Thank you to NetGalley, Christina Dotson, and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the eARC. Wow—what a wild, twisted ride! This gripping story gave off serious modern-day Thelma and Louise vibes. The duo faces one stroke of bad luck after another, and I was constantly questioning whether it was all coincidence… or something far more sinister. A must-read to find out!

Have you ever done something that you are ashamed of, or is really bad? You try to fix things and things just get worse? That is what happens to Zorie and Kayla in this book. It wasn't a great book but it wasn't one that I could put down--kind of like seeing a bad accident and not being able to look away. You should open this book, knowing that no matter what, you just can't look away or put it down. These girls were in a world of hurt and they just kept making it worse. Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for the complementary digital ARC. This review is my own honest opinion.

Wow! This book had me biting my nails the entire time. Suspenseful, action packed, fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and crazy high stakes! If you look up toxic friendships in the dictionary, there might be a picture of Kayla and Zorie from Love You to Death! Christina Dotson is an author to watch and I'll be watching.

Love you to Death starts off pretty strong. Ms Dotson gives us pretty good back story as to why these two characters, Kayla and Zorie descend into chaos the way they do. Current struggles and unresolved trauma seemed to be the conduit for their friendship.

Kayla’s blind loyalty to Zorie was wild because at some point, you have to recognize when you have to get of the crazy train. I wanted to root for her so bad but the girl kept making the most impulsive and stupid choices…..goodness. Zorie was simply a psychopath. Girl was gone and honestly truly, I believe Kayla lived vicariously through her because Zorie did things Kayla wanted too but didn’t have the courage. Their on the run-a-nesque ride across the country from the law made for thrilling moments throughout the read. I will say however, that there are moments where the pacing is off but I think here, the author gives her readers extremely flawed characters who you aren’t sure if you should root for them or not. It surely imo makes up for it. The twisty turns and out of this world reveals that will have you clutching your proverbial pearls.

All and all, I enjoyed this book. And if you’re a fan of girls on the run type reads, then add this to your tbr.

Thank you to this publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and it delivered. In the book, we follow Kayla and Zuri who are on the run after one of their wedding crashes become deadly. I loved the random characters they met along the trip, and also at times found their conversations to be quite funny. If I were to compare this book to anything, it would be either One of Them Days or Thelma and Louise. I think also, this book really does make you look at people you have relationships with.. Very good debut!

Kayla and Zorie have been friends forever. Bonding over their poor childhoods, Kayla with a step-mother, a step-sister who hates her and and a father who is forever making her feel less than next to them, and Zorie with a mother who doesn't seem to want anything to do with her, they vowed to never leave each other behind.

Well, that may not have been the best decision when they are both on the run after stealing from a wedding, mowing down a guest with a car, and going on the run Thelma and Louise style. The further they run, the worse things get as the bodies pile up, and it seems like there is nothing they can do but keep running.

I am not sure how I feel about this. While I enjoyed the beginning, and the middle was decently action-packed, I just found myself unable to keep focused on what was going on. It was the case that if I put it down, I didn't feel motivated to pick it back up.
I did finish and did, for the most part, enjoy the way it ended.

🌱| 𝘞𝘰𝘸!!✨𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝓇𝒾𝒹𝑒!! 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘯 ⛐💨 𝘈 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘚𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴.

🎧|🎙️ 𝘕𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘙𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘬𝘢 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘴-𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱. 𝘙𝘢𝘸. 𝘈 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯!! 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴…🤌🏾✨ 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.

Man, this was not for me. I really tried to get through it but it ended up as a DNF due to poor characterization and questionable decisions that took me out of the story too much.

