Words

I'm sitting here trying to decide how to start my review for John Inman's WORDS and I realize that a book blogger reviewing a book about murdered book reviewers with authors as possible suspects, well it sounds like I'm about to tell a bad joke😉😉. Well, there's no bad joke here. WORDS is a brilliant blend of romance, danger, and mystery that I couldn't put down.

I haven't read any of the author's full-on romances yet, I'm sure they're brilliant and one of these days I'll check them out, but he does danger, death, and destruction just so beautifully that I'm slowly working my way through his backlist's darker side first. WORDS may not be as dark as John's The Boys on the Mountain or as creepy as The Hike or as disturbingly possible as Nightfall but it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the killer of the trolls masquerading as reviewers. As a book review blogger I find it very disheartening that the trolls out there who claim to be reviewers have followers so I wasn't exactly crying over the victims in this book😉. That's okay though because sometimes a book is even better when the reader doesn't sympathize with the victim, that's not to say I was rooting for the killer.

As for the main players in this story of murder and mayhem, Milo and Logan. Author and reviewer. Is their connection too insta-love? Not for me, sometimes people just click and Milo and Logan definitely clicked. Neither one of them is probably in the best place to be looking for love, Milo still regrouping from a breakup and Logan still mourning his husband but fate always finds a way. There may be very little angsty drama in the way of their relationship but the murders bring enough to the table to make WORDS all twisty and turny.

When it comes to mysteries I'm even more cagey when it comes to spoilers so I won't say too much about this part of WORDS. I will mention that I was completely and totally unsure of who was doing the trolls in right up until a page or two before the big reveal. I've said it before and I'll say it again, mysteries have been a part of my life for nearly my whole 45+ years on this earth in either film or book form, it's always been my favorite genre of choice so there are very few that really knock me sideways as to the whos, whats, and whys. I'm not being immodest or saying I have great detective skills its just that I've read or watched pretty much every scenario out there. So when a mystery like WORDS comes around I relish it and don't soon forget the greatness of the build-up.

Once again John Inman has proven he is delightfully delicious when it comes to danger, death, and destruction, with just the right blend of mayhem and romance. WORDS is a definite must for mystery lovers.

Reviewed by Jenn for Diverse Reader

I am a girl who loves a good romantic suspense novel and this one is really good. We meet Milo Cook and Logan Hunter, a book reviewer. I really loved how the author tells this story almost as if it’s two separate books at times. We see Milo and Logan meet and begin their romance, the author does a great job of letting us get to know them while they are getting to know each other. I really enjoy these two together and as someone who loves reading so much, this was a nice pairing to see. They have really great chemistry and are really very sweet with each other.

Then you have these crazy murders taking place, murders being done by a serial killer. All along I was thinking I knew who the killer was, but nope! I was wrong and I loved that! It’s hard to say anything about the murders or the killer because I don’t want to spoil anything. If you like a little murder with your romance, this is a book for you. It’s very entertaining and very mysterious!

I’ve had this author on my to-read list for a number of months now, but never found the time to read his works before now. When I happened across the blurb for Words, I knew I wouldn’t be waiting any longer. I love a good romantic suspense and the unique premise of a murderer targeting harsh critics made it one I couldn’t miss. While I did enjoy the story and liked the easy romance between Milo and Logan, it wasn’t until the final chapters that the excitement and suspense ticked up enough to fully capture my attention.

First and foremost, Words tracked the romance between author Milo Cook and book reviewer Logan Hunter. Their meeting and initial attraction was cute and the romance sweet with an uncomplicated feel to it. And yet things felt rushed. Although timeline wise it made sense, I never really felt or witnessed that growing chemistry and it ended up giving off an air of insta-love. Beyond the romance, Words acts as a sort of commentary on the topic of authors, reviewers, and social media’s impacts on those oft love/hate dynamics. While this was interesting and brought up plenty of noteworthy points, the leisurely pace of the bulk of the novel made it easy to step away from the book and I wasn’t overly compelled to pick it up and see what happened next. That said, the conclusion was exciting and I enjoyed how it all played out. Perhaps I was expecting too much mystery and suspense from the start, but Words ended up being less intense than I envisioned after reading the blurb and that ultimately meant I was a little disappointed.

*Reviewed for Alpha Book Club*

The world of writers, readers and reviewers is a close world. They all know each other. That’s how Milo Cook a writer and Logan Hunter a reviewer meet and start a relationship. While they discover each other romantically, murders are committed in the reviewer’s community, and everyone has the same question in mind. Is it their words that sealed their fate?

It’s the first book I’ve read by the author John Inman, and it won’t be the last. Milo and Logan are just adorable together.
Milo is a talented writer, funny and smart. He doesn’t believe in long-term relationships after the disaster with his ex’s infidelity, but Logan makes him believe that it’s possible. Logan is a professional reviewer who moves from NY to San Diego to start over. Logan doesn’t believe in a second chance at love until he meets Milo who shows him that it’s possible. I loved them; they were adorable, funny and sweet.
The book was very well written with a good plot and subplot. In my opinion, the main plot was Milo and Logan’s love story and in background or subplot was the serial killer and his victims. But at some point in the story, the two plots collided and merged together. It was very well done.

The author has a good style; his writing is full of descriptions and details. Sometimes it was a little bit too long but honestly, it was nothing. Most of the time I was hooked, and it gave me the feeling of being in the book. The serial killer’s scenes were like that, and they gave me the feeling of being the killer myself.

Speaking of the killer, I dare you to find out who the murderer is! The entire book, I had an idea, and the more I read, the more I had this little smirk on my lips (you know the one that you’ve got when you know something that others don’t). Then the big revelation came, and my smirk fell, and I made a beautiful “O” with my mouth, and I had the vision of the author with a smug smile on his lips and asking me “you know what??”
It was very good, and the twist at the end was great with a good rhythm and dynamic.

I recommend this book, it was a good Romance/Suspense book, and you’ll enjoy your time with Milo and Logan.

Its 4 OptimuMMs for the writer and his reviewer!

**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by DreamSpinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**

Well, this book! Author Milo meets reviewer Logan at a failed author event. Milo is instantly attracted to Logan, or his legs, at least. They have dinner and enjoy their time getting to know each other. The first half of the book is really spent on the developing relationship between the two men and getting to know them. It seemed a little slow, but it really was the story of two men sharing their past, themselves and finding love. Both characters were really likable and seemed nice.

But while there’s this nice love story unfolding, there’s this other storyline of murder happening. I don’t want to give a lot away regarding this storyline because I found it a little terrifying and a little hilarious. I thought the plotline with the murders was very creative, well done, and may give pause to some people. ;) I did not figure out who the murderer actually was. When everything all comes to a head, I thought I knew who it was and the story seemed to support that but then there was an unexpected person that changed that.

This was an entertaining murder mystery and romance. It seemed like insight into the author’s world and scandals that happen in the world of books. There were a lot of issues all included in this book and I think there may be some satisfying results for many. This is a book you need to read. I was going to get into all the reasons but that gives away too much of the happenings, so just know that you need to read this!

Rating: 4 stars