"Colliding is the right word for it. Ricocheting off one another in the margins of violent incidents. If it’s fate, it’s a strange kind."

Detective Ravi is investigating a murder case that has rockstar, Jack, as the prime suspect.

Let me tell you that I laughed out loud, squealed, kicked my feet and giggled while reading this book. It was just so sweet and wholesome and I just want to hug both of them.

We are in the POV of Ravi and he's such an interesting character. I love his dry wit, humor and just overall sarcasm. He's just like me, for real for real. Jack, on the otherhand was a gentle soul that has more substance than the usual rockstar.

"A cynic is just a brokenhearted romantic."

The romance was burning, it was simmering, it was perfect for both of them. This is what I was looking for when I said, "I want a good MM romance". This book was perfect, and I am always down for a cop MMC.

“I’m your hotline, remember?” “You’re a fcking lifeline.”

He’s to Die For by Erin Dunn, was a quick read as I needed to know the ending. The writing flows, the characters are developed, and the mix of humor and mystery, makes this debut novel a fun and fast read. The main character, Rav, has duel citizenship as he was born in NYC, but his father is a British Lord. Rav is working as a NYC detective on a case which has twists and turns to keep the mystery. I’m hoping that there is a sequel as I love Rav and want to see the next steps in his journey. Definitely a 4.5 read, maybe even a 5.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read He’s to Die For. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

A gay detective finds his newest case going in an unexpected way when one of the suspects is a hot rock star... with no alibi and he's falling for him. This book was definitely an easy read... but it just was a boring one for me. I just never found myself all that invested in the romance between the two characters. I was hoping for more on both the rom com side and the mystery side of this. The romance just didn't really fell all there for me and the overall book felt slow. I just was dragging myself through to the end. As a fan of Brooklyn 99 as well as someone who had fun reading The Charm Offensive... this was just not it for me. There were a ton of pop culture references as well and I do think that it could be a fun read for someone else... just not me.

Release Date: June 3, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Enjoyed this rom-com from the beginning. It’s fun and fast-paced with lovable characters and off-the-charts chemistry. The romance is swoony and the interaction between the characters had me smiling though out the book.

I loved this book! I found this story to but such a unique and creative one as recently ive been finding so much repetition in plots and tropes but this book stood out from the rest for sure! the characters were well developed and the mystery was a complex one that kept me guessing the whole time!

I enjoyed reading He's to Die For. Rav Trivedi is a great character. As a young police detective in NY he finds himself investigating the members of a popular band for the murder of a music executive. Rav is especially drawn to Jack, the band's lead singer. Jack is also the main murder suspect. Dunn does an excellent job of combining romance and mystery. The plot and characters definitely make this a worthwhile read.

I got this book as an ARC and I really enjoyed it! The plot development was really good as Rav continued to unravel the mystery. I wish the main relationship had stronger communication from both characters

3/5 stars

This book sets out to be a romcom-murder mystery mashup, but it feels like it couldn't quite decide which hat to wear—so it wore both a little sideways. The mystery kept things moving, and the main character was charming enough to carry a lot of the weight. The romance, though, felt like it got lost on the way to the plot; not enough page time, not enough spark, and a bit too tropey to really land. Kind of like a mediocre two step than sultry dance of intrigue and swoonworthy moments.

Honestly, the Pop culture references were doing a lot of the heavy lifting—sometimes instead of actual description, which made scenes feel more like social media posts than actual story. I get the attempt to sound modern and relatable, but it pulled me out more than it pulled me in.


Definitely not a bad read as there were moments I enjoyed, however, it's just not quite my vibe.

ARC provided by St. Martins Press via Netgalley. Review is voluntary.

3.5⭐️ .75🌶️

The story itself was cute. The romance carried this for me. The investigation was a little too far fetched by the end. The writing was confusing at times, specifically with a character named Ryan Nash. Sometimes they called him Nash, sometimes Ryan. It was to the point I swore it was two different people or a typing error, since this is an arc. Overall, I enjoyed this for what it was. Who doesn’t love a little detective work with their romance?

4⭐️ 1🌶️

~ MM Romance
~ Rockstar x Detective
~ Murder Mystery
~ Anxiety Representation
~ He’s the Suspect
~ Set in New York City
~ Singular 3rd Person POV

This book was a freaking rollercoaster.

I had such an issue with the band’s name, New Knickerbockers. It really took me out of the story 😂 I liked when they were called the Nicks for short, but the whole thing was wild to me

It was waiting game for a minute there, but when the story picked up it /really/ picked up. I absolutely love conspiracy shit (I’m an Aquarius hello) and the twists and turns that started piling up was entertaining as hell.

And that includes the relationship building between Jack and Rav. Every interaction between them was entertaining and beautifully done. The pace was on par for a contemporary romance and I had a great time watching them fall in love.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this e-ARC! 🥹

ARC Review
He's To Die For by Erin Dunn

This was a fun to listen to romance that focused on a murder investigation. The mystery was definitely the main focus of this story, with underlying undertones of some romance. It appeared that their chemistry was instant. This was a low spice novel but it really didn't feel like it. There was a lot of emotional connection.

