Alicia Thompson (1)

Phoebe Walsh is returning to her childhood home to clean it out and get it ready to sell after her father's death a few months ago. Not only is she in the middle of writing her dissertation on the true crime novel genre she's loved and obsessed over since she was younger, but she's getting to spend some quality bonding time with her younger brother and contending with an intriguing next door neighbor whom she refuses to believe is hiding a body in his garage. Besides all this, staying in her show more childhood home has opened up a lot of feelings about the past and her complicated relationship with her father and her parent's divorce.

I was a little surprised by this book. With the title, I assumed it would maybe be a bit more quirky, but it dealt with many real issues. Many issues that I found myself identifying with Phoebe on in one way or another. Mainly on the complicated feelings, we have towards our parents and the idea of how we interpret our past through the lens of being grown up.

It goes hand in hand with Phoebe's dissertation dealing with the idea of an author interpreting or perceiving their subjects in a certain way and that perception coming through in the narrative. It's an interesting thought and, I won't lie, one I'd gladly delve into myself.

I just really like seeing Phoebe open herself up to exploring the issues from her past and seeing how she can keep herself from inadvertently repeating the same pattern as her parents. Her relationship with Sam is this in a nutshell. She's never wanted to trust someone else before and seeing Phoebe start to trust Sam is really sweet and rewarding. Getting to that place where she can separate her life from what one might feel is a predisposed notion of carrying on a family trait. It also goes hand in hand with the idea of serial killers having families that have to contend with the secrets kept from them. Alicia Thompson really understood how to make these connections even with a rather bleak and dark topic like serial killers. It's kind of the psychology of it all.

I'm really looking forward to what other thoughtful stories Alicia Thompson has for us. show less

One of the better M/F contemporary romances I've read in the past year (frankly, it doesn't have much competition), and a significant improvement on Thompson's 2022 mainstream debut, [b:Love in the Time of Serial Killers|59722215|Love in the Time of Serial Killers|Alicia Thompson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1640224232l/59722215._SX50_.jpg|94049519]. The plot is nemeses-to-lovers, with a slightly run-d0wn "winter in Florida" theme park as the unusual show more setting. The FMC is a former foster child with intimacy and control issues. The MMC's parents threw him out of the house when he was caught kissing another boy, leaving him with abandonment issues.

The buttoned-up FMC and the laid-back MMC take a little too long to get past their mutual antagonism, but as they slowly open up to each other their relationship becomes passionate and supportive. This is one of the few M/F romances I've encountered in which the MMC's bisexuality is an important plot point, instead of a way for the author to performatively indicate their queer allyship.

The novel's cover image suggests that it will have a similar vibe to an Ali Hazelwood book, but I found Alicia Thompson to be more skilled at creating realistic, flawed characters and thus a more satisfying HEA.

Slightly tangential, but important to me, rant: This is the second book I have read recently that uses the "we can just get a grant to save the organization!" resolution. As a former grant writer, I can assure you that there aren't oodles of grants growing on trees, just waiting to be picked by any earnest do-gooders that come around. Getting a grant is usually a long, laborious and complex process that requires a specific set of skills, not just "good at writing." show less

This started off well for me and built better. It was quiet, but not without some fantastic yearning. They were pretty easy to root for overall but I had a sense I never really "knew" Micah. John felt easy to understand with stronger characterization but Micah felt a little harder - readers will get a good sense of the surface but what made her tick in some respects doesn't feel fully fleshed out. (Though it did in others)

3.5.

“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 show more 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. show less