I would like to thank Harlequin UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Sweetpea’ by C J Skuse in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Rhiannon Lewis, the narrator of this novel, lives with her boyfriend Craig and her dog Tink. She has an unfulfilling job as an editorial assistant and a group of friends who spend their evenings together discussing marriage and babies. There’s nothing special about Rhiannon except that she keeps an eight inch chef’s knife in her pocket and likes to kill …
C J Skuse is obviously a talented writer but as a more mature reader I found it difficult to get into the story. I feel it’s more suited to the younger female adult reader who would enjoy it.

Sweetpea had me giggling in parts but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley .

So where to start to explain this book to you, i’m really not sure, its a book that might touch you on a lot of levels, and most definitely not the happy fluffy way.

Rhiannon suffered a head injury and trauma as a young child, now an adult she’s working for the local newspaper. She starts each day with her “murder list” which mostly comprises of people who have ticked her off, insult her, work colleagues and those who have committed sex crimes. She feels totally detached from relationships and people in general, her boyfriend is having an affair with one of her workmates and her life is never content. But as her daily life becomes more frustrating, Rhiannon finds another way to fill her blood lust and needs.

I have to say, i found this book strangely addictive, even though the subject is dark i found myself laughing, I mean really, any of us could be this girl Right? Haven’t we all had sinister thoughts about someone we didn’t like? Haven’t we taken pleasure in our imagination of their lives falling apart around them, hasn’t our own imaginations envisioned those who do us wrong suffering? Maybe there is a little bit of Psycho in us all? BUT this book takes us even further into the realms of that thought. We travel along the path with Rihannon, where she not only thinks of the dreadful deeds, she follows through on them. And carry’s on with daily life with nothing amiss. This author keeps you on the edge of your seat, at times your almost in agreement with Rhiannon’s thought process, and much to your own horror you grow to like this girl !! At other times your smiling and questioning yourself but you really can’t put this book down, you just have to know !!! Surely she will make a mistake, surely she will get caught!! Is anyone in this girls life gonna survive her? Is her past responsible for who and what she is today?? Definitely a book worth picking up! Sometimes its good to read something that’s out of our comfort zone and this book was definitely that for me! Excellent writing !

This is the first time that I have attempted to read a book by this author and it will be the last.

I have no problems with books that include violence - I have read all the Hannibal Lechter books as well as many quite brutal crime novels such as those by Jo Nesbo. These are well written and plotted books with three dimensional characters who are constructed carefully and precisely as the book progresses. The author of this book seemed to think that disgusting and brutal language was a substitute for careful writing and plotting. It isn't.

The main character of this book is Rhiannon, a junior reporter at a local paper. However, there is another internal Rhiannon who writes lists of people that she wants to murder and is happy to have online video sex with strangers. Not a particularly nice person. The book is written from Rhiannon's point of view so we are constantly bombarded with her thoughts in language that would warrant an 18 rating on a film. It isn't just strong swearing but the brutal language with which she describes sex, body parts and so on. The character of Rhiannon is not developed and constructed but rather relies on you getting the idea from her foul language that she isn't very nice.

I hit chapter two and was considering giving up. I don't need to read books with this sort of language which I find offensive. However as I had committed to reviewing the book I pushed on to chapter 6 before I decided I just couldn't stomach any more. Okay swearing is part of everyday life. You hear it around you out and about in society & I do expect to find it in the books I read. I accept that. However, this was a book that deliberately used very foul and offensive language which belonged on a BDSM porn site. Had there been any warning on the advertisement for this book then I would have chosen not to read it. I shall be deliberately avoiding any further books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.

