Loved this 1920s murder mystery. But then I'm a sucker for any book set in the roaring 20s. And the mystery had the right amount of grit. I loved reading about a female who was determined to solve the mystery in a time when females were starting to step out of the boxes they had been put in.

AAAH i wanted to love and be obsessed with this so badly but idk.,.. it didn't do it for me? I think i'll give it another go in a few months to see! maybe i'm just not in the historical vibe right now? thank you for the arc!

I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did!

Official blurb:

*A ravishing young mind reader stalks the streets at night in kitten heels, prowling for men to murder. A soft-spoken genius toils away in the city morgue, desperate to unearth the science behind his gift for shapeshifting. It’s a match made in 1928 Chicago, where gangsters run City Hall, jazz fills the air, and every good girl’s purse conceals a flask.*

The book started off quite slow and I was going to DNF it 40% through. But I was hoping it would get better and it did! After the initial slow start, it picked up a little bit and I couldn’t put it down. I was enthralled with the world.

I didn’t root for Ruby and Guy as much as I thought I would, but they were a very cute couple and clearly loved each other. It was interesting to read how their stories intertwined.

Overall, it was a fun read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries and is willing to start off a little slow. 4.25/5 stars

This book was fun to read! The beginning took a little bit to get through, but then it was a quick read. The author did a great job capturing the era and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. I really liked the main characters and the alternating point of views. I think their abilities and some of their character could have been explored a little more because at times (especially in the beginning) it felt a little flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a quick, fun, read. The characters and their powers were underdeveloped and a bit confusing at times, and the relationship seemed almost forced at points. The pacing was fast and enjoyable once you get a bit farther into the story, but in the beginning it felt slow paced. Overall, this is a fun quick read, but not super three-dimensional. 3/5 stars from me.

It was one of a kind story and I really love the idea of the author. It was like a plot to a movie and I've been slowly unraveling everything until I came to the last chapter of the book. I love how strong and dignified she had made for her characters and it has a touch of romance that made me giggle throughout the book. I'm really looking forward to more of this kind. I had a lot of fun in reading this story of yours.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

The first thing that caught my attention was the cover and then when I read the description I was very intrigued.

It is the story of an 18-year-old girl, Ruby, who can read people's minds and this ability allows her to find bad people and then proceeds to murder them. She then meets a guy who works at the morgue who turns out to have been investigating deaths that seem suspicious.

In general, I enjoyed the narration and how the author uses two points of view, which allows us to know the two protagonists better.

The main characters are very likable and at the end of the book, we can see their development.

Final thoughts: it is a well-written book with a unique story. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Holiday House and Kendall Kulper for providing me an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

3.25 ⭐️

I SUPPORT WOMEN’S RIGHTS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I SUPPORT WOMEN’S WRONGS.

Set in the beauty of the 1920s, Ruby Newhouse is an 18-year old girl and is a flapper who can read minds. But she also lives a secret life being a vigilante and a murderer. Then we have Guy Rosewood, who has the ability to shapeshift and works in a morgue and somehow ends up investigating these murders while trying to find out some scientific explanation behind his ability. This book is certainly ideal for readers who love murder/mystery novels with an unexpected twist.

This book surprised and weirded me out a lot more than it should’ve especially at the beginning, as I didn’t think it would be so different from what I’ve read before. It was certainly a fresh and clever take on the genre, but this time, with a bubbly, morally grey female lead character. I liked it at first, but the pace and dual POVs were confusing for me to follow as there wasn’t much to work on the timeline of the events and the characters’ abilities weren’t really explained so it fell a bit flat for me. I also felt that the writing was slightly underwhelming and messy, so I had to skim through the rest of the book, though the plot definitely picked up the pace and built the romance and tension towards the resolution of the complex vine of crimes by the villain (those action scenes were actually good).

