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Castaways: The Challenge, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Lily Harlem (Author, Publisher), Rebecca McKernan (Narrator)
4.1 out of 5 stars 351 ratings

Olivia Bailey is up for The Challenge. Why the heck wouldn't she be? With mariner qualifications piled high and engineering experience to rival someone twice her age, she's ready to take on the mighty Pacific Ocean and win.

But what about her fellow crew? Five guys, four nationalities. A billionaire's heir who likes to take charge in every aspect of life, an outback expert with a heart-stopping smile, a Spanish chef with mouthwatering moves, and sexy twins who reveal themselves slowly, until it matters, then they act fast.

An adventure was what Olivia wanted, and it's certainly what she gets. Because things at sea happen in a heartbeat, friendships grow, tempers heat, and desire flares. But what about when it all upends? When the unexpected happens? Will they pull together, or will fear drag the crew of The Temptress apart?

Castaways is a reverse harem romance novel intended for mature listeners.

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  1. Listening Length
    5 hours and 44 minutes
  2. Author
    Lily Harlem
  3. Narrator
    Rebecca McKernan
  4. Audible release date
    February 8, 2018
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Lily Harlem
  7. ASIN
    B079P8LFSS
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length 5 hours and 44 minutes
Author Lily Harlem
Narrator Rebecca McKernan
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date February 08, 2018
Publisher Lily Harlem
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B079P8LFSS
Best Sellers Rank #348,924 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#27,322 in Contemporary Romance (Audible Books & Originals)
#59,570 in Contemporary Romance (Books)

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
351 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this reverse harem romance book engaging and well-written, with one review noting its strong female lead and distinct personalities among the twins. The story is action-packed with believable adventures, and customers describe the steamy scenes as "seriously hot." They appreciate the fun premise of the series and its emotional content, with one review highlighting its love themes. The book maintains a fast pace throughout.

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13 customers mention "Readability"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book wonderful and consider it the best in its series, with one customer noting it's a great start to the series.

"...It's obvious that this is only the beginning of an amazing series. There's a challenging journey for the crew of the Temptress...." Read more

"Loved everything about this book! Every one of the characters was great and I can't wait to to learn even more about them...." Read more

"This is hands down the BEST series I have ever read, and I have read a lot of books...." Read more

"...This was a great series to get lost in for a while...." Read more

12 customers mention "Character development"12 positive0 negative

Customers love the characters in the book, with one customer noting that the twins have distinct personalities.

"...I like how the twins have distinct personalities, with Mason being the talkative, flirty one while Lucas is quiet and a sweet romantic...." Read more

"...The characters were diversified, the men (all five of them) very distinctive while being alpha in different ways via their talents, though of course..." Read more

"Loved everything about this book! Every one of the characters was great and I can't wait to to learn even more about them...." Read more

"Well written, fully developed interesting characters, and descriptive dialogue...." Read more

10 customers mention "Story quality"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story's concept and find it action-packed, with one customer highlighting its realism.

"...This is a fun, sexy, action-packed, fast-burn reverse harem romance with plenty of laugh out loud moments...." Read more

"...The characters were diversified, the men (all five of them) very distinctive while being alpha in different ways via their talents, though of course..." Read more

"...I’m going to read the next book because the story is solid enough and I want to see where it goes...." Read more

"...It's action packed, full of love and just overall the best concept of a story. I read the whole series in a day and a half...." Read more

9 customers mention "Entertainment value"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and funny, appreciating the fun premise of the series.

"...This is one that I have read again and again. This is a fun, sexy, action-packed, fast-burn reverse harem romance with plenty of laugh out loud..." Read more

"Castaways was an entertaining introduction to this series. I definitely liked the characters and the plot...." Read more

"This story is a really entertaining and different kind of story!..." Read more

"...The premise behind the series is fun so I'll probably read on to see what happens next." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one customer highlighting its descriptive dialogue.

"Well written, fully developed interesting characters, and descriptive dialogue...." Read more

"...The author is good, she just needs to slow down a bit and let her characters get to know each other better...." Read more

"...The writing is good, this is a quick read that makes you want to know what happens next. If you're a fan of reverse harem, this is your book!" Read more

"...Each and every character is a stand alone personality and well written the adventures are believable the affection slowly built it is great" Read more

4 customers mention "Steamy content"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the steamy content of the book, describing the scenes as hot, with one customer noting it's a fast-burn reverse harem romance.

