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Riley Thorn #1
The Dead Guy Next Door
A nice, normal life. Is that too much to ask? For Riley Thorn it is.
Divorced. Broke. Living with a pack of elderly roommates. And those hallucinations she's diligently ignoring? Her tarot card-dealing mom is convinced they're clairvoyant visions.
Just when things can't get worse, a so-hot-it-should-be-illegal private investigator shows up on her doorstep looking for a neighbor...who turns up murdered.
Nick Santiago doesn't play well with others. Unless the "others" are of the female persuasion. Wink. He's a rebel, a black sheep, a man who prefers a buffet of options to being stuck with the same entrée every night, if you catch his drift.
When the pretty, possibly psychic Riley lands at the top of the list of suspects, Nick volunteers to find out whodunit. Only because he likes solving mysteries not because he wants to flex his heroic muscles for the damsel in distress.
All they have to do is figure out who pulled the trigger, keep the by-the-book detective with a grudge at bay, and deal with a stranger claiming he was sent to help Riley hone her psychic gifts. All before the killer discovers she's a loose end that requires snipping.
Divorced. Broke. Living with a pack of elderly roommates. And those hallucinations she's diligently ignoring? Her tarot card-dealing mom is convinced they're clairvoyant visions.
Just when things can't get worse, a so-hot-it-should-be-illegal private investigator shows up on her doorstep looking for a neighbor...who turns up murdered.
Nick Santiago doesn't play well with others. Unless the "others" are of the female persuasion. Wink. He's a rebel, a black sheep, a man who prefers a buffet of options to being stuck with the same entrée every night, if you catch his drift.
When the pretty, possibly psychic Riley lands at the top of the list of suspects, Nick volunteers to find out whodunit. Only because he likes solving mysteries not because he wants to flex his heroic muscles for the damsel in distress.
All they have to do is figure out who pulled the trigger, keep the by-the-book detective with a grudge at bay, and deal with a stranger claiming he was sent to help Riley hone her psychic gifts. All before the killer discovers she's a loose end that requires snipping.
540 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2020
17443 people are currently reading
82353 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Score
62 books61k followersLucy Score is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling author. She grew up in a literary family who insisted that the dinner table was for reading and earned a degree in journalism.
She writes full-time from the Pennsylvania home she and Mr. Lucy share with their obnoxious cat, Cleo. When not spending hours crafting heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines, Lucy can be found on the couch, in the kitchen, or at the gym.
She hopes to someday write from a sailboat, oceanfront condo, or tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi.
Sign up for her never annoying newsletter at https://www.lucyscore.net/subscribe-l....
She writes full-time from the Pennsylvania home she and Mr. Lucy share with their obnoxious cat, Cleo. When not spending hours crafting heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines, Lucy can be found on the couch, in the kitchen, or at the gym.
She hopes to someday write from a sailboat, oceanfront condo, or tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi.
Sign up for her never annoying newsletter at https://www.lucyscore.net/subscribe-l....
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 6,331 reviews
April 14, 2024
3.75 stars ♡
⟶ this was.. very interesting to say the least
i said to myself that i won’t write a review, and yet, here we are. i really can’t help myself tbh. there’s also sooo much to unpack because this is lowkey one of the most unhinged books I’ve ever read (and not in a way you’d usually expect) 😭
🌻starting with tropes 🌻
➼ reverse grumpy sunshine
➼ paranormal
(fmc can read minds, predict the future and talk to the dead)
➼ rebellious boy x good girl
➼ insta-lust but slowburn..?
➼ mystery with romantic-comedy vibes
➼ possessive mmc
🌀 plot 🌀
this is about riley, our fmc, and she’s a psychic. she has these visions where she can see a video play in her head of an event before it actually happens. so when she has a vision of her creepy neighbour dickie frick (GROSS name btw) getting shot, she tries her best to prevent it. and fails. and the whole book revolves around her and nick santiago who is a private investigator. they try to solve the story of who did it whilst also fake dating to not raise suspicions.. and they fall in love 🤭🤭
💐 what i enjoyed 💐
honestly, i’m not much of a mystery girlie but i got the arc for book 2, not realising it was part of a series, and thought why not let’s give it a shot. 99% of me expected to hate this, but I DIDNT !??! so i’m lowkey impressed. the author, lucy, has disappointed me in the past but I can proudly say she scored with this one. it was also like really, really funny so that was a slay.
there was this one character I particularly loved, gabe, i literally had the biggest soft spot for him 🙁🙁 he was basically a 7-foot golden retriever. idk if he was actually seven-foot or they were exaggerating but apparently he’s really tall and muscly but has the cutest personality everrrr he’s my fav
“He’s not my friend,” Riley argued, taking a step back in case the woman got too animated with her weapon hand.
Gabe looked hurt, and Riley felt as if she’d just kicked a puppy in the face. “I hope you will grow to think of me as such,” he said sadly.
byeeee i love him, i wanted to give him a hug fr <33
also nick was so jealous of him it actually had me dead their relationship is too funny HAHAHAH
“Listen, Andre the Giant, if you don’t stop flirting with my fiancée, I’m going to find a step stool, climb it, and punch that smile off your face.”
I WAS CACKLINGGGG
the humour in this book was top tier
☂️ what i did not like ☂️
tbh this book would’ve gotten a higher rating (possibly 5 stars) from me if it wasn’t so damn long. 480 pages is very, very excessive and sometimes you can tell that length is needed to portray the story in a way that doesn’t appear rushed. but that’s not the case here. this could’ve easily been 250-300 pages whilst still capturing the whole story perfectly.
it was also very, very corny. nick was your typical rebellious
wattpad bad boy trying to get the innocent fmc to “live a little”. i liked him but it genuinely made me cringe sometimes.
💌 conclusion 💌
i’m definitely excited to start book 2!! I really enjoyed this, and the combination of action, mystery, romance, and comedy was very well balanced. I recommend this for anyone that’s perhaps looking for a mystery that’s not too intense and serious and with a very unrealistic dramatic-ness to it 😭😭
this book was so extra but in a fun way <3 AND NOW I HAVE 3 DAYS TO FINISH BOOK 2 BEFORE IT PUBLISHES
S E N D
H E L P 😍
happy reading pookies!! 🔆
⟶ this was.. very interesting to say the least
i said to myself that i won’t write a review, and yet, here we are. i really can’t help myself tbh. there’s also sooo much to unpack because this is lowkey one of the most unhinged books I’ve ever read (and not in a way you’d usually expect) 😭
🌻starting with tropes 🌻
➼ reverse grumpy sunshine
➼ paranormal
(fmc can read minds, predict the future and talk to the dead)
➼ rebellious boy x good girl
➼ insta-lust but slowburn..?
➼ mystery with romantic-comedy vibes
➼ possessive mmc
🌀 plot 🌀
this is about riley, our fmc, and she’s a psychic. she has these visions where she can see a video play in her head of an event before it actually happens. so when she has a vision of her creepy neighbour dickie frick (GROSS name btw) getting shot, she tries her best to prevent it. and fails. and the whole book revolves around her and nick santiago who is a private investigator. they try to solve the story of who did it whilst also fake dating to not raise suspicions.. and they fall in love 🤭🤭
💐 what i enjoyed 💐
honestly, i’m not much of a mystery girlie but i got the arc for book 2, not realising it was part of a series, and thought why not let’s give it a shot. 99% of me expected to hate this, but I DIDNT !??! so i’m lowkey impressed. the author, lucy, has disappointed me in the past but I can proudly say she scored with this one. it was also like really, really funny so that was a slay.
there was this one character I particularly loved, gabe, i literally had the biggest soft spot for him 🙁🙁 he was basically a 7-foot golden retriever. idk if he was actually seven-foot or they were exaggerating but apparently he’s really tall and muscly but has the cutest personality everrrr he’s my fav
“He’s not my friend,” Riley argued, taking a step back in case the woman got too animated with her weapon hand.
Gabe looked hurt, and Riley felt as if she’d just kicked a puppy in the face. “I hope you will grow to think of me as such,” he said sadly.
byeeee i love him, i wanted to give him a hug fr <33
also nick was so jealous of him it actually had me dead their relationship is too funny HAHAHAH
“Listen, Andre the Giant, if you don’t stop flirting with my fiancée, I’m going to find a step stool, climb it, and punch that smile off your face.”
I WAS CACKLINGGGG
the humour in this book was top tier
☂️ what i did not like ☂️
tbh this book would’ve gotten a higher rating (possibly 5 stars) from me if it wasn’t so damn long. 480 pages is very, very excessive and sometimes you can tell that length is needed to portray the story in a way that doesn’t appear rushed. but that’s not the case here. this could’ve easily been 250-300 pages whilst still capturing the whole story perfectly.
it was also very, very corny. nick was your typical rebellious
wattpad bad boy trying to get the innocent fmc to “live a little”. i liked him but it genuinely made me cringe sometimes.
