This one starts right after the events in book 1 of the Curtis and Reynolds series. The relationship between the 2 leads is strengthening and they sometimes experience growing pains. It seemed pretty realistic to me.

The crime is an interesting one and it moves along at a good pace. The 2 leads are likable. There's humor, action, romance, and sex. Win, win.

Honest review given in return for an ARC.

I reiterate from book 1, the main characters of Dr Thayer Reynolds and Corey Curtis are two of the most charismatic characters that I’ve had the pleasure of reading about in quite a while. If they were your friends, you would be banging on their door every day because they’re witty, smart, heroic and have a penchant for pushing the big red button that screams do not press. Translation: You want to be around them and see what they do next. Perfect leads in a book that begins in the foulest way, the discovery of a decomposed body. But not to worry, it’s only in the beginning that we hear about flesh devouring bugs and the soupy mess they leave behind.

Although the remainder of the book unravels the answers to the mystery via good action and policework, the joy in the story comes from watching Thayer and Corey interact and grow as a couple and as individuals. They show tenderness and vulnerability in small intimate scenes that paint a picture of a couple falling hard and deep. I could easily read another 10 of these Curtis & Reynolds books.

Corey and Thayer might be my new favourite couple. Corey has recovered well enough from her fall that she returns to work. She still has some pretty painful side effects but she’s learning to cope with them. Corey and Thayer are in love and life is looking up. First day back and Corey is called out to a severely decomposed body in a house directly across the lake from Thayer’s house. Thayer’s day isn’t going quite as well as she would have liked when she has to deal with a particularly rude doctor at work.

I enjoyed “Gallows Humor” but this is even better. Thayer and Corey work fantastically well as a couple. Their interaction is sexy, their dialogue quick and clever and even though they are established there is still enough tension in their relationship to keep it dynamic. The secondary characters, like their friends, colleagues and the police they seem to cross paths with are just as interesting.

You’d think there would be loads of time to read during COVID 19 isolation but I’m finding it surprisingly difficult. It’s a testament to this novel that I finished it in a day. Besides being attracted to the main characters, it’s a good balance of mystery and suspense too. Read this. But read the first one first.

Book received from Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

I totally missed that Dirt Nap is book 2 of a series. I had to buy Gallows Humor and read that one first. I was pleasantly surprised by the plot. I'm really into f/f with a side story with the romance on the side. A breath of fresh air from the usual meet cute/enemy to lovers trope.

Corey and Thayer don't get to relax a minute before they are thrown into the next mystery. This time the body Corey deals with is a particularly nasty one not suited for people with a weak stomach. Of course, once again Corey gets herself and by default Thayer in a dangerous situation. Meanwhile, Thayer is dealing with a sexist co-worker. And Corey has sustained permanent injuries from her fall in book 1, which she is still learning to deal with.


I hope there will be more books in this series.

Carolyn Elizabeth is one of my new favorite authors. I loved the first in this series, "Gallows Humor" ,and I loved this one as well.

Corey and Thayer are an adorable couple. The author writes their relationship very lovingly, so that you see how much they care for each other in every interaction. She doesn't do the most descriptive love scenes, as they are written more brief and non-specific, so if you're expecting that then you won't find it in this book.

In this particular book, I enjoyed how we saw more of Collier and his relationship with Corey. Even though it was very up and down, there was also a sweetness about it that made me like both characters even more.

I'm not sure if this is the last book for this series, but if there was to be another one, I would definetly scoop it up. Regardless, the next book this author writes, I'll be buying.

This is the follow up to Gallows Humour and unfortunately it's not a patch on the first in the series.

The crime element of the plotline is pretty good with Corey being called to a scene with a decomposing body in the crawl space under a house, that just so happens to be across the lake from Thayer's place. Meanwhile Thayer is having to deal with sexual harassment in the hospital from a junior doctor, adding to the already stressful life of an emergency medic.