Overall, my reading experience wasn’t so enjoyable, though these are my own opinions. I might read this again in the future with a new perspective and will still recommend this for readers who would prefer a bit of fantasy in the marvellous premise of murder and politics.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this novel seemed marvellous to me, so I decided to make a request as soon as I saw this title. Unfortunately, my experience was not so fantastic, to say the least. Although the plot was fast-paced, the characters were underdeveloped and the events were rather unbelievable if we look at it from the historical point of view. Having said that, my problem with it was that I'm probably too old for this type of stories: it felt kind of middle-grade-ish. I would recommed it to those who want to read their first mystery with a twist, but it's not suitable for those who are more experienced with this genre.

I personally didn't like the writing at all. I found the characters unlikeable and annoying, and had to skim half of it. I wouldn't say this book is terrible by any means or that u shouldn't read it, but it really wasn't for me, which is super sad.

3/5 stars

This is basically a roaring-20s, flapper sci-fi mind-reading/shape shifting story. And yeah, it sounds like a lot, but I think it is unique in conception and had a lot of positives going for it. The plot is fast paced. The two POVs had their strengths and weaknesses — Ruby and Guy have dimensions, and I liked that Ruby was the confident one whereas Guy was shy. I think their abilities could have been fleshed out more, but overall this was a fun read! Very atmospheric, and glitzy in a dark-ish way.

If you liked the Diviners or Gatsby-inspired anything, you’ll enjoy this one!

Thank you Holiday House and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinions in anyway.

Gets off to a slow start, but anything set in the flapper era is bound to be fascinating. Very interesting premise and I was definitely hooked.

3.5⭐️ rounded up

When I first started this book, it was really hard for me to get into. The first 20-30% is suuper slow until Ruby & Guy meet. I actually had to set it down for a while and come back, but i’m so glad I did!! I actually really enjoyed the second half of this book.

Ruby’s character was definitely my favorite as she’s loyal, smart, and will do anything for her friends and family. I did find her pov a little hard to read and since she can read minds, it made it hard to decipher which thoughts were hers and which were of others. We also never find out WHY Ruby and Guy have these powers or if anyone else has them, and that really bothered me. I think diving into that aspect would’ve helped as their powers served a huge role in solving a lot of their problems.

The atmosphere draws you in and the character’s are easily likable. I would recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a quick YA mystery/thriller that also has some romance in it.

Thank you NetGalley & Holiday house for this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

A girl who murders evil men with the help of her mind-reading ability? Sign me up for that.

Chicago, 1920's. Ruby Newhouse is an avenging angel with a mission. Using her mind-reading skills and an impressive knowledge of poison, she murders the worst men in town who prey on vulnerable women and get away unscathed thanks to a corrupt and broken justice system. Everything kicks into high gear when her own family is now the one in danger and it's up to her to save them all. Along the way, she meets Guy Rosewood, morgue caretaker and shapeshifter. He's sweet, shy, bright, and he happens to be investigating the series of mysterious murders going on in town.

SPOILERS:

The Characters: Ruby Newhouse is a morally gray character. She is charismatic and fearless, standing in opposition to the way women were treated in the 1920s. I cherish her desire to break the standards of what women were supposed to be and act like, as well as the concept of her being an "angel killer" who went around quietly killing men who mistreated women. Also, the friendship between Ruby and her best friend is divine. She is literally the type of person who would go to perilous lengths just to save her friend. However, being able to know people's thoughts is a big deal. I refuse to believe that no one realized that as she was growing up. She often said things she shouldn't have known, and that must have been suspicious.

Guy Rosewood is a shy person. He works at the county morgue as a janitor, but sneaks in at night to perform secret autopsies. Maybe then he'll figure out how the human body works and be able to control his shape-shifting abilities once and for all. He is soft-spoken, sincere, charming and has a golden heart. The very definition of a cinnamon roll. However, we learn limited information about his past. His point of view consisted of figuring out how to properly use his ability, investigate the murders, and following Ruby around town. I would have liked to read more about him. However, as someone with anxiety, I really appreciated the portrayal of this through his viewpoints and character development.

