Definitely Maybe Not a Detective was… kinda like ordering a mystery-romcom smoothie and realizing halfway through they forgot to blend it all the way. Still drinkable, just a little lumpy.

The setup? Solid. Emersyn is broke, raising her niece in a retirement complex, and fake-hiring a PI to get revenge on her shady ex. Then enters Wyatt…a stranger…with the exact same name as the made-up detective. Chaos ensues. Love that for her.

But somewhere between the fake investigation and a very real murder, the story started to feel like it didn’t know what it wanted to be. The romance was cute, but kind of instalove. The mystery had potential, but felt more like background noise than something that actually built tension. It was giving “fun idea, average execution.”

Also there were a lot of side characters, and I kept mixing up which elderly neighbor was which (sorry to Millie or Marlene or whoever). I did laugh out loud a few times though, and I appreciated the found-family energy.

Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC

I LOVED this book! The twists kept coming and the cast of characters were hilarious! Emersyn was a fun, quirky character, and her friend Jemma’s fake private detective agency that turns into a (somewhat) real company was hilarious! She divined Wyatt into existence honestly and kudos to her for it because he was amazing!

The banter was good, the side quests with the senior squad were hilarious, and I always love a good murder mystery!

I would compare this to Finlay Donovan and Only Murders in the Building. It's a fun mystery without being too scary or gory. Plus we get a nice romance plot too.

I found this to be an entertaining fast-paced cozy mystery with charming characters. I feel a lot of readers are going to sympathize with Emersyn. She's going through a rough patch because of her terrible ex and she also has become guardian to her niece. She's relatable and real. I also really liked her friend Jemma. She was a hoot.

I really enjoyed Fox's writing here. It kept me engaged. I also thought the topic of grief was well addressed/shown.

The mystery, despite it being a homicide, is lighthearted. The plot has plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing and entertained.

Would highly recommend if you're either trying to get into cozy mystery or are a longtime fan of the genre. Very enjoyable!

Fun, lighthearted read. Basically a cozy mystery crossed with a romcom. It’s intentionally over the top and full of shenanigans as the main character pretended to be a private detective to solve the murder of her neighbor.

My biggest issues with the book is that there is too much going on (e.g., the issue with her ex, investigating the murder, two pseudo love interests, drama with her parents and Livy, etc) and it feels like it’s at the expense of the overall plot and Emersyn’s action being thought through and well explained.

I would have preferred more time spent building out important parts of the plot. For example, more of a focus on Emersyn and Wyatt so it wouldn’t have come across as only physical attraction, especially since the book is saying it’s part romcom. Another example: more background on why Emersyn was so adamant about keeping Livy while not getting help from her parents. This would have added some depth and clarity.

Thank you to Sarah Fox, Bantam, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an absolute treat. It was warm and funny with just enough mystery to keep me completely hooked, but what really pulled me in was how much heart there was beneath all the chaos. There was this constant undercurrent of tension and warmth between them, and the fake detective setup only made it more delightful. I loved watching them navigate the mess they’d created while slowly leaning into something very real. Their chemistry was irresistible without ever feeling forced. The mystery added just enough intrigue without overpowering the heart of the story. It brought out the quirks in the setting and characters in a way that felt organic and endearing. I loved every second.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited for this! I think jt was fun but a bit far fetched, so the lack of believable plots made it hard to enjoy. Aside from that, I could enjoy it if I give it the benefit of the doubt.

I was excited to read this and thought the premise sounded fun. I think readers looking for a quick, far-fetched, zany read may enjoy. For me personally, there were too many characters and sub-plots and I would have appreciated more character development and even pacing.

Thank you to Ballantine Bantam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Charming, funny, and full of heart
This was such a fun ride! Emersyn is chaotic in the best way, and the fake-detective setup had me hooked. The chemistry between her and Wyatt was great, and I loved the mix of humor, mystery, and heart. A few moments stretched believability, but overall it was a feel-good, quirky mystery with lovable characters. Would definitely read more!