Unfortunately some of the writing around the romantic storyline is weak or just plain odd, at one point Corey says she's so in love with Thayer she wants to "jump up and down on Oprah's couch and scream and the top of her lunch." It's not exactly the most romantic image is it: Tom Cruise and his Scientology chosen, weird, potentially forced marriage wife? Another irritating aspect of the text was the very frequent but coarsely written feminist polemical dialogue, which is then completely undermined by Corey stating that a female detective is "quite attractive when she smiled."

It has a few cute moments between the two leads, which if you really liked the first one might be for you, but it wasn't really for me.

With Dirt Nap, Carolyn Elizabeth managed to write a great sequel to her debut Gallows Humor. Curtis and Reynolds are back with a bang!

Was I wondering about author Elizabeth’s background before, I now know that she has professional experience in pathology. Makes perfect sense. I just love all the graphic details of Corey’s job and this time we get the full blow by blow of a decomposing corpse (better put your big girl pants on people and take a generous dab of that mentholated gel while you’re at it).

So we get more of the goodness we had in book one; so more Corey and Thayer (still have a big character crush on that woman) and their deepening relationship. We have a fresh murder mystery (hence the rotting corpse) and a flurry of drug crimes in the area. We don’t spend as much time on the work floor (morgue and hospital) as in the first book but that’s because Corey is still recovering from her ordeal (see book one). The debilitating after effects are very clear and present. Thayer, while at work, will have to deal with a hefty dose of toxic masculinity in the form of Watson Gregory III. I really enjoyed the strong story line between Corey and Sergeant Jim Collier.

I love all of Elizabeth’s characters, they really have a strong presence. Not just the mains but the supportive cast as well. Newcomer Officer Steph Austin fits right in. All in all Dirt Nap is a joy to read with a nicely balanced plot, a good pace, some drama, oodles of chemistry and a nice helping of excitement. I look forward to part 3!

f/f explicit

Themes: trouble at Rankins Lake, something smells really bad, Elizabeth goes all gross and graphic again, yay! Migraine city, better keep your glasses on Corey, oh how I adore Thayer Reynolds, she is such a dish, the galls get into hot water again.

4.4 Stars

* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

This is a light thriller in the same vein as Elizabeth's first book, Gallows Humor. The one big problem that I had with that one showed up here, but it worked into the story a little better than in book one. I loved that it is essentially a workplace romance with the mystery popping in as the characters semi-stumble into it, and that the characters are working through their relationship as they are solving the crimes (at least a little).

The main problem I had with Gallows Humor is that it was really a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, with the drama flaring out of seemingly nowhere, then fizzling out and almost never mentioned again. With this second book - there were flare ups that were resolved somewhat quickly, but still felt set up much better. The two major ones were centered around Corey, Thayer, and Corey's cop friend (or work husband) Collier. Curtis is still working tamping down on her impulsive nature. It almost got her killed in the last book, and the physical scars from those events still can, and do harm her. She doesn't stop to think when she thinks she's doing the right thing, and it causes a small riff between her and Thayer that is resolved surprisingly fast. The more in depth growth was actually between Curtis and Collier. That arc drove most of the story for the last half of the book, and carried it emotionally.

If anything, the book still has a bit of ways to go with regards to balancing the thriller aspect of the story with everything else. Like its there, but it doesn't pull much weight until the very end. Also, in conjunction to that, I am starting to believe that Corey can't be killed. She gets hurt a lot - but the worst that she experiences are her migraines. Her migraines are terrible, and yet she still recklessly throws herself into dangerous situations, causing them to flare. I don't think its admirable, but foolhardy, and I can kind of sympathize with Collier's reaction Corey's stunt (even if he did over react). But it is what keeps me coming back for more - Corey and her stupidity, and Thayer's ability to charm anyone. It shouldn't work, but it does.

I had high hopes for Dirt Nap after enjoying Elizabeth’s first novel Gallows Humor as much as I did. The blurb is a thing of beauty and ticked all the boxes I look for when reading a romantic thriller. I enjoyed catching up with Corey and Thayer and the excellent cast of characters we were introduced to in the first in the series along with some new faces. I was disappointed that this book didn’t live up to its blurbs potential as a thriller and felt the author took a safe approach when I was hoping for more.

