I've seen so much about this series, and I was really excited to get started! I found that The Dead Guy Next Door was really cute, but possibly a little longer than was really necessary to get the point across. I felt like it dragged quite a bit at various points, BUT at the end of the day I was really glad that I worked through those sections, because the total package was totally worth it. Really enjoyable!

I absolutely adored this book by Lucy score. It was super fun and entertaining and I loved meeting all the main side characters that she invented for this world. I love the relationship between Nick and Riley the development of their relationship throughout the story. This whole book was to fun and such a great read. I’m so excited that there are three other books in this series because I now plan on reading them all!

As someone who loves both romance and mystery, I was very excited to read this book. I've heard a lot of wonderful things about the author and I know she is very talented. While I found the book to be humorous and overall enjoyable, it didn’t quite hit hard enough in either genre for me. In my opinion, there wasn’t a sufficient amount of romance in the book and I found the mystery to be mostly dull as well. I think die-hard thriller fans will be bothered by the lack of an intriguing mystery and I think romance devotees will be bored with the lackluster romance.

I will say, I thought the main characters (namely, Riley and Nick) were well written and I wish more of the book had just focused on them. I didn’t like the supporting cast as much and they seemed to feel more like fictional characters written to be amusing rather than meaningful players in this story. I felt the book should have focused on more of the mystery or more of the romance, rather than a little bit of both.

That being said, I think the writing was very good and for most of the book I was interested in seeing how it would end. However, the ending took way too long to come. This book was very, very long and I think it really could have been shortened and had many scenes cut. While the story involved murder and there were many times characters were in major peril, I never felt like the stakes were that high because of the playful and almost farcical tone of the writing. Overall, I might recommend this story to someone who’s looking for a very lighthearted read with fun characters and a bit of mystery, but it wasn't a huge hit for me.

The Dead Guy Next Door is a hilarious romp through murder, mayhem, and a touch of the paranormal. Riley Thorn's life couldn't get more chaotic if it tried—divorced, broke, and rooming with a cast of eccentric seniors. And let's not forget the hallucinations her mom insists are clairvoyant visions. Talk about a party trick gone wrong!
Enter Nick Santiago, the PI with a penchant for the ladies and a knack for stirring up trouble. When a neighbor turns up dead and Riley lands in the suspect spotlight, Nick's on the case faster than you can say "murder mystery." But let's be real, he's in it for the thrill, not the damsel in distress. Right?
With witty banter, steamy chemistry, and a dash of psychic intervention, Score serves up a delightful whodunit that keeps you guessing until the very end. So buckle up, grab your tarot cards, and get ready for a wild ride through suburban sleuthing and the quirky characters of Pinegrove.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Lucy does it again! I loved this book so much. It's a bit different than her usual writings and I think that's why I enjoyed it even more. The first 20ish percent was a bit slow, but once it picked up hold on tight. It was so fun to read. It had me laughing out loud many of times. It's such a perfect read in between heavy books or if you're looking for a light hearted read in general. It is a murder mystery, with some steam and a side of romance and I ate it up. Zero criticism over here. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Lucy is one of my favorite authors and this one was a huge win for me and further cemented her as an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

The Dead Guy Next Door captured my attention from the beginning. Lucy Score what crack did you put into this book?!?! The way I could not put this book down and finished it within ONE day. This was the perfect introduction to the Riley Thorn series. I loved the (side and main) characters in this series. They were written so well that I was intrigued whenever I learned more about each character. I would not be opposed to having a new series or novella (of short stories) about any of the side characters.


~ Rom-com
~ Whodunnit murder mystery
~ a Psychic FMC and a HOT grumpy P.I. MMC

4.5 stars! This book is just FUN! As a book lover you often get locked into a book because you fall in love with the love story or murder mystery. Lucy Score got me out of a reading rut by continuously making me want to pick up this book because it is fun! As always I love how Lucy Score paints a picture and is able to make the story come alive off the pages, her writing is incredible. The quirkiness of Riley Thorn is so relatable and very endearing. She created a character you want to keep reading about. I never knew I could laugh throughout a murder mystery book.

Riley was quirky, but it seemed she kept getting herself into these messes that probably could have been avoided. A lot of this stems from the fact that she doesn't want to admit that she has a "gift", choosing to ignore it most of the time until it's screaming in her face. Then she suddenly off and running without thinking about what happens next.

Her relationship with NIck is kinda the same. She lets him barge into her life and go all protective but I often wondered if that was what she really wanted.

