’t read those (like me) but you have watched the Knives Out movies, I can say for sure that you’ll love this.
There’s one scene that would push this toward adult audiences in age just as an fyi, but if you’re someone who prefers to avoid spice, it’s definitely something you can skip without issue in this one and still have a great read. And if you don’t mind spice or even want it in your books, it’s well written and fits the story well.
Would definitely recommend and can’t wait to add to my shelves once this comes out!
Thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
lost-interest
June 6, 2026"...author's adult debut, pitched as THE LOST CITY meets THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME..."
why 2026 😭
why 2026 😭
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5/5
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkely for the e-arc!
Final Destination meets Hallmark’s A Safari Romance in Rachel Moore’s adult debut, and it was a wild ride. Part satire and part romance, I think my biggest issue is that this book tries to be very unserious in some aspects and then completely serious and sincere in others, which just makes the narrative sort of uncomfortably balance between these two opposites. The satire of corporate America is almost too unserious at times, which kind of makes its critiques get lost in the Final Destination-esque deaths of so many characters.
While all of this critique is happening, we have a romantic sub-plot going on that for better or worse plays as if it’s just come out of a Hallmark movie (with the addition of sexual tension and a well written sex scene). The reason for the dislike between Waylon and Fletcher is very much a let-down and not at all as serious as you’d think, and I’m not sure if some satire is supposed to come out of their first meeting. The dislike parts of their relationship last way longer than is needed, and the rest of their relationship sort of happens too fast, but it has such a Hallmark quality to it that I wasn’t too off put by it. Even down to the third act conflict it screamed Hallmark to me. I think that for what we get, it’s a cute romance, but it didn’t make me think they were going to end up together forever.
Fletcher as a main character is also so Hallmark coded that it kind of made me laugh. Her entire arc of learning what she really wants from life and her job mirrors SO many romance movies that it didn’t really leave me feeling that inspired. I liked Fletcher but I didn’t really understand her (possibly because I have no corporate ambitions). I also think that sometimes her inner monologue in 3rd person could get to be a bit heavy. Waylon is a well developed love interest, and character in his own right, but he does not deviate from the character archetype of lonely rich boy who’s always used for his money. Is this a compelling archetype that I’ll always enjoy? Yes! Does it make the story somewhat predictable? Also yes! I could basically predict all of his reactions to situations which is fine, but not something I love in a novel.
Now, the concept of the book as a whole is unique and fresh. The pacing is really well done, and the sequence of deaths is very entertaining to read. The descriptions of the island are SO vivid and I really did feel as if I was right there (this would make a great airplane movie). The amount of pop culture references are specific to this time and to a certain audience. I do wonder how this book will come across 10 years from now, when a lot of these references will be out of date. And some are references to rich people things I had to google LOL so there is that.
With so many employees to kill off, some of the logic behind everyone turning murderous requires frequent reminders that this is a satire, but the satire is sometimes, as I said, really lost in the mix. The end is so abrupt and convenient that I was a bit let-down. Just like a Hallmark film, everything is wrapped up very neatly, which although provides satisfaction for the romance and arc of Fletcher, leaves the satire of corporate America still up in the air.
This is ultimately a really fun book still, with some great writing, and I’m excited for what Rachel writes next!!
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkely for the e-arc!
Final Destination meets Hallmark’s A Safari Romance in Rachel Moore’s adult debut, and it was a wild ride. Part satire and part romance, I think my biggest issue is that this book tries to be very unserious in some aspects and then completely serious and sincere in others, which just makes the narrative sort of uncomfortably balance between these two opposites. The satire of corporate America is almost too unserious at times, which kind of makes its critiques get lost in the Final Destination-esque deaths of so many characters.
While all of this critique is happening, we have a romantic sub-plot going on that for better or worse plays as if it’s just come out of a Hallmark movie (with the addition of sexual tension and a well written sex scene). The reason for the dislike between Waylon and Fletcher is very much a let-down and not at all as serious as you’d think, and I’m not sure if some satire is supposed to come out of their first meeting. The dislike parts of their relationship last way longer than is needed, and the rest of their relationship sort of happens too fast, but it has such a Hallmark quality to it that I wasn’t too off put by it. Even down to the third act conflict it screamed Hallmark to me. I think that for what we get, it’s a cute romance, but it didn’t make me think they were going to end up together forever.
Fletcher as a main character is also so Hallmark coded that it kind of made me laugh. Her entire arc of learning what she really wants from life and her job mirrors SO many romance movies that it didn’t really leave me feeling that inspired. I liked Fletcher but I didn’t really understand her (possibly because I have no corporate ambitions). I also think that sometimes her inner monologue in 3rd person could get to be a bit heavy. Waylon is a well developed love interest, and character in his own right, but he does not deviate from the character archetype of lonely rich boy who’s always used for his money. Is this a compelling archetype that I’ll always enjoy? Yes! Does it make the story somewhat predictable? Also yes! I could basically predict all of his reactions to situations which is fine, but not something I love in a novel.
Now, the concept of the book as a whole is unique and fresh. The pacing is really well done, and the sequence of deaths is very entertaining to read. The descriptions of the island are SO vivid and I really did feel as if I was right there (this would make a great airplane movie). The amount of pop culture references are specific to this time and to a certain audience. I do wonder how this book will come across 10 years from now, when a lot of these references will be out of date. And some are references to rich people things I had to google LOL so there is that.
With so many employees to kill off, some of the logic behind everyone turning murderous requires frequent reminders that this is a satire, but the satire is sometimes, as I said, really lost in the mix. The end is so abrupt and convenient that I was a bit let-down. Just like a Hallmark film, everything is wrapped up very neatly, which although provides satisfaction for the romance and arc of Fletcher, leaves the satire of corporate America still up in the air.
This is ultimately a really fun book still, with some great writing, and I’m excited for what Rachel writes next!!
Did Not Finish
June 8, 2026DNF: 8%
This feels like a Rom-Com disguised as Horror Novel?!?!
I guess…
Fletcher Spence and Waylon Cartwright had me cringing way too much and I only managed two chapters.
Plus, what is up with authors needing to make the guy come off as a jerk so quickly in their books. 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️.
~~~~~~~
***Pre-Read:*** Now that my reading slump is over, all my Libby holds are ready to be seen. 🤭🤭🤭. Let’s see if I can play catch up and read this in 3 days. 😬😬😬.
This feels like a Rom-Com disguised as Horror Novel?!?!
I guess…
Fletcher Spence and Waylon Cartwright had me cringing way too much and I only managed two chapters.
Plus, what is up with authors needing to make the guy come off as a jerk so quickly in their books. 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️.
~~~~~~~
March 30, 2026
I should have chosen to love myself and just DNF’d this book.
I’m so disappointed because the premise of this book sounded so fun & hilarious and seemed a lot like Ready or Not. (I saw a lot of people say Final Destination and while I can see that comparison, I’m not sure I agree with it, personally.)
My main issues with the book were I didn’t gel with the author’s sense of humor (Fletcher abstained from murder, even though the cocktail forks were right there.), the writing was something that would have made me laugh when I was in my late teens/early twenties, but not so much anymore. No one will be surprised to hear this but I also did not like the relationship between Waylon & Fletcher. Maybe I don’t believe they could say they love each other so quickly (6 months!) after surviving wild animals & murderous employees/coworkers because I’ve never trauma bonded with someone in that way before but everything just happened between them too fast 😭 And finally I did see character growth in Fletcher but I would have liked to see her some kind of open and honest conversation with Kent. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone else but I’m not sure hanging up on someone counts as breaking up with them?
I think you’ll like this book if you enjoy lots of quippy one liners and if you are definitely way more of a romance reader than I am 😂
I promise I was very excited to read this book and unfortunately it just didn’t work for me at all but my one star read could be your five star!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m so disappointed because the premise of this book sounded so fun & hilarious and seemed a lot like Ready or Not. (I saw a lot of people say Final Destination and while I can see that comparison, I’m not sure I agree with it, personally.)
