Full Review: https://readingbeyondthebookcover.com/book-review-reaction-the-foreign-exchange-...

Many thanks to 47North, Veronica G. Henry, and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review. My review/reaction is voluntary, all thoughts are mine and unbiased, and receiving the Advanced Review Copy does not influence my rating and/or recommendation.

What Worked for Me - Found Family

I enjoyed the small moments we got with Darryl and Tyka, and wish we had more. I’m a sucker for friendships where friends make time for each other. The last time they were together was memorable and important to me as a reader because we got to see how people show up for Reina outside of the sleuthing.
I highlight this because most of the book creates a visual of Reina being a character that is lonely and surrounded by people. Many of her relationships are heavily transactional. It was good to see that that isn't always so.

I hope there's more of this trio in the next book and I'm equally curious as to whether they did more together in the first one.

What Did Not Work for Me - Pacing

The book is under 300 pages and seemed stilted for most of my reading experience. I think the location descriptions and character movement negatively impacted the pacing. It felt similar to listening to someone speak and not saying much, resulting in an interaction that feels longer than it really is.
When going into this book, to get past the pacing issue, remember that there is a mystery central to the story, and the most important thing is to consume the meat and leave the bones.

Final Verdict

3.5/5 stars, I recommend this book. The Foreign Exchange was reminiscent of a cozy mystery with Haitian voodoo elements. I must share that I did not know that this book was part of a series, and I'm sure my rating would vary if I did. In addition, the pacing of the book was slow and felt oddly chaotic.
One redeeming quality of the book was the reveals between the 65% and 93% marks. Somewhere around there, there was a shift in my perspective and attention to the storyline. It also helps that, although how the story ended was not my favorite, the cliffhanger got me curious.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style and am looking forward to other books by her. I’m excited to experience whatever storyline she develops for the next book in this series. ( )