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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Crushing on a suspect just isn't done in NYPD Homicide, but it happened in this delightful story of two people who have so very little in common. Cute and fun!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Jun 03, 2025
#HesToDieFor by Erin Dunn @minotaur_books @stmartinspress
#NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones *****Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk @kobo #NYC #bromance #NYPD #multicultural #rockstar #celebrityromance ##situationalhumor #verbal humor #fashionablecop
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Jun 03, 2025
#HesToDieFor by Erin Dunn @minotaur_books @stmartinspress
#NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones *****Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk @kobo #NYC #bromance #NYPD #multicultural #rockstar #celebrityromance ##situationalhumor #verbal humor #fashionablecop
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I would like to start off by thanking netgalley for the arc of this book.
I knew I needed to read this book once I read the description, because it is everything I love in a book., a love story, new York city as a character, and of course a rock star and nypd detective. I have always loved when an author can seamlessly blend two worlds together and Dunn does such a brilliant job of bringing Detective Rav Trivedi and the rockstar Jack together. If you love an opposite attracts this one is for you! Rav is posh, work oriented and definitely not focused on love, whereas Jack is a rockstar, quiet, a little grunge and most importantly closed off to the world. That is what makes the two of them so perfect for each other.
I especially loved how Dunn was able to seamlessly blend English, Indian, and American vocab with the narration being done by Rav, an Indian man who grew up in both America and England. I am not usually one for the detective being alone trying to solve everything but in this case it did work out. I absolutely loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone!
I knew I needed to read this book once I read the description, because it is everything I love in a book., a love story, new York city as a character, and of course a rock star and nypd detective. I have always loved when an author can seamlessly blend two worlds together and Dunn does such a brilliant job of bringing Detective Rav Trivedi and the rockstar Jack together. If you love an opposite attracts this one is for you! Rav is posh, work oriented and definitely not focused on love, whereas Jack is a rockstar, quiet, a little grunge and most importantly closed off to the world. That is what makes the two of them so perfect for each other.
I especially loved how Dunn was able to seamlessly blend English, Indian, and American vocab with the narration being done by Rav, an Indian man who grew up in both America and England. I am not usually one for the detective being alone trying to solve everything but in this case it did work out. I absolutely loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone!
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The plot was fast-paced, the cover is to die for but there were a couple of inconsistencies with the characterization that made this book good but not great.
For starters, the comparisons of The Charm Offensive and Brooklyn Nine Nine skew wildly with the former over the latter because while there were a few chuckle moments, this was not nearly humorous enough to meet my expectations on that front. And the cop angle alone just isn’t enough since it was clear from the get-go that Jack just didn’t have the temperament of a killer.
The romance was sweeter than anticipated, low-spice to be honest, and I thought that as a couple, Rav and Jack worked well enough even though I didn’t really get the depth of their connection overall.
My main gripe lies with Rav as the main character. He was pretty much established as a bit vain but ultimately honourable and dogged in his pursuit of justice, but there were quite a few throwaway lines like him regretting his choice to get on a private plane because of how it would impact his carbon footprint or him wanting to apply to law school which just came out of nowhere and were so out of place. They didn’t feel genuine to the character he had already been established as and more so felt like cheap ways to make him more likeable instead. Which is a shame because I found them so jarring and while he wasn’t the most charming character, he at least felt real until those moments would crop up.
Plot wise, while I enjoyed the premise overall, it did seem to lose some traction as things came to a head at the end. I think it felt fairly procedural in that kind of Law & Order way, when what I wanted from the experience was more tension a la Castle.
But it was still a fun time, and if you’re looking for a quick queer mystery romance read, this is not a bad one to pick up. It’s just not my favourite.
For starters, the comparisons of The Charm Offensive and Brooklyn Nine Nine skew wildly with the former over the latter because while there were a few chuckle moments, this was not nearly humorous enough to meet my expectations on that front. And the cop angle alone just isn’t enough since it was clear from the get-go that Jack just didn’t have the temperament of a killer.
The romance was sweeter than anticipated, low-spice to be honest, and I thought that as a couple, Rav and Jack worked well enough even though I didn’t really get the depth of their connection overall.
My main gripe lies with Rav as the main character. He was pretty much established as a bit vain but ultimately honourable and dogged in his pursuit of justice, but there were quite a few throwaway lines like him regretting his choice to get on a private plane because of how it would impact his carbon footprint or him wanting to apply to law school which just came out of nowhere and were so out of place. They didn’t feel genuine to the character he had already been established as and more so felt like cheap ways to make him more likeable instead. Which is a shame because I found them so jarring and while he wasn’t the most charming character, he at least felt real until those moments would crop up.
Plot wise, while I enjoyed the premise overall, it did seem to lose some traction as things came to a head at the end. I think it felt fairly procedural in that kind of Law & Order way, when what I wanted from the experience was more tension a la Castle.
But it was still a fun time, and if you’re looking for a quick queer mystery romance read, this is not a bad one to pick up. It’s just not my favourite.
Thanks @macmillan.audio for an ALC!
Detective Rav Trivedi is smart, sharp, and utterly irresistible in this fast-paced murder mystery with a splash of romance. With razor-sharp banter, high-stakes twists, and one suspiciously sexy rock star, this book kept me hooked from page one. Come for the crime, stay for the chemistry. Sid Sager brought the story alive with humor and mystery in the best possible way.
Detective Rav Trivedi is smart, sharp, and utterly irresistible in this fast-paced murder mystery with a splash of romance. With razor-sharp banter, high-stakes twists, and one suspiciously sexy rock star, this book kept me hooked from page one. Come for the crime, stay for the chemistry. Sid Sager brought the story alive with humor and mystery in the best possible way.
emotional
funny
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