I really wanted to love this book but found it incredibly difficult to get into. The characters and the writing were a bit confusing and hard to follow with not much detail or backstory given.

DNF. I’m having trouble engaging with the characters and the writing is a bit confusing for me. Ruby can read minds and often jumps into thoughts that are not her own without warning and without any kind of differentiation that indicates that she is reading someone’s mind. I’m having a hard time understanding what’s happening. Others might enjoy this book, but ultimately it is sadly not for me.

The synopsis for Murder for the Modern Girl drew me in: a mind-reading young protagonist who happens to a be a judicial murderer and a shape-shifting soft-hearted "monster" who fall in love. I knew this story was going to be different from any other I'd read before and I was excited to jump in.

The beginning of the story was quite slow and it took me a while to become invested in Ruby's story. (I almost thought I was going to DNF this book because I had such a difficult time getting hooked.) But eventually, as the ball got rolling, I found myself wanting to know more about how Ruby and Guy were going to get out of their mess.

Not my usual go-to but I'm glad I stuck out til the end of this book because I enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was not for me. I was intrigued by the set-up but the characters were either too smug or too wishy-washy, and I found it hard to root for any of them, or to get invested in their missions. The plot was at once too involved and convoluted yet too predictable. Would not recommend.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

Interesting read, was really fun. I enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

DNF at 10%
I absolutely loved the premise of this book, but the main character was just so irritating and I just could not get past how annoying she was.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley, Holiday House, and Kendall Kulper for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! I requested this one as soon as I saw the synopsis and the cover because they’re both so interesting. The Roaring Twenties + a badass heroine + superpowers? Sign me up! I’m sad to say that I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would, though. I never fully connected to the story or the characters and I’m not sure if this is because of the writing style or the characters themselves. It’s an easy and fun read though and I feel like people who like historical novels would enjoy it.

It had a rather steampunk style with paranormal activities, an unusual blend. It was interesting though a bit confusing at times. It had a mild entertaining thrush level.

When I saw the synopsis for Murder for the Modern Girl I was immediately interested. When you tell me 1920s + paranormal my mind immediately goes to The Diviners - and you got me. Now, this book is really nothing like The Diviners, and I don't mean that as criticism in the slightest. But if you enjoy the overall vibe of the 1920s and some mystery spiced with paranormal aspects - it definitely has that!

Ruby is a mind reader, who uses her power to find men to kill. But only the ones who deserve it, of course. She only targets the ones who otherwise would escape justice. On the other hand, Guy, a shapeshifter, afraid of his power, is catching on to the fact that all these seemingly regular deaths might be connected - and actually murders. When their paths cross, they don't at once realise what Guy's trying to prove, actually means uncovering what Ruby's done. What they also don't expect is falling in love with each other, which of course, only further complicates things.

The book switches POVs between the two of them, and while I enjoyed it, for the most part, it makes the pacing feel slightly off in the beginning. Ruby's chapters are bold and glamorous, full of scheming, parties - and they just feel much more dynamic and loud than Guy's beginning chapters. He works as a cleaner at the morgue, he's trying to find a way to prove his worth and do actual, real forensic work. His chapters are significantly more gloomy at the beginning. I did still like his chapters, he's dealing with a great deal of anxiety, and I thought this struggle was portrayed very well - however, that switch did affect the pacing a bit. I didn't really mind this, after a while, but it did take me a moment to get into this book properly.

Ruby is a great protagonist to follow, she is strong-willed, smart, bold and not easily intimidated. She is persistent and ambitious, she wants to be a lawyer, something that was not readily available to women at the time. I enjoyed how her killing people was handled in the story - however weird this sentence is. She feels very strongly about justice, and that is her main motive. The men she targets are always abusers who would get away with it - and she is doing what she feels is best to protect other women. This is neither glorified nor condemned in the book, which I like. It was simply a fact that she'd done it, and I liked that there was not too much regret surrounding her decisions. Then there is Guy, who really seems to be Ruby's opposite. Where she is bold and outspoken, he is shy and slightly uncertain. He believes his power makes him a monster, unworthy of love, but he is actually the gentlest, sweetest person. He is very intelligent but the shadows of his past, and the fear he could hurt people hold him back. This makes a really interesting contrast with Ruby, who in her pursuit of justice can be downright ruthless. I think this is why I enjoyed their relationship - I think they balance each other very well. They see each other's flaws and weak spots, but they also see past them. Guy understands Ruby, and in turn, she sees the real him. She sees past his masks and his fear, she sees who he really is. They were really sweet together, they had chemistry, and I was really rooting for them.