💌 conclusion 💌
i’m definitely excited to start book 2!! I really enjoyed this, and the combination of action, mystery, romance, and comedy was very well balanced. I recommend this for anyone that’s perhaps looking for a mystery that’s not too intense and serious and with a very unrealistic dramatic-ness to it 😭😭
this book was so extra but in a fun way <3 AND NOW I HAVE 3 DAYS TO FINISH BOOK 2 BEFORE IT PUBLISHES
S E N D
H E L P 😍
happy reading pookies!! 🔆
March 10, 2024
What a great start to a new series! Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door is full of quirky and unique characters who captivated this reader. Riley Thorn, the main character, is divorced and lives in an old mansion with a handful of elderly roommates. Riley is experiencing clairvoyant visions; visons that she doesn’t want. One of those involves a neighbor. When Nick Santiago, a hot to trot, private investigator shows up and wants to help her solve whodunit, well, things get interesting!
This book kept me on my toes and turning the pages. This was a fun book that had me smiling several times while reading. I loved Riley's roommates and their spunk. Naturally, solving the mystery will not be easy and there will be a lot of roadblocks in the way.
I found this book to be entertaining, well written, and fun! There are so many likeable characters and I loved it when all the roommates got together. Their banter and camaraderie were endearing. There were some characters who were real stinkers as well.
The mystery of the dead guy next door was nice, but I enjoyed the interactions between Riley and Nick the most! I look forward to reading more about them in the next book!
The only downside of the book for me is that it felt a tad bit long.
Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining read!
3.5 stars
Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
This book kept me on my toes and turning the pages. This was a fun book that had me smiling several times while reading. I loved Riley's roommates and their spunk. Naturally, solving the mystery will not be easy and there will be a lot of roadblocks in the way.
I found this book to be entertaining, well written, and fun! There are so many likeable characters and I loved it when all the roommates got together. Their banter and camaraderie were endearing. There were some characters who were real stinkers as well.
The mystery of the dead guy next door was nice, but I enjoyed the interactions between Riley and Nick the most! I look forward to reading more about them in the next book!
The only downside of the book for me is that it felt a tad bit long.
Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining read!
3.5 stars
Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
January 17, 2023
This was one hilarious ride!!!
If you need something adorable and funny for in-between heavier books, this one has you covered...
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
If you need something adorable and funny for in-between heavier books, this one has you covered...
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
March 18, 2021
4.5 A Helluva Ride Stars
* * * * 1/2 March 18, 2021-UPDATE, I get to say I told you so, "Lucy Score mastered her world. She created a group of people who will stay with you. You will want to know more and follow their shenanigans...because I promise, with this group, oh, there will be more to come."
Ms. Lucy is actively writing Riley Thorn 2 (coming this summer!) at the beach right now per her newsletter.
Spoiler Free
Bravery comes in all sorts of forms. It can be standing up to a bully, it can be taking a look in the mirror and changing a pattern, and it can be writing a book, unlike anything you may have written before.
Lucy Score is Hella Brave. She had an idea for years, she let it sit dormant, and then when the time was right, she let loose, gave us it, in all its glory. Her timing was perfect because as a Lucy Score reader, she has been laying the groundwork for just this type of ride.
In Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door we have a woman whose deepest desire is to just be "normal". You see her family is anything but. Her mother and mother's mother have been gifted (not that Riley would call that) with psychic powers, and it seems Riley has been graced with the most powerful ability of all. Since she was a child, she had visions of the future, hears from the dead, and the thoughts of others around her...Yup, she hears them too.
Now from an outsider's point of this, they may think this would be really cool but in actuality, it's not...unless you know how to control it.
So Riley is dealing with her life; she was hosed during her divorce proceedings by her ex, leaving her having to pay him even though he was the one who cheated on her. She works as a proofreader at a company that is practically hostile 24/7.
And the cherry on top is her living arrangement in a rundown mansion owned by an elderly woman who has numerous other elderly people living there. All under the umbrella that they are related so as to not be considered tenants. Meaning Riley isn't renting, she is staying with her aunt and uncles.
Now picture this...
Riley's area up in the attic area of the house is shared with another tenant. They both have these little places with baby kitchens, a place to sit, and a bed area. Unfortunately, they share a bathroom out in the connecting hallway of the house. This other guy is not the most user friendly. In other words, he is an ass. He owns a crappy bar, has worse health habits, and is just all-around icky.
So it wasn't out of the norm when Riley would hear creaking outside her door when someone was in the hallway. Since she was sure it wasn't one of the other neighbors, she looked out through her peephole and saw a man, a very hot stranger who was everything you would see under the label "Bad Boy".
Riley opened her door, got a little dizzy looking into those blue-green eyes, and saw something that she couldn't quite believe. She heard this man saying to her he was looking for someone and it brought her back to the here and now.
Nick Santiago, current private investigator/past cop, was looking at this vision of a woman. She wasn't dressed up, hadn't stitch of make-up on, and yet, she was beautiful beyond belief. He was looking for a guy to serve him and ended up having the cutest banter ever with this person. He liked her sass, her quick mind, and from what he saw...a smokin' body.
But Nick could tell, this woman wasn't for him because Nick liked his life free and easy. Riley had good girl written all over her. She was a rule follower and Nick, since birth, made breaking rules his religion. So she was a no go but that did not stop him thinking about her non-stop long after his first encounter with her.
This story takes off from the very first couple of pages. You get the feel of just what you have bought into and understand to strap in for the ride provided. It will be something that will capture your mind, your heart, and all of your time until you finish it. It is a compulsive read. You want to know where the hell it is going and you want to go with it.
There are so many additional characters, you would think they are too much...BUT not exactly. Because with this type of story, it is the talent of keeping all those plates spinning and not dropping any of them that is the deal. All of those characters fit together like those 1000 piece puzzles. You have to be up for the challenge to attempt them but when you complete them you feel like you mastered the world.
Lucy Score mastered her world. She created a group of people who will stay with you. You will want to know more and follow their shenanigans...because I promise, with this group, oh, there will be more to come.
Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~
August 20, 2020
Riley Thorn Has Decided...
No More Pretend...
Tanned "Good Guys" Anymore...
And No Hot Tattooed...
Bad Boys Either...
I Mean, Damn...
She Thinks It's Been So Long...
That All Her LadyBits...
Wouldn't Know How To Function...
But Nick Santiago Is So Hot...
He Could Cause Riley Thorn ...
Break Out Lady "WD40"...
To Make Those Bits Work...
July 23, 2020
What Is A Nice Normal Life...
Oh, Maybe It Is Waking...
Getting Reading For The Day...
Going To Work...
And Enjoying The Company...
Of Family, Friends, And Neighbors...
Unfortunately, For Riley Thorne...
Not So Much...
Instead, Her Normal Goes Like This...
Deal With a Crappy Divorce...
Being Broke Because Of Said Divorce...
Now Having Roommates Who Keep...
Talking About The Good Ole Times...
And Back In The Day...
Oh, Did I Forget to Mention the Hallucinations...
Yup, Those are Happening Too...
So Normal, As They Say...
Depends On Where You Are Standing...
So When P.I. Nick Santiago...
Who Has No Business Being So Hot...
Is Standing at Her Door...
The Only Thing More Shockingly Normal...
Is That Her Neighbor Was Murdered...
Now Nick Santiago Is No Dope...
He Is A Man Who Can't and Doesn't...
Want To Be Tied Down...
To One Flavor Of Ice Cream...
But When He See This Dish In Front Of Him...
He Is Thinking Maybe Charlie is a Special Scoop...
Between These Two Their "Normal" ...
Starts To Take On A Life Of Its Own...
They Have Others to Handle...
Making The Last Thing They Want...
To Worry About Is...
Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door-August 27, 2020
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * 1/2 March 18, 2021-UPDATE, I get to say I told you so, "Lucy Score mastered her world. She created a group of people who will stay with you. You will want to know more and follow their shenanigans...because I promise, with this group, oh, there will be more to come."
Ms. Lucy is actively writing Riley Thorn 2 (coming this summer!) at the beach right now per her newsletter.
Spoiler Free
Bravery comes in all sorts of forms. It can be standing up to a bully, it can be taking a look in the mirror and changing a pattern, and it can be writing a book, unlike anything you may have written before.
Lucy Score is Hella Brave. She had an idea for years, she let it sit dormant, and then when the time was right, she let loose, gave us it, in all its glory. Her timing was perfect because as a Lucy Score reader, she has been laying the groundwork for just this type of ride.
In Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door we have a woman whose deepest desire is to just be "normal". You see her family is anything but. Her mother and mother's mother have been gifted (not that Riley would call that) with psychic powers, and it seems Riley has been graced with the most powerful ability of all. Since she was a child, she had visions of the future, hears from the dead, and the thoughts of others around her...Yup, she hears them too.
Now from an outsider's point of this, they may think this would be really cool but in actuality, it's not...unless you know how to control it.
So Riley is dealing with her life; she was hosed during her divorce proceedings by her ex, leaving her having to pay him even though he was the one who cheated on her. She works as a proofreader at a company that is practically hostile 24/7.
And the cherry on top is her living arrangement in a rundown mansion owned by an elderly woman who has numerous other elderly people living there. All under the umbrella that they are related so as to not be considered tenants. Meaning Riley isn't renting, she is staying with her aunt and uncles.
Now picture this...
Riley's area up in the attic area of the house is shared with another tenant. They both have these little places with baby kitchens, a place to sit, and a bed area. Unfortunately, they share a bathroom out in the connecting hallway of the house. This other guy is not the most user friendly. In other words, he is an ass. He owns a crappy bar, has worse health habits, and is just all-around icky.
