I really enjoyed the book, I liked the characters and felt invested in the story.
I had an issue with the ending; there was a very long ‘Scooby Doo’ moment where the whole explanation and timeline was set out, but it had already explained to us what had happened. I took longer to read that than the rest of the book.

Another amazingly written book from Karen Rose! Read in almost two sittings, just couldn’t put it down!

Had to love Georgia and Eloise, the little remarks from each woman had me giggling out load.

Am super excited about Kit and Sam!

Was so glad that Sharon explained everything to Gerald, eventually, I hate when families are estranged due to secrets.

Fantastic work again!!

Oh dear what's happened with Karen Rose?! I'm a HUGE fan and have been right from the start and whilst this wasn't awful, it really wasn't up to her usual par. I'm sorry but what an absolute bore is she making of her main male characters (especially the last two books). Unfortunately, its going to be a begrudging 3 stars from me.

I’ve heard great things about Karen Rose and couldn’t wait to try her books. Unfortunately, I did not pick the right book for me as I couldn’t connect with the characters and I couldn’t get gripped into the story. It was not my cup of tea. I had to dnf the book.

This book made me smile in places, while bringing tears to my eyes in others. I didn't guess all the twists, but I did figure out who one person responsible was, but if I say any more about that I might give it away! It gives enough background that I reckon it can be read as a standalone book. The characters are a mixture, but are portrayed so well they felt like real people. I enjoyed this book and want to read the next.

I adore Kit & Sam, so glad he featured as much in this book as the last. I also wanted to be adopted by Kit's family!
This was a really gripping story line and I loved all the additional beloved characters in Kit's world - she has surrounded herself with the best kind of people! Can't wait for the next installment!

This book should be made into a tv show immediately. From the moment I met Kit on the page, I was hooked! The story is a great thriller (no spoilers here), a death in an old folks home just isn’t what it seems and is a LOT bigger than just one death, soon more follow. The characters grab you from the start and you can visualise and hear them perfectly. There are references to a book before this but it doesn’t make a difference if you haven’t read it (I hadn’t), apart from that you want too asap!
Someone get Karen Rose a tv contract and I hope a third book follows soon.

Karen Rose never goes wrong! Another excellent read with everything you could possibly want. Kit is a great character and this story was very gripping as always.

I am a big fan of Karen Rose as an author and it's rare for me not to give her books 4 or 5 stars. Cheater is a 3 star read for me.

Did I enjoy this read - yes. But at times it felt a little too long and it didn't wow me like some of her previous books have. I really like Kit and her partner Connor, I like their working rapport and growing friendship. Sam, in my opinion, is too nice and too good. I wish there was something I disliked about him but there isn't. As a character the only way I can describe him is 'bland'. I love Kits family and their interactions with each other. I think the story is good and the plot line well thought out and I've always liked the format this authors books follow in that the story is told over a short period of time. I struggled with the plot being centred around an elderly care facility - so for me, the writing lacked the darkness, grittiness and suspense I've come to expect from Karen Rose. I miss having a character that I truly hate with a passion. There are a lot of threads that did hold my interest although this was not the page turning read I hoped for. I normally race through Karen Rose books but not this one. I wouldn't describe this book as a 'romantic suspense' either, the romance element was barely there. Maybe the next book will pick up on that more. In my opinion this is a good, OK read just not one of my best Karen Rose reads - The Edge of Darkness still remains my all time favourite.

Even though Cheater didn't quite hit the mark with me I'd recommend it if you like books with a crime and suspense element and I'll probably want to read the next book to see how Kit's character develops.

Kit McMittrick is one of my favourite characters, flawed, outwardly tough but inwardly wanting to love and be loved. She’s an intense character, ideal for a police detective, and has a dog I’d love to own. I liked the main setting for this book, a retirement centre. People think that because you’re old, you haven’t had a life, how wrong they can be. As always with this author, it was a well written, nicely paced read, with plots twists and turns galore. Just when you thought you’d got a handle on who the murderer was, they became a victim. I was glad that the focus was on the murder investigation rather than a potential romance. A really enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is not one of Karen Roses strongest works. Having read all of her novels I was expecting to lose hours at a time by the plot/characters just trying to find out what was happening. This was not the case. Richard Osman has brought attention to the world of old peoples homes, but through experience with his mother. This nearly feels like it jumping on the bandwagon because we now realise that these homes can be full of life too and therefore full of potential for story lines. Not a bad thing but for me Osman has done it better with more characters who are better rounded.
The will they/won't they of Kit and Sam made a refreshing change, however, from the normal love scenes in Karen's other novels. It is almost expected now that at least one 'love' scene will happen at one time in the novel.
The plot moved along quite nicely if not a bit confusing at times. I did enjoy 'Cheater' but I would recommend starting with another series if this is to be your first read of a Karen Rose novel.
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC>

This was a miss for me.

There was very little romance. Which is fine, but the mystery wasn’t particularly strong on it’s own and this is marketed as more of a romance so that was disappointing. I know I haven’t read the earlier books in this series so perhaps that factors in here, but there was no chemistry here between FMC and the MMC?! I get they’re meant to have past history and so that’s why they’re so awkward but it’s pretty hard to buy into a romance when there’s just nothing going on with them?!

It didn’t sit well with me how our FMC threw around her past trauma whenever it suited her. This really, really bugged me and it happened several times. It felt like whenever she needed to manipulate someone to do what she wanted she would exploit her past trauma and just throw it around as if to say ‘see I understand so now you have to believe me’. From my experience of working with people who have experienced trauma, it’s not something they’re going to start shoving in people’s faced multiple times a day in a professional setting and the author’s decision to allow the FMC to manipulate others and exploit this past experience felt really uncomfortable. I didn’t think our FMC was particularly likeable even before this but after she did this several times I really wasn’t into it.

Again, the constant emphasis that Betsy and Harlan are saints for being foster carers and can work miracles with children and young people in their care did not sit well with me at all. The whole writing around foster care, adoption and everything to do with it did not feel like an accurate portrayal of how any of this works and I found myself rolling my eyes repeatedly here.

The plot was also a bit convoluted so it lost my interest. I don’t mind a complex plot - in fact I love a plot with layers and twists and turns. But the way this one played out there was just no way you could predict the ending so it all felt a bit flat.

Overall it was corny, predictable and a bit boring. Not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC

This was my first read by Karen Rose & it absolutely did not disappoint!
Phenomenal twists & turns and such a lovely ending!
Fantastic!

Been a while since something by Karen Rose had come along and when it did, you realise you had missed her work. Excellent as always, with strong characters and story line. You won’t be disappointed, as if you ever would be with a Karen Rose book.

I've read all of Karen's books, and I have to say this isn't one of her best. The setting was a bit boring (a nursing home) and the plot was over complicated. You definitely won't figure it out before getting to the end, lots of twists and turns which I have to admit do keep you reading.

I do like the main character, Kit McKitterick, and her family. I look forward to reading more stories involving them.

It was an entertaining read but I also recommend reading her back catalogue if you haven't already for even better books.

This was another fabulous book in the Kit McKittrick series, this time situated around an old persons care home where a former homicide officer is found stabbed which is only the start of a tragic chain of events. Told from dual perspectives, that of Kit and also Dr Sam whom Kit has been avoiding for the last six months, but due to Sam’s volunteering at the care home and therefore close relationship with the residents she is forced to work closely alongside him again. This is a well woven and baffling crime, the care home is a fantastic location with some fabulous older residents and intriguing characters amongst the staff. The tension between Kit and Sam is very present but doesn’t detract from the story and it was great to catch up with the McKittricks and their ever expanding family. This was a real page turner with many interesting twists, the perpetrator wasn’t a huge surprise but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment and I look forward to reading the next in the series! 9/10

Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

As a long term Karen Rose fan I always enjoy her books. This a great police procedural book trying to chase down a killer.

I really enjoy the main character Kit in this series. She's a likeable woman with a sad background. I also loved the new characters in this story from Shady Oaks.

There is a little romantic suspense but don't read this for the romance as it's barely there.

I enjoyed it nonetheless and would recommend.

A lot of books usually either have a super good beginning or an amazing end. It's pretty rare for me to find one that has both but this defiantly had such a great beginning and all the way through pace that kept me wanting to keep reading like crazy and it also had an unforgettable ending.

Another in this series featuring Detective Kit McKitterick.. Interesting and engrossing as she strives to solve a murder in a care home. Some great characters old and young.

I had read the first in this series but it could be read as a stand alone although I didn’t enjoy it as much. Bit of a slow pace and I felt the romance aspect was too dragged out. An enjoyable enough read though.