Sarah Fox

This was a quick read with a fun premise and a nice amount of humor. I loved the Remington Steele vibes, it turned into a bit of a caper with some slapstick physical humor I wasn't expecting. It's a 50/50 mix of romance and a whodunnit. Sometimes it was hard to know which of those the book wanted to be, and as a result the overall plot felt a little disjointed. There was an abundance of characters to keep track of, and aside from Emersyn (and Theo) most of them felt a bit shallowly show more developed. There was a nice amount of warmth between Emersyn and Wyatt, even though she kept him at arm's length most of the time (and the back-and-forth while she fought her attraction got to be a little repetitive). The killer wasn't immediately clear to me, which definitely kept me reading to the satisfying conclusion. This feels like the start of a series, and this first book was engaging enough that I'd definitely read the next in the series. This review was based on a complimentary DRC of the book, all opinions are my own. show less

Favorite Quotes:

“Tell me everything. Every detail. How hot was it?” “On a scale of chili peppers?” I settled back into the neck rest. “We’re talking habanero hot.”

Detective, if I killed every male who’s ever sexually harassed me in any way, I’d have a whole trail of bodies behind me, starting with Troy Nestor in sixth grade.

My Review:

This was an enjoyable, entertaining, and quick read that kept me engaged and amused throughout perusal. The writing style was easy to follow, show more well-polished, with just the right light touch of emotiveness as well as head-scratching intrigue for a humorous cozy mystery. Ms. Fox cleverly conjured and populated her tale with a delightful array of authentically quirky characters, my favorite kind! I look forward to more installments from this crafty scribbler. show less

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective is a delightfully fun rom com/mystery. Emersyn is struggling to make ends meet while caring for her orphaned niece. This is made worse because her ex has stolen all of her savings. Through a series of hijinks, Emersyn meets Wyatt, and together with the mostly elderly residents of her apartment building, she will solve a murder, fall in lust, and establish a fake detective agency.
I loved Emersyn. She is very relatable, has a lot of depth, and the situation show more with her niece was very touching. Not one to go running off into a situation she knows will be dangerous alone, she is still braver and smarter than she gives herself credit for. In fact, the whole detective group was a lot of fun from the bossy but right teenager, her supportive and hilarious best friend, various opinionated old women, and of course the very hot Wyatt.
Pacing was perfect, no lagging or boring parts. The mystery was good, with a number of red herrings, and I did not guess the murderer. Of course, I too, may have been distracted by Wyatt.
All in all, a light, engaging read with some extra heart. I would think fans of Janet Envanovich would like this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC. show less

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Emersyn Gray is twenty-eight years old and the guardian for her seven-year-old niece, Livy. She is unemployed, and her ex-boyfriend, Hoffman Fisher, was a real jerk and stole her savings. She and Livy are living in a dilapidated seniors-only apartment building, the Deco Mirage, that was taking any tenants they could get. She was getting stressed out, unable to find a job, when her best friend thinks she has a brilliant idea. They are going to pressure her ex to return show more her money by informing him that she has retained a private investigator to prove he stole her money. Truthfully, there is no detective, just a fake business card she had created for the fake Wyatt Investigations. When Emersyn goes to deliver the card and news to her ex, the plan takes an epic twist. A handsome hunk of a man named Wyatt walks right up to Hoffman and introduces himself as Wyatt from Wyatt Investigations.

What game is this incredibly hot hunk playing? An incredibly hot hunk, she is totally attracted to. Back to business, she needs to get the money back, and if she has to work with this incredibly hot hunk, she will. She needs to show her parents she can provide for her niece and that she has her life under control. Did I mention he’s incredibly hot?

The next day, an enormous wrench was thrown into their plan. Someone murdered the building super, and one of her favorite people in the building is accused of the crime. The neighbors had found one of the fake private investigation agency’s business cards, and Wyatt and Emersyn couldn’t say no when they asked for help. Can fake detectives solve a real murder? Can they put their steamy romantic electricity on hold while they find out? Or will the passion overtake them?

What a terrific start for this new series!

I love the diversity of the characters Ms. Fox has created for this series.

Emersyn Gray’s life is totally in transition. She lost her steady job as a copywriter due to restructuring, and her career as a restaurant server just crashed and burned. Her ex cleaned out her savings. Her mother is questioning whether she is the right person raise her brother’s daughter. He passed away after battling cancer. She has applied for a variety of jobs, and has received no job offers.

Wyatt, no last name, is a mystery man. Clearly quite wealthy and smokin’ HOT! You can cut the romantic tension with a knife. There is plenty of sizzle there, but after her thieving ex, she has no need for a man in her life. Then there is Bodie Chase, a bartender, also easy on the eyes, and interested in Emersyn. She thinks he is pretty hot, too. Emersyn’s best friend, Jemma Ghosh, is always there for her unless something important pulls her away; then she needs details of everything she missed. Livy just stole my heart. A smart 7-year-old who is an absolute delight. Their neighbor, Mrs. Nagy, has become like an honorary grandmother, watching Livy when Emersyn has to work. Then there is Theo. A handicapped high schooler who doesn’t let her disabilities hold her back, she is a whiz on the computer and a true force when it comes to the fake Wyatt Investigations. Rounding out the cast are the many residents of the Mirage.

Ms. Fox’s unique writing style was so entertaining. Emersyn’s reactions to Wyatt and Bodie gave me true rom-com feels. Some of the senior ladies were particularly drawn to the young men, too, and both took the fawning with a great sense of humor. While there are many characters, she makes each distinct and easy to remember. Some of them are real hoots!

With Only Murders in the Building vibes, anyone in the building could have killed the super, or someone could have easily come into the building. So, there was a long list of suspects for Wyatt Investigations to work through. The evidence pointed directly at one person, so the police thought they had their man. No one believed that person was a murderer. I enjoyed the comedy of Emersyn trying to question the people in the building and how Theo was ready to do anything to get to the truth. Emersyn tried to avoid Wyatt, but the man always turned up wherever she was. It was fun to follow along as they chased down the clues. I appreciated the unique room they found in the Mirage. It gave the story a major twist. The author plotted out this mystery so well. I was surprised when the killer was revealed. I love it when that happens. It means I escaped fully into the story.

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective kept me totally entertained with a diverse cast of characters, a stirring mystery, an interesting setting, tons of humor, and romantic tension. Lighthearted, mysterious, and fun. This book was a Perfect Escape! I can’t wait for book two! show less