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The Princess and the P.I.
An amateur online sleuth must enlist the help of a jaded PI to clear her name while taking down a shady tech start-up in this exhilarating romantic caper.
Famed Reddit detective Fiona Addai is great at solving problems—online, that is. Cold cases, reality TV scandals, everyone calls on @Princess_PI. It’s her way of escaping her strict religious life at home and the memory of her brilliant brother’s sudden death. But when the sheltered sleuth tries to apply her inquisitive skills to real life, her plan to reclaim her late brother’s invention from the ruthless corporation that stole it goes disastrously wrong. Now, instead of getting justice, Fiona finds herself accused of murder.
Maurice Bennett is no stranger to insomnia. These days, he’s not losing sleep over the cases he’s solving—but running from the one he couldn’t. Instead, he’s been settling for small-time scandals that don’t stir up the guilt he’s buried. But when he spots Fiona Addai at the center of a murder investigation, something clicks. And for the first time in a long while, Maurice feels that old spark of intrigue.
However, Fiona is not the helpless damsel she appears to be. Sure, she needs Maurice’s help to clear her name, but she’s got conditions of her own: she wants a crash course in real-world detective work. Maurice isn’t exactly thrilled. With every late-night stakeout and tension-filled interrogation, their partnership starts to feel a little too close for comfort. To bring the real killer to light, they'll need to trust each other and that might be the most dangerous gamble of all.
Famed Reddit detective Fiona Addai is great at solving problems—online, that is. Cold cases, reality TV scandals, everyone calls on @Princess_PI. It’s her way of escaping her strict religious life at home and the memory of her brilliant brother’s sudden death. But when the sheltered sleuth tries to apply her inquisitive skills to real life, her plan to reclaim her late brother’s invention from the ruthless corporation that stole it goes disastrously wrong. Now, instead of getting justice, Fiona finds herself accused of murder.
Maurice Bennett is no stranger to insomnia. These days, he’s not losing sleep over the cases he’s solving—but running from the one he couldn’t. Instead, he’s been settling for small-time scandals that don’t stir up the guilt he’s buried. But when he spots Fiona Addai at the center of a murder investigation, something clicks. And for the first time in a long while, Maurice feels that old spark of intrigue.
However, Fiona is not the helpless damsel she appears to be. Sure, she needs Maurice’s help to clear her name, but she’s got conditions of her own: she wants a crash course in real-world detective work. Maurice isn’t exactly thrilled. With every late-night stakeout and tension-filled interrogation, their partnership starts to feel a little too close for comfort. To bring the real killer to light, they'll need to trust each other and that might be the most dangerous gamble of all.
480 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2025
124 people are currently reading
9638 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
October 4, 2025
Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner
Whew, where do I begin?
The Princess and the P.I. is a murder mystery romcom, with a lot of characters and a lot of twists and turns. I ultimately ended up getting lost in the sauce quite a few times which was challenging for me as both a lover of romance and mystery/thrillers. The writing was engaging, culturally sound, and beautiful at times—also this takes place so close to where I live that at some points the story was 5-10 minutes from my house! I've never read a trad pub'd book that close to home before, so that aspect was very cool and helped me feel immersed in what was going on.
With that said, the constant shifting of who the bad guy(s) was, the church cult (as someone who grew up in a non-denominational faith that was definitely a fundie cult I appreciated the church cult exploration, politics, and secrecy surrounding it), Maurice's backstory with addiction, and Fiona's backstory of repression made me feel like there were a lot of moving pieces and things to keep track of. There is also a relatively vast rotating cast of characters that was overwhelming for a book this length—and it is quite lengthy for both a murder mystery and a romcom.
Sometimes characters acted one way in a chapter and then acted in a completely opposite, befuddling way in the next. Particularly Fiona's father and sister, and sometimes Maurice. Speaking of Fiona and Maurice, unfortunately their love story felt disjointed and not that substantial for me. It was mostly based in lust and mutual respect—which is a great foundation—but I ultimately didn't feel like they truly knew one another by the time they decided to be together.
All in all, this was my first time reading Nikki Payne but I own her backlist and am very excited to read those! Although this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it didn't quite work for me, I do still recommend it because it's fun more than it's not.
3 ⭐️s
2.5 🌶️
Whew, where do I begin?
The Princess and the P.I. is a murder mystery romcom, with a lot of characters and a lot of twists and turns. I ultimately ended up getting lost in the sauce quite a few times which was challenging for me as both a lover of romance and mystery/thrillers. The writing was engaging, culturally sound, and beautiful at times—also this takes place so close to where I live that at some points the story was 5-10 minutes from my house! I've never read a trad pub'd book that close to home before, so that aspect was very cool and helped me feel immersed in what was going on.
With that said, the constant shifting of who the bad guy(s) was, the church cult (as someone who grew up in a non-denominational faith that was definitely a fundie cult I appreciated the church cult exploration, politics, and secrecy surrounding it), Maurice's backstory with addiction, and Fiona's backstory of repression made me feel like there were a lot of moving pieces and things to keep track of. There is also a relatively vast rotating cast of characters that was overwhelming for a book this length—and it is quite lengthy for both a murder mystery and a romcom.
Sometimes characters acted one way in a chapter and then acted in a completely opposite, befuddling way in the next. Particularly Fiona's father and sister, and sometimes Maurice. Speaking of Fiona and Maurice, unfortunately their love story felt disjointed and not that substantial for me. It was mostly based in lust and mutual respect—which is a great foundation—but I ultimately didn't feel like they truly knew one another by the time they decided to be together.
All in all, this was my first time reading Nikki Payne but I own her backlist and am very excited to read those! Although this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it didn't quite work for me, I do still recommend it because it's fun more than it's not.
3 ⭐️s
2.5 🌶️
September 18, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ | Don’t let the cover fool you! This story had some spice, mystery & a whole murd3r investigation. I enjoyed Fiona & Maurice’s story as it evolved & their dynamic made me swoon. He was just what she needed after emotionally recovering from the loss of her mother & brother! I love how this was a multi genre story, as I got the love & romance - yet still got the mystery and suspense. Overall a solid & enjoyable read! Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.
October 1, 2025
Thank you to Berkley Romance & PRH Audio for the eARC & ALC. All opinions are my own.
I have mixed feelings on this one!
I definitely WANTED to love it more than I did, unfortunately.
I'm still giving it 4⭐️ because I do think many will enjoy it 🥰
I grabbed this one because I had heard such good things about Nikki Payne's previous books, and wanted to try her out.
From the cover I thought it would be a cute romcom filled with banter and maybe a fun mystery.
It was a lot heavier than I expected, and a LOT of talk about religion/church. I couldn't connect with that part of it, nor a lot of interests Fiona had (anime, reality tv, etc).
I found myself more invested in the case/mystery than the romance between Fiona & Maurice.
🎧 audiobook thoughts:
both narrators (Arissa Evans & Jaime Lincoln Smith) were fantastic, and I'm glad I was able to immersive read this one - sometimes the POV changed mid-chapter, and if it weren't for the different voices, I would have had no clue who's perspective it was!
I have mixed feelings on this one!
I definitely WANTED to love it more than I did, unfortunately.
I'm still giving it 4⭐️ because I do think many will enjoy it 🥰
I grabbed this one because I had heard such good things about Nikki Payne's previous books, and wanted to try her out.
From the cover I thought it would be a cute romcom filled with banter and maybe a fun mystery.
It was a lot heavier than I expected, and a LOT of talk about religion/church. I couldn't connect with that part of it, nor a lot of interests Fiona had (anime, reality tv, etc).
I found myself more invested in the case/mystery than the romance between Fiona & Maurice.
🎧 audiobook thoughts:
both narrators (Arissa Evans & Jaime Lincoln Smith) were fantastic, and I'm glad I was able to immersive read this one - sometimes the POV changed mid-chapter, and if it weren't for the different voices, I would have had no clue who's perspective it was!
October 13, 2025
*2.75 stars
I really really wanted to love this one, but it didn’t deliver on the mystery at all for me. There were like two and a half mystery plots going on and I don’t think Payne handled any of them particularly well, nor did she connect them in a way that felt believable to me. The whole book would’ve been much more effective if it had just been about clearing Fiona’s name OR Maurice and Fiona solving the case he couldn’t solve and finally taking down the church, CERTAINLY not both.
There’s shockingly little investigation actually happening. They sneak into a few places, go through trash, circle things on a murder board but it does all feel like cosplay. A hard-boiled classic P.I. mystery this is not. Fiona is supposed to be some superstar online sleuth who’s queen of the message boards, fine, but I truly did not expect that FULL extent of her criminal investigation expertise to be centered on Reddit. When she’s investigating something, quite literally all she does is go down some Reddit rabbit holes and somehow, miraculously, all the information she needs is right there. And when she ventures outside of the threads, all she’s doing is checking social media. I get it, people live their lives on social and there’s a treasure trove of information there, but really? Fiona couldn’t hack in anywhere? She couldn’t look up some court documents or morgue records or anything?? And she wants to do this PROFESSIONALLY??? It just strained credulity for me. Like what do you mean you’re cracking this case wide open cause you got on Facebook Marketplace? I guess I expected her Redditing to be like....where she learned to always wear gloves at a crime scene or something like that, not like she's using Reddit to do literally all of the crime solving. Be serious!
From a craft standpoint, I feel like Payne struggled to lay out the connective tissue — and I’m not just talking about the mystery. Sometimes we’d walk into a room and begin a scene and then suddenly a character will appear there as if they were transported, and then suddenly Fiona and Maurice will be in the bedroom talking with nothing about how they got there. Characters would come to conclusion that barely seemed to logically follow from whatever someone said two lines ago. It was kind of like paper dolls and made the actual core of the story read like someone’s first foray into a mystery.
