Book Review: Kingdom of Devils by Katherine Grandjean
🐾🐾🐾🐾 — A chilling, atmospheric true crime history of America’s earliest serial killers.
Review Date: June 7, 2026 | Release Date: June 9, 2026
Some true crime books focus solely on the horror. Others dig into psychology or courtroom drama. Kingdom of Devils does something far more unsettling—it asks what kind of country creates monsters in the first place.
Katherine Grandjean takes the terrifying legend of the Harpe brothers—often considered America’s first serial killers—and transforms it into something bigger than a historical recounting of violence. Set against the chaos of post-Revolutionary America, this book is as much about a fractured nation as it is about murder. And honestly? That’s what makes it linger.
The story begins with a chilling string of deaths scattered across Kentucky and Tennessee in 1798. Bodies abandoned in ravines, children murdered without mercy, travelers disappearing into wilderness roads—it reads with the tension of a thriller while never losing sight of the historical reality beneath the horror. Grandjean’s research is meticulous, but she never allows the narrative to feel academic or distant. Instead, she builds atmosphere with sharp detail and haunting storytelling that makes the frontier feel wild, lawless, and deeply vulnerable.
What stood out most to me was the way Grandjean pushes beyond the familiar folklore surrounding Wiley and Micajah Harpe. Rather than reducing them to mythical villains driven purely by evil, she examines the instability of the era: war trauma, social collapse, economic uncertainty, and the violent aftershocks of revolution. It adds layers to a story that could have easily become sensationalized.
That said, this isn’t a fast-paced, traditional true crime read. Readers looking for nonstop action or forensic-style investigation may find the historical context heavy at times. But for those who love narrative nonfiction that blends history, psychology, and crime, this is incredibly compelling.
Dark, atmospheric, and deeply researched, Kingdom of Devils feels like true crime wrapped in early American gothic. It’s disturbing not only because of what happened—but because of what it reveals about the foundations of the country itself.
I had the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication, and these are my honest thoughts.
Book Review: Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh
🐾🐾🐾🐾 — A heartwarming reminder that sometimes starting over leads exactly where you’re meant to be.
Review Date: June 5, 2026 | Release Date: June 9, 2026
Brighter than Before by Courtney Walsh is the kind of story that feels like a warm hug paired with a gentle push toward reinvention. Heartfelt, hopeful, and quietly empowering, this novel beautifully captures what it means to rebuild yourself after life falls apart in ways you never expected.
Claire Karadec’s world implodes after the painful unraveling of her marriage, leaving her standing in the wreckage of a life that once looked perfect from the outside. What follows is not just a fresh start—it’s a rediscovery. Armed with a handwritten list of dreams and dares, Claire moves to Chicago determined to finally ask herself an important question: What kind of life do I actually want?
What makes this story shine is how relatable Claire feels. She’s in her forties, uncertain, vulnerable, and learning to trust herself again after years of playing a role she thought she was supposed to fill. Watching her stumble through awkward first dates, rediscover her passion for baking, and slowly build genuine friendships made her growth feel authentic and deeply rewarding.
The found family aspect of this book absolutely stole my heart. Claire’s new relationships are full of warmth, humor, and the kind of support that reminds you healing rarely happens alone. And while there’s romance woven throughout, it never overshadows Claire’s personal journey. Miles—the charming but complicated neighbor—brings sweetness and chemistry to the story, but this book ultimately belongs to Claire and the life she’s brave enough to build for herself.
Courtney Walsh balances humor and heart exceptionally well. There are laugh-out-loud moments mixed with emotional reflections that hit surprisingly deep, especially around identity, self-worth, and learning to silence the voice that says you’re not enough. The pacing is gentle and comforting, making this feel like the literary equivalent of coffee with a good friend who reminds you it’s never too late to start over.
If you love stories about second chances, self-discovery, found family, and women reclaiming joy after heartbreak—with a touch of sweet romance—Brighter than Before is a deeply comforting read that reminds us sometimes life gets brighter only after everything changes.
I had the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication, and these are my honest thoughts.
Book Review: Beach Thriller by Jamie Day
🐾🐾🐾🐾 — A moody seaside thriller where the waves aren’t the only thing hiding danger.
Review Date: June 5, 2026 | Release Date: June 9, 2026
Beach Thriller by Jamie Day is the kind of suspense novel that sneaks up on you like an incoming tide—quiet at first, deceptively calm, and then suddenly impossible to outrun. Blending family secrets, buried trauma, small-town whispers, and a growing sense of dread, this story delivers an atmospheric mystery that feels tailor-made for readers who love their beach reads with sharp edges.
Holly Sinclair is a compelling heroine because she feels genuinely messy and real. She’s broke, burned out, and trying desperately to outrun failure, returning to the last place she thought she’d revisit in hopes of saving herself through one final shot at reinvention. But this isn’t simply a story about writing a book or starting over—it becomes a layered unraveling of the past, where every familiar face seems to know more than they’re willing to say.
What makes Beach Thriller work so well is the setting. The weathered New England beach town feels alive with secrets, carrying that eerie “everyone knows everyone” energy where old grudges linger and history refuses to stay buried. Jamie Day builds tension through subtle unease rather than nonstop twists, letting suspicion simmer as Holly becomes entangled with mysterious locals, unsettling warnings, and the increasingly dangerous shadows of the Carmichael family.
The emotional core surprised me too. Holly’s relationship with Jade adds heart to the story and raises the stakes in a way that makes the suspense feel personal. It’s not just about uncovering the truth—it’s about survival, trust, and deciding who deserves saving when everyone seems to be hiding something.
If you love slow-burning psychological suspense, unreliable memories, creepy seaside settings, and stories where danger feels just out of sight, Beach Thriller is an addictive read. Moody, twisty, and quietly unsettling, this is one thriller that proves the beach isn’t always the safest escape.
I had the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication, and these are my honest thoughts.
Book Review: The Love of Another Life by Emma Cooper
🐾🐾🐾🐾 — A heart-tugging love story that proves some connections refuse to stay in the past.
Review Date: May 25, 2026 | Release Date: June 8, 2026
The Love of Another Life by Emma Cooper is the kind of story that quietly sneaks up on you, wrapping itself around your heart with equal parts hope, grief, and wonder. At its center is Alice, a woman trying to rebuild after loss, whose fresh start is interrupted by a mysterious letter from a man writing in 1985—a man who somehow understands her in ways no stranger should.
What makes this story shine is its emotional depth. The letters between Alice and Michael feel intimate and deeply personal, creating a connection that feels impossible yet strangely inevitable. There’s an aching tenderness to their correspondence, layered with questions about fate, timing, and whether some loves are written across lifetimes. The time-slip element gives the story a magical quality without overshadowing the emotional core.
Alice’s journey is especially compelling because it isn’t only about romance—it’s about healing, learning to live alongside grief, and questioning whether we hold too tightly to what could have been at the expense of what still could be. The emotional stakes feel real, and the story balances heartbreak with moments of warmth and hope.
If you love stories that blend romance with a touch of mystery and emotional depth, this one delivers. It’s wistful, bittersweet, and deeply reflective, asking whether love can transcend time—or if the greatest love story is learning to embrace the life waiting for you now.
I had the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication, and these are my honest thoughts.
Book Review: Back Stroke by L.B. Martin
🐾🐾🐾🐾 —Dark, toxic, and addictive—a forbidden romance full of obsession and tension.
Review Date: May 25, 2026 | Release Date: June 2, 2026
Back Stroke by L.B. Martin is dark, toxic, addictive, and completely unapologetic about what it is. If you love romances dripping in obsession, morally gray chaos, and tension so sharp it practically cuts through the page, this one absolutely delivers.
Fallon arrives at Frampton University hoping for a clean slate, but instead finds herself in the crosshairs of Remington Frampton—the campus golden boy, elite swimmer, and the kind of man who thrives on power. Remy is possessive, cruel, magnetic, and impossible to ignore. Their dynamic is immediate combustion: biting banter, dangerous attraction, and the kind of enemies-to-lovers tension that constantly feels one wrong move away from total destruction.
This is not a soft romance, and Remy is definitely not a cinnamon roll hero. He’s possessive, manipulative, obsessive, and walks the razor’s edge between protector and predator. Yet somehow, underneath all that darkness, there are moments where his fixation on Fallon becomes twistedly vulnerable. Their chemistry feels consuming—messy in the best way, full of power struggles, emotional landmines, and the kind of forbidden tension that keeps you flipping pages long after you should have gone to sleep.
The stepbrother dynamic adds an extra layer of forbidden intensity, and the forced proximity of living under the same roof cranks the emotional stakes sky-high. Every hallway interaction, every argument, every stolen moment feels loaded with tension.
If you’re a reader who enjoys dark romance with morally gray heroes, obsession, possessive energy, and relationships that live firmly in the “this should be a bad idea but I can’t stop reading” territory, Back Stroke will absolutely pull you under. Just know what you’re diving into—this book leans into the dark, messy, and morally complicated without hesitation.
I had the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication, and these are my honest thoughts.