This book interested me as my mother was the victim of a romance scam by non other than "Keanu Reeves". Author Becky Holmes delves into the murky world of romance scams, at times her writing is witty and irreverent and other times she is serious as she tells the heartbreaking stories of women who fall prey to these scammers.

Becky shines a light on an often under-reported subject, she talks to psychologists, law enforcement, victims and even some people behind the scams.

I found the book informative and interesting. I hope that this book helps to raise awareness of scams and the ways to protect yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy.

An interesting and frankly horrifying exploration of the world of romance fraud, but written in such an entertaining way that it is a pleasure to read. The author also shares details of her own life, which add an extra dimension to this engrossing book.

This book is most definitely not for me and I feel the synopsis is misleading. Having the book be described as “hilarious” multiple times led me to believe the book would be, you know, funny. From the description I expected something along the lines of Don’t Even Reply or 27b/6. This is definitely not that - the author does respond to catfishers and scammers or “fraudsters” as she likes to call them with some funny(ish) quips, but the majority of the book focuses on real women’s horrible experiences being taken for a ride on dating apps and Twitter.

If you are a fan of the author’s Twitter account or want to read horror stories of women’s lives being wrecked by crusty internet men, this may be for you.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but very quickly found humour, sadness and a huge insight into a darker side of social media life. This book is so well written and brilliantly researched. If you’ve ever had one of those random DM’s from some random person on social media, then this is for you!

I feel I need to give a huge trigger warning here: If you have been affected by emotional abuse please consider carefully before warning due to survior stories.

I have, amongst many women been a target of them and mostly have deleted them in the past. This kind of crime is on the rise and looks like it will not be going anywhere.

This gives hope like other surviors can give peer support to others but highlights how the people who are suppose to support us are letting us down.

Interesting read.

When I used Twitter I followed Becky and knew she was planning to publish a book. I was delighted to receive a copy, thanks to Unbound Publishers and NetGalley.

The book is much more than just the funny interactions between Becky and the romance scammers, although they do bring some much needed lighthearted moments. Becky has clearly done a lot of research and spoken to many people about romance fraud, something that still has a lot of stigma attached to it. She shares stories from the victims, some absolutely heartbreaking and some unexpected. Who would expect a Detective to be a victim of romance fraud?

I found this book very readable, thought provoking and interesting. Entertaining is probably the wrong word to use but I did laugh at the panic of the fraudster, thinking Becky was en route to meet them.
It also shows the other side of romance fraud that I had never considered, people who have been trafficked and forced into carrying out the scams.

I hope this book raises awareness of romance fraud and I will be more mindful of the language used around it. I will be recommending it and it’s definitely worth a read.

Sensational!
I already love reading Becky's Twitter posts but I wondered how she would make it into a book...
I need not have worried; this was a very entertaining, thought-provoking read - I loved it.

Becky Holmes skillfully delves into the intricate world of scammers, focusing keenly on the insidious realm of romance scams. Through a blend of personal anecdotes and in-depth research, Holmes not only shares her own encounters but also conducts a thorough exploration with those who have fallen victim to these deceitful schemes.

Her writing captivates with its insightful observations, cleverly interwoven with humor, yet firmly showing the harsh realities of deception. Holmes adeptly highlights the vulnerability of individuals who, in moments of loneliness, find solace in the seemingly genuine connections forged online. The toll exacted by these scams extends far beyond financial losses, encompassing the erosion of trust, the squandering of time and the shattering of emotions.

Despite the lighthearted tone reflected in the title, the narratives presented within the pages resonate with profound sadness and poignancy. The juxtaposition of humor and heartbreak serves to underscore the gravity of the situations faced by victims. Yet, amidst the somber tales, Holmes offers a compelling commentary on contemporary culture and the lengths to which individuals are willing to go for financial gain.

This book definitely stands as a testament to Holmes' ability to navigate the complexities of human vulnerability with sensitivity and wit. It serves as a compelling exposé of the modern landscape of deceit, urging readers to confront the harsh realities lurking behind the facade of digital connections.

One of my favorite Reddit's to read is Scammer Payback. This week, there was one person who was being threatened by the "cartel" who was demanding $6000 for an escort that was cancelled.

Becky Holmes has taken the story of scammers and narrowed it down to the worst kind--the romance scam. Keanu Reeves is Not in Love With You is Becky's story of her own experiences with these scammers and did a deep dive with people who have been scammed.

The writing is insightful and injected with humor, but it doesn't stray from the truth. Sometimes people are lonely and that cute military man in their DMs seems real. Money, time and emotions have all been lost.

While the title is hilarious, the seriousness of some of these stories is heartbreaking. Still, this is a fabulous look at modern culture and how far people will go for money.

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

This was such an Insightful, detailed and informative book that had me engrossed from the beginning.

Some of those who had fallen victim to romance scammers bravely shared their stories and while these were incredibly fascinating, they were also very distressing.

It was so emotional to see how so many people were effected by scams and blackmail. Their lives have completely changed because they've used up all their savings, sold homes or taken out loans to help who they thought was their partner. Others are still living in fear that the scammers will come back and blackmail for more money or they will expose photos etc. it's so devastating that these monsters are causing so much stress and destruction to peoples lives and are still able to sleep at night.
It's so easy to blame the victims and say it's their own fault for being so naive but there's a lot of expert knowledge put in the book from many sources which explains how they fall into these traps through things such as manipulation and coercion.

It was nice that the author brought some humour into something so serious, to help provide a little light in-between the serious conversations too.

I also enjoyed reading some of the conversations between herself and scammers online - So funny (albeit, a little weird at times) Some real laugh at loud moments!!

A really interesting book that I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read about a subject that needs so much more awareness! Thank you so much to Netgalley for the gifted copy!

A fascinating dive into the murky world of online romance fraud.

I liked how the author was always sympathetic to the victims. It would be easy to say 'they should've known' but as Holmes shows, many of the victims are at incredibly low points in their lives when the fraud takes hold. By the time there are unignorable red flags, they are defensive, embarrassed, and often have no one else left to talk to.

In the course of the book, the author examines the different types of romance fraud, the profiles the fraudsters adopt, plus their habits/patterns and so on. She weaves in case studies - detailed stories of victims, so that you begin to see just how dangerous romance fraud is. And then you get frustrated at how little is done about it!

Yes, there are pages of copied conversations the author has had with would-be fraudsters over on Twitter, but they are very entertaining. Plus, she has also spoken to a number of experts in the field.

I enjoyed this one - and learned a lot.

What a fascinating book! I had no idea the problem was quite that widespread. Thanks for sharing it. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

This is a nonfiction book about the author who during lockdown signed up to Twitter and found herself receiving direct messages from men trying to lure her into a relationship but she would instead expose the messages on Twitter by posting screenshots of them and people began telling her stories of they had been catfished and scammed out of their money.
This wasn’t a bad read but if anyone had seen Netflix’s Tinder Swindler, you’ll find a lot of the anecdotes and women’s stories quite similar.
I think an issue I had with this book is that the tone was uneven - in the first half we have messages of the author on Twitter and how she would respond to these private messages in a comedic fashion until she was blocked. It just wasn’t funny and I found the author’s narrative voice and comedic asides jarring and felt it undermined the seriousness of the situation and the trauma the women have gone through. I think the fact that the author isn’t a journalist or a researcher comes through. Some of the stories are quite repetitive: vulnerable women going through a difficult period get pursued on social media by attractive men who drip feed them lies about how they’ve been mugged and need money. I found the chapters in the second half more insightful especially about the crime organisation in China and Nigeria, and wished there was more insight behind the people who do such scams. Additionally it would’ve been more interesting to hear men’s stories who also get scammed by criminals pretending to be attractive women.
Bear in mind that a lot of the victims in this book are of a particular demographic - middle-aged, English women usually going through a divorce. I’m sure a lot more people fall target to such scam and again had the research been better, there would’ve been a lot more to learn.

I am a follower of the author on Twitter so was prepared for her unique humour but what I wasn't expecting was the insightful information regarding the depth of romance fraud and the major repercussions that can occur. This was an enjoyable and informative read.

What a fascinating book, shining light on a misunderstood heart break. Romance scams are perceived as partly the victims fault.
Taking an in-depth look at the scams, fraudulent actions and the survivors of their schemes.
A very interesting and intriguing book. It should definitely be higher profile.

As soon as I opened this book and saw the line about thinking about Greg Davies I knew this was the book for me. The amount of research that has gone into this made me more interested in reading it.

During lockdown the author, Becky Holmes joined twitter and at first she advises that she did the block and delete thing when scammers slid into her DM’s. Then she met Raymond who sent her such an eloquent message she was sending messages back and forth. She soon got bored and sent him emojis of fruit and veg 😂 She then decides that she is going to have interactions with said scammers as well as featuring the first-hand accounts of victims,, a look into the psychology of fraud and also examples of scripts used by said fraudsters.

This had me genuinely laughing out loud. The interactions with the scammers were hilarious. I might try the fruit and veg trick myself next time I get asked to be a sugar baby. I mean come on my picture is of my cat Marley. Back to the book, there are some really poignant accounts by victims who have been taken in by the scammers believing their stories and losing thousands of pounds. We have all probably experienced the messages on instagram where the account is saying hello beautiful I’m so and so and I’m a doctor, I’m in the military etc I just block and delete (I’ve watched every episode of catfish) but I can understand that people could be easily be made to believe it’s a real account and genuine. I loved this book and I look forward to seeing further books from Becky.

Keanu Reeves Is Not In Love With You: The Murky World of Online Romance Fraud by Becky Holmes is in turn both hilarious and serious as it covers romance scams online. In this book Holmes focuses on those who target women in the UK. It is highly recommended. This is a great choice, especially for those in the UK, for the humor in the trolling Holmes does to the scammers, the basic information she provides about the fraudsters, and the stories of some of their victims.

Holmes has had fun trolling scammers and the first part of the book highlights some of her encounters and her responses to these men who are trying to lead her into a relationship which will result in them needing money from her/their victim for some reason. She has had an online presence where she shares many of her memorable encounters. Her trolling is irreverent and cheeky as she replies to the imposters with a made-up profile or to those claiming to be a well known figure, like Keanu Reeves or Liam Neeson.

Then she shares some more serious, heartbreaking stories of women who have been scammed and taken for all they have by these con artists. There is a pattern and a scripted approach taken by the scammers, many who are from Nigeria, although Ghana and Malaysia are also strongly represented, and they have been trained in cybercrime and romance fraud to entice victims into trusting them. This is a profitable billion dollar business.

Additionally, Holmes delves into the psychology of fraud and shares information from experts. The final section is how victims can get help and support. Support is available, but real help over fraud is not very forthcoming in the UK. Real help is education, teaching people about a reverse image search and how to spot fake accounts. (The title of the book is based on Keanu Reeves being the most popular celebrity name used by scammers.) Thanks to Unbound for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, X, and Amazon.

Very funny, and often also tragic- I’ve read some of her Twitter content and this is more of the same so if you like that you will appreciate this.

Keanu Reeves is Not in Love with You was heartbreaking, hilarious, and wholly readable. We will be buying for our library.