Oh how I loved this book. It was not the story I thought it was going to be in such a much better way. Taking place in an office setting, Jake Ripper is the newest office temp and Dolores (Dodi) dela Cruz is an employee who tries to stay undetected on a floor where everyone has been laid off. Perhaps an oversight, she lays low to keep those checks coming with no real work to be done. She’s described as an alt girl with tattoos, black clothing, and the love for crime podcasts. Jake, who is a loner in real life with no real family but a roommate who basically pays him to get rid of his “girlfriends” with a place to stay. Jake spots Dodi and sets up his office on the same floor, as he is also trying to go undetected all while wearing black gloves and being mysterious. Dodi is bothered that she has caught his eye when she’s trying to lay low. They have little interactions and one day after overhearing one of Dodi’s podcast about a serial chopping body pieces, he decides to gift her a piece of a Barbie wrapped in a box (Oh did I forget to mention it’s Christmas time?!). This doesn’t scare her, but in fact starts a game of cat and mouse between them. Convinced he is a serial himself, she asks for his help in getting rid of something (sorry I’m trying to not get shadow banned with certain words). 

The title is clever because it’s a play on their relationship. This is a book for thriller readers who also enjoy their main characters finding family and love. There is an understanding between them and respect. It’s really a story of two people who are alone, with complicated or sad pasts, and end up finding family within some of the people they meet along the way. There are so many surprises throughout, and this is why this book ended up being something different than I thought it would be. 

Thank you Berkeley Publishing, Kate Posey, and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy.