This book is a solid 4.5⭐️ read for me.
It was a great mix of a realistic, tension filled romance build up with also a captivating, complex murder mystery plot.
Every time you thought you knew who the murderer was, it was proved wrong.
And the one person I was adamant it was, turned out to be innocent and it was someone I never expected.
I loved the writing style of the book and feel as though the author put a lot of time and effort into it. Especially with all the mentions of other horror movies and horror characters.
I would happily recommend this book to people.

As someone who loves romance books, a good mystery and horror movies, this book combines the three perfectly into a story that I couldn’t get enough of.
I loved seeing Quinn and Teddy fall for each other. From their banter to the sexy acting lessons, they had incredible chemistry and I was kicking my feet at parts.
I also never thought I would be swooning at someone giving Jigsaw (the mastermind in the Saw movies) as a nickname.
The movie set setting worked well too. Whether it was getting an insight into how unsexy sex scenes can be to the dynamics on set - from the props department to the director - this drew me in.
As for the horror movie elements, you can tell that this author knows her stuff and is as big a fan as I am. I loved all the references and ways that it was cleverly woven into the story.
I did have a pretty good indication as to who the killer would turn it to be, and I was right. But it didn’t lessen the enjoyment for me and made a lot of sense.
Let's just say, I will be raving about this book to anyone who will listen. And what a debut.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The setting, characters and storyline have the potential to be a real, catch your breath, scary thriller/romance but for me, it did not quite live up to that potential. It is an easy read, enjoyable with interesting characters. It covers film life, social media, friendships and romance well but I didn’t get any OMG moments where you need to turn the page quickly to find out what happens next. However, it makes a nice easy read for summer afternoons in the garden.

Although I read this book right to the end, I must admit I didn’t really enjoy it at all. The writing style didn’t leave me hooked, and the mystery had zero clues, so even after the reveal when I thought back on the entire book, I couldn’t see anything which could’ve hinted at it. The language is quite juvenile, and the sex scenes were excessively long. I have given it 3 stars to be kind as it was a unique storyline, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend.

This is a great mix of a romance story and a captivating thriller plot set on a horror movie set. I don't think I've ever read a book like this before but I enjoyed every page of it.
I was surprised by the reveal of the killer and thought it was brilliantly done.

thank you Netgalley and Quercus Books for the digital ARC

It was so fun. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot. I do love a murder mystery with some comedy thrown in. I enjoyed the setting in this book, especially seeing behind the scenes of a movie set.

I would have loved a little more in-depth with the characters and maybe a bit more humour in between. But altogether it was a cheesy and fun read.

first off a huge thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc of this book! 🥹🩷

I really enjoyed this! It’s the perfect mix of a cozy crime and a really well thought out romance. I loved the pacing, I didn’t feel like it was too rushed. I thought that when things come to fruition just made sense, and were extremely hooking! It’s clear that for a debut novel, Ms Bohn has so much talent!

The plot was so well thought out and SO much fun, I didn’t see the twist coming at all! I found it just added that extra little bit of spice to a romance book.

I think the MMC was an absolute cutie, and I really loved our FMC too!!! I don’t think I’ve read anything involving actors in Hollywood so this was SO fun, everything was explained so well and just made so much sense!

A wonderful debut novel, so much fun. Highly recommend picking this up 🩷

(***) Ahhh!!! I absolutely LOVED this book. I devoured it in 2 days it was so good. It had me staying awake until 5am to finish it and then I was so sad it was over. Firstly, I loved the setting. A horror movie set?! Um, yes please! Such a unique setting for a book that I haven't seen before. Quinn is a horror movie scream queen filming what only she knows is her last ever movie. Teddy, is a reality tv star turned actor who... kinda sucks. A little bad history from a failed previous hookup between the two sets the tension for an enemies to lovers romance - even if Quinn is the only one considering them enemies ;) When they both find a dead body they team up to solve the murder no one believes is a murder. In exchange for acting lessons for poor Teddy. I instantly loved Teddy. He struck me as far more than the pretty Love Island style himbo that Quinn set him up to be. I loved how he was with Quinn and the banter between the two. Quinn struck me as slightly uptight (or even jaded, given her history) and Teddy really helped lighten her up and soften her character. Plus, I love that he nicknamed her 'Jigsaw', I'm a sucker for nicknames and something about this one just really made me smile. The chemistry between Teddy and Quinn was strong from the beginning and the slow burn of their relationship had me not wanting to put the book down. I also really enjoyed the murder mystery element of this story, it was well done and it wasn't until maybe one or two chapters before the reveal, that I started to think I knew who the killer was. When I was proven right, I felt incredibly vindicated. I giggled, smiled and even kicked my feet in excitement over this book, I loved it that much. Overall, I loved everything about this book from start to finish. I didn't want to put it down but I also didn't want it to end either. I will absolutely be adding this book to my re-reading list because it was just that good. If you're a lover of enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, good banter and even a little murder mystery, then this book is absolutely the book for you! I highly recommend this book to all my fellow book lovers!

