Book Review: I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell by Mackenzie Reed
ARC Review: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. As always, all thoughts here are my own.
Published: September 1, 2026
Series: N/A (Standalone)
Genres: Adult // Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Open Door)
Quick Thoughts: This was a quick read that I finished in one or two sittings. The worldbuilding was a lot of fun, with plot twists, reveals, and clues scattered throughout that kept things interesting. Recommend this if you are looking for a twist on a roadtrip romance.
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What is I Hope This Email Finds You in Hellabout?
When staying late at the office leads to witnessing an exorcism, Brie Benson's mundane life takes a hellish turn…literally.
After her parents' death, twenty-seven-year-old Brie has mastered the art of compartmentalization to survive her mind-numbing routine as a receptionist at a life insurance company. But when she accidentally catches her hot, uptight boss, Luke, performing an exorcism on Debra from accounting, her carefully ordered world implodes.
Swearing Brie to secrecy, Luke reveals he's from a line of demon hunters and that demonic activity is spiking. But when her emotional support coworker vanishes, Brie is determined to find her. With nothing left to lose, she convinces Luke to let her join his rescue mission.
The problem? Their destination is hell. And the entrance is in Times Square.
Now Brie and Luke must navigate a corporate underworld of monsters and bureaucratic nightmares while racing to save their colleague and repair a tearing veil between worlds. All before their growing feelings become irrelevant and hell claims them forever.
I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell Review
My rating for I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell bounced between 3 and 4 stars throughout the book. It's a quick read that I finished in one or two sittings but had a few things that stopped me from fully loving it.
Paranormal romances are pretty hit or miss for me, but I was drawn in by the premise. We’re following Brie who is venturing through Hell with her corporate boss, Luke, to save her emotional support coworker. I’ve had a few emotional support coworkers I would have gone to Hell and back for and this premise sounded too hilarious to pass up.
Setting & World
It’s a quick read that I finished in one or two sittings. The worldbuilding was a lot of fun, with plot twists, reveals, and clues scattered throughout that kept things interesting. There are also pieces of humor and irony built in, like Silicon Valley being the headquarters of Hell, that made me chuckle. That said, there were times when the worldbuilding got confusing or when reveals had to be overexplained because they seemed improbable based on worldbuilding from earlier. Maybe it’s small, but having to follow convoluted explanations for a few of the reveals kept pulling me out of the story.
Characters
The focus is mostly on the quest to save Brie's friend, but there's also some commentary on grief, trauma, and humanity that I appreciated. Brie's backstory is one of personal trauma that made her abandon her old life to start fresh, and Luke is at a crossroads figuring out who he is and what his mission is. What they're each going through fueled their connection, which felt real and earned. That said, I do think the characters are a little underwritten, especially Luke. I wish we'd gotten his POV or more personality.
The ending solution was hilarious and tied back into the corporate hell theme really well. My main gripe is that we didn't spend enough time with the villains to merit how often they were referenced. It felt like they were written into the story because we needed a villain, not because they actually mattered to the story in the end.
So, should you read I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell?
Overall though, this a satisfying standalone but I wouldn't be mad if we got more of Luke and Brie's adventures. This is a great pick for fans of Bride by Ali Hazelwood or My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine. I recommend this if you are looking for a twist on a roadtrip romance.
Check out this review on Goodreads or Storygraph.
Happy reading!
Kim
I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell FAQs
Some of the answers may be spoilers if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution!
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Potential spoilers ahead ⚠️
Body horror
Death
Murder
Mental stress
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Potential spoilers ahead ⚠️
Urban settings
Roadtrip
Boss/Employee Romance
Paranormal Rom-Com
Reluctant allies
Forced proximity
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Yes, I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell is a standalone.
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I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell is a 3 🌶️ out of 5 or open door. This means readers are in the room for spice scenes, but they aren’t told in explicit detail. Some descriptions may be euphemistic.
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The spicy chapter in I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell is chapter 27.