A Killer Kind of Romance

by Letizia Lorini

In this new romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Letizia Lorini, a crime podcast host must solve a chilling serial killer case while navigating an unexpected romance with her mysterious next-door neighbor.

Scarlett Moore doesn’t do romance.

She’s made a name for herself narrating gritty crime fiction on a local podcast. But when her boss hands her the reins to the network’s romance show, Scarlett finds herself neck-deep in swoony love stories on top of her usual murder plots.

Then someone begins reenacting the chilling crimes she discusses on air, down to the last twisted detail.

Determined to protect her small town, Scarlett launches her own investigation. But the line between reality and fiction blurs even more when Rafael Gray—the brooding bad boy who disappeared five years ago—unexpectedly returns. Suddenly, her life reads like a romance novel filled with every trope she used to mock, with Rafael playing the dangerously irresistible lead.

He's perfect in every way...except last time, he broke her heart, and now he’s the prime suspect in the string of brutal murders.

Will this be the love story she never saw coming, or is it a killer kind of romance?

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Fiction, Audiobook

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2026

About the author

Letizia Lorini is the USA Today bestselling author of the Love & Other Recipes series. She’s an Italian writer who’s passionate about heart-warming books with high cackling potential.

Based in Sweden, she lives with her partner and their fluffy pup.

She also has a degree in sociology and one in criminology, speaks three languages, and drinks the daily recommended dose of coffee before breakfast.

Instagram: letizialorini.writes
Tiktok: letizialorini.author
Pinterest: letizialoriniauthor
Website: www.letizialorini.com

Reviews

[DianaRose]

fun lil murder mystery romcom 🥰

[Teresa (The BFF Bookclub) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was 463 pages and that’s 463 pages too long because quite honestly this was very bad.

The plot was all over the place, this had the ability to be something really good and then the author just failed at every turn

I thought going into this that the murders and their connection to the podcast would be the focal point of the story but it honestly all felt like an afterthought to the romance and to the FMCs relationship with her brother… it felt like the author threw a bunch of shit at the wall and then crammed everything that stuck into this book so none of it ended up working

like there are these gruesome murders happening and no one cares, theres a private investigator and two cops working the job. This is a small town of 5000 people and no one is freaked out about what’s happening … or maybe they are but I wouldn’t know because a giant chunk of this book was spent with the FMC worrying about getting custody of her brother from her grandparents because he’s gay and they don’t support him… it literally felt like the author was writing two different books and just copied and pasted them together. There was no connection or flow whatsoever

The dialogue also felt forced and didn’t flow naturally at all and the main characters had ZERO chemistry. The “tension” didn’t exist even though we were told there was tension and it was obvious that was the point but it felt so so so so so forced - I still have no idea why Raphael liked Scarlett she was completely insufferable

Also Raphael, a grown ass man of 26 ish yrs of age, assaulting a 16 year old, vandalizing his car, and finding dick pics in the kids phone and then making fun of his penis was so fucking weird - then basically implying the reason why this kid is bullying Scarlets brother is because he has a big gay crush on him felt sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo off putting ! Like yes the kid was an asshole but idk a grown adult shouldn’t comment on a child’s genitalia and then out the kid and assault him ??? Freaking weird and creepy and gross

I gave this 2 instead of 1 star because I forced myself to skim read until the end to see if my suspicion of who the murder is was correct and I was right because it was so obvious

I HATED EVERY CHARACTER. The end.

[Julie Dreamland · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐
Якже я люблю книжкових чоловіків, які не просто підтримують книжкове захоплення, радо стають активними учасниками: будують власноруч бібліотеку, купують і читають книжки разом, навіть роблять власні примітки для коханої (хоча писати у книгах для мене - це страшно). Рафаель саме такий, і це не може не захоплювати, і мріяти про такого 🤭
А взагалі, сексуальна напруга між головними героями нереальна, просто з першого діалогу 🥵

Не можу не відзначити назви розділів ака тропи й їхня інтерпретація від авторки - це було дуже влучно і дотепно.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sounded so amazing and was even better than I could have imagined. Scarlett has a podcast discussing mystery novels, describing the fictional murder the same way a true crime podcaster would. Suddenly, someone begins killing people in the town exactly as described on her podcast on the same day it is aired. Of course, it wouldn't be a cozy if the police didn't ignore her when she came forward with the information.