*** I received a copy of this book as an ARC. All opinions are my own and have in no way been influenced by receiving this book for free.

Scream Queen Quinn is ready to hang up her 'Final Girl' title and retire - but when real life and death interferes she is going to find out if she has what it takes to make it to the end.

This wastes no time in jumping you into the action - by a mere 10% in the book we have many of our players laid out, a dead body and all manner of tension. It's fast paced all the way through, a real roller-coaster of a ride.

The characters are all brilliant, your staple slasher flick fare, all brilliantly crafted albeit sometimes a little 2D. And then a character will suddenly show a side you didn't expect but was brilliant to see. The only thing I didn't enjoy was Quinn and Mara's friendship. Mara sadly is relegated to best friend and doormat that so many friends are in novels. Her sole purpose seems to be providing drinks and being ignored by Quinn who is a terrible friend. Mara at least calls her out on it, which is more than a lot of these coded characters do.

I didn't really see the point of the 'acting lessons'. Well, I did, they were to heighten the tension and spice, but story wise, they didn't contribute much or explain Teddy's motivation, he overcomes his acting issues/emotional trauma very fast and they move on, I would have liked more of his lessons. And as for Teddy - well, he is a brilliant MMC. A total himbo, utterly braindead at first, in that entertaining in fiction sort of way, but then as the novel develops, so does he and you get to see some of his depth, his reasoning and he's a total sweetie pie. If a little too aware of how hot he is.

I really liked the scene where they were filming a sex scene. The novel hit the right notes of how awkward and unsexy it is having to film it, while at the same time both of them struggling with their natural urges. And then the spice that followed was a lovely little contrast.

Originally I wasn't sure about the killer reveal/motivation. It wouldn't work in a lot of books, but this is a horror slasher based novel, and it 100% would work in a movie like Scream so why not here? Embracing that element of cheese and ridiculousness really will increase your enjoyment of the story and there is a lot to enjoy.

3.5 stars

A fun premise and a fun read that also has a bit of a celebrity romance thrown in. Horror actor nepo baby Quinn is done with Hollywood. While filming her swan song, she and her co-star, the very hot reality TV start Teddy find art is imitating life. Or is it life imitating art?

This was a fun easy read and I really liked the romance, with Quinn less sold on Teddy, thinking he’s a bit of a vapid manwhore. Yet every step of the way Teddy shows he’s caring and a good partner. Their idea of crime solving – blundering into terrible interrogations was also amusing. I loved their chemistry and the way Quinn slowly comes to realise how awesome Teddy is. I was also kept guessing with the mystery too.

I do wish, however that there was more depth to the career part of the book. For instance, the acting lessons was built up to be more than it was. Having more scenes with that, I think it would’ve shown more development of Quinn realising Teddy was a solid guy) and also nicely tying in with the epilogue. While I loved the resolution to Quinn’s career in the epilogue, I don’t understand why she didn’t take her dad’s friends offer, given it would’ve been a much better swansong for her acting career. Finally, the storyline with her best friend Mara also felt like too much thrown in for the sake of throwing in more stakes instead of adding more depth.

An absolutely fun, sexy and funny debut that pays an homage to horror. I look forward to Katie Bohn's next book.

Thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for the ARC.

I love a good genre mash, and this mystery, thriller, romance book absolutely delivers.