My main issues with the book were I didn’t gel with the author’s sense of humor (Fletcher abstained from murder, even though the cocktail forks were right there.), the writing was something that would have made me laugh when I was in my late teens/early twenties, but not so much anymore. No one will be surprised to hear this but I also did not like the relationship between Waylon & Fletcher. Maybe I don’t believe they could say they love each other so quickly (6 months!) after surviving wild animals & murderous employees/coworkers because I’ve never trauma bonded with someone in that way before but everything just happened between them too fast 😭 And finally I did see character growth in Fletcher but I would have liked to see her some kind of open and honest conversation with Kent. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone else but I’m not sure hanging up on someone counts as breaking up with them?
I think you’ll like this book if you enjoy lots of quippy one liners and if you are definitely way more of a romance reader than I am 😂
I promise I was very excited to read this book and unfortunately it just didn’t work for me at all but my one star read could be your five star!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Rachel Moore for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
4⭐️ | 3.5🌶️
This book had a lot going for it, but pacing definitely wasn’t one of them. The first 30% was honestly a struggle for me. I understood why the backstory was necessary, but it dragged enough that I almost put the book down more than once. Thankfully, once things finally clicked into place, the story really turned around.
And when it turns around? It goes.
The premise is super unique and honestly kind of unhinged in the best way possible. This book felt like if The Office and The Hunger Games had a chaotic, blood-soaked baby together. The humor mixed with the darkness worked really well for me, and the writing was incredibly vivid. The gore is graphic, detailed, and genuinely exciting without feeling overdone. Once the action starts picking up, the book becomes very hard to put down.
I also really appreciated how witty this story was. Even during some brutal moments, there’s this sharp humor running underneath everything that kept me entertained. The spice is tasteful and there’s more than enough there to remind you this is very much an adult story. Honestly, the violence probably does that too 😅
The ending and overall second half were definitely the strongest parts for me. I had a genuinely fun time with this book once it found its footing, and I’m glad I stuck with it. I’d absolutely recommend it, especially if you go in expecting a slower setup before the chaos fully erupts.
4⭐️ | 3.5🌶️
This book had a lot going for it, but pacing definitely wasn’t one of them. The first 30% was honestly a struggle for me. I understood why the backstory was necessary, but it dragged enough that I almost put the book down more than once. Thankfully, once things finally clicked into place, the story really turned around.
And when it turns around? It goes.
The premise is super unique and honestly kind of unhinged in the best way possible. This book felt like if The Office and The Hunger Games had a chaotic, blood-soaked baby together. The humor mixed with the darkness worked really well for me, and the writing was incredibly vivid. The gore is graphic, detailed, and genuinely exciting without feeling overdone. Once the action starts picking up, the book becomes very hard to put down.
I also really appreciated how witty this story was. Even during some brutal moments, there’s this sharp humor running underneath everything that kept me entertained. The spice is tasteful and there’s more than enough there to remind you this is very much an adult story. Honestly, the violence probably does that too 😅
The ending and overall second half were definitely the strongest parts for me. I had a genuinely fun time with this book once it found its footing, and I’m glad I stuck with it. I’d absolutely recommend it, especially if you go in expecting a slower setup before the chaos fully erupts.
October 12, 2025
• My Reading Experience: So Fun!!!
• Book Spice: Level 1 (one chapter)
• Adjusted Rating: 4.5 stars!!!
• POV: 3rd Person / Single
• Content Thoughts:
First off, don’t let anyone tell you that begging for an ARC doesn’t work 😂
Thank you so much, Berkley! This is my first approved ARC from you all, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Now, onto the book. Rachel is such a fantastic author. I love the plots she creates and how she tells her stories in a way that’s both intriguing and genuinely funny. Who would’ve thought a murder party could make you laugh this much? 😂
This book felt like a love letter to the cutthroat, kill-or-be-killed world of corporate America. As a 9-to-5er myself, I related to so many of the FMC’s thoughts and frustrations. But wow, this story was wiiiiiiiiiiild in all the best ways.
Reading it gave me the same chaotic, hilarious energy as The Lovebirds and Glass Onion—not because of the plot itself, but because of that perfect blend of serious stakes and peak comedy.
I enjoyed every moment of this book, and one thing I know for sure is that anything with Rachel Moore’s name on the cover, I’ll be reading every single time 🙂↕️
Again, thank you Berkley Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
🧚 Disclaimer: My reviews and ratings are always true and honest and reflect MY experience while reading the book. YOU may have the same or a totally different experience. 🧚
• Book Spice: Level 1 (one chapter)
• Adjusted Rating: 4.5 stars!!!
• POV: 3rd Person / Single
• Content Thoughts:
First off, don’t let anyone tell you that begging for an ARC doesn’t work 😂
Thank you so much, Berkley! This is my first approved ARC from you all, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Now, onto the book. Rachel is such a fantastic author. I love the plots she creates and how she tells her stories in a way that’s both intriguing and genuinely funny. Who would’ve thought a murder party could make you laugh this much? 😂
This book felt like a love letter to the cutthroat, kill-or-be-killed world of corporate America. As a 9-to-5er myself, I related to so many of the FMC’s thoughts and frustrations. But wow, this story was wiiiiiiiiiiild in all the best ways.
Reading it gave me the same chaotic, hilarious energy as The Lovebirds and Glass Onion—not because of the plot itself, but because of that perfect blend of serious stakes and peak comedy.
I enjoyed every moment of this book, and one thing I know for sure is that anything with Rachel Moore’s name on the cover, I’ll be reading every single time 🙂↕️
Again, thank you Berkley Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
🧚 Disclaimer: My reviews and ratings are always true and honest and reflect MY experience while reading the book. YOU may have the same or a totally different experience. 🧚
November 14, 2025
What if your office brownnosers were actually willing to kill to get ahead?
If you've ever worked in a corporate environment, you should enjoy this. The author takes office politics to a whole new level with an absolute kill-fest.
Expect toxic personalities, a bit of gruesomeness and a wholesome main character who realizes that she actually has a backbone when things get tough.
There's a little spicy romance, a couple of adorable wild animals (want!) and some legitimately funny situations.
Today, I'm back in the office wondering how I can get out of going to my next corporate function. You see Michele, is fine...but Michelle (2 L's)? I think she'd feed me to the lions.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
* ARC via Publisher
If you've ever worked in a corporate environment, you should enjoy this. The author takes office politics to a whole new level with an absolute kill-fest.
Expect toxic personalities, a bit of gruesomeness and a wholesome main character who realizes that she actually has a backbone when things get tough.
There's a little spicy romance, a couple of adorable wild animals (want!) and some legitimately funny situations.
Today, I'm back in the office wondering how I can get out of going to my next corporate function. You see Michele, is fine...but Michelle (2 L's)? I think she'd feed me to the lions.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
* ARC via Publisher
Read
June 8, 2026This was such a good time. Read it!
May 28, 2026
Đọc tóm tắt nội dung mình thấy truyện có concept khá độc đáo và mới lạ, và mình liên tưởng ngay đến bộ phim Send Help (2026) - một bộ phim thriller rất hay mọi người nên xem nhé. Đúng hơn là truyện này là sự kết hợp giữa Send Help và phim Ready or Not (cũng lại là một bộ phim hài đen siêu hay). Thử tưởng tượng một nhóm quản lý cấp cao của một tập đoàn truyền thông lớn bị mắc kẹt trên một hòn đảo và phải cạnh tranh để được thừa kế tập đoàn triệu đô thì sẽ thế nào?
