Sometimes you just need a feel good book that’s filled with police drama, rock stars and murder. This book fills all the needs on that and while you flip pages to find out who’s the Villian you quickly fall in love with Rav and route for his happy ending…. But wonder if he will sabotage his own happiness for his job.

Books between romance and mysteries aren’t really for me, so it’s no surprise that I didn’t love He’s to Die For. I struggled to remember the differences among characters, which points to a larger disinterest in the book.

Rav is a detective investigating a high profile murder. Jack is a rock star who turns out to be a prime suspect. What could go wrong?

I enjoyed this book so much. I have come to really love a cozy, comedic, mystery moment. This book still has twists and turns but didn’t have me jumping at any little sound in my house that was inevitably one of my cats.

This was so much fun start to finish. There were so many things that made me laugh. I absolutely loved the romance. And while I do wish some of the side characters had been fleshed out a little bit more, overall this debut novel was a win for me! It will definitely be checking out what Erin writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to review this book early!

This was such a great book! It was a great mystery that had twists and turns I didn’t see coming. When I thought I picked out the bad guy, I ended up being wrong. I loved Rav—he was a fantastic character, so funny, and the comedic timing was great. Jack was fantastic, the perfect, soft musician who is so much more than you expect. I even loved Rav’s friends and how they were all there for him.

This was such a great book. Did I say that already? Well, so what, it’s true. Loved it. Would read again. Kinda wish there was more to their story because I love Rav and Jack so much!

I love a good mystery so tie that in with a romcom and I was ready for Erin Dunn’s He’s to Die For! Detective Rav Trivedi is the youngest homicide detective in the squad and is trying to prove himself, and he gets his big shot with a high profile case—if only he wasn’t falling for the number one suspect, rockstar Jack. Okay, so this was advertised as Brooklyn Nine-Nine meets The Charm Offensive, and the show reference really got me interested so with that in my head, this book unfortunately fell flat for me. I was expecting that banter and humor and it was partially there but I never found myself super excited to dive back into the book. The mystery hooked me and I did like the chemistry and phone calls and scenes with Rav and Jack, but I almost feel like there’s too much going on to really sink into it, I wanted both more focus on the detective side and more on the romance and neither felt fully developed out. Rav is a great lead, he’s dry and engaging and stylish with a lot of backstory that made him really interesting. And Jack is so endearing too with his sensitivity and openness. I did love the tension of their forbidden romance and the trust that grows and I thought the twist in the mystery was well done too. It’s fun and unique overall.

Very nearly perfect tbh. Celebrity murder mystery with adorable MCs? Yes please. I absolutely loved this story and the characters were lovable and you just wanted to root for them. Perfect fluff for this moment.

I loved He's to Die For! It was a great murder mystery that keeps you guessing. The characters were believable and the romance was swoonworthy. Rav was a nuanced character that made me laugh out loud.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for loaning me this book. Rav the gay detective is hoping his second case, since joining the police , the murder of a music executive, will prove he belongs and has earned a place on his police squad. The murdered executive made his money by purchasing record labels which includes the hit music of the signed bands and he won’t sell the rights to these songs back to the bands, one of which is the Knickerbockers, whose lead singer Jack, with justification, is the lead suspect in the murder. During the police investigation an attraction develops between Jack and Rav. The who done it part of the plot continues until the end of the book resulting in a satisfying denouncement. To me the highlight and most satisfying part of the book is the romance that develops between Rav and Jack. Is Jack the murderer and did Rave get booted off the police force, it’s worth reading the book to find out.

"He's to Die For" by Erin Dunn is a captivating novel that effortlessly blends suspense, romance, and intrigue. The plot is well-crafted, keeping readers engaged with unexpected twists and turns that maintain a steady pace throughout the book. Dunn's characters are vividly drawn and relatable, each bringing their own unique dimension to the story. The chemistry between the protagonists is palpable, adding depth to the narrative.

The author's writing style is engaging and descriptive, allowing readers to vividly imagine the settings and emotions portrayed. While the storyline is compelling, there are moments where the pacing could be tighter, but this does not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the book.

Overall, "He's to Die For" is a thrilling read that delivers excitement and emotional depth, making it a worthwhile addition to any reader's collection. Dunn has crafted a story that is sure to please fans of the genre.

I’ve never read anything from Erin Dunn before. Honestly, I didn’t care for this book. I am unsure if it is because of the character development or the predictability of the plot, but it couldn’t hold my interest.

When I read the premise for Erin Dunns debut novel, He’s to Die For, I immediately knew I needed to read it and was so happy when I saw the approval for the ARC!
I love me some mystery, thrillers and MM, so to have a story that combines all three was the absolute best. Detective Rav is investigating a very high profile murder with the lead suspect being non other than rockstar Jack. As the investigation continues and evidence mounts against Jack, can Rav remain focused on fact?
The characters are fun and interesting, Rav is very posh and damn can the man dress and Jack is surprisingly humble and not his rockstar persona. I like that the romance isn’t focal point, the mystery really shines here and is at the forefront; it really had me enthralled and was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
The tension was so good, this was very forbidden bodyguard vibes (queue the Whitney Houston song)and the flirty remarks via their text messages were some of my favorite things here. There were quite a few characters, I did forget who some were at times and I do wish we either got more insight into their backgrounds (Ravs family especially), perhaps in a sequel? I enjoyed this, I definitely would love to see more of these characters tackle another mystery!

Check this out if you like mysteries and MM like me, it’s out on June 3rd! Thanks so much to NetGalley, St Martins Press and Minotaur books for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun read.

The relationship between Rav and Jack was so well built and the romance avoided cliche insta-love. I enjoyed reading about them from start to finish. And the mystery elements were just present enough to be a thrill and not feel like a tacky background, but it wasn't so heavy that the romance was heavily over shadowed.

This was a well edited story with complex characters.

I'd definitely recommend this to readers.

Great prose, love reading a book written in third person. I also loved my romance with a side of murder. Really this was an action-adventure book with a side of romance, and I ate it up. There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming at all. Would read 10 more just like it.

DNF @ 34%

I was pretty certain after finishing one chapter that He’s To Die For wasn’t going to work for me, and I should have listened to my gut.

For me, there are a few issues that make it so I can’t push through the book, no do I care what happens:

1)The main characters: Rav is supposed to be this young and successful homicide detective who nobody respects for no good reason but I can tell you the reason: he’s insufferable. Also he’s not very professional for the fact he starts falling for a possible suspect in the murder and the narrative writes off his concern over that pretty quickly.

Jack, the rockstar possible murder love interest, reminds me of every guy in college who thought he was deep but really should just be in therapy. There isn’t much the reader gets about Jack beyond his anxiety and cluelessness about the world around him.

These two kissed at the 34% mark, I didn’t care, and that was the final nail in the coffin.

2) I honest to god cared more about the murder case than the romantic plot, but as that was secondary in this book (which is fine!),I couldn’t stick around to find out what happened.

3) The constant cultural references/details that are going to age this book faster than climate change will affect the planet. The brand name clothing Raf wears is constantly name-dropped (ew), the references back to Brooklyn 99 (saying a character is “The female Captain Holt” does not make your book like the show, in fact it alienates readers who haven’t seen it and it shows weak writing, actually), and other character descriptions like “an off-brand Tom Brady,” mentions of social media sites “He refused to call it X” - you get the picture.

I know this is a debut, and I do think the bones of a good story is there, but if the Romance isn’t going to carry the Romance Book, everything else in the pages need to be stronger - and it wasn’t.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is a cute romantic suspense with serious Charm Offensive vibes. Rav is a homicide detective with serious career ambitions who gets caught off guard by the hot lead singer of a rock band who is initially the lead suspect of his latest case. This book brings romance, emotional intimacy, and mental health rep while also fighting with some former CIA operatives. Definitely worth the read.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. It is very well written and kept me enthalled from start to finish.
Eveyrthing in this book from the romance to the police investigation of murder is on point.
The banter between Rav and Jack is absolutely incredible and absolutely hilarious. The backstory regarding Tommy and how it affected everyone else really adds to the story. The story kept me guessing throughout all of it. I really didn't expect that twist.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Das Buch ist eine Mischung aus m/m romance und einem Krimi. Die Geschichte wirkte auf mich beim Lesen frisch und größtenteils auch unterhaltsam.

Es war auffällig, dass mich die Liebesgeschichte mehr angesprochen hat als die Ermittlungsarbeit, diese ließ mich überraschend kalt. Ich habe bei der Auflösung des Verbrechens leider auch nicht mitgefiebert.

In Bezug auf die beiden Helden habe ich sie zwar gerne näher kennengelernt, gleichzeitig konnte ich sie mir nicht als richtige Personen vorstellen. Darauf aufbauend fand ich ihre Liebesgeschichte zwar nett, aber nicht mehr.

Ich würde “He’s to die for” als unterhaltsames und nettes Buch beschreiben, das ich zwar gerne gelesen habe, das mich gleichzeitig aber nicht voll überzeugen konnte.

🖤🖤🖤 1/2

Für wen?

Wer Romane mag, die eine Liebesgeschichte mit Ermittlungsarbeit in einem Mordfall verbinden und dabei eher heiter und nicht düster sind, kann zugreifen.

Erin Dunn, I hope your pillow is always cold on both sides!! This was a lovely book, and my first ever by Erin Dunn. I am looking forward to more works by them.
Thank you so much NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed this!!! I don’t think I have ever read a romance mystery quite as enticing as this one!
4/5 stars ⭐️

Thank you to St Martin's Press for this eARC! This was a fun read. It was fast paced and easy to digest, like watching my favorite USA procedural. Serious topics handled but light on its feet. And the romance was good! I liked the balance between a detective and a rockstar/suspect. Closed door spice but not in a way that negatively effected the plot or vibe, it all flowed really well and kept the chemistry alive. Overall a fun read!

I DNFed at 80%.

One night stand. Detective x suspect. Cop x rockstar.

"It's not the first time he's been attracted to someone he shouldn't be. Attraction is a primal thing; you can't control it. You can only control your actions, and he's always been pretty disciplined about that.”

I DNFed this at 80% the beginning had me hooked but the lack of communication just bugged me so much and I just stopped.

Overall the book was fun and enjoyable.