I loved the title, cover, and description -- romcom + true crime = my perfect book. But... the true crime parts felt a bit gimmicky, and Phoebe and Sam didn't feel like real people with any depth. That said, loads of people have enjoyed this book, and I'd definitely read another book by Alicia Thompson, but this one, unfortunately, fell flat for me.

Love in the Time of Serial Killers features Phoebe who is a PhD candidate focusing on true crime. She come from a dysfunctional family and caries a lot of that trauma with her. After moving into her deceased father's home to prepare it to sell, she meets the neighbor, Sam. Always suspicious, Phoebe immediately jumps to distrust and muses over the possibility of him being a serial killer, or simply just someone with questionable motives and behavior. Needless to say, it's pretty predictable where their relationship ends up.

I'm a bit on the fence about this title. While this is a romance, there is a lot of other themes to this book, we see Phoebe dealing with the continuing residual feelings towards her parent's divorce and her feelings towards her deceased father. She also deals with her own insecurities and intimacy issues. I enjoyed seeing her grow and develop through the book. Where I struggled with the story is I couldn't really connect with Phoebe as a character and really disliked her. She is crass, rude, judgmental and presumptive. Her personality was really off-putting to me. I had a difficult time cheering her on and her developing relationship with Sam. While she grew through the story, in the end, my initial reaction to her was hard to get past. I liked the whole interest in true crime. I admit, it's kind of a secret passion of mine as well. Unfortunately, it doesn't really go past Phoebe's interest and dissertation topic. I would have loved to see there actually been a somewhat tongue in cheek true crime element to the story.

The writing was good. Thompson uses a lot of pop culture references which can sometimes alienate readers. This is especially true if it requires you to Google something in order to understand the reference. I did like that the book was from Phoebe's point of view and that it was very casual. Her internal dialogue is actually in her conversational voice instead of a reading like a removed from self observation.

Overall, it was fine. I didn't regret reading the book, but it's probably not one I would ever pick up and read again.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review Love in the Time of Serial Killers.

I'm going to confess that I almost DNF'ed Love in the Time of Serial Killers within the first few chapters of reading. The story follows Phoebe, a young woman who has returned to her deceased father's house to help her brother wrap up the estate and sell the house.

Phoebe has an obsession with true crime, so much so that she is written her dissertation on it. I thought that was pretty cool, but I was having trouble connecting with Phoebe at first. It's one thing to like true crime, but it's taking it a little too far to immediately assume Sam, your father's neighbor, is a serial killer and to constantly view him with a suspicious eye and act hostilely toward him whenever you see him. Thankfully, Phoebe pretty quickly moves on from this way of thinking toward Sam and I was able to settle into the story.

This is a story that has several running subplots and I really enjoyed following them all. First, there's the fact that Phoebe now has a chance to reconnect with her brother, who is ridiculously adorable - a golden retriever in human form. When their parents divorced Pheobe went with mom, while the brother stayed with dad so they have had minimal interactions over the years. I loved watching them reconnect.

Second, I was also pretty invested in Phoebe's academic career and enjoyed getting some glances into her writing process, the feedback meetings with her advisor, as well as just general questions she fielded about why she chose to study true crime. The author does a really nice job of taking us along for the ride through this process. I also loved all of the little shoutouts to popular true crime books that were sprinkled throughout these scenes.

Lastly, there is a bit of a romance. I think it takes a backseat to the other two stories and is very much a slow burn, but I still very much enjoyed Phoebe's changing feelings toward the guy she initially thought was a serial killer.

Even though I almost DNFed in the beginning, I ended up being quite glad I stuck it out because there really is a lot of good stuff going on in Love in the Time of Serial Killers.

Love in the Time of Serial Killers is Alicia Thompson’s debut novel. From the cover, I will admit I was very intrigued. It’s beautiful. I love it.
The story begins with Phoebe, our main character, who moves into her father’s home shortly after his death. That night, she meets her neighbor Sam, who immediately raises her suspicions for being out at that time, hence her believing he’s a serial killer.

The writing and the pacing in this book is good if you’re a fan of slow burn. Personally, I didn’t really see it turning into a romance, but Thompson transitioned into it beautifully. Our main character also seemed to have some underlying trust issues at the beginning, which might make her seem a bit unlikable from the way she regards other characters in the novel. However, she grew on me. All of the characters did. There were some genuinely good guys in this book, so if you’re a fan of cinnamon roll heroes, this book is for you. I will say that they were a bit too sweet for me. But anyways, I loved the idea of this book. Could it have gone in a different direction? Probably. However it was still one of those feel good books, and I loved that.

The edit below will be posted on Instagram on 8/27/22.

I love this so much! Love to see a romance with real characters who don't know how to...human...without making references to serial killers.

