SYNOPSIS
- Addison is a successful LA PR executive at the Ovid Blackwell Group, and she is really hoping to become a partner soon.
- Addison finds one of her clients, Phinneas, dead. Addison becomes a suspect.
- Connor is Addison’s ex, and he is also a private investigator. They didn’t exactly end on amicable terms. Addison apparently ruined Connor’s professional reputation, and he was forced into an unwanted, early retirement. Connie left LA, and he moved to Las Vegas with a pretty big gambling problem. Connor’s former client seeks him out for an assignment, and he winds up back in LA doing the PI assignment.
- Connor and Addison end up teaming up.

MY THOUGHTS
- Multiple POVs and timelines - Addison (present), Connor (present), and Phinneas via recorded voice notes (past).
- Lacked the suspense/thriller aspect. Felt more like a rivals to lovers romance.
- Premise was good, but execution fell flat for me.
- Characters are very one-dimensional & lack much depth.
- I didn’t like how Addison would randomly talk in third-person in her POV chapters (e.g., the whole chapter is in first-person, then random sentences say things like “Addison Stern always gets what she wants.”)
- All the Kevon Bacon references. Why?? Seriously?
- 400 pages with slow pacing. This should have been majorly cut down in length.
- Many legal aspects didn’t make sense to me. Why was the FBI involved? Why would the FBI mail a packet to your residence to tell you that you’re a person of interest?
- The reveal of who is behind everything wasn’t satisfying. It made no sense at all & was illogical.
- The ending was not satisfying.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️not for me. although premise was intriguing, let down in a lot of ways.

Thanks to Hyperion Avenue and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on July 30, 2024.

Didn't finish this book, too juvenile and trying to hard to make something out of nothing.....
Couldn't warm to Addison, and too convenient that the PI was found and got into her apartment. Confused about the guy that got killed - didn't finish it.

This book was good! I loved the twist. The character were good as well
. I would recommend if you like mystery books. This was my first by this authors and it won’t be my last .

A mystery and romantic thriller with a fun rivals-to-lovers trope. Addison, a PR executive and her ex-boyfriend and private investigator Connor find themselves needing each other much to their chagrin. I liked that they had a history and backstory complicating their current-day relationship as they travel around the globe, desperate to uncover the truth and unearth secrets before they become casualties. If you like multiple POVs and crazy plotting, you'll probably be a fan of this book.

This read had the foundation to be really good, but there were a few things that were a miss for me. However, it did pull me in and make me want to know what happened all throughout which I’m taking as a win!

First, I wanted to love Addison so bad. Our little powerhouse PR woman rising to the top for her hard work. But she just wasn’t super relatable to me. She had a very hard surface to break, lacked emotion, and was cutthroat as hell at the start.

Secondly, the ending had a great twist that I wasn’t expecting but then it twisted again and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. I feel like it could have ended a couple chapters short.

It is a multi pov read, and one POV is more like an interview style which I actually really like & it added a lot of seeds all throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

When an LA PR executive and her ex boyfriend (who happens to be a former con man turned PI) are unexpectedly linked to a series of murders that unravel a dangerous conspiracy, what could go wrong? Addison Stern is used to getting her way through whatever ruthless means are necessary. When her top client is found dead, and whispers start linking Addison to the murder, she is brought face to face with her ex (who she happened to send to an early retirement) Connor. Connor has once chance to salvage his career but can he trust Addison? As the two globe trot from Asia to Monaco and Vegas, danger follows them. While they have agreed to team up, can they really trust each other? Addison is used to hiding secrets for the rich and famous but apparently the biggest secrets are being hidden from her.

While I liked this novel, it felt a little clunky at times with a lot of characters, locations and minor plots to sift through. I am hoping it was brought together a little more tightly in the editing process but Elle Marr doesn't disappoint. The ending was unexpected!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I really wanted to like this but I just couldn’t. I didn’t feel like there was enough depth for me, yet I pushed through til the end. It was good, just not for me!

This is the first time reading this,author. The read was definitely a page turner, it had me up way into the night!! I enjoyed the different perspectives between Connor and then Addison telling the story that took you all over the world and then back to LA. The stories that Addison spun were so detail oriented and specific and she did it spur of the moment it was awesome. I enjoyed the rivals to lover romance very much.It took me almost til the end of the book until I figured it out which made it a very good romantic thriller!! I look forward to reading more books from this author.

The premise of the book sounded very interesting to me. I like a good mystery novel. Unfortunately this one fell very flat for me. I found it to be very slow except for the big twist in the end.
It was very hard to follow as it jumped around so much and thru multiple POVs.
You couldn’t really understand the characters too much. Addison was very much wanting to be pushed forward to a promotion but it never really said why.
I wasn’t a big fan. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for the honest review

This book wanted to be a lot of different things and came up short. There was both too much happening and not enough of what counted. It has an intriguing start with an introduction to a FMC that’s just on the edge of unlikeable but a power woman at the top of her game and a MMC at the bottom of his. The story has an interesting blend of pharmaceuticals, high end fashion, and glamorous lifestyles that draw you in, but it ultimately failed to deliver.

