Devil Inside: A Novel

by Clay McLeod Chapman

A man who’s back from the dead meets a woman who’s from somewhere even worse in Clay McLeod Chapman’s new horrormance about love, possession, and just a little murder.

After a traumatic accident that almost cost Jordan his life, he’s finally starting to feel normal again. Well, maybe not normal. Everything tastes like ash, and when he looks at the people around him, their faces start to melt. At least he’s not dead, right? His friends are doing their best to get him back on his feet, maybe find someone to talk to, perhaps even find someone to take his mind off his last failed relationship.

Then he meets Lilith. The two share an instant connection but after a wild and passionate night together, she ghosts him. Jordan searches the city for Lilith, desperate to see her again. But when a woman claiming to be Lilith shows up, wearing a different face but knowing intimate details about Jordan, he worries he’s losing his grip on reality. As he grows closer to this mysterious woman, he discovers that happily ever afters sometimes come at a cost. How far will Lilith take him, and how much darkness will he embrace to find love?

 

Genres: Horror, Romance, Paranormal, Adult, Thriller, Horror Thriller, Halloween

384 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 11, 2026

About the author

Books. Children's books. Comic books. Film.

Reviews

[Casey Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year! I adore Clay and I LOVE horromance, so when this was announced, I was freaking out. Thankfully, I am a member of The Hive and could read this immediately when it dropped on NetGalley. I dropped everything to pick it up, AND IT DELIVERED! 

Jordan is back from death after a traumatic accident, and meets Lilith, who is from... well, far away. After a passionate night, Lilith ghosts Jordan but he can't stop thinking about her. She made him feel alive again. Jordan feels like his grip on reality is failing when he starts to notice strange things in the people around him. When he encounters Lilith, and she has no recollection of him whatsoever, then subsequently encounters a different woman who claims to be Lilith, his reality really starts to warp. But he cannot stop his focus on Lilith, and she on him. How far would you go to be with the one you love?

I have to tell you, this book is pretty dark. If you're like "oh, a romance with some horror elements"--flip it. It's a horror that revolves around a romance. Clay is a masterful horror writer and it is evident in this book. We explore the lines of love, obsession and even possession. Is love a form of possession? Someone takes up residence in your heart, mind, soul and you feel empty without them.  I love the depiction of literal demonic possession here, comparing different bodies/souls to different wines. We also touch upon healing after a great traumatic experience. There’s a lot that this entertaining story leaves you pondering and thinking on when it comes to love and relationships. This one will stick with me. No hesitation in rating this 5 stars! I am SO GLAD that Clay decided to write a horromance!

Thank you to MIRA Books, HTP Books, and The Hive for the early ARC! Book releases 8/11/26. (I kind of love that I got to read it in February, the month of love.)

[BookishKB]

😈🖤 Devil Inside by Clay McLeod Chapman 🖤😈

📖 Bookish Thoughts
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.

🩸 What to Expect
• Horrormance
• Possession
• Mysterious woman
• Psychological unraveling
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: August 11, 2026
📝 Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Sarah Workman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as this was available to request on NetGalley, I requested! I have loved every book I’ve read by Clay, but I was nervous diving into horrormance because I didn’t know what to expect. Would it be horror with some spicy scenes? Dark romance? So many questions.

That said, IT. WAS. PERFECT. There were parts written so beautifully I questioned whether or not Clay secretly writes romance all the time! And not corny romance. Romance that makes you FEEL something. The constant comparison between love and possession was *chef’s kiss* There are dark elements and it’s definitely horror, but it’s so much more than that. If you love horror, read it. If you love love (and all its dark and twisted and messy glory) read it.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Hive for allowing me to read the ARC!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve already pre-ordered this book because if CMC writes it, I’m seated. And if CMC writes a freaking horror romance aka a combination of my 2 favorite genres!? Then I am pre-ordered. But I got it from NetGalley to read early.

I was really hoping for a 6-star read, so this 4 stars-rounded-up feels harsh for me. I wasn’t enthralled… like, it’s a lot of vibes. All vibes. You get a great sense for the world and the visuals… but the characters are just kind of there. And it just dragged too much for me. I felt like I kept waiting for it to get going… and when it finally did, it ended!

It has some cool scenes, some great lines. Lots of highlighting going on here. Sometimes it feels more like poetry. I get the whole ‘possession as a metaphor for love and love as a metaphor for possession’ thing. Unfortunately, I thought it fell short on both the horror and the romance front. But my expectations were also through the roof.

If you go into this knowing it’ll feel more dreamy (nightmare-y?) then perhaps you’ll like it more. I was hoping for an excitement (and fun) I just didn’t feel. I continue to hunt for a good horror romance. Sigh.

[Megan Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jordan gets a second chance and comes back from the dead, he meets Lilith. After they have a brief but chance encounter, he struggles to find her again, but when someone claiming to be her introduces herself to him, Jordan does not recognize the face. This is a tale of possession, second chances, bravery, and embracing darkness and what lurks within the confines of that. Per Clay's usual repertoire of writing tricks, this one contains some truly dark horror elements, ushering in romance with many macabre twists throughout the prose. The usual CMC quirk and hilarity is there- Clay is one of my favorites because his personality truly shines through his writing, regardless of what genre he is pursuing (and so far, I've appreciated them all). For fans of Butcher & Blackbird and Tourist Season, Devil Inside shows it has what it takes to hang in this genre no doubt. Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/ MIRA for the eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Nikki Kossaris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devil Inside is a dark, strange blend of horror and romance that leans into obsession and devotion in a way that feels both unsettling and intimate.

The story follows an injured cyclist whose life begins to shift after a supernatural encounter. What unfolds from there is less about big shocking moments and more about the slow pull of a relationship that becomes consuming and dangerous. The connection at the center of the book blurs the line between love, possession, and something far more demonic.

Clay McLeod Chapman does a great job building a sense of unease throughout the novel. There is always this feeling that something is just slightly off, and that tension keeps building as the characters fall deeper into something they may not fully understand.

If you like horror that mixes the supernatural with dark romance and obsession, this one is worth checking out.

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ I enjoyed the book, however the pacing felt off. There was too much mooning about on the part of both of the main characters and it could have been more interesting if they had gotten over their hang ups sooner, let the possession happen and then give me a lot more of them embracing the darkness and being evil together.