As I mentioned, it took me a minute to get into the story, but once I did I couldn't stop reading. The book is pretty fast-paced, and I was so interested to see how the story would unfold, and how the characters would get out of the messes they found themselves in. The book features quite a bit of 1920s lingo, which I think can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning, but I quite liked it. I also really enjoyed the side characters, especially Ruby's friend Maggie, and also Vivian. I love how Maggie came through for Ruby, and was a lovely, supportive friend.

The reason why I rated this 4 and not 5 stars, comes down to the fact I think the book left a lot of questions unanswered. This was not in the means of having an open ending, but more so regarding the world-building. Are ruby and Guy the only people with powers? Are there more of them? Where do their powers come from? Was it some sort of an experiment? Is it hereditary? There was so much I wanted to know!

Overall, I really enjoyed this! I would highly recommend this if what you're looking for is a 1920s atmosphere with mystery and a sprinkling of paranormal! I will for sure be checking out the author's other works!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars, it didn’t fully live up to the roaring 20s vibe

Thank you Holiday House for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

"Honestly murder worked better than mascara" (11)

When I read the synopsis of this book I immediately requested it, the story was said to be set in the roaring 20s, with a girl who murders men who have wronged other women seemed like a fantastic premise. And it should have been a perfect book for me, sadly it wasn't, but it was still overall an exciting story. The closest thing I can relate this book to is The Diviners, if you enjoy that series there is a very high chance you will love this book! The main characters have strange powers (like mind-reading and shapeshifting), with a backdrop of the roaring 20s and a few murder mysteries.

This feels like a debut novel, which is unfortunate as the author has definitely published some other books, and it just didn't feel refined enough. It took me a while to get into the story, it was easy to read but there didn't seem to be much substance until the main characters met. Even then, there was something missing from the story as I never felt fully immersed and it was disjointed. There were not many plot twists either, and while the story always kept moving forward I didn't feel surprised by anything that happened. I think if there had been a bit more refinement on the overall feel of the book and the plot, it could have been improved. It was just a little too simple for my taste.

Ruby was a really interesting main character to have, especially in this time period. Her main goal was to become a lawyer, in a time period when women were not allowed to do nearly anything. On top of this, she took it upon herself to poison men who had done atrocious things to women. That was one thing I admired about her, she cared so much about the community around her especially women and children when no one else would. She was also very determined and strong-willed, without the worst aspects of both. I think she was my favorite part of the book, even if I still felt a little detached from her later in the story. It was really interesting as well to see how she used her telepathy to find the men that were doing things, and find their secrets.

Guy Rosewood/Peter had such potential to be an amazing character, but honestly, his biggest personality trait was just being nervous and unable to control his shapeshifting power. I had no problem with this for most of the story, but after a while it just became repetitive and I wanted him to experience some character growth other than the bare minimum. This didn't really happen so I was a bit disappointed overall with him. He also had a random dog that he didn't even name, and for being so good with noticing things about people's death he didn't realize who the "Angel Killer" was until he was told basically. There was a lot surrounding his backstory that was hinted at, but it just left me confused and I only realized what had actually happened at the end. He just didn't feel completely put together and I wish there had been a little more thought put into his character.

The romance in this book was honestly really boring. Even when the main characters met, and a long time after, I never felt the chemistry the author seemed to imply was there. At points, there were supposed to be romantic and I just did not see the romance that should have been blossoming between them. I think if the author had taken more time to create interactions that were more meaningful for their relationship, it was always so fast. They also did not have much in common so it was hard to see how their relationship was going to work out.

[TW: infidelity, poisoning, murder, alcohol use and being drunk, sexism, sex trafficking (mentioned), death of loved ones, burns, gun violence, trauma]

3.5 This was such a page turner with great characters and plot. I loved how this book had a bit of everything. From murders to romance to magic to action.

Murder for the modern girl (a dual POV book) follows our two main characters. Ruby, a flapper who can read minds and murders bad men. And Guy, a shapeshifter that starts working on solving who’s behind these murders, the same ones Ruby has committed. But not only does Ruby have to worry about that, but she has to worry about the bad people she got involved with. This book keeps you hooked because the stakes for the characters are high. It was a real page-turner.

The relationship part of the book didn’t get me so hooked but I can definitely see how other people can love them. The friendship parts of this book were amazing. I loved the friendships so much.

I loved how different this was to other mystery thrillers with the fantasy aspect and the setting, the glam and glitz of the 1920’s in Chicago. The atmosphere was amazing.

I felt like the beginning of the story had too much 20’s slang and lingo and it got thrown at you all at once, so it got confusing. The writing overall was good but could be improved.

Overall, this was a good, enjoyable, pretty fast-paced (with a beautiful cover by the way) book. I would recommend it! I had fun reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ruby, an eighteen-year-old girl in 1920s Chicago, is a mind reading, poisoning murderer, who, encounters a threat within the corrupted City Hall. Soon she realizes that even she might not have what it takes to face it. At the same time, Guy Rosewood, an, anxious shapeshifting scientist, who works in the morgue is investigating a series of murders that happens around the city while trying to get control over his powers.