Katie Bohn combines a fantastic who-dun-it plot with a romance sub-plot, set on the set of a horror movie. Quinn ropes MMC reality TV star Teddy into helping her solve a murder, and falls in love with him along the way. All of this is combined with the scene of a horror movie filming, which adds the extra detail and creepy theme that helps to contribute to the story.

The banter between the characters is great across the story. The character development is slightly lacking, but it's kept very vague so it keeps the reader guessing who the murderer may be.

I do think that it was quite easy to guess, and I'm usually not very good at these. The romance part of the story was really good though, I loved Teddy and Quinn together.

Romance Is Dead is a delightfully sharp blend of murder mystery and romantic comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, while still delivering a plot full of twists and heart. With clever pacing and two standout leads, this is a love story set against the backdrop of blood, betrayal, and bad acting.

Quinn, a jaded scream queen looking to escape the limelight, is a protagonist you can root for. She’s had enough of horror films and Hollywood drama, but agrees to star in one final film before bowing out. The catch? Her leading man is Teddy James, a reality TV star known more for his abs than his acting chops.

What follows is a brilliant enemies-to-lovers romp laced with murder and mischief. The sudden discovery of a body on set takes the book in a whodunnit direction, and Quinn and Teddy’s uneasy alliance begins. Their chemistry is electric, their banter genuinely funny, and their emotional growth surprisingly touching.

Katie Bohn masterfully balances tension and tenderness. The murder plot keeps the pace snappy, while the evolving romance adds warmth and depth. Teddy is a standout, developing from a vapid celebrity into someone truly worth falling for, and Quinn’s journey towards trust and vulnerability is beautifully drawn.

Romance Is Dead is cheeky, addictive, and genuinely fun, perfect for fans of romcoms with a deadly twist. It’s a reminder that love, like murder, can strike when you least expect it. A wickedly entertaining read.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Romance and slasher? count me in! Really loved this, it was so fun but even as a die hard horror pop culture girly I did find the references a little much at points. It didn't take away from how much I enjoyed this but I did roll my eyes a few times!

Rating: 3.5/5

This advanced reader copy was provided to me via netgalley. This contemporary romance is incredibly reminiscent of campy horror films in a great way. 

The setting of a movie set was niche and very enjoyable. The reflections on social influencer culture and how women with fame are targeted by media and fans, was an interesting subplot throughout. The murder mystery story was fun and engaging. However, at times certain plot points felt forced and unnecessary for the overall story. There were a few points in the story where these events could have been executed in a more realistic way. One example of this was Teddy's fear od baseball? That whole scene actually detracted from the chemistry and plot of the book for me due to how outlandish it felt.

I found the chemistry between the two love interests believable and cute. Besides the sometimes forced narrative I found the writing style easy to read and binge. The atmosphere of the book leaves you with enough questions of who committed the murder to keep you turning back for more. 

Overall, this is a very fun read especially for those that like shows like Pretty Little Liars and Scream Queens.

The premise for this book is great, and I enjoyed all the horror movie behind-the-scenes style references throughout- it felt like a love letter to horror in Hollywood.

I had a good time reading this book, and thought it was a really solid debut novel. I liked Quinn as a main character and seeing her develop through the story, her characterisation was well done and I was rooting for her and Teddy.

However, the deal to have the acting lessons to help solve the crime just didn't work for me. I didn't feel like enough time was spent on either aspect in the plot to make it believable enough, I don't need it to be super plausible because I want to be invested but there just wasn't enough elements of Teddy's acting "improving" or Quinn follow credible leads in the search for the killer.

I would've also liked some more development between Quinn and her friends as well, she kept forgetting plans they were making and mostly came across as a bad friend for this.

Overall I'd give this book 3.5 stars, it was a fun time and would recommend to anyone looking for a cosy crime feel with the horror movie backdrop.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus for an arc of this book.

4.5⭐️

This is a very fun read. I always enjoy when there’s a good plot behind a romance novel and this has a good one.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of the unfolding murder mystery and loved the chemistry between the main characters. I also haven’t read a book based on a movie set before so that was very fun as well.

A lively, well-written genre mashup - a murder mystery on the set of a horror film, all wrapped up in a sexually-charged RomCom.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

Upon publication, I will post this review on my blog and on GoodReads.