This novel is the definition of "rom-com"! The dynamic/development of characters was the best I have seen in a novel yet. As I was reading this book, each chapter played out like a movie in my head.....I could not put it down! Lucy Score has a way of bringing you in to her stories and making you not want to leave the world she has created between the covers. I highly recommend this book. A great story--with twists, turns, laughs and romance sprinkled throughout. I cannot wait to read the rest in this series!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a fun book! I love Lucy Score but for some reason haven't ever dived into this series, and I'm so glad I didn't miss out. I was laughing and kicking my feet the whole time, and would gladly recommend everyone pick this up.

Riley is down on her luck. She's divorced and still paying her newly engaged ex-husaband while living with a house full of senior citizens. Oh, and she has visions, one of her neighbor getting murdered. Soon, she teams up with hot PI Nick to find out who wanted her neighbor dead.

This was a rollicking good time. Here's what I loved.

Riley and Nick. These two were so well matched and hilarious to boot. I loved their dialogue and could see their chemistry from the word go.

The humor. This book was filled with so much humor and outrageous situations. I found myself laughing out loud a few times.

The supernatural aspect. I think this was done really well. You don't get a lot of explanation but you don't really need it! It does give Riley one more layer to her character that you just love.

All in all, this was an outrageously funny romcom!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy.

Riley is dealing with her life; she was hosed during her divorce proceedings by her ex, leaving her having to pay him even though he was the one who cheated on her.
She works as a proofreader at a company that is practically hostile 24/7.
And the cherry on top is her living arrangement in a rundown mansion owned by an elderly woman who has numerous other elderly people living there. All under the umbrella that they are related so as to not be considered tenants. Meaning Riley isn't renting, she is staying with her aunt and uncles.
Now picture this...
Riley's area up in the attic area of the house is shared with another tenant. They both have these little places with baby kitchens, a place to sit, and a bed area.
Unfortunately, they share a bathroom out in the connecting hallway of the house. This other guy is not the most user friendly. In other words, he is an ass. He owns a crappy bar, has worse health habits, and is just all-around icky.

A funny title always makes me think the book will be entertaining as well and in this case, it was very true! Riley's roommates and psychic powers were utter chaos but also very fun!

I had such a fun time reading this one! I loved all of Riley's wacky roommates. I particularly enjoyed how they kept frustrating poor Nick. Someone was murdered in the building, can you keep the door locked? No... Riley's visions also added an interesting twist. I liked watching her try to figure out how to use her gifts.

I enjoyed Nick and Riley's dynamic. Nick is protective and totally convinced he doesn't need love which makes watching him fall in love even more fun. Nick's team was also really entertaining. I think overall this book would have made an excellent TV show!

I did think this book could have been a bit shorter but the mystery element made the length a bit more understandable. For fans of the Knockemout series, this one definitely has less romance and spice. I recommend this one for people who are mystery and romance readers. I never really care who killed the person so I'm not an idea mystery reader.

🌶️🌶️ - This book had one open door scene which was fade to black. There was a bit of sexual tension but overall pretty low on the spice scale.

Thank you NetGalley, Lucy Score, and That's What She Said Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Lucy Score's books! I was excited to try this series by the author. Boy, it's different compared to some of her other books like the knockemout series. Still, it had me laughing as a P.I. and divorced psychic team up to solve a murder.

✨ Publication date: March 12, 2024✨

Dead Guy Next Store is the first book in a paranormal mystery romance series by Lucy Score. I’m a huge fan of this author and although this wasn’t what I expected, I loved it!

Riley Thorn is a recently divorced woman in her early 30’s, working a boring job and living in a rooming house with a bunch of seniors. Not quite where she saw herself but after a ridiculous settlement with her selfish ex husband, Riley needs to work off her debts before she can work on herself.

Riley is desperate for a “normal” life. Having grown up in a family of psychics, she has denied her gifts for so long that when she has a vision of her grumpy neighbour getting shot, she doesn’t realize it’s a prediction until it actually happens.

Nick Santiago is a former police officer turned private investigator. On a recon mission in Riley’s building he knocks on her door to gather some intel on the same neighbour. Nick feels a connection with Riley immediately but as a self proclaimed lifetime bachelor doesn’t act on it.

