Love Me Stalk Me by Laura Bishop Review: Spicy, Hilarious, and Just Unhinged Enough

Rating: ★★★★☆

I listened to Love Me Stalk Me on audio while I was at work, and I have no regrets.

Were there multiple moments when I laughed out loud hard enough that customers looked at me like I had finally snapped?

Yes.

Did I explain myself?

Absolutely not.

Because this book was funny. Like, genuinely funny. It was spicy, chaotic, a little creepy in the way dark romance is supposed to be, and it had just enough suspense woven through the story to keep me interested beyond the romance.

Laura Bishop’s Love Me Stalk Me follows Izzy Russo, an overworked department store manager who downloads an AI boyfriend app to fill the emotional gaps left by her very real, very disappointing boyfriend. She thinks she is venting to a harmless chatbot named Caleb. Instead, she is unknowingly confessing her deepest fantasies to Callahan Knight, the tattooed new head of security at her store.

And Cal?

Cal is listening.

Because, naturally, he hacked her phone.

The Premise Is Ridiculous in the Best Way

The whole AI-boyfriend-app setup could have been awkward or gimmicky, but it works surprisingly well here. It gives Izzy a safe place to say the things she has been holding in, while also creating this delightfully messy situation where Cal knows far more about her than he should.

Is hacking someone’s phone wildly inappropriate in real life?

Obviously.

Is it entertaining as hell in a dark rom-com where the man doing it is hot, obsessive, protective, and deeply committed to making sure the heroine knows her worth?

Also obviously.

This is one of those books where you have to understand the assignment going in. This is not a guide to healthy communication. This is a dark romance with a morally questionable man, a woman who deserves so much better than what she has been settling for, and a story that knows how to have fun with its own chaos.

Izzy Was Easy to Root For

I really liked Izzy.

She is overworked, underappreciated, and stuck in a relationship that has clearly been draining her confidence. Watching her begin to recognize that she deserves more than scraps of attention was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book.

She is funny without trying too hard to be funny, relatable in the way she second-guesses herself, and strong even when she does not fully see it yet.

And Cal? He is exactly the kind of dark romance man who is going to either work for you immediately or have you staring at your Kindle like, “Sir. Be serious.”

For me, he worked.

He is obsessive. He is possessive. He is very much a man who has already decided Izzy is his before she has even realized there is a game happening. But underneath all of his questionable choices is this intense need to make Izzy feel wanted, protected, and cherished.

Again, morally gray behavior? Very much so.

But the chemistry? Excellent.

The Humor Was Everything

I went into this expecting spice and stalking. I did not expect to laugh as much as I did.

The banter, Izzy’s reactions, the ridiculousness of the situation, and the way the story leans into the dark-rom-com tone all worked for me. It never took itself too seriously, even when the suspense plot started picking up.

There were scenes I had to mentally replay because they were so funny, and that is always a win for me. Especially in a book with darker elements, humor can either feel out of place or become the perfect balance.

Here, it was the perfect balance.

This story had enough edge to keep the dark romance readers fed, enough spice to keep things interesting, and enough humor to make listening to it at work an objectively risky decision.

Worth it.

The Suspense Kept Things Moving

I also appreciated that there was an actual suspense element happening in the background.

Izzy is dealing with more than just a bad boyfriend and a suspiciously perfect AI chatbot. There is danger brewing, secrets being uncovered, and enough tension to make the story feel bigger than just the romance.

It was not a full-on thriller, but it gave the book an extra layer that I really enjoyed. It kept the pacing moving and made Cal’s protective side feel more grounded within the story.

Plus, I am always here for a dark romance MMC who gets to go a little feral when the woman he cares about is in danger.

The Ending Was My One Real Issue

Here is where I lost that final star.

The ending was a little predictable for me, and compared to how fun, spicy, and entertaining the rest of the book was, it felt a little underwhelming.

It was not bad.

It did not ruin the book.

But I kept waiting for one more twist, one more big emotional punch, or something that would make the final stretch hit harder. Instead, I kind of saw where things were going, and the payoff did not feel quite as exciting as everything that led up to it.

Still, the journey was fun enough that I did not mind too much.

Sometimes a book can have a slightly softer landing and still be wildly entertaining along the way. That was definitely the case here.

Also, I Need More Amanda

Amanda absolutely caught my attention, and now I am curious.

Like, very curious.

I need to know more about her. I need to know what she is hiding, what kind of trouble she gets into next, and whether the mysterious police guy Chad might be involved in whatever happens.

Listen. I am not saying I have already started mentally casting their book.

But I have.

And I would like it immediately.

Final Thoughts

Love Me Stalk Me was a fun, spicy, laugh-out-loud dark rom-com with enough suspense to keep me engaged and enough chaos to make it memorable.

Izzy was easy to root for, Cal was obsessive in all the ways dark romance readers tend to enjoy, and the AI boyfriend app concept made for such a unique setup. I laughed constantly, enjoyed the spice, and had a genuinely good time with the story.

The ending was a little predictable and did not hit quite as hard as I wanted it to, but it did not take away from how entertaining the rest of the book was.

If you enjoy dark romance with humor, possessive morally gray men, stalking-and-hacking nonsense, protective energy, and a heroine learning she deserves more, add this one to your list.

Just maybe do not listen to it at work unless you are comfortable explaining why you are laughing at absolutely nothing.

Four stars from me.