So it wasn't out of the norm when Riley would hear creaking outside her door when someone was in the hallway. Since she was sure it wasn't one of the other neighbors, she looked out through her peephole and saw a man, a very hot stranger who was everything you would see under the label "Bad Boy".
Riley opened her door, got a little dizzy looking into those blue-green eyes, and saw something that she couldn't quite believe. She heard this man saying to her he was looking for someone and it brought her back to the here and now.
Nick Santiago, current private investigator/past cop, was looking at this vision of a woman. She wasn't dressed up, hadn't stitch of make-up on, and yet, she was beautiful beyond belief. He was looking for a guy to serve him and ended up having the cutest banter ever with this person. He liked her sass, her quick mind, and from what he saw...a smokin' body.
But Nick could tell, this woman wasn't for him because Nick liked his life free and easy. Riley had good girl written all over her. She was a rule follower and Nick, since birth, made breaking rules his religion. So she was a no go but that did not stop him thinking about her non-stop long after his first encounter with her.
This story takes off from the very first couple of pages. You get the feel of just what you have bought into and understand to strap in for the ride provided. It will be something that will capture your mind, your heart, and all of your time until you finish it. It is a compulsive read. You want to know where the hell it is going and you want to go with it.
There are so many additional characters, you would think they are too much...BUT not exactly. Because with this type of story, it is the talent of keeping all those plates spinning and not dropping any of them that is the deal. All of those characters fit together like those 1000 piece puzzles. You have to be up for the challenge to attempt them but when you complete them you feel like you mastered the world.
Lucy Score mastered her world. She created a group of people who will stay with you. You will want to know more and follow their shenanigans...because I promise, with this group, oh, there will be more to come.
Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Doorhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~
August 20, 2020
Riley Thorn Has Decided...
No More Pretend...
Tanned "Good Guys" Anymore...
And No Hot Tattooed...
Bad Boys Either...
I Mean, Damn...
She Thinks It's Been So Long...
That All Her LadyBits...
Wouldn't Know How To Function...
But Nick Santiago Is So Hot...
He Could Cause Riley Thorn ...
Break Out Lady "WD40"...
To Make Those Bits Work...
July 23, 2020
What Is A Nice Normal Life...
Oh, Maybe It Is Waking...
Getting Reading For The Day...
Going To Work...
And Enjoying The Company...
Of Family, Friends, And Neighbors...
Unfortunately, For Riley Thorne...
Not So Much...
Instead, Her Normal Goes Like This...
Deal With a Crappy Divorce...
Being Broke Because Of Said Divorce...
Now Having Roommates Who Keep...
Talking About The Good Ole Times...
And Back In The Day...
Oh, Did I Forget to Mention the Hallucinations...
Yup, Those are Happening Too...
So Normal, As They Say...
Depends On Where You Are Standing...
So When P.I. Nick Santiago...
Who Has No Business Being So Hot...
Is Standing at Her Door...
The Only Thing More Shockingly Normal...
Is That Her Neighbor Was Murdered...
Now Nick Santiago Is No Dope...
He Is A Man Who Can't and Doesn't...
Want To Be Tied Down...
To One Flavor Of Ice Cream...
But When He See This Dish In Front Of Him...
He Is Thinking Maybe Charlie is a Special Scoop...
Between These Two Their "Normal" ...
Starts To Take On A Life Of Its Own...
They Have Others to Handle...
Making The Last Thing They Want...
To Worry About Is...
Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door-August 27, 2020
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
September 9, 2020
I loved the second half…
How can two halves of a story be so different?
Maybe I’m still struggling with my Covid-19 reading slump?
Maybe I had a personality switch?
Maybe the characters had a personality switch?
Maybe it was too long?
Maybe the first half was too long, and the second half was short? (KIDDING!)
Maybe it was the old… need to get to know this new world and that takes time thingamajiggy?
Honestly, I think it was all those things. I absolutely LOVED the second half of Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door but the first half felt like it took a decade to slog through. I found it hard to work out when ‘the dead’ was talking to Riley or it was someone living. It could have been done this way to show Riley’s frustration, but it nearly pushed me over the edge. I even contemplated taking a break and coming back to it later.
Riley is 30…ish and needs to accept who she is and find her happy place. Nick needs to grow up and realise he’s not a hormonal teenager anymore. By the end, both Riley and Nick have accepted they are not the same person they were before they met. Riley accepts her psychic abilities, and Nick realised that leading the bachelor life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
We are introduced to a motley crew of characters and I thought they were all a little too silly, quirky, and annoying initially. Then, as time went on, I came to adore them. The oldies who live in the mansion are a crack up and I hope that I find my own crew for happy hour when I’m 80…ish. Riley’s family would send me insane personally, but I know that they’re the kind of people who will always have your back. Gabe, Jasmine, Detective Weber, Josie, and Brian are great additional characters. I loved their originality, not just for their diversity but because they were cool people.
Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door is a funny story from start to finish. It’s just that it takes a wee bit of time to warm up to the humour each character brings to the show. Between the dead guy next door, crooked cops, and a romance between two people wanting to avoid getting attached, the storyline was interesting. Yes, the second half was better than the first, but it made up for the shortcomings. That chase scene at the end would make up for everything.
If Lucy Score decides to make this a series, I will definitely come back for more. Now, that we’ve met the characters and got their world set up, it should be all plain sailing (HA, HA, HA!) from here.
How can two halves of a story be so different?
Maybe I’m still struggling with my Covid-19 reading slump?
Maybe I had a personality switch?
Maybe the characters had a personality switch?
Maybe it was too long?
Maybe the first half was too long, and the second half was short? (KIDDING!)
Maybe it was the old… need to get to know this new world and that takes time thingamajiggy?
Honestly, I think it was all those things. I absolutely LOVED the second half of Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door but the first half felt like it took a decade to slog through. I found it hard to work out when ‘the dead’ was talking to Riley or it was someone living. It could have been done this way to show Riley’s frustration, but it nearly pushed me over the edge. I even contemplated taking a break and coming back to it later.
Riley is 30…ish and needs to accept who she is and find her happy place. Nick needs to grow up and realise he’s not a hormonal teenager anymore. By the end, both Riley and Nick have accepted they are not the same person they were before they met. Riley accepts her psychic abilities, and Nick realised that leading the bachelor life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
We are introduced to a motley crew of characters and I thought they were all a little too silly, quirky, and annoying initially. Then, as time went on, I came to adore them. The oldies who live in the mansion are a crack up and I hope that I find my own crew for happy hour when I’m 80…ish. Riley’s family would send me insane personally, but I know that they’re the kind of people who will always have your back. Gabe, Jasmine, Detective Weber, Josie, and Brian are great additional characters. I loved their originality, not just for their diversity but because they were cool people.
Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door is a funny story from start to finish. It’s just that it takes a wee bit of time to warm up to the humour each character brings to the show. Between the dead guy next door, crooked cops, and a romance between two people wanting to avoid getting attached, the storyline was interesting. Yes, the second half was better than the first, but it made up for the shortcomings. That chase scene at the end would make up for everything.
If Lucy Score decides to make this a series, I will definitely come back for more. Now, that we’ve met the characters and got their world set up, it should be all plain sailing (HA, HA, HA!) from here.
June 17, 2024
4.5 stars
This was ridiculously outrageous and ridiculously entertaining. I'm surprised this doesn't have more attention, especially with Lucy's rising popularity.
This was ridiculously outrageous and ridiculously entertaining. I'm surprised this doesn't have more attention, especially with Lucy's rising popularity.
April 22, 2022
4.25⭐️
i don't read properly for days and then magically a lucy score saves the day... the way i'm not even surprised. i am a lucy score whore. i will not calm down until i read all 31 (i think?) of her books.
this was so funny and lighthearted and just made me giggle the whole time. the sexual tension between riley and nick, gave me the fucking butterflies. i love them so much.
he is legit the definition of touch her and i'll kill you trope. he's fake dating her but still says my girl . THIS MAN HAS FUCKING DIMPLES.
istg the LC heros could be the dumbest men on the planet cough cough brick and luke but i would simp and SIMP HARD over them bc they have dimples. nick has the cutest dimples and that he isn't a grump? was so cute bc he was always flirting and smiling and just UGH i wanna eat his dimples.
the family vibes of this book hit hard. it felt like a nursey home at times but it was so FUCKING STUPID AND FUNNY i love it.
“Baby, the way you kiss, there’s a bad girl inside you dying to get out and have some fun.”
i don't read properly for days and then magically a lucy score saves the day... the way i'm not even surprised. i am a lucy score whore. i will not calm down until i read all 31 (i think?) of her books.
this was so funny and lighthearted and just made me giggle the whole time. the sexual tension between riley and nick, gave me the fucking butterflies. i love them so much.
he is legit the definition of touch her and i'll kill you trope. he's fake dating her but still says my girl . THIS MAN HAS FUCKING DIMPLES.
istg the LC heros could be the dumbest men on the planet cough cough brick and luke but i would simp and SIMP HARD over them bc they have dimples. nick has the cutest dimples and that he isn't a grump? was so cute bc he was always flirting and smiling and just UGH i wanna eat his dimples.
the family vibes of this book hit hard. it felt like a nursey home at times but it was so FUCKING STUPID AND FUNNY i love it.
