The Curvy Bookworm

Author: Chrissy Hopewell
Series: A Little Bit Unhinged #1
Genre: Dark romantic comedy
My rating: ★★★★☆
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️☆☆☆

I first came across A Little Bit Obsessed after seeing a quick snippet from one particular scene, where Callie is tied to a chair, tries to run away and promptly forgets that her legs are still tied up.

Obviously, I needed to know what was going on.

This was also one of the first books I’ve read where the male lead is properly described as a golden retriever boyfriend, although admittedly Wes is a slightly more murderous version than the trope usually suggests.

And actually? I really enjoyed him.

What’s the book about?

A Little Bit Obsessed is a dark romantic comedy following Callie and Wes.

Callie is trying to escape both her criminal family and a marriage she no longer wants, but there’s one problem: her husband has disappeared before signing the divorce papers and returning something incredibly important to her.

Enter Wes.

He might be a masked stalker and serial killer, but he’s also ridiculously enthusiastic, incredibly protective and apparently makes an award-winning apple pie.

It’s basically black cat meets golden retriever, if the golden retriever occasionally murders terrible people.

What I loved

One of the biggest surprises for me was just how funny this book was.

There were several moments where I genuinely laughed out loud, and I liked that the book knew exactly what it was. It has plenty of darker romance elements, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Wes was probably the highlight for me.

I haven’t read many golden retriever boyfriend romances, particularly not in dark romance, and I really enjoyed that side of his character. He’s obsessive and protective, but also incredibly sweet with Callie, which makes for a slightly ridiculous combination that somehow works.

I also loved that he enjoys baking.

There is something particularly cute about a masked serial killer who also cares deeply about producing a good pie.

And apparently his apple pie is incredible.

Honestly, Chrissy Hopewell, I need the recipe.

I also thought the sexual tension between Wes and Callie was done really well. Their relationship had time to build rather than everything happening immediately, and that anticipation was probably one of my favourite parts of the romance.

What didn’t quite work for me

Although this is a fairly quick and easy read, there were a few sections where I felt the story dragged a little.

It wasn’t enough to make me lose interest, but there were definitely moments where I wanted things to move along slightly faster.

I was also surprisingly thrown by Meadow and the revelation that she was Callie’s half-sister.

This might genuinely be a case of me not paying enough attention during the first half of the book, because I had one of those moments where I suddenly thought, Wait, was I supposed to already know this?

I found myself trying to remember whether their relationship had been properly explained earlier on or whether I’d skimmed straight past it.

The pie-baking competition also didn’t completely work for me. I liked the idea of Wes baking, and the apple pie became a cute little part of his character, but the actual competition itself didn’t feel entirely believable.

Then again, this is a book about a golden retriever serial killer, so perhaps realism isn’t really the hill I should be choosing to die on.

Is it worth reading?

If you like dark romance but fancy something a little lighter, funnier and more ridiculous, I think A Little Bit Obsessed is definitely worth a read.

It’s dark without feeling relentlessly heavy, the romance is cute, the sexual tension is good and Wes is a very different type of dark romance MMC to a lot of the ones I’ve come across before.

It’s also pretty easy to fly through, despite a few slower sections.

My verdict

A Little Bit Obsessed was a really enjoyable first introduction to Chrissy Hopewell for me.

It’s funny, slightly unhinged, surprisingly cute and features a golden retriever boyfriend who happens to be a masked serial killer and an excellent baker.

What more could you want?

There were a few moments that lost me slightly, particularly around Meadow, and I thought some sections could have been tightened up, but overall I had a lot of fun reading it.

I’d definitely pick up another Chrissy Hopewell book after this.

And, once again, I would like Wes’s apple pie recipe.