Honest question, can the author write any statement without adding a mini lecture on feminism, gender, etc.?
Also, Phoebe is a brat at best.

Dnf @ 19% ( )

Very enjoyable!

Sweet romance between a perfect, nerdy, boy next door and a prickly woman who is obsessed by true crime and working through some difficult emotional roadblocks.

It was quite funny and I actually cared what happened to the two couples in the story. ( )

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Hello Fellow Readers,

I thought this book was going to be right up my alley, Unfortunately it was not. As a true crime addict who also looks at everyone under a "true crime' lens I thought I would adore Phoebe, but the spark wasn't really there for me. She felt a little bland to be honest. Sam was okay, I didn't love him but I didn't hate him either. The books' pacing was also a bit slow for me. I was almost half way into the book before I felt anything of significance happened, which made any interest I had wane.

Overall, I felt like this book had a lot of potential but it fell flat. ( )

“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 enjoyed reading this book. You can fly though the pages! Although, romance is not my favorite genre, this book was very refreshing! ( )