I was immediately in love with this cover. I love the idea of a romance book with serial killer vibes. I grew up watching Law & Order, Criminal Minds, and Dateline on repeat. So needless to say I knew that I NEEDED this book. To say this was an anticipated release would be an understatement.

BUT, things certainly did not go as planned.
I was intrigued for about 20% and then things slowly started to go downhill. The more time I spent with Hannah, the more I disliked her. I don't mind unlikable characters but then the plot has to be gripping enough to keep me motivated. But somewhere along the way, the pacing lost me and I found myself just wanting this book to end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for my e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

A delightful mystery novel that keeps you hooked from start to finish. With a blend of suspense and humor, it's a perfect easy read for anyone looking to unwind. The characters are charming, the plot twists are unexpected yet satisfying, making it a truly engaging page-turner. Ideal for a cozy weekend read!

I was so excited for this book. The premise was super intriguing and immediately drew me in. Sadly I didn't love it. It was a slow read for me. I don't feel like anything truly happened and the big twist at the end left me with a whomp whomp.
I might be alone in feeling this and if there are a ton of people who love this, I think that is awesome, sadly I didn't.

I’m not one for romance and love stories, but given it’s a serial killer, I decided to give it a go. I was not disappointed.

Hannah is messy, her life is all over the place and she’s one of those characters I think most people would like to not like, but I actually found her weirdly endearing. I had a good idea of who the killer was, but I wasn’t disappointed by it. Love Letters to a Serial Killer was funny and interesting, and I was entertained throughout the entirety of the book - there didn’t seem to be any slow spots for me. Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for my eARC. Love Letters to a Serial Killer will be published 6/25.

3.5 stars rounded up! Hannah is trying to find meaning in her life. She is unsuccessful in love, hoping her frequent hookup situation becomes more, she doesn’t really care about her job, and her best friend is moving on without her. Hannah begins fixating on missing women cases, all with ties to a potential serial killer. She joins a forum, creates posts that go viral, and joins efforts to find clues. She feels she has a purpose - until a man name William is arrested, and there is no need to look anymore. Hannah is upset to lose this part of her, and she writes to William in prison to express her feelings. When her letter receives a response, she continues writing back and engaging in conversations with William. It all seems harmless, til we get a glimpse of Hannah tied up in a flash forward.

This was such a fun read! Hannah is in her best state of delulu and it was so funny to me (but also relatable at times. This author really cut deep at the struggles of dating today!!). I loved this book’s perspective. I watch a lot of true crime, and you always wonder how women could go to court or stand by a serial killer just cause he’s kinda hot lol. It was cool to get a look into what those women could be experiencing. I did find some of the twists predictable, but it was still a truly wild and fun ride!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: mystery/ thriller 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
I loved the first half of the books so much but the second half was too predictable for me

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Letters to serial killers
True crime
Unique reads
Unhinged MC
Slow burn thrillers
Unlikable characters
Wild rides

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
I couldn’t put this one down

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
It was predictable

This book was absolutely wild. I love books about serial killers so I was really excited to read this one. The main character was absolutely delusional and unhinged. I enjoyed the trial and after the trial sections of the book. I was able to predict the twist. The MC was unlikeable and I know it was deliberate but it made it hard for me to read at times. Someone else called this book cringey, but in a good way and I totally agree with that assessment. Interesting premise!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC of this book.

Okay this book was a wild ride. The concept was very intriguing and had my attention from the very first page.

Hannah starts writing to an accused serial killer while he waits for trial. After he’s aquitted, she moves in with him and takes the investigation into the murders of 4 women.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, entertaining and a little on the crazy side. As someone who loves true crime, I ate this book up. I predicted early on what was going to happen but that ending was not what I was expecting. Definitely made me want more.

Highly recommend picking this one up! Release date is June 25th.

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the e-arc!

I am a true crime junkie myself so after reading the blurb I was super excited to get the arc and dive into this one, but unfortunately it was not for me. I don’t think I have ever disliked a FMC more than I disliked Hannah. Everything she said and did just annoyed me to no end. I am honestly proud of myself for making it all the way through. All of the characters were either unlikeable or so one dimensional that they aren’t even worth mentioning, I found the “twists” way too predictable and I absolutely hated the ending.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The title, Love Letters from a Serial Killer, piqued my interest immediately, as did the blurb. As a lover of true-crime, who’s admittedly become more critical of the industry over the years, I was curious how this book would handle the issue of falling in love with a serial killer. And while it didn’t take the direction I thought it would at the outset, there were twists aplenty, I maintain my initial belief that the story is critiquing true-crime lovers’ involvement in the cases they follow, although perhaps from a slightly different angle than I initially expected.
While Hannah isn’t exactly likable, she’s someone many who’ve found community in online spaces will understand in at least some way. With her family not really understanding her, having struggled to maintain friendships as friends moved away, and her love life constantly being a dumpster fire, I can see why she’d bond with others over a shared interest. While her investment in these real people, some of the victims whose families did not consent to being exploited for attention, and the alleged killer, is questionable, she tells herself she’s getting involved for noble reasons, and I can understand where she’s coming from, while fundamentally disagreeing with her choices, just as I do as she continues her relationship with William on largely false pretenses.
There aren’t any other redeemable characters in the supporting cast either. I suppose William has some sympathetic layers, as the story unfolds, but there’s also his family, and that introduces a whole different level of complex and toxic, that later ties into the twist. But also, that’s the way it often is with thrillers of this type, and Tasha Coryell managed to pull these character archetypes off as entertaining in a morbid way, as opposed to off-putting.
Coryell also masters the art of suspense, keeping the tension building throughout. The story flashes “forward” to an entrapped Hannah with the killer as each “part” of the book opens, showing how that part of the narrative has progressed, before shifting back again in time to show how she got there. The “past” sections are a tad less suspenseful and urgent as a result, until the two arcs come together, but the book is engaging and fast-paced regardless, keeping me guessing when and how it would all come together.
This was a solid debut, and I would read more from Tasha Coryell in the future. I’d recommend this book if you’re a fan of thrillers with unlikable protagonists and plots that unpack the obsession with true crime.

