Thank you Kensington for the chance to review The Big Fix. I have been a fan of Holly James since her debut book and this is another win, and a fun and unexpected genre mash up from her. This book is an absolute blast. A fresh and unexpected direction for Holly James, The Big Fix is perfect for fans of romantic suspense who love smart heroines, slow-burn tension, and genre-blending escapism. Highly recommended!

4-Star Review: A Smart, Suspenseful, and Fun Genre-Bender

Holly James delivers a thrilling surprise with The Big Fix, a witty and suspenseful mystery that seamlessly blends romance, action, and humor. Penny, a computer science professor on track for tenure, stumbles into a high-stakes mess at an estate sale—complete with a dead body, a dangerous conspiracy, and an unexpected partnership with Anthony, a fixer who is equal parts competent and adorably flustered around her. Their chemistry crackles, and while the romance is closed-door, there are still plenty of blushingly intimate moments.

The slow-burn tension kept me hooked, and once the action kicked into high gear, I couldn’t put the book down. Penny starts off a bit naïve but grows into a strong and capable lead, holding her own in a world she never expected to be part of. The banter, the intrigue, and the well-developed supporting characters—especially Penny’s relationship with her sister, Libby—added depth and charm.

So much fun. The Big Fix was everything I wanted from a fast-paced high-octane rom-com. A real treat.

I love all Holly James books so when I got a ARC for this one, I was so excited to read it! This is a bit of a departure from her other stuff, it’s more mystery with a side of romance but I enjoyed it just as much.

Penny and Anthony were great together, and I LOVED Penny as a main character. She’s just a professor trying to make tenure and gets wrapped up in a murder mystery with the handsome guy next door. What a premise!

Can’t wait to see what Holly James has in store for us next.

⭐️ 5/5
First Person POV, Single Narrative | FMC: Penny
Linear Timeline
Mystery, Romance, Adventure, Suspense, with a little bit of Thriller
MF Romance, Closed Door

Penny, our female protagonist, is a computer sciences professor and is working her way at tenure. She plans to spend most of her summer focusing on wrapping things up but first takes a weekend to visit her sister who lives a few hours away. Her sister convinces her to go along with to checkout the estate sale at the next door neighbor’s house who recently passed away. Seems innocent enough but little did she know she’d be stumbling into something that could possibly derail her summer plans. She finds herself playing Bonnie and Clyde with the neighbor’s nephew, Anthony, who has his own top-secret life that very much plays a role in what’s going down.

I was so consumed by this book! The suspense and mystery was so captivating, and I loved the slow burn and relationship between Penny and Anthony. They had great chemistry and although we don’t get graphic spicy descriptions, there are still an appropriate amount of sensual moments. There is also a perfect amount of comedic relief and the unlikely friendships theme was a great storyline too.

I really enjoy and applaud when authors can write a multi-genre book well and The Big Fix is one of them!

Thank you Kensington Publishing for providing me this advanced reader copy of the book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

What a fun book! The Big Fix is a cute, funny, action filled mystery/suspense/romance about a professor, Penny Collins, who gets caught up in a murder and missing persons' case while attending an estate sale with her sister. Anthony "Tony" Pierce is selling his recently deceased uncle's estate when the discovery of a body by Penny's mischievous nephew sets the plot into motion. Penny finds out that Anthony is a lot more than a handsome new neighbor and learns about a shocking connection between him and a billionaire's wife she met at an academic event.

The entirety of the adventure takes place over several days and has a fast paced plot that doesn't drag anywhere. As with any quirky mystery/adventure book, some suspension of disbelief is needed, however none of the plot is so silly that it takes away from enjoying the book. The romance element of the book kept the plot lighthearted although there is a domestic violence subplot which is handled appropriately and sensitively.

This is a great book for someone who likes romance novels, but also wants some mystery and action in the plot. The murder aspect of the book while necessary for the plot, isn't dwelled upon that much or the main focus of the story.

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

When Penny's sister brings her to an estate sale with the hope to set Penny up with their new hot neighbor the outcome of a dead body in a closet was not on their radar. Now Penny must try to get out of a sticky situation involving the hot neighbor in question. Soon the two are on the run together and Penny isn't sure who to trust, including her own taste in men.

Thank you, Netgalley and Kensington, for this ARC.

What a fun read. Truly. Penny and Tony had such a strong chemistry that even though the relationship itself was slowburn, there was a fire between them from the very second their eyes met.

