This was an interesting read. I liked the idea of the FMC writing to a series killer and the process of trying to figure out if he was or wasn’t. I did find myself bored at some points in the story. This story did end with a good twist at the end.

I found this to be a slow burn book that wraps up very quickly
A woman who somehow becomes obsessed with a serial killer since her whole life seems to be in shambles she needs to find something to keep her going and keep things interesting.
I found myself wondering what has gotten into Hanna’s head when she writes to a man in jail. She wraps her life up in his trial. There isn’t really a twist you kind of wonder about the ending.
It was an easy but slow read. If you like books about serial killers this might be a book for you. I wouldn’t classify this as a thriller or anything like that. Almost a satire if anything. But worth a shot
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy and the chance to read it.

What a wild ride this book is! The main character is so unlikeable but it really adds to the entire story. I really love when thrillers jump right in as opposed to a slow burn and this plot goes from 0 to 100 REAL quick. I kept thinking this was satire by Hannah’s thoughts and choices and the ending??? 😮 lol perfect. This was a fun read.

Thank you so much for approving my request to read this book!

If you’re looking to get out of a reading slump, this might just be the book to do it! I love to read but lately have been suffering from a wandering mind and easy boredom when reading, especially at the beginning of books (which also means that books that are slow to start, take 400 pages just to set up the novel, and have nothing substantial happening until the last 80% are not my friend). Yet, this book captured me from the very beginning. I was never once bored nor did I feel like I wanted to skim. This was compulsively readable.

I love books with unreliable narrators because I love to get in the head of someone who’s sorta psychotic. It takes a talented author to pull off a book in the POV of someone who’s kind of mentally disturbed, for the reader to really get into her head and see how she processes and reacts to things. The amount of joy Hannah gets from a serial killer paying attention to her and writing her back is….odd. But also, since you get a peek into her life, you can see how lonely she is, tired of not being chosen, put on the back burner by her only friend, and now only having a serial killer to reach out to for comfort. As starved for affection as she is, you kind of can see why she made the choices she did and continued to write William, and how her desperation gave her delusions of what she thinks is love. But still…even after getting in her head throughout the whole beginning of the book, it’s still really hard to understand her because she’s so mentally disturbed. The amount of joy she found from it all was very….strange. She essentially became obsessed with him, living for when his letters arrive. Like, girl. Come on. He’s a serial killer.

This was such an interesting read, and at some parts I wanted to laugh at how insane Hannah acted sometimes. Getting into the head of a fangirl of a serial killer was something I’ve never read in a book before. You kind of spend most of the book feeling sorry for her. She really was starved for affection and validation and I think that fed into her delusion.

I saw the ending coming from a mile away and it was pretty predictable to me tbh, but I still enjoyed this!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of LOVE LETTERS TO A SERIAL KILLER by Tasha Coryell from a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and happy weekend!

This was a crazy concept for a book, but I think it's safe to say I am obsessed!

Hannah finds herself trapped in a dead-end job, drifting away from her friends, and unable to maintain a relationship to save her life. Amidst this turmoil, a handsome lawyer named Wesley is arrested for a string of murders. Hannah, seeking an outlet for her frustrations, begins writing letters to him. However, her casual correspondence transforms into an obsession with the case and the women Wesley is accused of killing. Unexpectedly, Wesley begins to reply, and Hannah finds herself drawn to him in ways she never imagined.

From the very first page, I was captivated, devouring the book in just two days because I was desperate to figure out how it would end. I experienced every emotion alongside the main character – I wanted to comfort her, admonish her, and even shake some sense into her. As a fan of true crime, I was particularly drawn to the premise of this book, and I believe it handles its sensitive subject matter with great care. The journey it takes you on is nothing short of exhilarating, and I am eagerly anticipating its release.

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to go into this book blind and avoid reading the blurb, because I feel like it gives away some details that could have surprised me. "Love Letters To A Serial Killer" is set to hit the shelves on June 25th, and I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a read. A special thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with this ARC!

This was such an interesting take on the serial killer story. I really enjoyed that Hannah, our main character began writing letters to an accused serial killer. Her fixation grows more and more by the day. And was interesting to see her relationship with Willam grow while not being able to physically see or connect with him. I enjoyed the twists and the end.

This was an ok story. I will say that I liked the writing style and I found myself reading for hours without wanting to put it down. I loved how we were guessing whether or not William was guilty and the inclusion of the trial scenes. Once we got to 80% where everything began to unfold I was very disappointed. The “plot twist” was predictable which I was hoping that it would truly shock me. There was so many ways this story could’ve gone and it just felt like the author took the easy way out. Hannah was an irritating character but like it was almost humorous reading her thoughts and desires. Overall, I enjoyed the story until the last few chapters.

This was my first time reading a book by Tasha Coryell and I loved it! I could not put it down. It was easy to read, and kept you guessing- is William a serial killer or not? I will say the main character, Hannah, is somewhat unlikable but you kind of feel bad for her. Parts of her are extremely relatable and other parts make her seem desperate. I liked the side characters too as they were interesting. The title drew me in but I would definitely read another book by Tasha Coryell.