Even though there were tons of side characters, they were written so perfectly that there was no issue keeping them straight. Love this book so much and will be looking into more by this author.

Not many scenes, but the ones that are there are very spicy.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

Content warning: homophobia

[Saranya]

Pre-Read
Recently, I have not been liking Romance books, but I think I know that this is going to me one of my most favourite books!

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

a killer kind of romance review
you might recognize my name if you’re a letizia fan, i’m a long time fan of letizia’s turned PA. i’ve been reading her books since the arc for desserts for stressed people (subtle flex), but i made it to her inner circle of friends and for that i am grateful.

that being said - im her friend who will loudly (and correctly) tell her when a name she’s chosen sucks, or when i don’t like a plot line she’s come up with, but she only listens to me like .5% of the time. and i also don’t recommend trying it lol. all of THAT to say, i want to establish credibility as a reviewer. as she is my friend, i know my reviews can seem like a brush off of, “oh they’re friends of course she’s going to say good things.” i’m honest, even to a point of being her own personal annoying woke gen z nightmare sometimes.

i want you to listen to the above when i say: this is letizia’s best book yet. i don’t say that as her friend, or her PA, or the girl who’s been reading her since the start. i say this so honestly and truthfully that i really *need* yall to believe me when i say it.

her writing has transformed from baby author to “this is my FIFTH novel and i just get better and better with each one”.

the story is FANTASTIC. her first story outside of the love & other recipes world and she hit it out. of. the. park. i was honestly nervous to leave the L&OR world, as i’ve grown comfortable there, with shane and heaven and ian and amelie and all the other lovely characters we’ve come to know and love. but rafael and scarlett came in absolutely slamming the doors open for THEIR turn. and they were NOT going to be ignored.

scarlett is *that* girl. she gets caught up in the whirlwind of her murder podcast being the inspiration for a small-town serial killer, as one does. i mean come on. plot? HELLO. and rafael is her sexy as SIN next door neighbor who might just be the serial killer she’s looking for.

again, honest, i didn’t know if letizia would be able to pull off that suspense of the “whodunnit”. i feel like because i am her friend i know her brain. apparently im a terrible friend because i didn’t have a gosh darn clue and i was just at the mercy of each twist and turn she threw my way. and the end? my jaw was on the FLOOR.

this woman managed to pull off a spicy, sexy romance with the guy of most of our dreams at the same time as a murder plot PLUS a subplot to take care of scarlett’s brother, ethan, who honestly stole my heart.

i’ll always be a shane girl. i don’t think that’ll ever change (im almost always partial to the first man in the lineup), but rafael had shane on a run for his goddamn cupcakes.

before i head out (with another plead for you to know i mean every word of this review) i’ll share a few quotes that i think should convince anyone and everyone to pick up what will likely be my favorite book of 2025, and possibly my new favorite book of letizia’s.

“He’s here, and all I want is to kiss him for the rest of my life. To kiss him until my lips are raw, until time stops, until the world forgets to spin.”

“You undo me, Scarlett,” he says, so softly I almost miss it.
“Really?” I rub my thumb on his nape. “Sometimes it feels like you hold me together.”

“You look pretty when you’re offended.”
“I’m not offended.”
“Then I guess you’re just pretty.”
- 09/22/2025

i was right. i loved it. - 09/16/25

if mommy writes it, i’m gonna love it. - 07/02/25

[Rmplift, Rachel Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC READ FROM NG

Spoiler Free Summary:
A killer is using a podcaster's book choices as a guide to murder women.

Vibes:
I’ll skip straight to it: the author did a wonderful job intertwining the love story with the MMC’s personal arc. The way he recalls memories to show he’s always loved her was genuinely sweet — a thoughtful and emotional touch.

When it comes to the murder mystery aspect, the setup was solid. The author scattered clues cleverly, making it feel like anyone could be the culprit before slowly narrowing things down. Unfortunately, the pacing really started to drag midway through. The story got bogged down in unnecessary details and repetitive situations, and the tension that once hooked me started to fizzle.

Now, let’s talk about the FMC. Around the 48–50% mark, she takes a hard turn into childish and overly dramatic behavior. It completely pulled me out of the story and killed the chemistry that had been building. The library tantrum scene (you’ll know it when you get there) was the breaking point for me — there’s a murderer on the loose, and she’s putting her foot down because she wants to “walk by herself”? Girl, please. Another example, is the cringy scene where she hides behind the door (GROW UP), or the "breakup" later in.

By the final stretch, finishing the book started to feel like a chore. It kept adding subplots, random tangents, and too many POVs. There’s a fine line between a slow burn and just doing too much — and this one crossed it.

Romance scenes:
Pretty standard overall, except for the first one… which was confusing at best. The “PG-14” moment felt chaotic, and the timeline around whether they had or hadn’t actually done the heathen tango... it didn’t add up. You only figure it out later in the book when the FMC has a conversation with her friend. The writing during those scenes leaned cringy instead of steamy, which was a letdown.

Court scenes:
This part completely lost me. The FMC came off like a nightmare client — yelling, interrupting, and throwing fits in a courtroom. The drama felt unrealistic and over the top. I ended up skimming most of it because it read like filler rather than meaningful conflict.

In short: a story with great potential, heartfelt moments, and a clever mystery setup — but weighed down by dragged pacing, frustrating character choices, and scenes that went on far too long.

Cover:
Cover is like Mallory Marlowe's. I like the art and the character theme. The only thing is that the description of the MMC does not fit the cover character.

[Lex Ax · Rating 1 out of 5]

We have no sense of a real timeline because each chapter seems to orient itself, outside the structure of time, completely unconnected to what just happened before. For someone who wants to eradicate this man from her life, the main character sure is soap-opera-arguing with him in public every chance she gets. Yes, he lied to her and that’s bad, but he also held her a gunpoint?!? And it’s not a big deal?!? Also, this man attacks a minor and they’re FINE with it. As if that wasn’t enough, the ultimate struggle for this book is that it builds momentum and then immediately lose it. Moments of tension are instantaneously solved, giving readers whiplash. Each chapter starts off by identifying a romance trope (that sometimes has nothing to do with the chapter) and detracts from the several plot lines in development. The plot wasn’t fluid and felt more like the author had tropes she wanted to use, pushing them forward inorganically. The main character wants custody of her brother, but is seemingly a flaky guardian with a very troubling relationship with her brother. This book was too long for the content, the entire second half could have been sped up.

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[casey ⋆˚౨ৎ ⋆.˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

new auto buy author??? i think so!!! i’m giving this ♾️ stars (goodreads you need to add this option!!!)

this was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and it did not disappoint!!! like good girl x bad boy??? say less. it was sooooo good and i really enjoyed the writing and the unique chapter titles. i could not put it down!! rafael, the man that you are 😮‍💨 charming, kind, and he falls first!!! scarlett has a lot of walls up from her past, but he is so gentle and patient with her. also scarlett being a bookish girly made me love her even more. she goes through alot of growth as the story progresses and can i just say their moments together >>> 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

scarlett doesn’t do romance and currently narrates crime fiction on a local podcast, but her boss assigns her to a romance show as well. once someone begins reenacting the chilling crimes she discusses on air, she is determined to solve the case. unexpectedly rafael, the bad boy who disappeared five years ago shows back up. last time, he broke her heart, and now he’s the prime suspect in the string of brutal murders 🤯

tropes: small town, murder romcom, he falls first, found family, bad boy x good girl, only one bed, bisexual characters, slow burn, bookish fmc, childhood crush

content warnings: grief, custody battles, physical and mental abuse (in the past and off the page), threats, violence (on page), gore

🔪🎧🌌🐈‍⬛🔎

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

letizia is genuinely one of my favorite authors, she has been since i read desserts for stressed people on jan 1 & 2nd of 2024 and declared right then it would be my favorite read of the year (spoiler alert: it wasn’t but only because the wedding menu was). ever since then every single book of hers i have read and obsessed over and im SO happy to say that this was no different for me. letizia is probably one of the only authors i have read where every single book of theirs was a 5 star read for me.

i had SO much fun following scarlett and rafael around, trying to figure out with them what in the actual hell was going on in their small town and swooning over their relationship IMMEDIATELY. as i sit here trying to scrounge together any coherent thoughts about how much i loved this book im just having the HARDEST time because there genuinely wasnt a single thing i disliked in this book other than the fact that i had to put it down to go to sleep multiple nights this week lol. i audibly laughed multiple times, i cried A LOT towards the end, i felt a renewed energy towards my love of reading because of this book (ya girls been in a rough slump this year).

im almost hesitant to go into too much detail through out this review bc so much of the fun of it for me was not knowing what in the hell to expect from literally any character at any moment in the story. SO i think at least maybe for now, im gonna leave my gushing where it is and just reiterate how fucking phenomenal, fun/exciting AND SWOONY this book was. i promise at no point are you going to want to put it down, even at the danger of being a grumpy mess for work in the morning. like im already contemplating restarting it right this second and i finished it only a few minutes ago thats how obsessed i am rn 😂

[That_awkwardbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love. Raphael is the perfect book boyfriend. And I don't care that he's morally a little gray it's his name he had no choice. 
This book is perfect for all the book girls out there. 
I don't want to spoil anything but he made me swoon so hard, made me giggle and sob. 

