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Detectives in Love
I’m Newt Doherty—half of Partners-in-Crime, the detective agency I built with Xavier Ormond, the infuriating genius who once dragged me out of a serial killer’s den and saved my life. We live together (for efficiency). We solve murders (for fun and bills).
We're not dating.
Try telling that to Shorewitch’s tabloids.
Now every corner hides a camera, every headline swears we’re sleeping together, and every “no comment” sounds like a confession. Which would almost be fine—except I’m hopelessly in love with Xavier, and we’re knee-deep in two murder cases, one with a killer who’s always a step ahead.
The city wants a scandal. The killer wants silence. And I have to find out what happened between Xavier and me on the drunken night I can’t remember—before someone writes our final headline.
Detectives in Love is a queer romantic mystery/thriller
🩵Slow-burn friends to lovers
🩵Found family
🩵Grumpy × sunshine(ish)
🩵Tabloid chaos & forced public proximity
🩵Two tangled murders
🩵Hurt/comfort
Content on-page violence (stabbing/shooting), media harassment, adult language, mutual pining, explicit sex scenes.
We're not dating.
Try telling that to Shorewitch’s tabloids.
Now every corner hides a camera, every headline swears we’re sleeping together, and every “no comment” sounds like a confession. Which would almost be fine—except I’m hopelessly in love with Xavier, and we’re knee-deep in two murder cases, one with a killer who’s always a step ahead.
The city wants a scandal. The killer wants silence. And I have to find out what happened between Xavier and me on the drunken night I can’t remember—before someone writes our final headline.
Detectives in Love is a queer romantic mystery/thriller
🩵Slow-burn friends to lovers
🩵Found family
🩵Grumpy × sunshine(ish)
🩵Tabloid chaos & forced public proximity
🩵Two tangled murders
🩵Hurt/comfort
Content on-page violence (stabbing/shooting), media harassment, adult language, mutual pining, explicit sex scenes.
546 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2025
17 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 16, 2025
3.75 stars
This was pretty frustrating at times but I was invested in the characters. I wanted less miscommunication and more working together on both their cases and love life.
This was a new author for me so I wasn’t used to their writing style. Sometimes it flowed nicely and others it felt a bit choppy and repetitive. The cases were a bit of a mess and I wouldn’t describe this as a true detective story. The focus was more on the relationship between Newt and Xavier.
Where did this take place? I have no idea! Was it in England or the U.S.? I like to know these things but I still have no clue.
I wouldn’t mind reading more of this couple, maybe with both POV’s and a solid case for them to solve.
This was pretty frustrating at times but I was invested in the characters. I wanted less miscommunication and more working together on both their cases and love life.
This was a new author for me so I wasn’t used to their writing style. Sometimes it flowed nicely and others it felt a bit choppy and repetitive. The cases were a bit of a mess and I wouldn’t describe this as a true detective story. The focus was more on the relationship between Newt and Xavier.
Where did this take place? I have no idea! Was it in England or the U.S.? I like to know these things but I still have no clue.
I wouldn’t mind reading more of this couple, maybe with both POV’s and a solid case for them to solve.
January 28, 2026
I really love the way this author writes. The language is very simple and easy to understand, but at the same time it keeps you in suspense and delivers emotions that feel real and sincere 🥹 That sense of authenticity is honestly one of the strongest parts of this book
Newt is such a lovely character — calm, kind, emotionally mature, and refreshingly free of unnecessary drama, hysterics, or pointless misunderstandings, always try to COMMUNICATE! He was a joy to read about!
