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dreamerfreak's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
wanderingwonderbread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
readerette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
0.5
Maybe the others in this series are better, but there is no redeeming quality to this book except that the story moves at an appropriate pace.
It can't decide if it's a bloody thriller about a town full of semi-psychopathic people, or a low-stakes cozy mystery with a love triangle. The writing is exceedingly simplistic. There's little characterization and no scene-setting unless you count constantly describing Roe's fashion choices and makeup. The dialogue and monologues leave much to be desired. Any interest generated by the mystery plot is overshadowed by everything that's wrong with this book.
Oh, and it's unironically racist and homophobic to boot. At one point, Roe points out that because no black candidate is running for mayor the candidates are getting to focus on the issues. 😶 And one of the male side characters has a male friend that Roe can't resist italicizing and mentally sneering passive-aggressively about multiple times, wondering if "friends" is really all they are. 🤦♀️ Is either of these things relevant to anything else in the book? Nope. I'm sure the author has become more aware of this over time, but in this book, she had not been conscious of bias, or how to make these judgments seem like a character's rather than her own that she just couldn't help inserting into the text.
The movies are pretty cute (even for someone who's not really a Hallmark fan), and really have none of the above problems. Maybe just watch those.
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
hannahdrake42's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Violence and Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse
libraryladylife's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Murder
kibbles15's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Body horror and Confinement
lakea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
a_alves00's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder