While I thought the premise of this book was very intriguing, it was just ok for me. I would read another book from this author as I loved her writing style and was quite amused in parts.

An easy to read, informative book on romance fraud. Mainly focusing on online scams, but some other stories are mixed in as well. I found the author's tone very funny and I laughed out loud a lot. After reading this book, I have more understanding for people who had to deal with this.

Loved it!!!! Great writing and an all round entertaining read! I’d recommend it to all my friends I know they would love it! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is a fast funny read about a serous subject and how anyone can be taken advantage of in regard to a Romance scam. Becky even references a policewoman who is taken in. I first read about Becky on twitter when she posted during covid about going out to an oil rig to "meet her love" It was hysterical.
Thank you for this ARC

Keanu Reeves is not n love with you.
Becky Holmes is on a mission. ‘The Cardiganed Crusader’ as she dubs herself is going to reveal the secrets and tragedies associated with romance scams. I read a magazine interview with the author about the book and immediately put it on my ‘To Be Read’ list.
In the foreword, she describes her two years of research and her decision not to use the v-word or victim and scammer due to their stigma.
In 2020, during lockdown, many people turned to online dating sites such as Tinder to find the love of their life and so did the author. She describes viewing lots of photos of ‘men holding a dead fish’ or with a urinal behind them as they stared into a mirror. Classy. But it wasn’t long before she was targeted by a ‘scammer’ He claimed to be a Pilot and the author describes her hilarious experiences as she sent him increasingly nonsensical replies while he persisted with what was obviously a script. The occupation of Pilot is popular with scammers as is that of an oil rig worker, doctors and surgeons.
The author then encouraged romance scam fraud victims to contact her wit their stories and the chapters are interspersed with real cases. They make shocking and sad reading. Especially as the author says that people keep quiet about being scammed, often for significant amounts of money, and that she was the only person that they confided in. It is ‘a very unreported crime’ .
However, the author not only interviews the victims but also the scammers. She travels to Asia where their activities are described as ‘pig-butchering’, also to Africa and the Sakawa boys. She reveals the secrets of a scammer’s script and speaks to academics in the field. Sextortion is also mentioned in which a victim is threatened with intimate photos of themselves being sent to all and sundry unless they pay up. A policeman quoted in the book describes it as ‘the ultimate betrayal of someone’s generosity with their own body and their own sense of self respect.’
But although the book is on a very serious subject, there is a lot of laugh out loud humour especially when the author is targeted by celebrity scammers. Surely there can be nothing creepier than being contacted by someone purporting to be Prince Andrew! This is not a compliment by any standards!
The title refers to scammers often using Keanu Reeves name as an alias whereas in fact he doesn’t use social media. This is a book that made me laugh out loud and then feel sad for the victims. After all, it could happen to anyone.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Unbound for the ARC of this title.

This so badly wants to be one of those Twitter-to-Book Deal sorts of deals you'd pick up near the checkout at Urban Outfitters, but we don't really do those any more.

The title and copy on this one made me think we were getting something fun, but a little more researched than you're actually getting. If the author could have made this a collection that was _just_ the various ways they had toyed with online romance scammers, I think that's what it would have been. Instead, we get some of those interspersed with (it must be said, very good and well-written) stories of what online romance fraud looks like and red flags to look out for, but the author spends so much time beating an I'm-not-an-expert drum that it's a little sad. You are an expert! You put the info together for this book! It's good infotainment, but don't come in expecting anything too deep.

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5


I have no idea where I heard about this book, but I know that I had not read any reviews. It’s a great book, but I was shocked when I got to the end. How does this book not have a traditional publisher? It was crowd funded! Anyway, everyone should read this book. I have no idea who Becky Holmes is, but she writes a funny (!, but not in a mean way at all), engaging book about her digging into online romance fraud.

Becky tells victims’ stories respectfully and gives them a voice about the horrible ways in which they were manipulated by romance scammers. It’s easy to think oh, this will not happen to me, but these victims are smart, educated and accomplished. Becky digs into the scammers’ scripts, MOs and what she finds out about groups in Nigeria and Ghana that promote the scammer way of life for fast cash. It is disgusting. Unfortunately, there seems to be little that law enforcement is doing to slow these scammers down.

This is one of those rare nonfiction books that reads like fiction. Unfortunately, it is all too real!

Thank you @netgalley and @unbound for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was brilliantly informative and so engaging from the offset and throughout. Becky’s dry and sarcastic humour absolutely made this for me.
As well as being entertaining I have actually learnt quite a lot too & it’s definitely a book I’ll be recommending to friends.

The author’s voice was so strong. I think that’s the part I loved most about this book. That and her interviews and stories she shares from people’s experiences with romance scammers.

I had been following Becky Holmes on Twitter for some time and enjoying her entertaining wind ups of people in her DMs.
The book covers much of this and is very enjoyable. It needs to be, however, as so much of it is dark and depressing. Without the lightness and silliness, it would have been so much harder to read.
There are so many unscrupulous people out there, taking advantage of the vulnerabilities and insecurities of others and there has clearly been a lot of research involved .
Thanks to Netgalley.

This book is a perfect holiday read. It will keep you engrossed when you are at a loose end, but it can be put down and picked up at any point. It's very funny and full of interesting facts to pass on to your travelling companions. It is entertaining and informative - jaw dropping at times. I enjoyed it immensely and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a gift. It's more likely to be read than they latest literary prize winner.

I really wanted to like this, and to an extent I did. However, it is quite repetitive - although, I guess, this is the point. The messages that the writer gives are important - particularly how to be mindful of romance scams and also, the stories of people who have had their lives seriously ruined by such dreadful experiences. At times, Holmes is amusing, acerbic, self-deprecating - and these are the highlights of the book. I found it a bit dull in parts, though, almost as if the point was made but the writer was treading water to get to the end.

This is quite an easy read and I have certainly had my eyes open to the perils of scams online - it has left me saddened that so many people have got caught up in such things and have lost so much as a result. I hope that if people read 'Keanu Reeves Is Not In Love With You' it will open up discussions into how scams can be avoided.

Keanu Reeves is Not in Love with You" offers a chilling exploration into the world of internet and social media scams. Through a collection of firsthand accounts, the book unveils the intricate tactics employed by scammers to deceive and exploit unsuspecting victims. Each story serves as a cautionary tale, shedding light on the pervasive nature of online fraud and the devastating consequences it can have. While the narratives are engaging and eye-opening, the book falls short. "Keanu Reeves is Not in Love with You" serves as an important reminder of the dangers lurking behind our screens and the importance of vigilance in navigating the digital landscape.

Brilliant. A real education in how organised criminals set out to scam and defraud. Also hilarious, Becky's humour is a joy to behold. Follow her on social media and beware if Keanu Reeves starts following you... Told with real compassion it is such an insight. Highly recommend.

This was informative but I feel like it could not find its time. The humor was out of place in a book that did cover such a serious topic. It was a very fast & easy read so that was good.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of "Keanu Reeves is Not in Love You" in exchange for my honest review!

Becky Holmes' "KRINILWY" caught my eye initially because of the bright cover with funny Keanu graphics, but the topic is fascinating and is a CONSTANT issue I see online nowadays. Typically, I see the "Hi, I noticed your profile and I want to be friends with you" comments targeting some of my older friends and family-- and I always HOPE AND PRAY that they know that's not a real person.

This has been a constant issue in the height of social media (currently I have 6 Donny Osmond's following me on Tiktok!) so I had to read it. It's a fast paced, humorous covering of this topic that effects us all. I felt like the first half of it kind of focused on her interacting with scammers, and I kind of... I kind of was disappointed with this but once the information started to pour in about statistics and people's true stories-- it really flowed.

Overall, it's a fun read!

I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but I did and I wanted in before I even knew what it was about. Now I've read it I'm SO glad I did.

