3.5 stars

This is the second book by MaryJanice Davidson I’ve read and I think her style is growing on me. Davidson writes in a kind of slapstick, quippy, stream-of-consciousness way that I don’t normally gravitate toward, but in her hands it works. Her books are very meta: each one includes a list of tropes that the story and characters subvert, and the text is sprinkled with footnotes and asides that explain jokes or fact-check for the reader. If you’re a fan of movies like Clue and Knives Out, then Davidson’s romance/mystery novels will be right up your alley.

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates fits into the universe of Danger, Sweetheart (which I still haven’t read!) and The Love Scam, but it’s not essential that you’ve read those books first; this one mostly stands alone. Although the mystery at the center of the story—who murdered Ava Capp’s best friend a decade ago, and why is that person threatening Ava now?—is a very dark one, Davidson keeps the tone light with the madcap development of a relationship between Ava and medical examiner Tom Baker. As in The Love Scam, this novel features a child prodigy whose intellect and powers of perception are ridiculous. I know Davidson is mocking a familiar trope, but even reading about her child prodigies is just exhausting.

I increasingly feel like Davidson should be writing movie scripts, because I’m not sure her style really translates as well in books. Looking at reviews, it often seems like readers don’t understand the meta-joke nature of her work, and I think it would come across better in a visual medium. It took me a while to figure out that you have to approach a MaryJanice Davidson book in the right kind of mood: you won’t get a traditional romance, nor will you get a serious mystery novel, but instead you’re in for a quirky, over-the-top mash-up of the two. On the right day, that’s exactly what I like.

This was my first book by Mary Janice Davidson.  I enjoyed the quick-witted heroine (Ava) and the snarky dialogue!  
Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was not familiar with MaryJanice Davidson's writing so I had nothing to compare it to. I received this book as an ARC from the publisher. But from the description of the book, it sounds like a book that I would like. 

I tried to like this book. I tried to find something light and fun about it. I felt too often that the book was written in some of code and I was not given the code to break the story. I understand that the book is a trope but it just didn't work for me. I found myself getting annoyed with the characters and style of writing.

3.5

After living through the murder of her best friend, Ava Capp has been running from the past (or rather flying away from her past). Now a notable pilot on a commercial airline, Captain  Ava Capp (yeah she knows), loves flying all over the country, but avoids stopping in Minnesota whenever possible. Unfortunately, it's not always possible, and eventually you have to face your past. But with the ten year anniversary on the horizon, much more has been coming to light about the still unsolved case, such as the fact that the murder has now set their sights on Ava. 

Medical Examiner Tom Baker remembers well the violent case that rocked the community although he was still a kid when it happened. He recognizes Ava immediately upon seeing her, and despite himself sparks fly. 

Tom and Ava form a team determined to figure out what really happened all those years ago and prevent the same from happening to Ava now. 

So, anyone who reads the author's note at the beginning (highly recommended) will know that MaryJanice Davidson's goal was to jam-pack this story with as many mystery/thriller/romance tropes as possible and pretty much turn all of them upside-down. Anyone who has previously read a book by MaryJanice Davidson will recognize the quirky, frenetic characters and pacing. Having to juggle a lot of quick back-and-forths. It's pretty much keeping with MaryJanice Davidson's typical style. 

I was initially interested in this idea of the mystery/thriller/romance with a more humorous twist about it. Something that changes the typically serious tone of these types of stories. I think that's a really interesting add for this genre. I just kind of wish that there was more focus on that aspect of the story instead of focusing more on subverting the various tropes. Because with that there were times where the story felt too full and I ended up missing at least half of what what trying to be commented upon.

That said, it was an enjoyable read. I liked Ava. I liked that she went through some very traumatic stuff and pulled herself out of the downward spiral in which she found herself. I liked that she's so successful at her job and has the friendship and adoration of those she works with and over. I very often found myself laughing out loud at her inflight announcements to the passengers.

The chemistry between Tom and Ava was fine. It was another aspect that I think was trying very hard to push the tropes in whatever is deemed the "opposite" direction and didn't really focus too much on creating the connection between them. I can read a dozen romances with the same trope and be perfectly fine with it as long as I feel that connection between the characters just jump off the page with each scene they share together. While I liked Tom and Ava, together, as individuals, I didn't necessarily feel that for them. 

Overall, MaryJanice Davidson wrote the story I expected. I'm not let down by it, I'm not blown away by it. I know I can count on MaryJanice Davidson to deliver a quirky book with quirky characters and a fast pace, and often humorous. I appreciated the mystery/thriller that was on the lighter side without necessarily slipping into the "cozy" category. As strange as it kind of feels to say that about a book that deals with a grisly murder and the murderer still on the lose, it felt more like a comfort read. Something guaranteed to entertain and pull me away from the real world for a bit.

Going home is the last thing she wants to do, but she finds herself back home in Minnesota being thrown back into a situation that she didn't fully come to terms with. Her and the detective find themselves falling for each other, but not knowing if they are able to put her past situations behind them. A story of back and fourth and internal emotional battles are strung perfectly in this read.

This is my first MaryJanice Davidson book, and unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I feel like the romance and mystery plots didn't work well together, and I couldn't fully immerse myself while reading because of it. The narration and the tone felt forced and off at times too. I did like Ava though - she was truly the star of the story.

Truth, Lies, and Second dates was filled with witty banter, hilarious moments, and great characters. I truly enjoyed the mystery aspect that MaryJanice Davidson based the story around. I truly enjoyed the way Davidson’s characters acted.
 Tom was very blunt, sexy and didn’t lie. In all his actions you could see there was something about him, other than being highly intelligent. For anyone who knows or loves someone on the Autism spectrum you would recognize the signs. This wasn’t made into a huge part of the storyline, it was mentioned just in passing at the end. I loved how Davidson didn’t make a big show of it and was just so inclusive. 
Davidson’s world building skills were good, the flow was a little choppy in a couple spots. I can say that the ending was a little bit of a surprise to me. I had my ideas of who the killer was but the clues were so subtle that I wasn’t sure if I had it correct. That was part of the fun. Davidson was able to keep you guessing throughout the story. 
While this was a fast read for me. The pace of the book started slow, for me, but after a couple chapters I was fully invested in the story.

This was such a fun romance, though I didn't realize until looking it up afterward that it was part of a series. It functions well enough as a standalone, but that made me want to check out the other books to see how the characters connect.

OMG!!  This was such a great book!  The next time I have to fly anywhere I want Captain Ava Capp to be at the controls and on the intercom!  I loved her snark and oddball irreverent quirkiness so much!  And how MJD gave her the absolutely perfect counterpart in pathologist Dr. Tom Baker just had me in stitches all the way throughout the book!  The reader cannot forget precocious child genius, Hannah, either.  She was an absolute gem!  I found the mystery at the center of the story-line very interesting also and I did not guess the identity of the protagonist at all.  This really surprised me since I normally don't have any problems catching the bread crumbs usually scattered throughout a book by an author.  Now some readers may be put off by the writing style of MJD but this book featured everything that I have always loved and associated with her as an author ever since I picked up and read my first book written by her. The snappy, witty dialogue and off-the-wall humor kept the story moving along at a nicely rapid clip that prevented any lag or mid-story slump.  I will admit that I was a bit disappointed with a couple of her other more recent releases but this book was classic MJD and I loved, loved, loved it!!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley.

With the world currently being grounded, this was a great book to fulfill my wanderlust! Ava is an airline pilot whose friend was brutally murdered years ago causing her to leave her hometown. As an adult, she now returns and has to face what’s left of her past. This murder mystery is a great way to kick off the new year. They characters are all hilarious and fun. Though there is murder, you will also get a good laugh!

ARC for honest review with no compensation   Received from NetGalley 

Truth, Lies and Second Dates by Mary Janice Davidson is a laugh out loud, lots of chemistry, murder mystery but with lots more going and at times became somewhat confusing. Eventually figured out what was happening and overall was a good book.

MaryJanice Davidson has a very unique voice and perspective and I love it. The humor and quirkiness her characters bring to the table allow me to overlook minor plot flaws. She is a must read for me, and I loved this one! Ava and Tom had a mystery to solve, but more importantly, they had to find each other.

I'm so sad over this book. I wanted to love it. I really did but instead...

Sure it was filled with typical MJD snark and tropes which I normally LOVE. Also I was so excited to read in her author's note at the start of the novel that the book had horror tropes. Sadly, these so called "horror" tropes really bummed me out and didn't fit what I was expecting.

It didn't help that I HATED the opening pages and LOATHED and I mean LOATHED Ava. However as with many of MJD's books, it's the secondary characters that I really shine and make the book for me.

I’ve enjoyed the author’s paranormal stories before (most recently Bears Behaving Badly) so I thought I’d try out one of her contemporaries. The author specifically states that this book is a mashup of both romance and horror tropes, some subverted and some hilariously not. It’s a bit of weird mix that worked wonderfully for me in some ways and not at all in others.

Captain Ava Capp (yes, Captain Capp) has been avoiding her home state of Minnesota ever since her best friend was brutally murdered. So it’s awfully bad luck that lands her back there on the ten-year anniversary of her death – and that her best friend’s brother is a passenger on the flight. Drug along to the memorial against her better judgement, she suddenly finds herself at the center of the unsolved mystery, and even worse, the killer may be looking to strike again.

“THE LIST
Kill everybody who thinks I’m a killer
Prove I’m not a killer
Rinse
Repeat”


The one thing I have to say for this author’s books – the characters are always, well, characters. They’re generally quirky and funny, and they are extremely fun to hang out with. Ava loves flying, and the book is sprinkled with lots of pilot trivia. Ava’s also obsessed with lists – each of her POV chapters is topped with one of them – and is, like your classic horror movie heroine, mostly unaware of how much danger she’s in until someone else points it out. In this case, it’s Tom, the excruciating literal medical examiner. Up until about halfway through the book, though, Tom believes Ava may be the killer – which is uncomfortable since he’s attracted to her. While there is a romance, it does feel overshadowed by the mystery portion of the book.

“Okay. I still feel like you’re not internalizing this—”
Yawn.
“—so I’m gonna go over it again: you’re about to be the murder victim of a grisly murder because you’ll be murdered.”
Redundant.”


As for other cons, the main issue for me is that the author has a distinctive writing style – quirky characters and almost stream-of-consciousness writing – that didn’t work for me with the whole grisly murder storyline. It works well with a frothy paranormal romance but not so much for a book chockfull of horror tropes. There’s also a lot of rep (Tom is demisexual and he and his precocious niece are on the spectrum), and I’m not ownvoices for either. While I liked how accepting Ava was of his neurodiversity, some of the humor around it felt a bit off-putting. For instance, when Tom shares that he often has difficulty with responding appropriately to certain social situations, she jokes about bursting into giggles at her parents’ funeral. Tom’s reassured by this, but to me it felt a bit like Ava didn’t quite understand what Tom was trying to express.

Overall, this was funny and a quick read, but it didn’t really work for me. I think I’ll stick to the author’s paranormal romances from now on.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Fun and quirky characters. A little mystery. A little romance. A lot of over-the-top zaniness. 100% pure MaryJanice Davidson craziness. Loved it!!


I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

This book kind of reminded me of Stephanie Plum. You know if Stephanie was a pilot instead of a bounty Hunter, lived in Minnesota instead of New Jersey, and only had one man after her instead of two. I do have to say though this book would have definitely benefited from Lula and grandma. this book was very quirky, goofy, campy, and over the top. A blend of mystery, romance, and humor. The book pokes fun at itself, the genre, all the over used tropes. at times I found the book quite amusing while other times I found it all a bit annoying. this style of book I’d imagine is really hard to right, because it’s a hard line to balance between humor and overdoing it. As I mentioned above reminded me of Stephanie Plum, just wasn’t quite as authentic, if that makes sense? I guess I felt at times it was just a little too forced. this is not to say I didn’t like the book I had a good time reading it, but I do recognize that this book is definitely not going to appeal to everybody.

*** Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I loved the characters in this book. The camaraderie between the flight crew was hilarious, particularly since the crew from this airline primarily stayed together.  I also loved the medical examiner, Tom Baker and his niece, Hannah. I felt that the author went more into the depth of these two characters. Hannah is a true genius, and her comments were hysterical. Although I enjoyed the mystery portion of the story, I felt that it moved a little slowly for my taste. All in all, I enjoyed this book.

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 & Kobo under IrishEyes430

This book was so much fun to read. Ava Capp is headstrong and afraid to commit to anything but her job. Being back in her hometown for the reunion of her best friend's mysterious murder is the last place she wants to be. I absolutely love her character. She's snarky and a bit abrasive which makes her less likable to the characters but more likable to the reader. This was an easy read as a standalone, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Davidson's books.

3 1/2 stars

There is a good idea here but it doesn't completely stick the landing.

This is a send up of common romance and horror tropes,a cozy,chick lit,women's fiction and a contemporary romance.

The characters are quirky,the situations are ridiculous, the paring unusual, and the banter never ending.

It grew tiresome after awhile.

Like those shows were everyone has a comeback,knows all the references and people communicate with banter.

This is a fun,escapist  book. I enjoyed it but I probly won't read it again.

Captain Ava Capp finds herself flying back to her home state of Minnesota and the memories that she has tried to leave behind. She is surprised to find her best friends brother on her flight. It is then she realizes he is there for the ten year memorial for his sister. When she agreed to go to the memorial, it sets off a new chain of events. Dr. Tom Baker is a medical examiner who has been fascinated with Ava's story for as long as he can remember. He steps in to help her find out who killed her best friend ten years ago, only to have sparks fly between them. Will the killer be after Ava now and will they figure it out before he is successful?

This was a fun and easy book to read. Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc in exchange for my honest review.