Christina Dotson spins a compelling, emotionally charged thriller in Love You To Death. The tension is expertly sustained, propelled by a narrator whose unreliable memories and shifting trust lines create riveting uncertainty. Dotson balances psychological suspense with emotional authenticity, ensuring readers deeply care about each character’s fate. The pacing is taut, with twists executed organically and stakes elevated through raw vulnerability. While the plot intrigues, it’s the emotional undercurrents—love, betrayal, resilience—that resonate. A gripping, thoughtful read that lingers long after the last shocking turn.

I wouldn’t consider this a thriller, I would consider it two insufferable main characters who repeatedly make bad decisions to move the plot forward but doesn’t grant anything redeeming to the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I loved this book so much that I read it in one sitting. It was so fun seeing them crashing weddings, until they got caught up in a murder! I could not put this book down, I had to know what was going to happen. I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

Kayla Davenport and Zorie Andrews have been best friends since grade school. They’ve seen each other through some of the best and worst times of their lives, and have had each other’s backs through thick and thin. Now they both work in housekeeping at the Chamberlain Hotel, a thankless job that barely pays the bills on the apartment that they share.

In order to make ends meet, they’ve developed a larcenous hobby: crashing weddings in order to steal gifts, preferably cash. When Zorie suggests hitting up an antebellum-themed wedding in a rural area of Georgia, Kayla is hesitant. She’s pretty sure that she and Zorie will stick out as two of the few, if not only, Black women there, but Zorie is adamant. Besides, Kayla impulsively did a pretty terrible thing and owes her step-sister Candace an exorbitant amount of money. She needs the cash and can’t afford another family rift, not with her Dad constantly siding with his second wife and step-daughter despite Kayla’s pleas:

QUOTE
“You let her erase me from our family, dad. Just like you erased Mom.”

My mind flashes back to that first month after my release from prison and the way Gloria monitored my every move inside the house, like I was a virus threatening to contaminate her perfect world. She and Candace locked their bedroom doors at night, making sure I heard the lock click when I walked past their rooms. By the end of the month, Gloria had convinced Dad that my presence in the house made her and Candace uncomfortable, and he asked me to leave. Zorie picked me up in her boyfriend’s Mustang, and I sprinted across the lawn without looking back.
END QUOTE

Zorie’s loyalty, especially in comparison with her father’s, is only one reason Kayla agrees to an idea that she’s already sure is far riskier than it needs to be. But the risk factor increases exponentially as the two best friends inadvertently wind up breaking all the rules that they’ve set for themselves when carrying out these heists. When the very worst happens and someone dies, the women take off on the road trip from hell, fleeing Georgia in a desperate bid for freedom.

The further they go, however, the more Kayla begins to realize that maybe her best friend isn’t quite the person Kayla’s believed her to be for so long. Zorie has always been irrepressible and irresponsible, but there’s a glint of steel and fire in her eyes now, as they wend their bloody way southwest. Kayla’s dad warned her about Zorie, but it was hard to take advice on leaving your best friend from someone who always seems ready to abandon you in turn. Besides, Kayla knows that she’s probably as culpable as Zorie is for everything, from their connection to their crimes:

QUOTE
That’s the thing about being best friends with Zorie. There wasn’t room for anyone else. KD+ZA. Even if someone tried to turn our duo into a trio, they never stuck around. Maybe I liked it that way. Maybe subconsciously it was me who didn’t want to share Zorie. She made me feel special and seen, like I existed inside a life that made me feel invisible. But with Zorie, her light always shined on me, bold and bright, and mine on her. The truth is, we don’t know how to walk away from each other, and even if we did, I’m not sure I ever could.
END QUOTE

This depiction of a manic, obsessive friendship between two women with terrible parents and even worse impulse issues is both convincing and jarring, as Christina Dotson paints an indelible portrait of what it means to be Black and poor and looked down on in 21st century America. Kayla and Zorie do awful things – in large part due to their justifiable fear of being dealt even worse consequences from a deck seemingly stacked against them – but it’s hard not to root for them to find some sort of happily ever after. Love You To Death leans harder into despair during the last third of the book, losing some of its wry charm as the stakes get higher, but it’s definitely one of the best explorations of desperation and self-destructive friendships since the iconic Thelma & Louise hit theaters over thirty years ago.

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!