By: Cait Marie
Blurb
Welcome to Cape Carnage! Visit Once, Stay Forever.
Cape Carnage is a seaside town of colorful houses, quirky shops, and an unusually high body count. But with tourists comes trouble, and Harper Starling won’t let anyone ruin her picture-perfect home. A skilled gardener with killer instincts, Harper protects her sanctuary at any cost—especially for her aging mentor with a fading memory.
Troublesome tourists don’t check out of Carnage. They compost beneath Harper’s award-winning flowerbeds. But Nolan Rhodes isn’t your average tourist. Devilishly handsome, disarmingly charming, and skilled with a blade, Nolan is relentless in the pursuit of revenge. On every anniversary of the hit-and-run accident that fractured his life, Nolan slays another target. And he’s saved the best for last: the undeniably beautiful Harper Starling.
The problem? Harper isn’t the monster he expected. And she won’t go down without a fight. When an amateur true crime investigator comes to Cape Carnage on the trail of a long-lost serial killer, Harper and Nolan strike an uneasy truce. If Nolan helps Harper protect her town, she’ll keep quiet about his hunting habits . . . for now. But their alliance soon spirals into obsession, one that threatens to shatter every secret in Carnage—including their fragile love.
Tourist Season is a darkly funny, slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance where destruction and desire are balanced on the edge of a blade—and where love is the most dangerous battleground of all.
Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars
Starting the year off strong! This was such a fun read. I don’t read mysteries or thrillers, so this was fairly new for me. I’ve been reading more and more dark romance though, and I’m adoring the blend of darkness and mystery with romcom vibes. I loved it! I’m eager to read the next book when it releases.
Harper and Nolan were great. The chemistry was well done, and I loved the banter. Everyone felt well developed, even the side characters for the most part. I didn’t want the book to be over. I was so invested in all of the things going on. It definitely kept my attention, that’s for sure.
I really liked how the various stories were woven together, showing us bits and pieces of the different characters. It really helped paint a bigger picture. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’m trying to be vague while still expressing how obsessed I am with this book.
I will say that throughout the beginning half or so, I thought the miscommunication trope was going to be strong in this story, which is not my favorite. However, while it’s definitely a theme throughout the book, it felt different than the typical miscommunication that leads to a third-act breakup. There were still times where I wanted to yell at the characters to tell each other certain things, but also, it made sense that those secrets were kept. It just kept me reading and want to see it all come out.
There is a decent amount of explicit content, but the spice is not the main focus of the book. It’s fun and well written. This is a dark romance, so please check the warnings within the book before reading. I’m not a squeamish person, but there were some gory parts that had my eyes widening in shock. Again though, it could be because I don’t usually read books with that element.
Regardless, it was great! I laughed multiple times, and some of the romance parts gave me the fluttering-butterflies-in-my-stomach feeling, both of which are rare occurrences. The plot felt unique and well thought out too. The pacing was good.
I just really enjoyed the book. It’s absolutely a new favorite. It set the bar high for the rest of the year!
Honestly, if the first book I finished this year is my favorite of the whole year… that’s crazy. But it’s possible. We’ll see. I’m now reading Weaver’s other series with Butcher & Blackbird and love it too. Plus, Navessa Allen’s new book releases in a couple months. It’s going to be a good year of dark romance! I’m even releasing a couple of my own. 😉
Functionally Fictional 
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