The Book:
Beneath the Surface by Kaira Rouda
Published September 5, 2023 by Thomas & Mercer
Date read: April 22, 2024
Beneath the Surface is the first book in the Kingsleys series.
Beneath the Surface spoilers can be found below, but they’re hidden under a spoiler tag so you’re safe to keep scrolling if you’d just like to read my review.
The Characters:
Richard and his young wife Serena
Richard’s son Ted and his wife Paige
Richard’s son John and his wife Rachel
Richard’s daughter Sibley and her boyfriend Colson
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
This page contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this site.
The Plot (from Goodreads):
You are cordially invited to an overnight voyage on the Splendid Seas.
An invitation to Catalina Island from billionaire CEO Richard Kingsley. For his sons, Ted and John, and their wives, it’s an opportunity to curry favor, gain control of a real estate empire, and secure their family’s futures. For the controlling patriarch, succession is a contest. He and his newest wife won’t make it an easy win.
Then Richard’s estranged live-wire daughter, Sibley, crashes the party. She’s the least of the night’s surprises. As the stakes for the inheritance of the Kingsley legacy are raised, the beautiful waters of the Pacific look more like a menacing illusion.
Let the games begin for a family who has everything money can buy, and has used lies, deception, and more to keep it. This weekend one of them will be crowned heir. One is in line to lose everything. That’s the plan. But in the coming storm, so much can go dangerously wrong.
Beneath the Surface Spoilers
The Reveal:
Richard was terminally ill.
Serena was pregnant, but it was with Ted’s baby, not Richard’s. Richard had gotten sterilized after Sibley was born. Ted and Serena had had an affair.
Rachel threatened Richard with evidence that his company had dumped chemicals into the ocean, which would destroy the company’s public image if it got out. She said she would hand over the evidence if Richard gave the company to John.
Richard told John to “handle it”, which he did by pushing Rachel off the yacht to certain death. He thought that would convince Richard to give him the company. He was wrong, but the Kingsleys agreed that Rachel just “fell”. Paige was not told what happened.
Richard decided to give the company to Paige. He had been spying on all of the guests throughout the weekend and decided she won. Paige kicked Ted out to the pool house, but Richard stipulated that Ted had to work at the Kingsley company for now.
Serena’s baby was fathered by someone named Roman Merino, not Ted.
I hope these Beneath the Surface spoilers were helpful.
The Review:
If you love rich people behaving badly, this is the book for you. I read it because I was gifted a copy of Under the Palms, not knowing Under the Palms was the second in this series. If you’re in the same boat, you can read my spoilers to get the gist and give Beneath the Surface a pass. I personally wouldn’t pay for it; luckily both the book and the audio are available through KU.
I wouldn’t really recommend this book. None of the characters are likeable, and not in a fun love-to-hate way. Mostly in a “I wish they all followed Rachel” way, if you’ve read it and know what I mean. Serena was my favorite by a tiny margin, because she at least seemed to realize that all the Kingsleys sucked and was just there for Richard to fund her expensive lifestyle.
I can’t say I’m excited for Book 2, but I will be reading and reviewing it, so check back soon for a link to those spoilers.
EDIT: Under the Palms spoilers can be found here.
Follow me on Bloglovin’!
2 Comments