The romance was OK. I liked Maurice and the animal magnetism thing he had going on, I think Fiona should go to therapy, both family and individual. I read another review that said they couldn’t find what Fiona and Maurice liked about each other besides sexual attraction, and I think that’s fair. Technically it’s a slow burn, but when they announced they had fallen in love I didn’t really feel it or desperately want them to be together. I appreciate the fact that it got explicit/open door, which I’ve been banging on the windows about for years. I just wish the mystery hadn’t been so wobbly.
Pet peeve — Why is it that Naruto, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball Z seem to be the only animes black people know? STILL in 2025. Come on!!!
I really really wanted to love this one, but it didn’t deliver on the mystery at all for me. There were like two and a half mystery plots going on and I don’t think Payne handled any of them particularly well, nor did she connect them in a way that felt believable to me. The whole book would’ve been much more effective if it had just been about clearing Fiona’s name OR Maurice and Fiona solving the case he couldn’t solve and finally taking down the church, CERTAINLY not both.
There’s shockingly little investigation actually happening. They sneak into a few places, go through trash, circle things on a murder board but it does all feel like cosplay. A hard-boiled classic P.I. mystery this is not. Fiona is supposed to be some superstar online sleuth who’s queen of the message boards, fine, but I truly did not expect that FULL extent of her criminal investigation expertise to be centered on Reddit. When she’s investigating something, quite literally all she does is go down some Reddit rabbit holes and somehow, miraculously, all the information she needs is right there. And when she ventures outside of the threads, all she’s doing is checking social media. I get it, people live their lives on social and there’s a treasure trove of information there, but really? Fiona couldn’t hack in anywhere? She couldn’t look up some court documents or morgue records or anything?? And she wants to do this PROFESSIONALLY??? It just strained credulity for me. Like what do you mean you’re cracking this case wide open cause you got on Facebook Marketplace? I guess I expected her Redditing to be like....where she learned to always wear gloves at a crime scene or something like that, not like she's using Reddit to do literally all of the crime solving. Be serious!
From a craft standpoint, I feel like Payne struggled to lay out the connective tissue — and I’m not just talking about the mystery. Sometimes we’d walk into a room and begin a scene and then suddenly a character will appear there as if they were transported, and then suddenly Fiona and Maurice will be in the bedroom talking with nothing about how they got there. Characters would come to conclusion that barely seemed to logically follow from whatever someone said two lines ago. It was kind of like paper dolls and made the actual core of the story read like someone’s first foray into a mystery.
The romance was OK. I liked Maurice and the animal magnetism thing he had going on, I think Fiona should go to therapy, both family and individual. I read another review that said they couldn’t find what Fiona and Maurice liked about each other besides sexual attraction, and I think that’s fair. Technically it’s a slow burn, but when they announced they had fallen in love I didn’t really feel it or desperately want them to be together. I appreciate the fact that it got explicit/open door, which I’ve been banging on the windows about for years. I just wish the mystery hadn’t been so wobbly.
Pet peeve — Why is it that Naruto, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball Z seem to be the only animes black people know? STILL in 2025. Come on!!!
August 29, 2025
Nikki Payne has written a banger of a romantic suspense/mystery book here, with action that takes us from church to the [marital congress] club, with many stops in between. Maurice Bennet is a private investigator, haunted (literally and figuratively) by the big case he could not solve while on the police force. Fiona is a reddit detective, the suppressed daughter of the head of a fundamentalist church linked to Maurice's cold case. When she is arrested he bails her out and they work together to solve her case, and his.
In the excellent Pride and Protest, a close Austin retelling, Maurice is the Mary equivalent, quiet and a little removed from his rambunctious sisters (hashtag never forget him hogging the mic at a fundraiser to perform spoken word poetry like Mary monopolizing the piano at the ball). He still feels a little apart from his sisters, while feeling deeply loved. Payne does such good work here with a few asides about vulnerability and perceived masculinity and keeping that balance. For the first time HE is seen and appreciated for who he is, "It's that you're the real deal. You're sensitive to the world and the terrible things in it. You feel it deeply."
In return Fiona is seen and appreciated for the first time. She has been reared in a culture of shame and obedience, and he celebrates her independence and abilities (and her body). "She could say without exaggerating that he was the only person in the world who believed she was capable of anything." They grow closer, working together as a team with balanced strengths, and building their emotional connection.
We already knew Payne can write a romance with the yearning and emotion and HEAT, but here it's balanced out a with an intricate plot and mystery. Payne obviously knows her genre and we get a lot of delicious beats here, but woven so smoothly into the story they belong as if it had been the first time ever deployed. There's the deep Old School satisfaction of being the first and only with a beloved, the Can Only Sleep With Her, and a good handful of fairy tale references and references to literature to keep us guessing as to inspiration.
The mystery part kept me predicting wrongly until the end. Payne keeps all the balls of a many-threaded plot in the air and sticks the landing with the criminal investigation part. I think she wasn't just talking about a character when she wrote "Always misdirection with him." She definitely had me looking at bright shiny objects a few times while things were happening in another direction.
I lived in DC for 26 years and worked in the Federal government, so the DMV setting, and (to the extent any liberal white lady can say) the Black culture was familiar. This book was woven into other areas completely off my radar; true crime sleuthing, a fundamentalist church, and a fandom of I'm going to say....anime? It's obvious the author knew those areas well, the atmosphere was perfectly established, and I could see how others would be drawn into the whole reddit world (which Fiona works like a maestro).
I love it when authors stretch and try new directions. Mystery and romantic suspense is not my ministry, but I deeply enjoyed this book and had a great time reading it. And if you are a person who has ever listened to a true crime podcast or watched a detective procedural, I guarantee this is the book for you.
Thank you to Berkley (!!) for the arc.
In the excellent Pride and Protest, a close Austin retelling, Maurice is the Mary equivalent, quiet and a little removed from his rambunctious sisters (hashtag never forget him hogging the mic at a fundraiser to perform spoken word poetry like Mary monopolizing the piano at the ball). He still feels a little apart from his sisters, while feeling deeply loved. Payne does such good work here with a few asides about vulnerability and perceived masculinity and keeping that balance. For the first time HE is seen and appreciated for who he is, "It's that you're the real deal. You're sensitive to the world and the terrible things in it. You feel it deeply."
In return Fiona is seen and appreciated for the first time. She has been reared in a culture of shame and obedience, and he celebrates her independence and abilities (and her body). "She could say without exaggerating that he was the only person in the world who believed she was capable of anything." They grow closer, working together as a team with balanced strengths, and building their emotional connection.
We already knew Payne can write a romance with the yearning and emotion and HEAT, but here it's balanced out a with an intricate plot and mystery. Payne obviously knows her genre and we get a lot of delicious beats here, but woven so smoothly into the story they belong as if it had been the first time ever deployed. There's the deep Old School satisfaction of being the first and only with a beloved, the Can Only Sleep With Her, and a good handful of fairy tale references and references to literature to keep us guessing as to inspiration.
The mystery part kept me predicting wrongly until the end. Payne keeps all the balls of a many-threaded plot in the air and sticks the landing with the criminal investigation part. I think she wasn't just talking about a character when she wrote "Always misdirection with him." She definitely had me looking at bright shiny objects a few times while things were happening in another direction.
I lived in DC for 26 years and worked in the Federal government, so the DMV setting, and (to the extent any liberal white lady can say) the Black culture was familiar. This book was woven into other areas completely off my radar; true crime sleuthing, a fundamentalist church, and a fandom of I'm going to say....anime? It's obvious the author knew those areas well, the atmosphere was perfectly established, and I could see how others would be drawn into the whole reddit world (which Fiona works like a maestro).
I love it when authors stretch and try new directions. Mystery and romantic suspense is not my ministry, but I deeply enjoyed this book and had a great time reading it. And if you are a person who has ever listened to a true crime podcast or watched a detective procedural, I guarantee this is the book for you.
Thank you to Berkley (!!) for the arc.
October 12, 2025
This … was a lot. And not in a good way.
I did not enjoy this 😭 it was doing way too much, i hated the romance between the characters. I didn’t like the MMC. I hated the FMC’s family. The religious/trauma/cult plot was NOT it AT ALL.
This is a major no for me😅
I still can’t believe this man was talking to dead people like it was totally normal and nobody ever explained why 🫥
and since this book had about a million and one black church references i shall end my review with one more: I’m washing my hands clean of this book!
I did not enjoy this 😭 it was doing way too much, i hated the romance between the characters. I didn’t like the MMC. I hated the FMC’s family. The religious/trauma/cult plot was NOT it AT ALL.
This is a major no for me😅
I still can’t believe this man was talking to dead people like it was totally normal and nobody ever explained why 🫥
and since this book had about a million and one black church references i shall end my review with one more: I’m washing my hands clean of this book!
September 11, 2025
I think I'll read anything Nikki puts out, but I especially loved this synopsis.
I loved Fiona. She's smart, but maybe a little sheltered and definitely knows she wants more for her life. Maurice is gritty and sharp and has definitely been on his own for too long. Together they have instant interest and an openness that was fun to read. I loved reading how she softened him and he sharpened her. Oh, and his sisters were so much fun.
Plot wise, it's sort of a lot. There are several plot threads and at certain points, I forgot there were other things going on. This book is heavy on religion and the church and that gradually turns into cult talk. Regardless of all of the moving parts, this story is firmly about Fiona and Maurice finding their way in life, as well as in a relationship.
Overall, these characters were so easy to root for and Nikki has a way of writing fun, no matter the topic. I can't wait to read whatever she has next.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved Fiona. She's smart, but maybe a little sheltered and definitely knows she wants more for her life. Maurice is gritty and sharp and has definitely been on his own for too long. Together they have instant interest and an openness that was fun to read. I loved reading how she softened him and he sharpened her. Oh, and his sisters were so much fun.
