Pocketful of Blame – Chloe Walsh

Genre: Romance, Mystery
Pages: 174
Release Date: April 11, 2019

The Capaldi twins.
Chris and Sketch.
As different as night and day.
One my best friend.
One my lover.

Inseparable since childhood, I always assumed that we would grow up, escape our sleepy hometown of Pocketful, and live out a life of adventure together, away from our powerful fathers and the lure of money.

But life as I knew it changed two years ago when reckless Sketch broke my heart and dependable Chris picked up the pieces.

Except now Chris is dead, and I’m the only one with the answers to what happened that night. I’m the only living witness.

My connection with Sketch has been severed. He thinks I killed his brother and I’m determined to let him believe it. Because the truth could put us both in the grave.

Pocketful of Blame is the first in a four-book bully romance series and contains a cliffhanger ending.
Because of its explicit sexual content, mature themes, bully themes, potential triggers, and bad language, it is suitable for mature readers.

Pocketful of Blame is a quick read that sets up an intense romance housed in a dark mystery. I picked up Pocketful of Blame because Siobhan Davis recommended it. I read the synopsis and picked it up almost immediately. For the most part, I enjoyed the story, but had I few issues.

Pocketful of Blame reminds me so much of The Royals by Erin Watt, but more adult and less high school version despite both featuring high school students. What I ended up disliking the most about The Royals was how juvenile it read. Pocketful of Blame however is very adult in its sexual content, themes, and triggers.

The reason I rated the novel three and half stars instead of four is because the author does a lot of telling rather than showing and the book is almost entirely set up for the next three novels.

There are long stretches of Pocketful of Blame that the author is telling the reader directly what the characters are feeling and where their headspace is at in regards to their feelings for one another and the situation they find themselves in.

Pocketful of Blame also serves as a stepping stone for the next three novels in the series. Readers begin to finally get acquainted with the characters and have a slight grasp on the story when it comes to an almost abrupt end. I’ll definitely be reading the sequel and deciding from there whether or not to continue.

Also, Sketch, the love interest, is an idiot. I’m excited to see how he progress in the next book.

Pocketful of Blame features a lot of flashbacks. I am a huge supporter of flashbacks, especially when the story features the friends to lovers trope. All their history and backstory are important to help establish their chemistry and connection because without it the relationship usually falls flat. Walsh includes multiple flashbacks that are relevant and sexy.

Overall, Pocketful of Blame is the perfect read for those looking for an edgier and sexier version of The Royals by Erin Watt.

Have you read Pocketful of Blame? What did you think?