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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
Well our serial killer hunter duo pops up again. If you have not read "Killing Me" you are going to be totally lost, so suggest that you don't try to read this as a stand-alone.
It's been about a year, and Amber has a new girlfriend named Kat. Amber is making her way back to Las Vegas for her friend Dot's wedding. Amber is still dealing with the events in "Killing Me" and though she doesn't want to deal with anymore serial killers, look that is the way things are going to play out for her when another man is running around Vegas, shaving the heads of sex workers. Amber still doesn't trust Grace (serial killer hunter extraordinaire) but when it seems Grace, Dot, and others are hell bent on tracking down another bad guy, Amber can't help getting involved. Even though it could cost her, her relationship with Kat.
Honestly, I would have loved to get more of Grace's points of view. Having Amber explain how Grace seems to her started to grate on me after a while. We get it Amber, you think she's an emotionless robot. We also get introduced to new characters via Amber in this one and they did not work for me at all until the very end. Her new girlfriend Kat was exhausting. Also, Amber who is dealing with having tons of money via Grace should have been smarter about a lot of things. Just saying. The new characters that we get in this via Amber though just felt a bit squishy slash convoluted at times but I was really happy with the explanation we get at the end. I kept going why are they in this book.
I have to say the flow was kind of up and down for me. I think going from present day Amber to past Amber and past Grace was just too much after a while.
I thought the love triangle was not even something that Gagnon should have focused on. I hope for the next book we switch perspectives between Amber and Grace. It's really hard to get to know her and I wanted more information about her and her life in this one.
I thought the ending was fantastic and I cracked up.
Well our serial killer hunter duo pops up again. If you have not read "Killing Me" you are going to be totally lost, so suggest that you don't try to read this as a stand-alone.
It's been about a year, and Amber has a new girlfriend named Kat. Amber is making her way back to Las Vegas for her friend Dot's wedding. Amber is still dealing with the events in "Killing Me" and though she doesn't want to deal with anymore serial killers, look that is the way things are going to play out for her when another man is running around Vegas, shaving the heads of sex workers. Amber still doesn't trust Grace (serial killer hunter extraordinaire) but when it seems Grace, Dot, and others are hell bent on tracking down another bad guy, Amber can't help getting involved. Even though it could cost her, her relationship with Kat.
Honestly, I would have loved to get more of Grace's points of view. Having Amber explain how Grace seems to her started to grate on me after a while. We get it Amber, you think she's an emotionless robot. We also get introduced to new characters via Amber in this one and they did not work for me at all until the very end. Her new girlfriend Kat was exhausting. Also, Amber who is dealing with having tons of money via Grace should have been smarter about a lot of things. Just saying. The new characters that we get in this via Amber though just felt a bit squishy slash convoluted at times but I was really happy with the explanation we get at the end. I kept going why are they in this book.
I have to say the flow was kind of up and down for me. I think going from present day Amber to past Amber and past Grace was just too much after a while.
I thought the love triangle was not even something that Gagnon should have focused on. I hope for the next book we switch perspectives between Amber and Grace. It's really hard to get to know her and I wanted more information about her and her life in this one.
I thought the ending was fantastic and I cracked up.
This book was a combination of dark, dangerous and randomly humorous. I usually love that combo, but somehow it felt a bit awkward to be at points and the pacing was very inconsistent. I did think there were such interesting characters and some fun moments - the con at the end was great! It was dark and intriguing enough to keep going, but there wasn't much mystery to what was happening / what would happen
Thanks to the publisher for a free copy and a free audiobook; my thoughts and review are my own.
Thanks to the publisher for a free copy and a free audiobook; my thoughts and review are my own.
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Amber Jamison attracts serial killers. This is the second one she's had come after her, oh wait, or is it the third. She can't remember. She is back in Vegas with her friends and they have a crazy plan that just might work. This was funny and crazy and just as good as the first one.
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
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
BOOK: Slaying You (an Amber Jamison Novel, 2 book series)
AUTHOR: Michelle Gagnon
PUB DATE: May 13, 2025, by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
PAGES: 320
RATING: RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
GENRE: Fiction/Mystery/Neo-Noir Thriller
A BIG THANK YOU to Putnam Books, NetGalley, and the author for gifting me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
QUICK SYNOPSIS: They survived a monster once. Now, the real nightmare begins. Grace and Amber escaped the clutches of a ruthless psychopath, but normal life has never come easy. Haunted by their past, they’ve kept their distance—until a Vegas wedding pulls them back into each other’s orbit. When members of their inner circle start turning up dead, the reluctant allies realize a new predator is stalking them. Smarter. Deadlier. And far too close for comfort. To stop a killer, they’ll have to embrace the darkness they’ve tried to forget. The question is: can they outsmart evil twice?
QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: As a huge fan of the first book in this series, Killing Me, I was thrilled to dive back into Amber and Grace’s world—and this sequel did not disappoint! Just like the original, this installment delivers the perfect blend of suspense, humor, and heart-pounding action. It was such a treat to see Amber reunite with her fierce and quirky group of Las Vegas heroines as they face off against a new, chilling serial killer. The mystery kept me guessing, the characters were as sharp and entertaining as ever, and the story balanced tension with laugh-out-loud moments in a way that’s rare to find. If you're a fan of Janet Evanovich’s One for the Money or Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series, this book absolutely belongs on your shelf. I couldn’t stop flipping pages—Amber’s and Grace’s high-stakes, darkly funny journey had me hooked from start to finish.
AUTHOR: Michelle Gagnon
PUB DATE: May 13, 2025, by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
PAGES: 320
RATING: RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
GENRE: Fiction/Mystery/Neo-Noir Thriller
A BIG THANK YOU to Putnam Books, NetGalley, and the author for gifting me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
QUICK SYNOPSIS: They survived a monster once. Now, the real nightmare begins. Grace and Amber escaped the clutches of a ruthless psychopath, but normal life has never come easy. Haunted by their past, they’ve kept their distance—until a Vegas wedding pulls them back into each other’s orbit. When members of their inner circle start turning up dead, the reluctant allies realize a new predator is stalking them. Smarter. Deadlier. And far too close for comfort. To stop a killer, they’ll have to embrace the darkness they’ve tried to forget. The question is: can they outsmart evil twice?
QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: As a huge fan of the first book in this series, Killing Me, I was thrilled to dive back into Amber and Grace’s world—and this sequel did not disappoint! Just like the original, this installment delivers the perfect blend of suspense, humor, and heart-pounding action. It was such a treat to see Amber reunite with her fierce and quirky group of Las Vegas heroines as they face off against a new, chilling serial killer. The mystery kept me guessing, the characters were as sharp and entertaining as ever, and the story balanced tension with laugh-out-loud moments in a way that’s rare to find. If you're a fan of Janet Evanovich’s One for the Money or Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series, this book absolutely belongs on your shelf. I couldn’t stop flipping pages—Amber’s and Grace’s high-stakes, darkly funny journey had me hooked from start to finish.
Go in blind again and hang on for the ride cause Slaying You it’s just as wild of a ride as the first book in the series.
In this book we see Amber return to Las Vegas for Dot’s wedding and it’s anything but a typical wedding week because it certainly seems like Amber is a magnet for serial killers. Two things seem to be happening at once, there’s a guy drugging and shaving working girls’s heads and Grace reappears and seems to be hiding something more than she normally is. Amber knows something is going on and can’t help but get involved but a few complications from her past appear and could derail everything she’s strived to put behind her.
I can’t wait to see what Amber and Grace get up to next because I’m here for their chaotic journey.
Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback
In this book we see Amber return to Las Vegas for Dot’s wedding and it’s anything but a typical wedding week because it certainly seems like Amber is a magnet for serial killers. Two things seem to be happening at once, there’s a guy drugging and shaving working girls’s heads and Grace reappears and seems to be hiding something more than she normally is. Amber knows something is going on and can’t help but get involved but a few complications from her past appear and could derail everything she’s strived to put behind her.
I can’t wait to see what Amber and Grace get up to next because I’m here for their chaotic journey.
Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After loving Killing You- I was super excited to get an arc of the follow up book!
Overall- I enjoyed the sequel! I appreciated that the author gave a lot of reminders about the last book as I can never retain the plots. However, this one felt a lot less unique and fun. I enjoyed revisiting the characters but I’m not sure this installment was necessary. I saw most of the twists coming and the pacing was a little off (very slow to start and then a lot of action at the end). I still had fun reading it but it wasn’t as good as the first.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.
Absolutely loved this book. I struggled at the beginning because I forgot all the characters' names, but got into it very quickly after a skimmed refresher of the first book. There was a point about three quarters through where I thought, "Wow this book is great." I remember thinking the first would make a great film and I feel the same about this one. I didn't see how the first could have a sequel, and the way Gagnon conceptualized a sequel that doesn't feel forced is impressive. This one was clearly opened at the ending for more adventures, and I'll be ready for them.
The first book in this series "Killing You" was a quirky, fun, humorous read and I was expecting the same from this one. While we do get some of the same feel as the first book, this one moved a bit slower and I found myself struggling to get into it as quickly as the first. I enjoyed this story overall and it was still entertaining but I preferred the first book to this one.
Fans of the Finlay Donovan series will find these books to be similar in humor if a tad bit darker.
Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Fans of the Finlay Donovan series will find these books to be similar in humor if a tad bit darker.
Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.