Plot wise, it's sort of a lot. There are several plot threads and at certain points, I forgot there were other things going on. This book is heavy on religion and the church and that gradually turns into cult talk. Regardless of all of the moving parts, this story is firmly about Fiona and Maurice finding their way in life, as well as in a relationship.
Overall, these characters were so easy to root for and Nikki has a way of writing fun, no matter the topic. I can't wait to read whatever she has next.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
September 16, 2025
Fiona Addai has always been the obedient daughter. As the daughter of a prominent church leader, she was forced to conform to being the good girl that she was raised to be. What her father doesn't know is that she has a secret sleuthing hobby. Fiona's alter ego is @Princess_PI - a well-respected web sleuth who helps investigate crimes. When she is arrested for a murder that she didn't commit, she convinces private investigator Maurice Bennett to help her figure out who the real murderer is. As Fiona and Maurice spend a lot of time together, it's difficult for them to resist the electric chemistry that they have.
This fascinating story drew me in from the first chapter! This romance story was mixed with mystery and suspense and it made for a very entertaining experience. I won't give up too much on the plot since I don't want to spoil things, but I have to say that it was a fun rollercoaster!
Fiona was an undercover badass. It took a while for her real self to shine through the shell that her parents forced her into, but once she could grow into that new skin, it was glorious! I was rooting for her to find her voice and confidence the whole way.
Maurice was an intriguing character. He had questionable morals because of the things he had to do to get leads and it was an interesting juxtaposition with Fiona's inherently good character. Maurice made questionable choices in the past and Fiona made him want to be a man who deserved her. He proved that people can change for the better and sometimes it takes love and support to want to make those changes.
The supporting characters in this book were just as well-written as the main characters. Maurice's sisters had me cracking up! (I'd like to see books for each of them, please, Nikki Payne!). Fiona's sister and father were complex characters with messy feelings and situations. Although I didn't like them at first, in the end, I liked them because I understood them more.
Nikki Payne has a way with words. There were so many times when I paused and re-read lines because of how profound they were. Payne can seamlessly mix the different genres together while giving it a visceral vibe that I feel in my bones.
Pick this one up for an exciting and sexy romantic mystery!
Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥½
⚠️: grief, murder, mention of death of a loved one
I received a complimentary eARC from the publisher.
This fascinating story drew me in from the first chapter! This romance story was mixed with mystery and suspense and it made for a very entertaining experience. I won't give up too much on the plot since I don't want to spoil things, but I have to say that it was a fun rollercoaster!
Fiona was an undercover badass. It took a while for her real self to shine through the shell that her parents forced her into, but once she could grow into that new skin, it was glorious! I was rooting for her to find her voice and confidence the whole way.
Maurice was an intriguing character. He had questionable morals because of the things he had to do to get leads and it was an interesting juxtaposition with Fiona's inherently good character. Maurice made questionable choices in the past and Fiona made him want to be a man who deserved her. He proved that people can change for the better and sometimes it takes love and support to want to make those changes.
The supporting characters in this book were just as well-written as the main characters. Maurice's sisters had me cracking up! (I'd like to see books for each of them, please, Nikki Payne!). Fiona's sister and father were complex characters with messy feelings and situations. Although I didn't like them at first, in the end, I liked them because I understood them more.
Nikki Payne has a way with words. There were so many times when I paused and re-read lines because of how profound they were. Payne can seamlessly mix the different genres together while giving it a visceral vibe that I feel in my bones.
Pick this one up for an exciting and sexy romantic mystery!
Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥½
⚠️: grief, murder, mention of death of a loved one
I received a complimentary eARC from the publisher.
November 9, 2025
A good girl goes to jail and a jaded guy bails her out then partners her on the case. Nikki Payne is not a new to me author. I loved her modern Jane Austen retellings and, with The Princess and the P.I., she dives smoothly into romantic suspense with her same signature blend of witty humor and heavy feels.
👠The Princess and the PI introduces Fiona, sheltered pastor’s daughter who grieves the loss of mother and brother. She can’t seem to get her remaining family to grasp that she has value and skills so she’s become a secret on-line sensation as a private investigator. Her latest investigation cut close to the bone when she planned to sneak into corporate and take back her brother’s invention. And, no, that didn’t go well. She lands in jail and a deeper trouble than she can imagine.
👞Lo and behold, Maurice, the younger brother from Nikki Payne’s earlier book, Pride & Protest, turns out to be the ex-cop now turned world-weary private investigator with an unsolved case still stuck in his head. Fiona’s family is strongly connected to this case so he reluctantly agrees to take her on as partner. She’s not keen on his ‘any way to get ‘er done’ approach and he thinks she’s too sheltered growing up under her strict pastor dad. But, they jive well and the sizzling attraction heats up the pages as does the danger they get into when they get closer than is comfortable to the truth.
There is such a contrast between Fiona’s legalistic ‘Christian’ family and Maurice’s very quirky and good family – his sisters crack me up as they did in Pride and Protest (Maurice is the fuddy-dud sibling). Fiona wears a "Princess" mask around her family and church that she doesn’t need around Maurice who comes to appreciates her just the way she is. There are fun literary references throughout that help point out the genre elements and plot points in a fun way.
🔎💞The romance and suspense elements were equally balanced, the Washington DC backdrop and culture, social issues, and complex characters were an abso-fab blend that left me satisfied. Like emotional, thought-provoking, and spicy romantic suspense? Slide the Princess and the PI onto your reading pile.
I rec'd a finished print copy from Berkley Romance to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at my Instagram page, @sophiarose1816 on 10.23.25
👠The Princess and the PI introduces Fiona, sheltered pastor’s daughter who grieves the loss of mother and brother. She can’t seem to get her remaining family to grasp that she has value and skills so she’s become a secret on-line sensation as a private investigator. Her latest investigation cut close to the bone when she planned to sneak into corporate and take back her brother’s invention. And, no, that didn’t go well. She lands in jail and a deeper trouble than she can imagine.
👞Lo and behold, Maurice, the younger brother from Nikki Payne’s earlier book, Pride & Protest, turns out to be the ex-cop now turned world-weary private investigator with an unsolved case still stuck in his head. Fiona’s family is strongly connected to this case so he reluctantly agrees to take her on as partner. She’s not keen on his ‘any way to get ‘er done’ approach and he thinks she’s too sheltered growing up under her strict pastor dad. But, they jive well and the sizzling attraction heats up the pages as does the danger they get into when they get closer than is comfortable to the truth.
There is such a contrast between Fiona’s legalistic ‘Christian’ family and Maurice’s very quirky and good family – his sisters crack me up as they did in Pride and Protest (Maurice is the fuddy-dud sibling). Fiona wears a "Princess" mask around her family and church that she doesn’t need around Maurice who comes to appreciates her just the way she is. There are fun literary references throughout that help point out the genre elements and plot points in a fun way.
🔎💞The romance and suspense elements were equally balanced, the Washington DC backdrop and culture, social issues, and complex characters were an abso-fab blend that left me satisfied. Like emotional, thought-provoking, and spicy romantic suspense? Slide the Princess and the PI onto your reading pile.
I rec'd a finished print copy from Berkley Romance to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at my Instagram page, @sophiarose1816 on 10.23.25
September 17, 2025
Out now!
While Nikki Payne's new romance between a PI and a "Reddit detective" could probably have been served by a less convoluted mystery, fewer characters, and fewer pages - I still thought it was a ton of fun. The heroine, Fiona, a repressed pastor's daughter trying to break out of her gilded gage, was a particular delight.
While Nikki Payne's new romance between a PI and a "Reddit detective" could probably have been served by a less convoluted mystery, fewer characters, and fewer pages - I still thought it was a ton of fun. The heroine, Fiona, a repressed pastor's daughter trying to break out of her gilded gage, was a particular delight.
November 18, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed the story but I think that it had a very slow start to begin with both on the suspense side and the romance side. If this would have been classified just a drama/suspense, the romance as is would suffice.
Fiona’s sister and dad are both P.O.S. I also think we could have used some backstory to the cult, to the family and even the brother prior to his death.
A solid read.
Fiona’s sister and dad are both P.O.S. I also think we could have used some backstory to the cult, to the family and even the brother prior to his death.
A solid read.
September 17, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
I enjoyed it! This book starts off with a fast paced scene that will immediately pull you in and have you wanting more! I was fully invested in figuring out the why and the who?? But, I was also intrigued by the religious cult aspect and how a church can often “brainwash” their followers in the name of religion. In this case, there is underlying corruption at play and I sense a major cover up that will be unveiled! Outside of all this, there is a slow burn romance brewing between the FMC and MMC and the romance girly in me is into it! Fiona was trained to be “obedient” her whole life, seen and not heard, so much of her identity and self worth was wrapped into the teachings of her fathers church. But, there was so much more to Fiona than her entire family gave her credit for! I was happy to see her grow, find her voice and come into her own! I thought the characters were really developed well and I loved the romance between the MMC and FMC. I also liked that while this was suspenseful, it didn’t feel too heavy. This is a great laugh out loud suspenseful read that I’d recommend!
Only other thing I’d add, is that after a while the mystery seemed to drag on just a tad.
Fun fact: Marcus is the little brother from Pride and Protest! I love when books connect characters
This is perfect for fans of:
💫Mysteries
💫Whodunnit
💫Slow burn romance
💫Forced proximity
💫Romantic suspense
💫 intense family dynamics
💫hero arc
💫liberation from oppressive systems
I enjoyed it! This book starts off with a fast paced scene that will immediately pull you in and have you wanting more! I was fully invested in figuring out the why and the who?? But, I was also intrigued by the religious cult aspect and how a church can often “brainwash” their followers in the name of religion. In this case, there is underlying corruption at play and I sense a major cover up that will be unveiled! Outside of all this, there is a slow burn romance brewing between the FMC and MMC and the romance girly in me is into it! Fiona was trained to be “obedient” her whole life, seen and not heard, so much of her identity and self worth was wrapped into the teachings of her fathers church. But, there was so much more to Fiona than her entire family gave her credit for! I was happy to see her grow, find her voice and come into her own! I thought the characters were really developed well and I loved the romance between the MMC and FMC. I also liked that while this was suspenseful, it didn’t feel too heavy. This is a great laugh out loud suspenseful read that I’d recommend!
