Outrageous, brutal, dark and vicious this was fabulous. I absolutely loved it, it made me gasp and laugh in equal measure.
Written as a diary of Rhiannon's daily life with her hit list of hated people at the start of each day it was gripping in the extreme. I was held captive from the first chapter and loved every minute. I have recommended this highly to friends.

This book will appeal to that little bit of psychopath lurking inside us all. Who hasn’t had a day where we would have made a list of the people we could kill if we could get away with it? Or gone through the day pretending to be nice when really you just want to say ‘get lost’ to the world and everyone in it? If that is just me, then perhaps I have a lot more in common with Rhinannon, the main protagonist in this book than I realised. But I am pretty sure you will have been nodding along with me on this!

This book is at its most basic, a book about a serial killer. But it is really so very much more than that. It is about a person trying to fit in every day and be ‘normal’. A person who has dark thoughts and impulses, but unfortunately acts on them at times. A person who as dark and broken as she is, you find yourself connecting with her more and more as the book progresses, and her story unfolds. Her seemingly normal and boring life unravels before you, and you laugh, cry, stress out and scheme along with her at every moment of the journey. It is a dark journey and one so skillfully written that you can't help but empathise with Rhinannon.

It is a dark, dark comedy, gruesome, violent and full of coarse language. It is a dark, twisted humour book, that delivers from the start, and keeps up the pace the entire way through. It is definitely not a book for everyone, but if you like it you will love it. I certainly loved it, I found it an explosion of energy and uniqueness that I have not read in a long while with a book. Thank you C.J. Skuse - and what happens next??

Really enjoyable and entertaining book,that had me hooked from the start

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Sue1958's review Jan 25, 2017 · edit
liked it
bookshelves: net-galley, 2017-ng-readers-challenge-group, bit-gorey, psychological-thrillers

I've heard good things, bad things about this book. So I went into it with a Marmite peep!

The story itself builds up really well. Most of it is in the form of a diary. It did make for fascinating reading as well as having the "shock factor"

If you don't like too much bad language.
It's not for you.

If you don't like explicit scenes.
It's not for you.

The woman in this is a butch, but boy, I had times when I laughed out loud with her thoughts. Warped, out of this world and totally alien to me.

Its a thriller, but, it has elements of other genres mixed in which make it palatable for some and I think (like me) certain parts not.

My thanks to Harlequin UK and Net Galley for my copy

Really don't know where to start with this book. It is so hilariously funny but in such a dark and twisted way. I actually felt guilty for laughing, it's so wrong on or many levels! I really don't think such subject matter is a laughing matter, but this story is written so well that I could not stop the sniggering. A really original concept with some seriously shocking incidents. I will take great pleasure in introducing this book to the book club. Smashing read.

Much as I really loved 'Fleabag', the television series with its witty, irreverent, hilarious, life-enhancing view of the world, I found this book rather a disappointment. Having said that, I suspect I am not the intended audience for the novel because I am (and now feel like) almost a generation on from the central character. I found the relentless, slight stream of consciousness grating and did not really engage in her view of life. However I'm sure it would be much better received by its intended audience, and I hope I am helping the writer's sales with my aged (but sadly not shocked or appalled) disapproval. Who wants their parents to love or appreciate their favourite contemporary music after all?

This was just a humdinger of a book. Abso!utely gripping from start to finish.

I would not like to meet Rhiannon on a dark or even light evening.

A fantastic book.

This is probably going to be a love it or hate it book, but I for one absolutely loved it! It certainly isn't one for the faint hearted lets put it that way.

Rhiannon is just the most fabulous character. Each chapter starts off with a list of people and things she hates. It's like watching an episode of Grumpy Old Men, apart from it's a young female serial killer. Not sure I should be worried as there were so many things that I agreed with on her daily lists.

To be honest it's not shocking that Rhiannon is slightly damaged. She has been through quite a lot in her life. If anything it has left her quite un attached from things and people. There's only really Tink her dog that she seems to have any affection for. She's someone you certainly wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of that's for sure!

Sweetpea is without a doubt a deliciously dark and twisted read that had me well and truly gripped. Everything is very much a matter of fact in Rhiannon's world. People who do wrong to her or to others in society deserve to die, simple as that. Whilst it may be a dark read it is actually a very humorous one also. Without a doubt Sweetpea is going to be THE much talked about book in 2017. Brilliant just brilliant!

Wow! Bridget Jones meets Dexter! Brilliant, original and unputdownable! This book is certainly not for everyone but everyone will be talking about it. I loved the witty writing style and sharp accurate observations. All the characters were very well drawn out and realistic, dialogue amusing and believable. This is a book like no other and one that I will remember for a long time.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This book was described as Bridget Jones meets Dexter, and man that is so true! This book is in diary form, and is laugh out loud funny from the first page. It's a modern classic in the making. Rhiannon is a character that got into my head right from the get go. This book is amazing, it combines the funny with the dark - just up my street. Could not put it down. CJ Skuse is now my spirit animal. Genius.

I wouldn't say that I enjoyed this book but it was a good read. Rhiannon is a 20 something in the style of Bridget Jones who spends her life with her adorable dog Tink, her cheating boyfriend and her intense desire to kill everyone she's ever met.
Each diary entry starts with people on her "To kill " list for the day, such as the man that cut her up at the lights to a local pedophile, and then continues on to chronicle her day and her attempts to blend into normal life.
She reminded me quite a bit of a more foul-mouthed version of Dexter Morgan in her "Act" to be normal and play along with everyone while taking her issues out on the local thuglife.
The characters were very flawed and a little over the top, almost cliched at times and few had any redeeming characteristics. Even Rhiannon herself came across as completely unlikable so I never became invested in her story.
Think Bridget Jones meets American Psycho and you're almost there.

Brilliant book. Excellent main characters and plot. I would recommend this book.

Well what a crazy book, darkly funny (you know you shouldn't laugh but you do). What was more disturbing was that I could actually associate with her haha. The violence and gore was quite heavy in parts but I didn't mind, I loved all the scenarios she came across and how she "dealt" with them. It's a bit of a you'll either love or hate it kinda book and I loved it.

The book is written as a series of diary entries and tbh I thought this worked quite well, and gave a good insight into how Rhiannon's mind worked (darkly!). At some points I could easily see why she would react the way she did lol especially the part where she comes across a guy after a drink and he well basically tries to rape her!

As I've said if your easily offended by violence and language stay clear of this book, me however I just wanted more from the little psychopath.

Loved it all the ending worked well and Rhiannon was a great character unlike any I've eve come across before.

Wow I really enjoyed this book. Be warned it is a bit gross and not for the faint hearted. It made me laugh out loud and was a great read. It is a really unique book. Would highly recommend

I'm no prude but I was surprised from the very beginning of this book. Do not read if you find cursing and swearing offensive! Same applies to sexually explicit descriptions and graphic details of dismembering and killing. That aside, the book did make me question the reasons the main character is a physcopathic serial killer. Was it purely because of the traumatic tragedy she suffered, but survived, as a child or is it purely because she has an extremely large chip on her shoulder about .. well, everything and everyone. She's obviously not all content with her lot. She is looked down upon at work, has no friends, has to put on an "act" simply to appear to fit in to normal society. Her boyfriend is having an affair with one of her office colleagues, she finds out she's not getting the promotion or opportunities as work she thinks she deserves because there is no money left in pot, yet the office are able to recruit a new staff member into the position the main character thought she deservers. Whilst I didn't find the character particularly likeable, I found myself making excuses for her for some things. Not others though. Mostly her kills are sexual predators, paedophiles or anyone who slighted her in her past but there is one impetuous kill outside of this scope - a purely impulsive one against a taxi driver, knowing he was married with kids. But her need to kill overcame her restraint. Also, she kept one of her female victims alive purely for the joy of torturing her both physically and mentally. The biggest appeal for me was the humour. Her "kill lists" were very relateable. Who hasn't imagined the driver who cut you up or the shop assistants ignoring you at the till whilst they have a chat about what happened on Big Brother, get their comeuppance? We all make mental lists like this, don't we? I know I do! This main character creates a new and pretty long list of "offenders" every day. She doesn't act on the usual ones, but the boyfriend, the "other woman" and some others, she definitely has long term plans for and is progressing them. I didn't like most of the crude language but again, I've taken this to be part of the character and how she is totally devoid of empathy and simply cannot relate to anyone. Even Dexter has a likeable, softer side. She does surprise herself and readers by becoming the teensiest bit softer towards the end of the book regarding one singular situation she finds herself in but, on the whole and to her advantage, she is totally mousey, quiet, boring, overlooked ... exactly the last person you would suspect of being a serial killer. Finally, I found the end pretty abrupt and unsatisfactory but I wasn't sure that I cared! Thanks for the advance copy. Although not entirely my cup of tea, I'm glad I read it because it certainly will get readers talking and debating. And there are certain friends and acquaintances who I know will love so I will recommend it but will be choosy as to whom.

As per your email, I will add the appropriate links to my Goodreads/Amazon reviews below and email to the named person in that email, on the book's release date.

Well, that was a ride! When it comes to this book you might love it, you might hate it, but you will certainly have an opinion on it... I don't think I've ever read anything quite like 'Sweetpea' before.

Ever wanted to be inside the mind of a psychopath? No? Well maybe if you're of a sensitive nature, or easily offended, this book won't be for you - but if you are a fan of dark comedy drama such as Dexter, and you like your protagonists with a dark side (ok, she's pretty much all dark in this case), but laugh out loud funny, then this book will likely hit your sweet spot.

An unique combination of inappropriate behaviour, downright psychopathic behaviour and some really unsettling mental and physical thrills, Sweetpea is a confusing read - based around Rhiannon, the sole survivor of a nursery killing who outwardly appears to be fine - she has a (cheating) fiance, a little dog that she worships & she collects Sylvanian Families...but she's completely undone inside her head. She's so normal, she could be anyone. The girl you sit next to in work, one of your group of ex high-school friends, your babysitter - you get the picture.

This book confused me because I really didn't want to like her but I did, because she's funny and she also has a 'kill list' (c'mon, we've all done it, no? No? Just me then...), which consists of people who wind her up in the queue at Lidl, to paedophiles. Yep, they're on the same list and if Rhee gets her way, then they're all going to hell in a handcart.

When it comes to what Rhiannon gets up to, there is an element of the unreal about it - I mean, without giving too much away, it's unlikely she'd not get caught, but then we do sometimes wonder how people got away with murder after the event, don't we? I was kind of rooting for her, despite thinking 'Oh no, what's she up to now..."

Right up until the last part of the book, (the Beyonce concert), I was with her, I felt like her actions were at least in some way reasoned, if not justified...then she did something that actually made me gasp out loud (seriously, I'm not kidding) and that was it, we were done, I couldn't be her facilitator any more.

In summary, Sweetpea is crude, crazy, funny, utterly abhorrent, awful, and most importantly, an absolute joy to read. I miss Rhiannon now I've finished the book. CJ Skuse has made the jump from fantastic YA to a really adult themed book - and I cannot WAIT to see how opinions are divided when this hits the shelves. All the way through I was thinking what an amazing series/film this would make...

The story of Rhiannana is one that is Funny, inappropriate, tasteless, Crude and bloody fantastic. She is a Woman who loves her dog, her Sylvanian Families and dislikes her job, friends and pretty much everything else. Oh and shes a serial Killer.

The book is written in a diary format with Kill lists at the start of each day, think Bridget Jones but really really angry, readable and deeply dark and funny.

I did start to worry about my sanity when I agreed with every single one of kill lists. Your not going to like it if your tolerance for violence and bad language peaks with midsommer murders but I loved Rhiannana she was as mad as a box of frogs with a body count but we all make mistakes sometimes. Its a genuine can´t put down book and I was sad to have reached the last page.The ending for me was sad, and without ruining it for anyone I hope Rhiannana gets the future I want for her rather than the one she deserves.

I have read some fantastic books during the last year or so doing this Blog but this one is by far the best book I have ever read. May as well give it my book of the Year already. Although I was given the chance to read this for a honest review, When it is published I shall be buying a copy that will sit on my shelf with pride.

A massive 5 stars and highly recommended.

It's marmite!! You are going to love it or hate it. I loved it !!! Female psychopath /serial killer who you can't help fall in love with . Told in dairy form wth her kill list on every entry.. these list made me laugh so much . Reminded me of a female dexter !! Definately Not for the faint hearted ! Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for my arc copy which I have chosen to review. Simple genius writing !!

Wow, mind blown! 'Sweetpea' is a series of diary entries made by serial killer 'Rhiannon'. The writing is fast paced and extremely witty. I was not expecting to sympathise, laugh out loud and even relate to her at times! But there is definitely something about her that is just so likeable!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you are not easily offended, don't mind gory scenes and don't mind a lot of swearing!

I do think that this this will be a 'love it or hate it' book for most!

Certainly not for the faint hearted or easily offended this book is full to the brim with foul, graphic language and detailed descriptions of gruesome murders.
Having said that, my book of the year so far! Brilliantly written with a very different take on a serial killer novel. Packed with hilariously dark humour. Definitely a new author to watch out for in future, well done!