Just horrible. I got 10% of the way in but it was so deeply, troublingly unpleasant that I couldn't go further. Maybe I'm not the audience, though I like a good serial killer as much as the next girl, but this was unrepentantly soulless and silly.

this is entirely good entertainment - you are quickly inveigled by the narrator into being on side with her, even as you realise the life she is leading which is cleverly revealed to us by the skillful author is not what it seems - her past has damaged her, and no one will know it - and we get on it the farther into this engrossing and fast-paced work we go - Rhiannon works as a junior in a newspaper, has friends she does not particularly enjoy and a boyfriend she's not sure she even likes - sharp talking and quick jealousies and irritations escalate until we realise just how she is dealing with it - we are surprised right up until the last pages - i dare not give it away - but you won't out it down - prepare for a late, late night.

OMFG – This book is OUTRAGEOUS – it’s dirty, disgusting, crude, rude, inappropriate, tasteless and I f*cking LOVED IT. The main character Rhiannon has to be the funniest psychopath I’ve ever read about, I was practically salivating from the first page until the last and was shaking my head in disbelief at the things she was saying and thinking. The story is told via diary entries and each day Rhiannon writes her Kill List – OMG – some of her observations are priceless. I do need to point out that this book is without doubt a Marmite book and if you are easily offended then I would avoid this like Genital Herpes. In the meantime I am going to track down and stalk CJ Skuse and make her my new bestfriend because I think I LOVE her and her brutal wit.

I'm afraid I stopped reading this at around the 15% mark.
I was so looking forward to it but the endless lists, writing in diary form and the aimed at the young adult reader (despite the potty mouth) really wasn't for me.
It will probably be enjoyed by some - just not for me, Sorry.

On the whole I enjoyed the book, but I felt there was a lot left unanswered. I also found the ending rather abrupt.
I felt it was rather slow to get started and it seemed that once it picked up the pace it was over all too soon.

Wonderful!!!! Is it weird that I found this book quite humorous at points, even though the subject matter was actually pretty dark? I am used to having inappropriate humor, though. I completely loved the main character....even if I didn't agree with all her actions. The last character I was this obsessed with was Alissa Nutting's bad teacher in "Tampa" named Celeste, which was another highly controversial book. What can I say, I like my main characters to be good at being bad. I can't wait to read more from this author, this was my first book of hers to read and I loved every page.

I was tempted to give up about 20% into this book and give it a poor star rating but I persevered. I am glad I did because it got better as the book progressed. The writing matured and the characters were a little more engaging. I am however overall disappointed because the blurb was so much better than the book. I believe the author usually writes for the YA audience and maybe that's where she's aiming this book, but I think the plot deserved better.

Ok having just finished this one tonight I can tell you its going to divide opinion!

I'm giving it 5* and a big fat YAY because it made me laugh and laugh and then go ewwwww then laugh and laugh some more.

It is brutal when it comes to the violence, it is quite definitely irreverent and it embraces its own heart - the psychopathic serial killing main protagonist will have you falling in love with her even as she does the most horrendous things - but she has enough redeeming features that you feel you can love her anyway. Plus the kill lists are classic - you will find yourself nodding along although for most of us these things form a mild annoyance rather than a distinct and sometimes unstoppable urge to commit murder...

I loved it. And will review it in more depth nearer to its publication date.

I found this book to be a little far fetched to be able to enjoy it fully. Told in the diary format of Rhiannon who has I feel some personal issues. She can't stop thinking about killing people, and somehow through the book we see her commit murder on more than one occasion and always seems to get away with it. The ending wasn't what I expected, however I did struggle with this book.

As a big fan of Hannibal and the dark sociopaths of shows like Fleabag, I was excited to read this - and it definitely paid off! From the first page, the protagonist is shocking and unlikable in the most refreshing way. At times it felt a little unrealistic - surely psychopaths aren't thinking about murder constantly, even when they're in the bath or eating ice cream, right? RIGHT? (What do I know, though) - I think that's the point of books like this. You have to embrace the awfulness. The freedom of a character who kills everyone they want to meet. Sweetpea provides. Oh, boy does it provide.

Warning: Skuse also writes YA, but this is definitely, definitely an adult book. I don't really believe in putting age categories on books, but I would say that don't read this unless you're above 18 - or are fully prepared for the contents. It's not pretty.