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A review by pagesplotsandpints
Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh
3.5
Read Completed 4/9/24 | 3.5 stars, rounded down for vibes
I was really excited to read this, having like Steve Cavanagh's Eddie Flynn books and seeing this as a 5 star book all over bookstagram & booktok. I don't know why I keep thinking that means I will rate it 5 stars because that almost never happens.
KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU is still solidly entertaining! This was a Strangers on a Train style story, which can really be hit or miss for me. It all depends on how everything is handled and if it's believable and this one just really didn't hit the mark for me on the believability scale. I don't always have to know all the odds and ends, but some things felt a little too sloppy, other things I don't think the police would have let go, and it leaned a little too hard on mental health issues, in my opinion.
There was the big reveal that I didn't see coming and I really liked the WAY it was handled. There were a few things that again, I didn't really buy as far as all of the pieces falling into place and characters who worked their way into this tangled web, but I liked HOW the reveal happened, and that honestly probably brought the experience up a half a star.
Overall, this was just a little too popcorn-y. I can be here for a popcorn thriller for sure, but if it has me rolling my eyes too often, it's not a win for me. Some parts really didn't flow well and I wanted to be floored by it but I just wasn't. Even in the beginning I knew it couldn't be a 5 star book because I wasn't really into the writing style right from the start.
Not a huge miss for me but I'm a bit bummed I couldn't even manage to rate this one 4 stars. I definitely see its appeal and tons of people have and will love it. It was just too unrealistic overall and I couldn't let it go.
AUDIOBOOK NOTES: I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Stephanie Cannon. I don't think I've listened to a book from her before and I wasn't really blow away by her performance. It was a fine narration but there were some moments that took me out of the listening experience and the voices kind of blended into one another. I wouldn't avoid future narrations from her but I also wouldn't be excited for it either. Even though the book was in third person, because of the lack of change in voice, I felt like we could have benefitted from multiple narrators, though I know the budget doesn't always allow that.
I was really excited to read this, having like Steve Cavanagh's Eddie Flynn books and seeing this as a 5 star book all over bookstagram & booktok. I don't know why I keep thinking that means I will rate it 5 stars because that almost never happens.
KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU is still solidly entertaining! This was a Strangers on a Train style story, which can really be hit or miss for me. It all depends on how everything is handled and if it's believable and this one just really didn't hit the mark for me on the believability scale. I don't always have to know all the odds and ends, but some things felt a little too sloppy, other things I don't think the police would have let go, and it leaned a little too hard on mental health issues, in my opinion.
There was the big reveal that I didn't see coming and I really liked the WAY it was handled. There were a few things that again, I didn't really buy as far as all of the pieces falling into place and characters who worked their way into this tangled web, but I liked HOW the reveal happened, and that honestly probably brought the experience up a half a star.
Overall, this was just a little too popcorn-y. I can be here for a popcorn thriller for sure, but if it has me rolling my eyes too often, it's not a win for me. Some parts really didn't flow well and I wanted to be floored by it but I just wasn't. Even in the beginning I knew it couldn't be a 5 star book because I wasn't really into the writing style right from the start.
Not a huge miss for me but I'm a bit bummed I couldn't even manage to rate this one 4 stars. I definitely see its appeal and tons of people have and will love it. It was just too unrealistic overall and I couldn't let it go.
AUDIOBOOK NOTES: I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Stephanie Cannon. I don't think I've listened to a book from her before and I wasn't really blow away by her performance. It was a fine narration but there were some moments that took me out of the listening experience and the voices kind of blended into one another. I wouldn't avoid future narrations from her but I also wouldn't be excited for it either. Even though the book was in third person, because of the lack of change in voice, I felt like we could have benefitted from multiple narrators, though I know the budget doesn't always allow that.