Thanks to Penguin Random House for letting me read this book early and review it!

This book was amazing! I loved the story, the writing, and the main character named Hannah.

I was immediately involved in Hannah, Coryell's lonely, struggling everywoman...who starts writing to a serial killer. As insane as it sounds, she was so relatable. She's desperate for a connection, to be loved, yet increasingly alienated by the pressures of her job, by modern dating, and by being alone. Coryell walks a tightrope with Hannah and it kept me on the edge of my seat. In theory, Hannah does something crazy, but she's also so funny, complex, self-aware, sad, and real that I found myself wanting her to either do something crazier. or for her to be vindicated in her behavior.

Absolutely loved reading this book, loved the set up, and the tension, The ending left me wanting more.

This book was a winner for me!

The main character was a bit tedious at times, and she did a lot of unrealistic/over the top things but I found that in some parts of the book I did resonate with her and saw bits of myself in her.

The twist was good, but I was able to guess it half way through the book. The ending seemed a bit rushed, and I was a little disappointed. I am hoping there is a sequel that will take place a number of months/years later that will give some resolution.

Overall a very good book. This author is new to me but I would definitely read more from her.

A thrilling book about the dangers of true crime obsession and the ways in which we use the tragedy of others for our entertainment purposes. This one is really well written with a lot of twists and turns. It kept me guessing and always wondering what little nugget was going to be revealed next. It was easy to believe that character would find themselves in a situation like this after watching the Murdaugh trial or the Idaho Student murder coverage.

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy.

As we all know, every book is not for every reader, and unfortunately that was the case with this one for me.

I found the female main character, Hannah, completely insufferable, hypocritical, and irredeemable. She will talk about how "in love" she is with her accused serial killer boyfriend and in the same breath go on to say the victims of his alleged crimes deserve justice. As a character she made no sense and I found her absolutely exhausting.

There were also certain times this book felt written for the male gaze. The line "Before she was murdered, Kelsey Jenkins was a bartender. She had the right look for the profession, with big boobs and a tiny waist." really gave me pause. It's disappointing that a line like this would be written by a woman.

The ending of the book also wrapped up incredibly quickly, and it left a lot to be desired for me.

"Why not? What was the very worst that could happen?"

I've been trying to put my feelings for this book into words since I finished it, and it's tricky! I think your opinion on this will greatly vary depending on what kind of book you're looking for.

Once more, this is a book where the pre-publication material, specifically the blurb, reveals FAR too much about the story in question. This seems like a particularly big thing now; I had the exact same problem with the last Netgalley book I read, Jesse Sutanto's You Will Never Be Me. I get that it's a big thing to ask readers not to read blurbs, but I honestly think this book especially rewards knowing only the bare minimum about it. It's about a woman who becomes embroiled in correspondence with a suspected serial killer. That's it. That's all you need to know. The blurb reveals three-quarters of the story and I think possibly hampers the book as a result, because it might create an expectation level where the reader wants to get through most of the story before being surprised by it....and then it ends.

I didn't feel that way. I was absolutely mesmerised by the vast majority of this book. I was immediately involved in Hannah, Coryell's lonely, struggling everywoman...who starts writing to a serial killer. As insane as it sounds, she was so relatable and real to me. She's desperate for a connection, to be loved, yet increasingly alienated by the pressures of her job, by modern dating, and by being alone. Coryell walks a tightrope with Hannah and it kept me on the edge of my seat. In theory, Hannah does something crazy, but she's also so funny, complex, self-aware, sad, and real that I found myself wanting her to either do something crazier, so I could ignore how much I related to her, or for her to be vindicated in her behaviour.

And I loved that. Coryell pushes the boundaries of what's acceptable, but she also integrates it perfectly in an all-too-realistic depiction of modern life that doesn't seem to be going at all like Hannah wants it. This is a challenging book, and it's also beautifully-written, gripping, and so intense that I couldn't take my eyes off the page. I kept saying to myself that I didn't relate to it, but I did.

I knew I liked a man when I started to feel like I might die if he didn't contact me.

So this book easily could've been a new top ten favourite. Until the last fifty pages, I thought that it was a new favourite.

This is where expectations become a problem. I was hooked on Love Letters to a Serial Killer because of its terrifyingly good blend of millennial ennui and crime/mystery pulp. Towards the end of the book, though, the balance starts to shift seriously in favour of mystery/thriller - unraveling loose ends and revealing secrets. The issue I had was that I just didn't believe in the final section of the book. It all became a little too heightened and almost goofy for me. While I'm sure some readers would argue that the whole book is not very plausible, I just felt like I was being asked to suspend my disbelief too far.

I still really loved it, though.

