Hot Wax

ML Rio does rock ‘n roll!

In Hot Wax, her prose is polished and confident, with a dry humor that often landed for me. The dual timelines add some structural interest and allow moments to echo each other in subtle ways. The book is enjoyable when it slows down and leans into observation rather than performance.

That said, I was disappointed I didn’t have more of a connection to the characters, though it’s hard to pinpoint why I didn’t. This could still be great for other readers, but, unfortunately, it’s not a book I’m going to be rushing out to recommend, and I don’t think it’s going to stick in my memory for very long.