But he is not the only thing this book has going for it's self, the plot is mysterious, exiting and entering. I adore the different characters and would love to live in this tiny town. (Preferably with out the murder)

[Sorina§ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyment:⭐⭐
Writing:⭐⭐⭐
Characters:⭐⭐.5
Plot:⭐⭐⭐
Romance:⭐⭐⭐

New rule for me, starting this year: once it takes me more than a week to read a book, and I put it down and don't really want to pick it back up, it's a maximum three-star book.

I basically only finished this because I wanted to know who did it. I did guess it, but the reason was so stupid.

Every chapter starts with a breakdown of romance tropes, which is unique, I'll give it that, but it was kind of quirky, and after a few chapters, it became annoying and took me out of the story. The slander of romance books from the beginning rubbed me the wrong way.

The brother subplot was so irrelevant, it just painted the MCs in a bad light because of how they handled it. The FMC was insufferable for most of the book, and the MMC had too many red flags for a rom-com.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️s Rounded up!
1/5🌶️

So I thought that this one would be a little more suspenseful then humorous. I was wrong! But I’m so glad I stuck with it because it was hilarious! (Mixed with a bit of mystery) I cannot get over the banter between Rafael and Scarlett. It was some of the BEST banter I have ever read!

Scarlett is a fictional crime podcaster, and she’s amazing at what she does! She is a true crime junkie. However, she starts noticing that the fictional crimes that she’s reporting on are actually being reenacted in her small town. 😳

So what does every crime junkie love to do?? Investigate! So she start a an investigation to protect her town and reputation.

Then comes the unexpected Rafael Gray… no one has seen him in 5 years. The man that broke her heart.

This was such a fun read! Kind of a slow burn. 🔥 It covers just about every trope in the most humorous ways (well most of the time). A very diverse set of characters. There were times when I felt like some chapters in the book were a little too dramatic for me so that’s the only reason why it isn’t a full 5 ⭐️ for me.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

not a single page I didn't enjoy!!!! I loved both characters dearly and loved the depth of them.

such a good intro to thriller/romance genre for me! I cant recommend this enough!

theres good flirtyness right from the beginning and it kept me on my toes until her well deserved bookshelf ladder moment 👀

the book jokes about booktok boyfriends but Rafael Gray is 100% one in all his hunky, tattooed and 'knows what you need before you do' self!!!!

amazing storyline and plot and great use of literary tropes 💓

[Kacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scarlett was immature and annoying and clearly (say it with me) needed therapy!!!! Some of the writing / writing choices felt juvenile.

[ellie jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was honestly a bit of drag. I didn’t enjoy either of the characters. They felt so 2D and there was literally not chemistry between the two. Rafael and Scarlett come back together after five years apart, and we learn she’s been in love with him since she was a kid.

Scarlett comes across as childish throughout the whole book and it really took me out of the story. Rafael was lovely but then his ‘dirty talk’ came into play and I was literally cringing and laughing.

He shows back up and then bam, he’s in love and they’re together. But no, he won’t display that to her and we’re left guessing why. Also, there are random murders happening in their small town and of course, Rafael is the main suspect because he was a big naughty when he was a kid.

Jesus, this whole book a yawn. I disliked the characters and oh yeah, everyone is obsessed with a 23 year old girl who hates romance because she can’t fall in love.

I’ve read on of the author’s book in the past, and this will be my last one.

[Magpiebookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to lie—I spent the first half of this book cringing. But once the mystery kicked in and the romance hit its stride, I was all in. A Killer Kind of Romance takes your typical fluffy love story and twists it into something darker and more compelling, complete with murder, secrets, and even a custody battle that had me rooting for the FMC and her brother. It ended up being so much more engaging than I expected, and by the second half I genuinely couldn’t put it down

[Anna (annasbookstacks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ★

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, @simon.audio for the gifted audiobook!!

