Promising complex and difficult family situations, Love in the Time of Serial Killers delivered. Phoebe navigating her relationship to her recently deceased father was one of my favorite elements. Because in death we have to reconcile who the person we thought we knew was versus who they might have been. Sometimes we can have someone who will change our perception of them. And other times, we have to realize that the person we thought we knew was an illusion to who they actually were.

Not only that, but throughout Love in the Time of Serial Killers Phoebe also gets to know her brother. The ways how as they were separated by divorce and how they grew up. Speaking of Phoebe, I loved her character. I could never listen to as much true crime as she does - I'm a huge scaredy cat - but I loved how much it influences her life. How in some ways it's supposed to prepare us about the dangers in plain - or hidden - sight. But also how it's profoundly shaped our ideas of fear and cultural 'bad' guys.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook. And thank you to @berittalksbooks and @dg_reads for including me on this buddy read.

I love true crime and I love romance books, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read a book about a character who’s obsessed with true crime in a romance book.

Phoebe Walsh is writing her dissertation on the study of true crime while she’s working to clean out the house of her deceased father that she didn’t have much of a relationship with. She is skeptical that her dad’s neighbor, Sam, may be a serial killer. It could be even worse…Sam could be the man that can break down her barriers and steal her heart.

This book was fun and nerdy and a fresh angle for a romance book.

PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She’s even analyzing the genre in her dissertation—if she can manage to finish writing it. It’s hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn’t had a relationship with for years.

It doesn’t help that she’s low-key convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he’s clearly up to something). It’s not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier—a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armor to reach her vulnerable heart.

Turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn’t exactly conducive to modern dating—and Phoebe is going to have to learn how to give love a chance when she’s used to suspecting the worst.

My Thoughts:

Are you a true crime reader/appreciator? Years ago, my answer would have been an emphatic "No." Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I was inundated with shows like Rescue 911 and Unsolved Mysteries, so 11-year-old me was pretty anxious and convinced that if I was home alone, catastrophe was likely to follow.

When Bookstagram entered my life in 2019, however, things changed. I was quickly overcome by FOMO and heavily persuaded by "Bookstagram made me do it" as more and more readers began to dip their toe into reading true crime books, oftentimes raving about how engaging and gripping the stories were. So in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, I picked up Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone In The Dark, and with my husband faithfully situated either next to me, or within running distance from our basement, I dove into McNamara's analysis of the Golden State Killer.

And I was hooked.

So when Berit @berittalksbooks offered up the chance to buddy read and review Alicia Thompson's LOVE IN THE TIME OF SERIAL KILLERS, I was onboard. A romcom centered around a PhD candidate writing her dissertation on true crime? Sign me up! And while it wasn't exactly what I expected it to be, I was still pleasantly surprised.

Unique, fun, and full of great banter, I enjoyed Thompson's writing style and the chemistry and interaction between Phoebe and Sam, but to be honest, I was most moved by the family dynamic of this book. Phoebe's relationship with her brother Conner touched my big-sister heart, as did her growing love for Shani. Her fear of opening herself up and allowing herself to be vulnerable reminded me of a younger version of myself, and the writer's block and struggles she encountered while writing her dissertation took me back to graduate school, myself.

My main quibbles with this book? I felt like the pacing in the first half was REALLY slow, and while I was expecting some thriller aspects to this novel, it was largely just a romcom with lots of true crime references (many of which were lost on me). The family interaction and her own self-reflection lended some needed heft and weight to this book, and I adored the last five to six chapters and the epilogue, but up to that point, I found myself getting distracted, as opposed to pulled-in.

That isn't to say I didn't like it - it just took longer than I liked to hook me, and it sometimes left me wanting more. Many reviewers have raved about this one, however, so I am likely an outlier. I also plan on reading some of Thompson's backlist titles, so stay tuned for that!

Love In The Time Of Serial Killers hit shelves earlier this month, so if you're a fan of true crime and romcoms, definitely give this one a try! Thank you again so much to @berittalksbooks @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the opportunity to read, chat about, and review this book!