December 8, 2023
I struggled getting through this. A lot of that is the stupid romance where the only impediment is that both leads have an irrational negative motivation* so they're both all "oh, no we can't possibly" when there isn't really anything at all holding them back. I thought for a while that Nick might have some tragic reason in his past, but that phizzed out hard.
And the plot is kind of dumb, too. I mean, Riley is not just a psychic, she's a psychic with extremely clear and on-point visions and impulses that are always, and I mean always accurate. And she spends the entire story, even part of the epilogue for heaven's sake, being all "oh, no, I just want to be normal" like that's a thing to aspire to. I mean, I know people do aspire to that, but they're generally people who don't have, you know, superpowers. I always find it tedious when someone has this amazing gift and treats it like some kind of disfiguring malady. Ride that sucker all the way to the bank, forehead! Or fight injustice. Or whatever. But bemoaning how "weird" she is just doesn't cut it.
And that's before you get to the slapstick. Or the gunfights where you have half a dozen people shooting at others and nobody gets hit or seriously injured. Well, okay, you have a couple of comedic wounds, like Nick being shot in the bum. And one or two injuries were serious-ish, if you count one or two walk-on characters. But the most frustrating part is when Score puts her thumb on the scale to draw out the stupid. Like when Riley surprises the bad guy, clocks him upside the head with a skateboard (slapstick, remember?) and then she runs away so that he can still be chasing her. Note, she'd knocked the gun out of his hand. She had a weapon and was standing over him. No other bad guys anywhere around. And she ran away rather than pick up the gun and aim it his way. Or, you know, beating him with that skateboard until he stopped moving. I'm good either way, really. What I'm not good with is a continuation of a chase scene after she ended the chase...
Anyway, the story is silly. The characters are shallow and prone to authorial intrusion for yucks. And at least half the secondary characters are straight-up straight-lines. To be fair, all of this was obvious from the start. So if you want to see if your response will be similar to mine, it'll only take a couple of chapters in a sample read for you to tell. For me, though, this is two stars. What can I say? Some of those yucks landed and made me laugh. If I could get past all the teeth-grinding we'd be golden...
A note about Steamy: I forget if there were two explicit sex scenes. There's most of one at any rate, but I don't think there's much more. So it's the lower end of my steam tolerance. It was a bit acrobatic for how short it was, so call it more author manipulation. Oh. I just realized that... Ew...
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
And the plot is kind of dumb, too. I mean, Riley is not just a psychic, she's a psychic with extremely clear and on-point visions and impulses that are always, and I mean always accurate. And she spends the entire story, even part of the epilogue for heaven's sake, being all "oh, no, I just want to be normal" like that's a thing to aspire to. I mean, I know people do aspire to that, but they're generally people who don't have, you know, superpowers. I always find it tedious when someone has this amazing gift and treats it like some kind of disfiguring malady. Ride that sucker all the way to the bank, forehead! Or fight injustice. Or whatever. But bemoaning how "weird" she is just doesn't cut it.
And that's before you get to the slapstick. Or the gunfights where you have half a dozen people shooting at others and nobody gets hit or seriously injured. Well, okay, you have a couple of comedic wounds, like Nick being shot in the bum. And one or two injuries were serious-ish, if you count one or two walk-on characters. But the most frustrating part is when Score puts her thumb on the scale to draw out the stupid. Like when Riley surprises the bad guy, clocks him upside the head with a skateboard (slapstick, remember?) and then she runs away so that he can still be chasing her. Note, she'd knocked the gun out of his hand. She had a weapon and was standing over him. No other bad guys anywhere around. And she ran away rather than pick up the gun and aim it his way. Or, you know, beating him with that skateboard until he stopped moving. I'm good either way, really. What I'm not good with is a continuation of a chase scene after she ended the chase...
Anyway, the story is silly. The characters are shallow and prone to authorial intrusion for yucks. And at least half the secondary characters are straight-up straight-lines. To be fair, all of this was obvious from the start. So if you want to see if your response will be similar to mine, it'll only take a couple of chapters in a sample read for you to tell. For me, though, this is two stars. What can I say? Some of those yucks landed and made me laugh. If I could get past all the teeth-grinding we'd be golden...
A note about Steamy: I forget if there were two explicit sex scenes. There's most of one at any rate, but I don't think there's much more. So it's the lower end of my steam tolerance. It was a bit acrobatic for how short it was, so call it more author manipulation. Oh. I just realized that... Ew...
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
August 27, 2024
4.5 stars! If you like quirky humor and rom-coms that are heavy on the “com” part…READ THIS. Imagine Brooklyn 99 and Psych blended together and in book format. That’s this book. And if Shawn Spencer from Psych was actually psychic.
Riley Thorn is not having the best time. Recently divorced, multiple elderly roommates, clairvoyant visions. And it gets even worse when Nick Santiago, a private investigator, shows up at Riley’s door looking for her neighbor. Soon enough, the two team up…PI and psychic “detective,” and they have to solve the whodunnit, whilst fighting their budding attraction.
I absolutely loved this book, such a fun reading experience, and I flew through it on the airplane. It was fast-paced, humorous, and had a strong quirky cast of characters. Gabe was a standout character. He was majorly giving Captain Holt from Brooklyn 99. Though I didn’t love the weird love triangle(?) going on between Gabe, Nick, and Riley.
It honestly felt a bit long, even though the plot wasn’t that slow. There was a bit of filler that could’ve been moved along faster, but the vibes were there. I loved the action and the mystery element, and the ending is satisfying but leaves it open-ended for more romance and crime-solving.
Riley Thorn is not having the best time. Recently divorced, multiple elderly roommates, clairvoyant visions. And it gets even worse when Nick Santiago, a private investigator, shows up at Riley’s door looking for her neighbor. Soon enough, the two team up…PI and psychic “detective,” and they have to solve the whodunnit, whilst fighting their budding attraction.
I absolutely loved this book, such a fun reading experience, and I flew through it on the airplane. It was fast-paced, humorous, and had a strong quirky cast of characters. Gabe was a standout character. He was majorly giving Captain Holt from Brooklyn 99. Though I didn’t love the weird love triangle(?) going on between Gabe, Nick, and Riley.
It honestly felt a bit long, even though the plot wasn’t that slow. There was a bit of filler that could’ve been moved along faster, but the vibes were there. I loved the action and the mystery element, and the ending is satisfying but leaves it open-ended for more romance and crime-solving.
May 5, 2024
This started out really good then literally dragged on and on with tons of boring filler. One thing I am noticing is that 9 times out of 10 if a book is over 400 pages it will not be as good as books that are around 300-350, because that extra 100 pages is boring filler that ruins the quality of the book. I really am starting to feel there is a sweet spot for pages in a book & you can only go over that if you have a truly amazing story that absolutely needs it. This did not. This could have been amazing, but it dragged on so much that I got tired of it.
I really loved the premise of her being a psychic and Gabe was an interesting character. There were lots of good parts. Just too much filler. Not for me.
I really loved the premise of her being a psychic and Gabe was an interesting character. There were lots of good parts. Just too much filler. Not for me.
January 14, 2025
3.5 stars, could have been 4 but it also could have been 100 pages less.
a really interesting concept here, an amateur psychic sees a vision that her neighbour will be murdered, he is, and she becomes the main suspect in the case.
similar to the knockemout series, this has a really fun love story playing out with a bit of a mysterious crime storyline happening at the same time. this was a little too much of a slow burn though. I was excited by the concept of fake fiancé but it fell flat in the end.
I do really enjoy Lucy scores writing style and the differing and joint third person POVs were engaging.
the last 20% of the book is really fast paced and exciting as everything comes to a head.
I definitely enjoyed the entire thing but wasn’t showstopping enough for me to rate any higher and definitely isn’t a must read.
a really interesting concept here, an amateur psychic sees a vision that her neighbour will be murdered, he is, and she becomes the main suspect in the case.
similar to the knockemout series, this has a really fun love story playing out with a bit of a mysterious crime storyline happening at the same time. this was a little too much of a slow burn though. I was excited by the concept of fake fiancé but it fell flat in the end.
I do really enjoy Lucy scores writing style and the differing and joint third person POVs were engaging.
the last 20% of the book is really fast paced and exciting as everything comes to a head.
I definitely enjoyed the entire thing but wasn’t showstopping enough for me to rate any higher and definitely isn’t a must read.
dnf
August 13, 2024This is a classic case of "it's the book, not me."
July 6, 2021
My first book by Lucy Score.
i opened the book and laughed out loud on page one.
Turned the page and laughed some more..And laughed...and laughed...and laughed.. And the book ended
My heart is full, my face is stretched into a gigantic smile...
I've found a new author to obsess over
All is right in the world.
Hilarious story about crazy-ass, riff-raff geriatric inhabitants of a mansion which is permanently unlocked. People wander in and out including a cop, a detective and a murderer.
“I can’t believe I’m being spooned in the hospital by a private investigator after my neighbor got murdered across the hall.”
“I can’t believe I’m spooning a hot psychic in a hospital bed.”
