I am happy this book came back. Really, it was ridiculous that it was cut after only five chapters and, although I do wish it got the full 16 it was initially intended for, it still is a lot more than the usual 8 these days. I will take what I can get. Also, for the sake of transparency, i bought very few diamond scenes and no sex scenes.
Now, let's talk about what I like. I do like Danny actually. As you play through the book, you can see why he would fall for a serial killer. Why, even though he knows it's wrong, he goes along with it and ultimately accepts it. He has had a miserable life. Dead mom, sick father, dead end job. Only one friend. And Fox Face can at least make some of his problems just go away. Ok look, suspension of disbelief is still a thing and I can accept that this character would fall for a serial killer.
As for Justice, they're a good LI in my opinion. I admit that I do prefer them a bit as Fox Face, but I do like the mystery. Although this does become kind of a bodyguard romance instead of a serial killer romance since her victims involve you. It feels a bit yandere like, which is part of the intention.
I also do like the vibes of the story. Vibes are important and you do feel in what I think is the intended way around the story. And I won't lie, I do like the mystery around Fox Face. I guessed that it was Justice because, it was either her or Jackie unless they went with the "random minor character" culprit (which they ultimately did) and I do think it was a good idea to get to know both Fox Face in and out of mask.
The two main (and interconnected) issues the book has are that the book doesn't seem to want to commit to exploring what a serial killer romance would be and that the morality meter is wasted. Let's start with the former.
Fox Face is not a good person. There is no debate around that. However, PB seemed unable to really commit to that. They deliberately show her killing an evil doctor to get sympathy from the reader. That is why there's a random evil doctor plot in the middle of the story, to make the reader be more okay with Fox Face because healthcare is a hot button issue right now. But, you can potentially have Justice kill an innocent person whose only crime is being a witness. And the book doesn't want to handle that. It doesn't want to flat out say, "you are dating a horrible person," but rather "you are dating a person who does some bad things to bad people."
Look, as for my preference? I want to date the monster. If i am going to date this horrible person, than embrace it. I admit I liked Poppy as a pseudo LI because she is horrible. I really wish PB didn't dance around it.
As for the morality meter, it is a good idea, but it just needed more. I like how other people will treat you differently depending on your morality. But the problem is that having a high morality meter should make you incompatible, or at least, much more resistant to being with, with Fox Face. I thought this was leading to two endings, where a high morality Danny would have turned Justice in to a police, but a low morality Danny would have embraced the murders. But it went nowhere unfortunately
There is more I could say (such as Jackie being sidelined), but anything else would be focusing on relatively minor issues (or universal ones like AI art). At the end of the day, this book is, let's say, above average. 6/10ish. Not bad at all and I certainly don't regret it. This book IS better than a diamond mine. But it is Choices's worst horror book thus far. I mean, if I want to play a horror book, I would play either It Lives, Wake the Dead, Terrorfest, or the Haunting of Braidwood Manor before I read Scream for Me again.
