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A review by megreads99
Red Roses & Black Dahlias by Macy T. Riosa
Red Roses and Black Dahlias
Macy T. Riosa (Blood and Water, # 1)
When Sofia's world is turned upside down from her parents' brutal murders, the only person she even remotely trusts to keep her & her little sister safe is Maddox Brooks–the cop who, on multiple occasions, has put her in handcuffs for her previous rebellious behavior.
Tropes:
- Age gap
- Murder mystery
- Forced proximity
- Forbidden love (cop/guardian-ish)
As you can imagine, the tropes of this book called to me deeply & that cover is *chefs kiss*. So when [a:Macy T. Riosa|23276964|Macy T. Riosa|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1672060035p2/23276964.jpg] kindly offered me an advanced copy to read, of course I said yes!
Sofia Raymond is a "bad girl". Rebellious, headstrong, and unapologetic, she doesn't hide her sass or her fire & owns it entirely. No matter what else she is, she is her sister's keeper through & through. Sofia takes an almost maternal role with her sister–Valentina–and it's one of the most heartwarming parts of this book. She would die for her with no questions asked, always putting Valentina before herself.
Maddox is such a sweet, caring character. He wouldn't let anything hurt Sofia & Valentina from the very beginning, which I thought was just precious. As the book progressed, his relationship with Valentina did as well, and it was so pure. I adored how much he cared for her (the Daddy-Daughter dance!) not just because he was taking care of her but because he truly & deeply felt that connection.
The plot was very well weaved into the story, and it kept me reading. I finished this book so quick. My only comment would be that the different tenses/grammar sometimes threw me off and could be distracting (though this is nothing an editor cannot fix). Huge props to the author for publishing her debut novel & I can't wait to read more (especially after that bonus scene).
ARC kindly shared by author for an honest review.
Macy T. Riosa (Blood and Water, # 1)
When Sofia's world is turned upside down from her parents' brutal murders, the only person she even remotely trusts to keep her & her little sister safe is Maddox Brooks–the cop who, on multiple occasions, has put her in handcuffs for her previous rebellious behavior.
Tropes:
- Age gap
- Murder mystery
- Forced proximity
- Forbidden love (cop/guardian-ish)
As you can imagine, the tropes of this book called to me deeply & that cover is *chefs kiss*. So when [a:Macy T. Riosa|23276964|Macy T. Riosa|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1672060035p2/23276964.jpg] kindly offered me an advanced copy to read, of course I said yes!
Sofia Raymond is a "bad girl". Rebellious, headstrong, and unapologetic, she doesn't hide her sass or her fire & owns it entirely. No matter what else she is, she is her sister's keeper through & through. Sofia takes an almost maternal role with her sister–Valentina–and it's one of the most heartwarming parts of this book. She would die for her with no questions asked, always putting Valentina before herself.
Maddox is such a sweet, caring character. He wouldn't let anything hurt Sofia & Valentina from the very beginning, which I thought was just precious. As the book progressed, his relationship with Valentina did as well, and it was so pure. I adored how much he cared for her (the Daddy-Daughter dance!) not just because he was taking care of her but because he truly & deeply felt that connection.
The plot was very well weaved into the story, and it kept me reading. I finished this book so quick. My only comment would be that the different tenses/grammar sometimes threw me off and could be distracting (though this is nothing an editor cannot fix). Huge props to the author for publishing her debut novel & I can't wait to read more (especially after that bonus scene).
ARC kindly shared by author for an honest review.