And stuck in this couldron of insane people is Riley Thorn who comes from a long line of accomplished psychics & clairvoyants.
She's a denier of her powers and refuses to lift her head out of herAss sand.
Nick Santiago is the PI investigating the said murder of Dickie across the hall. And Gabe is hell bent on knotting his guts by his mere saintly presence. Their jealous repartees are the HIGHLIGHT of the story
“Listen, Andre the Giant, if you don’t stop flirting with my fiancée, I’m going to find a step stool, climb it, and punch that smile off your face.”
I can't even begin to tell you the quirk-saturated story is about, it's dripping with humour, details, snort-inducing laughter and mayhem.
PIC. THIS. BOOK
And thank Lucy for writing it. I'm immediately jumping in book 2, (they're standalones)
5 stars for Human Everest with flesh toned pizza trays
Follow me on:
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i opened the book and laughed out loud on page one.
Turned the page and laughed some more..And laughed...and laughed...and laughed.. And the book ended
My heart is full, my face is stretched into a gigantic smile...
I've found a new author to obsess over
All is right in the world.
Hilarious story about crazy-ass, riff-raff geriatric inhabitants of a mansion which is permanently unlocked. People wander in and out including a cop, a detective and a murderer.
“I can’t believe I’m being spooned in the hospital by a private investigator after my neighbor got murdered across the hall.”
“I can’t believe I’m spooning a hot psychic in a hospital bed.”
And stuck in this couldron of insane people is Riley Thorn who comes from a long line of accomplished psychics & clairvoyants.
She's a denier of her powers and refuses to lift her head out of her
Nick Santiago is the PI investigating the said murder of Dickie across the hall. And Gabe is hell bent on knotting his guts by his mere saintly presence. Their jealous repartees are the HIGHLIGHT of the story
“Listen, Andre the Giant, if you don’t stop flirting with my fiancée, I’m going to find a step stool, climb it, and punch that smile off your face.”
I can't even begin to tell you the quirk-saturated story is about, it's dripping with humour, details, snort-inducing laughter and mayhem.
PIC. THIS. BOOK
And thank Lucy for writing it. I'm immediately jumping in book 2, (they're standalones)
5 stars for Human Everest with flesh toned pizza trays
Follow me on:
Email🌻 Bookbub 🌻 Twitter🌻 Instagram🌻 Blog🌻 Facebook🌻 Amazon 🌻
July 18, 2024
Riley Thorn and The Dead Guy Next Door is a quirky and fun read! The story introduces Riley, a snarky, brave, and psychic divorcee living in a house full of hilarious elderly folks. When her neighbor is found dead, Riley teams up with the hot private investigator Nick Santiago to solve the mystery.
The characters are hilarious, especially when together, and I couldn't stop laughing. The budding relationship between Nick and Riley is sweet and engaging, and the plot twists kept me hooked. It took a few chapters to get into, but once the mystery started, I was hooked. The crazy cast of characters adds to the fun of this read. I'm definitely picking up the next book in the series!
Read this if you like:
🔮 Reverse grumpy x sunshine
🔮 Psychic FMC x PI MMC
🔮 Romantic suspense
🔮 Murder mystery
🚨🚨 TW: Gun violence, murder, car crash, divorce
The characters are hilarious, especially when together, and I couldn't stop laughing. The budding relationship between Nick and Riley is sweet and engaging, and the plot twists kept me hooked. It took a few chapters to get into, but once the mystery started, I was hooked. The crazy cast of characters adds to the fun of this read. I'm definitely picking up the next book in the series!
Read this if you like:
🔮 Reverse grumpy x sunshine
🔮 Psychic FMC x PI MMC
🔮 Romantic suspense
🔮 Murder mystery
🚨🚨 TW: Gun violence, murder, car crash, divorce
July 28, 2023
Okay, buckle up because this is going to be one long, rant filled review.
I guess I will start with the disclaimer that I went into this book with extremely low expectations and STILL managed to be let down. (I DNF’d the only other book I attempted to read by this author on page 30.)
To continue:
I hated absolutely everything about this book.
I hated all the characters and wanted them to die. (Spoiler alert — they didn’t)
I hated the story.
I absolutely LOATHED the writing.
If this hadn’t been a book club book, I would have DNF’d it within the first 6 pages when the main character Riley Thorn speaks to her breasts. (It’s explained later, but my hatred was ingrained by that point.)
Then, around page 30, the male perspective, Nick “I’m a devilishly handsome private investigator” Santiago was introduced. As I said above, I hated all the characters in this book, but as far as I’m concerned, there should be a special circle of hell just for Nick Santiago. He was a scumbag, a jerk, a tool, you name it. It seems to be a trend with this author of having male characters that come on way too strong. Nick was extremely controlling, his ego was completely out of control (as evidenced with lines like “he said it with the confidence of a man who was every woman’s type”), he was rude, jealous, manipulative, and pejorative.
For example: “Nick was suddenly faced with one pro to relationships that he’d never before considered. If they were actually dating, he could forbid her from disobeying him on this.“
He also talked on and on forever about how he would never settle down and get married and didn’t want to have sex with Riley because he knew she would want something more serious and he doesn’t do commitments. But somehow by the end of the book, he has moved himself in with Riley (without her permission - she should have had him arrested for trespassing) and is suddenly ready to make a commitment. What a guy. I particularly loved how he announced to Riley, “I’m your boyfriend!”
Why would ANYONE want this scumbag???
As far as I can tell, his ONLY redeeming quality was that he was HOTTTTTT. RED FLAG alert. If an average guy/ugly guy/old man acted the way Nick acted, there would be no story because the girl would have called the cops on him for harassment. I hate it in books when the guy is a total asshole, but gets a pass because he’s attractive. In this case, “attractive” refers to his dimples (which a search of my kindle shows were referenced 31 times) and his butt (he’s described as “the hottie with the hiney” at one point). PUKE.
I haven’t talked much about Riley, and that’s because she was a total DOORMAT who talked a good game about standing up to Nick, but in the end let him walk all over her because she fell victim to his hotness. (Or as the book described it, ”Riley’s heart threw itself down the stairs of her chest.”.) She was also a terrible psychic. Shawn Spencer was a better one and he wasn’t actually psychic.
Another BIG complaint I have about this was the writing “style” of the author. The book was very overwritten and riddled with metaphors that didn’t make sense and were also gross.
For example:
”the carpet beneath was shit brown”.
There’s also a “Sinus infection green recliner”, a ”urine yellow shirt, a ”mud brown cardigan” and my personal favorite ”crowded around like flies on dog poop”. Lovely. That’s some really…evocative imagery right there.
Speaking of overwritten.
I read somewhere that indie authors who publish through Amazon are paid by the page? That might explain a lot here. There was SO MUCH random information that was not remotely necessary and added absolutely nothing to the story. We had to hear that Nick pulled into a parking space “between a tricked-out Suburban with custom wheels and a two-tone Honda with an aftermarket spoiler and two flat tires.” I’m surprised the author didn’t include the VIN number and complete CarFax history of both vehicles as well (they never appear in the story again)!
This happened constantly throughout the book. The “dead guy” as in “the dead guy next door” doesn’t die until around the 100 page mark. Prior to that, there was a lot of talking, explanation of irrelevant things to the story, and what I think was supposed to be banter between Riley and Nick but which basically consisted of him making innuendos and her calling him an asshole while secretly wanting to bang him. In fact, the murder plot was basically dropped after the dead guy next door did, in fact die, only to be brought back in around the 60 percent mark. It was like the author wrote 300 pages of extraneous crap and then realized, “oops! I’m writing a murder mystery! Better get back to it!”
For being riddled with innuendoes, there’s only one sex scene in the book, and it was laughably bad. Throughout the story there’s this running gag that Riley and Nick (who are fake dating for reason that were unclear to me and really didn’t make sense given Nick’s aforementioned attitude toward dating and relationships) are fighting and for whatever reason everyone around them assumes that is is because Nick is bad in bed. Well, after reading that horribly written sex scene, I can confirm with 100 percent certainty — Nick is bad in bed. I shouldn’t be laughing during a sex scene. At least there was only one.
The showdown with the villain was ridiculous, over the top, and not remotely realistic. Guns blazing, masked vigilantes, you name it, if it was something ridiculous, it was probably there. I was half expecting an alien spaceship to land in the town square and have some aliens join the gunfight.
In sum: this book was bad. Please don’t read this book. Your brain will thank you later.
The things I endure for book club…
I guess I will start with the disclaimer that I went into this book with extremely low expectations and STILL managed to be let down. (I DNF’d the only other book I attempted to read by this author on page 30.)
To continue:
I hated absolutely everything about this book.
I hated all the characters and wanted them to die. (Spoiler alert — they didn’t)
I hated the story.
I absolutely LOATHED the writing.
If this hadn’t been a book club book, I would have DNF’d it within the first 6 pages when the main character Riley Thorn speaks to her breasts. (It’s explained later, but my hatred was ingrained by that point.)
Then, around page 30, the male perspective, Nick “I’m a devilishly handsome private investigator” Santiago was introduced. As I said above, I hated all the characters in this book, but as far as I’m concerned, there should be a special circle of hell just for Nick Santiago. He was a scumbag, a jerk, a tool, you name it. It seems to be a trend with this author of having male characters that come on way too strong. Nick was extremely controlling, his ego was completely out of control (as evidenced with lines like “he said it with the confidence of a man who was every woman’s type”), he was rude, jealous, manipulative, and pejorative.