Concept hay là vậy nhưng phần triển khai không được mĩ mãn cho lắm. Nhân vật chính Fletcher - trợ lý trung thành của CEO - cố gắng chen chân vào chuyến đi thường niên của cấp lãnh đạo tới hòn đảo thuộc quyền sở hữu riêng của CEO vì chuyến đi này thường kết thúc bằng việc những người tham gia được thăng chức. Fletcher nuôi mộng trở thành nhiếp ảnh gia bao nhiêu năm nay, cô làm việc kiệt sức đến quên mình để chứng tỏ khả năng và tìm cơ hội để làm việc cho tạp chí Jet-Setter thuộc quyền quản lý của tập đoàn. Tài năng nhiếp ảnh của Fletcher không thực sự được thể hiện nhiều nên mình không rõ liệu cô có xứng đáng được chuyển sang làm nhiếp ảnh gia không, nhưng phải nói cô là một trợ lý giám đốc vô cùng xuất sắc. Cô nắm rõ lịch trình, thói quen, tính cách, sinh hoạt của từng cấp cao lãnh đạo trong công ty, không chỉ riêng của mỗi CEO. Và chính bộ nhớ lập trình hoàn hảo này đã giúp cô có thể sinh tồn trên hòn đảo toàn những con người lòng lang dạ thú. Mỗi tội là mình muốn những yếu tố này được tận dụng nhiều hơn trong truyện, Fletcher có thể sử dụng những kiến thức của mình để làm bẫy lừa hay dụ mấy người sếp kia chẳng hạn, thay vì bị động chỉ nhớ ra những chi tiết về đời tư của họ để bận bịu đi trốn.
Đọc tóm tắt nội dung là đủ hiểu truyện mang tính chất chế giễu châm biếm giới doanh nghiệp tư bản Mỹ. Mình thích cách tác giả khắc hoạ các quản lý trong công ty hiện lên đúng kiểu mất hết nhân tính, họ làm mọi cách để leo được nấc thang quyền lực trong công ty và điều đó được phơi bày luôn ngoài đảo hoang này, khi mà không còn lằn ranh đạo đức và nhân tính kiểm soát. Những vị sếp này là những con thú đầy bản năng, tham vọng, họ sẵn sàng dẹp tất cả những ai cản đường họ. Vì vậy mà Fletcher, chỉ với một tham vọng nhỏ nhoi là được làm nhiếp ảnh gia, chỉ biết trốn chui lủi và tìm cách thoát khỏi hòn đảo. Nhiều cái ch*ết của một số nhân vật rõ ràng là phi logic và có hơi hướng kiểu "chọn lọc tự nhiên" (khá là tình cờ) nhưng mình chấp nhận cuốn này không phải dạng nghiêm túc rồi. Có một cái nữa khá hay là khi có cơ hội là các vị quản lý cấp cao này bắt đầu huyên thuyên về những bất công, phẫn uất trong công việc của họ như một cách để giải toả và hợp lý hoá lý do gi*ết người trên đảo.
Bên cạnh đó có một mạch truyện lớn khác là truyện tình cảm của Fletcher và Waylon (con trai CEO, cũng kẹt trên đảo). Hai người có một lịch sử gặp nhau khá ngắn ngủi và khiến Fletcher có ấn tượng xấu về Waylon. Nhưng Fletcher vừa ghét vừa yêu Waylon, vì dù sao thì Waylon tuy mang tiếng là kẻ dụ dỗ phụ nữ nhưng thực chất là một anh chàng cô đơn ai cũng đến vì tiền và vì cái tên của anh ta. Nhân vật Waylon khá là khuôn mẫu, và chuyện tình giữa Fletcher và Waylon không tạo được cảm giác gì ở mình. Mình thấy khá mất thời gian đọc những đoạn Fletcher thầm nghĩ về cơ thể của Waylon đẹp thế nào hay là cảm xúc dâng trào khi Fletcher nhìn Waylon, vì mình không thấy thuyết phục về mối quan hệ tình ái của họ rồi nên đọc mấy đoạn vậy mình không cảm nhận được gì nhiều. Phần hồi 3 là cao trào, tìm ra kẻ chủ mưu và dĩ nhiên là người đọc dễ dàng đoán được là Waylon và Fletcher gặp nguy hiểm rồi cùng phối hợp với nhau triệt hạ kẻ xấu. Phần này mình thấy nó quá dài so với mức cần thiết.
Kết có hậu như một câu chuyện tình đáng yêu có yếu tố sinh tồn trong hoang dã, nhưng vẫn chưa thực sự giải quyết vấn đề phê phán văn hoá doanh nghiệp Mỹ là cái mà mình mong đợi nhất. Vấn đề lớn của truyện là phần trào phúng quá ít trong khi đó thì nhiều tình tiết lại khá là nghiêm túc, làm truyện mất đi sức nặng về việc châm biếm giới doanh nghiệp tư bản. À, đáng tiếc nữa là tạo sao tác giả không cho Fletcher cơ hội chứng tỏ rằng chính cô mới có thể điều hành cả cái tập đoàn này, làm cho bọn quản lý kia sáng mắt? Không có Fletcher quản lý nghiêm ngặt các lịch trình, hoạt động của các sếp, các nhân viên thì tập đoàn khó có thể vận hành trơn tru được.
Concept hay là vậy nhưng phần triển khai không được mĩ mãn cho lắm. Nhân vật chính Fletcher - trợ lý trung thành của CEO - cố gắng chen chân vào chuyến đi thường niên của cấp lãnh đạo tới hòn đảo thuộc quyền sở hữu riêng của CEO vì chuyến đi này thường kết thúc bằng việc những người tham gia được thăng chức. Fletcher nuôi mộng trở thành nhiếp ảnh gia bao nhiêu năm nay, cô làm việc kiệt sức đến quên mình để chứng tỏ khả năng và tìm cơ hội để làm việc cho tạp chí Jet-Setter thuộc quyền quản lý của tập đoàn. Tài năng nhiếp ảnh của Fletcher không thực sự được thể hiện nhiều nên mình không rõ liệu cô có xứng đáng được chuyển sang làm nhiếp ảnh gia không, nhưng phải nói cô là một trợ lý giám đốc vô cùng xuất sắc. Cô nắm rõ lịch trình, thói quen, tính cách, sinh hoạt của từng cấp cao lãnh đạo trong công ty, không chỉ riêng của mỗi CEO. Và chính bộ nhớ lập trình hoàn hảo này đã giúp cô có thể sinh tồn trên hòn đảo toàn những con người lòng lang dạ thú. Mỗi tội là mình muốn những yếu tố này được tận dụng nhiều hơn trong truyện, Fletcher có thể sử dụng những kiến thức của mình để làm bẫy lừa hay dụ mấy người sếp kia chẳng hạn, thay vì bị động chỉ nhớ ra những chi tiết về đời tư của họ để bận bịu đi trốn.
Đọc tóm tắt nội dung là đủ hiểu truyện mang tính chất chế giễu châm biếm giới doanh nghiệp tư bản Mỹ. Mình thích cách tác giả khắc hoạ các quản lý trong công ty hiện lên đúng kiểu mất hết nhân tính, họ làm mọi cách để leo được nấc thang quyền lực trong công ty và điều đó được phơi bày luôn ngoài đảo hoang này, khi mà không còn lằn ranh đạo đức và nhân tính kiểm soát. Những vị sếp này là những con thú đầy bản năng, tham vọng, họ sẵn sàng dẹp tất cả những ai cản đường họ. Vì vậy mà Fletcher, chỉ với một tham vọng nhỏ nhoi là được làm nhiếp ảnh gia, chỉ biết trốn chui lủi và tìm cách thoát khỏi hòn đảo. Nhiều cái ch*ết của một số nhân vật rõ ràng là phi logic và có hơi hướng kiểu "chọn lọc tự nhiên" (khá là tình cờ) nhưng mình chấp nhận cuốn này không phải dạng nghiêm túc rồi. Có một cái nữa khá hay là khi có cơ hội là các vị quản lý cấp cao này bắt đầu huyên thuyên về những bất công, phẫn uất trong công việc của họ như một cách để giải toả và hợp lý hoá lý do gi*ết người trên đảo.