"...There are also some steamy scenes. The smexy times are seriously hot, I mean white-hot, spine-sizzling, brain-tingling, toe-curling scenes...." Read more

"...Her guys, especially Lucas, as hot, and I likes how each other the guys brought something unique to the group. I can't wait for book 2 next week." Read more

"...are great charcaters, it is fast paced, full of action, funny and sexy moment. What more can you ask for...." Read more

"...All of the guys were sexy and hot." Read more

3 customers mention "Emotion level"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book emotionally engaging, with one mentioning it is full of love.

"...It's action packed, full of love and just overall the best concept of a story. I read the whole series in a day and a half...." Read more

"...And with what happens to them, it inspires deep feelings and emotions. There are two more books coming out in this series...." Read more

"Exciting, emotional and sexy start to The Challenge series..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one describing it as a quick read.

"...The writing is good, this is a quick read that makes you want to know what happens next. If you're a fan of reverse harem, this is your book!" Read more

"I really loved this book. There are great charcaters, it is fast paced, full of action, funny and sexy moment. What more can you ask for...." Read more

"Too fast story line...." Read more

Very generic
1 out of 5 stars
Very generic
⭐️ 1/5 Stars 🔥🔥 2/5 Steam Rating 📝 Reverse Harem(?), Stranded on a deserted island, Available on Kindle Unlimited I’m going to be honest, the only reason that I did not DNF this was because it was a book club read. I honestly thought that everything about this was generic- from the writing, to the character development, and even the steamy scenes. The worst part about this for me though was not the insta-love, but the misogynistic men. I just couldn’t handle them.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Danyelle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sailing away with the crew of Temptress
    Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Oh my stars! I love this book. This is one that I have read again and again. This is a fun, sexy, action-packed, fast-burn reverse harem romance with plenty of laugh out loud moments. It's obvious that this is only the beginning of an amazing series. There's a challenging journey for the crew of the Temptress. Their journey from Los Angeles, USA to Sydney, Australia starts out with smooth sailing, until - you guessed it from the title - they find themselves shipwrecked on a tropical island.

    I love all the main characters. Olivia is a smart, funny, British heroine and I am SO jealous of her. Harry is an American billionaire's heir with a big heart and a kinky streak. Evan is a sexy version of Crocodile Dundee. Mason and Lucas are twins from Scotland who are muscular, handsome, martial arts experts. I like how the twins have distinct personalities, with Mason being the talkative, flirty one while Lucas is quiet and a sweet romantic. Then there's Raul. I absolutely adore him! He's a gourmet Spanish chef who hates sharks, although he loves sailing in - and I quote him directly - "shark-infested waters."

    I love how Lily Harlem took the old trope of people stranded on a desert island becoming romantically involved and made it so interesting. Raul is the genius chef who saved his fancy knives. Evan has survival experience in the outback. While there aren't any big surprises in this first part of the series, it's still a lot of fun. There are also some steamy scenes. The smexy times are seriously hot, I mean white-hot, spine-sizzling, brain-tingling, toe-curling scenes.

    I'd like to give the Temptress' crew some inappropriately long hugs.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Beth Daniels
    4.0 out of 5 stars CURIOSITY WAS THE DRAW
    Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I picked up this title because I was curious on what a "reverse harem" romance was. The characters were diversified, the men (all five of them) very distinctive while being alpha in different ways via their talents, though of course there was the rich guy. Ship wrecking the five men and one woman on an island was a bit trite, and all the men are very protective of her, though willing to share her. I can see that by the conclusion of the series she'll probably choose one of them to stay with but the conclusion set things up for continued adventures (not just bedroom ones) for another couple books before that happens. So, a bit typical and trope filled, but a nice handling of the set up.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Lamyka
    3.0 out of 5 stars Highs and Lows
    Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I was all set to give this 4 stars until the casual racism, and no I’m not just talking about what Dante said. Also, the timing and route they took didn’t make any sense. It takes 2 weeks by old school schooner, no engine, from San Francisco to Honolulu—and spoiler alert, we don’t have snakes in the Pacific except for highly specific regions or invasive infiltration like Guam because of the U.S. Military there. Even the island they ended up on makes no sense, smh. Hokulea’s crew preps heavily beforehand for each journey and has a support team that trails them; this crew basically got a Willy Wonky golden ticket in the mail and just sailed the next day. That’s bloody bonkers and led to what felt more like a contrived row of bad luck.