For example: “Nick was suddenly faced with one pro to relationships that he’d never before considered. If they were actually dating, he could forbid her from disobeying him on this.“
He also talked on and on forever about how he would never settle down and get married and didn’t want to have sex with Riley because he knew she would want something more serious and he doesn’t do commitments. But somehow by the end of the book, he has moved himself in with Riley (without her permission - she should have had him arrested for trespassing) and is suddenly ready to make a commitment. What a guy. I particularly loved how he announced to Riley, “I’m your boyfriend!”
Why would ANYONE want this scumbag???
As far as I can tell, his ONLY redeeming quality was that he was HOTTTTTT. RED FLAG alert. If an average guy/ugly guy/old man acted the way Nick acted, there would be no story because the girl would have called the cops on him for harassment. I hate it in books when the guy is a total asshole, but gets a pass because he’s attractive. In this case, “attractive” refers to his dimples (which a search of my kindle shows were referenced 31 times) and his butt (he’s described as “the hottie with the hiney” at one point). PUKE.
I haven’t talked much about Riley, and that’s because she was a total DOORMAT who talked a good game about standing up to Nick, but in the end let him walk all over her because she fell victim to his hotness. (Or as the book described it, ”Riley’s heart threw itself down the stairs of her chest.”.) She was also a terrible psychic. Shawn Spencer was a better one and he wasn’t actually psychic.
Another BIG complaint I have about this was the writing “style” of the author. The book was very overwritten and riddled with metaphors that didn’t make sense and were also gross.
For example:
”the carpet beneath was shit brown”.
There’s also a “Sinus infection green recliner”, a ”urine yellow shirt, a ”mud brown cardigan” and my personal favorite ”crowded around like flies on dog poop”. Lovely. That’s some really…evocative imagery right there.
Speaking of overwritten.
I read somewhere that indie authors who publish through Amazon are paid by the page? That might explain a lot here. There was SO MUCH random information that was not remotely necessary and added absolutely nothing to the story. We had to hear that Nick pulled into a parking space “between a tricked-out Suburban with custom wheels and a two-tone Honda with an aftermarket spoiler and two flat tires.” I’m surprised the author didn’t include the VIN number and complete CarFax history of both vehicles as well (they never appear in the story again)!
This happened constantly throughout the book. The “dead guy” as in “the dead guy next door” doesn’t die until around the 100 page mark. Prior to that, there was a lot of talking, explanation of irrelevant things to the story, and what I think was supposed to be banter between Riley and Nick but which basically consisted of him making innuendos and her calling him an asshole while secretly wanting to bang him. In fact, the murder plot was basically dropped after the dead guy next door did, in fact die, only to be brought back in around the 60 percent mark. It was like the author wrote 300 pages of extraneous crap and then realized, “oops! I’m writing a murder mystery! Better get back to it!”
For being riddled with innuendoes, there’s only one sex scene in the book, and it was laughably bad. Throughout the story there’s this running gag that Riley and Nick (who are fake dating for reason that were unclear to me and really didn’t make sense given Nick’s aforementioned attitude toward dating and relationships) are fighting and for whatever reason everyone around them assumes that is is because Nick is bad in bed. Well, after reading that horribly written sex scene, I can confirm with 100 percent certainty — Nick is bad in bed. I shouldn’t be laughing during a sex scene. At least there was only one.
The showdown with the villain was ridiculous, over the top, and not remotely realistic. Guns blazing, masked vigilantes, you name it, if it was something ridiculous, it was probably there. I was half expecting an alien spaceship to land in the town square and have some aliens join the gunfight.
In sum: this book was bad. Please don’t read this book. Your brain will thank you later.
The things I endure for book club…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2024
Can’t deny, the first 30% of this was a bit slow going, but if ever there were proof that perseverance pays off, this book is it and I went from meh to bloody loving it. I’m totally in the camp that needs more Riley Thorn in her life.
August 30, 2020
5 of the “Funnest” Stars Ever
As you begin to read, it won’t take long before you’ll know with certainty that you’ve hit the prime mother lode. With its exceptionally unique and amazing combination of “reluctant psychic romantic comedy” – and a layer of suspense -- this one is pure gold!
Certainly nothing like my usual – but so much more than I ever expected, and thankfully I had the good sense to one-click. Lucy Score definitely scores bigly in taking rom-com to a whole other level. Oh my gosh – this book is such an absolute gem. And just what I needed at the right time -- full of unfettered banter, fun and more fun -- and a cast of characters that keep the frenetic action on a fast-track. It’s a bang-up good time!!
Written in third person from dual POV, this book is a keg of dynamite and feels something like a cross-over between the Keystone Cops and Magnum PI. Enter one slick and icky Dickie Frick and the wild and zany escapades begin. Only I won’t be telling you the play by plays. This one is just calling all wanna-be sleuths to pull out their magnifying glasses and spot the clues to solve this case!
The dynamic-duo pairing of Riley Thorn and Nick Santiago is perfect! She’s recently divorced and 34 years old, has a mysterious middle name that she’ll never divulge, along with some special skills – mainly psychic abilities she’s learning to control. Nick, a brooding but charming 37 year-old former police detective turned private investigator, is unattached and plans on staying that way, who has a “fine ass,” dimples and just the right amount of tattoos. Oh yes, Nick makes the females swoon! But Riley holds a power over him that he can't resist.
An explosion of chaotic characters in the secondary cast is simply too marvelous to even begin to describe. Even the bad guys do justice to their roles. And there's Mrs. Penny, a crime-fighting granny, along with a matchmaking dog named Burt, who steal the show at times.
Lucy Score must write more, more, and even more of these fabulous characters and their madcap adventures. Please oh please let it be so!
Until then, let’s go eat tacos!
As you begin to read, it won’t take long before you’ll know with certainty that you’ve hit the prime mother lode. With its exceptionally unique and amazing combination of “reluctant psychic romantic comedy” – and a layer of suspense -- this one is pure gold!
Certainly nothing like my usual – but so much more than I ever expected, and thankfully I had the good sense to one-click. Lucy Score definitely scores bigly in taking rom-com to a whole other level. Oh my gosh – this book is such an absolute gem. And just what I needed at the right time -- full of unfettered banter, fun and more fun -- and a cast of characters that keep the frenetic action on a fast-track. It’s a bang-up good time!!
Written in third person from dual POV, this book is a keg of dynamite and feels something like a cross-over between the Keystone Cops and Magnum PI. Enter one slick and icky Dickie Frick and the wild and zany escapades begin. Only I won’t be telling you the play by plays. This one is just calling all wanna-be sleuths to pull out their magnifying glasses and spot the clues to solve this case!
The dynamic-duo pairing of Riley Thorn and Nick Santiago is perfect! She’s recently divorced and 34 years old, has a mysterious middle name that she’ll never divulge, along with some special skills – mainly psychic abilities she’s learning to control. Nick, a brooding but charming 37 year-old former police detective turned private investigator, is unattached and plans on staying that way, who has a “fine ass,” dimples and just the right amount of tattoos. Oh yes, Nick makes the females swoon! But Riley holds a power over him that he can't resist.
An explosion of chaotic characters in the secondary cast is simply too marvelous to even begin to describe. Even the bad guys do justice to their roles. And there's Mrs. Penny, a crime-fighting granny, along with a matchmaking dog named Burt, who steal the show at times.
Lucy Score must write more, more, and even more of these fabulous characters and their madcap adventures. Please oh please let it be so!
Until then, let’s go eat tacos!
May 1, 2024
★ ★ ★ | 🌶.5
check TWs
Note: I try my hardest to not include spoilers in my reviews. However, spoilers and how you define a spoiler is subjective. Proceed with caution.
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I have SO MANY feelings about this book. Not all of them negative, but certainly not all positive.
This was my first book by Lucy Score and I didn’t expect to have such a hard time with it. I liked the storyline for the most part. It read like a 2000’s “chick-lit” thriller, which I loved. It was exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up.
My biggest gripe, however, is WHY IS IT SO LONG? This book had no business being as long it was. It dragged and repeated itself so much that it took me literal DAYS to finish it. And even then, that was out of pure spite. I was not going to let this book defeat me.
I have an arc of the next book, so let’s see if this series improves.
check TWs
Note: I try my hardest to not include spoilers in my reviews. However, spoilers and how you define a spoiler is subjective. Proceed with caution.
.
.
.
.
.
I have SO MANY feelings about this book. Not all of them negative, but certainly not all positive.
This was my first book by Lucy Score and I didn’t expect to have such a hard time with it. I liked the storyline for the most part. It read like a 2000’s “chick-lit” thriller, which I loved. It was exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up.
My biggest gripe, however, is WHY IS IT SO LONG? This book had no business being as long it was. It dragged and repeated itself so much that it took me literal DAYS to finish it. And even then, that was out of pure spite. I was not going to let this book defeat me.
I have an arc of the next book, so let’s see if this series improves.
