A review by myprettypages
Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

"The pulsing heartbeat of true crime, of all human stories when you got right down to it, was we all wanted and hoped and dreamed and loved, but we had no control over what happened in the end." 

 

This was a very interesting and fun romance, whilst it had the classic tropes of a small town romance and boy next door, I really liked that this had a different approach with the inclusion of true crime. The main character, Phoebe is paranoid and uses humour as her coping mechanism, who would sometimes “cross over from endearingly neurotic to obsessively weird.” She is relatable in her fears and anxieties with “the reality that so many lives are interrupted, so many dreams unfulfilled”. From her fathers’ death she becomes closer to her brother, more accepting of love and reconciles with her old friends. 

 

I really liked the concept of the true crime obsessed, there were many true crime references briefly mentioned throughout, nothing gruesome or heavy. Whilst I would have preferred more of a mystery, it was good that this had a lighthearted approach to make the romance more appealing. A big part of Phoebe’s character is her dissertation on true crime and when it starts to come to the end she realises that “these books promise closure and justice,”. As the story progresses so does her development as she started to open up more. This would be great for those who like true crime but in need of a light romance and enjoy second chance romance. 

 

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for sending me this ARC in exchange for a review.