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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Everyone thinks Kayla’s trash except her ride or die BFF (Zorie) who’s in the same boat, but you get reveals of how and why they’ve now come to a crossroad in their friendship while on the run. This was hard to get through, because I didn’t like any of the characters. Some of it’s perception and some of it’s the way they were written. Zorie was reckless and d*ck crazy, but Kayla thought she was better and bigger than the program. Thelma & Louise 2.0 with some tweaks and surprises.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Violence, Gaslighting
Minor: Abandonment
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A toxic relationship between a sociopath and a floormat who lets her life continuously be ruined by someone who never justifies that kind of loyalty. I've read about kidnappers who treat their victims with more respect than this asshole.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
**Debut Thriller** Published July 22, 2025
Thanks to #RandomHousePublishing, #Ballantine, and the author for the #GiftedCopy of this ARC provided via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
When I picked up Love You To Death, I wasn’t totally sure it would hold my attention. But a few pages in, it took off like the General Lee flying through Georgia (younger readers, you might need to Google that one 😂). Christina Dotson’s debut is a dark, twisted, and emotional ride that mixes the chaos of "Natural Born Killers" with the sisterhood vibes of "Thelma and Louise." Some readers have mixed feelings about it, but I was all in. This book is one wild, bloody ride.
Kayla and Zorie are childhood besties bonded by trauma, secrets, and way too many bad decisions. They crash weddings and steal gifts to survive. (High risk, low reward—definitely not for the faint of heart.) But everything unravels after one heist goes sideways, a bridesmaid ends up dead, and the two find themselves on the run across the South. Their “ride or die” pact turns into something much darker.
Kayla is the quiet one, the emotional center of the story. She’s flawed, no doubt, but there’s something raw and real about her. I couldn’t help but root for her, even as things spiraled. Her life feels like it was always one wrong turn away from disaster. And Zorie is the disaster. She’s electric, wild, dangerous, and the definition of a beautiful mess. She's a human grenade with a dazzling smile. Their friendship is tangled and totally toxic, but it’s also heartbreakingly loyal.
Dotson does a great job showing how trauma blurs the line between love and survival. Watching them spiral is hard, but I couldn't look away.
The plot is full of sharp turns and “what the hell just happened” moments. The dialogue rings true, the tension never lets up, and the stakes get higher with every chapter. This debut is fierce, fast, and brilliantly unforgettable. I'm sold on this author!
Read it if you love:
- Morally messy female friendships
- Stories about unhinged women making terrible choices
- Crime thrillers that feel like they could go viral
- Books that make you feel a little guilty for rooting for the bad guys
challenging
sad
tense
medium-paced
2.5 stars. This was such a long train wreck. There is no mystery here, you are just tense the whole time because they keep doing terrible things and getting into worse situations. The writing is fine, but what on earth, make better choices. be better people. I was trying to look at this with an open mind, I did just read the New Jim Crow about cycles of poverty and crime, and this started out that way, they didn't have a lot of good options, but they never chose the option that would have done the least harm. "don't be mad at me!" "i'm a good person!" no, you have killed people and I am mad.