I don’t know where to start this review, but I will say that ‘if books could kill’ is one of my favourite reads of 2026—and maybe of all time, too. the story follows roxie as she’s down on her luck, suffering through the plights of modern day dating, and wishing she was a protagonist in her favourite romance novels. what starts out as a joke with some purple glitter, eventually turns into something very real when her wish comes true. roxie is now the star of anna matthew’s upcoming novel—except anna isn’t writing a romance, she’s pivoting into thriller. this was SO good and I throughly enjoyed reading it. it was a different spin on magical realism, and I found myself not wanting it to end. the story is the perfect amount of silly and whimsy, an action packed plot, and a great side of romance! I loved the dynamic roxie and grant have, and I was pining for them from their first encounter. there’s so many laugh out loud moments—one of my favourites being when they first meet, but I’m not going to spoil it for future readers! the side characters were also fantastic, with their own story and individual personalities that added depth to the book. ‘if books could kill’ joins the few books that I can imagine as a great book to movie adaptation—and if that ever happens, I need tom blyth as grant. it’s overall an absolute stellar debut, and I can’t believe it’s the authors first books! I need more! I need roxie and grant in every universe!

Roxie’s favourite author is renown for her lovely romances, so when Roxie makes a playful wish to live out the plot of Anna’s next book, she expects a cute, romantic time. When her wish IS actually granted, she has the perfect first date with a handsome stranger. But her date is breath taking...in that he tries to actually kill her! What Roxie didn’t know, is that Anna has decided to branch out into a new genre of book: a crime thriller. Whilst trying to survive in this plot line, she bumps into nervous English professor, Grant Hoffman and luckily for Roxie, he is a huge lover of crime novels. So she kidnaps him (lol) to survive. Will Roxie and Grant make it to the end of the story or will they be written out in squeamish style?... The Pros: 1) The cover of the book and the title - I love a good/bad pun! 2) There are so many genres and tropes in the story and they are blended together so well. I loved it. 3) The main characters were great. Roxie is a strong and feisty FMC and Grant is an anxious, nerdy but sweet potential book boyfriend. 4) The romance, the suspense, the action, and the humour. 5) I couldn’t help smiling throughout The Cons: 1) There are dark themes and sadder parts (but I really felt the emotion - so it’s a good thing for me!) 2) I couldn’t help thinking of the Eastenders character of the same name: Roxie Mitchell lol. The Quotes: 1) My romantic history reads like a list of Friends episodes - The One Who Taught Scuba Diving, The One with the Mid-Zip Line Make-Out, The one at the Mall of America - and I like it that way. There is simply no room on that list for The One Who Lives in My City and Might Want Something More than a Fling. 2) I hear him slow to a plod before stopping, and he lets out a roar of frustration that shakes the empty lobby before stalking off in the wrong direction. My hands tremble as I fumble my phone out of my pocket. I can’t call anyone and risk him hearing me. What do I do, google how to escape a murderer? Can you text 911? 3) What part of the book would you call this?” I ask Grant in a low voice. “The part where we’re f*cked,” he says. The Summary: I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this before, with multiple genres and numerous tropes but I LOVED IT! The mix of romance, thriller, crime, action and humour just really worked for me in the setting of the story. I adored both the main characters and the more emotional sides of the plot too. I was smiling whilst reading (when I wasn't anxiously seeing if the characters would survive, that is). I am a bit stunned this is the author’s debut novel, it’s written so well and draws you into the story, making you care about the characters. This is the type of book I didn’t know I needed, but as soon as I read the description I had to read it. I throughly recommend you read this book ASAP. Summed up in a sentence?: Roxie wishes to be in her favourite authors next book... but she expected a romance, not a crime thriller! I rated the book 5 stars! A big thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an open and honest review!

What a fantastically, witty, original story! It was brilliantly insane in places, as intended. I laughed out loud at so many points, and finished it with a huge smile on my face.The mix of characters were exactly that, wonderfully eclectic (I'm especially looking at you, Lesley!)Aside from the humour, this book also had real heart. Our heroine, Rosie, won me over instantly with her dry humour, but I loved her vulnerability. Our unlikely "love interest", Grant, provided the perfect balance for Roxie as she navigated her way through this impossible situation.What a debut. I'm excited to see where Kate Eberle goes next. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book when it comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for this ARC. Roxie Mitchell, 30, has one wish - to be the protagonist of the next book by her favourite author Anna Matthews. Through a handy slice of magical realism, her wish is granted by the mysterious Gifter. As Anna is a romance author, Roxie believes herself to be in good hands to experience a nice little love story of her own, but just as she thinks she has her perfect meet-cute with the gorgeous Jack, he tries to kill her, and Roxie realises too late that Anna has changed genre and is now writing a crime thriller. Enter Grant Hoffman, 33, an exhausted English teacher who sits in the back of the Uber she hijacks to escape and who is absolutely not happy about this turn of events, as he just wants to go home, feed his cat and read a book. From then on, absolute hijinks ensue. We get a gaggle of serial killers with funny names somehow competing against each other, and bumbling detective duo Lesley and Lissa hot on their heels, dragging Roxie and Grant into it all. People have sword fights, jump into rivers and escape exploding houses. As much as Anna wants to write a thriller though, the romance always shines through. It's a totally chaotic and mostly non-sensical but fun romp through genres and tropes that are called out when they are happening, like only one bed, fake dating and the rain as a prop. The mingling of genres works really well but at the heart of it this is a rom-com with some additional murderers running around. I enjoyed myself immensely, and the ending is lovely. What a fantastic debut novel, with a great title! For someone who loves both genres, this is a mad dream come true. "Romance novels - they may feature a lot more racing to the airport to declare one’s love than we see in the real world. And their ratio of beds to people is, frankly, suspect. But ultimately, they’re really just about what we’re capable of: things like love, and courage, and hope." 4.5 stars