Bên cạnh đó có một mạch truyện lớn khác là truyện tình cảm của Fletcher và Waylon (con trai CEO, cũng kẹt trên đảo). Hai người có một lịch sử gặp nhau khá ngắn ngủi và khiến Fletcher có ấn tượng xấu về Waylon. Nhưng Fletcher vừa ghét vừa yêu Waylon, vì dù sao thì Waylon tuy mang tiếng là kẻ dụ dỗ phụ nữ nhưng thực chất là một anh chàng cô đơn ai cũng đến vì tiền và vì cái tên của anh ta. Nhân vật Waylon khá là khuôn mẫu, và chuyện tình giữa Fletcher và Waylon không tạo được cảm giác gì ở mình. Mình thấy khá mất thời gian đọc những đoạn Fletcher thầm nghĩ về cơ thể của Waylon đẹp thế nào hay là cảm xúc dâng trào khi Fletcher nhìn Waylon, vì mình không thấy thuyết phục về mối quan hệ tình ái của họ rồi nên đọc mấy đoạn vậy mình không cảm nhận được gì nhiều. Phần hồi 3 là cao trào, tìm ra kẻ chủ mưu và dĩ nhiên là người đọc dễ dàng đoán được là Waylon và Fletcher gặp nguy hiểm rồi cùng phối hợp với nhau triệt hạ kẻ xấu. Phần này mình thấy nó quá dài so với mức cần thiết.
Kết có hậu như một câu chuyện tình đáng yêu có yếu tố sinh tồn trong hoang dã, nhưng vẫn chưa thực sự giải quyết vấn đề phê phán văn hoá doanh nghiệp Mỹ là cái mà mình mong đợi nhất. Vấn đề lớn của truyện là phần trào phúng quá ít trong khi đó thì nhiều tình tiết lại khá là nghiêm túc, làm truyện mất đi sức nặng về việc châm biếm giới doanh nghiệp tư bản. À, đáng tiếc nữa là tạo sao tác giả không cho Fletcher cơ hội chứng tỏ rằng chính cô mới có thể điều hành cả cái tập đoàn này, làm cho bọn quản lý kia sáng mắt? Không có Fletcher quản lý nghiêm ngặt các lịch trình, hoạt động của các sếp, các nhân viên thì tập đoàn khó có thể vận hành trơn tru được.
February 24, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
2.5 stars— entertaining but not for me
Pop culture/brand name drops
- Slack x2
- InDesign
- Lightroom
- Sweetgreen
- Neutrogena
- Oribe
- Reddit x2
- Instagram
- Plato’s Closet
- Monday Night Football
- Foghorn Leghorn
- Taylor Swift
- Consigned denim
- Zyrtec
- Cheetos
- Lululemon
- Uber
- Friends
- Condé Nast
- Butterball turkey
- Nordstrom Rack
- Boy math (but it’s actually Monte Carlo simulations)
- Edible Arrangements
- Being a girl’s girl
- Reeboks
- Evian
- Barbie
- Wicked
- Ratatouille
- Hunger Games
- Zoo Tycoon
- Doritos
- Jeggings
- Ariana grande
- Taskrabbit
- Batman
- Jumanji
- Steve Irwin
- Tesla Cybertrucks
- Prada
- The Lion King
- Peloton
- Baywatch
- Zoolander 2
- Chuck Norris
- “Yes Chef”
- Usain Bolt
- MTV Cribs
- Louboutins
- Weekend at Bernie’s
- Titanic
- “Deserved jail time”
- “Turning off the Big Light”
- “grabby hands”
Live notes (5% —)
- rude hometown boyfriend shackling her down ✅
- NGL he is making valid points…she’s working for pennies, doesn’t call home, refuses to discuss getting married to BF she’s been dating since they were 16…let him go girl
- In-depth discussion of NY housing market✅
- Partier gay best friend ✅
- damn breaking up w the bf is brutal already
- “The olives’ freaky little belly buttons” 😭?
- Evil ass boss destroying her camera on the tarmac bc he’s so mysterious and rich✅
- “Shania Twain’s voice punctuated her thoughts with a swift ‘let’s go girls’” SPAREEEE MEEEE
- Sales VP described as having “eyes that glimmered with greed”✅
- Paragraphs upon paragraphs about the corporate org chart…..IDC abt them
- MMC calling her a receptionist rather than executive assistant….i know what you are (misogyny)
- Equally evil CFO/CTOs mocking Fletcher for being poor✅
- Bro’s name is WAYLON and all he does is smirk and kick his feet up and be more smirky in doorways while said CFO/CTO call her a charity case
- God Fletcher is so WHINYYYYYY stomping and going UGH in her head when Waylon (easily) manages to one-up her banter
- “That was on her for being a Type 9 Ennegram” girl GROW A SPINE
- How much stomping, truly, can one girl do?
- FMC being a bitch to the intern✅
- “His dickwaddedness spurred her back into motion” just please, for the love of God, use normal curse words
- Of course evil rude marketing man is so evil because he’s fat— he couldn’t possibly be skinny or toned or ANYTHING other than described as having an “obtrusive stomach” and be evil
- So the CEO, rather than treating his cancer, decides to gather the 13 best people at the company, jet out to his private island, let the lions kill him in his sleep because he loves the wild❤️, and just locks them on the open safari for 5 days? And whoever survives this SUPER DANGEROUS and TOUGH and ALL-TESTING-OF-HUMANITY game will inherit the entire goddamn company? I’m actually ctfu😭
- Fletcher is surprisingly chill for watching two people die in front of her
- Make that 3
- “I need to have a FAKE alliance with the HOT SNARKY CEO SON while LIONS roam the BACKYARD trying to KILL US so I can FULFILL my DEAL WITH THE GIRLBOSS EIC and I CANT tell him she KILLED his FRIEND”
- Describing Waylon as The “surly fuck boy action figure” is good ngl
- The FMC is walking around wearing a helmet the whole time…I’m dead😭
- we are halfway thru and we have not set foot in the safari
- Somehow this reads like a mf disney movie
- Omfg Fletcher getting angry at Waylon like this is his fault is literally making her get on my last nerves
- I read the words “Zoo Tycoon” experience and I don’t know if I can handle this anymore☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
- “Like a porcupine wearing jeggings” i don’t think these words ever been strung together before
- Glad we have time to get almost tantalizingly freaky in the safari while people die back at the house
- Fletcher…pushing Waylon into the champagne tower and causing his father to disown him at your first meeting….dont make me side with a man
- Don’t worry, the CFO somehow rode an ostrich like a horse, wielding a suitcase like a jousting weapon, and also made zippy remarks about hating the CTO’s wife because she was having an affair with him
- “Here, the grass was shorter, like the earth had alopecia” again, I don’t think these words had been strung together before
- Glad, again, we can get freaky during a forest rain storm
- And of course, rather than packing essentials in our limited space in our survival backpack, we manage to grab some condoms
- Like I get that they’re on a murderous retreat and that everyone’s dying around them and she’s lying to Waylon about their alliance….but the stakes feel lackluster. Like I know she’ll make it out alive, and what’s changed? She has a sense of work-life boundaries and this insta-lust with Waylon? All she needed to do was grow a spine and I think that could have been achieved without a murderous safari retreat
- Also the safari is not integral to the plot, it’s just extraneous decor. The retreat could have been in the Cobo center and it would serve the same function (F = grow a pair)
- Also, would it have been that hard, truly, to tell Waylon right away and have both of you be double agents? I think her OG stance of “hey, I had to say something to get a bloodthirsty woman off my back from shooting me dead *before we were friends* and I’m so sorry for putting you up but I was doing it as a farce because I think we can work together”. Like it’s pretty obvious he wouldn’t kill you/be mad but see reason (or not really, actually, seeing how he just let half the C-Suite call her a charity case and a poor bitch at dinner and such)
- Jackie is a pretty vague “big bad” for what it’s worth— she just shows up, sticks a gun to Fletcher’s head, threatens her, and retreats into thin air, presumably going insane in the jungle
- Tied to the dock posts as sharks circle them and all bro wants to do is Mack on her….right
- I bet the ending line is going to be her telling Ford “some vacation” or something to that effect
- BITCH I KNOW YOU DID NOT JUST DROP A “I THINK IM FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU”
- Somehow the final confrontation was both 50 minutes long and also underwhelming - I never felt like the stakes were intense
- The Melv twist was good I didn’t see that coming