Xavier… I do have a few questions about the plot related to his father 👀, but overall he’s a classic grumpy-on-the-outside, sunshine-on-the-inside kind of character 😁 And yes — the vibes are very much Sherlock & Watson 🕵🏻, which I absolutely enjoyed🙂↕️
The detective storyline itself was okay. It could have been stronger, but honestly, this isn’t that kind of detective book — the focus is clearly more on emotions and relationships 🤣
I’m generally not a huge fan of stories where the entire plot is built around one big misunderstanding and characters simply not talking to each other. However… if they had talked immediately, there would be no book, so I’ll forgive it 😅
Final ratings:
⭐️ 5/5 overall
🕵️♂️ 3/5 detective plot
🌶️ 3/5 spice for most of the book —
…but the last chapter alone? 5/5 🌶️😏
Worth the read, emotional, cozy, and very enjoyable 🖤
Newt is such a lovely character — calm, kind, emotionally mature, and refreshingly free of unnecessary drama, hysterics, or pointless misunderstandings, always try to COMMUNICATE! He was a joy to read about!
Xavier… I do have a few questions about the plot related to his father 👀, but overall he’s a classic grumpy-on-the-outside, sunshine-on-the-inside kind of character 😁 And yes — the vibes are very much Sherlock & Watson 🕵🏻, which I absolutely enjoyed🙂↕️
The detective storyline itself was okay. It could have been stronger, but honestly, this isn’t that kind of detective book — the focus is clearly more on emotions and relationships 🤣
I’m generally not a huge fan of stories where the entire plot is built around one big misunderstanding and characters simply not talking to each other. However… if they had talked immediately, there would be no book, so I’ll forgive it 😅
Final ratings:
⭐️ 5/5 overall
🕵️♂️ 3/5 detective plot
🌶️ 3/5 spice for most of the book —
…but the last chapter alone? 5/5 🌶️😏
Worth the read, emotional, cozy, and very enjoyable 🖤
January 14, 2026
Idk 🤷🏻♀️ cute but ...
December 3, 2025
This should not be encouraged. Where does this take place? What year? How is it that two private detectives are major news? Why would their sex life be interesting to the general public? How do they make any money to live? How are they detectives while not at any time do they ask relevant questions or make a connection? Why doesn't anything make a speck of sense?
January 1, 2026
little bit sexy but super cute and i was puzzling to the end
December 12, 2025
I found out way too late that the author used AI graphics and AI ghostwriting.
January 17, 2026
Beyond all the things that are fundamentally wrong with the plot (which I’ll get into in more detail later), there are a few elements that are so absurd I honestly have no words:
1. They’re supposedly detectives, yet they don’t even have a car and rely on taxis to get from place to place. What?
2. Detectives without weapons (very logical…).
3. The whole press obsession with them — lol, what on earth? Why would anyone care?
4. Their interaction with the police, who supposedly supply them with work, is completely unprofessional.
5. The amount of illegal behavior they just shrug off: wiretapping and cameras in their home, tracking their location with an device, breaking into places illegally, and literally stealing from a victim’s family.
Honestly, any one of these points alone would be enough to make me quit.
And that’s before getting into the bigger
structural problems.
I honestly couldn’t understand this book at all. The entire storyline is messy and unclear, and I’ll explain why.
Let’s start with how they meet. Supposedly, they met when Newt was kidnapped and Xavier saved him — but is that ever explained? No. Do they explain how they became partners who live together? Also no. (At least not until a bit past the middle of the book.) By that point it’s already weird and gives no real background at all.
Now let’s talk about their “partnership.” Professionally? Xav does everything alone, from planning to execution, and Newt is basically just there in the background to listen to the conclusions.
Even if we put that aside for a moment (even though it’s completely ridiculous), on a personal level they know absolutely nothing about each other — despite supposedly being partners for a year and a half and living together. All their interactions are passive-aggressive. They behave more like a pair of teenagers in a toxic relationship than two grown men who are friends and colleagues.
After every one of their “fights,” I found myself doing an involuntary eye-roll.
And now for the “mystery thriller” plot — hahaha, I made myself laugh. Nothing interesting or clever actually happens here.
On top of all that, to really seal the book’s badness, the side characters are terribly written, with not a single drop of real authorial investment.
I stopped reading at around 60%, and I honestly wonder why it took me so long to quit.
