Love in the Time of Serial Killers

By: Alicia Thompson

Narrated by: Lee Daniels

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

One of Cosmopolitan's Best Romance Novels Ever

Turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn't exactly conducive to modern dating—and one woman is going to have to learn how to give love a chance when she's used to suspecting the worst.

PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She's even analyzing the genre in her dissertation—if she can manage to finish writing it. It's hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn't had a relationship with for years.

It doesn't help that she's low-key convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he's clearly up to something). It's not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier—a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armor to reach her vulnerable heart.

©2022 Alicia Thompson (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Alicia Thompson read my mind and gifted me with the true-crime loving, grad-student protagonist of my heart! Unique, sexy, hilarious, charming, Love in The Time of Serial Killers is to die for: the perfect beach read for anyone who loves witty banter, intelligent plotting, and compelling characters. Let Phoebe and Sam’s hilarious interactions and blazing chemistry suck you in. The true crime is not reading this novel!"—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times best-selling author

"A criminally addictive romance. With excellent wry humor, lovably messy characters, and so many heart-squeezing moments, this book is sheer perfection from beginning to end. Phoebe and Sam have a permanent spot on my list of favorite fictional couples."—Rachel Lynn Solomon, national best-selling author of Weather Girl

"Love in the Time of Serial Killers is a smart, sexy, and unique rom-com that I couldn’t put down! Phoebe is an immensely relatable and likable character, one whose prickly exterior hides a deep fear of vulnerability. It’s a joy to watch her realize that the only thing scarier than a grisly murder is falling in love. The dialogue is laugh out loud funny and the pop culture references are unexpected and hilarious, but the book really shines because of its warmth and heart. Phoebe’s relationships with Sam, her brother Conner, and even a stray cat are enough to make even the most hardened true crime fan tear up."—Kerry Winfrey, author of Very Sincerely Yours

Cute

This was an adorable romance that kept me hooked the whole way. I want a sequel.

Just ok

It was OK. The main character was quite whiny and irritated me and I felt like the love interest should’ve gave up in the beginning lol. But it was OK. Meh.

Not bad.

The character building was decent. The main character’s voice and internal monologue was annoying. She was down to earth though Phoebe’s constant casual comparisons of serial killers to regular people didn’t feel like she’s studying true crime but more like an ADHD impulse or just to be quirky. It didn’t demonstrate her knowledge of true crime literature at all.

Dark humor, serial killer references and trauma! My cup of coffee

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were very well developed and the storyline made sense. The little references of famous serial killers or morder cases- knowing I knew most of them was a bit of trivia for me. The trauma the protagonist is going through eve after her father’s death is also very relatable.

Was really trying my best to pull through the entire thing

Overall, the book is okay. But I wish more was going on. I entire book left sooooo long and I just couldn’t bring myself to see it through. Can’t say I would recommend.

Cute, fun read!

I really liked this book. The performance was great, no complaints. The story was witty and fun with relatable tangents by the female lead. story was cute and well written but predictable. That's not a complaint per se. I love romance and read a lot of romance novels so it isn't necessarily anything super different or surprising. It was well written, fun, witty and checked all of the boxes for a great romance read.

The main character is hard to like

I generally don't find myself thinking about the mental health of main characters after I finish a book but I definitely did with this one. The main character needs therapy so badly! It seemed like she had severe and untreated depression (Not because of the true crime obsession, I love true crime too and that's what drew me in to reading this book in the first place). I almost gave up reading a few chapters before the end because I knew it was aiming for a happy ending and I just don't see a world where this main character could be happy without getting help, either from a therapist or from medication or both.

False advertisement

This book was pretty dull. I expected there be a lot more questions about whether the love interest was or was not a serial killer. It just ended up being a boring cookie cutter book.

First Audio Book = Success

This was my first audiobook, and I'm glad it was with such an amazing book! I absolutely adored the love story and the character development, I really connected with Phoebe. The only reason it was a 4-star for me was because the spicy scenes felt a bit awkward over audio. But the rest of the book was wonderful!

Loved it

This was a heartwarming story about love, loss, and coming to terms with your fears and flaws. The characters were well developed and it gave me all the feels! Highly recommend!