- Just….a fever dream of an ending. $50M dollars and I wouldn’t have guessed it. Entertaining, yes. Slightly jipped out of a true resolution with the whole “rescue boat arrives in time! Yay!” Thing? Also yes
- I got work life boundaries and fell in love with a manchild all because of a murderous safari retreat from hell❤️ yay❤️ now I’m a photographer❤️
- “He greeted her with grabby hands” please spare me
- $20 this has already been optioned for a movie
- Ending & acknowledgements were cute ICL
- Fletcher honey I hope you find a great therapist
2.5 stars— entertaining but not for me
Pop culture/brand name drops
- Slack x2
- InDesign
- Lightroom
- Sweetgreen
- Neutrogena
- Oribe
- Reddit x2
- Plato’s Closet
- Monday Night Football
- Foghorn Leghorn
- Taylor Swift
- Consigned denim
- Zyrtec
- Cheetos
- Lululemon
- Uber
- Friends
- Condé Nast
- Butterball turkey
- Nordstrom Rack
- Boy math (but it’s actually Monte Carlo simulations)
- Edible Arrangements
- Being a girl’s girl
- Reeboks
- Evian
- Barbie
- Wicked
- Ratatouille
- Hunger Games
- Zoo Tycoon
- Doritos
- Jeggings
- Ariana grande
- Taskrabbit
- Batman
- Jumanji
- Steve Irwin
- Tesla Cybertrucks
- Prada
- The Lion King
- Peloton
- Baywatch
- Zoolander 2
- Chuck Norris
- “Yes Chef”
- Usain Bolt
- MTV Cribs
- Louboutins
- Weekend at Bernie’s
- Titanic
- “Deserved jail time”
- “Turning off the Big Light”
- “grabby hands”
Live notes (5% —)
- rude hometown boyfriend shackling her down ✅
- NGL he is making valid points…she’s working for pennies, doesn’t call home, refuses to discuss getting married to BF she’s been dating since they were 16…let him go girl
- In-depth discussion of NY housing market✅
- Partier gay best friend ✅
- damn breaking up w the bf is brutal already
- “The olives’ freaky little belly buttons” 😭?
- Evil ass boss destroying her camera on the tarmac bc he’s so mysterious and rich✅
- “Shania Twain’s voice punctuated her thoughts with a swift ‘let’s go girls’” SPAREEEE MEEEE
- Sales VP described as having “eyes that glimmered with greed”✅
- Paragraphs upon paragraphs about the corporate org chart…..IDC abt them
- MMC calling her a receptionist rather than executive assistant….i know what you are (misogyny)
- Equally evil CFO/CTOs mocking Fletcher for being poor✅
- Bro’s name is WAYLON and all he does is smirk and kick his feet up and be more smirky in doorways while said CFO/CTO call her a charity case
- God Fletcher is so WHINYYYYYY stomping and going UGH in her head when Waylon (easily) manages to one-up her banter
- “That was on her for being a Type 9 Ennegram” girl GROW A SPINE
- How much stomping, truly, can one girl do?
- FMC being a bitch to the intern✅
- “His dickwaddedness spurred her back into motion” just please, for the love of God, use normal curse words
- Of course evil rude marketing man is so evil because he’s fat— he couldn’t possibly be skinny or toned or ANYTHING other than described as having an “obtrusive stomach” and be evil
- So the CEO, rather than treating his cancer, decides to gather the 13 best people at the company, jet out to his private island, let the lions kill him in his sleep because he loves the wild❤️, and just locks them on the open safari for 5 days? And whoever survives this SUPER DANGEROUS and TOUGH and ALL-TESTING-OF-HUMANITY game will inherit the entire goddamn company? I’m actually ctfu😭
- Fletcher is surprisingly chill for watching two people die in front of her
- Make that 3
- “I need to have a FAKE alliance with the HOT SNARKY CEO SON while LIONS roam the BACKYARD trying to KILL US so I can FULFILL my DEAL WITH THE GIRLBOSS EIC and I CANT tell him she KILLED his FRIEND”
- Describing Waylon as The “surly fuck boy action figure” is good ngl
- The FMC is walking around wearing a helmet the whole time…I’m dead😭
- we are halfway thru and we have not set foot in the safari
- Somehow this reads like a mf disney movie
- Omfg Fletcher getting angry at Waylon like this is his fault is literally making her get on my last nerves
- I read the words “Zoo Tycoon” experience and I don’t know if I can handle this anymore☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
- “Like a porcupine wearing jeggings” i don’t think these words ever been strung together before
- Glad we have time to get almost tantalizingly freaky in the safari while people die back at the house
- Fletcher…pushing Waylon into the champagne tower and causing his father to disown him at your first meeting….dont make me side with a man
- Don’t worry, the CFO somehow rode an ostrich like a horse, wielding a suitcase like a jousting weapon, and also made zippy remarks about hating the CTO’s wife because she was having an affair with him
- “Here, the grass was shorter, like the earth had alopecia” again, I don’t think these words had been strung together before
- Glad, again, we can get freaky during a forest rain storm
- And of course, rather than packing essentials in our limited space in our survival backpack, we manage to grab some condoms
- Like I get that they’re on a murderous retreat and that everyone’s dying around them and she’s lying to Waylon about their alliance….but the stakes feel lackluster. Like I know she’ll make it out alive, and what’s changed? She has a sense of work-life boundaries and this insta-lust with Waylon? All she needed to do was grow a spine and I think that could have been achieved without a murderous safari retreat
- Also the safari is not integral to the plot, it’s just extraneous decor. The retreat could have been in the Cobo center and it would serve the same function (F = grow a pair)
- Also, would it have been that hard, truly, to tell Waylon right away and have both of you be double agents? I think her OG stance of “hey, I had to say something to get a bloodthirsty woman off my back from shooting me dead *before we were friends* and I’m so sorry for putting you up but I was doing it as a farce because I think we can work together”. Like it’s pretty obvious he wouldn’t kill you/be mad but see reason (or not really, actually, seeing how he just let half the C-Suite call her a charity case and a poor bitch at dinner and such)
- Jackie is a pretty vague “big bad” for what it’s worth— she just shows up, sticks a gun to Fletcher’s head, threatens her, and retreats into thin air, presumably going insane in the jungle
- Tied to the dock posts as sharks circle them and all bro wants to do is Mack on her….right
- I bet the ending line is going to be her telling Ford “some vacation” or something to that effect
- BITCH I KNOW YOU DID NOT JUST DROP A “I THINK IM FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU”
- Somehow the final confrontation was both 50 minutes long and also underwhelming - I never felt like the stakes were intense
- The Melv twist was good I didn’t see that coming
- Just….a fever dream of an ending. $50M dollars and I wouldn’t have guessed it. Entertaining, yes. Slightly jipped out of a true resolution with the whole “rescue boat arrives in time! Yay!” Thing? Also yes
- I got work life boundaries and fell in love with a manchild all because of a murderous safari retreat from hell❤️ yay❤️ now I’m a photographer❤️
- “He greeted her with grabby hands” please spare me
- $20 this has already been optioned for a movie
- Ending & acknowledgements were cute ICL
- Fletcher honey I hope you find a great therapist
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2026
Safari Murder Party is the first book I’ve read by Rachel Moore, and… I will be back for Moore. Sorry horrible joke. But based on this story, I feel like she would appreciate the camp. SMP is a satire on corporate culture and the elite dressed in a hilarious, often gross and gruesome, campy death game to see who wants to take over their company the most. This was giving Squid Games but make it hilarious. As a person deeply embedded in the corporate culture, the jokes here were sending me over the edge. I resent (and also respect) the CFO caricature. Truly funny stuff.
I thought Fletcher was a deeply endearing character. I remember when I too was a naive youngling in corporate America who thought by working hard I could get everything I wanted and take over the world. Haaaaa. I thought she paired nicely with Waylon, and I enjoyed watching the two begin to understand one another and fall in love despite the absolute insanity they found themselves in. I really swooned at a couple of Waylon’s attempts to keep Fletcher safe.
I also thought the audiobook was very well done. Stephanie Bentley brought the story to life and really made these unbelievable stakes feel believable.
Moral of the story? Never trust the sales people.
I thought Fletcher was a deeply endearing character. I remember when I too was a naive youngling in corporate America who thought by working hard I could get everything I wanted and take over the world. Haaaaa. I thought she paired nicely with Waylon, and I enjoyed watching the two begin to understand one another and fall in love despite the absolute insanity they found themselves in. I really swooned at a couple of Waylon’s attempts to keep Fletcher safe.
I also thought the audiobook was very well done. Stephanie Bentley brought the story to life and really made these unbelievable stakes feel believable.
Moral of the story? Never trust the sales people.
May 18, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for the gifted book and audiobook to read/listen and review!
This one is a 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up for me!
Fletcher is seriously burnt out on her corporate job as the assistant to an egomaniacal CEO. When she’s given the last minute chance to go on the company retreat on a private island, Fletcher thinks she’s hit the jackpot. Things quickly take a turn for the worse when her boss’s death leads to the revelation that the retreat is a hunger games-style event in which the last person living inherits the company.
This book was WILD. (Literally, there are ostriches and lions and stuff) Fletcher is wound like a top and was a bit difficult to connect with at first, but I did enjoy seeing her character growth over the course of the story. Her blossoming relationship with the CEO’s estranged son, Waylon, was fun, and they had some great tension and banter. The “hate-to-love” started off with some pretty intense hatred which always makes for a fun read.
I did feel like the book was pretty chaotic. At the same time, it seemed like it was meant to be a fun and silly and unhinged read, and it definitely accomplishes that. If you’re looking for a romance/mystery/humor genre-blending novel, this one might just be for you!
This one is a 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up for me!
Fletcher is seriously burnt out on her corporate job as the assistant to an egomaniacal CEO. When she’s given the last minute chance to go on the company retreat on a private island, Fletcher thinks she’s hit the jackpot. Things quickly take a turn for the worse when her boss’s death leads to the revelation that the retreat is a hunger games-style event in which the last person living inherits the company.
This book was WILD. (Literally, there are ostriches and lions and stuff) Fletcher is wound like a top and was a bit difficult to connect with at first, but I did enjoy seeing her character growth over the course of the story. Her blossoming relationship with the CEO’s estranged son, Waylon, was fun, and they had some great tension and banter. The “hate-to-love” started off with some pretty intense hatred which always makes for a fun read.
I did feel like the book was pretty chaotic. At the same time, it seemed like it was meant to be a fun and silly and unhinged read, and it definitely accomplishes that. If you’re looking for a romance/mystery/humor genre-blending novel, this one might just be for you!
May 30, 2026
This book was dumb, but it could’ve been good. I was very into the idea of a corporate hunger games, and I love the fiction trope of eccentric billionaires who leave crazy wills, but there were too many bad parts to rate it higher than two stars. Here’s some of what I thought was bad: Fletcher and Waylon aren’t enemies. The author kept saying they HATE each other, but the reason they supposedly hated each other was so weak that it annoyed me. It would’ve been better if they were just strangers who fell in love, rather than enemies-to-lovers (because they weren’t enemies and they had no chemistry as lovers). Next, it made no sense that Fletcher didn’t tell Waylon earlier on, “I made a fake deal to help Jacqui because she was gonna kill me.” So, that whole plot line was dumb. The character development in this book was bad, too. This book did not reach its potential at all.
October 27, 2025
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC. A funny, fast paced, romantic, last-person-standing inheritance race on a tropical island filled with exotic wildlife? What?! This book would make a fun movie or mini series. Knives Out with the last-man-standing twist. Couldn’t put it down!
May 19, 2026
A darkly funny corporate satire where a long-suffering executive assistant learns that her coworkers will literally kill to get ahead, and that she may have misjudged the boss's estranged son. With elements of dark comedy, romcom, and action thriller, this is corporate greed taken to the extreme!
The fast-paced story follows Fletcher, who finagles her way on the corporate retreat on a private island, only to have the boss die and stipulate in his will that whoever survives the week of dangers on the island will get to claim the billion-dollar empire. Suddenly, everyone turns on each other in extreme ways. Fletcher just wants to stay alive and finds herself reluctantly teamed up with the boss's gorgeous but obnoxious son, Waylon.
Fletcher and Waylon learn to trust each other in a very dangerous situation. Waylon uses humor and quick-witted comments as a shield, but has met his match in Fletcher, who counters with clever banter and strategic thinking. The two face treacherous terrain, wild animals, and their homicidal coworkers as they try to escape the island. As they navigate the dangers, they find that they share a chemistry as strong as the chaos surrounding them.
This is campy and unhinged. If you don't mind some gore and enjoy witty banter and isolated settings, this is a fun one!
Stephanie Bentley narrates the audiobook and is fantastic at bringing the characters and story to life. She does a great job with all of the elements from the dark comedy to the action sequences to the witty banter and tender moments, keeping the tone entertaining.
The fast-paced story follows Fletcher, who finagles her way on the corporate retreat on a private island, only to have the boss die and stipulate in his will that whoever survives the week of dangers on the island will get to claim the billion-dollar empire. Suddenly, everyone turns on each other in extreme ways. Fletcher just wants to stay alive and finds herself reluctantly teamed up with the boss's gorgeous but obnoxious son, Waylon.
Fletcher and Waylon learn to trust each other in a very dangerous situation. Waylon uses humor and quick-witted comments as a shield, but has met his match in Fletcher, who counters with clever banter and strategic thinking. The two face treacherous terrain, wild animals, and their homicidal coworkers as they try to escape the island. As they navigate the dangers, they find that they share a chemistry as strong as the chaos surrounding them.
This is campy and unhinged. If you don't mind some gore and enjoy witty banter and isolated settings, this is a fun one!
Stephanie Bentley narrates the audiobook and is fantastic at bringing the characters and story to life. She does a great job with all of the elements from the dark comedy to the action sequences to the witty banter and tender moments, keeping the tone entertaining.
May 25, 2026
Hmmm...I'm indifferent. I liked the concept, but there were just a few things that threw me off. Don't get me wrong, I like a ridiculous, far-fetched, and funny story. And this was absolutely ridiculous by any stretch! But while the behavior of the characters was completely nonsensical, which I enjoyed, the humor part didn't come through. The entire time I was reading, it felt like I was watching a stand-up comedian bomb their set. The supposed funny bits were there, but just didn't land completely. I chuckled a few times, but no real laugh out loud moments which I'd expect from a read like this.
Also, I think my biggest peeve with this book was lack of transitions between paragraphs. Don't hop me from one thing to the next so bluntly. My goodness!
There were a few continuity errors (or bloopers) too. And I can't decide if that was on purpose or a mistake. For example (no spoilers, I promise), at one point, our FMC slipped out of her shoes and left them behind. Later, she was wearing them again. Another time a backpack was there, but then it was gone only to be there later.
Finally, the explanation of a pertinent event just came too late. There was reference to it a billion times and by the last time I was ready to chuck the book to the floor whilst yelling, "what the heck happened?!" But gratefully my next flip of the page got me there.
