OMG! Phoebe and Sam might be one of the most adorable quirkiest, unconventional and extremely lovable couple!

Phoebe; skeptical, true crime addict, still carrying emotional and invisible scars that her dysfunctional family has created, straightforward, sarcastic, peculiar, coming back to her childhood house after her father’s sudden passing away to clean the place, putting on sale.

This means she has to reconnect with her brother Connor, dorky, sweet, easy going, romantic, optimist, seven years younger than her. When their parents divorced they were too young ( Phoebe was 12 as Connor was 5) they picked up sides: Phoebe left with her mother as Connor stayed with their dad. So the siblings were raised by different parents and emotional baggages.

When Phoebe finally arrives to her childhood home she encounters with shaggy haired, barefoot, weird man who insists to help her to carry the desk she brings in her car. Her active imagination about serial killers that is fueled with lots of podcasts and true crime documents make her suspect that mysterious man is dangerous!

But a few encounters later she realizes he is her dad’s neighbor Sam who is music teacher and he keeps acting so nice around her even though she makes so many straightforward, harsh comments about him, spying on him, finding his actions suspicious!

But then she realizes he’s more dangerous than a serial killer. This man could be the one who can steal her heart, making her confront with feelings she’s never felt before!

But she still tries to finish her dissertation about true crimes, finishing her PHD to start a new job and she still deals with her grief, spending more time with her brother. She’s emotionally mess! Can she still have a chance of true HEA by dealing her emotional issues?

I love nerds a lot! I adored both Sam and Phoebe! Extremely recommended to the fans of quirky love stories!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

this was a JOY to read. so funny, and so relatable, and very very clever. as a person who a) listens to a lot of true crime podcasts and b) wishes to find a fun love like this, I approve!

Love in the Time of Serial Killers is seriously, iconic. Our heroine Pheobe is a kickass PHD candidate who may or may not be a little too obsessed with true-crime. This may be why her love life isn't much to write home about. It doesn't help that her neighbor, to the best of her knowledge and sleuthing skills, is a serial killer. This tale, teaches or MC's to let love in, grapple with their feelings and at the very least, not accuse everyone of murder.

This. Was. Everything!!!

This feels like a lighter romance for fans of Beach Read by Emily Henry and the True Crime genre in general.

Phoebe is nerdy, morbid, awkward, and has a deep rooted fear of commitment stemming from her parents’ relationship with one another. After her estranged and verbally abusive father passes away very suddenly, she moves into his home to prepare it to sell all while finalizing her dissertation on True Crime.

And insert her very cute neighbor right across the street.

Phoebe is a deeply relatable older sister with hyper-specific interests that make socializing difficult and a recurring struggle to express care and love. Her chemistry with her neighbor, Sam, is through the roof and overwhelmingly adorable. Their banter and humor had me audibly laughing, but their more tender moments tugged at my chest. They’re just so genuinely sweet in every possible way.

There were many moments where I felt that the humor went over my head- mainly with the amount of pretty niche pop-culture/media references. I thought maybe I just wasn’t the proper demographic for all of the jokes, but then other characters in the story would also be confused by the references so it felt like the author knew she would be putting people in a position to be googling once or twice per chapter ? I think the story and one-liners move quickly enough to not get too stuck on them but there were a notable number of times where I was lost in what Phoebe was trying to say or joke about. Maybe those who are more passionate about True Crime will run into less problems. I genuinely have no idea.

I also think in spite of how much I adored the relationship between Sam and Phoebe, certain things felt rushed near the end of the story. The big conflict in the third act genuinely did feel too fast and out of nowhere on Sam’s end and I think it’s a conflict/fight that would’ve made more sense or feel more natural if it had happened months into the relationship instead of weeks.

When circling back to the more serious discussions about Phoebe’s father, though, they were highly emotionally for me. Despite these serious moments taking place immediately after lighthearted interactions filled with humor, they didn’t feel abrupt or jarring. Watching Phoebe navigate these conversations with her little brother and watching them tighten a very loose relationship was just heartwarming to see.

It’s a feel-good romcom with an immensely lovable cast of characters and mini punches to the chest scattered throughout.

Absolutely, positively fell entirely in love with this book. Hands down one of the top romances novel i have read this year. This book had me actually laughing out loud, giggling, and just all around giddy. We have our heroin who is a true crime loving bad-ass graduate student working on what seems to be the absolute coolest thesis i have heard of. And then we have our cute and nerdy male lead who is a music teacher? SAY LESS.

This book was charming, sexy, witty and engaging.

I was not expecting this book to be so cute and amazing!! I thought it was going to be like a murder mystery but I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a romance novel with the main character being super into true crime!
I loved all the characters. Each was unique and so fun to read about! ( I especially loved Conner and Shani!)

I really loved this book and can't wait to read more!

I loved this book! The love story was but but it was really the great characters that made it - I highly recommend it!!

Mein Leseerlebnis

Den Aufhänger der Geschichte und die ersten Begegnungen der Hauptcharaktere fand ich spannend und einnehmend. Man begegnet Inhalten zu Serienmördern in Liebesromanen ja nicht allzu oft und dass Phoebe einen Aspekt davon wissenschaftlich untersucht, fand ich faszinierend.

Im Verlauf der Geschichte nahmen diese Anteile dann etwas ab und die Beziehung zwischen Phoebe und Sam nahm mehr Raum ein, was in einem Liebesroman ja zu erwarten ist. Auch Phoebes Vergangenheit und vor allem ihre Kindheit/Jugend wurden thematisiert, da sie ihr Verhalten im Jetzt stärker prägen, als es ihr lieb ist.

Den Schreibstil der Autorin würde ich als locker, angenehm und unspektakulär beschreiben. Ihren Humor fand ich zudem ansprechend.

Die beiden Hauptcharaktere fand ich sympathisch und auch ein gewisses Knistern zwischen ihnen konnte ich spüren. Leider waren meine Emotionen beim Lesen nicht so stark involviert wie erhofft, weshalb mein Interesse an den Geschehnissen ab der Hälfte der Geschichte nach und nach abgenommen hat.

Als kurzweilige Unterhaltung mit ein paar besonderen inhaltlichen Elementen hat das Buch für mich funktioniert, ein Highlight war es aber nicht. 🖤🖤🖤

Für wen?

Wer nach einer netten Liebesgeschichte sucht, die einen interessanten Aufhänger hat, der sollte sich das Buch mal näher anschauen.

This book was really cute, but admittedly not exactly what I was expecting going in. I was thinking it'd be more serial killer than rom-com, so that threw me a bit, but it was a nice surprise. I found it to be slow-paced, but you can't really go wrong with a forced proximity rom-com.

First things first, I immediately wanted to reread this as soon as I finished.

The voice in this book is impeccable and made me laugh out loud many times. I loved Phoebe with my whole heart, and related to her socially awkward but well meaning ways so well. I would HAPPILY read the bibliography for this book to dive into all the serial killer references. Also, the pop culture references? On point.

AND SAM!! What a precious cinnamon roll. The way Thompson paints his actions as suspicious in the beginning and then the plot unfolds and you get to see what a pure soul he is a masterclass.

In addition to loving Phoebe and Sam, I loveddd the sibling relationship between Phoebe and Conner. "I don't have Bloomin Onion money" plays on a loop in head. They were such a realistic sibling dynamic and I was rooting for Connor's proposal almost as much as Phoebe and Sam. (Another thing that now lives rent free in my head is Phoebe's purple bra, IYKYK.)

From the central relationship, to the sibling relationship, to the Dirty Trash Cat... For a book with a serial killer premise, there is *so much heart* and humor packed into this. Cannot wait for my physical copy to arrive so I can reread. Excited to see what Thompson writes next.

Couldn’t finish it. The title and cover caught my eye but the main character, Phoebe Walsh, was just a little bit TOO much just in the first couple chapters.

Love in the Time of Serial Killers is a delightful contemporary romance that hit me right in my procrastinating soul. Even though Phoebe is cleaning out her late father's hoarding situation and believes her neighbour is a serial killer, you're left with a heartwarming story of a woman/daughter/sister who is attempting to move forward in life. Phoebe and Sam make this story unique, charming and thoroughly enjoyable. Sam is absolutely precious and deserves the world! What I think would've pushed this book into a "scream from the rooftops cute read" would've been more for Sam. I don't think a dual POV is what was needed but Sam's character needed some extra motivation.

Alicia Thompson pulled many chuckles from me and the slow burn felt authentic to the characters. There are two open-door scenes but they do fade to black quite quickly. I also love Phoebe's brother and feel he is an integral piece to the story. I don't know if it was the title or the cover, but I assumed this would be more of a romantic comedy with the whole serial killer aspect. Once I realized the direction this was going and reframed, I found Love in the Time of Serial Killers to be greatly entertaining. I recommend this to many who enjoy a book that toes the line between contemporary fiction and romance.

Read if you like:
- true crime
- procrastinating
- slow burns
- shy cinnamon roll love interest
- sibling relationships

CW: grief, rocky relationship with late father

"Love in the Time of Serial Killers" was such an endearing and fun read! A little cheesy at times, but I happily ate it up. Definitely looking forward to reading more from Alicia Thompson in the future.

A big thank you to Berkley, NetGalley, and Alicia Thompson for the opportunity to review this book! After reading Ali Hazelwood and Rachel Lynn Solomon’s 5-star reviews, I had to have it! When I first read the summary, I was intrigued with the true crime element but mostly the cute romance with her neighbor. I am not ashamed to admit that! I love a good “meet cute” and “boy meets girl” type moment and Phoebe and Sam’s interactions made me smile.

BookTok has really shown me that many readers love a slow build up/friendship/tension into romance story line. Pick this one up Colleen Hoover, Christina Lauren, Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry fans! There are some pretty steamy scenes and ultimately, the buildup was worth it!! The only letdown I had was the whole “serial killer” aspect of Sam’s character. I really felt that nothing he did screamed “serial killer” and I would have loved more tension and mystery surrounding Sam’s character to throw me off a little.

As much as I would like to say that Phoebe was my favorite, I loved Alison (South Korean Librarians, represent!) and Sam (what an adorable human being). They were a calming force for Phoebe while she balanced her true crime dissertation, cleaning out her family home, and dealing with her past and present. I really enjoyed how determined Phoebe was about following her passion and how she was true to herself. We’re all flawed human beings and I liked how real she was. Overall, this was a great and fun debut! Full of pop culture references and a hopeful story – your past does not define you, you are loved, and you are not alone!

I was not prepared to fall in love with this book. I was unprepared! Okay, being honest I knew based on the title and synopsis alone I was going to absolutely love this one - AND I DID!

This story is an ode to those who love true crime and somehow find a way to reference it/include it in the most random of ways. But also, this is a story for those who have been hesitant about allowing love in their lives in giving and receiving. This was probably one of the sweetest and softest romances I’ve ever read.

While reading, being with Phoebe and Sam called out to my soft, romance-loving heart. They were so endearing and I couldn’t stop reading about their awkward encounters. They were one of the best grumpy/sunshine couples I’ve ever read!

I just need everyone to get their hands on this one - I’m begging you!

Love in the Time of Serial Killers is a perfect cross-roads for those of us who love true crime podcasts/ shows/ books and the romance genre. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends!

Phoebe is a doctoral student studying the true crime genre and its place in our culture. Because of her unique interests and her family history, Phoebe is not exactly warm and fuzzy. She meets Sam the night she pulls up to her late father's home, and she clocks him as a possible 6/10 on the serial killer scale. She is wary of everyone, especially this mysterious neighbor who (gasp) has a garage, a truck, and a number of other red flags for possible criminal activity.

Phoebe's journey involves her coming to terms with her father's death, tidying up unfinished business with an old friend, and learning to let people (and felines) into her life. I think this is a fun and sexy grumpy/ sunshine romance. If your interests align with Phoebe's you will feel right at home!

YES YES YES. One of my favourite reads so far of 2022. I listen to true crime podcasts on the daily, and romance novels are my absolute favourite. So when I saw this title pop up, I was ecstatic and knew I had to read it as soon as possible. I loved this book so much, and cannot recommend it enough. Very much looking forward to getting my hands on the physical copy once it’s released (I preordered it immediately!). Love love love!!

Really enjoyed this cute and quirky rom-com from author Alicia Thompson.

I enjoyed Love in the Time of Serial Killers even more than I thought I would! Phoebe is such a weirdo, and Sam is just as weird, and I adore their weird banter so much! I enjoyed having a super jaded herione with a good heart and a very patient love interest. I also appreciated the honest and good advice given to her by brother and his girlfriend.

The relationships in this book where so great! I adored the main couple, but also loved how Phoebe grew closer to her brother and his girlfriend, and even reconnected with an old friend. And the conversations between characters were very loving and without hidden agendas.

Overall I adored this book and look forward to reading more from this author!

Phoebe Walsh finds herself coming back to her home in Florida after her fathers sudden passing. Phoebe isn't thrilled to be back in her childhood home. She doesn't have very fond memories of her father and wants nothing more than to work with her younger brother to get the house cleaned up and on the market so she can head back to North Carolina.

Phoebe is quickly acquainted with her neighbor when she moves in for the summer and she isn't quite convinced that he's the nice guy everyone assumes he is. Okay, that maybe because Phoebe is writing her dissertation in true crime but something is definitely off with her neighbor. But the more time Sam and Phoebe start spending together (they are neighbors after all), the more Phoebe realizes how much she might start to like him. How will a relationship between them work if she has to leave at the end of the summer?

Love in the Time of Serial Killers was nothing like I imagined it to be, and yet it surprised me in the best way. I loved Phoebe and how sure of herself she was, even though coming back to her childhood home brought about vulnerabilities that Phoebe tried to bury. There was so much hurt that Phoebe had buried and bringing it to the surface was a large part of Love in the Time of Serial Killers. I had tears in my eyes on more than one occasion.

The chemistry between Sam and Phoebe was evident from their very first interaction. Their relationship was tentative and sweet. Yes, it was filled with a few incorrect assumptions and possible serial killer motives - but I loved these two together. They were sweet and kind and so gentle with one another.

I truly enjoyed Love in the Time of Serial Killers. The secondary characters (including the cat), the thread of grief throughout the book and the sweet romance all made for a wonderful romance. Overall, I would give this book 4.5 stars and highly recommend it!

Love in the Time of Serial Killers follows the tried and true romance formula. Woman meets man, Woman is unsure of man's intentions, but she lets her guard down. Woman falls for man but thinks she's incapable of love. Woman realizes she *can* love this man. And finally, woman and man live happily ever after. It's a great formula because it always works. It always makes the reader root for the romance, despite having read the same story over and over again. It even urges readers, like me, to believe that we, too, are capable of love even when our hope is almost gone.

However, Love in the Time of Serial Killers kept me wishing for more. The title already alludes to a much darker, creepier story but after reading the novel, that darkness never carried through. There were several moments (like when Sam knew that Pheobe hated to be called "Pheebs" except by her brother) that made me believe this wouldn't just be a run-of-the-mill romance — that there was something else I just hadn't seen yet. Heck, I truly believed that Sam was really a secret serial killer. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, the wild plot twist I didn't see coming...but it never came.

Love in the Time of Serial Killers is not a bad romance, by any means. It delivers exactly what you'd expect in a love story. But sadly, for me, it just wasn't anything special.