1. They’re supposedly detectives, yet they don’t even have a car and rely on taxis to get from place to place. What?
2. Detectives without weapons (very logical…).
3. The whole press obsession with them — lol, what on earth? Why would anyone care?
4. Their interaction with the police, who supposedly supply them with work, is completely unprofessional.
5. The amount of illegal behavior they just shrug off: wiretapping and cameras in their home, tracking their location with an device, breaking into places illegally, and literally stealing from a victim’s family.
Honestly, any one of these points alone would be enough to make me quit.
And that’s before getting into the bigger
structural problems.
I honestly couldn’t understand this book at all. The entire storyline is messy and unclear, and I’ll explain why.
Let’s start with how they meet. Supposedly, they met when Newt was kidnapped and Xavier saved him — but is that ever explained? No. Do they explain how they became partners who live together? Also no. (At least not until a bit past the middle of the book.) By that point it’s already weird and gives no real background at all.
Now let’s talk about their “partnership.” Professionally? Xav does everything alone, from planning to execution, and Newt is basically just there in the background to listen to the conclusions.
Even if we put that aside for a moment (even though it’s completely ridiculous), on a personal level they know absolutely nothing about each other — despite supposedly being partners for a year and a half and living together. All their interactions are passive-aggressive. They behave more like a pair of teenagers in a toxic relationship than two grown men who are friends and colleagues.
After every one of their “fights,” I found myself doing an involuntary eye-roll.
And now for the “mystery thriller” plot — hahaha, I made myself laugh. Nothing interesting or clever actually happens here.
On top of all that, to really seal the book’s badness, the side characters are terribly written, with not a single drop of real authorial investment.
I stopped reading at around 60%, and I honestly wonder why it took me so long to quit.
December 31, 2025
Interesting enough premise, poor execution on both the detective and the romance front.
The plot is fairly disjointed; we're dropped in the middle of a situation that does look like something that should have been the first book and frankly, at least for the sake of romance, this could have been a trilogy. Mutual pinning is bad enough but the way they go from just partners to partners in both senses of the word is so... straight guys. Who wants to talk about feelings when you can misunderstand every talk and avoid talking about all the elephants in the room until such talk even comes to pass. Their connection is there for me, but I don't exactly know why: the love interest (for all intents and purposes, since it's single POV) is either stone cold or soft and open. That's not a rollercoaster but a whiplash. The MC tries to be the... I feel like I've seen several versions of this character before, when people naturally gravitate towards him while he considers himself pretty introverted. The tall, dark and broody love interest is not any more original and his semi-unique features are all negative - frustrating and annoying. You know you've got a dozy when the nice parts are supposed to make the jerk parts better, because being nice 10% of the time in the privacy of your room is all the scraps he needs to be in love.
The lack of a more organised (independent detectives) lives who live together was supposed to be interesting but one of them played the Sherlock and took out brilliant deductions out of thin air so you didn't feel like part of the investigation but an audience to be dazzled by his wit - except his wit being one of his two redeeming qualities? Real winner, right here.
I finished the book, there was something that kept me going but that's about as positive as I can make this review.
The plot is fairly disjointed; we're dropped in the middle of a situation that does look like something that should have been the first book and frankly, at least for the sake of romance, this could have been a trilogy. Mutual pinning is bad enough but the way they go from just partners to partners in both senses of the word is so... straight guys. Who wants to talk about feelings when you can misunderstand every talk and avoid talking about all the elephants in the room until such talk even comes to pass. Their connection is there for me, but I don't exactly know why: the love interest (for all intents and purposes, since it's single POV) is either stone cold or soft and open. That's not a rollercoaster but a whiplash. The MC tries to be the... I feel like I've seen several versions of this character before, when people naturally gravitate towards him while he considers himself pretty introverted. The tall, dark and broody love interest is not any more original and his semi-unique features are all negative - frustrating and annoying. You know you've got a dozy when the nice parts are supposed to make the jerk parts better, because being nice 10% of the time in the privacy of your room is all the scraps he needs to be in love.