March 22, 2022
this book just gave me the most joy i’ve felt in years
July 4, 2024
Holy hysterical Batman! This was so freaking FUN to read! I can't even tell you how many times I laughed out loud! I loved all the characters, the mystery, and this entertaining and crazy world. It was just what I needed!
This story was outrageously entertaining and it had me laughing and smiling and on the edge of my seat as the mystery played out and Riley and Nick came together. Riley was so fun and quirky and Nick's incredibly charming with a rebel vibe happening. I loved their attraction and bickering that they had going on, it brought even more fun and laughter to the story. Riley and Nick were sweet and flirty together and I love how their relationship evolved. There was an incredible and unique cast of characters from Riley’s elderly neighbors, to both of their families and friends. They all brought so much to the story with all these hilarious scenes and scenarios, I couldn’t get enough.
Entertaining was pretty much the theme. Were some of the scenes and situations outright crazy? Oh yeah. Where they incredibly comical and had me laughing and totally engaged and invested? Absolutely! Riley is a psychic, there’s a murder to solve, and sparks are flying left and right, plus there’s a huge cast of zany characters… and don’t forget the action, mayhem, and excitement. Everything together was fantastic.
There were so many working parts happening and I loved how it all was pieced together with these elaborate details. I loved the dual POVs, the flow, and the amazing slow burn that was happening. I kept laughing - the barks of laughter that just take you by surprise - and I was pretty much that way through the entire book as everything developed. The story wrapped up nicely with an opening for more stories which has me thrilled. I need more Riley Thorn in my life!
The Dead Guy Next Door was laugh-out-loud shenanigans at its best and I had a blast reading it. If you're looking for an escape and need to get your laugh on, look no further. You have found your next read!
Complimentary copy received.
This story was outrageously entertaining and it had me laughing and smiling and on the edge of my seat as the mystery played out and Riley and Nick came together. Riley was so fun and quirky and Nick's incredibly charming with a rebel vibe happening. I loved their attraction and bickering that they had going on, it brought even more fun and laughter to the story. Riley and Nick were sweet and flirty together and I love how their relationship evolved. There was an incredible and unique cast of characters from Riley’s elderly neighbors, to both of their families and friends. They all brought so much to the story with all these hilarious scenes and scenarios, I couldn’t get enough.
Entertaining was pretty much the theme. Were some of the scenes and situations outright crazy? Oh yeah. Where they incredibly comical and had me laughing and totally engaged and invested? Absolutely! Riley is a psychic, there’s a murder to solve, and sparks are flying left and right, plus there’s a huge cast of zany characters… and don’t forget the action, mayhem, and excitement. Everything together was fantastic.
There were so many working parts happening and I loved how it all was pieced together with these elaborate details. I loved the dual POVs, the flow, and the amazing slow burn that was happening. I kept laughing - the barks of laughter that just take you by surprise - and I was pretty much that way through the entire book as everything developed. The story wrapped up nicely with an opening for more stories which has me thrilled. I need more Riley Thorn in my life!
The Dead Guy Next Door was laugh-out-loud shenanigans at its best and I had a blast reading it. If you're looking for an escape and need to get your laugh on, look no further. You have found your next read!
Complimentary copy received.
March 19, 2024
Be prepared to laugh a lot in this murder mystery with a tiny bit of steam and lots of hilarious characters
This book had me giggling a lot more than I expected LOL.
Riley Thorne is a psychic. She gets these sudden visions of the future and she’s having a hard time controlling or filtering them. It doesn’t happen all of the time, but the times that it does happen, she gets a little bit freaked out. The first chapter is actually set in the future, and then we go back in time to where it all began. Nick Santiago is a PI. He used to be a cop, but now he has his own business as a private investigator. One day, he goes to knock on Riley‘s neighbor’s door because he was hired to do so. As soon as she sees him, she gets a vision of him and her together, being intimate. Later on, she also gets a vision of that same neighbor getting murdered.
The problem with being a psychic is that people are too suspicious as to why she knows why things are going to happen. When she tries to protect her neighbor from getting murdered, the cops are suspicious of her. Unfortunately, she isn’t able to prevent her neighbor from getting shot, and this is when she sees Nick again. Now, they are both going to try to figure out who murdered him, with the help of Riley‘s visions and Nick’s resources.
Of course, they have to have a cover story, and they have a perfect one- Nick and Riley are engaged, which is the perfect story in order to be together and investigate what happened. Even though they are pretending, soon they find themselves extremely into each other. Scratch that, they’ve been into each other since they first met. There is a lot of chemistry 🔥and we do get one (yes, only ONE😑😒 at over 80%) sex scene (but Riley’s visions of said sex scene were pretty good too… so it’s almost like we got three 😜).
This book was long. I found myself wanting to skip many times, but then I didn’t want to feel lost, so I couldn’t do it LOL. Also, only one sex scene? Ugh. I wanted more LOL there was so much buildup and all of Riley‘s visions made me think that we would get more. I found myself giggling so much and laughing. I also found myself covering my face. The action scenes were really well-written and cinematic. I could totally picture this being a movie.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I wish there was more steam, but this is an HFN, so I look forward to the second book being steamier.
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing
-OW ex drama-all related to the MCs past; he’s been a manwhore ish (we encounter some of his previous flings) but has never done relationships. The biggest ick some people may mind is we find out that he’s slept with the h’s mom’s second cousin 😬
-people get shot/violence/deaths
-the h sees dead people (no, this isn’t the sixth sense), so we do see dead bodies
-condom/no virgins/he’s been around more than her
-HEA/HFN/epilogue/a few weeks later
This book had me giggling a lot more than I expected LOL.
Riley Thorne is a psychic. She gets these sudden visions of the future and she’s having a hard time controlling or filtering them. It doesn’t happen all of the time, but the times that it does happen, she gets a little bit freaked out. The first chapter is actually set in the future, and then we go back in time to where it all began. Nick Santiago is a PI. He used to be a cop, but now he has his own business as a private investigator. One day, he goes to knock on Riley‘s neighbor’s door because he was hired to do so. As soon as she sees him, she gets a vision of him and her together, being intimate. Later on, she also gets a vision of that same neighbor getting murdered.
The problem with being a psychic is that people are too suspicious as to why she knows why things are going to happen. When she tries to protect her neighbor from getting murdered, the cops are suspicious of her. Unfortunately, she isn’t able to prevent her neighbor from getting shot, and this is when she sees Nick again. Now, they are both going to try to figure out who murdered him, with the help of Riley‘s visions and Nick’s resources.
Of course, they have to have a cover story, and they have a perfect one- Nick and Riley are engaged, which is the perfect story in order to be together and investigate what happened. Even though they are pretending, soon they find themselves extremely into each other. Scratch that, they’ve been into each other since they first met. There is a lot of chemistry 🔥and we do get one (yes, only ONE😑😒 at over 80%) sex scene (but Riley’s visions of said sex scene were pretty good too… so it’s almost like we got three 😜).
This book was long. I found myself wanting to skip many times, but then I didn’t want to feel lost, so I couldn’t do it LOL. Also, only one sex scene? Ugh. I wanted more LOL there was so much buildup and all of Riley‘s visions made me think that we would get more. I found myself giggling so much and laughing. I also found myself covering my face. The action scenes were really well-written and cinematic. I could totally picture this being a movie.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I wish there was more steam, but this is an HFN, so I look forward to the second book being steamier.
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing
-OW ex drama-all related to the MCs past; he’s been a manwhore ish (we encounter some of his previous flings) but has never done relationships. The biggest ick some people may mind is we find out that he’s slept with the h’s mom’s second cousin 😬
-people get shot/violence/deaths
-the h sees dead people (no, this isn’t the sixth sense), so we do see dead bodies
-condom/no virgins/he’s been around more than her
-HEA/HFN/epilogue/a few weeks later
September 30, 2020
4.5 stars
“Think of it as an adventure,” he advised. “And if you’re a good girl, I’ll buy you dinner and snacks.” “I do like snacks,” she mused.”
This book was such a good time.
Riley Thorn is divorced, living with a bunch of elderly people and attempting to suppress her physic abilities. When her neighbour mysteriously turns up dead after her vision of the event she teams up with sexy private investigator Nick Santiago to discover who exactly murdered the slimy man from across the hall.
The characters in this book were amazing. Each one so richly created and so entertaining. Everyone was quirky and wild and I was obsessed with the whole dynamic. The plot was intriguing, the romance adorable there was little to fault with this book. But that is to be expected with a Lucy Score book, a kindle unlimited icon and an auto-download for me. I can't wait to see the further iterations of this series.
A perfect light and entertaining read that will lift your mood.
“Think of it as an adventure,” he advised. “And if you’re a good girl, I’ll buy you dinner and snacks.” “I do like snacks,” she mused.”
This book was such a good time.
Riley Thorn is divorced, living with a bunch of elderly people and attempting to suppress her physic abilities. When her neighbour mysteriously turns up dead after her vision of the event she teams up with sexy private investigator Nick Santiago to discover who exactly murdered the slimy man from across the hall.
The characters in this book were amazing. Each one so richly created and so entertaining. Everyone was quirky and wild and I was obsessed with the whole dynamic. The plot was intriguing, the romance adorable there was little to fault with this book. But that is to be expected with a Lucy Score book, a kindle unlimited icon and an auto-download for me. I can't wait to see the further iterations of this series.
