THIS VIOLENT HEART is a genre crossing novel combining spine tingling suspense with a deeply emotional journey of self acceptance. It addresses significant traumas which some readers may find uncomfortable.

Devon Mayes is a therapist who returns to her conservative hometown after being placed on mandatory leave by her employer following the tragic death of one of her clients. Returning home surfaces old traumas for Devon, including the guilt she harbors about her best friend’s suicide a decade earlier and her unresolved feelings about her friend’s twin brother.

This is an uncomfortable, yet compelling book touching on topics of religious trauma, sexual identity, sexual violence, and suicide. It is told across dual timelines and slowly builds to a frenetic conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Kate Rock Book Tours for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was a gritty, multifaceted coming-of-age story, told in alternating timelines. Devon is a therapist in training who is haunted by the events of the past, recently triggered by a patient. Devon realizes that she must go back to her small town and face those demons if she wants any chance at moving forward as an adult and a therapist.

Once we move to the past we learn about Devon's relationships with her extremely conservative parents, close minded town and best friends, twins Summer and Keaton. As Devon tries to understand what really happened all those years ago when she was a teen, we start to learn that there's much more going on in this 'picture perfect' town.

This story was a beautifully haunting and I really enjoyed watching Devon confront her past to allow her future. I am really looking forward to reading the other works by this author.

This book was such a gripping and emotional read. Devon’s journey growing up in a stereotypical, narrow-minded small town made her hide her true self for years and seeing her get past that was amazing. Add to that the trauma of her best friend Summer’s death years earlier, and you can’t help but be pulled into her story and engrossed in the mystery of what happened to Summer. Fans of societal reflection and mystery will enjoy this thriller.

This book will stick with me for years to come. The words wrapped around my heart and left a deep imprint. The characters were perfectly formed, the story heart wrenching, and the outcome came with a sigh of relief. I was completely entranced from the moment I cracked this book open. There was no putting it down until I knew what happened to Summer and why. You must add this book to your to be read pile as soon as possible!

Devon escaped her hometown of Arkana, Oklahoma. Leaving everyone in her wake. Escaping the religious grasp of her parents, the narrow mindedness of the towns people, the death of her best friend, and the man who is never far from her mind. Devon has led a full life in her short time away. When her life turns upside down once again and leaves her struggling to leave her apartment. Devon decides it is time to face her demons and return to Arkana. She needs to look into Summer's suicide. There is something that has nagged Devon, she knows there is something more to her death.

This book touches on many important topics. Tring to grow up as a bisexual in a religious community. Knowing your family would not have your back if you ever came out. Being a teenager is hard enough. I cannot imagine not having anyone in your family that you could talk to. Friendship and trust is a major thread running throughout the book. It is a fantastic read to sink into. My eyes welled up many times. The setting is perfect. The intense summer heat of Oklahoma seeps through the pages. Searing everything in its path. This is another book I do not want to give to many details. Just know it is one you should read. Thank you to Heather Levy, Kate Rock Book Tours, and Amazon Publishing for this gripping read.

Heather Levy is now an auto-buy author for me. Her books are sexy and shocking, with emotional twists and turns that keep me completely invested from the start. Devon Mayes is a flawed and complicated woman, whose past catches up with her and she must finally solve a mystery that has haunted her for years. Highly recommend.

Did not see the ending coming!

This was a dark thriller, that kept me in. There is a trope I'm not really a fan of, but I do recognize this one will be sincerely enjoyable for true thriller fans!

Growing up in a very conservative family in Arkansas Devon could never be her authentic self. She struggles with being bisexual while trying to navigate life as a teenager. She has feelings for her best friend Summer but, how could she ever be honest? After Summer takes her own life one summer- Devon vows to run and never look back. Now as an adult she is confronted with her past demons and the only way through is to return to Arkansas. Devon needs to know the whole story of what happened that summer.

Devon is back in Arcana after so many years away and now she's determined to find out what really happened to her best friend Summer. Summer's brother Keaton wants to know as well.. This is a sad portrait of what it was like to be a questioning teen in a deeply conservative small town but now Devon isn't hiding. Secrets and lies abound. Thanks to netgalley for the arc. A good read.

Another book by Heather that wow’d me! After reading Hurt for Me and being obsessed, I was so excited to get an early copy of her newest release. Her writing style is the quick, addicting, page-turning type that had me reading every extra second I had. Quick chapters with a dual timeline, need I say more?

Definitely check triggers. This book is a dark thriller with some romantic elements and of course some kink that had me sweating. I don’t know how Heather hasn’t blown up as an author yet but I will continue to rave about her books!

