grayciouslygreyreader's Reviews (142)

I didn’t read what this was about, I just know people seemed to love it. The beginning was mostly smut and then the story dropped so many twists. What a wild ride. The ending! Okayyyyyy. I get why this book is being talked about.  

“A poisoned chocolate. A stolen dress. An elusive catburglar. Drag’s not just dramatic, it’s deadly.”

Being someone who has been to a couple drag shows, I was instantly transported to Lady’s Bar in SoHo, London. Misty Divine, our main character makes her way to the stage for the end of the night applause. She notices that her drag mother, Lady Lady is not acting her usual self and is acting in a hurry to leave. She also observes that she seems very uncomfortable in the dress she is wearing, as she is not wearing her usual dress but something that appears to be vintage.  While everyone is starting the process of de-dragging, Misty Divine decides to go check on Lady Lady to see why she was acting strangely and if she is alright. She heads to her dressing room, and finds her laying on the floor dead with what looks like a box of poisoned chocolates. From that moment on, we as readers are sent on a wild ride as we find out the dress was stolen by the infamous Kensington Catburglar, and was worn by Judy Garland.  Where did the dress come from? Why was Lady Lady wearing it? Is Lady Lady the Catburglar? Who would want to kill Lady Lady, and why? One thing is for sure, Misty Divine is going to find out and everyone is a suspect. 

The character development of Misty Divine was great. We learn that by day, they are Joe, a hotel accountant but they feel stronger as a person when they are Misty Divine. Misty Divine is more bold with her actions and determined to figure out what just happened with the sometimes hesitant but always supportive boyfriend, Miles. There are sketchy scenarios that have you worried for Misty, and a true mystery of who really did it. I thought I had it all figured out but a few twist caught me by surprise. 

This would be a great book for anyone who enjoys a good mystery, and is also a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

This was a fun read and had me hooked right from the very beginning of the story. Hazel and Fox live this extravagant life of traveling and going to fancy parties.  They are madly in love with each other and share one dark secret… they are both serial killers, that is until they have a child together.  Fox is determined to protect his family at all costs, and makes a pact with Hazel that they will stop the killing spree of bad men to protect their daughter. This book is fast paced as we see how they quickly fall into a marriage full of deception and lies, and the aftermath of those secrets. They both resent each other, when the passion of their darkness once brought them close. Hazel feels trapped into a retirement she didn’t want, and starts to question every move Fox does, while Fox feels like everything he does isn’t enough and it all becomes too much for him.  Of course one of them slips up and I’ll let you read to see how it all unfolds. 

I liked how this book shared the ups and downs of their marriage and internal struggles with POVs from both Hazel and Fox.  Some aspects were relatable. The ending I felt was very unrealistic, but that being said I enjoyed the story as a whole. Let’s just say that I read the first 40% on New Year’s Eve and then woke and didn’t get out of bed until I finished it on New Year’s Day. My plans for the day had to be adjusted because I needed to know how this was all going to end. I kept saying I was going to pause after each chapter and just couldn’t. 

Special thanks to @netgalley and Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine for this advance reader copy. All opinions are mine. 

Don’t be fooled by the cover like me if you want a fall read. This book takes place in the summer until the very end when a fall banner with cinnamon buns is bought off Etsy as the bookstore prepares for fall (the banner is on the cover of the book). The last chapter before the epilogue is titled two months later … Thanksgiving. The ideal time to read this would be the end of summer. 

That being said, I thought this was a fun read. I loved that it all takes place at a bookstore plus the adventures throughout. I could fully image it all and wanted to be there too.