The plot was simple, and it unraveled smoothly. Even the resolution was simple and sweet.

If you are a fan of Katherine Center, Holly James has a similar style, but she also has a unique spin on her storytelling. Brava.

The Big Fix is a slightly bonkers romp that’s a a blast to read. With romance, mystery, and suspense all rolled into one, Holly James’s latest story is a great time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

University professor Penny is annoyed when her sister Libby drags her to her late neighbor estate sale; after all, she’s focused on getting tenure this summer. She doesn’t know that Libby’s already met the deceased’s hottie nephew Anthony and it’s simply a matchmaking attempt. Sparks fly when Penny and Anthony argue over candlesticks, and the entire neighborhood concludes they’re dating. But once a dead body tumbles out of the closet, the plot thickens and the two end up on the run together with their names to clear and a mystery to solve.

This book has so many of my favorite things! I love when romance, mystery and a bit of suspense are all woven into the same story. And when all those things lead to the forced proximity of an on-the-run road trip—with only one bed!—it’s perfection.

If you are going to spend a lot of time with a character, Penny is a great single POV narrator. She’s smart and sassy, yet a little perplexed by the complex situation she’s stumbled into. And Anthony sees her for the intelligent, bada$s she is. While he’s the muscle behind the story, ultimately it’s Penny’s brains that save the day.

The Big Fix is big fun. I had a great time reading this romance/mystery hybrid, with likable characters and an edge-of-your-seat storyline. If you like a bit of suspense and lots of humor combined with characters who have tons of chemistry, you’ll love Holly James’s latest book.

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

While there are some aspects of the novel that were predictable and I can’t stand insta-love, I did enjoy that it was a mash-up of novels–a romance, mystery, suspense and action all in one! Its closed door romance was a change in pace from what’s popular right now. Unfortunately I found it quite a slog to get through. The action scenes were fun, but most of it caught me bored. Penny’s character felt much younger than her age, I think part of that was due to the insta-love. Her character being a professor didn’t seem to line up with her behavior either. The novel wasn’t for me, however, based on other positive reviews, I think it’s worth checking out for another reader 🙂
Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC!

I loved this mystery/rom com mix the author did. I am not a huge romance reader and I felt there wasn’t too much romance. It was the perfect amount and the mystery aspect of the book was done well. I really liked the characters, just an all around good book. Also, I love the cover.

As always, Holly James delivered an absolutely amazing story that kept me hooked from start to finish.

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone.

All Penny wanted was a summer relaxing by her sister's pool. But after being dragged to the neighbour's estate sale, she instead finds herself kidnapped and wrapped up in a series of murders, with only an alarmingly attractive fixer to help her out.

This book is fast paced and full of action, with a solid romance at its core. I loved the mystery element, and really enjoyed the book! My only gripe is that I would have quite liked a twist or two in there to keep me on my toes ...

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.]

ABOUT
Penny Collins was supposed to spend her Summer securing tenure at Berkeley. But when a dead body tumbles out of a closet at the estate sale her sister dragged her to, chaos ensues. Now, Penny and Anthony (the host of the estate sale) are on the run from some dangerous men because the wrong people think she's his girlfriend - which she absolutely is not!

THOUGHTS
This book manages to blend romance with mystery and action without getting too heavy. There are only about 300 pages in the book but James makes use of every single one of them (the plot will have you hooked!).

Following Penny's POV makes the reveals exciting, especially when it comes to learning about Anthony. There's a lot of fun banter and a natural chemistry between these two. And while Anthony does rush to save Penny, she's certainly no damsel in distress (she does her fair share of saving, too!). They make a great, if unexpected, team.

This romantic thriller finds Penny Collins on the run with Anthony Pierce after innocently attending a house sale and discovering a body in the closet. Penny's sister Libby had some matchmaking in mind. All Penny wants is to finish up all the requirements for tenure at the university where she teaches computer science.

When the erroneous news spreads that Penny is Anthony's new girlfriend, she finds herself on the run from people who want to use her in order to get Anthony to tell what happened to a billionaire's missing wife Portia.

Portia has been Anthony's friend since childhood. He promised her brother that he's take care of her when her brother died. They had gone their separate ways with Portia reinventing herself in California and marrying a tech billionaire and Anthony becoming an Econ major at Penn before joining his uncle's firm. His uncle was a highly successful and somewhat shady fixer.

Now, Portia is missing, and her billionaire husbands isn't willing to let her go. She knows too much about his shady dealings.

