[Yet another review as per my Amazon one; sorry!]

This is a combination murder mystery and romance. The characters are really quite entertaining, overall, and for the most part, the off-again-on-again emotional connection of our protagonists feels pretty reasonable. The mystery part doesn't quite follow all the mystery tropes (mystery buffs may be disappointed), from what I know of mystery tropes, but it's being an unexpectedly deep backset to a romance, with romancy tropes -- and those seeking romance tropes should be satisfied, methinks.

I do quibble at the scene where the readers are given the who-dun-it identity; I wish there'd been some other way to get that data across. But it's pretty minor and a personal quibble; I just don't like "spoilers" for mysteries, even when the author's doing the "spoiling"!

My main complaint is the last two chapters, where the emotional half of the situation wraps up in a way that is kind of... syrupy-sweet. I think that Vanessa's personality was shifted to something overly traditional, instead of pleasingly tart. (I liked her attitude, darnit! Why shouldn't a fulfilled romance still have a few prickles amidst the roses?)

Still, that's two chapters out of many, and since I can't do half-stars, I'll err on the side of more, rather than less.

(I'm not well-enough read for overly modern attitudes to jar me, so I can't speak for that issue, raised by another reviewer at the book's Amazon site.) ( )