A perfect light and entertaining read that will lift your mood.
August 25, 2024
⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ✩
First everrrr Lucy Score book I’ve read. Not gonna lie, it took me a few times starting this book for me to keep going. After about the first 100 pages I was hooked and really couldn’t put it down. I only did four stars because this was just so long for no reason. The main plot point was over with and it just kept going. I did enjoy the book though and I really love Nick and Riley.
Pre-Read 💐:
Making my way through my never ending TBR
First everrrr Lucy Score book I’ve read. Not gonna lie, it took me a few times starting this book for me to keep going. After about the first 100 pages I was hooked and really couldn’t put it down. I only did four stars because this was just so long for no reason. The main plot point was over with and it just kept going. I did enjoy the book though and I really love Nick and Riley.
Pre-Read 💐:
Making my way through my never ending TBR
July 16, 2024
I actually enjoyed this more than i thought i would lol it was chaotic, fun and a bit crazy with everything that it had going on. The fmc Riley is a psychic who sees visions, shes broke and meets the mmc Nick who's a private detective when he comes to her home inquiring about her dead neighbor. After their initial meeting Riley becomes a suspect in the murder and Nick pretends to be her fake fiancé as they start working together to keep the neighborhood safe and find our the murderer.
There was a lot of wild things that happened in this and it was fun for the most part. This book is a cozy mystery, paranormal and romance all in one. There is also neighborhood vigilantes, Riley’s crazy neighbors, visions, a corrupt police system and so much more. I was into the romance because the main characters had chemistry and nice banter. Like most books by this author this was a bit long but overall an okay read.
Read if you like:
- Cozy mystery
- Psychic fmc/private detective mmc
- Crazy and silly shenanigans
- Romance
- Fun moments
There was a lot of wild things that happened in this and it was fun for the most part. This book is a cozy mystery, paranormal and romance all in one. There is also neighborhood vigilantes, Riley’s crazy neighbors, visions, a corrupt police system and so much more. I was into the romance because the main characters had chemistry and nice banter. Like most books by this author this was a bit long but overall an okay read.
Read if you like:
- Cozy mystery
- Psychic fmc/private detective mmc
- Crazy and silly shenanigans
- Romance
- Fun moments
November 19, 2025
A quirky psychic, a brooding PI, and a murder next door, Lucy Score’s opener is pure chaotic charm with a twist of clairvoyance.
Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door is a genre-blending romp that tosses cozy mystery, rom-com antics, and paranormal flair into a blender and somehow makes it delicious. Riley, freshly divorced and reluctantly psychic, is trying to keep her life quiet, but between her eccentric elderly housemates, a ghostly guide named Gabe, and visions she’d rather ignore, quiet isn’t on the menu.
Enter Nick Santiago, a private investigator with a smoldering glare and zero patience for teamwork. When a neighbor turns up dead, Riley’s visions become clues, and Nick becomes an inconveniently attractive partner in crime-solving. Their chemistry crackles, their banter bites, and the mystery unfolds with just enough danger to keep your heart racing.
What makes this book sparkle isn’t just the murder or the romance, it’s the offbeat ensemble cast, the snappy dialogue, and Riley’s reluctant journey toward embracing her gifts.
If you love unconventional heroines, slow-burn attraction, and mysteries with a side of mayhem, this is perfect for you!
Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door is a genre-blending romp that tosses cozy mystery, rom-com antics, and paranormal flair into a blender and somehow makes it delicious. Riley, freshly divorced and reluctantly psychic, is trying to keep her life quiet, but between her eccentric elderly housemates, a ghostly guide named Gabe, and visions she’d rather ignore, quiet isn’t on the menu.
Enter Nick Santiago, a private investigator with a smoldering glare and zero patience for teamwork. When a neighbor turns up dead, Riley’s visions become clues, and Nick becomes an inconveniently attractive partner in crime-solving. Their chemistry crackles, their banter bites, and the mystery unfolds with just enough danger to keep your heart racing.
What makes this book sparkle isn’t just the murder or the romance, it’s the offbeat ensemble cast, the snappy dialogue, and Riley’s reluctant journey toward embracing her gifts.
If you love unconventional heroines, slow-burn attraction, and mysteries with a side of mayhem, this is perfect for you!
January 10, 2022
This was recommended to me by someone who refused to let me wait to read it. I’m hesitant to read new-to-me authors but I had seen other rec’s for this author and decided I would go ahead and give it a try. I am so glad I did! This book had me laughing so hard from beginning to end. The humor is not sophisticated but it isn’t the raunchy, college humor that I’m much too old to appreciate.
Instead, it was based around the chaos of living with a group of aging adults with their idiosyncrasies and little quirks that make them interesting and lovable. It’s the addition of animals when you least expect it and I love any story that has animals. But its mostly Riley and her outlook on life, the way she handles the craziness all around her giving even the humdrum beat of a dead end job something to laugh about.
There is definitely romance here but it isn’t the prime focus. Instead, it’s layered throughout the story adding another element to an already thrilling read. Nick is absolutely worth digging into the story for as he’s perfect for Riley. Watching him meet and deal with the wacky individuals in her life was so much fun. The heat level is low and ultimately, this is a slow burn but it fit these characters perfectly and allowed this story to be told in the only way I could imagine it.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, ALL of these characters, what appears to be the future storyline for Riley and Nick and obviously this author.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Instead, it was based around the chaos of living with a group of aging adults with their idiosyncrasies and little quirks that make them interesting and lovable. It’s the addition of animals when you least expect it and I love any story that has animals. But its mostly Riley and her outlook on life, the way she handles the craziness all around her giving even the humdrum beat of a dead end job something to laugh about.
There is definitely romance here but it isn’t the prime focus. Instead, it’s layered throughout the story adding another element to an already thrilling read. Nick is absolutely worth digging into the story for as he’s perfect for Riley. Watching him meet and deal with the wacky individuals in her life was so much fun. The heat level is low and ultimately, this is a slow burn but it fit these characters perfectly and allowed this story to be told in the only way I could imagine it.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, ALL of these characters, what appears to be the future storyline for Riley and Nick and obviously this author.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
May 22, 2024
This book was recommended by my favorite mystery author, Allison Brennan. She was right. This book is fantastic! Mystery, romance and a big helping of humor. Throw in some paranormal and I am a hooked. But beware, there is excessive bad language to be found.
Riley Thorn just wants to be normal. Well, for some people that just isn't possible and unfortunately for her, Riley is one of them. She is divorced from a slimeball, living with an eccentric bunch of seniors and, oh yeah, she's psychic. When Nick Santiago knocks on her door it doesn't take a psychic to know her life is changed forever.
Nick Santiago is a hot off the chart private investigator and even he knows that something about Riley is special and not just in a "he wants in her pants special" way, either. But this bad boy has an ironclad policy to love 'em and leave 'em. No matter how special they are.
When the guy whose process he was trying to serve when he met Riley ends up dead and Riley as a suspect, Nick is all in on clearing her name, as are the Senior Mafia. Nick is retained to find the killer and Riley is determined to do the same. Working together turns out to be very, very interesting.
Fate, Kismet, Predestination all terms that mean the same: What will be, will be.
Riley Thorn just wants to be normal. Well, for some people that just isn't possible and unfortunately for her, Riley is one of them. She is divorced from a slimeball, living with an eccentric bunch of seniors and, oh yeah, she's psychic. When Nick Santiago knocks on her door it doesn't take a psychic to know her life is changed forever.
Nick Santiago is a hot off the chart private investigator and even he knows that something about Riley is special and not just in a "he wants in her pants special" way, either. But this bad boy has an ironclad policy to love 'em and leave 'em. No matter how special they are.
When the guy whose process he was trying to serve when he met Riley ends up dead and Riley as a suspect, Nick is all in on clearing her name, as are the Senior Mafia. Nick is retained to find the killer and Riley is determined to do the same. Working together turns out to be very, very interesting.
Fate, Kismet, Predestination all terms that mean the same: What will be, will be.
November 6, 2024
This book was hilarious and the quirky cast of characters were the best, so of course I loved every second of this adorable story.
✔️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Dual POV
Fake Dating
Steamy sexual tension
Found Family
Quirky Characters
Mystery
Laugh out loud moments
As always, Score brings her stories to life with heartwarming characters, family, and found family that are the soul and glue that hold the story together while supporting the main characters. Plus, they add to all the nonstop humor, and I love how they don’t fit into definable boxes.
🔥Steam level: Open Door
📖𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Holy smokes! This is one chunky book and I flew through it in no time. Honestly, this story hooks you from the very first paragraph and doesn’t let you go.
Thank you Bloom Books for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions
✔️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Dual POV
Fake Dating
Steamy sexual tension
Found Family
Quirky Characters
Mystery
Laugh out loud moments
As always, Score brings her stories to life with heartwarming characters, family, and found family that are the soul and glue that hold the story together while supporting the main characters. Plus, they add to all the nonstop humor, and I love how they don’t fit into definable boxes.
🔥Steam level: Open Door
📖𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Holy smokes! This is one chunky book and I flew through it in no time. Honestly, this story hooks you from the very first paragraph and doesn’t let you go.
Thank you Bloom Books for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions
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