Anyway, for me, this started out choppy, but ended on a good note. It was completely ridiculous and utterly unbelievable from beginning to end; but being funnier and more "cohesive" for lack of a better word, would have elevated this to at least a 3.5 to 4 star read for me.
I'd recommend it if one is looking for something quick and silly because it isn't bad. As my Jr. High geometry teacher used to say, "it's in the right church, but the wrong pew!"
⭐️⭐️✨️ (2.5 stars rounded up)
Also, I think my biggest peeve with this book was lack of transitions between paragraphs. Don't hop me from one thing to the next so bluntly. My goodness!
There were a few continuity errors (or bloopers) too. And I can't decide if that was on purpose or a mistake. For example (no spoilers, I promise), at one point, our FMC slipped out of her shoes and left them behind. Later, she was wearing them again. Another time a backpack was there, but then it was gone only to be there later.
Finally, the explanation of a pertinent event just came too late. There was reference to it a billion times and by the last time I was ready to chuck the book to the floor whilst yelling, "what the heck happened?!" But gratefully my next flip of the page got me there.
Anyway, for me, this started out choppy, but ended on a good note. It was completely ridiculous and utterly unbelievable from beginning to end; but being funnier and more "cohesive" for lack of a better word, would have elevated this to at least a 3.5 to 4 star read for me.
I'd recommend it if one is looking for something quick and silly because it isn't bad. As my Jr. High geometry teacher used to say, "it's in the right church, but the wrong pew!"
⭐️⭐️✨️ (2.5 stars rounded up)
June 6, 2026
This was just a good time. I loved the dry humor and ended up caring about the characters more than I expected. If you go in looking for an entertaining thriller and don’t take it too seriously it’s a lot of fun.
May 21, 2026
If you’ve ever wanted to be fully immersed in a romantic action/thriller movie— and make it out alive on the other side— Safari Murder Party will fulfill that fantasy and then some! Part heart racing, high stakes human hunting game, and part slow burn romance and yearning MMC, this book feels like summer encapsulated. I fell in love with Fletcher Spence immediately! She’s an exact example what so many of us feel like on a day to day basis: working too much for too little, trying desperately to make her dreams come true, and finding small moments of joy in between. Seeing her go through this wild adventure and realize that her skills and assets are just as important and life saving as anyone else’s was incredibly gratifying. And I absolutely adored getting to know Waylon slowly but surely! The close third person narrative allows just enough of a peak into his perspective that as a reader I opened up to him at the same pacing as Spence. The thriller aspect of the storyline, with all its blood and guts and backstabbing, made this unputdownable. I couldn’t see so many of the twists and turns coming! This is going to be one of THE books of the summer. Read this for when you need to feel like you stepped inside Jumanji! 4.75 stars rounded to 5 ⭐️
May 26, 2026
3.5/5⭐️ Safari Murder Party is just as wild as the title sounds. Fletcher forces her way onto a trip to her boss's private island for a company getaway only to learn everything is not as it seems. Suddenly she is trying to survive wild animals and murderous coworkers and of course she has to team up with the boss's son, her rival, Waylon.
Overall, I had a fun time reading this just for the campy Glass Onion type of vibes. It was fast paced and silly in the way that makes this the perfect palate cleanser or reading slump buster. However, the romantic subplot was absolutely absurd. If you are looking for a romance with any amount of depth or chemistry, you won't be finding it here. I definitely think this book's murder mystery is the star of the show.
Thank you Berkley Romance for the free finished copy and eARC. All thoughts are my own!
Overall, I had a fun time reading this just for the campy Glass Onion type of vibes. It was fast paced and silly in the way that makes this the perfect palate cleanser or reading slump buster. However, the romantic subplot was absolutely absurd. If you are looking for a romance with any amount of depth or chemistry, you won't be finding it here. I definitely think this book's murder mystery is the star of the show.
Thank you Berkley Romance for the free finished copy and eARC. All thoughts are my own!
May 17, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
What would you be willing to do for a promotion or to inherit a billion-dollar company? That’s what Fletcher Spence—executive assistant extraordinaire—has to find out when she manages to secure a spot at her company’s exclusive retreat on a private island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
The premise is wild, and while it delivers on its promise—think The Hunger Games but corporate—it fell a bit short for me. If you can buy that a group of apparently normal people can turn feral and murderous in the blink of an eye, you’re in for a treat. The murder scenes are original and varied, but after the eighth murder in a row, I couldn’t help wishing it would wrap up already. At least the fact that all the characters were so unlikeable made it fun to root for their deaths.
Mixed in with all the murder, we also get an enemies-to-lovers romance, which proves that even in the middle of a murder spree, there’s always time for some sexy moments. Jokes aside, this was a nice respite from all the death.
This book is marketed as satire, but for me, it felt a bit tame in that regard. I expected it to be hilarious, but I think I only chuckled twice. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style, although it maintained a good pace and was entertaining overall.
What would you be willing to do for a promotion or to inherit a billion-dollar company? That’s what Fletcher Spence—executive assistant extraordinaire—has to find out when she manages to secure a spot at her company’s exclusive retreat on a private island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
The premise is wild, and while it delivers on its promise—think The Hunger Games but corporate—it fell a bit short for me. If you can buy that a group of apparently normal people can turn feral and murderous in the blink of an eye, you’re in for a treat. The murder scenes are original and varied, but after the eighth murder in a row, I couldn’t help wishing it would wrap up already. At least the fact that all the characters were so unlikeable made it fun to root for their deaths.
Mixed in with all the murder, we also get an enemies-to-lovers romance, which proves that even in the middle of a murder spree, there’s always time for some sexy moments. Jokes aside, this was a nice respite from all the death.
This book is marketed as satire, but for me, it felt a bit tame in that regard. I expected it to be hilarious, but I think I only chuckled twice. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style, although it maintained a good pace and was entertaining overall.
May 19, 2026
Safari Murder Party has the same vibes as the Glass Onion, and I ate it up!!
It’s absurd, fast-paced, and so much fun! From the dedication and epigraph alone, I knew I was in for a treat. I loved the setting and premise, and the plot never slowed down. I really loved the collection of characters. My only complaint is that it was a little too quippy at times (I could have used less of the zingers and corporate metaphors).
I highly recommend if you love:
🧅 The Glass Onion
🔎 cozy thrillers (if they are even a thing?)
🏝️ island settings
It’s absurd, fast-paced, and so much fun! From the dedication and epigraph alone, I knew I was in for a treat. I loved the setting and premise, and the plot never slowed down. I really loved the collection of characters. My only complaint is that it was a little too quippy at times (I could have used less of the zingers and corporate metaphors).
I highly recommend if you love:
🧅 The Glass Onion
🔎 cozy thrillers (if they are even a thing?)
🏝️ island settings
May 22, 2026
My review of this book is slightly biased as a burnt out corporate drone, but I thought this was SO good. This has a bit of a corporate retreat from hell x murder mystery (although not really a mystery) x romcom vibe that I really enjoyed. The plot was fast-paced, the writing was sharp and witty, and the romance was really well-developed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
October 10, 2025
4.25 stars. What an interesting concept! SAFARI MURDER PARTY started fast, and never let go.
An aspiring photographer and executive assistant to the billionaire CEO of a media empire, Fletcher Spence wrangles an invite to join a company retreat on Lydell Island, a private island full of wild animals. When the boss dies and his will indicates the “last man standing” will inherit the company, she ends up fighting for her life against both the animals and her coworkers along with her nemesis (aka, the boss’s son), Waylon.
The pacing was fast, the writing was compelling, and I loved Fletcher’s character. There was a bit of enemies-to-lovers in this one, but it wasn’t terrible. The ending was also surprisingly clever.
