They say everyone has a doppelgänger. Hers was a killer.
With only sixty-three cents in her pocket, Molly is way down on her luck. No job, no food in the fridge, no power at her cold, dark apartment. Her mom won't take her calls. Her ex only lives in her memories. Worst of all, she might be getting evicted.
At the grocery store, a posh woman approaches Molly. "Wow, we look so much alike." Indeed, it's uncanny.
The posh lookalike, Hester, offers to buy Molly lunch so they can chat. Who's Molly to turn down free food? "I'd give anything," Hester sighs, "to get away from my life. Just for a weekend." What kind of life? A great job, a fancy house, a very attentive fiancé. But so much pressure.
I love a story that ends with a kiss, whether it's a book or a movie. That's the big payoff! So that's the kind of books I like to write, and I call my style "cotton candy for the soul"-- light, sweet, gone. We all need a little escape from reality for a while, and escapist fiction can be the perfect remedy.
I'm a moderately bad housekeeper, I have a black thumb, and it takes a small miracle to get my hair to curl. My handsome husband and I live in the Arizona desert where we're raising our five children, who never let us stop laughing.
I knew from the tagline that I was in for a slightly creepy read and I was exactly right. If Looks Could Kill wasn't an over-the-top thriller or a high-intensity, fast-paced romantic suspense, but it was an eerie story that had me peeping over my shoulder and expecting some jumps that delivered.
Molly is influencer Hester's doppelgänger and stepping into her life for a weekend to allow Hester freedom to just be proved to be a little more than bargained for. I have no idea how I would handle a situation like this, but Molly was very much down on her luck and the offer couldn't have come at a more perfect time. I would be a big ball of stress!
I really enjoyed Molly's character, as well as Cyrus's. There was some sizzling swoon, a lot of mystery and danger, as well as a dash of finding oneself in the midst of wanting more out of life--taking an opportunity by the horns.
Griffith steps out of her fluffy writing zone to deliver a spectacularly chilling tale that left my head spinning.
Content: mild+ moments of peril/death/violence; mild romance
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
Oh my goodness! This was thrilling to read! I love a good doppelgänger story! This was a real page turner for me, I was completely absorbed and invested in the story. This poor and basically homeless woman seeking food and shelter instead finds herself drawn into a temporary situation stepping into the life of her doppelgänger filled with all the food she can eat and fluffy warm beds. How can she resist? Especially when she meets the charming fiancé….
It had great plot twists in it that I didn’t see coming. I was glued to the book to see how it would all end. I appreciated the good balance of suspense with plot tension without being gory or violent. There were no big action scenes full of tense moments but rather had a more unpredictable Hallmark type thriller storyline going on.
Great love story too! That was the highlight for me, getting to know who Cyrus was and seeing Molly and him interact. Way too many swoon worthy moments!
Rating: PG, Clean, no language, kissing only with only some description, some tense moments and unseen plots twists.
I couldn't put this one down! I stayed up late reading it, which if you knew me lately, I can hardly keep my eyes open at night because I'm so exhausted. But not when I have this book in my hands! Wowsers! Jennifer Griffith usually writes cotton candy fluff stories, full of lighthearted moments and sweet and clean romance. So this book was a bit of a genre change for her. And I'm going to say that she nailed it!
If you are a fan of thrillers, with some sweet chemistry and romance added in, you're going to want to check this book out!
And I have to say that my emotions were being tugged on a lot! Especially for Molly, our main protagonist. She's pretty down on her luck and it just gets worse as the book starts out. My heart ached for her. But then this big shiny gift horse shows up in the form of Hester, aka Molly's doppelgänger, and she takes a chance. Eeeekkk!!! The whole time I was like, "nope, don't do it Molly! Just run far away from her because your life is going to be in danger." And then on the flip side I was also thinking, "Ok Molly, do it but be super careful. Get on your feet for just a few days and be smart about it. Then run away from Hester and whatever her ploy is!!!" Hahaha! I'm sure you'll all be feeling the same way when you pick this one up!
I don't want to give anything away so I won't talk too much about the characters other than the fact that they were all well written! I had my assumptions and guesses for whodunnit and then I'd change my mind and change it again. I loved that about this book, that I was still guessing until the end!
Grab a copy, get comfy and be ready to be sucked into this clean thriller with plot twists, great characters and some sweet chemistry!!! Awww!!! I loved it all!!!
Content: Clean. Only some kisses but nothing further. No language. Some mild moments of suspense. A murder or two but nothing overly graphic, only seen after the fact.
I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
I really liked this romantic, slightly suspenseful story. It was light and easy reading. I think it was more a little mystery than actual suspense because nothing heart pounding or "hang on to the edge of your seat" happened. I liked the premise though. It felt different from other books I've been reading lately. There was quite an information dump at the end to explain how the mystery got resolved. I guess that's another reason why it felt more mystery than suspense too.
Content: a couple instances of mild peril. Kissing.
I almost gave this book 2 stars, but I really had to reconcile my feelings about the book against my feelings about Audible's AI narration. Turns out I didn't hate the book as much as I thought I did, but I am NEVER listening to an AI narration again.
Anyway what a fun read! It has all the right stuff in a Psych thriller with a fun twist on the doppelganger trope.
Absolutely awful. The narration is the worst thing I’ve ever listened to— mispronounced dozens of words. The story wasn’t interesting at all, but also was very predictable. The only reason I kept listening to it was because I needed noise.
Okay, prepare to be so drawn into this story that chores vanish, dinner, who needs it? kids need a ride to soccer, fine, but then I’m finishing my book. Just be smart and block out some uninterrupted reading time. I stayed up far too late reading and counted the minutes until I could dive back into Molly’s story.
Molly is down on her luck. Ever since her fiancé was killed in action she hasn’t been able to keep her life together. Her power is shut off, eviction is imminent, and she has less than a dollar for groceries. That’s when she meets Hester. Hester is posh, successful, and nearly her twin. Hester asks for one tiny favor, pretend to be me for one weekend so I can get away from pre-wedding stress. But Hester doesn’t come back after the weekend. Is she dead? Did she run away? What should Molly do? Keep living the lie in comfort and bliss or return to her old failure of a life?
I’ve loved Jennifer Griffith’s romcoms, this dip into suspense had less humor, but still plenty of light moments to balance the suspense, and she couldn’t resist writing in a romance. Thank you for that! I will gladly join Jennifer Griffith for whichever type of book she publishes next!
Jennifer Griffith has stated that she writes “cotton candy for the soul” books. All that I have read by her have been just that as sweet romances. BUT WOW, she has written a mystery that grabbed me from the beginning to the very, very end. If Looks Could Kill is part cozy mystery, part psychological thriller, and part romance. All together it is one amazing read.
If Looks Could Kill is so much a twisty story with events I expected and some I would never have ever expected. Many of the characters are likable especially Molly and Cyrus. I did think early on that Molly had some problems but from what she revealed I could not decide what exactly was the problem until she was ready to face up to them.
If like me you like your mystery without the gore and bad language, your romance sweet and the plot well-developed and intriguing then If Looks Could Kill is the book for you. Kudos to Jennifer Griffith for one top notched story.
The publisher/author gave me a complimentary ARC of the book which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Great start for this author as she writes her first romantic suspense novel. The story definitely kept my attention from the first pages.
The premise is one down on her luck woman, Molly is a doppelganger of a woman she bumps into at a grocery store. She accepts the offer for lunch from her lookalike because she hasn't had a real meal in a long time. Since Molly has lost her most recent job and been evicted from her apartment, she is open to the crazy offer of changing places with her rich lookalike Hester for the weekend. She will have a place to stay and food to eat. What she didn't expect was to actually remember Hester's fiance Cyrus from her own past. When Hester fails to show up after the weekend ends and Molly is being questioned about a murder, this story takes off.
I enjoyed the suspense as Molly tries to discover why Hester hasn't come back. She is forced to continue to act like Hester even as the wedding day quickly approaches.
I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest unbiased review.
This was such a thrilling story to read, something new and completely different than what Jennifer usually writes. It is a doppelgänger story; they say everyone has one. Hester wants to get away from her life and sees Molly and asks her to lunch like a friend and then to take her place for a weekend. This is where there is so much suspense it became a real page turner wanting to know what was going to happen next. There was also a sweet romance building between Cyrus and Molly even though she was pretending to be someone else. The ending was a surprise to me. This is such a fantastic book, highly recommend.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT They say everyone has a doppelgänger. Hers was a killer.
MY TAKE I'm used to Griffith's sweet romance and rom com books. This girl can also write a book that packs a punch. She does a great job of setting up Molly's low state in the beginning of the book. Because why else would a good woman be willing to consider taking another's place, even temporarily, especially with the lies it would include.
But things start getting really complicated. I seriously don't want to spoil anything so I won't say more, but this is a deep story with many layers and a swoony hero. And some great plot twists.
If Looks Could Kill is the first romantic suspense book by Jennifer Griffith, and wow, oh, wow, was it fantastic! Molly--poor Molly--your heart just goes out to her as she's suffered failure after failure and setback after setback. Then this golden opportunity just falls in her lap, and she can't help but grasp it with both hands. Cyrus was so kind and charming, and I enjoyed watching Molly fall in love with him. I was turning pages, desperate to know what happened next. This book was so good--the idea of it is so unique and well thought out--I'd love to see another romantic suspense from Jennifer Griffith!
"The past would have to bury the past. We walked across the meadow toward a new life. Together." SPOILER ALERT I was hooked, reading past bedtime, neglecting chores, trying to guess what had happened and what was going on...until we started getting to the confessions It was Cyrus's confessions which came off as stalkerish and creepy instead of tender and besotted. Following her to the same college, bribing a Teachers Assistant, being all moony-eyed but not acting on it. That left a bad taste in my mouth and sadly warped the happily ever after that both the author and me were hoping for.