While Corey and Thayer’s relationship continues to develop the mystery was weak, almost non existent. Threats on our heroines? Not really. Even the forensic pathology took a back seat after the initial discovery of the dead body. The angst felt manufactured, generated by conflicts which echoed similar behaviour from the first novel. I didn’t see the growth in the characters I was hoping to find.

Building tension and danger into a romantic thriller while keeping the romance alive is difficult to achieve.I do believe this author has great potential. I think that may be why I felt let down with this read. I was hoping for more thriller and discovered more romance.

I’ve added Carolyn Elizabeth to my must read list. She is one to watch.

3.5 stars

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

Very good, fast-paced mystery novel. Sequel to Gallows Humor (while you are missing character backstory, you could read this as stand alone).

Bearing the scars and lingering side-effects of the events in Gallows Humor, Corey and Thayer want nothing more than to settle into their lives together. But crime never sleeps in Jackson City, and trouble seems to find them. The finding of a badly-decomposing corpse, rising petty crime, and suspected drug (meth) activity all lead to a hair-raising series of events. Hang on for a bumpy ride.

I really enjoyed this book. As with the first, 'Gallows Humor', there were a lot of funny parts. Both Thayer and Cory have a dry wit that really adds a dimension to them as characters and to their relationship. This book follows closely on the heels of the first, and in that vein (pardon the medical pun there), there is danger in this book as well. Of course, there is a dead body crawling with maggots. I can only imagine how that might have been crawling around in that enclosed space. That might be one of the scenes I remember most!

I loved all the characters, the deepening of the relationship between Collier and Corey, and the introduction of Steph. Every one of them brought something meaningful and memorable to the story.

I really hope we get a third book with these folks. I'd buy it up in a heartbeat. Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for listening to me gush on about it.

This is the second installment of the Corey Curtis/Thayer Reynolds story. Highly recommend reading the first novel, ‘Gallows Humor’, since it is a great novel and this one picks up at the end of the first one. It is possible to read by itself, but it will not be as good without knowing the characters.

Corey is still recovering from her book one accident, but back to work and asked by her mentor to recover a body. The decomposing corpse is the opening of a new case in which Corey and Thayer are lightly linked to. There is no big mystery here and this book should be seen more as a light romance thriller. In the end, it is about relationships, not just romantic between the mains, but their friends and coworkers.

The opening scene with the body was great and made me feel claustrophobic. The heat and disgust were such unwelcome sensations too. The author knows her subject matter and it was great to know more about forensic anthropology. Her knowledge simply brings instant credibility to the story. However, it is Elizabeth’s ability to write chemistry between characters that will assure her a successful career writing lesfic. Corey and Thayer are independent women, but so sweet and tender at the same time. The give and take in their relationship is special. The reader will no doubt fall in love with them. They are a totally swoon worthy couple!

Corey’s friendship with Collier is put to the test and was just another example of Elizabeth’s competence to create a character driven story. The secondary characters continue to be strong and likable in this installment, and a few more are introduced. The banter all around was entertaining and worked well for this story. I hope this is not the last time we hear from this cast.

Overall, another well written and great chapter in the series. 4.5 stars

ARC generously provided to me by BB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took a couple of chapters for me to get into this book. I realised I was reading a book in a series and I missed the first one. You could read this as a stand-alone story, but I would advise not to. You miss a great deal of back story that comes back throughout this new story.

The characters are likeable and I like that the story isn’t just romance, I would say romance is just a sub plot. This book is more a crime novel, which I love. The interaction between the characters is great and the story unfolds nicely. There is a great deal of humour and banter in this book that I adore, it’s like a day at my house.

Even better than the first.

We start off with Corey Curtis being all smitten with her new girlfriend, Thayer. Finally she has found someone that she wants something real and substantial with. After a couple of handful of weeks, they are already spending their nights together at one or the other's home and professing love like it was candy. That is fine with me because they were put through the ringer in the first book, 'Gallows Humor.' I was on board for a little honeymoon period. Unfortunately for them, it doesn't last long.