This book was so good witty fun keep you up at night wanting more page tuner I love how all the characters came together how the story came together the story was so good I read it in one sitting I really felt bad for the two main characters they had it hard so they had to hustle hard and some times were worse than others but the struggle was real in this book

Bonded by trauma and numerous bad decisions Kayla and Zorie are childhood best friends. Kayla has been trying to right her wrongs from a teenage prank a decade ago that led to her arrest. Making a living as a housekeeper just isn't cutting it and she is in desperate need of something else. Her past time of wedding crashing and stealing the cash and gifts with Zorie add a much-needed adrenaline rush, not to mention spare cash. But their one last heist goes spectacularly FUBAR when someone ends up dead. Now Kayla and Zorie find themselves with no choice but to flee. From Georgia to the bayou, past issues start to rear their ugly heads, and Kayla has to come to terms with the knowledge that she might not know her best friend as well as she thought.

While Love You To Death starts with a strong premise, I had a couple of issues. The first part starts off steady but then I feel like it slows way down and gets a bit repetitive. The last part picks back up but the ending, while a bold choice, just didn't land for me. I do love the fresh take on the thriller that Dotson was trying for and the dialogue is authentic. Overall, being a debut, I think this one had its fair share of standout moments, it just wasn't quite the KO it could have been.

Thank you to NetGalley, Christina Dotson, and Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine for this ARC! Publication date was July 22nd, 2025.

This is what I call an OHNO book. At some point in almost every chapter, I say OHNO. Christina Dotson has penned a fast-paced version of how friendship is not always a positive thing. Kayla and Zorie are long-time friends, surviving the identical poverty-stricken childhoods that set them on a fast track to a bad ending. Zorie is the apparent leader in this friendship, pulling Kayla into situations a meeker woman would avoid. The two women have been crashing weddings where they steal the gifts and sell them. Then, the violence escalates until a woman dies, and Kayla and Zorie are fugitives from murder. The two women embark on a Thelma and Louise-style road trip, knowing the odds are against them. Plenty of excitement follows as their date with consequences gets closer with every mile.

Love You to Death by Christina Dotson is a gripping, suspenseful novel with cinematic fllourishes. Think new age Thelma and Louise. Christina Dotson masterfully blends suspense and emotion, delivering a story full of twists, obsession, and heart-pounding tension. The characters are vivid, the stakes are high, and the chemistry sizzles. Perfect for fans of suspense novels with flawed characters. This novel proves that love and friendship can be both comforting—and deadly.

This book is so amazing! It’s very well written and a great, exciting read!
The story itself was suspenseful and enjoyable, The characters were great and the style of writing was perfect.
An intriguing story with characters who draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
I didn’t want to stop reading the story until I knew how it was going to end!

Love You to Death is the kind of thriller that grabs you by the throat with its opening scene and never lets up. Christina Dotson spins a fever-dream of a story—equal parts wild crime spree, toxic friendship drama, and sharp social commentary. Kayla and Zorie aren’t just unreliable narrators; they’re women spiraling through grief, desperation, and the sticky chaos of co-dependence. Their crash-and-burn journey across the South is laced with biting humor and a creeping sense of dread that made it impossible for me to look away.

Unfortunately the main characters of this book were kind of unredeemable and many times unrootable. I felt like this book had so much promise but it just fell flat to me. I did enjoy the trip portion of this book though.

3.5 out of 5.

This is the perfect recipe for a fast paced/action packed thriller. The characters, however, did not always strike the landing, in my opinion. Some of the choices they made were a little frustrating and hard to believe.

I will say that for this being the author’s debut, this was great! The plot was interesting and had some nail biting moments. The way the author builds suspense and continuously kept upping the stakes, was wild! Just when you think it can’t get worse, it does and will. I wasn’t expecting the story to go that off the rails, but wow was I invested in the ride!

My one issue was with the characters. I found it hard to understand what Kayla’s real goal was here. She kept wanting to change her path but never made moves to do so. She also kept making sooo many bad choices! I could not understand why she did it! Zorie was such a wild card, but an interesting character to this story. I almost would have liked a dual POV for this, I think it would have added an extra layer to the story and maybe a better understanding of both Kayla and Zorie.