Pick this one up if you enjoy:
* MM Romance
* British NY Detective x Murder suspect Rockstar
* Crime mystery with a bit of romance
* Single POV - 3rd person

Part romcom, part murder mystery, and unfortunately I don't feel like either aspect is well-balanced. The mystery is interesting and I enjoy the writing for the most part, and the primary character is very well-developed and I like him a lot, but the romance feels half-baked; the love interest doesn't get enough page time and I feel like the chemistry between them isn't really explored all too much; it just ends up feeling cliche, with the two of them put into nice little tropey boxes, and I'm not too much of a fan of that. But my biggest issue with the book is pop culture references and how they're relied on in multiple points in place of actual descriptive text; using "it's like an episode of [insert show here]", or "this character looks/acts like [insert character/actor]" in place of setting the scene is really frustrating, and felt like a way to force references for.. I don't know why. To seem more relatable? Modern? Regardless, it was really annoying, and made it difficult to fully get immersed into the book.

(There's also a Harry Potter reference, which is disappointing in general but even more so in an LGBT story, and also affected my experience with the book).

There's definitely an audience for this book and author, but I don't think it's me! But thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read more from this author! I enjoyed the mystery aspect and I felt like the author did a great job of weaving the romance into it and the relationship between our two MMCs felt organic and like it served a purpose throughout the story. I really liked both Rav & Jack’s characters independently and together. The mystery was well done. I did not expect how the story ended and I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who loves a little romance with their mysteries!

Rising NYPD homicide detective Rav Trivedi investigates the murder of a record executive. He’s drawn to the charismatic—and possibly guilty—rock star suspect, placing both his career and his heart on the line.

I loved this mystery rom-com from the beginning. It’s fun and fast-paced with lovable characters and off-the-charts chemistry. The romance is swoony, while the mystery is intriguing and full of twists.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I thoroughly enjoyed “He’s to Die For” from start to finish. This was the perfect mix of mystery and romance (that didn’t detract from the suspense), laugh out loud moments, moments of pathos, and characters that intrigued with their breadth and depth. The dynamics between Rav and Jack are in stark contrast to their chosen careers and I find their lifestyles and back stories very interesting and appealing. The primary focus of #hestodiefor is the murder mystery with all the ins and outs of dealing with a high profile case while also coping with an attraction for the ages that complicates things on so many levels. Thanks to Dunn’s immersive writing skills I have a vision in my mind of each of the characters and can see myself attending a Knickerbockers’ concert.

I’d love to see this book become a series with Rav as detective and seeing how his future prospects turn out. I feel like Rav’s story has just begun to have the surface scratched that I’d definitely come back so I could keep abreast of what adventures are next. And of course this would have a whole lot more of both Rav and Jack’s journey after this book ends along with the computer hacking skills of Aisha.

I genuinely loved this book and will be looking for more titles to come from Erin Dunn. I switched between the two formats though loved Sid Sagar’s narration so much that I primarily read the audio. Debut Canadian author Erin Dunn has cemented her place as an author to watch for with writing that is light and airy that will sweep you away with her characters.

Thank you to @macmillanaudio and @minotaurbooks @stmartinspress for the advance complimentary #alc and #drc of this title that I read on @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Available everywhere June 3, 2025.

#minotaurbooks #stmartinspress #macmillanaudio #netgalley #erindunn #debutauthor #canadianauthor #mysterybooks #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

Rav + Jack

-mm forbidden romance
-detective x suspect
-murder mystery
-strangers to lovers
-broody rockstar

ohhh this one had me on the edge of my seat a few times & i was surely here for it!! the story & plot were so intriguing but i wish we got more of the romance & deeper development of it!

This was a very sweet read! Rav and Jack's love story was so fun to read and the murder case kept me on my toes. Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

4.25 stars

A fun yet suspenseful romance full of twists and turns and intrigue! The case was interesting and kept me engaged throughout. The romance was swoony and believable despite the issues of an investigator and a person of interest in a case. I felt those concerns were addressed and handled in a realistic way.i do think the twist at the end was maybe a little too dramatic in what happens after the case is solved but it feels fairly standard for the genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

This sexy, debut MM mystery romance is so fun. I'm also now headed into my rock star romance era because I loved Jack's character and all of his swoony songwriting!

Rav is a new detective in the NYPD Homicide division, and the blue-blooded son of a British politician and a fashion model. He's exacting and fastidious, and has his neatly ordered world thoroughly rocked when the prime suspect of his latest investigation is the gorgeous, brooding lead singer/songwriter of a hugely popular alternative rock band. Rav has always trusted his instincts, but when his gut tells him that Jack is innocent of the murder of the record label executive he's publicly despised for years, he can't be sure that their instant mutual attraction isn't leading him astray.

I loved that the romance between Rav and Jack was balanced well by the mystery and Rav's efforts to prove Jack's innocence. Rav and Jack were both lovable characters, and I was rooting for them to find their HEA from the start. I also thought that the cast of supporting characters is great and utilized well in the narrative.

While the pacing floundered a bit in the second act, I think everything got back on track in the third act. Overall, this was an enjoyable read that had a lot of sweet romantic moments, with the feel of a cozy mystery.

Thank you to SMP/Minotaur books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel prior to publication. I was not compensated in any way for this review, and all opinions are my own.

I liked this one a lot! It was a great mix of romance and mystery. For sure lighter than thrillers but still an element of that whodunnit/mystery.