I disliked the story overall because:
- The characters felt very superficial (there was no depth to the why behind their behaviors, backstories, etc.). There’s a bit of development in the first chapter and then you never see it agin until the 70% mark and even then that’s touch and go, missed opportunities.
- There was no suspense, and the guessing game was lacking. I did not find myself trying to connect the dots or wondering who did it. Does this make the story a cozy mystery? I don’t know the genre but I felt like this could have been one.
- The evil villain monologue: ugh
- Kevin Bacon: really?

This was a heart pounding, suspenseful thriller with the romantic touch. Elle Marr gives you the feeling like you're the one traveling with them and you just don't want to put it down. I felt connected with the characters. Very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Elle Marr for the advance copy of this book for my review.

This was a fun and easy read between some heavier books. The cat and mouse will they, wont they was a nice palette cleanser.

I really enjoyed this book! Addison was a character that I immediately liked, even though she could be absolutely obnoxious, yet there was something about her that I just continue sticking with her. The scene after scene throughout this book was fun and thrilling to read, and I liked the 3 POVs in this. This author is now moving toward the top spots for auto-buy for me.

There were times, though, that there were way too many characters to keep up with. It all wrapped up nicely in the end, but when I have to remind myself who was who, that could get discouraging when there was plenty of actions and twists and turns. Deleting a few characters would still make this book just as great to read. But the plot was fun and thrilling, and Addison and Connor were great characters that I hope the author continue after this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this thriller. All opinions are my own.

<b>My rating: </b> 2 out 5 --> The main character of the novel is wonderful, but the pacing, motivation, and ending made it a hard read for me.

<b> When did I get hooked? </b> While there was lulls in the book, I kept reading because of my love for the main character who was spunky and unique.

<b> What I liked </b>
The characters!!

<b> What I was unsure about </b>
The motivation for the ending was not strong enough for me. It didn't feel believable.

Not for me. Right away I could tell this book was gonna be a bit of struggle for me. The abrasive attitude of the FMC just wasn’t my style.

The mystery was good but for me characters come first and I just wasnt feeling it.

Thank you Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the ARC.

I have read a number of her books and for the most part really liked them,4-5 stars. This one didn't work for me The story was interesting enough but I guess I couldn't relate to the characters, they didn't feel real to me, felt more of stereotype than her usual characters with more depth. So I went into it with high expectations, which if I hadn't, I would have liked it more It was fine just........ left me wanting more 3.5

Addison is a ruthless PR exec vying for partner at the famous Ovid Blackwell firm. Connor is a down on his luck PI whom has been forced into early retirement. Addison and Connor used to be an item. Now, years later Connor is asking Addison for help on a new case. Addison is reluctant to accept and against her better judgement she does. Strap in for a jet-set thriller spanning the globe set in the worlds of private investigating, pharma, and fashion. A twisty thriller in which I was left trying to piece together the clues as they were presented to the audience. A true thriller to the genre, however not the typical domestic trope that we're all used to. This seems like a fresh take on the genre and was like a breathe of fresh air for me.

I disliked some of the characters (Genevieve and Peter mainly), I feel like they were painted too antagonistic and it wasn't entirely believable. The one thing that sticks out to me is Genevieve pinning the murder of Devon on Connor--I feel like this was an outlandish move and that it wasn't warranted or backed up in the story. Addison was a great character and I feel like I truly know her...same with Connor. Great characterization with both of the main characters. Supporting characters were a variety mixed bag and I feel they were also done well.

Some of the chapters seemed to drone on...some of the unnecessary filler could be cut out, I feel like at 401 pages the book is a little much for the story that it's telling.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but its definitely not one of my favorites or one that I would read again.

I was really excited about this one but it read more like a romcom mystery to me. If you’re really into pop culture especially LA PR executives drama then you’ll love this! Additionally, if you’re looking for more of a ‘cozy’ thriller that is more drama than dark, this is the book. I loved the multiple POVs - it’s always fun getting to read multiple sides of a story as it unfolds.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

My one thousandth book on Goodreads!

*4.5 stars rounded up*

Welcome to the world of the wealthy & famous, where merciless PR executives like Addison Stern help spin the truth & private investigators like Connor Windell dig up secrets for hire. Networking is everything in their lines of work, & back before Addison forced Connor into early retirement they had quite the connection (maybe it was even love), but now these two exes have to set aside their differences (for the most part) & team up to figure out a mutually beneficial case. This book takes you to Las Vegas, Los Angeles & its Fashion Week, the Amalfi Coast, the French Riviera, & Hong Kong - along the way the sparks start to fly between these two again, but the danger is also ratcheting up…

I really enjoyed the format of this book, getting the POV of both Addison & Connor as well as the memoir recordings of one of the clients. The different players in this story & the way they connected made for quite a puzzle, & the travel around the world made for some great settings - I’m a big fan of Elle Marr’s thrillers, & it was fun to have the added romance in this one - also loved little details like the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game that made the characters feel more real. I will say that I’m not personally wild about the ending, but I definitely understand why the author made that choice & it’s not what I would’ve predicted - so props to her for being surprising!

Thank you to NetGalley & Hyperion Avenue for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publicist and Ovid Blackwell fixer Addison Sterm teams up with her ex PI Connor Windell to find out who killed Phinneas Redwood. Everywhere they turn..another dead body. Connor is avoiding the loan shark goons, and Addison is trying solve Phinneas' murder. What will happen next? 2 stars