title: If Books Could Kill
author: Kate Eberle
publisher: Penguin
publication date: July 21, 2026
pages: 368
peppers: 2 (on this scale)
warnings:
- death/murder
- violence
- explosions
- vomit
summary: When Roxie off-handedly wishes to be the protagonist of the next novel by her favorite romance author who hasn't published a book in years, she doesn't yet know that the author is straying from romance to murder mystery. When the wish comes true, Roxie and Grant, the man she accidentally carjacks, have to solve the murders to escape the book before they die for real.
tropes:
- wish-granting street performer
- unlikely pair has to work together
- fiction coming to life
- only one bed
- wealthy, quirky detective
- double crossing
what I liked:
- humor -- some lines had me laughing aloud
- Grant, the English teacher/nerd
- Roxie's self-defence work
what I didn’t like:
- the book felt a little too long
overall rating: 4 (of 5 stars)
As always, you can click on the photo above if you want to buy the book.