Only other thing I’d add, is that after a while the mystery seemed to drag on just a tad.
Fun fact: Marcus is the little brother from Pride and Protest! I love when books connect characters
This is perfect for fans of:
💫Mysteries
💫Whodunnit
💫Slow burn romance
💫Forced proximity
💫Romantic suspense
💫 intense family dynamics
💫hero arc
💫liberation from oppressive systems
September 21, 2025
This was very different from what I’ve read from this author and I enjoyed the mystery and suspense. This is a romantic suspense that follows the fmc Fiona and Maurice the mmc as they navigate Fiona being charged with murder. The fmc finds herself in the wrong place and gets involved with the mmc who is a private investigator as they try to solve the mystery.
This book had so many different levels and was complex and interesting. We have the main mystery and also the fmcs religious trauma with her dad being a pastor and her brother being banished from the church and home. I thought the religious aspect/ over religious part was real sad and well portrayed/written. The family dynamics in this are very complex and there are secrets and dark aspects.
The romance is a slow burn and in the beginning it’s set aside for the mystery but it comes and it’s worth it. I liked the tension between the main characters and how important it was for the fmc to be sexually liberated especially after growing up in a religious/ purity culture background. There are steamy scenes and i liked watching the main characters get closer and develop the relationship. Overall this was a good suspense with a romance story, its does have darker themes which increased the stakes. Thanks to Berkley for this arc for an honest review.
This book had so many different levels and was complex and interesting. We have the main mystery and also the fmcs religious trauma with her dad being a pastor and her brother being banished from the church and home. I thought the religious aspect/ over religious part was real sad and well portrayed/written. The family dynamics in this are very complex and there are secrets and dark aspects.
The romance is a slow burn and in the beginning it’s set aside for the mystery but it comes and it’s worth it. I liked the tension between the main characters and how important it was for the fmc to be sexually liberated especially after growing up in a religious/ purity culture background. There are steamy scenes and i liked watching the main characters get closer and develop the relationship. Overall this was a good suspense with a romance story, its does have darker themes which increased the stakes. Thanks to Berkley for this arc for an honest review.
October 14, 2025
3.75 stars rounded up
December 11, 2025
This maybe how the arc was formed, but the lack of real change for the characters made each perspective blur a bit together.
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own
September 23, 2025
I had a feeling going into The Princess and the P.I. that I was going to like it, and I wasn’t wrong! I admit, I took one look at that gorgeous cover, saw that the book was by Nikki Payne, and I was sold. I really liked her other romances, and though this was a little different from her other books, it was equally enjoyable.
From the moment I met Fiona Addai, I loved her. Reddit legend and mystery solver by night, sheltered preacher’s daughter by day, Fiona’s entire life is thrown in an upheaval when she tries to take back her brother’s invention and becomes the lead suspect in a murder. I loved her growth over the course of the story and how she breaks down the walls of her carefully constructed life. With the help of Maurice, the sexy private investigator, Fiona begins to realize that she is more than the daughter of a pastor, a grieving sister, and a devout rule-follower. She’s clever and astute, brave even when she’s scared, and constantly searching for the truth in the case, in herself, and in the people around her.
Of course, my favorite part of the story is the romance between Fiona and Maurice. So swoon-worthy! Maurice is jaded, broody, and nursing old wounds, but he’s also deeply intuitive and surprisingly gentle, especially when it comes to Fiona. I love the way he treats her and makes her feel seen. He pushes her to be her authentic self, not what other people want or expect. Their dynamic is loaded with sexual tension and banter, and though I didn’t always love Maurice’s train of thought, overall I enjoyed their relationship. They are a great team, and they complement each other so well with a relationship that is a great blend of sexy, sweet, caring, and funny.
The mystery itself is a tangled, high-stakes situation that is much more duplicitous than I expected. Fiona’s late brother’s invention and the ruthless tech world she steps into make for an intriguing backdrop, as does the mysterious religious cult with some deadly secrets in its closet. There are some darker themes and elements, and though they don’t overtake the story, I would suggest checking out the content warnings before reading.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
From the moment I met Fiona Addai, I loved her. Reddit legend and mystery solver by night, sheltered preacher’s daughter by day, Fiona’s entire life is thrown in an upheaval when she tries to take back her brother’s invention and becomes the lead suspect in a murder. I loved her growth over the course of the story and how she breaks down the walls of her carefully constructed life. With the help of Maurice, the sexy private investigator, Fiona begins to realize that she is more than the daughter of a pastor, a grieving sister, and a devout rule-follower. She’s clever and astute, brave even when she’s scared, and constantly searching for the truth in the case, in herself, and in the people around her.
Of course, my favorite part of the story is the romance between Fiona and Maurice. So swoon-worthy! Maurice is jaded, broody, and nursing old wounds, but he’s also deeply intuitive and surprisingly gentle, especially when it comes to Fiona. I love the way he treats her and makes her feel seen. He pushes her to be her authentic self, not what other people want or expect. Their dynamic is loaded with sexual tension and banter, and though I didn’t always love Maurice’s train of thought, overall I enjoyed their relationship. They are a great team, and they complement each other so well with a relationship that is a great blend of sexy, sweet, caring, and funny.
The mystery itself is a tangled, high-stakes situation that is much more duplicitous than I expected. Fiona’s late brother’s invention and the ruthless tech world she steps into make for an intriguing backdrop, as does the mysterious religious cult with some deadly secrets in its closet. There are some darker themes and elements, and though they don’t overtake the story, I would suggest checking out the content warnings before reading.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
September 21, 2025
Full review to comeThanks for the free e-ARC & #gifted ALC @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley & @prhaudio #prhaudiopartner
🔎 Review - THE PRINCESS AND THE P.I. 🔎
Author - Nikki Payne
Pub Date - 9/16/25
*physical copy purchased by me*
I love a good romantic suspense story, and Nikki Payne really delivers with her latest, The Princess and the P.I.!
Fiona is the daughter of a prominent church leader. She has lived a sheltered life, but unsatisfied with that living that way, Fiona has also cultivated a secret life as the online amateur sleuth, @Princess_PI. When her brother is murdered and the invention he had been working on is stolen, Fiona decides to use her sleuthing skills to avenge his death and get his invention back.
Things don’t go as planned and not only does Fiona end up arrested and accused of murder. Enter Maurice Bennett, the former cop turned PI. When he learns of Fiona’s predicament, he decides to intervene and bails her out of jail, then starts working with her to try to clear her name and find the real perpetrator.
It was so entertaining watching these two work together to solve this mystery! Maurice is a little broody and at first has no patience for Fiona and her online sleuthing persona, but the more they work together, the more he starts to see her how she really wants to be seen, as more than just a good girl. I thought their chemistry was fantastic and was immediately invested in them as a couple.
I won’t say much about the actual investigation aside from that it takes Maurice and Fiona on a wild ride and that it had plenty of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.
I really enjoyed Payne’s writing, both in the way she wrote these two characters with so many layers, and in the way she skillfully weaves suspense, tension, humor, & spicy romance into this story.
I read this one with my eyes and ears and thoroughly enjoyed the narration of Arissa Evans & Jaime Lincoln Smith, who both did a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life & playing up the chemistry between them.
🔎 Review - THE PRINCESS AND THE P.I. 🔎
Author - Nikki Payne
Pub Date - 9/16/25
*physical copy purchased by me*
I love a good romantic suspense story, and Nikki Payne really delivers with her latest, The Princess and the P.I.!
Fiona is the daughter of a prominent church leader. She has lived a sheltered life, but unsatisfied with that living that way, Fiona has also cultivated a secret life as the online amateur sleuth, @Princess_PI. When her brother is murdered and the invention he had been working on is stolen, Fiona decides to use her sleuthing skills to avenge his death and get his invention back.
Things don’t go as planned and not only does Fiona end up arrested and accused of murder. Enter Maurice Bennett, the former cop turned PI. When he learns of Fiona’s predicament, he decides to intervene and bails her out of jail, then starts working with her to try to clear her name and find the real perpetrator.
It was so entertaining watching these two work together to solve this mystery! Maurice is a little broody and at first has no patience for Fiona and her online sleuthing persona, but the more they work together, the more he starts to see her how she really wants to be seen, as more than just a good girl. I thought their chemistry was fantastic and was immediately invested in them as a couple.
I won’t say much about the actual investigation aside from that it takes Maurice and Fiona on a wild ride and that it had plenty of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.
I really enjoyed Payne’s writing, both in the way she wrote these two characters with so many layers, and in the way she skillfully weaves suspense, tension, humor, & spicy romance into this story.
I read this one with my eyes and ears and thoroughly enjoyed the narration of Arissa Evans & Jaime Lincoln Smith, who both did a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life & playing up the chemistry between them.
September 16, 2025
Thank you, @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the free print and audio copies! #berkley #berkleypartner #prhaudioinfluencer
Fiona Appiah is an online sleuth known for her ability to uncover the truth behind an online scandal or a cold case through her account, @Princess_PI. It has been an important escape for her from her overprotective and strictly religious family. A situation that has only gotten worse since her brother’s death. But when Fiona decides to take her online skills into the real world to avenge her brother by stealing back his invention from the corporation that stole it, things go VERY POORLY. Maurice Bennett was once on the force but hung up his shield for a PI license. But he can’t get the case he couldn’t solve out of his head. It weighs on him so much, he can’t sleep. But when Fiona’s chaos lands in front of him, he can’t help but step in to help. Soon these complete opposites find themselves working the case together and, despite their better judgements, they are drawn to each other.
I love a good romantic suspense novel and this one is full of both! I love how Maurice sees the real Fiona through the vail of the person she has crafted herself into in order to serve her family’s purposes. The contrast between Maurice’s family and their treatment of Fiona provide her with a vision of how families and love should be. The revenge plot and crime solving expands over the course of the novel, with a fair number of characters coming into play and I did find myself going back to re-read previous chapters to make sure I understood what was happening. The wrap up was intensely satisfying - both in the tying of loose ends with the crime and the growth both Fiona and Maurice have achieved.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: Narrators Arissa Evans and Jaime Lincoln absolutely shine, infusing the entire cast with vibrancy and emotion. At 13h 46m, it’s an immersive listen that heightens every twist and romantic beat.
Fiona Appiah is an online sleuth known for her ability to uncover the truth behind an online scandal or a cold case through her account, @Princess_PI. It has been an important escape for her from her overprotective and strictly religious family. A situation that has only gotten worse since her brother’s death. But when Fiona decides to take her online skills into the real world to avenge her brother by stealing back his invention from the corporation that stole it, things go VERY POORLY. Maurice Bennett was once on the force but hung up his shield for a PI license. But he can’t get the case he couldn’t solve out of his head. It weighs on him so much, he can’t sleep. But when Fiona’s chaos lands in front of him, he can’t help but step in to help. Soon these complete opposites find themselves working the case together and, despite their better judgements, they are drawn to each other.
I love a good romantic suspense novel and this one is full of both! I love how Maurice sees the real Fiona through the vail of the person she has crafted herself into in order to serve her family’s purposes. The contrast between Maurice’s family and their treatment of Fiona provide her with a vision of how families and love should be. The revenge plot and crime solving expands over the course of the novel, with a fair number of characters coming into play and I did find myself going back to re-read previous chapters to make sure I understood what was happening. The wrap up was intensely satisfying - both in the tying of loose ends with the crime and the growth both Fiona and Maurice have achieved.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: Narrators Arissa Evans and Jaime Lincoln absolutely shine, infusing the entire cast with vibrancy and emotion. At 13h 46m, it’s an immersive listen that heightens every twist and romantic beat.
October 27, 2025
4 ⭐ This one starts with a bang, and not a subtle one. From page one, you’re thrown into a whirlwind of names, secrets, and a murder that demands your full attention. It feels as if you’re being handed a case file instead of a book: “Here’s your list of suspects, here’s your evidence, now good luck.” I was hooked, but also slightly dizzy trying to keep up.
Once the chaos settled and I got to know Fiona and Maurice, I was in. Their dynamic clicked; it made sense in a slow-burn, obstacles-that-actually-make-sense kind of way. I loved how Fiona’s arc turned inward, shifting from external validation to self-awareness and emancipation. She didn’t just grow; she reclaimed space. And Maurice? Layered, thoughtful, charming in a grounded way. His sisters were comedic gold with just the right amount of mystery laced in.
The murder mystery thread was genuinely fun, twisty enough to keep me guessing, with a few red herrings that made me smirk and think, Oh, you’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? It worked.
That said, a few things pulled me out of rhythm. The pacing felt uneven, not bad but jumpy, like it couldn’t quite decide which aspect to settle into. And while I get the narrative need for despicable characters (more suspects, more fun), some of them tipped into cartoonishly terrible.
So yes, enigmatic, messy, and oddly delightful. A story that took time to win me over but ultimately did. It’s a bit like piecing together a puzzle while flirting with danger, confusing at first but satisfying once the pieces click. Also the smut 👀🔥👀🔥
Once the chaos settled and I got to know Fiona and Maurice, I was in. Their dynamic clicked; it made sense in a slow-burn, obstacles-that-actually-make-sense kind of way. I loved how Fiona’s arc turned inward, shifting from external validation to self-awareness and emancipation. She didn’t just grow; she reclaimed space. And Maurice? Layered, thoughtful, charming in a grounded way. His sisters were comedic gold with just the right amount of mystery laced in.
The murder mystery thread was genuinely fun, twisty enough to keep me guessing, with a few red herrings that made me smirk and think, Oh, you’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? It worked.
That said, a few things pulled me out of rhythm. The pacing felt uneven, not bad but jumpy, like it couldn’t quite decide which aspect to settle into. And while I get the narrative need for despicable characters (more suspects, more fun), some of them tipped into cartoonishly terrible.
So yes, enigmatic, messy, and oddly delightful. A story that took time to win me over but ultimately did. It’s a bit like piecing together a puzzle while flirting with danger, confusing at first but satisfying once the pieces click. Also the smut 👀🔥👀🔥
January 5, 2026
So this will be a lengthy (SPOILER FILLED) one since I feel the need to explain why I can’t give this more than 3 stars. I saw quite a few other reviews that voiced some of the same sentiments I had about this book, so I’ll frame my review based on them:
1. Fiona and Maurice’s romance:
I’ve seen countless reviews noting that Fiona and Maurice’s romance fell short and I couldn’t agree more. Fiona and Maurice’s dynamic was full of lust and mutual respect and, they did genuinely grow to care for one another by the end but, love? It felt incredibly contrived to throw out multiple love declarations when the emotional connection that was supposed to be built failed in execution, leaving me with a dynamic too surface level for believable love by the end. There was a lot of potential to showcase an emotional connection, but most time was spent showing me that Fiona and Maurice:
1. Can’t stop thinking about f*cking each other
2. Are in a two way road of unhealthy attachments (She attributes her newfound sense of self entirely to his presence while he literally cannot sleep unless she’s within a five foot radius)
3. Have a shared love of anime that only gets brought up a handful of times for some reason
4. Both need intense therapy
5. Can’t stop thinking about f*cking each other (I know I put it twice, but that’s just how much the book reminds us)
By page 302, Maurice is falling in love, but nothing I read up until that point made me believe it. With a page count of almost 500, there was so much time to build the deep emotional connection needed to make me believe that they were in love but, unfortunately, this book failed at that for me. I feel like a lot of authors out there would do well to give their characters a loveless ending. It’s okay to just want to be together and figure things out from there because, not every story needs a declaration of love at the end, and it’s books like this that I feel are a perfect example.
2. The double mystery:
Didn’t need it. The double mystery bit soured the makings of a cohesive story, dooming the book to drag on when it didn’t need to, while it felt as if I had to jump through hoops to make sense of how the two mysteries connected in a sensible way. I see how the author tried to make David and, by extension the church, the link between the two cases, but it just did not work as intended in my opinion due to the execution and page count. It should’ve been one mystery, not both.
3. The internet detective:
A review I saw laid out just how ridiculous it was that Fiona and Maurice got every clue and detail they needed to solve the case. Those two being the main ones to solve a double homicide and take down a church cult with the power of sneaking into places, going through things, confronting people with their razor sharp wit and keen people-reading skills, and the internet is just as unbelievable as it sounds. To whoever it was that pointed out the mind f*ck that was Fiona cracking the case on Facebook marketplace, thank you for your service.
4. The pacing:
Like I said, the double mystery made the story drag, and would’ve been so much better if it were a duology or even a trilogy. The last two chapters had me itching with a strong feeling that the author was scrambling to wrap things up and the epilogue only proved I was right.
5. The writing:
Overall, it was pretty good, but there were moments. Moments when (and I’m glad someone else already pointed this out) where characters would enter rooms or change location all while not being communicated at all, leaving the reader scratching their head on how the hell they got there. Or the moments when the sex talk would veer very far off into physically cringey territory but, other than that, I could stomach most of it.
Frankly, this is the kind of book that had me pacing back and forth as I read from just the sheer amount of stress I was under, especially with the colorfully dramatic cast of characters I was left to try and root for in between rolling my eyes and groaning after every dumb decision or alarmingly blunt switch-up in personality. Yes, I wouldn’t mind reading again in a few years but, I fear that this book had loads of wasted potential, leaving me wishing this could get a do-over.
3/5 stars
1. Fiona and Maurice’s romance:
I’ve seen countless reviews noting that Fiona and Maurice’s romance fell short and I couldn’t agree more. Fiona and Maurice’s dynamic was full of lust and mutual respect and, they did genuinely grow to care for one another by the end but, love? It felt incredibly contrived to throw out multiple love declarations when the emotional connection that was supposed to be built failed in execution, leaving me with a dynamic too surface level for believable love by the end. There was a lot of potential to showcase an emotional connection, but most time was spent showing me that Fiona and Maurice:
1. Can’t stop thinking about f*cking each other
2. Are in a two way road of unhealthy attachments (She attributes her newfound sense of self entirely to his presence while he literally cannot sleep unless she’s within a five foot radius)
3. Have a shared love of anime that only gets brought up a handful of times for some reason
4. Both need intense therapy
5. Can’t stop thinking about f*cking each other (I know I put it twice, but that’s just how much the book reminds us)
By page 302, Maurice is falling in love, but nothing I read up until that point made me believe it. With a page count of almost 500, there was so much time to build the deep emotional connection needed to make me believe that they were in love but, unfortunately, this book failed at that for me. I feel like a lot of authors out there would do well to give their characters a loveless ending. It’s okay to just want to be together and figure things out from there because, not every story needs a declaration of love at the end, and it’s books like this that I feel are a perfect example.
2. The double mystery:
Didn’t need it. The double mystery bit soured the makings of a cohesive story, dooming the book to drag on when it didn’t need to, while it felt as if I had to jump through hoops to make sense of how the two mysteries connected in a sensible way. I see how the author tried to make David and, by extension the church, the link between the two cases, but it just did not work as intended in my opinion due to the execution and page count. It should’ve been one mystery, not both.
3. The internet detective:
A review I saw laid out just how ridiculous it was that Fiona and Maurice got every clue and detail they needed to solve the case. Those two being the main ones to solve a double homicide and take down a church cult with the power of sneaking into places, going through things, confronting people with their razor sharp wit and keen people-reading skills, and the internet is just as unbelievable as it sounds. To whoever it was that pointed out the mind f*ck that was Fiona cracking the case on Facebook marketplace, thank you for your service.
4. The pacing:
Like I said, the double mystery made the story drag, and would’ve been so much better if it were a duology or even a trilogy. The last two chapters had me itching with a strong feeling that the author was scrambling to wrap things up and the epilogue only proved I was right.
5. The writing:
Overall, it was pretty good, but there were moments. Moments when (and I’m glad someone else already pointed this out) where characters would enter rooms or change location all while not being communicated at all, leaving the reader scratching their head on how the hell they got there. Or the moments when the sex talk would veer very far off into physically cringey territory but, other than that, I could stomach most of it.
Frankly, this is the kind of book that had me pacing back and forth as I read from just the sheer amount of stress I was under, especially with the colorfully dramatic cast of characters I was left to try and root for in between rolling my eyes and groaning after every dumb decision or alarmingly blunt switch-up in personality. Yes, I wouldn’t mind reading again in a few years but, I fear that this book had loads of wasted potential, leaving me wishing this could get a do-over.
3/5 stars
September 10, 2025
4⭐️
Loved this!!!! The Princess and the P.I. is a romantic suspense from Nikki Payne that manages to be funny and vulnerable with drops of steam throughout. This story follows Fiona, the daughter of a church priest, and Maurice, a P.I. investigating said church and a religious cult. The plot and suspense plot line starts immediately in this one and it took a minute to get a grasp of all that was happening. After Fiona and Maurice meet, they decide to team up to clear Fiona’s name after she is set up to take the fall for a crime. Their relationship develops over the course of their investigation and I loved the protectiveness they had for each other. The suspense and all the twists and turns kept me engaged throughout the whole book. This is a high stakes thriller read I recommend picking up for a great time!!
Side note: after finishing this and looking up other books by Nikki Payne, I realized that Maurice is the side character in Pride and Protest! I can’t wait to go back and read that book to see Maurice in the beginning stages and meet new characters in the Nikki Payne world!
Thank you for Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my review! 🧡
Loved this!!!! The Princess and the P.I. is a romantic suspense from Nikki Payne that manages to be funny and vulnerable with drops of steam throughout. This story follows Fiona, the daughter of a church priest, and Maurice, a P.I. investigating said church and a religious cult. The plot and suspense plot line starts immediately in this one and it took a minute to get a grasp of all that was happening. After Fiona and Maurice meet, they decide to team up to clear Fiona’s name after she is set up to take the fall for a crime. Their relationship develops over the course of their investigation and I loved the protectiveness they had for each other. The suspense and all the twists and turns kept me engaged throughout the whole book. This is a high stakes thriller read I recommend picking up for a great time!!
Side note: after finishing this and looking up other books by Nikki Payne, I realized that Maurice is the side character in Pride and Protest! I can’t wait to go back and read that book to see Maurice in the beginning stages and meet new characters in the Nikki Payne world!
Thank you for Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my review! 🧡
dnf
October 28, 2025DNF @ 15%
Thank you so much to Berkley Romance, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for providing advanced copies of this book. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
I really wanted to love this one and there were definitely aspects of it that I was enjoying before putting it down. This just wasn't my preferred characters or dynamic and I didn't want to push through for a book I knew wouldn't be a new fave.
I think this story has a lot to love - complex characters, a murder mystery, lots of secrets, dark pasts. And the writing itself was great.
However, the heroine is extremely sheltered and naive and it's just not my favorite type of character to follow. She would flip back and forth between being so sure of herself or her strengths only to stumble her way through every encounter.
I also didn't particularly love the narration for this (particularly the female narration) and it was making me uninterested in picking up the audiobook. And unfortunately, at this stage in my life, I heavily rely on audiobooks and it just wasn't plausible to switch and try the physical version.
Thank you so much to Berkley Romance, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for providing advanced copies of this book. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
I really wanted to love this one and there were definitely aspects of it that I was enjoying before putting it down. This just wasn't my preferred characters or dynamic and I didn't want to push through for a book I knew wouldn't be a new fave.
I think this story has a lot to love - complex characters, a murder mystery, lots of secrets, dark pasts. And the writing itself was great.
However, the heroine is extremely sheltered and naive and it's just not my favorite type of character to follow. She would flip back and forth between being so sure of herself or her strengths only to stumble her way through every encounter.
I also didn't particularly love the narration for this (particularly the female narration) and it was making me uninterested in picking up the audiobook. And unfortunately, at this stage in my life, I heavily rely on audiobooks and it just wasn't plausible to switch and try the physical version.
September 16, 2025
Love love love! There are so may things I loved about this book. A sheltered FMC who has a secret life as an internet sleuth (so fun) who wants to avenge her brother (hell yes) and break away from the chains of her family's church (yesss).... except family bonds are the strongest of all and she still loves her father no matter how much he tries to control her (ooh complicated). And she's teaming up with a playboy, disgraced cop who is now a PI who has so many of his own demons and addictions?! Can she trust him? Does he trust her?! This plus a ton of other intricacies that made this book SO dynamic and captivating. The romance is strong and swoony and spicey. The stakes are HIGH and keep getting higher as more and more trauma and secrets are reveals. I never knew where this book was going and I love how it kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last second. I would read a million more of these books and I would LOVE to read a series about Fiona and her PI business.
Note: I listened to the audiobook and it was perfect! So compelling and passionate and brings that extra layer to this dramatic story.
Thanks to the publisher for a free copy and ALC; my thoughts and review are my own.
Note: I listened to the audiobook and it was perfect! So compelling and passionate and brings that extra layer to this dramatic story.
Thanks to the publisher for a free copy and ALC; my thoughts and review are my own.
October 5, 2025
3.5*
This was a fun murder mystery romcom! While attempting to get revenge on the man who stole her brother's life's work, Fiona accidentally becomes the prime suspect in his murder and has to rely on private detective Maurice to help prove her innocence. Hijinks ensue.
This book didn't shy away from dark topics, including religious fundamentalism and cults, purity culture, and addiction. Fiona's character arc as she move away from her father and the cult he leads was a strong point of the story.
However, it sometimes felt that the book was trying to cover so much, that it never fully explored any of these themes in full, especially regarding Maurice's past interactions with the cult and what caused him to leave the police force.
Overall, this was a fun read!
Thank you to Netgalley for this arc!
This was a fun murder mystery romcom! While attempting to get revenge on the man who stole her brother's life's work, Fiona accidentally becomes the prime suspect in his murder and has to rely on private detective Maurice to help prove her innocence. Hijinks ensue.
This book didn't shy away from dark topics, including religious fundamentalism and cults, purity culture, and addiction. Fiona's character arc as she move away from her father and the cult he leads was a strong point of the story.
However, it sometimes felt that the book was trying to cover so much, that it never fully explored any of these themes in full, especially regarding Maurice's past interactions with the cult and what caused him to leave the police force.
Overall, this was a fun read!
Thank you to Netgalley for this arc!
January 16, 2026
The Princess and the P.I. by Nikki Payne (2025)
vii+456-page Kindle Ebook story pages 1-466
Genre: Romantic Suspense, African American Fiction
Rating as a movie: XX for strong sexual content
Featuring: Praise, Bibliography for Nikki Payne, Titled Chapters, Church Folks, Illegal Activities, Prince George's County, Maryland; Radical Christianity, Revenge Trope, Tech Company, Ghanaian MC, Vicenarians, Virgin Trope, Private Investigator, Former Detective, Murder, Investigations, Riverdale Park, Maryland; Black American MMC, Racism, Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia; Bible Verses, Dual POVs, Multiple Fonts, Online Persona, Sex - Detailed, Violence, Misogyny, Death, Author's Links
Songs for the soundtrack: "The Love You Save" by The Jackson 5, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy, "Before I Let Go" by Frankie Beverly and Maze, "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, "Big Boy" The Jackson 5, "Zero to Hero" by Tawatha Agee, Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Cheryl Freeman, and Vanéese Y. Thomas; "Cold Sweat" by James Brown & the Famous Flames, "I Did Something Bad" by Taylor Swift, "Ready For Love" by India.Arie, "How Great Thou Art" by Mahalia Jackson, "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley, "Brenda’s Got A Baby" by Tupac Shakur, "Back That Azz Up" [aka] "Back That Thang Up" Juvenile featuring Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne, Toni Braxton by Toni Braxton, "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind & Fire; "No Weapon (Psalm 27:3)" by Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ, "Cuff It" by Beyonce, "It Is Well with My Soul" by Philip Paul Bliss and Horatio Spafford
Books and Authors mentioned: Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne, Jodi Picoult, Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Ali Hazelwood, Acts of the Apostles by Luke the Evangelist, The Passion of the Christ by Benedict Fitzgerald and Mel Gibson [based on] Canonical Gospels The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Anne Catherine Emmerich; The Amityville Horror [based on] The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson; Epistle to the Romans by Paul the Apostle, The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn, The Princess and the Frog by Ron Clements, John Musker, and Rob Edwards [based on] The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker
[based on] The Frog Prince by Brothers Grimm; Hercules by Ron Clements, John Musker, Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw, and Irene Mecchi [based on] Heracles; The Little Pigs by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps, The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods by Charles Perrault, The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen, A Treasury of Dick and Jane and Friends by William S. Gray, Dorothy Baruch, and Elizabeth Rider Montgomery; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Cinderella by Charles Perrault, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, Anansi: New & Ancient African Tales by Emily Zobel Marshall, Iliad by Homer, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Little Red Riding Hood by The Brothers Grimm
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🏛🇺🇸🇬🇭⛪️🧶🕵🏿♂️🧕🏿🕵🏿♀️
My thoughts: 🔖Page 46 of 469 Abbey - I have got to get off this covers kick. I chose this book because the cover reminded me of Sounds Like a Plan/Trouble by Young and Smith, this is nothing like that. I considered abandoning the story but I continued and it has gotten somewhat better in the last chapter. I'm gonna give it a fair chance but I'm not loving it so far.
🔖126 Is It That Obvious? - This is going to be a struggle. I can't put my finger on it but something about this story is just disjointed in several places but I'm gonna keep reading it.
🔖209 Sick Trade - I was definitely not in the mood for this book yesterday and it cost me my Kindle streak. Today is not much better I don't want to abandon this story but it's just not hitting. This romantic storyline is just not believable to me.
This story was very slow and a lot of it didn't make sense to me, but it all came together in the end.
Recommend to others: I think some readers will like this, but it just wasn't for me.
Memorable Quotes: “Remind me, son.” The word “son” fell from his mouth like an insult. “Ah! Because my memory runs away from me. Did you ever find Tameka’s abuser?” “I did not.” The words stank in his mouth. He heard her laugh—soft, distant, and wrong—a memory out of place. He shook his head to clear it. “Was the perpetrator brought to justice?” Kofi asked, snapping his attention back. “You and the elders of your little cult protected the perpetrator,” Maurice said flatly. Kofi leaned back slightly as if the accusation hadn’t struck its intended target. “We don’t protect sinners here. Has it ever dawned on you that maybe you’re not the brightest when it comes to solving things, eh?” Maurice didn’t answer, refusing to give Kofi the satisfaction. “No one in this church will give you what you want,” Kofi continued, and the smugness in his tone genuinely pissed Maurice off. “You should’ve finished your degree. Maybe become an engineer. Something your—probably single—mother could be proud of.” “Careful now, a lot of young women left your church as single mothers. And someday, tomorrow or twenty years from now, I’m going to see you in cuffs, Papa Kofi.” “You sound like a prophet. Maybe you are holier than you think,” Kofi said, his warm accent making the words sound friendly. They were not friendly.
“Did you know him?” she ventured. “Robert Thorpe?” Honestly, she didn’t want to know. What if he was his grandfather or something? He shrugged. “In the way we all knew him, I guess.” He said “we” in this communal way that made Fiona wonder what collective he had grouped her into. Black Americans? People from DC? She was neither. Fiona knew all the scripts by heart, though, the practiced pantomimes that rolled off the tongue. Won’t He do it? God is good, all the time—call-and-response like clockwork. African Americans had perfected the art of assessing their safety with you into tiny micro-interactions—subtle nods in a crowded room.
“Family is a form of idolatry, don’t you think? People worship their favorite son or daughter as if they are the second coming of the Lord. My congregation is my family.”
“I’ve never been anyone’s favorite,” Maurice said with a dry smile. “So, I’ve never had the pleasure. But any biological family?” Kofi’s eyes raked over him, his smile tightening. “Let me guess,” he said slowly, savoring the moment. “No father? A child with three different women?” The insult hung in the air between them, a challenge Maurice refused to acknowledge. Instead, he leaned back, calm and steady. Maurice knew what some African and Caribbean parents spoke about over the dinner table. They wanted the benefits of American Blackness but none of the stigma. They wanted to say the N-word in rap songs but didn’t want to be followed around the grocery store. The world wanted our rhythm but not our blues. “Uh, he has no kids, Dad, and I have two siblings. Maurice, could we…” Fiona gestured to the table. She spoke like a person used to being cut off. Trailing off every other sentence.
“Hey, Fiona, we’re going to do a lot of things in poor taste. You ready for that?”
It was Amelia Thorpe’s Instagram account—an artistic post with a Bible in the background. I asked God to protect me from my enemies and I started losing loved ones.
According to her profile, she identified as Black but had blond, bone-straight hair, creamy skin, and chippy blue eyes. Race in America would always confuse Fiona a little. Because it was a whole minefield here. As a first-generation Ghanaian in the DC area, Fiona had a standing invite to the cookout. No one questioned it. She could roll up with her jollof rice, post up with a plate, and belt out the last chords of “Before I Let Go” in unison with the crowd. But things got hazy when it came to who actually had tickets. Could she invite people? Could she revoke invites? Or was she just another guest at the table? The politics of it were exhausting, and honestly, she was just trying to eat. But blond-haired, blue-eyed Amelia had tickets somehow. She wore a top that matched with three other women in the store—a gaudy lace-and-pearls-and-pink embarrassment of a sweater. Fiona watched Amelia maneuver around the shop’s labyrinth of narrow aisles and cluttered shelves. Each nook was crammed with vaguely racist relics from the American past—lawn jockeys and white children being bathed by Black mammies. Fiona shuddered. How could someone collect these degrading images?
r/TamekaBrown Attaboy: I can’t wait for this case to get the Podcast treatment. Maurice Bennett is a bum. You all only like him because he’s associated with Dorsey Fitzgerald #EatTheRich Princess_PI: What did he do that was so terrible? Attaboy: it’s what he didn’t do—after he let the Tameka case languish. He was in the clubs every night high as a kite with his tongue down the throat of some influencer.
“Fiona, you have everything to lose. Everything. You cannot let that leather jacket pull you down to his level. You will be full of his baby and in jail.” Funny, that was the exact life Kofi had planned for Fiona. Pregnant in a jail of his choosing.
“I am telling you, child,” Kofi said finally. “Do not make me choose between you and the scriptures. If you come back sullied, do not come back at all.”
She stepped past him and back inside and rummaged through her suitcase to unroll, of all the ridiculous things, a cloth Sailor Moon poster. “I would hang that in a dark closet if I were you,” Maurice said. She whipped around. “Why would I put her there? I bring her everywhere with me. I need to see her.” “She was an inferior hero more interested in getting boned by Tuxedo Mask than saving the world.” “Thank you, I enjoyed your 4chan talk.” Fiona tilted her head. She stepped toward him, and Maurice tried—unsuccessfully—not to think about which buttons might be missing beneath her blue jean dress. “Wow. Mean,” Maurice said. “Okay, who is a better hero than Sailor Moon?” Fiona said. “Uh, easy. Gohan.” Fiona laughed a big fake laugh. “Gohan couldn’t even cook Goku. And Sailor would have both of them for breakfast.” “You are insane right now!” Maurice couldn’t believe that this was making him angry. “No. She fought an entire battle on a spaceship that had ten times the gravity of earth—” “So what! Goku trained in ten-times gravity en route to Namek.” He dropped her suitcases, moving his hands in dramatic swirls. “But it took Goku decades to do what Sailor could accomplish naturally in one battle. I’m telling you, Gohan or Goku would crumble.” “That’s a red flag, Fiona,” Maurice said. Fiona taped the poster on the wall right behind Maurice. “Perfect.” “Red. Flag. Let’s head back to the office. We have a lot of ground to cover. I made an itinerary.” “Could we…? Could we stay here? Your office smells like cigarettes and the chairs are really hard. It’s in a strip mall next to a vape shop.” “Um, you continue to be hurtful, but fine,” Maurice relented. “I’ll get a whiteboard and we can start in the living room.” “Maurice? Thank you.” Her eyes were wide and wistful, and Maurice got a heavy feeling in his stomach.
vii+456-page Kindle Ebook story pages 1-466
Genre: Romantic Suspense, African American Fiction
Rating as a movie: XX for strong sexual content
Featuring: Praise, Bibliography for Nikki Payne, Titled Chapters, Church Folks, Illegal Activities, Prince George's County, Maryland; Radical Christianity, Revenge Trope, Tech Company, Ghanaian MC, Vicenarians, Virgin Trope, Private Investigator, Former Detective, Murder, Investigations, Riverdale Park, Maryland; Black American MMC, Racism, Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia; Bible Verses, Dual POVs, Multiple Fonts, Online Persona, Sex - Detailed, Violence, Misogyny, Death, Author's Links
Songs for the soundtrack: "The Love You Save" by The Jackson 5, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy, "Before I Let Go" by Frankie Beverly and Maze, "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, "Big Boy" The Jackson 5, "Zero to Hero" by Tawatha Agee, Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Cheryl Freeman, and Vanéese Y. Thomas; "Cold Sweat" by James Brown & the Famous Flames, "I Did Something Bad" by Taylor Swift, "Ready For Love" by India.Arie, "How Great Thou Art" by Mahalia Jackson, "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley, "Brenda’s Got A Baby" by Tupac Shakur, "Back That Azz Up" [aka] "Back That Thang Up" Juvenile featuring Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne, Toni Braxton by Toni Braxton, "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind & Fire; "No Weapon (Psalm 27:3)" by Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ, "Cuff It" by Beyonce, "It Is Well with My Soul" by Philip Paul Bliss and Horatio Spafford
Books and Authors mentioned: Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne, Jodi Picoult, Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Ali Hazelwood, Acts of the Apostles by Luke the Evangelist, The Passion of the Christ by Benedict Fitzgerald and Mel Gibson [based on] Canonical Gospels The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Anne Catherine Emmerich; The Amityville Horror [based on] The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson; Epistle to the Romans by Paul the Apostle, The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn, The Princess and the Frog by Ron Clements, John Musker, and Rob Edwards [based on] The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker
[based on] The Frog Prince by Brothers Grimm; Hercules by Ron Clements, John Musker, Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw, and Irene Mecchi [based on] Heracles; The Little Pigs by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps, The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods by Charles Perrault, The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen, A Treasury of Dick and Jane and Friends by William S. Gray, Dorothy Baruch, and Elizabeth Rider Montgomery; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Cinderella by Charles Perrault, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, Anansi: New & Ancient African Tales by Emily Zobel Marshall, Iliad by Homer, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Little Red Riding Hood by The Brothers Grimm
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🏛🇺🇸🇬🇭⛪️🧶🕵🏿♂️🧕🏿🕵🏿♀️
My thoughts: 🔖Page 46 of 469 Abbey - I have got to get off this covers kick. I chose this book because the cover reminded me of Sounds Like a Plan/Trouble by Young and Smith, this is nothing like that. I considered abandoning the story but I continued and it has gotten somewhat better in the last chapter. I'm gonna give it a fair chance but I'm not loving it so far.