🌟Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.🌟
An aspiring photographer and executive assistant to the billionaire CEO of a media empire, Fletcher Spence wrangles an invite to join a company retreat on Lydell Island, a private island full of wild animals. When the boss dies and his will indicates the “last man standing” will inherit the company, she ends up fighting for her life against both the animals and her coworkers along with her nemesis (aka, the boss’s son), Waylon.
The pacing was fast, the writing was compelling, and I loved Fletcher’s character. There was a bit of enemies-to-lovers in this one, but it wasn’t terrible. The ending was also surprisingly clever.
🌟Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.🌟
June 2, 2026
I don’t think this is actually a 3 star book. I don’t think it’s even a 3.68 star book (the current Goodreads average).
I think the books rating is suffering from being poorly marketed. I found this originally sitting on the shelf in the thriller section of my local bookstore.
This is not remotely a thriller. There’s no real mystery. I guess there’s some horror? But like, it’s really light hearted. (Like in as much as you can call murder horror, that’s it.)
This is a RomCom.
I don’t know what the publishers were thinking here? But they did the author a real disservice. I mean I guess maybe the romance readers don’t want as much murder in their romance? But I promise the thriller readers need an actual plot that’s not Hero and Heroine fall in love.
And I feel bad, because I actually do like Waylon and Fletcher as a couple. They had fun chemistry. I did think parts of this were kinda funny. As a romance, if that was what I’d wanted, I’d have been pretty happy.
But what I wanted to read when I picked this up was like… Send Help. Something kinda cheesy and campy and silly where it’s more about the coworkers killing each other in ridiculous ways then it was about the male love interests dreamy eyes or rock hard abs.
I also think this is about 2 hours too long for whatever it was trying to do. It just got sort of repetitive after awhile, since there’s literally nothing else driving the plot forward other than: Survive and Will They/Won’t They. And it wasn’t funny enough to carry that amount of time.
I know I dogged on it a little bit but again, it really wasn’t bad and I had a fine time. If I hadn’t been looking for something so specifically not this I might have given it a 4 but it just wasn’t what I wanted and I think it’s the publishers fault, not the authors. So again, it’s not that the blurb is inaccurate, I think it’s just romance first, then thriller/horror, definitely not the other way around.
I think the books rating is suffering from being poorly marketed. I found this originally sitting on the shelf in the thriller section of my local bookstore.
This is not remotely a thriller. There’s no real mystery. I guess there’s some horror? But like, it’s really light hearted. (Like in as much as you can call murder horror, that’s it.)
This is a RomCom.
I don’t know what the publishers were thinking here? But they did the author a real disservice. I mean I guess maybe the romance readers don’t want as much murder in their romance? But I promise the thriller readers need an actual plot that’s not Hero and Heroine fall in love.
And I feel bad, because I actually do like Waylon and Fletcher as a couple. They had fun chemistry. I did think parts of this were kinda funny. As a romance, if that was what I’d wanted, I’d have been pretty happy.
But what I wanted to read when I picked this up was like… Send Help. Something kinda cheesy and campy and silly where it’s more about the coworkers killing each other in ridiculous ways then it was about the male love interests dreamy eyes or rock hard abs.
I also think this is about 2 hours too long for whatever it was trying to do. It just got sort of repetitive after awhile, since there’s literally nothing else driving the plot forward other than: Survive and Will They/Won’t They. And it wasn’t funny enough to carry that amount of time.
I know I dogged on it a little bit but again, it really wasn’t bad and I had a fine time. If I hadn’t been looking for something so specifically not this I might have given it a 4 but it just wasn’t what I wanted and I think it’s the publishers fault, not the authors. So again, it’s not that the blurb is inaccurate, I think it’s just romance first, then thriller/horror, definitely not the other way around.
June 18, 2026
Fletcher Spence has spent the last three years working seventy-hour weeks without any PTO as an executive assistant to a media mogul. The only reason Fletcher has stuck around Cartwright Media is in the hopes that she'll one day be promoted to their design division and can live out her dreams of becoming a travel photographer. Fletcher usually plays by the book, but she decides to take a chance and forces herself onto the company retreat to the Cartwrights' private island. When they arrive, her boss is mauled by a pack of lions, revealing his dramatic last will and testament. Those who survive a week on the island will inherit the company. Now, Fletcher finds herself trapped in the jungle, surrounded by vicious predators and murderous coworkers, with only Waylon Cartwright, her boss's insufferably handsome son, as an ally.
This was so fun! The whole premise is a little absurd, but in the best possible way. Moore's writing was sharp and humorous, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I thought Fletcher was so relatable, and I loved the dynamic between her and Waylon. Their banter was everything. It was entertaining watching them fight their way through the jungle while also trying to ignore their growing feelings. There were quite a few times their antics had me laughing out loud. The plot sort of felt like if the movie Ready or Not was set in the workplace, and I liked it. The ending felt like it wrapped up a little too conveniently, but I still had a blast reading this.
This was so fun! The whole premise is a little absurd, but in the best possible way. Moore's writing was sharp and humorous, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I thought Fletcher was so relatable, and I loved the dynamic between her and Waylon. Their banter was everything. It was entertaining watching them fight their way through the jungle while also trying to ignore their growing feelings. There were quite a few times their antics had me laughing out loud. The plot sort of felt like if the movie Ready or Not was set in the workplace, and I liked it. The ending felt like it wrapped up a little too conveniently, but I still had a blast reading this.
June 7, 2026
3 stars. It’s an entertaining read but I feel like I lost a few brain cells along the way. The main character is really… perky and quippy. It was amusing at first but it got old really fast. By the end it was grating and not even the romance could really save it.
Fletcher Spence is EA extraordinaire to the CEO of Cartwright industries and she has finagled her way on to the C-Suite trip out to the CEO’s private island. However she realizes that what has actually been organized is a fight to the death to succeed the CEO and inherit all his wealth and her only ally might be the CEOs estranged son, the devastatingly handsome Waylon Cartwright.
This is actually a romance masquerading as a thriller and my biggest issue is that I never understood why she hated Waylon to begin with. Even when we find out what happened three years ago, I was confused why a small incident like that made her hate him. His hatred I was on board for but hers was confusing. She comes across as petty and irritating and the chemistry is fine but not mind blowing. The actual insanity of the safari deaths is pretty amusing when juxtaposed against a corporate team and I wish we had more of that humor.
Fletcher Spence is EA extraordinaire to the CEO of Cartwright industries and she has finagled her way on to the C-Suite trip out to the CEO’s private island. However she realizes that what has actually been organized is a fight to the death to succeed the CEO and inherit all his wealth and her only ally might be the CEOs estranged son, the devastatingly handsome Waylon Cartwright.
This is actually a romance masquerading as a thriller and my biggest issue is that I never understood why she hated Waylon to begin with. Even when we find out what happened three years ago, I was confused why a small incident like that made her hate him. His hatred I was on board for but hers was confusing. She comes across as petty and irritating and the chemistry is fine but not mind blowing. The actual insanity of the safari deaths is pretty amusing when juxtaposed against a corporate team and I wish we had more of that humor.
June 17, 2026
I almost quit after the first few chapters – I’m so tired of the FMC being a doormat who dreams of better but is stuck in a job that doesn’t value her; how do you expect to be valued if you don’t value yourself?!!! The story did pick up once all the murders started and it was just as described, darkly funny, and a lot of fun. I loved the setting and the wild animals all thrown in. The ending wasn’t my favorite, and, while it tied everything up nicely, it lacked the vibe that the rest of the novel was giving off. Fun but I wish the FMC wasn’t such a pushover in the beginning
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the review copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the review copy.
June 14, 2026
3.5 probably would have been 4 if the not for the very cliche romance trope
I thought this was going to be a thriller, but was weirdly ok with it being 50% romance
I guess I can get over my distaste for a romance when coworkers and hippos are tying to kill the couple
I thought this was going to be a thriller, but was weirdly ok with it being 50% romance
I guess I can get over my distaste for a romance when coworkers and hippos are tying to kill the couple
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