Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson is funny and fun! Phoebe is a Ph.D. candidate obsessed with true crime and working on her dissertation on the topic. She returns to Florida so she and her younger brother Connor can clear out their deceased father's house and get it ready to sell. Phoebe's return finds her dealing with emotional issues related to her father, her dissertation, and a former best friend. Sam is the cute next-door neighbor Phoebe suspects might be a serial killer. But is she paranoid, or is her real fear that Sam can break through her walls and fears and into her heart?
Skillfully written, this is full of true crime and pop culture references, quirky, adorkable characters, body positivity, and spice. The dry wit and clever dialogue had me laughing out loud. The secondary characters are well fleshed out, and the sibling relationship between Phoebe and Connor was just so sweet. I even loved the feral Lenore, aka Dirty Trash Cat. If you like contemporary fiction, romance, pop-tarts, and true crime, this one is for you!
I am looking forward to Alicia Thompson's next book! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Did Alicia Thompson write one of the best contemporary romances of the year? Pause your podcasts and put away your JonBenét Ramsey conspiracy theory notes because all signs are pointing to YES. As someone who gets scared going to her mailbox alone at night and thus gives the true crime genre a wiiiide berth, Love in the Time of Serial Killers was actually the perfect dip-your-toes type of book that's 2% true crime and 98% rom-com you don't want to have to put down unless you're actively dying. LITTOSK is funny, sexy, quirky, and guaranteed to make you ask yourself, "wait, is my new neighbor the next Ted Bundy or is he just ALSO a hot, mysterious guy I don't know well?"

4/5 Stars

Thank you so much to the publisher for the advanced copy via netgalley.

Love in the Time of Serial Killers follows Phoebe as she returns to her childhood home to get her father's house ready to sell. She meets her next door neighbor, Sam and immediately starts theorizing that he could be a serial killer.

Phoebe is obsessed with serial killers and crime to the point that she is writing a dissertation on true crime. As we read on we get little facts about different killers and different true crime novels. There were a couple times that I just skimmed paragraphs due to the tangents Phoebe would go on mentally. Other than that I enjoyed her character.

Sam was a super lovable, shy, cinnamon roll kind of character. Yes, he had some flaws but this book focused more on Phoebe and her flaws than it did his. Connor was a really fun character that basically kept the book a bit light with his hijinks. Pheobe's character goes through a ton of personal and mental growth throughout the book.

Overall was a fun read and do recommend.

This was super sweet.

The title leads you to believe Love in the Time of Serial Killers would have some kind of gruesome mystery subplot, but it really doesn't. Phoebe is a true crime enthusiast and is also in the final stages of her PhD dissertation (which is true-crime themed), so she thinks and talks about murder a lot. She temporarily moves to Florida to pack up her recently deceased estranged father's house and finish her dissertation. There she meets a neighbor who she thinks, just for a moment, is a criminal. But alas, and luckily, this is a romance.

I would go as far as to call this book a cozy romance. There is no high drama here. Phoebe falls in love, reconnects with her brother and an old friend, also gets a cat. The only conflict is that Phoebe is a bit of a cynic and is not entirely ready to open up to other people. Her voice, dry and funny, is what drives the story, and I enjoyed it (and her) quite a bit. I also love a kind, emotionally secure love interest. There is one here.

P.S. Phoebe describes herself as "fat" (but not in a negative way) a few times in the book. It's not a plot point or a source of unhappiness or conflict.

“Love in the Time of Serial Killers” is a witty romance full of pop culture references to mainstream true crime. Phoebe is working on her dissertation about the popular book “In Cold Blood”. She is slightly distracted though because she needs to move down to Florida to help get her dad’s house for sale. She’s also distracted by her new, attractive neighbor, Sam. Phoebe has to learn to open herself to live in order to get the happy ending she isn’t used to.

This was a solid romance book. I love the title and I love the cover. The premise that that protagonist is obsessed with true crime is new and I enjoyed the references. I feel like the pacing was a little off between Phoebe and Sam, but it was nothing that took away from the story. Anyone that enjoyed romance and Berkley books will be sure to enjoy this one!

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC! First, I must acknowledge that this book got me into reading true crime (I've read true crime before, but this made me read more). I enjoyed the romance here as the ML was open and warm, but our main character was prickly due to her parent's failed marriage (and I believe her own personality), so much of it was getting her to recognize her own feelings and letting herself love and be loved. In the background of this sweet love story, is her fascination with (and dissertation on) true crime literature. There is also a family story of reconnection and letting go. I thoroughly enjoyed this book more than I was expecting to.

This book was a lot of fun! I enjoyed how the love story wasn't the only driving point of the plot. There were a lot of other factors that made the main character multi dimensional. I love all of the nods to true crime.

This made me laugh out loud SO MANY TIMES that my children kept asking me what was wrong. What a delightful mashup: true crime tropes, a very real, flawed heroine, and some hilarious romcom moments. I couldn't put it down!

I love it when we get into the heads of the characters. Thompson really took the opportunity to create a wild, and dare I say, kind of weird character in Phoebe.

True crime is her passion and the world is related to specific books and crime spree characterizations. Murder she wrote, analyzed, and defends is her forte.

To say that Love in the Time of Serial Killers takes a bit to get into is an understatement. However, once you get the flow and the mission of Phoebe, you cannot help but feel for her. Sam, her neighbor is a sweetheart and her brother is a delight. But cracking into Phoebe’s heart is another matter.

Thompson created a fabulous story that is deeply insightful, intelligent, fresh, and raw. Packed full of feelings, this is a wonderful heartwarming story you will fall for! I cannot wait to see what else she conjures up to deliver to us in the future.

I ADORED this book. One part flirty, hot romance, one part an ode to true crime lovers everywhere. Our main character is headed home to help her brother pack up her house, but on night one, comes across a man in the middle of the night offering to help her move the dresser strapped on top of her car--obviously a serial killer, right? She continues watching him, realizing it's more than her concern he might be a serial killer that's drawing her in. What follows is a sweet romance w/ a HEA but plenty of sass and true crime thrown in. Really enjoyed this one and will be watching to see what comes next for the author!

DNF @ 11%. I tried reading this book awhile ago and didn't make it past the first chapter because I disliked the main character so much. Since it was an ARC, I wanted to give it another chance and finally did. This time I forced myself to read a couple more chapters, but it did not improve my opinion of the main character or the story. Phoebe was a complete jerk and her reactions to things were over the top and ridiculous. And the word "dude" was used way too often in conversation in the three chapters I read. I just can't read any more of this.

After a couple of slow chapters in the beginning, I fell absolutely in love with this book. I probably never related more to a character than I had with Phoebe. I'm also a fan of true crime and shows like Disappeared, so I knew most of the references she made as she tried to make sense out of her future and her love life. I've been on a beta love interest kick lately, so I straight up adored Sam. A sweet and shy music teacher? Sign me up. Phoebe and Sam were adorable together and I liked how he fought for her despite her dramatics. Plot never dragged and there was the perfect amount of spice.

*Will post review on Amazon upon publication.

Thompson was speaking to my soul writing this book! I love true crime, and while I’m married now, I couldn’t imagine dating and having all these true crime references constantly pop up in my mind or being so skeptical about everyone I meet. Thompson did a great job of including moments that made me laugh and giggle out loud. I loved the dorkiness of the characters! Thompson wrote the book in such a way that it read fast, but nothing between any of the characters ever felt rushed. The build up between the characters was palpable, and I’m not just talking about the main characters. I genuinely enjoyed this book, it made my heart happy.

I’ve been in a rom com mood but this one wasn’t anything particularly special. The premise sounded fun but I just couldn’t really get invested in Phoebe and Sam’s relationship. There was some nice stuff about grief but overall this was just meh.

Phoebe is a PhD candidate who has returned to her hometown to prepare her father's house to be sold after his unexpected death. Phoebe's relationship with her father was very rocky - she had asked to live with her mother after her parents divorce and after an incident that related to a threat of self-harm from Phoebe - she pretty much stayed away from her father and younger brother. Phoebe has always had a fascination with the true crime genre - and has turned that into the focus of a very non-traditional PhD. That focus has also lead her to pretty much believe everyone around her could be a serial killer. When she meets her father's neighbor in the middle of the night - her mind immediately makes that assumption. Sam is an elementary music teacher - and is pretty much the opposite of a serial killer. He likes Phoebe just as she is - but Phoebe is (to put it mildly) not open to love in a very real way. There are so many times throughout this book you just want to smack her upside the head to make her realize just how much those around her really care for her.

I liked so much about this book - including Phoebe's journey. She shows a tremendous amount of growth in the book - and by the end you can really sense it is so much for the better. The book is entirely from Phoebe's point of view, but you don't feel like the other characters are marginalized or two dimensional in any way. Even through Phoebe's perspective you can still see how they feel. The thing that truly made me knock one star off this review was the fact that I would have liked to see Phoebe in therapy. She definitely makes so much progress - but truly I think she needed some professional assistance.

Overall - I highly recommend - especially if you have listened to one too many murder podcasts.

I received this book via NetGalley as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own.

Love in the Time of Serial Killers is definitely different from your average romance book, just from the content the female main character discusses/studies/writes about through the book. This is probably not the romance book for someone who doesn’t have any interest in true crime, and is absolutely not the book for someone who avoids true crime content. For those romance readers who do also consume true crime content, this book is a great combination of interests.

Now, for the most important part, the romance! Phoebe and Sam are very cute together. She starts out incredibly suspicious of her hot next door neighbor, but eventually realizes that what she actually might be afraid of is the way he makes her feel. She definitely has valid reasons for why she has issues with love and intimacy, not the least of which is the way her family fell apart when she was younger, leading to her being estranged from her father, whose death immediately precedes the book. This is what leads to her becoming Sam’s neighbor and reconnecting with her younger brother, who experienced a very different childhood than she did.

Sam just really, really, really likes Phoebe. So much. He’s a hot teacher with a house and truly, what more could a girl want? He even moves furniture for Phoebe the first night they meet. He’s all in on Phoebe, and you truly love to see it.

I would recommend this book if you like: neighbor romances, girlies who need therapy, true crime.
I would not recommend this book if you hate: communication issues, commitment issues, grief.

i’d like to thank netgalley, berkley books, and alicia thompson for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"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.

If you enjoy true crime and lots of pop culture references then this book is for you. The romance is slow burn and might have been a little too slow for me but luckily that didn’t take away my enjoyment from the overall story. This book was so much more than just a romance.

4.5 stars

Ohhh, I loved it! I'm pretty picky when it comes to contemporary romance, but the unique approach of this one. (A true crime fanatic? Sign me up!) Very sweet and funny, with swoony romance tropes put through a new lens. Phoebe is a fun protagonist and her darkly witty observations lent a perfect voice to the story. This is a truly FUN romance, with smart characters and clever dialogue. The more emotional moments worked for me, but I wish the ending had been drawn out a little longer so I could really revel in it. This would be a perfect beach read for those who want their romances just the slightest bit unconventional.

I went in not knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. A fun, voice-y read, with humor reminiscent of Ali Hazelwood and Kristin Rockaway. Looking forward to more books by this author.

Phoebe is a phD candidate working on her true crime dissertation. Sam is her next door neighbor. Of course, upon a late night first impression, Phoebe thinks Sam is a serial killer. Once she gets to know him, however, they actually become more than just neighbors.
The idea of this book was great, but the execution of the plot was lacking. The romance was predictable and cringe-worthy. Phoebe sees serial killers everywhere to an annoying degree; she thinks Sam is a serial killer simply for being out past midnight and for hanging out in his garage. But then, as soon as she changes her mind about his potential as a criminal, they jump into a sexual relationship so fast. The supporting characters’ storylines, Phoebe’s brother, his girlfriend, and Phoebe’s old friend were more interesting than Phoebe and Sam’s relationship. This book had so much potential, but, unfortunately, it left much to be desired.