Serial Killer Games is a rivals to lovers rom com about two coworkers who share a sense of dark humor. Originally going into this book, I had thought that this would be a romance with actual serial killers, which it wasn’t, but I still enjoyed it. Their dark humor and banter was entertaining, and I just wanted to keep reading. I did have a couple issues with this book, though. The whole vibe and plot of this book reminded me very much of Sally Thorne’s “The Hating Game,” which is both good and bad. I was also very confused at times, and had a hard time keeping up with the plot. I think I would’ve preferred a bit more of a backstory for the characters, because the beginning feels a bit rushed and thrusts you straight into the book.

Features:
- Dual POV
- Dark humor
- Rivals to lovers
- Terminal illness
- Family issues
- Mentions of abuse
- No spice

The way this story was told, you’d think I wouldn’t have liked it.
But I did.
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Yes, this story may seem darker at first glance, but at its roots…it’s 2 people that are trying to figure out life and maybe find happiness along the way.
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Meeting someone that *gets* you, really understands you…that’s everything.
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I had a hard time getting into this book because I really did not know where it was going. I guess I expected more serial killers and less games. Nonetheless I kept with it and discovered a charming, romantic story about two weird people who find each other and an equally weird family.

Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey was the exact book that I didn't know I needed. Dolores and Jake are freaky little weirdos who burrowed under my skin and kept me guessing from beginning to end. I can truly say, I've never read a book like this before. The characters were compelling, multidimensional, strange, and lovable. The prose was sharp and exact. Posey writes like a scalpel, and the book is all the better for it. For fans of true crime podcasts this is a no brainer. Posey shows us that the only thing scarier than confronting serial killer is falling in love. 10/10 would recommend.

I love when “weirdos”
find their chosen families
and their H.E.E.

I write haiku reviews but am happy to provide more feedback.

✨ARC Review✨

I’m not sure I can express how much I love this weirdly touching and oddly romantic book. It elicits a lot of laughter, a lot of emotion, and a touch of mystery.

Dolores dela Cruz keeps her head down at work, listening to her murder podcasts, and getting through the workday. Then she meets Jake, the new office temp, in the elevator and she *knows* she’s met a serial killer in the flesh. His affected charming smile and strangler gloves are just her first hints of what’s to come.

This begins a game of cat and mouse that evolves into something else. Something more. Can these two walled off people show each other their bloody insides?

This book is dual POV and it is everything my gruesome little heart wants. The strange and morbid flirtation hits and then as more layers are revealed, I was moved beyond measure.

Highly recommend this book! I literally love it to bits and pieces.

I was given this ARC via #netgalley and @berkleypub. All thoughts are mine alone.

#booksbooksbooks #contemporaryromance #contemporaryfiction #romancebooks #serialkillergames #kateposey #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram

I will say, this was not what I was expecting, but it was definitely a fun read!! I really loved our MMC, and the FMC was very likable as well. This gave The Hating Game vibes but with a darker edge to it. The chemistry between Jake and Dolores was perfect! The dark humor in this story also had me laughing out loud many times. Overall this was a really fast paced and fun debut from Kate Posey.

This book started off really strong, and I enjoyed the unique tone and overall cadence of the writing at first. But as the book went on, it was a little bit difficult for me to keep interest and be invested in the relationship of the two characters. some things felt a little bit flat, and I was hoping for more feelings of angst and chemistry between the two characters.

First impression: This book is a fun ride, it just doesn't live up to the way it is being marketed.

Based on the description of this books, I went into it with the idea that it would be more Thriller/Suspense/Mystery paired with some Romance. For the first half of the book, that is exactly what was delievered. I thought I was reading a corporate version of Butcher & Blackbird. I was so excited for another serial killer romance. Then the Thriller/Suspense/Mystery was suddenly gone and the genre shifted into a found-family romance.

I was definitely slightly disappointed but I kept reading because I enjoyed the first half so much. The rest of the story was enjoyable, just definitely different from what I thought it was leading up to. Once I accepted it was not going in the direction that I expected (or wanted), I was able to enjoy as a romance. The banter was killer (pun intended). Truly some of the best banter I think I have ever read. Jake and Dodi have such a unique relationship and they match each other's freak in the best way. I also loved Laura and Bill. As far as plot twists go, I found the thriller plot points to be the most predictable and the found-family plot points more of a surprise.

The beginning was so strong and enjoyable that I knew I had to rate it at least 4 stars, and while the second half wasn't what I expected, I think it was still a strong ending. I would definitely recommend this as a quirky romance for someone.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this eARC!

Serial Killer Games

How do you tell who’s more diabolical when there’s two potential murderers who start to to date each other. Does anyone survive?

This book is for the weirdos like me. I have no idea what genre it is, and I’ve never read anything like it. Then the weird becomes beautiful and wonderful. It starts with quirky and hard to relate to characters. Much like real life, the more you get to know someone results in characters becoming people. People you get invested in.