The lack of a more organised (independent detectives) lives who live together was supposed to be interesting but one of them played the Sherlock and took out brilliant deductions out of thin air so you didn't feel like part of the investigation but an audience to be dazzled by his wit - except his wit being one of his two redeeming qualities? Real winner, right here.
I finished the book, there was something that kept me going but that's about as positive as I can make this review.
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February 16, 2026You ever wanted to take two main characters and just beat them against each other?
Yeah, that was me through most of this book. And I mean that in the best way, despite how frustrating they could be.
I don't care for the miscommunication trope, at all, nor the not talking to clear said miscommunication. Or unnecessary drama. Yet I found myself eagerly turning the pages. I was invested in the tangled will-they-won't-they love story of Xavier and Newt. I felt the push-and-pull and every frustrating, draining, heart-breaking and doubtful feeling running through the characters. Their insecurities, their fear and their hopes. Their worry for one another, the care and the tenderness. It was emotionally very well delivered to the reader - despite the frustrating characters and their miscommunication.
The mystery, though, was pushed back. obviously because it was the love-story that was the focus, but also a pity - because it could have been quite the more exciting than what was giving.
Two cases causing trouble and the love sick detectives tangled up in the messes - both regarding the cases and each other. Not to mention the media which won't leave them alone.
It was dramatically frustrating, yet I was entertained.
I was doubting that this particular type of story could actually fill the 546 pages - but never did it actually feel too long. Well done.
3.5 - maybe 3.75, ⭐s
Yeah, that was me through most of this book. And I mean that in the best way, despite how frustrating they could be.
I don't care for the miscommunication trope, at all, nor the not talking to clear said miscommunication. Or unnecessary drama. Yet I found myself eagerly turning the pages. I was invested in the tangled will-they-won't-they love story of Xavier and Newt. I felt the push-and-pull and every frustrating, draining, heart-breaking and doubtful feeling running through the characters. Their insecurities, their fear and their hopes. Their worry for one another, the care and the tenderness. It was emotionally very well delivered to the reader - despite the frustrating characters and their miscommunication.
The mystery, though, was pushed back. obviously because it was the love-story that was the focus, but also a pity - because it could have been quite the more exciting than what was giving.
Two cases causing trouble and the love sick detectives tangled up in the messes - both regarding the cases and each other. Not to mention the media which won't leave them alone.
It was dramatically frustrating, yet I was entertained.
I was doubting that this particular type of story could actually fill the 546 pages - but never did it actually feel too long. Well done.
3.5 - maybe 3.75, ⭐s
November 1, 2025
Deterctives in Love is a fast-paced, trope-loving detective drama that delivers both emotional tension and crime-solving thrills in equal measure. At the heart of the story are Newt and Xavier, two wildly different detectives whose chemistry crackles through every scene. Newt, the impulsive, emotionally driven half of the duo, brings heart and chaos to the agency. His lingering trauma from a near-fatal encounter with a serial killer—and his unspoken love for Xavier—adds layers of vulnerability beneath his bravado. Xavier, the cerebral mastermind, is all logic and restraint. His lack of emotional reciprocity and social life makes him a fascinating enigma, especially as Newt’s feelings simmer just beneath the surface. The dynamic between them is electric: a classic odd-couple pairing with a twist of unrequited love and life-or-death stakes. Their relationship is further complicated by Xavier’s billionaire uncle, whose meddling adds a delicious layer of intrigue and sabotage. A delightful romp with heart, brains, and just enough angst to keep you hooked. If you love crime-solving duos with complicated feelings and even more complicated cases, this one’s for you.
