𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒌-𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈-𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍, 𝑯𝒐𝒕 𝑾𝒂𝒙 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒓𝒂𝒖𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 - 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍.

Gritty, dirty and delicious.

I enjoyed the way this one was written, playing Suzanne’s life story out on both sides of the record. I also enjoyed the road trip setting, with vivid descriptions that meant it was easy to become engrossed in the story in its own charming, sweaty way.

The pacing of this was slightly off-putting at times and I do think some of the plot gave off filler vibes - but this was a good ride all the same.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy!

DNF.
Slow, agonisingly descriptive, and boring.

I don't think rock and roll as a genre works well in print - honestly, it gives major second-hand embarrassment. You need it on the stage or screen, hear the music, see the leather, the makeup, the sweat.

I think ML Rio may have been a one-hit wonder (no pun intended). Her 2024 novella Graveyard Shift was also a DNF for me, for pretty much the same reasons as this one. If We Were Villains was filled with obsession and murder and lust that was intoxicating... and that sadly she hasn't been able to replicate since.