Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
This was a fun book! I think the description of Brooklyn 99 meeting The Charm Offensive is a good place to start. The comparison of B99 bring a strong image and I don't think it hit the lofty aspirations I had for it, and that's not to say this book isn't worth a read - it absolutely is. It might have been better for me to come in with less B99 and The Charm Offensive experience - I hold those two in very high regard. Again - nothing against this book. I did enjoy it - I think I just set the bar too high. Additionally, I would say it focuses on the mystery more so than the romance, especially for a majority of the book (e.g. it keeps coming back to the mystery/murder), so if that's important, keep that in mind.
Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC!
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes
This book was so much fun. A rockstar mystery led by a swoony British detective with a hefty side of romance. The mystery elements of the story were interesting with the plot twisting and turning in a way that felt realistic while also unpredictable. The romance was also super sweet and felt genuine, with minimal spice. The side characters were great too! I loved Rav's detective partner and hacker friend Aisha and Jack's bodyguard Mo was great. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Part romcom, part murder mystery, and unfortunately I don't feel like either aspect is well-balanced. The mystery is interesting and I enjoy the writing for the most part, and the primary character is very well-developed and I like him a lot, but the romance feels half-baked; the love interest doesn't get enough page time and I feel like the chemistry between them isn't really explored all too much; it just ends up feeling cliche, with the two of them put into nice little tropey boxes, and I'm not too much of a fan of that. But my biggest issue with the book is pop culture references and how they're relied on in multiple points in place of actual descriptive text; using "it's like an episode of [insert show here]", or "this character looks/acts like [insert character/actor]" in place of setting the scene is really frustrating, and felt like a way to force references for.. I don't know why. To seem more relatable? Modern? Regardless, it was really annoying, and made it difficult to fully get immersed into the book.
(There's also a Harry Potter reference, which is disappointing in general but even more so in an LGBT story, and also affected my experience with the book).
There's definitely an audience for this book and author, but I don't think it's me! But thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
(There's also a Harry Potter reference, which is disappointing in general but even more so in an LGBT story, and also affected my experience with the book).
There's definitely an audience for this book and author, but I don't think it's me! But thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Murder
Rising NYPD homicide detective Rav Trivedi investigates the murder of a record executive. He’s drawn to the charismatic—and possibly guilty—rock star suspect, placing both his career and his heart on the line.
I loved this mystery rom-com from the beginning. It’s fun and fast-paced with lovable characters and off-the-charts chemistry. The romance is swoony, while the mystery is intriguing and full of twists. The audiobook narration fits the novel perfectly.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I loved this mystery rom-com from the beginning. It’s fun and fast-paced with lovable characters and off-the-charts chemistry. The romance is swoony, while the mystery is intriguing and full of twists. The audiobook narration fits the novel perfectly.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
4.25 stars
A fun yet suspenseful romance full of twists and turns and intrigue! The case was interesting and kept me engaged throughout. The romance was swoony and believable despite the issues of an investigator and a person of interest in a case. I felt those concerns were addressed and handled in a realistic way.i do think the twist at the end was maybe a little too dramatic in what happens after the case is solved but it feels fairly standard for the genre.
The narrator was fantastic with all of the different voices and accents he handled, no two characters sounded the same and were easy to differentiate as a reader. My only issue is when a narrator starts singing…it just almost never works since no melody is given and most people listen at a higher speed than 1x.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC and eARC!
A fun yet suspenseful romance full of twists and turns and intrigue! The case was interesting and kept me engaged throughout. The romance was swoony and believable despite the issues of an investigator and a person of interest in a case. I felt those concerns were addressed and handled in a realistic way.i do think the twist at the end was maybe a little too dramatic in what happens after the case is solved but it feels fairly standard for the genre.
The narrator was fantastic with all of the different voices and accents he handled, no two characters sounded the same and were easy to differentiate as a reader. My only issue is when a narrator starts singing…it just almost never works since no melody is given and most people listen at a higher speed than 1x.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC and eARC!
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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
This sexy, debut MM mystery romance is so fun. I'm also now headed into my rock star romance era because I loved Jack's character and all of his swoony songwriting!
Rav is a new detective in the NYPD Homicide division, and the blue-blooded son of a British politician and a fashion model. He's exacting and fastidious, and has his neatly ordered world thoroughly rocked when the prime suspect of his latest investigation is the gorgeous, brooding lead singer/songwriter of a hugely popular alternative rock band. Rav has always trusted his instincts, but when his gut tells him that Jack is innocent of the murder of the record label executive he's publicly despised for years, he can't be sure that their instant mutual attraction isn't leading him astray.
I loved that the romance between Rav and Jack was balanced well by the mystery and Rav's efforts to prove Jack's innocence. Rav and Jack were both lovable characters, and I was rooting for them to find their HEA from the start. I also thought that the cast of supporting characters is great and utilized well in the narrative.
While the pacing floundered a bit in the second act, I think everything got back on track in the third act. Overall, this was an enjoyable read that had a lot of sweet romantic moments, with the feel of a cozy mystery.
Thank you to SMP/Minotaur books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel prior to publication. I was not compensated in any way for this review, and all opinions are my own.
Rav is a new detective in the NYPD Homicide division, and the blue-blooded son of a British politician and a fashion model. He's exacting and fastidious, and has his neatly ordered world thoroughly rocked when the prime suspect of his latest investigation is the gorgeous, brooding lead singer/songwriter of a hugely popular alternative rock band. Rav has always trusted his instincts, but when his gut tells him that Jack is innocent of the murder of the record label executive he's publicly despised for years, he can't be sure that their instant mutual attraction isn't leading him astray.
I loved that the romance between Rav and Jack was balanced well by the mystery and Rav's efforts to prove Jack's innocence. Rav and Jack were both lovable characters, and I was rooting for them to find their HEA from the start. I also thought that the cast of supporting characters is great and utilized well in the narrative.
While the pacing floundered a bit in the second act, I think everything got back on track in the third act. Overall, this was an enjoyable read that had a lot of sweet romantic moments, with the feel of a cozy mystery.
Thank you to SMP/Minotaur books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel prior to publication. I was not compensated in any way for this review, and all opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-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
I liked this one a lot! It was a great mix of romance and mystery. For sure lighter than thrillers but still an element of that whodunnit/mystery.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
Absolutely charming book.
Narrated by Sid Sager (amazing!), this follows NYPD Detective Rav Trivedi as he investigates the death of a music mogul. Rav is young for a detective, but he's also got a high clearance rate. He's smart, he's professional, he's good with witnesses, and he may be falling for the lead suspect of his case.
This was told so well. I was almost instantly engaged in the characters and what they were doing. The plot was cute but it was also well planned. I had an inkling where it was going by 50% but I didn't know who it was. And the romance was just adorable. More sex (graphic-ish) than I'd normally like in a book, but that's just me.
I'd like to see more mysteries about Detective Rav. It was truly a pleasure.
Narrated by Sid Sager (amazing!), this follows NYPD Detective Rav Trivedi as he investigates the death of a music mogul. Rav is young for a detective, but he's also got a high clearance rate. He's smart, he's professional, he's good with witnesses, and he may be falling for the lead suspect of his case.
This was told so well. I was almost instantly engaged in the characters and what they were doing. The plot was cute but it was also well planned. I had an inkling where it was going by 50% but I didn't know who it was. And the romance was just adorable. More sex (graphic-ish) than I'd normally like in a book, but that's just me.
I'd like to see more mysteries about Detective Rav. It was truly a pleasure.
funny