My most exciting post of the year so far! My first ever ARC!!! Thank you so, so much to @netgalley and @berkleypub for the opportunity to read this book! I am admittedly not a full-fledged “Bookstagrammer” but I admire them so and long to be one! This was a dream come true, honestly!
So, as has been well documented in my last few posts especially, I am a true crime fan. “Love Letters to a Serial Killer” is about a millennial girl who is rather aimless. She becomes obsessed with a serial killer and his victims so she begins to write him during his trial - and he writes back. What follows is equal parts hysterical (I laughed out loud a LOT) and horrifying. This book reminded me some of “Yellowface” - the protagonist is just so off the wall unbelievable and outrageous, but you can’t stop reading! It also scared me that I saw a bit of myself in Hannah (LOL!) In this way, I think this book is almost satirical/a social commentary on female serial killer aficionados… Am I one of “those women”?? Maybe…I think all female true crime lovers are. Something about the danger allures and fascinates us - the victims COULD be us, but aren’t. Hannah is all of us, she is just the unhinged version. I loved this book, even though I guessed the end - it was such a fun read. I wish it was fleshed out a little more - not because the story wasn’t good, but because I wanted more and it read quick! Such a great debut novel!! Everyone pick it up when it comes out in June! @goodreads 16/55 #netgalley #loveletterstoaserialkiller @tashacoryell

Oh my god what a fun thriller!

Hannah's life takes a sharp turn when she stumbles upon a true crime forum dedicated to solving the mysterious deaths of three women in Atlanta. All three victims had ties to the charming lawyer, William Thompson. Determined to seek justice, Hannah decides to write a scathing letter to William, never expecting a response. But when he does reply, it sets off a series of events that could alter Hannah's life forever.

Who knew she'd end up falling for the ultimate bad boy? Hannah's journey is just beginning, and the twists and turns are far from over. Definitely recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

I’m going to steal from Rotten Tomatoes and certify this one as fresh.

When Hannah’s most recent soulmate ghosts her and her BFF gets engaged, Hannah takes her obsession with true crime to a whole different level and starts looking for love in all the wrong places. Specifically, as a pen pal with a suspected serial killer who has been charged with murder four women and dumping their bodies in a ravine. What’s the harm, right? I mean all signs point to a conviction so it’s not like she’s actually at risk of being victim #5. That is until an actual fifth body is found while William is on trial which obviously makes him not guilty, he gets released and is ready for his happily ever after with his new girlfriend. Then it becomes a question or did he or didn’t he . . . or maybe more appropriate, will he or won’t he?

Simply put, this was a lot of fun. From the “Burn Book” style of cover art to the new take on “romance” in your 30s, I had a ball. The whodunit won’t be much of a shocker, but this made for a most enjoyable day out on the deck soaking up some unseasonably warm weather here in flyover country.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy.
This an author I’ve never heard of, nor a book I’d heard of, but the premises caught me. Unbelievable to me, yet I’m also like true crime. Podcasts are my medium, but I certainly don’t try to solve anything, and definitely don’t fall in love. While it seems slightly predictable as the story unfolds it was a read that kept my attention. We get to know Hannah who is feeling completely overwhelmed, lonely and looking for direction (and love) in her life. She learns of these murders and online forum and starts to build her own little true crime junkie community, she decides to reach out to William ( the handsome lawyer charged with the crime). She connects with him in jail (because who doesn’t love writing serial killers.)
She decides to head to Atlanta for the trail and things definitely spiral while there.
I will say, there really isn’t a likeable character in this story, from Hannah, to her best friend, her ex, her boss and so on, so I definitely wasn’t rooting for anyone; and yet I was able to fly through the book with ease. I am however now more curious as to why women fall in love with murders, and it’s certainly something I would read up on later.
It’s pretty predictable (in my opinion), but it’s a quick read that will definitely have you shaking your head.

There's so much I want to say about this book, but after reading it in one sitting, I had to walk away for a few hours to get my brain ready to talk about it.

The main character was such a complex and weird person to follow (I'm so glad it was written in first person POV and not third). If you've ever read "Like Me" by Hayley Phelan, you'll remember the manic, insane, somehow enjoyable mess of the main character Mickey. In Love Letters to a Serial Killer, the main character Hannah reminds me of Mickey, but a less psychotic but more desperate version.

Hannah is lonely, can't seem to keep a friend of boyfriend, and tends to obsess over anyone who will give her an ounce of attention. Stuck in a dead-end non-profit job, she spends her time in online forums reading about a recent serial killer. Upon his capture, she starts to send him letters. These letters morph over time into love letters and soon the could-be serial killer and Hannah are dating.

Hannah follows William and moves out of town to attend his trial. She stalks his family, makes friends with the other serial killer groupies, and maxes out her credit cards. She's an absolute nightmare of a hot mess who cannot make a good decision to save her life.

There's so much more to this storyline, and I hope everyone picks it up to find out what happens.

I loved the fresh concept of this, but I felt the development left something to be desired. I also predicted the big twist about half way through. Overall, I would definitely recommend for thriller lovers who feel like they’re stuck reading the same ole same ole.

Hannah is over the monotony of her job, and when women in Georgia start dropping like flies, she’s invested. Eventually an arrest is made, and out of frustration with her own life, she sends an angry letter to William, the apprehended suspect. Soon the two become intrigued with one another, and William and Hannah pursue a “relationship.” Their letters continue through the trial, but is William guilty? Is Hannah exposing herself to a serial killer?