Scarlett Moore is only in her mid-twenties but she’s lost more than most her age. With her parents having passed away and her brother living with grandparents, she relies on the community for a sense of family. She loves a good romance novel but also has a local crime fiction podcast. When the crimes in the books she discusses in the podcast are recreated in startling detail, resulting in deaths in her small town, she’s determined to get to the bottom of it. In the midst of the murders, her former neighbor and crush, Rafael Gray, returns. She’s confident he is either the killer or the love of her life.

This was such a fun read! It mixes a great romance, complex family dynamic, and a pulse-pounding thriller while also being a cozy small town book. I can’t explain how Lorini pulls that off, but she absolutely does. Each chapter is titled by the trope present in it (and there is a cute description), which is a fun teaser into where we’re going in each chapter. The characters all have interesting backstories rooted in what it means to grow up in a town where who you were as a kid defines how people see you as an adult, which leads to several important evolutions in the story - not just for Scarlett and Rafael (but theirs are very good).

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: Lindsey Dorcus does a fabulous job in this performance and she has a lot to carry - there are a ton of characters across a wide variety of characteristics. A fun audio! (14h 11m)

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
🎧 Audio performance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🔥 Spice: 🌶️🌶️

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️

Really really enjoyed this one a lot!!! Romcom with murder mystery thriller vibes. Highly recommend you add it to your TBR.

[Holly Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a very real way this is one of the best books I’ve ever read!!! It was witty and silly and serious and sexy and sweet…just SO beautifully crafted! I have loved Letizia’s writing for a long time but this is her best book yet. I LOVED the way the chapters were set up! It was like a procedural TV show, romance book, and a murder mystery podcast all wrapped up into one PERFECT thing! Everything about the WAY she wrote it was JUST SO GOOD! And that’s all before I even mentions Scarlett!! And Rafael!! And them together! And Ethan!! EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD!!

I love love love Scarlett!! I love a grumpy girl who is so convinced she isn’t made for love!!! When she’s just been WAITING for the one that got away!!! And seeing her Rafael come back together!! And seamlessly build a life together?! They were literally SO PERFECT! He IS SO DOWN BAD FOR HIS GIRL!!!! He annotates books for her?? HE gets HER into romance books!!!? He listened to his podcast for YEARS?! He built her a bookshelf!!

Everything else was SO GOOD! I love the small town and the gossipy neighbors! And the found family that Scarlett created for herself. And hiw they all banded together FOR Scarlett and Rafael and Ethan! I really appreciated how delicately Letizia wrote Rafael’s backstory and how important that was to his story but also how he worked SO HARD to move past it and not let it define him. She also wrote Ethan’s story so carefully and it was beautiful. Seeing him find himself and find a place to be happy and be himself was SO beautiful.

I am a FAN of Letizia and I will be for life! I cannot wait for literally everything and anything else she has to write 🥹

Thank you so so much to Gallery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! And THANK YOU to Letizia for making this possible 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[Cee · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 31% / 10 chapters (only 10?!)

I think at this point I'm actively looking for reasons to dislike it.

Look, Scarlett is immature and absolutely unlikeable to me. She's "Not Like Other Girls." She hates romance. Is 23 and has never had a crush -- except on Rafael when she was 9 to 20 years old. She doesn't date, but she did date Rafael's cousin when she was 17 for because he asked. (seriously wtf) She is incredibly messy with laundry all over the place and doesn't know how to cook. She opens the front door without check whose there even when wearing just a towel and then proceeds to eat dinner and chat with the love interest instead of putting on clothes.
Alright, I'll stop. I just... ugh.

The podcast stuff is... silly? They have all these themed podcasts, but they are essentially oral book reviews. Every week Scarlett reads a book and then reviews and analyzes it for the podcast. That's literally it.

Rafael is quirky and mysterious and also so down bad for Scarlett. They eat dinner whioe Rafael watches TV while Scarlett reads (love this vibe tbh), he annotates books for her and wants to know all about her. He also weirdly has LUST written on his fingers??? He has a nose ring and rings on his fingers and of course more tattoos. He's the bad boy returned to the small town for his estranged dad's funeral.

The best part of the book was Rafael trying to win Scarlett over.

I read some reviews saying this book was funny, but I have no idea what they are talking about.