The best thing about this book were definitely the characters. Ruby is great. She is funny and intelligent and her relationship with Guy is interesting to read about.
But the story itself is kind of boring. It is never explained why Ruby and Guy both have these strange abilities, or if other people have them too. All information that is not relevant to the story is also left out, which causes the world to seem a bit flat.
Also, the plot is so confusing, that it is never even explained in the blurb. Plus every few pages there is weird 1920s language thrown into the story, which I, as a non native speaker found very confusing.
The villain is two-dimensional as well, and the end is way too easily resolved for my taste. It was still an enjoyable read but it just was not for me personally.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book.

I enjoyed the storyline of this book but I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. I'm not sure if it was the writing style or just the personalities of the characters themselves.

The plot was very intriguing and entertaining and that helped me continue the book. I did find some of the period slang a little difficult at times but I felt like it helped with the overall atmosphere of the book. Which, of all the aspects of the book, the atmosphere was perfect. I was immersed in the glitz, glamour, and danger of the time period.

I recommend this for anyone who enjoys period mysteries.

ARC received via Netgalley.

Using her special ability that allows her to hear the thoughts of others, Ruby works to protect the vulnerable women in her area from the men who would prey on them. She becomes the avenging angel these women never thought they would have. But she never thought she would encounter one who could discover her identity and end her reign of vigilante justice. And she certainly never thought that person would be someone she found herself drawn to again and again.

Guy has his own secret. He can change his appearance at will, and following a tragedy when he was young, he has spent his life on the run while also trying to find any information he can about his ability. He can't understand how Ruby can always identify him no matter what persona he is using, but she seems to have a knack for knowing who he is.

After an attack is made on Ruby's father, Ruby and Guy must work together against a corrupt police force and a mob boss to find any proof they can to bring them down.

A fun read set in the Roaring Twenties. The author did a fairly good job of bringing that time period to life while also keeping the mystery and action of the story moving. Recommended for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners, Kerri Maniscalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper, and novels by Cat Winters.

This book was difficult to get into and just not really for me. I was hoping for something like stalking jack the ripper with the historical mystery but it didn’t give what needed to be given.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book!

Unfortunately, not the book for me! The first few chapters were extremely confusing, with some anachronistic elements that made it very hard to tell what era/world this was in. The slang/voice was incredibly jarring and I had a hard time taking the mc seriously. I was expecting something a little more like Stalking Jack the Ripper in writing-style, where the voices/slang/etc is there but not so distracting it rips you out of the story.

So sad about this one! Lovers of era-fiction might enjoy this.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

-A

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder for the Modern girl was cute and an easy read! I wouldn't call this a cozy as the stakes were a little higher than your average cozy mystery, but it was fun.

I personally enjoyed the mix of magic and science throughout the story, and I loved both the main characters' arcs. I would certainly recommend for anyone who enjoys supernatural characters and mysteries!

I really enjoyed this book. It is fast paced and I loooved the glamorous atmosphere described. This was such fun and exciting read.

Ruby is an amazing character. She is so spunky and she uses her own mind reading talents to help other women and girls who are being abused or take advantage of. The other main character, I will call him G, is the sweetest charactet ever and I loved seeing (or should I say reading) him come out of his shell. I thought that he and Ruby complement each other perfectly.

This book is everything I want, and need, in a book. It has an adorable love interest, murder, a strong female lead, and adorable dog and mystery. What else could you ask for?!?!

I hope in the future this book will have a sequel, because I need more to this story. I will definetly recommend this glitzy glamorous murder mystery romance to everyone.

A murderous mind reader and a guilt ridden shapeshifter fall in love. It sounds a bit ridiculous, but somehow it works. I did not expect to enjoy the book, but I couldn't resist reading if for no other reason than to laugh at how preposterous it was. Instead I found myself caring about the characters and their story - how could the protagonists solve their mysteries, get together, and save themselves and their loved ones? I don't want to give anything away, but I highly recommend this title to readers who are seeking mystery, historical fiction, paranormal romance, and some BA female characters. -- review of uncorrected Netgalley proof

I loved this book. It had a fiery protagonist. I loved the vengeance, the poisons, and the shapeshifting. The characters were realistic, and I was rooting for them from start to finish. The plot is rich and complex and had me hooked pretty early on. Ruby was a most intriguing heroine, with all the flaws and quirks of a real person. The way we experienced much of the story through her eyes was enriching. I loved the romance. The superpowers added so much to the story. They were the right amount of bizarre and familiar. I think this is best for older readers who want excitement, espionage, and endless twists.