Reviews with content warning for Grief - Love in the Time of Serial Killers

After seeing Love in the time of serial killers on the Barnes and Noble shelves, I was immediately intrigued. After all, it was a romance novel centering around a true crime obsessed academic, what's not to love? And while I do believe it was an impressive contemporary novel, especially for a literary debut, this one was not for me (which is okay, not all books will resonate with everyone)!
I think the main dissuading factor for me was the plot holes surrounding the (incorrect) assumption by the protagonist of the love interest's possible criminal background. This was highly emphasized in the advertising, yet was rarely mentioned, and it in fact, Sam and Phoebe's relationship read more like insta love! In addition, I felt like Sam's character was not fully developed, as he could be inconsistent more often then not.
That being said, I thought the conversations around grief, childhood trauma, and emotional abuse/neglect were handled very well, and Phoebe's character arc was phenomenal. Also can we talk about Shani and Charlie? The Definition of soulmates.
Overall, although it might not have struck a chord with me, I could definitely see it being popular for romcom lovers and fans of Christina Lauren. If you fall into one (or both) of these categories, then I would recommend checking out Love in the Time of Serial Killers.

Content Warnings

bookishnesy's review

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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comradeghost's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.25

This book made me laugh and cry and think about my life and my relationships to others. The writing is easy to read and enjoyable. The true crime references were so fun for a true crime nerd!

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beccaand's review

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-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

4.25

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shutupiamreading's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I didn't expect to love this as much as I did - while I've consumed a lot of true crime, I often find the narrative surrounding it very icky and cringey. However, this was a great and lighthearted romance with great banter, but also some really great exploration of darker themes such as grief, academic success, and complex relationships with parents.

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rachelkmclaugh's review against another edition

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funny informative lighthearted relaxing fast-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

5.0

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wilybooklover's review

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

This was very cute, but I felt like it was lacking some kind of character/story arc for the hero. He was great (he BLUSHES) but it would have been even better to get to know him a bit more and give him a bit more of a storyline of his own beyond being Phoebe's love interest. Nevertheless, it was so good to read a hero who was on the shorter side — at least for romance — and actually set some healthy boundaries. I loved that the heroine was fat and just... allowed to be without any kind of plot point revolving around it or her self-esteem. I also enjoyed how prickly and suspicious she was, but then, I am a big fan of grumpy heroines.

I think people who are into true crime would enjoy all the serial killer references more than I did. I had to keep Googling to understand the references (and all the pop culture references too) and it just pulled me out of the story.

Still, if you like romances with prickly heroines and sweet heroes, this is a good one! Although I would say it leans in the women's fiction direction. Reminded me a bit of Beach Read, but less dramatic/depressing and with much more enjoyable main characters to spend time with.

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