i. at a glance • characters ; a lot younger than depicted & dumb • atmosphere/setting ; enough to serve the plot • plot ; super convenient, everything worked out too perfectly • intrigue ; wasn't really there for me • logic ; not at all ii. thoughts first book of 2025 and we're off to a great start! who wouldn't want to read a story about someone who is mistaken for a contract killer? it started out somewhat hopeful (even though finlay literally duct-taped her daughter's hair/head in the first chapter - hello parenting?), unfortunately i was wrong as it went on. i didn't get the comedy of it all, nor did i get the mystery or the romance. the characters felt like they were teenagers, especially finlay. who has two kids. caught in the middle of a "romance" and focused on taking revenge on her ex-husband's fiance. she's also afraid of her ex getting full custody of her kids BUT she either leaves them at her ex's house, or with the babysitter. i know it's fiction, but at least make it a little more realistic? the plot worked way too perfectly. everything fell into place. so convenient for the characters. i screamed when they left fingerprints everywhere. no logic going on at all. i was genuinely confused how the murder actually worked out, because that was just. not it. the book did end on a cliff hanger so i'm curious to see how that plays out, though i'm likely to not pick it up. iii. recommendation n/a [ testing out my own variation of the cawpile rating system without using the scores, let's see how well i like it :]