Overall, I would recommend this book. The plot is so action packed from the beginning and does not let go until the very end! It was so interesting, but I’m left with a few questions that I still want answers to! I just wish we got a little more from the main characters, beyond the just terrible decision making. But, I will say I’m very excited to pick up more from this author in the future! I think they’re going to write some great action packed stories!

And as a side note. I am still thinking about that ending! Still wild!

***Thank you so much to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

**Debut Thriller** Published July 22, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ /5

Thanks to #RandomHousePublishing, #Ballantine, and the author for the #GiftedCopy of this ARC provided via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

When I picked up Love You To Death, I wasn’t totally sure it would hold my attention. But a few pages in, it took off like the General Lee flying through Georgia (younger readers, you might need to Google that one 😂). Christina Dotson’s debut is a dark, twisted, and emotional ride that mixes the chaos of "Natural Born Killers" with the sisterhood vibes of "Thelma and Louise." Some readers have mixed feelings about it, but I was all in. This book is one wild, bloody ride.

Kayla and Zorie are childhood besties bonded by trauma, secrets, and way too many bad decisions. They crash weddings and steal gifts to survive. (High risk, low reward—definitely not for the faint of heart.) But everything unravels after one heist goes sideways, a bridesmaid ends up dead, and the two find themselves on the run across the South. Their “ride or die” pact turns into something much darker.

Kayla is the quiet one, the emotional center of the story. She’s flawed, no doubt, but there’s something raw and real about her. I couldn’t help but root for her, even as things spiraled. Her life feels like it was always one wrong turn away from disaster. And Zorie is the disaster. She’s electric, wild, dangerous, and the definition of a beautiful mess. She's a human grenade with a dazzling smile. Their friendship is tangled and totally toxic, but it’s also heartbreakingly loyal.

Dotson does a great job showing how trauma blurs the line between love and survival. Watching them spiral is hard, but I couldn't look away.

The plot is full of sharp turns and “what the hell just happened” moments. The dialogue rings true, the tension never lets up, and the stakes get higher with every chapter. This debut is fierce, fast, and brilliantly unforgettable. I'm sold on this author!
Read it if you love:
Morally messy female friendships
Stories about unhinged women making terrible choices
Crime thrillers that feel like they could go viral
Books that make you feel a little guilty for rooting for the bad guys

This is an intense and heart-pounding trip through the South as two young Black women, fleeing from their crimes, end up involved in a spree of crimes that get more and more violent and harder to come back from. How well do we know our best friends, and what are the limits of our bonds? How does trauma affect those? A great new voice.

Love You To Death
Christina Dotson

Kayla is impressionable. Zorie is the impressionist. At least that’s the roles that they both play in their relationship. No matter what appears to have gone awry the duo have each other’s back. Or do they 🤔👀😏?

Kayla’s point of view is the primary perspective of the novel. She expresses her discontentment with her current position in life, but her actions aren’t making things better either. It’s somewhat of a snowball effect. She also has a hard time accepting the consequences of her actions.

Zorie is, in fact, the wild card. She’s been able to navigate life even with her affinity for chaos, rather well. Her issue is she almost always takes things a little too far. Her inability to be rational in particular situations creates an even more dangerous situation.

The dynamic of their relationship changes throughout their journey, but they never really stray far from each other. The codependency is real.

I think this novel is dynamic, in the way in which Kayla develops throughout the novel. There is a lot of tension between what she knows is the “right“ thing to do, and what she has planned with Zorie. It takes her a long while to understand her role in the chaos. In some ways, it felt like that issue would be something she would have to grapple with indefinitely.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

#LoveYouToDeath #ChristinaDotson #readandtellwithshantel #netgalley #randomhousepublishinggroup #Ballantine #ARC

This starts off as Bonnie and Clyde then turns into Thelma and Louise. It is very dark. A lot of important themes around friendship, family, and race. There were times I was yelling at Kayla for the poor choices she was making. It did a good job maintaining my interest.