I had a hard time getting into this book. It might be the mood I am currently experiencing. As I have written with other reviews, I am a major mood reader.. I may give this book another shot when I am in the mood for a good thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

The reason this gets two stars is for the heartwarming LGBT undertones. I love that Mom Hugs was mentioned and towards the end of the story the main character was able to truly say fuck it and embrace her identity in her small USA town. Everything else in this book was a no for me unfortunately.

Amazing story about love and grief.

Definitely worth to pause and read this amazing book.

The drama, plot and everything was so well written,

This one was a DNF for me. I should have read more about it before requesting it, instead went off of a friend's rec alone. Rating it in the middle as while I didn't like it and it wasn't a fit for me.

This is a heavy and haunting tale. Devon Mayes is placed on mandatory leave to work through her demons that are affecting her at work. She is unable to do this without returning to her hometown, Arkana, a place she swore she would never visit again. Thirteen years ago, her best friend, Summer, committed suicide. Summer’s twin brother, Keaton, never stopped grieving her death. Devon and Keaton reignite their friendship and, together, try to put the pieces of their lives back together. Both dealing with feelings of suspicion, they agree that Summer’s suicide may not have been a suicide at all. As they delve into the past to solve this mystery once and for all they discover that someone doesn’t want them to find the truth.

This story was really fast paced and plotted well. It is told in past and present timelines and it is part coming of age and current day murder mystery. I really felt for Devon, a bisexual teen, growing up in small town America surrounded by conservative Christians, including her parents. I felt for her as an adult who, after going through the heartbreak of losing her best friend, also experiences a nightmarish assault during her practicuum. She has a lot of hard stuff to work through in order to help people at work. I think this is an important piece of literature for anyone struggling to reconcile their reality with societal expectations.

Thank you Netgalley, Montlake, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on February 11, 2025

As always, Heather Levy tells a sexy, suspenseful story that lovingly speaks to the challenges of life as a queer woman and participating in the world of kink.

When a painful moment happens at Devon's job, she finds herself returning to her rural hometown of Arkana to address wounds that have tampered her ability to do her job as a counselor. Growing up in Arkana molded Devon's beliefs about herself as she found herself attracted to her twin best friends, a boy and a girl, and returning home reminds her of the messages of shame she received about her secret sexuality. When her friend Summer took her own life going into their senior year, Devon shut down and fled the town once she graduated. Now, something seems off about Summer's death, and Devon finds herself growing closer to her childhood crush, Summer's brother Keaton, as they unravel the truth about Summer.

This book is emotionally rich, with heavy themes related to sexual assault and suicidal ideation, that explores the destructive forces of high demand religion. Told in Devon's past and present, we experience the heart wrenching struggle of Devon defining who she is as a teenager as present Devon sifts through memories and heals old wounds in her search for the truth about Summer. I was glued to the pages for every aspect of the story: the dark mystery moving the plot forward, the layered characters and their journeys, and the shameless exploration of BDSM and kink.

Just do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

Being a teenager is challenging enough, but growing up in a small town with rigid, judgmental views makes it even harder. This story captures that struggle beautifully, showing the toll it takes when a teen feels forced to hide their true identity from their parents and community just to avoid scrutiny.

The book explores how witnessing someone else face rejection for not conforming to societal expectations pushes you to retreat further into yourself, donning a mask to survive. But secrets have a way of surfacing, and the tension builds as you question how much trust you can place in those around you.

This story hits like a punch to the gut—it’s raw, powerful, and nearly impossible to put down. I highly recommend it to anyone who is open-minded and willing to reflect on the ways we judge others and ourselves.

Very well done. This one comes out February 11, 2025✨

This was the first book I've read by Heather Levy but definitely will not be the last! A little bit mysterious and a little bit sexy, This Violent Heart was a recent favorite for me this year.

I felt like the author captured the "struggles of growing up in a small town" well but he connection between Devon and Keaton was underdeveloped which made the book feel flimsy.

This is a new author for me but I’ve enjoyed this introduction. Characters are solid, plot was promising and intriguing, and romance was a balance of emotional and heartfelt! This was a beautiful book!

Growing up being a teenager is hard. Growing up in a small town with small town views becomes even harder! This story does a great job trying to show exactly how hard it is. A teen has to hide her true identity to her parents and her town just to save face. Seeing how a different person has been treated for not fitting into the mold of how you are “supposed to be”. You learn to hide deeper into yourself. And you have to wear a mask of who that is to protect yourself. But secrets have a way of coming out. You want to trust your friends but how much can you trust them.
This story hits hard. Such a hard book to put down. I highly recommend it to someone who is open minded and not easy to judge!