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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Her lips are the color of sudden, painful death.”
What I was expecting from Serial Killer Games:
🔪 silly, satirical rom-com
🔪 cliched kinda cringey moments
🔪 lighthearted with little depth
What I actually found in Serial Killer Games:
🩸 laugh-out-loud banter
🩸 complex characters that burrowed into my very soul
🩸 a rich and layered story that I can’t stop thinking about
This is your classic office romance, where the temp is clearly a psychotic serial killer and the true-crime obsessed hottie down the hall is surely a maneating black widow.
This book actually had no business being as good as it is 😂 we all love a silly little rom com so when I saw a book with “temp marry kill” on the front I was buckled in for a twisted little office romance novel.
IT WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT 😭
The backstories of our MFC and MMC are equally intriguing and heartbreaking, it made me ACTUALLY give a shit about them unlike many a romcom 😂
I actually found myself laughing at the banter between the two main characters. As a person in a piss take marriage I appreciate the constant razzing on each other 🤌🏻
Also, not everyone’s cup of tea I know (and mild spoiler warning) but the cool mum representation speaks to me in such a comforting way. Motherhood is weird and wonderful and it’s nice to see a mum who is hot AF, rather than boring and frazzled and tired.
The premise is just delicious, the execution is perfection - the true crime girlies NEED to add this to their TBR.
“No one’s ever kissed me like this, like a spider sucking the life from its prey.”
What I was expecting from Serial Killer Games:
🔪 silly, satirical rom-com
🔪 cliched kinda cringey moments
🔪 lighthearted with little depth
What I actually found in Serial Killer Games:
🩸 laugh-out-loud banter
🩸 complex characters that burrowed into my very soul
🩸 a rich and layered story that I can’t stop thinking about
This is your classic office romance, where the temp is clearly a psychotic serial killer and the true-crime obsessed hottie down the hall is surely a maneating black widow.
This book actually had no business being as good as it is 😂 we all love a silly little rom com so when I saw a book with “temp marry kill” on the front I was buckled in for a twisted little office romance novel.
IT WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT 😭
The backstories of our MFC and MMC are equally intriguing and heartbreaking, it made me ACTUALLY give a shit about them unlike many a romcom 😂
I actually found myself laughing at the banter between the two main characters. As a person in a piss take marriage I appreciate the constant razzing on each other 🤌🏻
Also, not everyone’s cup of tea I know (and mild spoiler warning) but the cool mum representation speaks to me in such a comforting way. Motherhood is weird and wonderful and it’s nice to see a mum who is hot AF, rather than boring and frazzled and tired.
The premise is just delicious, the execution is perfection - the true crime girlies NEED to add this to their TBR.
“No one’s ever kissed me like this, like a spider sucking the life from its prey.”
slow-paced
The title and the blurb are misleading. If you’re looking for a dark serial killer romance, this isn’t it.
Heck if you’re looking for something dark, this isn’t it either.
It’s just 2 people going through life with trauma that have a sense of humor that’s a little out there. For christs sake, the MMC can’t stand blood.
I wanted to read something similar to Sweet Pea or Butcher & Blackbird. This book was neither and that’s why the review is low.
Heck if you’re looking for something dark, this isn’t it either.
It’s just 2 people going through life with trauma that have a sense of humor that’s a little out there. For christs sake, the MMC can’t stand blood.
I wanted to read something similar to Sweet Pea or Butcher & Blackbird. This book was neither and that’s why the review is low.
dark
dark
medium-paced
Delightfully dark and funny book about two very observant people trying to outwit the other during a cat and mouse game, but these games turn flirtatious and leave you to wonder if they are really playing serial killer games or if this is actually real life.
Jake Ripper, he's an everyman who easily blends into the crowd. You see him and immediately forget about him. He’s an extra in a movie, a background person used only for filler. He works as a temp but he studies his victims and learns their everymove. He keeps quiet, knows who everyone is but doesn’t let anything get close to him until her ....Dolores.
Dolores works in a corner office, dresses in all black and has a morbid sense of humor. She also stays under the radar and is just as observant as he is. As a true crime aficionado, she knows what to look for in killers and she thinks she's found one in her office…Jake.
Filled with dark innuendos and misdirections this was a cutely worded story about two enemies falling for each other and just how far they are taking the serial killer joke or are they really joking after all?
I liked the misdirections the author placed into the story. She did a good job of putting a “fact” into the story and then I found out later on that I assumed the fact and it wasn’t 100% accurate. Very clever.
It threw you into the story very quickly but did take an unexpected turn into domestic bliss a little over halfway but it was not an unwelcome turn. It really helped to explain more about the characters and why they act like they do. These two started as frenemies but quickly moved into mutual respect and understating and eventually the desires between them won out.
The romance was a little choppy. It started with flirting and I enjoyed the back and forth at the start but as more of the backgrounds were exposed, I felt that it started to bounce around a little too much and I lost that connection with the two main characters.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I would classify this as a morbid romcom that was a stabbing success!
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
medium-paced
This debut is twisted, a little morbid and kinky, and definitely darkly humorous—Serial Killer Games is not your typical love story. It follows Jake Ripper and Dolores dela Cruz, two wildly offbeat characters whose flirtation dances on the edge of something much more dangerous. Think “rom-com meets true crime” with a dose of pepper spray.
To be honest, this one wasn’t quite for me. The characters and the story were hard to connect with, and there were more than a few points where I considered giving up. But what saved the experience for me was the audiobook. The dual narration? Absolutely fantastic—it really brought the characters to life and made the unsettling tone a lot more engaging.
While I didn’t personally enjoy the plot or characters, I can definitely see this book hitting the mark for readers who love an off-kilter romance full of suspense, dark humor, and morally gray vibes.
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you like your romance books mixed with a little morbid humor, then Serial Killer Games is the novel for you. For me, it was a mixed bag. I think my expectations of what the book was going to be about didn't line up to the actual story, plus I was a bit perplexed with the writing style. So much so I almost gave up. The second half of the book was more enjoyable. Maybe I let go of expectations, adjusted to the writing style, or it just was coming together, but the second half did boost the novel.
My best one line summary - a cat and mouse mystery that turns into a bit of a love story?
Highlights:
Dual POV
Unique plot
Funny moments
Lowlights:
Confusing narrative
Pacing issues
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own
My best one line summary - a cat and mouse mystery that turns into a bit of a love story?
Highlights:
Dual POV
Unique plot
Funny moments
Lowlights:
Confusing narrative
Pacing issues
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own
dark
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC! It took a little getting used to at first but once I found the rhythm, I ended up really enjoying it. Despite the title, this was a surprisingly cute romance with a fun twist. The chemistry between the characters kept me turning pages, and the unique premise made it stand out. All in all, a quirky, charming read worth picking up!