    There was initially such attention to detail and character depth that this should easily have been a solid 4 or even 5 star book. But the above two factors really shot it in the foot. The author is obviously skilled so that made it especially disappointing.

    I’m going to read the next book because the story is solid enough and I want to see where it goes. HOWEVER, if there’s more of these gaps in logic and casual racism then I’m going to throw in the towel.
    One person found this helpful
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  • BCherry27
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting, emotional and sexy start to The Challenge series
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Loved everything about this book! Every one of the characters was great and I can't wait to to learn even more about them. After being chosen for "The Challenge" of sailing from LA to Sydney, Oliva, Harry, Evan, Raul, Mason and Logan went through much more than they signed up for. But their real challenges brought them all closer than expected. I'm so excited to see what happens next!
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  • Laura A.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
    Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Well written, fully developed interesting characters, and descriptive dialogue. That book that you keeping saying to yourself ‘just one more chapter’ all night.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kasumatata
    4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely an entertaining read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Castaways was an entertaining introduction to this series. I definitely liked the characters and the plot. The latter did not really blow my mind so far, but I'm curious and want to continue to find out if we get that certain spark I'm missing plotwise.
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  • Heather
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best series
    Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is hands down the BEST series I have ever read, and I have read a lot of books. It's action packed, full of love and just overall the best concept of a story. I read the whole series in a day and a half. I hope down the road more books will come. I loved how book 6 was about the BOYS point of view..
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mary Webber
    3.0 out of 5 stars Too fast story line.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    The premise of the story sounded really good, but everything happened so fast. There wasn't any build up to the story nor were the characters well-rounded. A "slam-bam, thank you Ma'am" type of story line. Would have been so much better if more time had been spent developing emotional ties between the characters. The ties between the characters just didn't ring true, at least to this reader. The author is good, she just needs to slow down a bit and let her characters get to know each other better....
    11 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Miss Missy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, Sexy RH Read!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is the first book in 'The Challenge' series, and it won't be the last one I read either! It was so refreshing to read about a strong, capable main character. Yes, Olivia has the guys around her to help her out when she needs it, but that doesn't mean she's not equally capable of doing things herself! As for the guys... well, they're all different (which is often a challenge in RH) and sexy and protective of Olivia in their own ways. I'm not sure I could choose a favourite, but I'm looking forward to seeing how her relationship with each of the men develops over the next few books. This book isn't a slow burn, and there are some sexy times (all very well written) which I love, and if you're hoping to escape the winter with some tropical sun and hot guys, you can't go wrong with Castaways!
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  • Dave Hunt
    3.0 out of 5 stars Lust fueled incompetance and greed, now that is different!
    Reviewed in Canada on November 16, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I will give the book 4 stars only because the idea was good. The unbelievable stupidity shown by the four supposedly experienced sailors and Captain was off the charts! I do not care how good you think you are you never trust a boat or a media twit with your life! That boat and all it's equipment should have been tested over several days inshore before ever setting out! There are more that enough things that will kill you at sea without making sure of your safety equipment!
    Report
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars J...Jackson
    Reviewed in Australia on March 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    What a great story something a little different for sure i like all the main characters I'm intrigued to see were the story goes next ..well worth the read
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  • Liash
    4.0 out of 5 stars 4 stars
    Reviewed in Australia on November 10, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Great read, but I found the ending rushed a bit. To get a really feel for their bond as a group I feel they needed to be together longer - it was really only a few days total. Great concept though and I enjoyed each of the characters - Lucas is the one to watch!
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  • BrizzleLass
    4.0 out of 5 stars A stonking good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    What a stonking read from Lily Harlem. The first book in The Challenge series, Castaways takes us on a sea bound adventure with Olivia and her five sexy crew mates.

    What I loved most about this book was how different it was to other Reverse Harem’s I’ve read, the settings being completely new and different completely testing the characters mentally and physically.

    Olivia is a likeable character who is smart, sexy and keeps her cool in a crisis and boy do these guys have a crisis. The men in her life have very distinct personalities which is something I love in these books.

    The book ends setting up nicely for book two which I’m eager to read and already have ready to go.
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