I read the book straight through and loved every minute! Ms. Griffith has such a command of balancing description with dialog and inner-voice. Add to that a great plot with perfect twists and swoony scenes. I don't always like romances with suspense. If I can't finish the book by the time I go to bed, it will keep me awake. And sometimes, I just need a break from police dramas which I watch with my husband on TV in the evenings. But this! This was so good! If Ms. Griffith decides to write another romantic suspense, I'm definitely putting everything aside to read it.
What a powerful story about love, loathing, living up to a bargain made with a stranger and so much more. Molly/Hester lived up to her end of a bargain and almost paid for it with her life. This book has everything from desperation and poverty to murder to untold wealth. Author Jennifer Griffith, who I would previously have called a romance author, has done an amazing quick change into a mystery/murder Author Extraordinaire. I loved this book and stayed up way too late because I couldn't stop reading this fantastic story!
What a strange and delightful book. Its a totally impossible story but it can certainly capture the imagination. I kept reading it and listening to the recorded story while I became very sleepy. I'd actually doze off and then wake up to not know what I had missed. I'd back up and repeat that same process. Then I woke up and the book was over. I ended up playing most of it over again on high speed so I could figure out the story. That was almost as weird as the book turned out to be. I'm glad I took the time to finally figure it out.
If Looks Could Kill is clean, engaging, engrossing, romantic suspense at its best. This is not hear pounding, edge of your seat drama but just very intriguing and I could not put it down. I am so glad I started it in the morning because other than a snack for lunch I was binge reading this. When I got done, all I wanted to do was start reading it again to see what I might have overlooked! Ms. Griffith has found another genre in which she excels.
Absolutely amazing!!! I loved everything about this book. The characters are exceptional and the storyline/plot is fantastic. This romantic suspense story will carry you away on the most wonderful adventure with mystery, intrigue and wholesome romance with plenty of twists along the way. This is a must read, once you pick this up you won't want to put it down. I received a free copy in advance and am leaving my review voluntarily.
Why read this book? Let's try with a song called Kill Bill by SZA. Does the lyrics interest you? If yes, than you might like this book.
I'm so mature, I'm so mature I'm so mature, I got me a therapist to tell me there's other men I don't want none, I just want you If I can't have you, no one should
I might I might kill my ex, not the best idea His new girlfriend's next, how'd I get here? I might kill my ex, I still love him though Rather be in jail than alone
Jennifer Griffith nailed the Romantic/Suspense genre with “If Looks Could Kill”!! She grabs your attention from the start and keeps you guessing until the unexpected, but very satisfying end!! The romance is sweet and clean, and the suspense is captivating, without being gruesome! It is very well-written and I’m looking forward to reading more by this talented author!
I was given an ARC to read and give my honest opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it!!
This is a romantic suspense novel – a new branch of Ms. Griffith’s writing. What would you do if you ran into your doppledinger? Our main character is down on her luck when she is approached to take her look-a-like’s place for the weekend. What could possibly go wrong? A quick, clean read. I’m looking forward to having more of this style of writing from this author in the future.
I have been a fan of Jennifer Griffith's writing for about seven years. This book...wow! I literally couldn't put it down. I love murder mysteries and this story doesn't disappoint. I fell in love with both Molly & Cyrus. Thank you, Jennifer for another happy ending.
The book was definitely exciting. I had thrills of anticipation all throughout reading it. But it was the only positive point about the book. The book was very unbelievable even for a fiction and there was no character I felt like I could support or root for. The wrap up seemed very hurried and not satisfying after most of the book was at snail's pace.
I loved Molly and Cyrus and all the many characters. This story had me turning page after page and staying up all night! I loved the mystery. I just couldn't put it down! This is a clean mysterious romance.
A romantic suspense with a twist that I loved. They say everyone has a doppelganger and Molly's meets hers. This book had me hooked from the very beginning and sitting on the edge of my seat as I turned each page. Loved the ending.
This is a very different storyline from what this author usually writes. I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of some of Heather B. Moore’s books. I didn’t find it scary at all and it wasn’t edge of your seat reading for me but it definitely kept my attention and I really liked it.
By far one of the BEST books I have read! It had such a gripping storyline I didn’t want to put it down. Molly’s personality was perfect and relatable. Do yourself a favor and read this book!
I had a very hard time putting this book down, because it just didn’t make sense! How does someone just take over someone else’s life? So many crazy things! I loved the tie up at the end!
DNF at 47% I think i'm finally going to start DNFing books I don't enjoy. The idea for the plot was really good, the execution? Not so much. It feels rushed and I just can't take anymore the idea of 'we know each other from the past but don't recognise each other', just... no.