March 5, 2026
Okay so I think this might be my absolute favorite book ever. I just finished it and ?? I am in LOVE. I adored how Xavier got softer and softer and more obvious with his feelings by the chapter. God what I'd give to read the whole book from his perspective.. especially the night we're Newt came home drunk or his thoughts when he genuinely thought Newt was going to die as he was shot. The last chapter was such a beautiful ending. It didn't end cliche with a proposal but with the idea of one and I thought that was incredibly cute. Ernest, it a little creepy at times, was actually one of my favorite characters, he was incredibly funny to read 😭. I only read YA fluffy romance most of the time so having detectives and twists and reveals like that was soooo refreshing and good. When it was revealed that the murder got to the crime scene through the cafe door I jumped up and yelled "I KNEW IT!!" at 5 in the morning 😭 I've been suspecting that since they first got to that door and it felt so satisfying to be proven right! Anyway, this book was incredible and I am definitely going to look into more books written by this incredible author🫶
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2025
DNF @ 70%
I'm 100% sure this is a repurposed Sherlock fanfic. I still tried to stick it out, even though this story started off in the middle of...something. The changed information left more gaps, but sounded more interesting than what actually played out in the book.
- John's/Newt's battle wound was replaced with a scar from and attempted vivisection by a serial killer. Why aren't we following THAT storyline? It sounds loads better than discovering the mystery of the meat popsicle.
- Sherlock's/Xavier's overbearing brother was replaced by an overbearing uncle. Why is the uncle so involved in Xavier's life like a big brother would be? Why aren't we exploring their relationship? Why isn't Newt asking questions about it?
Everyone else just had name swaps. Even John's room is still upstairs. Though this would have been a thrilling read as fanfiction, as a book, there are gaping holes in the storyline that can't be covered by just switching names and changing jobs of characters.
I'm 100% sure this is a repurposed Sherlock fanfic. I still tried to stick it out, even though this story started off in the middle of...something. The changed information left more gaps, but sounded more interesting than what actually played out in the book.
- John's/Newt's battle wound was replaced with a scar from and attempted vivisection by a serial killer. Why aren't we following THAT storyline? It sounds loads better than discovering the mystery of the meat popsicle.
- Sherlock's/Xavier's overbearing brother was replaced by an overbearing uncle. Why is the uncle so involved in Xavier's life like a big brother would be? Why aren't we exploring their relationship? Why isn't Newt asking questions about it?
Everyone else just had name swaps. Even John's room is still upstairs. Though this would have been a thrilling read as fanfiction, as a book, there are gaping holes in the storyline that can't be covered by just switching names and changing jobs of characters.
March 5, 2026
assim gente eu me diverti pq eu adoro gay e povo animado mas agora, disso a falar que o livro tem uma retórica impecável é um pouco mais complexo.
eu achava um pouco chato como o relacionamento dos dois começa a andar em círculos em certos momentos, parecia que eles não conseguiam evoluir até o ultimo capítulo, o xavier sempre se fechava para o newt e isso tava ate me deixando meio maluca.
eu queria que o subplot do assassinato fosse mais legal, eu achei muito chato, achei o crime em si um saco e eu queria muito que tivesse sido algo mais babadeiro, mas isso realmente cimentar que jornalista nao tem moralidade e etica né? morrendo
outra coisa que acho que é legal de pontuar: eu queria ter visto eles se apaixonando, eu acho que essa que é a parte legal do negócio e o newt nem sabia que ele era bi ate conhecer o xavier ent eu fico meio assim, eu acho que se o livro tivesse acompanhado o caso do carver, teria sido mais interessante e até mais dramático
eu achava um pouco chato como o relacionamento dos dois começa a andar em círculos em certos momentos, parecia que eles não conseguiam evoluir até o ultimo capítulo, o xavier sempre se fechava para o newt e isso tava ate me deixando meio maluca.
eu queria que o subplot do assassinato fosse mais legal, eu achei muito chato, achei o crime em si um saco e eu queria muito que tivesse sido algo mais babadeiro, mas isso realmente cimentar que jornalista nao tem moralidade e etica né? morrendo
outra coisa que acho que é legal de pontuar: eu queria ter visto eles se apaixonando, eu acho que essa que é a parte legal do negócio e o newt nem sabia que ele era bi ate conhecer o xavier ent eu fico meio assim, eu acho que se o livro tivesse acompanhado o caso do carver, teria sido mais interessante e até mais dramático
October 31, 2025
Newt and Xavier are the two Detectives that make up Partners in Crime detective agency. Xaviers is the genius who puts much thought into crime solving. Newt is more of a seat of the pants kind of guy. Xavier save Newt at the last minute from a serial killer and Newt still carries the scars from hundreds of knife cuts. Since then, Newt has been in love with Xavier, but Xavier doesn’t seem to return his feelings. Of course, he doesn’t seem to have any other social life either. Xavier’s billionaire uncle is on a mission to keep Newt and Xavier apart. Oh, and they have crimes to solve - handouts from the local police captain and a murder that they have no permission to pursue. Just a normal week at Partners in Crime.
This was a delightful romp that hit so very many tropes.
This was a delightful romp that hit so very many tropes.
November 12, 2025
'Does Xavier see it? Does he know how far gone I am for him? He must. But at least he has the decency to pretend he doesn’t. The whole world, though? They’re not going to be so kind to me.'
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun fast-paced romance with suspense and an opposites attract duo. Good world building and wonderful characters. I loved both Newt and Xavier. I loved the dynamic between them and the way their relationship developed. I felt bad for them with the publicity, but also kind of love it, because I'd ship them, too, and it amuses me how invested headlines are in them. Though not everyone wants them together. There's also cases they have to solve, and I was engrossed in their story. 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun fast-paced romance with suspense and an opposites attract duo. Good world building and wonderful characters. I loved both Newt and Xavier. I loved the dynamic between them and the way their relationship developed. I felt bad for them with the publicity, but also kind of love it, because I'd ship them, too, and it amuses me how invested headlines are in them. Though not everyone wants them together. There's also cases they have to solve, and I was engrossed in their story. 5 stars
November 3, 2025
Detectives in Love is about Newt and Xavier, they have a detective agency together and when tabloids starts to write that they are also in a relationship. At top of that they have two murders to solve.
I love a detective stories, so this was so my book. I liked the story and the characters, it was very well written and there was a very good world building.
There was a suspense and action. I highly recommend this book.
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I received a copy of this book, and this is my honest review
I love a detective stories, so this was so my book. I liked the story and the characters, it was very well written and there was a very good world building.
There was a suspense and action. I highly recommend this book.
-----------------------------------------------------
I received a copy of this book, and this is my honest review
February 27, 2026
I can’t even begin to put into words what this book made me feel. The communication between the characters is incredible. There’s little to no unnecessary sulking, and instead of storming off or letting misunderstandings fester, they consistently choose to talk things through. It’s refreshing to see two people who actually try to understand each other rather than run away from conflict.
November 2, 2025
I really enjoyed this book it’s called Detectives in Love and is about Newt and Xavier who run the Partners in Crime detective agency, their story covers a lot of tropes and it kept my attention from the beginning to the end. It is definitely a story worth a read.
November 5, 2025
Delightful!
November 8, 2025
where are all the editors do they not take on m/m jobs anymore what’s going on
January 1, 2026
Just look at me smiling like an idiot while I finish this book in two days
January 19, 2026
3.75⭐️
Xavier is such a mystery but a sweet ass guy
Xavier is such a mystery but a sweet ass guy
February 3, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Took me to another place and time. Hope the author uses Xavier and Newt in a future series.
February 23, 2026
2💫
What in the Sherlock fanfiction did i just read? These were supposed to be grown ass men yet their communication and mood were worse than teenagers.
And don't get me started on how Xavier turns into a sex god in the last chapter, while being Mr Quick Shot in their previous encounters.
What in the Sherlock fanfiction did i just read? These were supposed to be grown ass men yet their communication and mood were worse than teenagers.
And don't get me started on how Xavier turns into a sex god in the last chapter, while being Mr Quick Shot in their previous encounters.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews