Hot Wax by M L Rio (2025): A Review
Author: M L Rio
Publication Year: 2025
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫
Pages: 400
Source: audiobook @storytel.tr
Genre: Historical fiction, thriller, mystery, horror
Hot Wax tells the story of Suzanne, a woman steeped in her father’s legendary, if wildly dysfunctional, music world, once part of it. When word arrives that her father has died, Suzanne ditches everything, including a marriage, and hits the road. Of course, the universe isn’t about to let her escape that easily: past and present have a nasty habit of tailgating, especially if you are destined to repeat the steps of your forefathers, or just literally your own father, despite all the attempts to avoid becoming him.
One thing I genuinely enjoyed was the novel’s multi-focal, multi-timeline structure. At first, it’s a bit of a mental workout (especially in audiobook form), but once you’ve cracked the code of who’s who and when’s when, it’s oddly satisfying. The inventive section titles and the character-hopping timeline kept things fresh, like flipping through a really juicy family photo album—if your family was a little bit unhinged.
Now, let’s talk about the husband. I get that his relentless pursuit of Suzanne was central to the plot, but did he have to be so spectacularly irritating? His dogged, borderline tragic attempts to win her back had me rooting for Suzanne to change her name and move to another continent. That husband single-handedly dragged my rating down to a 3.5.
Full disclosure: I was still basking in the Shakespearean glow of If We Were Villains when I picked up Hot Wax, so maybe my standards were unfairly high. I adore a good literary allusion, and Rio’s previous work had me swooning with every clever reference. Hot Wax didn’t quite scratch that nerdy itch for me, but honestly, it was still a much more enjoyable listen than several overhyped books I’ve slogged through lately. If you’re in the mood for a wild ride (with one deeply annoying husband), this one’s definitely worth a spin.
#bookreview #novelreview #review #hotwax #MLRio
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