🔖126 Is It That Obvious? - This is going to be a struggle. I can't put my finger on it but something about this story is just disjointed in several places but I'm gonna keep reading it.
🔖209 Sick Trade - I was definitely not in the mood for this book yesterday and it cost me my Kindle streak. Today is not much better I don't want to abandon this story but it's just not hitting. This romantic storyline is just not believable to me.
This story was very slow and a lot of it didn't make sense to me, but it all came together in the end.
Recommend to others: I think some readers will like this, but it just wasn't for me.
Memorable Quotes: “Remind me, son.” The word “son” fell from his mouth like an insult. “Ah! Because my memory runs away from me. Did you ever find Tameka’s abuser?” “I did not.” The words stank in his mouth. He heard her laugh—soft, distant, and wrong—a memory out of place. He shook his head to clear it. “Was the perpetrator brought to justice?” Kofi asked, snapping his attention back. “You and the elders of your little cult protected the perpetrator,” Maurice said flatly. Kofi leaned back slightly as if the accusation hadn’t struck its intended target. “We don’t protect sinners here. Has it ever dawned on you that maybe you’re not the brightest when it comes to solving things, eh?” Maurice didn’t answer, refusing to give Kofi the satisfaction. “No one in this church will give you what you want,” Kofi continued, and the smugness in his tone genuinely pissed Maurice off. “You should’ve finished your degree. Maybe become an engineer. Something your—probably single—mother could be proud of.” “Careful now, a lot of young women left your church as single mothers. And someday, tomorrow or twenty years from now, I’m going to see you in cuffs, Papa Kofi.” “You sound like a prophet. Maybe you are holier than you think,” Kofi said, his warm accent making the words sound friendly. They were not friendly.
“Did you know him?” she ventured. “Robert Thorpe?” Honestly, she didn’t want to know. What if he was his grandfather or something? He shrugged. “In the way we all knew him, I guess.” He said “we” in this communal way that made Fiona wonder what collective he had grouped her into. Black Americans? People from DC? She was neither. Fiona knew all the scripts by heart, though, the practiced pantomimes that rolled off the tongue. Won’t He do it? God is good, all the time—call-and-response like clockwork. African Americans had perfected the art of assessing their safety with you into tiny micro-interactions—subtle nods in a crowded room.
“Family is a form of idolatry, don’t you think? People worship their favorite son or daughter as if they are the second coming of the Lord. My congregation is my family.”
“I’ve never been anyone’s favorite,” Maurice said with a dry smile. “So, I’ve never had the pleasure. But any biological family?” Kofi’s eyes raked over him, his smile tightening. “Let me guess,” he said slowly, savoring the moment. “No father? A child with three different women?” The insult hung in the air between them, a challenge Maurice refused to acknowledge. Instead, he leaned back, calm and steady. Maurice knew what some African and Caribbean parents spoke about over the dinner table. They wanted the benefits of American Blackness but none of the stigma. They wanted to say the N-word in rap songs but didn’t want to be followed around the grocery store. The world wanted our rhythm but not our blues. “Uh, he has no kids, Dad, and I have two siblings. Maurice, could we…” Fiona gestured to the table. She spoke like a person used to being cut off. Trailing off every other sentence.
“Hey, Fiona, we’re going to do a lot of things in poor taste. You ready for that?”
It was Amelia Thorpe’s Instagram account—an artistic post with a Bible in the background. I asked God to protect me from my enemies and I started losing loved ones.
According to her profile, she identified as Black but had blond, bone-straight hair, creamy skin, and chippy blue eyes. Race in America would always confuse Fiona a little. Because it was a whole minefield here. As a first-generation Ghanaian in the DC area, Fiona had a standing invite to the cookout. No one questioned it. She could roll up with her jollof rice, post up with a plate, and belt out the last chords of “Before I Let Go” in unison with the crowd. But things got hazy when it came to who actually had tickets. Could she invite people? Could she revoke invites? Or was she just another guest at the table? The politics of it were exhausting, and honestly, she was just trying to eat. But blond-haired, blue-eyed Amelia had tickets somehow. She wore a top that matched with three other women in the store—a gaudy lace-and-pearls-and-pink embarrassment of a sweater. Fiona watched Amelia maneuver around the shop’s labyrinth of narrow aisles and cluttered shelves. Each nook was crammed with vaguely racist relics from the American past—lawn jockeys and white children being bathed by Black mammies. Fiona shuddered. How could someone collect these degrading images?
r/TamekaBrown Attaboy: I can’t wait for this case to get the Podcast treatment. Maurice Bennett is a bum. You all only like him because he’s associated with Dorsey Fitzgerald #EatTheRich Princess_PI: What did he do that was so terrible? Attaboy: it’s what he didn’t do—after he let the Tameka case languish. He was in the clubs every night high as a kite with his tongue down the throat of some influencer.
“Fiona, you have everything to lose. Everything. You cannot let that leather jacket pull you down to his level. You will be full of his baby and in jail.” Funny, that was the exact life Kofi had planned for Fiona. Pregnant in a jail of his choosing.
“I am telling you, child,” Kofi said finally. “Do not make me choose between you and the scriptures. If you come back sullied, do not come back at all.”
She stepped past him and back inside and rummaged through her suitcase to unroll, of all the ridiculous things, a cloth Sailor Moon poster. “I would hang that in a dark closet if I were you,” Maurice said. She whipped around. “Why would I put her there? I bring her everywhere with me. I need to see her.” “She was an inferior hero more interested in getting boned by Tuxedo Mask than saving the world.” “Thank you, I enjoyed your 4chan talk.” Fiona tilted her head. She stepped toward him, and Maurice tried—unsuccessfully—not to think about which buttons might be missing beneath her blue jean dress. “Wow. Mean,” Maurice said. “Okay, who is a better hero than Sailor Moon?” Fiona said. “Uh, easy. Gohan.” Fiona laughed a big fake laugh. “Gohan couldn’t even cook Goku. And Sailor would have both of them for breakfast.” “You are insane right now!” Maurice couldn’t believe that this was making him angry. “No. She fought an entire battle on a spaceship that had ten times the gravity of earth—” “So what! Goku trained in ten-times gravity en route to Namek.” He dropped her suitcases, moving his hands in dramatic swirls. “But it took Goku decades to do what Sailor could accomplish naturally in one battle. I’m telling you, Gohan or Goku would crumble.” “That’s a red flag, Fiona,” Maurice said. Fiona taped the poster on the wall right behind Maurice. “Perfect.” “Red. Flag. Let’s head back to the office. We have a lot of ground to cover. I made an itinerary.” “Could we…? Could we stay here? Your office smells like cigarettes and the chairs are really hard. It’s in a strip mall next to a vape shop.” “Um, you continue to be hurtful, but fine,” Maurice relented. “I’ll get a whiteboard and we can start in the living room.” “Maurice? Thank you.” Her eyes were wide and wistful, and Maurice got a heavy feeling in his stomach.
September 17, 2025
**Thank you Berkley Romance, Berkley Pub and NetGalley for the gifted copy**
I enjoyed reading this book. The beginning was a bit slow but towards middle it starts to really pick up. And geesh, there were so many twists and turns. The FMC, Fiona, is a seemingly “good church girl” who is viewed as obedient and meek to her family but little to they know she’s a sleuth with a stronger personality. The MMC, Maurice is a determined P.I. with some darkness hovering around him. Together they have to solve a murder that takes them down many unexpected paths. I did not know where this book would lead at times and so I did like that I did not completely guess the ending. I also enjoyed that it’s centered around a cult which is so unique. I did feel that this book was a bit lengthy but I still enjoyed it.
I enjoyed reading this book. The beginning was a bit slow but towards middle it starts to really pick up. And geesh, there were so many twists and turns. The FMC, Fiona, is a seemingly “good church girl” who is viewed as obedient and meek to her family but little to they know she’s a sleuth with a stronger personality. The MMC, Maurice is a determined P.I. with some darkness hovering around him. Together they have to solve a murder that takes them down many unexpected paths. I did not know where this book would lead at times and so I did like that I did not completely guess the ending. I also enjoyed that it’s centered around a cult which is so unique. I did feel that this book was a bit lengthy but I still enjoyed it.
January 1, 2026
3.75 ✨
I wanted to like this soooooo much! It was just okay IMO.
I wanted to like this soooooo much! It was just okay IMO.
December 23, 2025
3.5 rounded up
a fun murder mystery with romance. the ending was too convoluted and more complex than necessary, so it felt like the last part dragged, unfortunately.
a fun murder mystery with romance. the ending was too convoluted and more complex than necessary, so it felt like the last part dragged, unfortunately.
January 2, 2026
Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me around the 20% mark. I didn't understand his attraction to her outside of instant lust and felt that the main female character was not as "in depth" of a detective. Outside of getting social media leads or being on Reddit she doesn't do much to clear her name. I felt that people were too relaxed with the setting also and that took me out of being interested in the stakes of the story. There is a church element that could have been interesting to explore more but I felt that I was being info dumped on. Overall, the story sounded really interesting but I don't think the way it's laid out is for me.
September 14, 2025
Well, I wanted to like this. But it was a bit too much. There were a few different stories and elements that made me confused. I also felt like there were elements that were assumed the reader knew. The romance was also odd to me. Idk it just didn’t work.
Thx PRH Audio for the Advanced Listening Copy.
Thx PRH Audio for the Advanced Listening Copy.
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