What a fun read. Thank you to Ballentine books for the advanced copy. I didn't know what to expect, and this book delivered surpises in a fun way.

I throughly enjoyed Emerson and her escapades, she reminds me a bit of Finlay Donovan, and her well meaning efforts land her into a bit of a pickle.

If you are looking for a great beach read that's not your typical romance, this is it! I can't wait to see more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own. ❤️

Definitely Maybe Not A Detective follows a newly unemployed single aunt-turned-guardian who unwittingly finds herself investigating her apartment super’s death. Does she have the skills? Not really. But she does have a rag-tag group of people there to make it happen. There’s the elderly neighbors, the handsome former security detail, the differently-abled teenager with mad computer skills…how can they fail?

It was a fun, engaging story that had its moments of tugging at your heartstrings - I especially enjoyed how it handled grief, too. Overall, the story was surprisingly lighthearted given the subject matter - think Finlay Donovan with a splash of Dunston Checks In (any ‘90s family comedy fans out there?) and a really fun read. I enjoyed Emersyn’s voice and challenges throughout the book. It is perfectly set up for a subsequent novel and I would happily pick that up.

https://fable.co/review/bfb83a07-ddd8-4c97-9442-655092b3422b/share

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine and Bantam for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective focused on Emersyn (who is 100% not a detective) and a little bit of her shenanigans that caused her to get roped into investigate a murder in her apartment building. Having lost her brother and gotten custody of her niece, Emersyn can’t afford to have her money disappear with her ex, or be a suspect in the murder - both which get her into her current scrape.

This was a unique mystery that is as engrossing for the mischief that abounds as its characters. The emerging romance is also a nice surprise along with some emotional scenes I didn’t expect but was thought enriched the story. I can’t wait to read more by Sarah Fox, this was a lot of fun!

This book was such an entertaining unhinged ride, and I mean that in the best way. If Finlay Donovan and Riley Thorn had a love child who was perpetually stressed, broke, and living in a seniors only apartment complex, that would be Emersyn Gray. And I was rooting for her from page one.

Emersyn is doing her absolute best. She’s trying to stay afloat while raising her sweet, precocious niece (who she now has custody of after losing her brother), recovering from a terrible breakup with the world's worst ex (who also ran off with her savings), and living in the only apartment she can afford, which just so happens to be full of hilarious and nosy senior citizens. She’s juggling so much, and she still manages to be charming, clever, and deeply relatable.

Then there is Jemma. Best friend of the year, chaos agent, and mastermind of a plan that starts as petty revenge and snowballs into full blown detective cosplay. Her idea? Invent a fake private investigation agency to rattle Emersyn’s ex and try to scare him into returning the stolen money. Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, it works... sort of. Wyatt, the hot and mysterious stranger who accidentally gets swept up in the plan, agrees to pose as a PI. I loved the banter between him and Emersyn, the tension, the slow burn vibes... it’s giving “who is this man and why do I want to trust him immediately?”

But then, SURPRISE! A real murder happens. (Because of course it does.) Their fake PI agency suddenly becomes very real in the eyes of Em’s neighbors, and before she knows it, she’s trying to clear her neighbor’s name while figuring out who committed the murder.

The murder mystery itself was light and fun, but still had enough twists to keep me guessing. The romance between Em and Wyatt is a sweet and slow burn, full of mutual suspicion, surprising tenderness, and just the right amount of tension. I do wish we had gotten a little more of Wyatt’s backstory or internal world because he was kind of a mystery man until the very end, but I was still into it.

What I really loved about this book though was the side characters. The seniors in the apartment complex? ICONIC. The HR girl from the pawn shop? Give her a novella. Livy, Em’s niece, was adorable and added such a heartfelt layer to the story. And Theo, the teenage detective prodigy? Obsessed. Everyone brought energy, charm, and so much personality to every scene.

I do think the side plots with Em’s parents and her ex could’ve been trimmed or better woven into the story. They were relevant, but sometimes felt like a distraction from the main action and mystery. And yes, there were a lot of characters to keep track of at times, but once I got into the rhythm of it, I was in.