This book was so odd, I loved it. Need a trophy copy for my shelf!

Big bonus- the authors Canadian for those who want to support local!

3 stars.

This book is good for those like Butcher and Blackbird. It's also good as a quick, light read.

This book sort of felt like two separate books, with the first third being about one thing and the second two third being about something else entirely. I didn’t mind either plot, necessarily, but it did feel like whiplash when all of a sudden, the book became something new. And, similar to that, both Jake and Dodi felt like different people from one part of the book to the next. Growth and change aren’t out of the ordinary for characters, of course, but this felt more than that — Jake started out suave and secretive and Dodi started out unflustered and witty, but Jake ended up shier and quiet, while Dodi was more stressed and messy. It was, in some ways, nice to see more sensitive sides to the characters, but it also felt like we just never really got to know them. The Neil/Vegas plot line felt like the catalyst for this change, and it seemed unusual. They also felt like unreliable narrators which isn’t inherently a bad thing, but they were both always talking/thinking around the point, even in their own thoughts, which made it difficult to know what they were thinking or what was going on at any given moment. There was so much subtext and not enough text, at times.

I also think that the book was marketed in a confusing way, because upon reading the synopsis, it felt like this would be more of a funny banter-y romance story, that had a murder mystery background subplot, where Dodi thought the temp at work was behind a death in the office, but they really worked together to figure it out, and things only get more out of hand when Dodi herself ends up with a dead body. But that didn’t end up being what happened at all.

I was engaged by the end, especially when all the secrets start to come out, but it was a bit of a slog to get to that point. The first third, especially, felt slow-going because there was no easing into the story, and the characters didn’t seem to know what was going on either. There was deliberate misleading for the audience, which isn’t a problem, but it did get confusing when those plot points didn’t always feel fully resolved.

That being said, Cat, Laura, and Bill meant everything to me, and I was so happy to see the found family dynamic come into play with those three. Jake and Dodi were good characters, but they were honestly not the ones who grabbed my attention most of the time. I would read an entire book about Cat, honestly. She’s exactly as Dodi describes her — a Wednesday Addams type girl — and all the better for it.

I ended up DNFing this book. The narrator was unreliable and it didn’t hold my interest. It is a shame because the title is what drew me in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book.


This was such a shockingly instant love for me and a perfect example of a book I had a feeling I would love going in “blind” and it was correct (rare).

In addition to the lovely banter and chemistry between Dolores and Jake (and Cat!), I was sat for every single twist and turn in this book and preemptively sad for the ending of the book because it meant having to part with these characters.

It’s a 5/5 for me, I fear!

I love dark humor and a good romantic comedy and this was perfect for both those! Thanks to Netgalley I was able to find this great book that kept me entertained the entire time!!!!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. This book was not what I expected! It is more so based on romcom with dark humour and a mystery. Two co workers who start off as enemies build a strong relationship together. I gave it 3 stars and will be recommending this to my friends .

Normally this is something I would love but I was having a hard time with the characters right off the bat. I think they felt so ambiguous - I wasn't rooting for them and I didn't feel connected to them.

This book is absolutely cuckoo bananas, but in the BEST way. I thought I was reading one type of book, and then I’m suddenly (but not really that suddenly) reading a different genre altogether. I can’t go into detail because it was one twisting surprise after another. Don’t read any details first, just read this book! Thanks to Berkley for the ARC.

Serial Killer Games
by Kate Posey

What a fabulous book! I’m already casting the movie in my mind. The book opens within a crowded corporate building elevator with people discussing “The Paper Pusher” who supposedly is responsible for 9 deaths by falling from 9 different buildings within the last 5 years. Immediate suspense is established. We have two different narrators: handsome, but odd man in grey - Jake Ripper, a temporary employee who seems to have a body stashed in his trunk and a mysterious lady in black, Dolores who quickly adds to the mystery.
I don’t want to give too much away as the plot twists and unexpected reveals are what keep you guessing, but the brilliant dialogue, snarky conversations, Las Vegas gambling spree, peoples’ dying wishes and a macabre Christmas miracle are absolute fun. I found myself rereading passages and admiring the author’s handiwork throughout.
The cast of secondary characters are pure gems. Dear Aunt Laura and her profession’s warped sense of humor, Grant who is truly an odd person/roommate/pervert (but oh, what living quarters!) Cynthia from HR and Pete, the over zealous, self important, fledgling cop to name a few.
If you’ve ever succumbed to a True Crime podcast or wish there was more modern romance stories, this is the book for you!

serial killer games will be the most surprising book you'll pick up this year and I'm glad it is one of those books that is intentionally mismarketed because the themes it deals with will surprise you as the loose threads start to tie themselves and you see the bigger picture the author has carefully woven.

I'm sure it'll be a favourite everyone who gives it a chance and simply cannot wait for the release and share this with everyone I know lol