Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - Good Girl, Bad Blood

I am keeping this review shortish because my brain is blah today! So I enjoyed Good Girl, Bad Blood (GGBB), still not as much as I enjoyed AGGGTM. AGGGTM focused on solving a murder case, and due to my love of true crime, I preferred that over a missing person's case, which is what Good Girl, Bad Blood focused on.

I will admit Holly Jackson does a great job of writing a mystery. Just like in AGGGTM, I really couldn't guess the whole ending. I put together some pieces early on, but that's it, and I am known for guessing a mystery very early on 😬.

Pip and her character development were interesting, to say the least. At first, you think that she has come out reasonably unscathed with solving the murder of Andie and Sal; however, the further you get into this book, you start to realize Pip is not all there, and she is slipping back into old and worse habits. She is so desperate for the truth that she is willing to do anything. However, with that being said Pip believes herself above the law. If someone else commits a crime, they are guilty. If she herself does something it's okay. Towards the end of GGBB, Pip becomes very hypocritical and self-centered.

GGBB could have been done without the "romance". The romance between Ravi and Pip was so silly and out of place. It's more of a best-friend relationship than a romantic one. GGBB isn't focused on romance and is all about mystery. So it's jarring when Ravi comes into a scene and you are reminded, "oh, that's right, they are together," and it happens every time. Also, Pip treats Ravi like trash in GGBB when he enters the few scenes he is in. She care's little for his thoughts and makes him feel like he is out to get her.

Finally, what really irked me about Pip was her taking away the voice of the sexual assault victims. She, herself, was never assaulted yet she makes the Max Hastings trial about her and only her. She pushes the true victims aside and tries to take the spotlight in the whole scenario. She took the victim's voices away, even if it was unintentional. That is NOT okay.

And when she finds out he is not guilty, she goes on this rampage as if her world was torn down around her and not the victims. Destroying his home and taking revenge for herself and not the girls that were assaulted by him.

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isaacharris's review

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adventurous dark funny mysterious relaxing tense fast-paced

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

5.0

love this series. i've never been mad on the emotional side of things but the plot is so well written and keeps a good balance between being bizarre and realistic. the story is tied together in such a satisfying way too.

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abi_ineedtoreadmore's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Amazing book, plays with your emotions in a way that emulates real life losses and how death and crime are not always solved and ended with happily ever after.

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