Unfortunately, this book was not for me. It started out really fun and interesting and then as time went on it stopped peaking my interest.

Going into this one I was anticipating a book I would thoroughly enjoy and unfortunately that was not the case with this at all. If the plot of the story had been expanded on more and then the characters had been developed more my enjoyment of it overall would have been different.

I will give the author's stories another go in the future but this one wasn't for me.

I was really excited for this book cause the premise seemed so interesting, but this ended up falling flat for me. The MC's head was not a good place to be in. Seriously, she should've considered going to therapy given how obsessed with true crime she was. This could've been such a good book but it just didn't hit for me.

This was so fun. The biggest things keeping it from being a 5 star read for me was 1) I wanted more true crime elements and 2) the main character's attitude was a little much at times, but there were also times I could relate to her. Enjoyed it overall though

In all honestly I struggled with this book. I wanted to love it and the premise is great but the way it played out just wasn’t how I imagined. The writing was good though and the story progresses at a good pace I just think it wasn’t for me and loads of others would enjoy it!

Phoebe Walsh is so obsessed with true crime that she’s even doing a PhD thesis on the topic. But her interest spells the kiss of death for her love life because how do you give yourself over to romance when you’re always expecting the worst of everyone you meet?
While in Florida helping her brother to clean out her childhood home following the unexpected death of their dad she begins to suspect their new neighbour, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer.
The way she sees it, he’s definitely up to something but appearances can be deceiving. As Phoebe reluctantly gets to know him, she realises that Sam may actually be something far scarier: her Mr Right, a genuinely nice guy who is capable of breaking through the walls she’s built up and convincing her to give love a chance.
The dialogue is witty, there’s lots of humour and fans of true crime will love how the author weaves the genre into this cute romance story.

I sadly ended up dnf-ing this one.

While I like true crime I was starting to get really frustrated with the main character and how she turned almost every thought or action into something it wasn't because she's watched too much true crime.

Just not for me.

This was a fun read! It took a while to get into it but once it got going, I enjoyed it. I liked the relationship between Phoebe and Connor, the mystery was great, and the idea was certainly different! Something about the book was lacking though, perhaps it was the pacing but I lost a bit of momentum halfway.

Having said that, I'd definitely read something else by this author in the future!

I didn't know what to expect but what I got was funny and full of mystery. I didn't want to out it down, I read it in one sitting

“Encounter w/ strange man June 3, approx. 2 a.m. White, 5”9 , slightly scruffy, shaggy brown hair. Ripped T-shirt, jeans, no shoes. Origin and destination unknown, believed to be night wanderer.”

The first time Phoebe Walsh meets her new neighbour, Sam Denning, she suspects he could be a serial killer, but then she thinks that of most strangers, a side effect of her life long obsession with the true crime genre, now the subject of her almost finished dissertation. As it turns out Sam isn’t a serial killer, he’s a handsome, kind-hearted, elementary school music teacher interested in getting to know Phoebe, which to her is far more frightening.

I enjoyed Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson, it’s a pretty straightforward, traditional contemporary romance beneath the trappings, making use of the ‘forced proximity’ with an ‘opposites attract’ pairing.

Phoebe is kind of neurotic, a prickly introvert who trusts almost no one, but with a likeable vulnerability. The exploration of her relationships with her divorced parents and younger brother, Conner, as the siblings pack up their late father’s home provides context to her behaviour, and her coming to terms with those issues supports character growth.

Sam is just a sweetheart. Initially I thought that he was a little bland but he has a quiet sense of confidence and strength that I found appealing. His openness and optimism contrasts nicely with Phoebe’s guarded and pessimistic demeanour.

The relationship between Phoebe and Sam develops slowly. Phoebe gives into the idea of a summer fling eventually, which is plenty spicy, and the chemistry is believable. When the subject of feelings are broached as summer comes to an end, not unexpectedly Phoebe feels compelled to burn it all down. I liked how Sam let her go, and their reunion is satisfying.

I enjoyed the humour, there’s lots of pop culture references I picked up on, even though I’m a decade (or two) older than Phoebe. The serial killer references were all familiar too, and I think true crime ‘fans’ will enjoy them.

An entertaining romance, Love in the Time of Serial Killers is a fun, easy read.

I DNF'd this about 30% through. I just couldn't stand the main character. She was obsessed with true-crime, to a point where most would consider it unhealthy. She sees serial-killer behaviour in literally everything someone does. It was exhausting to be stuck in her head for so long, I just couldn't see myself enjoying the rest of the story.

I absolutely loved this book! Alicia's writing is so clever and witty, it had me hooked from the very beginning.

What I loved about this book:
- Plus sized FMC, but super body positive
- Skinnier, shy MMC
- Neighbours to friends to lovers
- A third act breakup that I could get behind
- So much info about true crime
- The relationship between Phoebe and Connor
- Found family and reconnecting with old friends and family
- The grumpy/sunshine dynamic
- The wonderful banter between the characters

I totally connected with Phoebe's character, especially how she is prickly and doesn't instantly trust people. A lot of the things she said were so hilarious to me because it would be exactly something I would say. I think her struggles with trust and love were realistic, especially linked to her childhood trauma around her parents and their toxicity. Her relationship with Sam was so sweet! And her blossoming friendship with Lenore the cat was everything! Being able to reconnect with her brother Connor was, I think, the most important part of her growth. His sunshine-y approach to life and relationships really opened her eyes and her heart. She had so much growth throughout this story - which is my favourite thing to see in a character.

Sam was the perfect book boyfriend. Shy, artistic, patient and so generous and kind. He definitely fell first, and you could see that he was enamoured with Phoebe. He connected with and learned to understand her. Not only that, but he accepted her - her prickliness, her fears about relationships, her propensity to run away from too many feelings. Instead, he was patient and showed care and empathy. Plus, he can play 9 instruments and is a primary school teacher! Yes please!

I highly recommend this book! It's hilarious and heartwarming and witty!

The main character was potentially a little too obsessed with true crime...it was however an easy, fun, and quick read

I was suckered in by the cover and the blurb. After that it was just a disappointment. For such a clever and fresh idea, the overall story didn't go anywhere and Pheobe is awful.

I have to say I enjoyed this book. It didn't exactly capture my attention at the beginning. It definitely redeemed itself by the end. The overarching plot line isn't new, but it's a great version. I've only read it once, but I'm sure if I went back, I could find new details that would stand out.

Personally I had mixed feelings about this book. For starters, I am not a huge fan of the Phoebe. She, to me, is not a hugely likeable character which is an issue when it comes to my emotional investment in the book.

On the other hand, I found the themes explored to be done with a great balance. I found the humour to be a good level which allowed the reading to be easy.

Thank you to the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is kind of cute but it didn't quite work for me. I just didn't click with it at all - the writing was a little bit silly and the I just couldn't find the characters compelling. Maybe

Brilliant witty and just so relatable as a single woman in my 30’s! Such a good book and I found it hard to put down! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for early access to this book!

an ok read!

- thanks to netgalley & the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Phoebe Walsh, a PhD candidate and true crime prose expert, comes back to Florida to prepare for the sale of her childhood house after her estranged father’s death. While clearing it out, she has to deal with her good-natured younger brother and her new neighbour Sam, who she suspects might be a serial killer...

Love in Time of Serial Killers is an original romance novel. Mostly because of the number of true crime references, which is natural considering Phoebe’s obsession with the genre. This makes the read different from your usual romantic story, adding some interest. Unfortunately, the book has some faults as well. The biggest of them is the lack of a linear plot. Everything seems to happen spontaneously and for no apparent reason in this book. It would still be fine if it wasn’t for Phoebe’s personality, which is hardly suitable for a main character of a romance novel.

"The pulsing heartbeat of true crime, of all human stories when you got right down to it, was we all wanted and hoped and dreamed and loved, but we had no control over what happened in the end."

This was a very interesting and fun romance, whilst it had the classic tropes of a small town romance and boy next door, I really liked that this had a different approach with the inclusion of true crime. The main character, Phoebe is paranoid and uses humour as her coping mechanism, who would sometimes “cross over from endearingly neurotic to obsessively weird.” She is relatable in her fears and anxieties with “the reality that so many lives are interrupted, so many dreams unfulfilled”. From her fathers’ death she becomes closer to her brother, more accepting of love and reconciles with her old friends.

I really liked the concept of the true crime obsessed, there were many true crime references briefly mentioned throughout, nothing gruesome or heavy. Whilst I would have preferred more of a mystery, it was good that this had a lighthearted approach to make the romance more appealing. A big part of Phoebe’s character is her dissertation on true crime and when it starts to come to the end she realises that “these books promise closure and justice,”. As the story progresses so does her development as she started to open up more. This would be great for those who like true crime but in need of a light romance and enjoy second chance romance.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for sending me this ARC in exchange for a review.