I generally love all the Lucy Score books I meet, but this one fell decidedly flat.

I’ve always been fascinated by psychic phenomena, so the combination of psychic FMC, dangerous and protective MMC, and crew of elderly neighbors was 10/10. This book was fun and spicy, without being at all cringy. I love the way Lucy Score incorporates a plot beyond the romance, specifically with elements of crime/thriller into her romance books. This was another hit for me!

This is a quirky paranormal romance/mystery that is worth a read. While not a serious book, this book will provide you with lighthearted entertainment and drama. The book follows Riley and her quirky family (both by blood and found) who have unique psychic abilities. She teams up with bad boy Nick Santiago to solve her neighbors murder and ends up biting off more than she can chew.

This is a perfect beach read or a read in between heavy books.

Lucy Score never misses! I absolutely adore her writing, and this book was no different! Such a fun escape, and I cannot wait for book two!

Lucy score does no wrong in my book, I did give it three stars because I didnt need both pshyic and murder mystery .


Thank you so much @netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Lucy Score for sending me this arc!

The Dead Guy Next Door follows psychic, Riley Thorn, and private investigator, Nick Santiago. The two have a rocky start to their friendship, but slowly start to fall into a ploy of fake dating and romance. Riley is working on becoming more in tune with her psychic abilities, and Nick is trying to solve an investigation with the help of Riley (not at first, but he eventually lets her join) and his friends.

I haven’t read a mystery book in a while, but I think this was a good one to start with! I find Lucy Score’s writing to be continuously entertaining. I feel like you can tell that she loves writing and telling stories through the complexity of her characters and plot lines. With that being said, I think both Riley and Nick are interesting characters. I’d love to read further about how their relationship develops, especially with Riley working for Nick now. Riley’s psychic abilities are so interesting and I’d like to learn more about them! I will continue reading this series for sure!

Always a big Riley Thorn fan and this book was no different! Nick and Riley were very funny together. It is a comedy of errors over and over that kept the story entertaining. Nick and Riley's relationship was a bit quick to develop and that did throw me off for a bit. However, their chemistry is undeniable. It is a refreshing take on the rom-com novels taking over the shelves.

I had to DNF book. I love this author. I have read a ton of her books and loved them. I could not get into the plot of this book. I think the psychic and murder mystery was just too much. I couldn’t continue reading this book.

This was such a fun read! It has so much to offer and had me laughing out loud throughout.

The characters are all so unique and fun. This one offers mystery, romance, humor, addicting banter, and paranormal. The characters make this book so special and unforgettable.

I loved the writing style and connections between the characters. I'm looking forward to continuing with the series. If you're looking for a laugh, check this one out.

Thank you so much @netgalley
and @read_bloom

I was really curious about this book after reading the premise. The Dead Guy Next Door (A Riley Thorn Novel) by Lucy Score had equal parts charm and quirkiness. The book had a motley group of characters that reminded me of the Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon. They're not a 1:1 comparison, but the escapades the group goes on in The Dead Guy Next Door really felt reminiscent of DeLeon's series.

The book was fun, with main character Riley undergoing subtle shifts in personality throughout the book. She spends the first half of the book downplaying her psychic powers and trying to live a "normal" life. We see how she can only keep certain parts of her contained for so long as she tries to solve the mystery of her neighbor's murder.

I really also liked the premise of a boardinghouse type of situation. Living in a separate but also communal home in such a departure from the norm that we see in the U.S. It really brought a different dynamic to the story. The way the author navigated intergenerational dynamics was well done as well. I did like the chemistry between Riley and Nick, and felt they made things more complicated than they needed to be... which is actually pretty accurate for many real life relationships.

My only qualm with the novel was that it did get a little long in some areas. I felt that the novel was really slow going for about the first half to two thirds, and then bam all of a sudden it was go-go-go-go-go. It took me a little longer to read because of the pacing, but overall for a murder mystery/romance novel it was enjoyable and I'd probably go out and look at the rest of the series.

Please be advised that I received a free Advance Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun read by Lucy Score. This book made me giddy and I enjoyed coming back to read it all the unfortunate times I had to put it down because life.

Loved the sarcasm throughout with the characters. I was laughing out loud and that is not common for me with books. After this read I added so many more Lucy Score books to my tbr list!

i didnt much care for this :(

this was a big leap from things we never got over, giving me very much 90s cozy paranormal romance vibes. unfortunately i didnt get into this how i thought i would and dont know if i plan on continuing