Penny and Anthony fall in love while trying to elude the bad guys and find a way for Portia to begin a new life.

This was an entertaining story. The cover which looks to me to be cartoonish and promising a light read doesn't really do justice to the more serious nature of the story inside. While there are some lighter moments, the book is more thriller than romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced reader copy.

When Penny--a Computer Science professor trying to get tenure--attends an estate sale with her meddling older sister, she meets and gets into an argument with Anthony, the nephew of the older man who died. While the two are arguing over a pair of candlesticks, Penny's mischevious nephew opens a door and a dead body falls out. This sets into motion a series of events that has Penny pegged as Anthony's girlfriend and puts the two of them on the run from one of the wealthiest men in the world.

Did I care that it felt implausible that Penny would want to get involved in any part of this plot? Or that the plot itself felt somewhat hastily pieced together? No. This was such a fun read, with unexpected twists and details (get ready for some groovy 70's clothing) that I could set aside all expectations of reality and just enjoy this frothy, fun story.

The Big Fix is out March 25, 2025

There are things I really enjoyed about this but overall it fell flat.

The action portion is very entertaining and the setup for the plot is fun. There’s danger and suspense mixed with humor. It hits a lot of the notes I’m looking for in a romantic suspense: protective MMC, kidnapping, rescues, and mystery. Unfortunately I never really connected with the characters or felt chemistry between them and that really held me back from fully investing in the romance and plot.

You get pretty minimal backstory for the first half of the book, which makes sense for the mysterious guy-next-door but feels shallow for the lead. The backstory we do eventually get comes in big chunks all at once in a way that feels like info dumping. The characters all felt like caricatures and the solutions to problems were often a little too convenient.

Once I got to the 50% mark my interest started to wane, and I did end up quitting the book at about 89%. The writing is very direct and you don’t need to do any heavy thinking to follow along, so this is worth a try for readers looking for a fast, easy-to-read, closed door romantic suspense.

Wow! Holly James is one of my favorite romance authors, but this time she combined a love story with a thrilling mystery. The first part of the book was surprise after surprise - you won’t believe how they found the body! In the middle part, we get to see Penny and Anthony connect in deep ways and learn more about each other. A bit slower but still moving forward at a good pace. I absolutely loved the family and friends in this book. They were very important characters and helped fill in the background for Penny and Anthony. A delightful and satisfy ending finished off this romantic mystery in the best way possible. All the stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

A fun and wild ride as Penny gets involved in a mysterious kidnapping and murder after attending an estate sale at her sister's neighbor. Great laughs and intrigue in this story that is an easy and light read, perfect for the beach or vacation. If you like Ally Carter, The Big Fix is in the same vein.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC!

I love Holly James as a romance author and was so intrigued to hear she was writing an action packed novel. For fans of Finlay Donovan comes a new regular day woman MC who realizes just how much of a bada** she is when she finds herself tangled up in a web of crime.

Not only does the action start on page one but this is one of the funniest and bingeable books I have read in a long time. I couldn’t put this down if I tried and loved every second of the story. The romance was a little meh but I just loved the journey the characters went on and overall the best way to describe this one is Fun!
Highly recommend

I will follow Holly James anywhere she wants to take her stories. This book was so fun and ‘Getaway Car’ was playing in my head for probably half the book. Unlikely romance, bodies in closets, action-packed running from bad guys, road trip in a hot muscle car, only one bed, badass-in-a-variety-of-ways FMC, hijinks-filled escapes? I had a blast.

The thing I love about a high stakes adventure in a romance novel is that the situation and the forced proximity makes the quick fall into intense feelings so believable. Penny and Anthony have chemistry as soon as they meet and everything that unfolds from there bonds them in a way that would take so much longer if lives weren’t on the line. Even with no spice/only kissing and alluding to a night together, the tension between the two of them is so good. The passion and connection between them is never in doubt. Additionally, being that it’s a romance novel, you know everything is going to work out no matter how dire the showdown gets.

There are so many twists and turns as Penny and Anthony run into dilemma after dilemma to make some kind of plan work for what Anthony needs to take care of. There is an element of found family for Anthony, and I feel like you really get to know his character throughout everything he and Penny face. Penny draws it out of him in a really tender way. I love the way the two of them are together.

I had a great time reading this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the eARC and Goodreads Giveaways and Kensington for the physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of Finlay Donovan will love this. I gobbled up this story in about 24 hours, could not put it down.