This book is about something I will admit I knew very little about, romance scams. I was actually horrified to find out how much of an organised crime it is. It's laugh out loud funny at the same time as being utterly heartbreaking when you read the victims' stories. Becky really did a great job of humouring these scammers to be able to give us such an in depth insight into how they work. I found it particularly interesting to read the conversations she had with one of them who talked about why they do it. Such terrifying corruption.

I feel like I’m quite savvy with these things but I can definitely see how if caught off guard someone could find themselves a victim of this sort of crime. It actually makes me really angry when I think about how they prey on the vulnerable. I will absolutely be having conversations with my children about it

In short, a really worthy read, I learnt a lot, at the same time I was completely entertained by Becky’s humour and wit!

I'd originally been drawn to this book, thinking it would be a fun and light-hearted look at online dating and the perils of having a Twitter profile and an open DM box. And it was those things, with the author sharing ways in which she dealt with the variety of scammers hitting on her. I particularly enjoyed the group Whatsapp discussion between Becky, Liam Neeson and Keanu Reeves. However, underneath the comedic approach to this topic, was the serious nature of these scams and the people affected by them.

I hadn't realised the extent of the issue, how scammers would be 'educated' in the best ways to prey on vulnerable people and the impact it had. I was interested in the topic as I had a friend who was targeted by a scammer a few years ago. Thankfully her suspicions were raised and when she was asked to talk to the scammer's daughter, she had some questions of her own lined up which revealed all was not what it seemed. She had a lucky escape and only came away missing a few hundred pounds.

This is an interesting book that provides an insight into a topic not regularly raised in the news or on TV.

Over the last decade, online romance fraud has skyrocketed & Becky Holmes is on a mission to spread the word so that hopefully fewer people are taken in. From impersonating members of the armed forces to Hollywood stars, & even the British Royal Family, there's seemingly no stone the fraudsters will leave unturned in order to gain financially. The author has spoken to victims of this crime & looks at the psychology behind the frauds, the kind of 'scripts' they use to play on their victims' emotions, & why it seems to be a crime that the victims feel reluctant to report.

I knew I had to read this book as soon as I saw the cover. I follow the author on Twitter (sorry, can't get into calling it X) & I find her text conversations with these scammers funny, so I was looking forward to it. It mostly didn't disappoint & her standoff with Norris the cat (an actual cat not a scammer) was hilarious - the final score was Norris 4 Becky 0.

Behind the humour though, there are very unfunny consequences for those taken in. Some people (& the author concentrates on women in this book) have lost serious amounts of money to these fraudsters, not to mention the shame the victim feels for being taken in in the first place. There's also the aspect of people being trafficked & forced to work in large, organised scams. I found it informative, mainly because I've never really had anything like this sent to me (I wonder if it's because my social media is filled with football posts so they think I'm a bloke?!) & I've never really looked into it. It's sad but not surprising that UK anti-fraud law is trailing way behind when it comes to online crime & that actual support for victims is in short supply.

Overall, it may not be everyone's 'cup of tea' but it's definitely different.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Unbound, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This book was such a fun and insightful read on a topic I've been curious to learn more on! After starting her Twitter account in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Becky Holmes began receiving DMS from a host of attractive soldiers, oil rig workers, and even Keanu Reeves and Prince William. The conversation always went the same--the men would confess their undying love for Becky with promises of giving her a dream life, before shortly explaining that due to some sort of unforeseen emergency, they are suddenly desperately in need of large sums of money or gift cards. Becky's account quickly shot to fame as she began to post about her interactions and trolling these scammers. Other women began to approach Becky to share their similar stories, so she decided to do more digging into the world of online romance fraud.

This book presents information in a way that is palatable and accessible; it had me laughing, but also feeling anger, frustration, and sadness for the victims whose stories are shared throughout. The book also provides useful information on the most common romance fraud tactics and what to be on the lookout for, and also goes into the limited number of resources currently available to those who have been affected. This is such a fun and easy way to get more nonfiction into your reading list! I rate it 4.75 stars.