The Plot: As I said before, the premise of this book fascinated me, which is why I ordered this book on NetGalley. I liked that the story was not just about solving mysteries, but about hiding and withholding truths from others. While I found it interesting, there were some elements that remained unresolved. It is never explained how and why they have these abilities and why no one else in the book has them or any other magical powers. Nevertheless, this personally doesn't bother me that much at the end of the day. To some extent we read the limitations of Ruby's power, and Guy's current struggles.

The Writing: I would say it fits the era and setting, including the slang. However, the writing and tone of it was stifling at times, especially when Ruby combined the words "absolutely" and "positively" . That's why it took me a while to get used to it; there were so many 1920s slang terms in every sentence.

The Romance: It was cute, I'm not going to lie. Ruby's outspoken, flirtatious personality with Guy's gentle, reserved nature was a good match. Opposites attract. I love how she falls in love with his mind and soul. They don't take up the whole story, of course, it's more of a subplot.

<b>The Ending:</b> I quite liked the resolution, although it is somewhat rushed. Overall, this book has nice elements, including a great love interest, scumbag men getting killed, a strong female protagonist, and mystery. I would have liked a longer epilogue.

Favorite Quotes:

“Honestly, murder worked better than mascara.”

“I could feel it. Rising up inside me. Not my breakfast, no—worse. Enthusiasm.”

“Ahhh, how I missed my beautiful friends. Arsenic and cyanide and strychnine, loaded into needles slipped into a leather sheath, which went under my blouse. Thallium hidden in the pendant of the bracelet around my wrist. Belladonna in the belly of the bird brooch to hold back my curls. I had needles and powders and chloroform‐infused kerchiefs and I gathered up the whole lot, with my knife strapped to my thigh, just in case. We’d reached the finale, folks.”

All in all, it was a delightful book. I loved the women's empowerment, so I definitely recommend this book to anyone who appreciates this topic, as well as mystery, romance, and historical fiction.

Wow I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and I loved the glamorous atmospheric descriptions. It was such a fun and exciting read. Ruby is an amazing character she is spunky and uses her mind reading talents to help other women and girls who are being abused or taken advantage of. The other main character who I’ll call Guy, is one of the sweetest characters ever and I loved seeing him come out of his shell. I love a soft spoken sweet cinnamon roll character. I found he and Ruby balance each other out amazingly. I absolutely loved the romance. It was done well but didn’t feel like it was the sole focus of the book. The main mystery plot was a fun twist that helped drive the story forward. I loved the political intrigue and corruption and I also throughly enjoyed the 1920’s words and phrases.

Overall this book has everything I want in a book. It has a cute adorable love interest who is a cinnamon roll, murder , a strong female lead, an adorable dog and some mystery. I would love to see a sequel or at least have a longer epilogue. I can’t get enough. I definitely recommend this glitzy glam murder mystery romance. 5/5

Thank you Holiday House for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A book that surprised me with its intense plot.
Ruby is the daughter of a lawyer ,who is competing everyday to live in hassle free society. She has her own kind of justice she gives to the people who do wrong things. She murders them. She doesn't feel bad about it as the people deserve it .She have an extraordinary ability to read everyone's mind which helps her in filtering out the bad ones in society.

Guy is a shape shifter who can wear any face he wants, This helps him to hide and not to think about his past. Guy want to work with Dr Keene who can help him with understanding the depth of his ability. So he accompanies him in finding an angel murderer who is murdering men with poison. On the amidst of this, his life takes a turn when he meets Ruby and develop feelings for her.

What happens when guy finds out the killer he is been looking for is the one whom he fallen in love with??

My thoughts:

This book really surprised me, I never thought I will enjoy it .Even though it is forgettable and have a mediocre plot I was intrigued for most of the part. The enjoyment I got out of this is worth it. At first it was difficult to love the characters but later on I got invested. The plot is engaging and contain romance, fantasy and thrilling elements. Highly recommend!!!

I love the original idea of Ruby, the girl who can read minds, and her future love interest Peter who can change faces. The romance is pretty nice, not exactly slow burn but not insta love. The characters are good and I enjoyed the Roaring 20s vibes. The little downsides for me is the pacing/writing style? Some events are hard to follow, some too fast and others have too many details we don't actually need. It's too bad because it has potential to be a perfect story. But overall, I enjoyed it!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. This was a cute but underwhelming paranormal story with elements of mystery. It has very similar vibes to Libby Bray’s The Diviner’s series.. I think the plot was pretty well done. It’s tightly executed, although I did guess some of the twists. And generally I love any story centered around a flapper.

Still, I’d have liked the characters to be a bit more fleshed out. Ruby Newhouse is a fun main character who can read people’s minds. She does some very bad things and you almost find yourself cheering for her—I say almost, though, because as a reader, I never felt I truly understood the very deep root cause of what she did. Yes what she did was for the greater good, but I still needed a bit more. I did love Guy. His shape shifting added some fun elements to the story. I also think some fleshing out could have benefitted him,

I would definitely recommend this book to folks looking for plot-driven paranormal mysteries with a fun 1920s vibe!

Gol-lee! You're going to love Kendall Kulper's latest historical romance YA.

Now I know what you're thinking. Katie Rose, you don't review young adult romance! Where's the spice? Where are the adult themes?

Hear me out! Murder for the Modern Girl features dual POV of two 18 year-olds on the cusp of figuring out what they want to do with the rest of their lives in Prohibition Era Chicago. Hmm, sounds like we've got a New Adult romance on our hands. Don't believe me?

Ruby, our glamorous cover queen, is the state attorney's flapper daughter. She's whip smart, she's got beautiful eyes perfect for playing damsel in distress when the mood suits her, and she's got all the 1920's slang we could hope for. Ruby's opening scenes are at a suitably illegal party, and her experience with high society boys is a delightful side note to add to her deceptively good-girl identity. Add to that a penchant for exiting the scene of a crime just before authorities arrive and an unnerving ability to know just what everyone's thinking.

Meanwhile our other main character is an enigma whose love language involves more science than slang. A brilliant albeit nervous character, Guy Rosewood's only hope is to figure out how to get his strange ability under control without anyone else getting hurt. When a doctor who can help him figure out his condition invites him to be his lab assistant to solve a string of poison-related murders, Guy finds himself struggling to focus on upholding his end of a deal with the doctor with the additional of an absolute doll of a girl named Ruby who seems to see right through his many reluctant facades and into his heart.

This story has everything you'd want from a 1920's romance. Glittery dresses, dazzling parties, and sinister gangsters indistinguishable from corrupt politicians. But what sets this story apart is the careful weaving of the supernatural and the heartfelt undertones of two young adults finding themselves and each other in a time when the superficial reigned supreme.

As for my rating, y'all should know by now it's rare that I don't love a romance, and this one's no different. Five sequined stars for this glamorous tale!

Murder for the Modern Girl is set to release on May 31, 2022. You can preorder it now at Indiebound. You won't regret it. <3

xoxo, Katie Rose

I think overall, this was a pretty fun read but there were a few major points where it lost me: the pacing, the world building and the writing style. The pacing felt really inconsistent which was just a bit jarring to try and read coherently. I also wish the magic of the story was fleshed out a bit more/more explanation went into it because it felt half-baked and I really wish I could have loved it. I think if we just got more world building out of the narrative it would have smoothed a lot out and it would have worked a bit better. The writing style was probably the biggest letdown for me--the way things were described didn't really jive with me and I just thought everything said and thought was so...dramatic? and not in a way that I felt served the story/plot at all, it just sort of made me mentally do that John-Travolta-looking-around meme. I did love the idea though, and thought Ruby's career aspirations were awesome, lol. I would love to check out more in this world or more by this author, this just didn't quite do it for me!