Overall, Definitely Maybe Not a Detective is a chaotic cozy mystery full of heart, humor, and hijinks. Think of it as a cross between Lucy Score’s Dead Guy Next Door and Only Murders in the Building.

Read if you love:
accidental detectives 🕵️‍♀️
grumpy/sunshine pairings 💘
lovable old people who meddle like pros 👵🏼
fake it until you make it energy 💼
a hint of slow burn romance 🔥

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Sarah Fox, Ballantine, and Bantam for the eARC! I would absolutely read a sequel if we get more Wyatt Investigations, especially if it’s Em and Wyatt trying (and failing) to be normal while solving crimes again. 😂

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective is a hilarious and chaotic mystery that reminds me of cross between Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series and Lucy Score’s. Riley Thorn series. Emersyn Gray needs something to go her way for her and her adorable niece she’s raising.

The book is full of colorful characters in her apartment building of the senior citizen variety. Em is doing her best to keep her above water. That's when her best friend Jemma steps in with a plan: invent a fake private investigation agency to get back at her no good ex. That’s where the fun begins and Emeryson is thrust into helping her neighbor be cleared of murder because they think she is PI.

If you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted mystery with a little romance. This book is for you. Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine, and Bantam for the eARC of Definitely Maybe Not A Detective!

loved this romance and finding out who killed the manager. loved that she takes care of her niece and lives with older folks. Loved that she found romance with Wyatt and loved the hr girl.

I went into this book expecting a fun murder mystery with a little romance. However the side plots with the parents and ex were more of a distraction than part of the whole story. I understand how they tied in but each time they were in the story I was taken out of the storyline I was enjoying.

I was provided an eARC copy of this book from NetGalley.

My detection skills are a little bit rusty. I can't predict suspects correctly! Don't get me wrong, this is amazing for the author!

There are a lot of characters, and that made me a little confused about who is who. Surprisingly, I liked the mix between the mystery and the romance! I was skeptical at first, but I enjoyed it immensely. If it weren't for the love triangle, I would have enjoyed it more; I don't like a confused FMC. Don't play with two men's emotions!

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Got invited, loved the cover and the premise, requested and got accepted all in the same day so thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for the eARC 🫶🏻🫶🏻

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective is a fun and chaotic cozy mystery reminiscent of Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series. Emersyn (Em) Gray is near broke, jilted, and suddenly responsible for raising her niece after losing her brother. Living in a seniors-only apartment building (because it’s the only thing she can afford after her slimy ex stole her savings), Em is doing her best to stay afloat. That’s when her best friend Jemma steps in with a plan: invent a fake private investigation agency to rattle the ex and get Em’s money back. Enter Wyatt—thanks to a perfectly timed misunderstanding—the new face of their made-up detective agency. What was supposed to be a harmless little scheme turns into a full-blown murder investigation when their fake business cards get passed around and suddenly everyone wants to hire them.

The mystery is definitely on the lighter side, but the characters and side-plots still carry enough intrigue. Emersyn’s best friend Jemma is a force of nature, her niece Livy is precious, and the geriatric neighbors steal the spotlight. The romance subplot had its moments, but I do wish we had more development there. Wyatt remains a bit too much of a mystery himself, which makes their chemistry feel more situational than swoony. Still, their banter and “what did we just get ourselves into?” energy kept things fun.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine, and Bantam for the eARC of Definitely Maybe Not A Detective!

I always love an engrossing mystery/romance combo. This book was ok for me (good for a light read), but ultimately not a very immersive/stimulating read for me. I felt like in the process of trying to balance the two genres in one book, it was spread too thin and there was something lacking as a mystery and as a romance. The mystery/detective portion was slightly more predictable than I would have liked it to be. The PI work was kind of random and didn't have a good flow to it. In terms of romance, it was more of a love triangle, but I felt like the FMC didn't really develop a solid relationship with either of her love interests and that there was more telling than showing when it came to how she felt about the two men (for ex. she would say that she felt a more emotional connection to one of the guys, but as a reader, I didn't feel and wasn't shown that emotional connection). Even with the guy she ends up with, I felt like there was still a lot to go in their relationship and I didn't feel invested in their relationship.

The best parts of this book were the geriatric side characters and the FMC's best friends. They added a lot of the humor, snark, and intellect, and they were the reason I gave this book 3 stars.

Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for the ARC!

An urban cozy mystery romp with a sweet secondary romance between a struggling single parent turned accidental investigator and the mystery man who thinks she’s a delightful mess.
_____
Emersyn Gray is really going through it. After getting fired from yet another part time gig, and having her life savings scammed away by an evil ex, she doesn’t know how she’ll make the bills to support both herself and her late brother’s young niece. So when she stumbles onto a murder in her apartment building it doesn’t make things better. Nor do the accusations leveled at her friend and elderly neighbor for committing the crime.

Wyatt [last name redacted by him for much of the book] crosses the tornado of doom that is Emersyn in a bush outside a country club as she plans on confronting her scammer of an ex. When he returns the phone she lost he becomes ensnared in an adventure to discover who really killed Freddie the creep using a fake detective agency with fake employees and zero authority to actually do anything. And still, they persisted.

This is a fun and fast read with just enough romance to keep readers engaged beyond the murder plot. The emotions that Emersyn goes through in her grief process, dealing with overbearing parents, financial insecurity, loving her niece, and being afraid of betrayal feel genuine. We’re rooting for her to both get a W and get out of her own way.

Not having Wyatt’s point of view makes sense for a straight on mystery, but Romances often lose something important when one half of a couple is an emotional mystery. There’s a flattening of Wyatt’s character where I often wondered why he was so persistent with a woman who was sending off all the signals of Leave Me Alone. He didn’t have to be there, unlike some pairings where the couple is forced proximity to solve a case. If we could see into his thoughts and feelings it would have made their relationship more vital and tipped this into the Romance genre. As it was, his crush didn’t make that much sense unless he had an intense instant physical attraction at first sight.

The secondary characters inject levity and balance out the emotional pathos well. Theo as the force of nature teen that decides they are going to do this detective thing or else brought genuine humor to the story.

Fans of Lucy Score’s Dead Guy Next Door and Only Murders in the Building will find something to enjoy in Definitely Maybe Not a Detective.

———
Series: Not currently marked as a series starter as of June 2025, but seems to indicate more will follow in the conclusion

Themes/Tropes: cozy mystery with romantic subplot, grief recovery, heroine riding the struggle bus, guardian of young child, single gal backed into a corner by a bad ex, crappy mother figure, mysterious man

Steam/Spice Level: first base only, nothing beyond kissing

Setting: vague New York City

BIPOC Characters: yes, secondary characters

LGBTQ+ Characters: yes, secondary characters

POV: first person, past tense, single POV (heroine only)

Cops/LEO: the cops are only a side element

Billionaires: he’s wealthy but not evil big B wealthy

Kids or Teens: yes, heroine is the guardian to her very young niece after she loses both parents, she’s a good kid and very sweet

Is there an HEA: not by the Romance genre definition, but a tentative Happy For Now, getting to know each other, and potential if there are more books in the series
__________
Advanced Readers Copy provided by Bantam. Expected publication date: January 6th, 2026

This book was such a joyful burst of chaos and charm, I couldn’t stop grinning the entire time I read it. I was obsessed with the way their fake partnership spiraled into something electric. Every interaction between them pulsed with romantic tension, laced with mutual suspicion and soft, slow-burning trust. Watching them fumble their way through pretending to be detectives while clearly falling for each other was completely addictive. The mystery itself was playful but still had real stakes emotionally. I didn’t expect to care so much about the quirky cast of seniors in the building or the layered little secrets they all carried. It gave the story a surprisingly tender undercurrent, and the murder plot was just twisty enough to keep me hooked without ever overshadowing the romance. I adored every minute of it.