A series of mishaps and misadventures later, Riley and Nick find themselves partnering to solve the neighbours murder. With a cast of unruly characters like senior citizen vigilantes, massive muscle spirit guides and well meaning nosy family, Nick and Riley find themselves constantly on the wrong side of the law and the right side of the bed!

This book was so fun! I loved Riley and Nick’s chemistry and banter. The side characters are hilarious and well placed. This book was a great mix of mystery, crime, drama, romance and humour. This is a 4+ star for me and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #lucyscore #thedeadguynextdoor

Although Riley Thorn does not identify as psychic, she comes from a family of psychics, hears voices that let her know things she couldn't otherwise know and has visions. When her neighbour turns up dead, the police is very interested to figure out how she could have warned them two days ago that this would happen if she's not the perpetrator. Will hot PI Nick help her out of this mess?
This cozy mystery, enemies to lover, fake dating romance, with a touch of paranormal is book 1 in the Riley Thorn series. It is heavy on the psychic/mystery vibes, but in a light way (much like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series), with Riley sleuthing around with the help of Nick and her gift. It was not my favorite Lucy Score novel, it was a bit long winded (and I don't usually minded from Lucy, but it didn't quite work here), but there was also a great cast of characters!
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was so funny and adorable, personally I feel it wasn’t too heavy and is the perfect palette cleanser! Personally I love Lucy Score and her writing style! I definitely give this a 3.5 out of 5!

This book was cute. I found it pleasant and a good story. I liked Riley a lot, I found her backstory relatable and easy to sympathize with. I liked the angle of her being truly on her own for the first time, and liked the tension her ex brought as he popped up throughout the story. I can see how this series has such a following, as Riley is super easy to love and the suspense plot line was fun and engaging.

I liked Nick enough, he wasn't my favorite MMC of Lucy's but he was likeable enough. He didn't really sparkle for me, which was disappointing. I can't tell you anything he really did wrong, but also can't tell you anything he did right. I definitely didn't like his need to go protective caveman on Riley but then outward and inwardly deny his feelings towards her. That wasn't my jam.

I also didn't care for the slow burn. There was a distinct point where I thought this might end up being YA, but then you had one good scene, and I don't know. The slow burn was frustrating for me in a way that made me want to put the book down.

Overall, while I thought this was a cute book with a cute story line, "cute" isn't what I typically gravitate towards and like to read. I did think this was good for what it was, but I prefer a heavier true romance rather than a mystery where two characters happen to fall in love. The mystery itself was fun and interesting. It kept me guessing and I was right about some and wrong about others- this was definitely a good balance.

3.5 Stars Rounded Up

Thank you Netgalley, Lucy Score and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the ebook!! This was such a fun, quirky, spicy read that had me laughing out loud and falling in love with the characters! I love a good comical mystery like this! I highly recommend and can't wait to read the others in the series!!

This book was honestly just so much fun. I enjoyed the psychic element and thought Riley's journey to learning how to use her powers was well-done. Getting Nick's POV was an added delight and I was very intrigued by the murder-mystery element. Riley's housemates were so much fun (except for one, obviously) and really added to the story. I would recommend this one and look forward to reading the others in this series!

I had so much fun reading this book! I probably would have read this much sooner had I realized that there was a paranormal aspect to the story. I love paranormal mysteries and, blended together with romance and comedy, this book was a winner for me. I can't even count how many times I laughed out loud hysterically. The humor and endless shenanigans alone had me turning the pages at record speed. Riley is that perfectly portrayed FMC that you can't help but love; however, this book has a bunch of eccentric characters that will have you rolling over with side stitches. A Michael Clarke Duncan-like spiritualist, bat-shit crazy old ladies, masked vigilantes...the list goes on and on. I loved every minute of this book and can't wait to read the other books in this series. I highly recommend that you read this now!

Thank you to the author, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun read! Part mystery, part rom-com. Full of witt and banter. Great cast of characters. I have my fingers crossed that this will be an entire series. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

Riley Thorn and The Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score was a really entertaining read. All Riley Thorn wants is a normal life - but broke, divorced, and living with elderly roomates, her life is anything but that. To top it off? She has been ignoring hallucinations she's been having that her tarot-reading mother think could be clairvoyant visions. Riley doesn't think anything can get more complicated, until a super hot private investigator - Nick Santiago - shows up on her doorstep looking for her neighbor... that was murdered. Will Riley land herself at the top of the list of suspects? Or will she help figure out who pulled the trigger?

This read was so so fun! I found myself laughing at so many different parts in this book. This was my first Lucy Score book and I will DEFINITELY be back for more! It's so easy for books to pile on your TBR, but after receiving this revamped ARC from netgalley - thank you to the author and publishing company for this in exchange for an honest review - I knew I had to bump it to the top of my list! It's a romcom x murder mystery and I didn't know that was a genre I needed in my life. You have this big colorful and entertaining cast of people, which most times can be overwhelming in a book, but in this one it just works. You have Riley who is quirky and and cute (but can be frustrating at times - lol), Nick who is a GRUMP but a grump with dimples and a sly mouth, Rileys roommates who i loved to see her banter with, and so many others (Gabe, her parents, I could go on forever)! If I had any cons about this book, it would mostly be the length. I found the first half a bit slow going, but once you got in with this misfit crew, you didn't want to stop. I would give this book an overall rating of 3.5 stars. I can't wait for the next 2 books!

4 stars

Quirky and entertaining but really long. Ms. Score is a very talented storyteller.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

OMG what a great cheesy mystery rom com. Lucy Score nails it again. Love all the detail about Harrisburg.
Can't wait for her next book!

A nice, normal life. Is that too much to ask? For Riley Thorn it is.

Divorced. Broke. Living with a pack of elderly roommates. And those hallucinations she's diligently ignoring? Her tarot card-dealing mom is convinced they're clairvoyant visions.

Just when things can't get worse, a so-hot-it-should-be-illegal private investigator shows up on her doorstep looking for a neighbor...who turns up murdered.

Nick Santiago doesn't play well with others. Unless the "others" are of the female persuasion. Wink. He's a rebel, a black sheep, a man who prefers a buffet of options to being stuck with the same entrée every night, if you catch his drift.

When the pretty, possibly psychic Riley lands at the top of the list of suspects, Nick volunteers to find out whodunit. Only because he likes solving mysteries not because he wants to flex his heroic muscles for the damsel in distress.

All they have to do is figure out who pulled the trigger, keep the by-the-book detective with a grudge at bay, and deal with a stranger claiming he was sent to help Riley hone her psychic gifts. All before the killer discovers she's a loose end that requires snipping.

Ridiculous in all the best ways! This book embodies everything I love about Lucy Score. It was laugh out loud funny, some times ridiculous, full of heart, heat, unbeatable relationships, and a nice dose of drama. Riley, Nick, and Riley’s geriatric crew are so much fun. I hope we see more of this zany world.

Thank you Bloom Books and Netgalley.

I am huge Lucy score fan to state however. Riley Thorn and The dead guy next door is not what I originally expected. I thought a mystery romance. Sounds cute. I didn't expect paranormal mystery romance. It was cute and a fun read. This however just didn't have five star vibes.

What a great start to a new series! Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door is full of quirky and unique characters who captivated this reader. Riley Thorn, the main character, is divorced and lives in an old mansion with a handful of elderly roommates. Riley is experiencing clairvoyant visions; visons that she doesn’t want. One of those involves a neighbor. When Nick Santiago, a hot to trot, private investigator shows up and wants to help her solve whodunit, well, things get interesting!

This book kept me on my toes and turning the pages. This was a fun book that had me smiling several times while reading. I loved Riley's roommates and their spunk. Naturally, solving the mystery will not be easy and there will be a lot of roadblocks in the way.

I found this book to be entertaining, well written, and fun! There are so many likeable characters and I loved it when all the roommates got together. Their banter and camaraderie were endearing. There were some characters who were real stinkers as well.

The mystery of the dead guy next door was nice, but I enjoyed the interactions between Riley and Nick the most! I look forward to reading more about them in the next book!

The only downside of the book for me is that it felt a tad bit long.

Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining read!


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.