[Brittany Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing in this book was so clunky and messy it made it really hard to enjoy this book.

The premise was so good but it just missed all the marks for me. It seemed like it wanted to be a rom com but it just wasn’t funny.

This book wasn’t for me and that’s okay - I hope it’s enjoyable for someone else

[aino ꫂ᭪ ✮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

── .✦ˎˊ˗ 4.5 stars
⤷ ⟡ started feb 19th ⋮ finished feb 20th ⟡ ݁₊

🎧 : the only expectation - p.

# my opinion:
okay hands down this book ate. i was absolutely obsessed with the characters, the story, the plot-twists and EVERYTHING. this was the first romance for such a long time which i actually enjoyed and loved reading about the small, unique gestures the main characters had for each other <3

i feel as though i have found one more genre i really enjoy: it's these mystery-slash-romcom books where i find myself so interested in the plot — hence the mystery-part of the story — and the characters and their relationship. please recommend me more books like these 😫

# characters:

ˎˊ˗ scarlett
i fully enjoyed being inside scarlett's head and seeing how much she cared for the people close to her, especially how her and her brother's relationship developed and how she did everything in her power to help him. <3

ˎˊ˗ rafael
rafael was the perfect book boyfriend. he absolutely noticed everything about scarlett and made me hit my head to the wall several times because why can't normal men be like this?? and the epilogue had me actually kicking my feet 💝 and the fact that he literally built a library for scarlett?? please.

ˎˊ˗ the cat sherlock
okay hands down sherlock (scarlett's cat) was the best character of this book. she did absolutely give no fucks and was just the queen in everyone's lives 👸

# playlist:
℘ all i want - k.
℘ this love - t.s
℘ mystery of love - s.s
℘ the night we met - l.h
℘ exile - t.s

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fkn loved this. It was emotional, fun, murdery, sexy and bookish. Oh, and there was a cat. So, perfection? Yeah, let's go with that.

[T. Rosado · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

The romance wasn't very interesting. I didn't really get them as a couple. The mystery was better, and the main reason I kept reading.

[Sam Ran · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5. This book held me captive in an unwilling hostage sort of way.

[Lucca Powers Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars

This book is genuinely perfect? When I say I want a good romance book, THIS is what I mean. Rafael and Scarlett’s chemistry and dynamic is absolutely everything🥹

I’ve never been much into mystery/crime fiction but I did not mind that part of the book at all and totally see how it actually adds to the story.

I loved it and wanted to start over again as soon as I’d finished.

[iowagirlreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️/ 2.5🔥

This was just such a fun listen! It was such a quirky, sweet read, but it also had a surprising amount of depth that I wasn’t expecting. I also loved the podcast element and how that played into the story. This was a romance, but also a mystery that was just a great time!

Rafael was hands down the highlight for me—he was a bad boy but with a heart of gold and the way he was so down bad for Scarlett had me swooning. Plus the tattoos and nose ring…the vibe just worked!

His chemistry with Scarlett is off the charts. I loved watching how patient and steadfast he was as he helped her break down her walls and fight for her brother. While the romance was definitely the star of the show, the murder mystery was such a fun bonus that kept the plot moving, and that epilogue was the absolute perfect cherry on top!

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts
Lindsey Dorcus narrated this and did an amazing job bringing all the characters to life. Her performance was a total five stars! She even voiced Sherlock the cat perfectly, which, is a very important role.

⚠️ Be sure to check the content warnings first, as this one deals with some heavier themes alongside the romance.

🔎 Murder RomCom
🏡 Small Town
🖤 Good Girl x Bad Boy
💙 He Falls First
🔪 He Might be a Killer
🐈‍⬛ Sherlock the Cat
🎙️ Podcast Fun

[Dankinia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about two people with a past who build a new future while solving murders and dealing with family drama.

Overall, I rate it 2.5⭐out of 5 which means I finished it, but I have mixed feelings. While there were parts I enjoyed, they didn't balance out the parts that fell flat for me. The premise was good, but it didn't hold my attention and there were times the actions of the characters bothered me.

What worked for me:
• The premise of a privet investigator and a podcast host solving crimes interested me

What didn't work for me:
• The story felt a bit disjointed due and hard to follow at some points
• I'm never a fan of a third act breakup and the scenes around it felt like they took away from the mystery.

Finished Reading
01/13/2026

Thank you Net Galley for an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.