Reviewed by Donna
TITLE: Two for Joy
SERIES: Magpie Rhyme #2
AUTHOR: Louise Collins
PUBLISHER: Evernight Publishing
LENGTH: 230 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2020
BLURB:
Locked up in a maximum-security prison, Romeo’s highlight each week is a visit from Chad. Despite his friends, colleagues, and therapist all telling Chad to stop, he can’t, and he becomes the only joy in Romeo’s boring, bleak life.
More than his need to kill, he needs Chad to live, but a Copycat killer has other ideas.
At first flattered, Romeo relishes the new killer’s triumphs, but as he countdown his victims, Romeo realizes the danger Chad’s in, not only from the killer, but from his colleagues, and even more alarmingly, himself.
Romeo must do something drastic to reunite the Monster and the Magpie, but the Copycat is closing in on Chad fast, and he’s intent on doing the one thing Romeo couldn’t, concluding his countdown, and claiming number one…
REVIEW:
This book just rocketed the Magpie Rhyme series into super stardom as far as I’m concerned. Everything I felt was missing from the first book was addressed here. Romeo’s point of view, the romantic connection between the main characters, the happy ending… I got everything my heart desired and more. Just be warned, this review will include spoilers for the first book.
So, we begin this second story with Romeo securely locked away in a maximum-security prison, having been arrested for murdering four people in the first book. Even though Chad fell for the serial killer in One for Sorrow, he couldn’t let Romeo kill another person and, in the end, he did the right thing and summoned the police. But Chad isn’t coping well with his lover being locked up. And Romeo lives in his cell, counting down the days, hours and minutes until he sees Chad for his one visit per week. When a copycat killer starts his own countdown, Chad finds himself an outcast from his detective friends, and targeted by the new killer. The only person who believes in him and stands by him is Romeo, who is inconveniently locked in prison.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of this book what I loved most was the chance to see the story unfold through Romeo’s perspective. I loved the way the author made his mind work, either a lot of thought went into this man or the author is simply naturally skilled at creating her characters. The backstory of Romeo’s childhood was a definite plus, as the reader struggles to understand the relationship he had with his parents. I loved the fact that he was always aware that he didn’t love his parents, but he recognized that their love for each other and for him was a special thing and he didn’t want to ruin that for them. I thought the fact that he waited for both of them to die (of natural causes), before he began killing people was actually really beautiful in such a strange way. I also loved the way the author justified his connection to Chad considering Romeo knows that he’s unable to love.
Overall, I’d say this was a very smartly written book, that I found absolutely absorbing. I truly hope that the author continues this series to cover every line of the Magpie Rhyme from which she draws her book titles.
RATING: 
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