I had trouble getting through this book!! I reached 50% and couldn’t continue!! I don’t think I’m in the mood for the aspect of the book right now!! I will try to read again once it is released!!

I did not like Hannah at all. But I found myself still reading to see what idiotic next steps she would do next. The plot twist was predictable. Though I thought the the first line in the book was so good and definitely makes the reader to continue. I felt like the ending fell flat

DNF'd after 2 chapters. The FMC was incredibly annoying and I'm sure she has some character growth but I could not stick around to find out.

Did you ever think you would write a serial killer? Well me either, then I read this book. I mean this woman does do some bat shit things but so have I.
The dating pool of today if I was single again I might just pick up the trusty pen and write my heart out. I want a serial killer who doesn't kill fat white women though.

All in all this book was fun. Pure entertainment.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

This main character is draining. She is very mentally ill. She feels sorry for herself a lot and doesn't do anything productive. Much of the narration was overly long and this would've been more fun and punchier if it were edited better.

The mystery was a bit predictable and underwhelming.

Can't beat the title or the premise, though.

Thank you NetGalley and LibroFM for the ARC. I will purchase a copy for my library.

I’m going to be honest, I don’t think this was the book for me. It took some time to get into and I guessed the twist pretty early into the book. I rated it three stars because it had potential and I believe that some readers will love this book.

The main character bothered me quite a bit with her obsession with everything about him and how much she reminded me of the girls in love with Ted Bundy. It was a unique story line and the way the author wrote it was good but again not for me.

I would consider reading more by this author in the future.

Hannah is adrift. Her job at a non-profit is going nowhere and she spends most of her time pining for men who never reciprocate. Hannah desperately wants to in love and escape her mediocre family, her dead end job and the painful solitude of the studio apartment she can barely afford. On the wrong side of thirty, she is starting to think her window of opportunity has closed. Everything changes when she becomes obsessed with an online forum that is following the case of a serial killer accused of brutally murdering multiple women in Georgia. His name is William. He is a lawyer from a wealthy family and decidedly handsome. While William is in jail awaiting trial Hannah cannot stop thinking about the case, about William, and she writes him a letter. Not expecting a response, Hannah is shocked when William sends a friendly and rather flirty reply. They become penpals. Although Hannah believes he is guilty she learns all about his life and her feelings become magnified when William wants to know about hers. No-one has ever given Hannah this kind of attention and she is quickly drawn into his world. The trial is approaching and Hannah drives across the country to attend. She meets his family, she meets other women obsessed with the case and together they await the verdict. Hannah must be crazy, right? What kind of person would fall in love a serial killer? Filled with completely unexpected twists and turns, this fast paced insanity was absolutely unputdownable.

I REALLY enjoyed this one.
I didn't like the main character Hannah but, I think that was the point? 😂 kept me invested in a "lord 🤦‍♀️ what is she going to do now" kind of way lol.. not really any shocking / unforseeable moments for me, but this story still held my attention throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this Advanced Copy Read. This novel is set to release June 25, 2024.

The main character was insufferable and I figured out the plot twist less than halfway through the book.

This book was wild.

I don’t know what exactly I was expecting, but this wasn’t it.

People have a fascination with serial killers. This is a fact. And when the killer is conventionally attractive? Well, he’ll collect admirers almost as quickly as he collects haters. William, our MMC, is no exception. After all, Hannah likes him for the moment he’s taken away in handcuffs.

Now about Hannah, she is unhinged, delulu, a wackadoodle, if you will, she’s a woman with low self-esteem who preens at any semblance of a compliment. More than a little self-obsessed she makes the victim's deaths in the book about her. It’s her purpose to find the killer, to get justice for these women. Except it isn’t. It’s neither her place nor her true intent. In the end, she’s just a woman obsessed with the idea of being murdered.

The book is fascinating in its ability to keep us engaged. Hannah is an interesting narrator because she is both unreliable and often unrelatable. I'd equate the experience to driving past a massive car crash. You can't look away. You can't help but wonder about the fake of everyone involved. And you can't help but come up with little theories about things.

The final reveal/confrontation? I guessed it. I was thrilled about being correct. Also, perhaps, I’m a little crazy here but I think they could have made it work?

Anyway, I started this book last night before bed. I got through sixty percent and finished the rest today after returning home from the gym. It was so unlike the books I usually read, but I was entertained the entire time and that’s what matters.

I’ll be on the lookout for more books by this author.