Love in the Time of Serial Killers brings together two of my favorite things in the world - romance novels and true crime.

As a long time fan of true crime, I absolutely loved and appreciated the care Alicia took with the details and inside jokes she made throughout the story. Phoebe is an incredible character, and I really wish I could read her thesis! I loved getting to see inside her brain, and I really related to her and her background as the story went on. Alicia made both Sam and Phoebe such relatable characters, but also realistic people you would want to be friends with, and can see yourself sympathizing with.

The romance itself was very slow burn and sweet, and I did really enjoy getting to see Phoebe slowly move Sam from the "potential serial killer' slot to the 'potential boyfriend' category throughout the novel.

All in all, such an incredibly well done book that had me tearing up by the end!

I went into this book excited for a romcom and came out finishing it with more than that. Phoebe Walsh loves true crime. So much so her dissertation is centered around it. She’s back in Florida to help sell her father’s house who recently passed away. But a certain neighbor keeps catching her eye. While this book involves Phoebe falling for Sam, her hunky, sweet next door neighbor it’s also about overcoming childhood divorce trauma, grief with an estranged father and being willingly to see the positive and beauty life has.

I loved this book! Phoebe Walsh is back in her childhood home for the summer, to clear up some loose ends after her father's unexpected death. Phoebe's priorities are 1) finish her dissertation on true crime as a genre and its relationship to modern society 2) clean out and fix up her childhood home just enough to sell it, and 3) get the heck out of Florida and back to her normal life as soon as possible. However things aren't always as straightforward as they seem, and complications begin to interfere with her plans from the start- in the form of maybe serial killer/maybe just hot neighbor Sam, her little brother Conner and his wild ideas for proposing to his longtime girlfriend, and her former BFF (now a cool librarian!!) Alison. Even though things don't go according to plan, this detour from her "normal" life may be just what Phoebe needs to figure out what she wants-and who she needs.

This is a sweet romance, the characters or lovable and well developed. Certain plot points are under developed such as Phoebe truly believing Sam could be a serial killer and is therefore dangerous. Also plotline about the local serial killer whose daughter wrote about her experience growing up could mirror Phoebe's relationship, but the plotline is dropped only to be brought up towards the end as a way to show growth. With this being a romance, that aspect did deliver. Phoebe and Sam's relationship is so sweet and electric. Their problems in the relationship are believable and relatable and it is satisfying to see them overcome them to ultimately be together. Also, the diversity in the book feels easy like real life. None of the characters feel one dimensional caricatures. It was also refreshing to see a fat character's challenge that she must overcome not be centered around her body. I will definitely pick up another Alicia Thompson book.

Thank you to @prhaudio for the complementary audiobook. The audiobook was fantastic! Narrated by Lee Daniels, she did such a good job capturing our MC.

Besides reading, true crime is my other obsession. It’s very unhealthy but I can’t help it.

When I heard about Love In The Time Of Serial Killers, I knew this would be for me. A romance with some serial killer references?! What could be better!

You guys I loved this book, it was everything. I related to the MC Phoebe way too much. I don’t know about you but I always wonder if new neighbors are serial killers 😅

Phoebe was such a like-able character, so kind to the people around her. We really watched her grow and I loved every minute of it.

Also Phoebe’s dissertation sounds amazing and I wish I could read it.

Definitely pick this up if you enjoy true crime and romcoms.

✨Book Review✨
Love In The Time Of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson
4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First thank you to @netgalley for my ARC copy of this read. I’m a little behind in getting to it but glad I finally did!

So friends! For those who know me outside of #bookstagram know I love me some serial killer documentaries on the low- like I binge them ALL THE TIME! It is my guilty pleasure. When Netflix sends me a new show they think I might like AND it’s murder and all that JAZZ I’m there!

But I promise I’m not weird 🥴 (only in a good way🤣)

Anyways… for those of you who are like me and want a cute romcom with some serial killer references… this one’s for you!

I enjoyed this one a lot. Of course I binged it all day yesterday too! Sam and Phoebe kept me laughing. And Connor and his Crash Bandicoot references too 🥰

This came out on last week on the 16th so if you haven’t already go check it out!

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.

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.

I read 140 pages and could not keep going. I didn't think the main character was that likable and a little extreme in her serial killer obsession - it felt like she was truly stretching to make her neighbor seem suspicious. Also, this is not a romance. They've barely spoken and there has been NO FLIRTING in 140 pages - this is women's fiction with a lite lite lite lite lite romance subplot. I just wasn't invested at all and truly didn't feel any chemistry between the 2 MCs.

I read this book in one sitting, I was so drawn in. The main character was so relatable and the push pull of her romance felt real. I just felt so connected to all of the characters and hadn't really ever seen myself reflected in a character like I did with Phoebe before.

