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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
He’s to Die For by Erin Dunn
Contemporary M-M diverse romance. Third person, present tense. Opposites attract.
Detective Rav Trivedi is assigned as lead in a high-profile murder case. He’s won’t let the TV crews and tabloids distract him from his job. Rav tries to apply that same attitude to the famous singer and songwriter Jack Vale, but he’s a little bit star struck by the handsome and seemingly lonely male. Jack is surrounded by bodyguards and assistants and more yet still doesn’t have alibi for the time of the murder. What can Rav do but get him alone and kiss him. Rav and Jack are opposites from dress to attitude yet there is an attraction too that can’t be denied. Rav needs to figure out the case, and fast.
🎧 I alternated between an ebook copy and an audiobook. Narrator Sid Sagar does a fantastic job with the two main male protagonists, Rav and Jack, as well as several secondary characters such as Will, and Mo. the performance draws the readers attention with accents, emotions and drama which made it very entertaining.
I did speed up the playback to 1.5 to more closely match my reading and conversation speed. I much preferred, and recommend the audiobook as it masks the text’s present tense. Since an audiobook is automatically “active”, the present tense doesn’t kick me out of then story like a print copy does.
Romantic, a bit of humor, some sexy passion, drama and ultimately a swoon-worthy romance ending. The writing is delicious. A description of Rav’s attire with brand names is both humorous and allows the reader to get a vivid picture him and his personality.
Definitely an author I will continue to follow.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.
He’s To Die For was pitched as a read for Brooklyn 99 fans so of course I had to pick up this book and it delivered on all fronts!
As someone who likes mysteries in theory but still rather gravitates to romances instead, this was the perfect read for me as it combined a murder mystery with a cute queer romance.
Rav and Jack were both such sweet and loveable characters and I just loved following them and seeing how their relationship developed. I loved how posh and witty Rav was without being snobby and how caring and protective Jack was.
There were a few parts in the middle during which I didn’t really care about the murder mystery but overall I enjoyed that as well and had a fun time trying to guess who the murderer was.
All in all, I really enjoyed this debut, it was such a fun and engaging read, and I’m looking forward to more books from this author.
funny
mysterious
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:
No
Was totally drawn to this book by the premise alone. Romance and murder? Sign me up.
Loved our MMCs Rav and Jack and the idea of a detective (Rav) falling for one of his suspects (Jack). Especially when the suspect is famous. But, I think this was a case of it's me and not you.
I would call He's to Die For more of a cozy mystery. And the few cozy mysteries I've read have never really appealed to me. They are all enjoyable, but also forgettable. I liked the whole cast of characters and thought the writing flowed well. It was smart, witty and funny, but I really wished we had more romance along with the murder mystery. I think that would've pushed the story more in the direction that would've kept my attention and committed. As I listened to the audio, I really liked Sid Sagar and the fact that he could do so many accents and do them well. It was all about Rav for me.
I think Erin Dunn is an author to look out for and I appreciated the fact that we got some MM romance with the murder mystery (that honestly felt a little ho hum). I just think a better balance of the two would've brought more oomph to the overall story.
Loved our MMCs Rav and Jack and the idea of a detective (Rav) falling for one of his suspects (Jack). Especially when the suspect is famous. But, I think this was a case of it's me and not you.
I would call He's to Die For more of a cozy mystery. And the few cozy mysteries I've read have never really appealed to me. They are all enjoyable, but also forgettable. I liked the whole cast of characters and thought the writing flowed well. It was smart, witty and funny, but I really wished we had more romance along with the murder mystery. I think that would've pushed the story more in the direction that would've kept my attention and committed. As I listened to the audio, I really liked Sid Sagar and the fact that he could do so many accents and do them well. It was all about Rav for me.
I think Erin Dunn is an author to look out for and I appreciated the fact that we got some MM romance with the murder mystery (that honestly felt a little ho hum). I just think a better balance of the two would've brought more oomph to the overall story.
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
He's To Die For has an interesting plot that's a blend of LGBTQIA2S+ romance and mystery and has some good banter but as much as I tried, I never felt invested in this story.
Touted in the blurb as "Brooklyn 99 meets The Charm Offensive", it felt like this book was trying to do too much and didn't quite succeed leaving me wanting more romance, mystery and humour.
The mystery dominated the story and felt convoluted with too many characters and way too many pop culture references (many of which I didn't get). The romance between Jack, the hot rockstar and Rav, the British police detective was sweet (with a sprinkle of spice) and an InstaLove feel. But we only get Rav's POV, and the story is told with a 'tell instead of show' vibe and a lot of dialogue which slowed the pacing.
Rav and Jack were a cute couple but when two of the tertiary characters (Rav's BFF and the sassy hacker) make more of an impression, you know it's not going to be a book or couple that will stick with you.