You could probably read this book as stand-a-lone. The author does a good job of explaining what happened in the past. But I don't recommend it. The first one is too good to pass up. Also, you would miss all the great dialogue and build up between Corey and Thayer. That would be a shame.

OK, so now about book two. The suspense/mystery aspect of this was elevated quite a few notches in this one. Corey is called in to help with a dead body that has been hanging out beneath a house. One thing I like about both of these books is the gross factor. The author doesn't shy away from making you uncomfortable with her descriptions. Literally so disgusting. Love it.

Corey is a major hot head and she can't just let the police do their job. She has the insane desire to meddle. It ALWAYS gets her in trouble. I think that is why we love her so much. She has such good intentions with disastrous results.

We revisit all the same supporting characters. We are introduced to a couple more. Relationships progress. There is a deeper level of friendship between Corey and Collier that is gritty and beautiful.

But the shining factor continues to be Corey and Thayer's relationship. They seem so real to me. Happy with each other but bicker and have disagreements. Obviously their relationship is still young, so they are trying to figure each other out. I appreciate how they talk like adults and drama is not contrived with miscommunication.

Overall, this is a great follow up to 'Gallow's Humor' and should be on all of your lesfic to-read lists.

I recommend this to those of you who like to read romance, mystery, crime solving, hostage situations, bone setting, and maggots.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of the story.

I did not read the first book in this series.

Dirt Nap refers often to the first book but dosent tell you exactly what happened so you can go back and still read it without feeling like Gallows is spoiled.

The plot moves evenly and the characters develop quickly.

Corey and Thayer are smart, attractive, witty women- the conversation between the women is light and fast witted.

The secondary characters, Collier and Austin are interesting - Collier is a senior detective partnered with a new cop in town. They have chemistry but they don't upstage Corey and Thayer in the story.

Corey becomes involved in Colliers investigation of a drug ring. She is hot headed and gets involved in a couple of situations that stress her work relationship with Collier.

It's hard not to give a spoiler in reviewing this book, so I will just say that the writing is great, the story absorbing and I hope there is a third book in the works.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

I didn't read the first book Gallows Humor but I definitely enjoy this one. I'm sooo getting the first book.

The two main characters Corey and Thayer their banter between them was good and the chemistry is on point.

Corey is back at work when she is called to recover a badly decomposing body. As she dealing with this Thayer has problems of her own.

As Corey and Thayer dive into the mystery their romance is still going strong despite everything they went through with Corey injuries from the fall she took.

I won't go into details because it's hard to write a review when trying not to spoil the book so just know this was good read I love it had everything. Love the secondary characters I'm really interesting in Steph she seems really interesting. I can so see this on Netflix as Comedy Mystery movie because I loved the humor in this book.

I love it when Sequels are even better than the first read! And Dirt Nap is just that :) I did enjoy Gallows Humor but i definitely enjoyed this more! I have to say this again is an impressive debut series by Carolyn Elizabeth and a big Congrats goes out to her :) One thing i would like to point out is that this is not a standalone and i highly advice that you read Gallows Humor first!

My main issue with the first book was completely addressed in the sequel! i loved the characters and i finally got what i needed :) More of Corey and Thayer together :)

The banter between those 2 is incredible! So the chemistry that i didn't feel, is full on in the sequel! While the thriller/action part was solid, i must say what i loved most about this read is the humor! There's also a new character, Steph, that i am very interested to read about and hopefully there will be a new book to cover her :)

I think this is one of the books that has an amazing mix between Romance, Action and Humor which you dont find that much! I mean most of the books are either romantic, hot, or thrillers and may contain a bit of everything. But this specific read had such a nice mix! It was so entertaining!

I highly recommend this book and my rating is a 4.5 rounded up to 5..

"I received an ARC for an honest review."

I have been waiting eagerly for Dirt Nap by Carolyn Elizabeth ever since I read the first book in this series. In Gallows Humor, I met and fell in love with the main characters, Corey Curtis and Dr. Thayer Reynolds. Corey and Thayer had to go through some excitement and rough times in the first book (especially Corey), but they managed to survive.

Dirt Nap begins where the first book leaves off. Corey is back to working in the morgue and is almost immediately sent out to help recover a badly decomposing body. Thayer is still working in Emergency, but with problems of her own. These two ladies can’t seem to get away from intrigue and trouble, and some of this trouble may end up testing their new relationship.

This is a perfect sequel to Gallows Humor and met all of my (admittedly) high expectations. Sometimes sequels can be disappointing, but not this one. We have the same mystery, intrigue, and romance that we found in the first book. Corey, Thayer, and all the secondary characters are just as like-able and easy to connect with. The romance is still as sweet, and it was fun seeing the two grow together through all the trials they had to endure. It was also fun meeting a few new characters and watching them develop. Ms. Elizabeth not only has the knowledge she needs in pathology and medicine for this story, she also shines in character development. This is what makes both of these books so great.

Dirt Nap is joining the first book in my favorites, and I’m sure you’ll feel the same way after reading it too. I will warn you here that this is not a stand-alone book. You need to read both books in order to understand and enjoy what is happening. However, since both are excellent novels, that shouldn’t be a problem.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

This book is making me very happy! I was looking forward to it, and I’ve written not long ago about second novels sometimes being a little (or more) disappointing because they’re really hard on authors. Dirt Nap escaped that curse beautifully. It has everything I loved in Gallows Humor, only better.

First of all, it is not a standalone and you should definitely start with Gallows Humor. I’ll try not to spoil that one too much – it’s a mystery/romance and both MCs’ names are in the series title so you already know they’re going to end up together, and alive.

Autopsy maestra Corey Curtis is being farmed out to her former mentor, forensic anthropologist Amanda Marsh, to retrieve a decomposing body underneath a house. The crime scene is right on the opposite side of the lake from Dr Thayer Reynolds’ home, where Corey is spending more and more. Corey’s injuries from the fall she took in Gallows Humor (I’m still trying not to spoil, you’re not making it easy, Carolyn Elizabeth…) have left her with debilitating migraines and muscles spams, and the fanciest yellow glasses. She’s so relieved to be rid of the cast on her arm that nothing else really matters right now, except how much she loves Thayer. And then there’s that thing with the corpse I mentioned above.

You know me, Star Wars nerd, so I was already giddy by the second or third page, I was all “Ha! Classic Han Solo move there, Thayer!”, which was confirmed when I turned the page. Carolyn Elizabeth’s sense of humour and love of pop culture work so well for me, it’s like candy.

Everything worked for me here, actually, not just the funny stuff. The thriller was gruesome and thrilling, the romance romantic.

I love that all the most important characters are flawed and make mistakes but they’re all good people (IRL I’d say their heart is in the right place) and that’s why they like one another. I’d like them too, whether it’s Corey, Thayer, Rachel, Collier, Steph (she’s a newcomer, Collier’s partner), Cinnamon (who calls their kid Cinnamon? It seems to suit her though, I wish we’d see more of her), Lilian… I love the unlikely friendship Corey and Collier share, my heart broke for them at some point, but I have hopes for their future. And I love love love Corey and Thayer, as individuals and together.

One of the things that amaze me the most about this book (it was also true for Gallows Humor) is the brilliant way the author mixes romance and the grisly aspects of the mystery side. Honestly, there were paragraphs detailing the state of the corpse found at the beginning of the story that I wish I had not had to read – they were necessary, nothing gratuitous or complacent – so this is not a light read by any means. Yet at the same time, there’s more romance and heartwarming instances (and sexy scenes) than in some romance novels I have read.

This second book confirms Carolyn Elizabeth’s talent, and her third book can’t come soon enough. I’m hopping up and down with impatience already. Lucky for me, I have a huge TBR list to keep me busy in the meantime…

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.