I have many thoughts on this rom-com/cozy mystery mashup, but let’s start on a positive note. I loved the locale–a creepy mansion with hidden rooms in the San Juan Islands. Sidenote: I highly recommend vacationing there because it is absolutely stunning! Here’s a visual of my REI bike tour of the islands:

Okay, so back to the book. I enjoyed being transported to this gorgeous place, only this time, I’m stuck in a spooky mansion with a murderer on the loose! I loved the Nancy Drew aspect of the mansion’s hidden rooms and spooky corridors. I’ll also give the author snaps for the funny quips and witty banter between our plucky main character and her “Hot-Stralian” love interest. So, if you enjoy a rom com with slapstick humor, you’ve come to the right place.

Alright, now let’s get down to the real talk. While reading this book, I realized that X-rated rom-com/cozy mysteries are NOT my jam. I enjoy a splash of romance in my cozies, but I can do without the explicit sex scenes that happen smack dab in the middle of a suspenseful moment when the killer runs away! I mean, who does that? Maybe it’s just me, but if I just survived a harrowing, life-threatening moment, sex with a hot Australian would be the last thing on my mind.

I hate it when a story gets interrupted, and I have to endure an entire chapter of sexy shenanigans before jumping back into the mystery again. This is why I don’t like musicals. Right when I’m getting into the story, a song and dance breaks out like a prolonged commercial break. It’s just not for me.

As for the mystery, I thought it was pretty well done with red-herrings and a mansion full of shady suspects. None of the characters pulled me in, including the MC who just seemed silly, especially with her ridiculous “sleuthing sweater” that she wears while thinking through her plots. Why anyone insist on wearing a hideously ugly, scratchy sweater on a routine basis is beyond me. I guess this is an attempt to make her seem quirky and cute, but I just found it to be annoying. Maybe that’s my problem. I’m not a fan of the overly quirky, cute characters. It just seems forced an unrealistic to me, especially when gimmicks like the “sleuthing sweater” are involved. Oh, and I would be remiss to not mention the MC’s TSTL (Too Stupid to Live) antics during the climax. I have to be super vague here to avoid spoilers, but I will say that this scene was absolutely ludicrous and highly unnecessary. At this point, I was rooting for the villain because the MC obviously had a death wish.

Overall, I don’t recommend this book to cozy mystery purists, such as myself. However, rom-com fans might enjoy the silly banter and smutty chapters.

A big thanks to the publisher for the ARC!