I expected to love this book, but this was a miss for me, and I don't think the blurb did this book any favours with its comparison to Brooklyn 99 or The Charm Offensive. Please know I'm in the vast minority with my feelings for this book. If you enjoy mystery, lots of pop culture references and a sweet with a little heat romance, pick this book up! It's in stores now.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Minotaur Books for the complimentary digital copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
He’s To Die For by Erin Dunn is a first novel, as far as I can tell. And for that reason, I am impressed. It is basically a police procedural/romance. The lead detective is Rav Trivedi whose parents are different, to say the least. The story takes place in New York but his father lives in England and his mother flits around; England right now. He has a British accent, money, and is young. Because of the money and his background, he is a sharp dresser, which doesn’t earn him many points in the squad room. He is the lead on this case, and his colleagues are not happy. The victim is a very rich man, also in the music business and not very popular. Now he is dead. Witnesses explain he had had a very public argument with the lead singer of the New Nicks, which is apparently a popular band. Rav has no idea. When they venture to the hotel to speak with the man the spark between he and Rav is instantaneous and totally inappropriate.
Rav is a good character. I hope we see more of him. He is a clever detective, but has few friends, as he values their quality more than the quantity. He is gay. The love scenes are gay but not super graphic, het full of passion. He has never been in love before and he has some trouble navigating it, especially under the circumstances, plus, a celebrity? He knows Vale is not guilty, but who is? Quite a good mystery. Good plot. Good characters, almost as if she’s been in a band. Touching romance. Altogether, a good read.
I was invited to read He’s to Die For by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #ErinDunn #HesToDieFor
You know when you find a book that is unlike anything else you've read? This is it. And this is quite hard to do when you've read 1k+ books.
This is a romance and a mystery/thriller mashed up together. One of the main characters is a singer in a rock band, and the other a detective of the NYPD. A murder happens and our rockstar is the main suspect.
It might not seem like a big deal or nothing new, but for some reason it felt like a breath of fresh air in the romance genre.
First, it has pretty much no spice, or I guess I should say there isn't any smut, but the tension is delicious, the chemistry jumps off the page. The cast of characters is so rich, and they are all so fleshed out you feel like you could walk by them on the streets.
The investigation aspect was also so well done, it kept me guessing to the very end, and I was very satisfied with how it all turned out.
Usually, I would feel like a second pov would elevate the book, but here it's the opposite, it's almost like having only one side was necessary.
Erin Dunn did a fantastic job with this book, I can only give it the highest praise.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Sid Sagar delivers a fun and emotional performance that keeps the listener fully engaged in this murder mystery romance. His English accent was pleasant to listen to and not so thick that it was difficult to understand. Sid also brings lots of heart to his narration as well and was a perfect match for Rav’s character. I very much enjoyed this audiobook!
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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
As both a British expat and openly gay man, Rav has worked hard to make it at as a homicide detective at the NYPD. When he ends up investigating the death of a high profile record executive Ravdoes not expect to end up developing a connection with lead suspect and band frontman Jack Vale. As Rav continues to interview Vale and his band mates Rav realizes the person behind the deadly attacks may be someone right under his nose. Even after an arrest and his personal relationship with Vale are revealed, Rav can’t stop until the true culprit has a been caught.
With humor, witty banter and a murder mystery I found this romance refreshingly enjoyable.
With humor, witty banter and a murder mystery I found this romance refreshingly enjoyable.
funny
mysterious
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:
Complicated
This book is the perfect mix of romance and mystery. I enjoy a good genre bending book! The author did a great job intertwining the 2 genres and keeping me interested.
Both Rav and Jack were well crafted characters. They both were caring and compassionate. Both are hard workers and put their all into their work. They both are broken and need some healing. It made for a great story with these MCs and how supportive they were of each other.
The mystery part kept me wanting to read more and to see if my theory was correct. While I guessed who did it I was still surprised by the twist. I also need to talk about Rav's friends and support. They were all brilliant and his partner Will was exactly who Rav needed in the force. Aisha and Ana were funny and smart kick ass women.
If you are looking for a mystery romance with cops and rock stars; this is the book for you!
Both Rav and Jack were well crafted characters. They both were caring and compassionate. Both are hard workers and put their all into their work. They both are broken and need some healing. It made for a great story with these MCs and how supportive they were of each other.
The mystery part kept me wanting to read more and to see if my theory was correct. While I guessed who did it I was still surprised by the twist. I also need to talk about Rav's friends and support. They were all brilliant and his partner Will was exactly who Rav needed in the force. Aisha and Ana were funny and smart kick ass women.
If you are looking for a mystery romance with cops and rock stars; this is the book for you!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
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
I liked it overall and it was very sweet. I highlighted a LOT. But it’s 2025. No more HP references in books. I read an eARC so I’m not sure if it’s in the final copy… but we do not need to give that woman any attention.