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and Let's Talk Books Promo
What happens when a person fully immersed in true crime research for a dissertation tries dating? I don't plan on getting a Ph D that involves serial killer research, but I do watch a lot of true crime docs and read a lot of thrillers. This is a romance for true crime and thriller lovers. Those of us who are constantly reading books that make you question every person's integrity are deserving of love, too.

From the first few pages, I knew I loved Phoebe. She teeters on the line of "anyone can be a murderer" and rational thinking. She pulls up to her father's home late at night, and some random man without shoes offers to help her bring something inside? Yeah, no thanks. She has a lot of fun quirks that convince her that her neighbor Sam is a serial killer. I understand the purpose of each one. Honestly, I can't imagine trying to date being in her shoes.

As someone who binges true crime podcasts and tv shows I was immediately interested in Love in the Time of Serial Killers. After reading nothing but true crime and studying it in fine detail for her dissertation, Phoebe Walsh is understandably paranoid that her new neighbor may be a serial killer. After watching his comings and goings and scrutinizing his behavior she determines that he may not be the serial killer she initially feared. Instead, she’s worried that he may actually be a nice guys and she finds herself drawn to Sam.

This book had me laughing a lot and I really enjoyed Phoebe’s character. While she was quite jaded about many things, she was also kind and loving to those in her inner circle. Sam was adorable and I loved how smitten he was with Phoebe regardless of the walls she had up. Phoebe’s brother and friend, Alison, were great additions to this story. Like Sam, they looked past Phoebe’s reluctance to get close to anyone and helped pull her out of her shell. For true crime fans, there were some facts and theories surrounding Phoebe’s dissertation that were interesting. This was a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed and is one that I’d recommend.

I enjoyed this book, but I struggled to truly rate it higher than three stars because of the sudden jumps. I felt the transitions in this story lacking as they seemed to occur without warning and seemed like the detracted from the story instead enhanced it. Other than that, I loved the story element of “serial killer” next door.

I went into this one blind, having only seen the cover and the title. I'm not sure what I was expecting, actually, that's a lie. I was expecting a whodunit mystery with romance. What I found within the pages was something entirely different and pleasantly surprising. PhD candidate Phoebe is obsessed with crime and is using it as her focus for her dissertation. When she's unexpectedly called home after the passing of her estranged father, Phoebe is hoping it won't distract too much from her progress writing her dissertation. It's never easy going home is it? There are ghosts and unresolved pasts, like with her friend Allison, who she hasn't spoken to since high school. Then Phoebe meets the next door neighbor, Sam, and is convinced he's a serial killer. Sigh... this is where things get rough for me. The book is very loosely about crime and mystery and more about confronting childhood experiences and traumas that have formed the way Phoebe approaches life and relationships. Did I enjoy that? Yes. Was it the book I was hoping for? Not so much. I wanted the mystery of the neighbor to be more front and center.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Penguin Random House Audio for the free ebook and audiobook. I found this much easier to listen to than to read! I recommend the audiobook over the text!

A romance with a sprinkle of true crime, I'm all for it!

Phoebe is getting her Ph.D. and is writing her dissertation on true crime. Her dad recently died and she’s moved home to clean it out and get it ready to sell. Sam is the next-door neighbor. He’s a teacher by day, but at night he’s up to something. Phoebe is somewhat convinced he might be a serial killer.

This was a fun one and the story line was unique for a romance. I loved that Phoebe was obsessed with true crime, and she had the sweetest relationship with her younger brother. You also get to see Phoebe grow as person throughout the book. At the beginning she had a lot of baggage in regards to her family, relationships and life in general and by the end she was a strong woman fighting for her dissertation and what she wanted. It was also nice that Sam was just your normal “average” guy – he was even referenced as “dorky” a lot in the book, which made me even love him more. My only compliant was it was a slow burn, I felt the beginning was a little too slow for me.

A huge thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review:

Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson

I loved this twist in a familiar story. Phoebe is obsessed with true crime (aren't we all?) And focusing on the genre for her dissertation. When she returns to FL to help her brother clean out their father's home, her true crime obsession colors her first impression of her neigh or Sam. But it doesn't take long for her to realize that he isn't the person that she's envisioning, and maybe the rest of the world isn't either.

I love the growth that happens in Phoebe's relationship with her brother as well as her childhood friend Alison (the town librarian, yay!). There's also a lot of great true crime references, so if you're a fan, make sure to check it out!

Thanks @netgalley and #JoveBooks for this advanced reader!

#BookReview #Bookstagram #AliciaThompson #LoveInTheTimeOfSerialKillers #JoveBooks #BookishLife #Reading #BookRecommendations #InstaBooks #BookPhotography #Bibliophile #BookNerd #RomanceBooks #TrueCrime #RomanceBookStagram