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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
This was a wild and chaotic ride. A little bit Thelma and Louise. It started out really strong and ended pretty strong. The main characters were not particularly likeable. But maybe that was the point? The overall story felt like it lost a little bit of steam towards the middle and became a little bit repetitive. But it ultimately came back together for a decent ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me for free by Random House Publishing- Bantam Books.
Christina Dotson’s Love You to Death will make you rethink how far “ride-or-die” loyalty should really go. This thriller drops you straight into Kayla’s intense friendship with Zorie, a bond so fierce and codependent it’s both intoxicating and terrifying.
Christina Dotson’s Love You to Death will make you rethink how far “ride-or-die” loyalty should really go. This thriller drops you straight into Kayla’s intense friendship with Zorie, a bond so fierce and codependent it’s both intoxicating and terrifying.
Dotson excels at exposing the moral gray area Kayla inhabits and how Zorie pushes her willingly into increasingly escalating behavior. Kayla refuses to see Zorie for who she truly is, clinging instead to a sanitized version of her best friend. When a disastrous road trip across the South turns into a full-blown flight from the law, Kayla is forced to confront Zorie’s darkness, her blurred boundaries, and the chilling consequences of unquestioned devotion.
Kayla’s complicated family history adds another layer, explaining why she clings to Zorie even as that loyalty drags her down. By the time the final twists hit, my pulse was pounding and I was genuinely holding my breath. I loved this book and look forward to reading more of Dotson’s work!
If you crave page-turners that ratchet up the tension, keep you guessing, and make you side-eye your closest relationships, Love You to Death belongs on your reading list!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The old saying is: choose your friends wisely.
However, Kayla missed it by a long shot. At a young age in Georgia, she became best buddies with Zorie. She was glued to someone who was reckless and always seemed to make bad decisions.
With a spirited dialogue, the first part had my attention. Kayla and Zorie found jobs as housekeepers for a reputable hotel where everything seemed fine. Yet, Zorie was highly unstable making quick decisions leading to criminal acts.
Then Kayla got bad news. She lost her job which was the sole source of her income. It’s always about money. Zorie tried to convince Kayla that none of these things would be her fault: burglary, hit-and-run and all sorts of other unlawful acts to come. It was a prime example of a toxic friendship.
About half way, the story slowed down. It was too predictable knowing it wasn’t going to end well especially for two Black women on the run in the south. Sadly, it could be viewed as stereotypical to some readers.
My thanks Bantam and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 22, 2025.
adventurous
dark
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
Love You to Death takes toxic friendship to a whole new level. This story was absolutely unhinged from start to finish — in the very best way! Think Thelma and Louise vibes where the two MCs, after a theft gone wrong, suddenly find themselves in one disastrous situation after another. I could not put this novel down!
Kayla and Zorie are both incredibly flawed and yet you can’t help rooting for them. The way they both lifted each other up while simultaneously knocking each other back down. I loved the sheer unpredictability of the plot, which kept me hooked from start to finish. This was an exciting debut and I can’t wait to see what Christina Dotson writes next!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fun, face paced read. I loved this Bonnie and Clyde style friendship story, and the bizarro road trip through the South that the main characters go on. I loved spending time in seedy gas stations and motels, and one of the strengths of the books is how specifically these are rendered by the author. Does this book require some suspension of disbelief? Sure, but it was a fun ride and I was on the edge of my seating as I was reading, especially during the Confederate cos-player wedding crashing scene.
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
what a witty, fast-paced novel! i really enjoyed the beginning. dotson’s writing style and kayla’s character cracked me up. i really felt for her and her family struggles, as well as her feeling of being stuck while everyone else’s lives are moving on without you.
the plot was gripping, but at times it felt like everything that could go wrong was going wrong. i guess that was the point of the book, but it was hard to keep up at times.
zorie drove me up the wall. she was not a good friend and clearly was struggling with some mental health issues. she had no accountability for her actions, and ultimately left kayla on her own to pick up the pieces. however, kayla was unbearable at times. i’m all for unlikeable characters and an entertaining dysfunctional dynamic, but these two women took codependency to a whole other level. i had to stop at times and look at the wall as i was reading like i was on a sitcom. cue gregory from abbott elementary saying “y’all are getting this, right?”
i liked this one, but i wouldn’t pick it up again. i recommend it for anyone looking for a gripping, action-packed read to take on a vacation by the pool. i wasn’t satisfied with the ending, but i think that those who love action and unlikeable characters would enjoy it.
also, i love a kentucky author and was so happy to read dotson’s bio and see that she calls the bluegrass state her home 🤠😌✨
thank you to netgalley and ballantine for an arc of christina dotson’s novel “love you to death!” all opinions are my own, and i did not receive any compensation for this review.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
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
ARC