I enjoyed the first half of this book. The writing was silly and fun, I enjoyed the snippets of text interactions. However in the second half, the book took a turn to be a little more serious but kept the jovial and jokey narrative
I kind of wanted to know a bit more about what led people to fall victim to these scams (even though the author says not to say that someone 'fell' for a scam). A lot of blame was given to everyone but the person who actually transferred the money. Obviously they were tricked and this doesn't make them bad people but it feels like all the blame was being assigned elsewhere. One woman actually travelled abroad with a stack of cash and got in a car with two strange men, borrowed money from friends yet seemed annoyed that she lost friends because she lied to them. I just would have liked to know what made someone not question things

If you don’t know who Becky is then make sure you check her Twitter page out as she shares her hilarious exchanges with those “scammers” who slide into her DMs to commit romance fraud.

The book details some of these exchanges which are just pure gold but whilst it is comedic she also discusses in depth the online murky world of romance fraud and those who have fallen victim to them.

There was so much I didn’t know which I found not only fascinating but hugely educational too.

Becky manages to balance perfectly the humour she brings to each page and also the severity of these crimes and how we all need to be more aware.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this or not but it was a really good read.
Really funny and interesting
I don’t really listen to stuff about scams etc so it was enlightening also
A good read

This book was pretty interesting, with just the right dose of humour for me: with a dash of fun, but without detracting from the topic itself which, all in all, is quite serious. It's nothing academic, stemming instead from the author's personal dabbling with Twitter and other online endeavours, and deciding at some point to make fun of the scammers (why not get a laugh out of them, after all) and, from there, to see if she could engage some of them into revealing more about their motives and their methods.

In a way, it was nothing really new to me (I've been a follower for years of several YouTube channels, including Sandoz, about various online scams, so most romance-based types of fraud is something I understand well enough now). Still, it provided an entertaining read, and, more important, it could be of real value to someone who has just started to get interested in this, and needs to learn the "basics", so to speak.

The book also emphasises how it's not about being "too naive" or "too stupid" (you know, the typical victim blaming our societies like to indulge in--I wonder if the same people who say that would also call themselves stupid for allowing themselves to be mugged in the street). You can be a police officer or with a whole life of romantic relationships and experience behind you, and still have a blind spot. Indeed, it is very easy to think that from our little corner of safety, when we're not confronted to it ourselves, sure... but no one is ever completely immune to having a bad spell, a tense period in their life when they could do with a friendly and/or romantic shoulder... and scammers of all kinds are very, very talented when it comes to smelling a prey and pounce on it, insinuating themselves into the chinks in the armor. (People saying "this will never happen to ME because I'm too smart": good for them if their lives are so perfect that they never find themselves in a spot where they could become vulnerable... but, nope, it's still not about being smart. Also, let's not become complacent, that's how we also become easier to manipulate.)

I would've liked the book to devote a little more room to scammers' circumstances as well, though, especially when it comes to South Asia: there is a real dimension of human trafficking going on as well (people getting lured into "scammers' compounds" on the false pretense of a genuine job, and finding themselves held there against their will, literally enslaved and forced to scam others online for fear of being beaten, or worse). It's not all black or all white here. But I guess this is a good topic for another book, after all.

I enjoyed this book and it made me laugh. As a regular listener to Radio 4, in particular the programme You and Yours which covers all sorts of scams including dating ones, I was familiar with many of the things in this book, but I still enjoyed it.

Brilliantly written and laugh-out-loud funny, I was not disappointed, Such a good read. 5 stars from me.

A silly tongue in cheek exploration of internet romance fraud, equally as funny as it is educational! Full of humorous texts, unique stories, and interesting anecdotes concerning romance fraud and it’s pernicious role in society today.

Man...I did not like this at all, and I think it stems to the writing style. To sarcastic and self-aware, which took away somewhat from the serious subject matter. Could have been really good. I think people will be suckered in by the title too.

A funny book that made me proper lol in places whilst dealing with the serious issue of romance scammers.

This was funny and ell put together. I don’t usually read books like this but it was a nice pallet cleanser for me. Definitley some LOL moments, but also eye opening!

Keanu Reeves is Not in Love With You is a clever and funny book about the growing phenomenon of romance scammers on social media platforms.

Becky Holmes dives into the world of fraud and fakesters when it comes to online dating, how susceptible we are to the dangers of it and how little action is taken against it, both proactively and retroactively. We get to meet victims, investigators as well as scammers themselves as Holmes shares candid, comical, tragic, and often enraging true stories of these cons.

The book had me laughing out loud, swearing at the swindlers, and wondering if my best mate's next date really is with James from Sheffield. An easy read with important information that makes you think about how we interact on the internet, how big our individual digital footprints are, and how devastating the consequences can be.

Thank you NetGalley for sharing this book's ARC with me.

A fascinating insight into the world of romance scams, including the women who have been caught up in the scams and their friends and family (Becky Holmes says that she chose not to cover male victim romance scams this time but may do in the future)- the charities and police teams trying to intervene, and even some of the scammers themselves.
Its so interesting , I had no idea how high the cases of fraud were in the UK and how little action there is taken against it; and all the time women who are caught up in it are left feeling stupid and embarrassed for falling for lies and flattery.
Becky Holmes' writing style is so easy to read, and the chapters are interspersed with some of her own interactions with scammers - they are a hilarious and welcome break from the sadness that comes through in the other sections.

Although the premise for this book was incredible, the final product didn't end up meeting it's potential. When this book worked best was her discussions with victims of the romance cons, but that aspect was overwhelmed by rather self-indulgent screen grabs of her 'hilarious' social media exchanges with unwitting con artists. Definitely a victim of my own incorrect expectations, I was just a bit disappointed to be honest.

This book is HILARIOUS! It's a candid and funny look into online love scammers. The name alone had me wanting to read this. Becky is a riot. She is a true comedienne and I hope to see much more from her. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Keanu Reeves Is Not In Love With You

Firstly what a great title!

Secondly, I know romance is dead but it turns out it's because you've been looking in the wrong places! It's right there in your Instagram DMs...

Except they are fake.

'Keanu Reeves Is Not In Love With You' is an engaging, witty and also enraging look at romance scams - how people are manipulated, the techniques used, the people behind the fake profiles and also how victims and their lives unravel.

Not only does Becky Holmes speak to the victims of online scammers but she talks to the scammers themselves and the gangs behind themselves schemes. There are no consequences for the scammers themselves, and it's turning into big business. It's really shocking the scale of these types of operations.

The devastating consequences for the victims is jaw dropping and I really felt for the victims as there is no where to turn for help. This book really makes you think about the way you interact with the internet.

But there are also funny sections. Cut between the investigation and interviews, are her hilarious responses to scammers.

This is a great book about online romance scams. This is a must read!

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-book version of this book!

#keanureevesisnotinlovewithyou #netgalley

This was a great read and is a must read for everyone. It is brilliantly written, with the author sharing her laugh out loud responses to these scammers, combined with the heart wrenching real life stories of the victims of these romance scams.
Unfortunately, as this is the direction the world is turning to, with more of our lives being lived online, it can make us all sceptical of potential romances, but it rightfully makes us to be cautious.

3.5! I'm familiar with catfishing, online romance fraud, and even the sakawa boys, so much of this was already known to me. I did laugh out loud at some of the conversations Holmes had, and I appreciated the tips at the end (even though most of them were UK based).

While working at a library I regularly encounter patrons who have fallen for scams of various types, yet trying to explain that the person on Skype who asked for $200 was not *actually* Elon Musk, doesn't tend to go over very well. KEANU REEVES IS NOT IN LOVE WITH YOU offers an engaging look into world of online romance scams, easily blending education and humor. Holmes' witty storytelling keeps readers hooked, especially with the example scripts. This book is both delightful and enlightening.

Thank you to Unbound and Netgalley for providing a review copy.

A humorous insight into a serious subject, Becky Holmes delves into what really goes on with romance fraud.

Readers can understand just how easy it is to be scammed, it can happen to anyone, as we learn from some of the real life cases in the book.

I laughed when Becky regaled us with her antics and would recommend this book for say a holiday read.

This is a very funny and informative read on social media romance scams and how to deal with them and avoid them. It includes real stories form people who have been scammed. Really useful on what to watch out for if you're active on social media.