Ren

A solid start to the series. I liked the setting and introduction to the characters/Rivers family. Usually I’m all in on the enemies to lovers trope as well as a grumpy hero, but it took longer for me to warm up Cash. I have the feeling it’s how his character was introduced. He was so dismissive of Mollie then left her crying in a car writing it off that she was just spoiled. I thought Mollie was a great sunshine. Easy going and confident.

Viola and Jesse crossed paths years earlier at an interview. Now their paths align again to co-create a video game as lead designers, but first they have to show they can get along. <spoiler>A whirlwind romance after discovering they’ve both been pining for the other for years. The reveal that he asked her out the first time they met was adorable. Everything else felt rushed, but it seems like that’s the result of the condensed story versus there not being more to say. </spoiler>

It felt as though this book was an attempt to stall larger plot points and often referenced prior discoveries in previous books as a way of avoiding sharing new information. All the pieces were there, but it just didn’t come together. It did however set up the next book to have interesting reveals, so I’ll be reading for those.

I thought the idea of having Mrs. Norton utilize disguises to regain her vouchers was a great start. Especially since Beatrice and Damien no longer use costumes in their investigations. The mysteries continue to be more complex, which also seems related to their marriage. The list of suspects they can visit together increases, so the complexity of the murder can as well. I expected to lose interest the farther along I progressed in the series, but I am enjoying it more as characters continue to evolve.

My two challengers with Wyatt was learning the details of the River’s parents death and <spoiler>John B with a gun; I didn’t really see how any of them moved past it especially considering their childhood trauma of losing their parents</spoiler>. Otherwise, I loved both Wyatt and Sally. I appreciate a good fake dating trope, and liked that this one didn’t fake it for long.