#berkley #berkleyig #berkleybookstagram #penguinrandomhouse #berkleyromance #berkleybuddyreads #berkleywritesstrongwomen #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #truecrimelover #romcomlover #readers #readersofinstagram #readersofinsta #readersofig #readersgonnaread #bookreview #bookreviewsneedlovetoo #bibliophile #bookworm #bookstabuddies #booksbooksbooks #booksbooksandmorebooks #augustreads #idratherbereading #readingmama #momswhoread

"Love in the Time of Serial Killers" follows true crime obsessed, relationship adverse Phoebe as she tries to prepare her deceased, estrange father's home for resale while finishing her dissertation and figuring out where her life will lead next. She meets her late father's young, single next door neighbor and soon her life gets even more complicated.
I really liked that Phoebe was a realistic character. She grew up in a broken family that translated into difficulty making authentic relationships. I like that the author focused on Phoebe's invulnerability in not only romantic relationships, but in her connections with her family and childhood friends. We see Phoebe navigate her new relationship with Sam along with rekindling her kinship with her brother, Connor, and repairing her friendship with Alison. I also really loved all the references to true crime books and stories because I'm a true crime junkie (which was one of the reasons I picked up this book.) This could be a turn-off for many regular romance readers.
My biggest complaint was the predictability of the romantic plot with Sam. At some point, the romance follows a predictable back and forth of will they/ won't they end up together.

I really enjoyed this book. I think Sam was sweet and I enjoyed seeing his patience and understanding with Phoebe without compromising his self-worth. This also made me want to try to read In Cold Blood, lol.

Thanks to NetGalley for me electronic ARC!

True Crime and Rom-Coms are among my favorite things, so toss a true crime fanatic deep in her serial-killery (just go with it) dissertation next to a mysterious neighbor with some potential red flag behaviors and it’s bound to get interesting 🕵🏻 the dark, mildly morbid banter, and true crime genre references were 🔥🔥

I totally appreciated Phoebe and her quickness to put a Dateline spin on most situations. Don’t you always drive by those huge storage facilities and wonder how many bodies are hidden in those units? Just me? 😬 Phoebe would, too - I just know it.

This one was fun, and Phoebe and Sam were both so authentic feeling that it made me love the story even more.

True crime and serial killers are not my jam but this book sure was. It's not very often that I like the male-presenting character best but golly he was pretty great in this. Excellent chemistry between the main characters, and so much delicious consent it was lovely.

This was very cute/funny/perfect for true crime fans! What I liked the most about it was that the characters felt so real. Their quirks were so specific, they were unlike any characters I’ve read in a rom com - in the bed way! This book is very quippy, with lots of pop culture and true crime references (most of which unfortunately went over my head, I think I would have liked it even more if I cared or knew anything about about true crime). I think people will like this one!

2.75.

I'm not going to lie, I went into this book expecting Sam to be a serial killer and I was really confused when nothing had happened 80 percent in. Turns out I just can't properly read descriptions of books. Regardless of that, I just don't think that I was the demographic for this book and that's most likely why I didn't like it. I think "Love in the Time of Serial Killers" was written for millennials who love true crime. I am neither. The amount of references was actually absurd and I don't think this book will age well in the long term because of said references. Looking past all that I just feel like "Love in the Time of Serial Killers" was just a meh book overall. I didn't connect to either of the main characters, Sam was just bland and boring and Phoebe's only personality trait was liking true crime and 'not having a heart'. I loved Connor and I would love a book about him and his marriage/ maybe his backstory.

"Love in the Time of Serial Killers" is the perfect contemporary romance for true crime fanatics with pop culture references thrown in for good measure.

This was a great rom com. This is an author that I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books from them. It’s a quirky read and definitely spicey.

I wish I could say I loved this novel but it just felt very meh. The story had this very odd flow to it, and it really kept me from being able to enjoy the story. The cover is really stunning though!

I really liked this book! I was hoping for more serial killers but enjoyed the romance and the characters that I got instead. ******************************************

Phoebe Walsh is obsessed with true crime. So obsessed that she’s analyzing the true crime genre in PhD dissertation. So when her dad dies, she moves her research to her childhood home in Florida while she prepares it to be sold. While there, she gets one thing she didn’t bargain for: Sam, the next door neighbor. But is he a love interest or a serial killer? Only time will tell.

This book was much different than I expected. I wanted way more murdery vibes and more romance. Plus, Phoebe isn’t the easiest character to like but she grew on me with time. Luckily though, all of the other characters are fantastic!

If you like cats, true crime, brother/sister relationships, flash mobs, and pop culture references, this book will be perfect for you.

PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh is a little true crime obsessed. Which has the unfortunate side effect of making her a little paranoid at best. After moving into her dads house to clean it up after he passed away, she finds herself watching the new neighbor with heavy suspicion to make sure he's not up to anything nefarious. It doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes.
Staying in her childhood home alone, reconnecting with her brother and his girlfriend, writing her true crime dissertation and keeping an eye on the hot neighbor is a lot for Phoebe to handle in one summer.

I loved this book. The way it discussed loss, and relationships, and trauma and the way we protect ourselves was so touching. Phoebe was a great self aware protagonist, and Sam was an absolute dream boat. I loved watching her relationships with the side characters grow and evolve, especially since her brother, and old childhood friend were characters I could see myself being best friend with.

Absolutely loved how Phoebe was written. She felt genuine, and had a unique character. Appreciated having a chunky First Lady, without bemoaning the fact that she’s plus-sized. Refreshing, cute read. Will absolutely purchase.

This was a really good book that kept me pretty interested intil the end! Phoebe Walsh is in the middle of trying to get to PhD while she also has to go to her childhood home to clear out her father's belongings. While she is there she discovers her neighbor Sam and thinks something might be sketchy with him like maybe he is a serial killer. This book had great grief rep and I also really liked her getting closer with her younger brother while trying to get a friendship back as well.

Love in the Time of Serial Killers is a “meet cute” and fun but slow-moving romance novel that showcases the author’s knowledge of true crime history (as conveyed in the thoughts of her heroine) which is a kick – I like how Thompson skips the small talk and dives right in without exposition because, yes, I do know who Anne Rule and Ted Bundy are and yes, I did read Helter Skelter from cover to cover as a kid. I do wish the neighbor Sam seemed a little creepier though; Pheobe’s paranoia was one of the more entertaining aspects of the book but she doesn't have much to go on. Conclusion: At the end of the day, I am not a fan of the romance genre and the clichéd sex scenes (what with aching nipples and throbbing manhood) just didn’t do it for me. However, if you are a fan of the romance genre and chick-lit, and—bonus—you’re into true crime, you are bound to find something to like here. LITTOSK is a fast, fun summer read.

Love in the Time of Serial Killers
By: Alicia Thompson
Available Now!

"Turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn't exactly conducive to modern dating - and one woman is going to have to learn how to give love a chance when she's used to suspecting the worst."

Read if you like:
🔺️ True Crime
🔺️ Romcoms
🔺️ Small town settings

One of the most delightful romcoms I've read in 2022, Love in the Time of Serial Killers kept me smiling and laughing from start to finish. I loved the true crime references, the humor, the feel-good moments, and the budding romance between Sam and Phoebe. This read was such a wholesome and bingeable romcom, that also explored familial relationships, loss, self-worth, academia, and the rekindling of past friendships. This will definitely be a favorite of 2022!

Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for my gifted copy!

I admit to going into this book, I was expecting more humor. It was funny a times. But, it also dealt with serious issues like grief, difficult parent relationships, family, and fear.

As a whole I did enjoy the book and in some regards understood the main character a bit too well. I think many readers might feel this way too. Definitely would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance and has an interest in true crime. Specifically, I was reminded of the podcast My Favorite Murder.