Chasing Devotion: A second chance romance about first love, and the cost of going back

by London Clarke

424 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 27, 2026

Reviews

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brynn Cole is a successful podcaster. Sullivan Stonecutter is a famous rockstar. Does their past define their future? The story has dual time lines where Brynn and Sullivan were part of a cult from which they escaped and their life after their escape. This well crafted plot describes the trauma of being entrapped in a cult, the despair, the dependency and the fear of adjustment in the outside world. I felt Brynn's pain after she escaped and started looking for Sullivan, then realising that his life as a rockstar left little time for her and he was actually a thrall to the trappings of fame. What future do they have? A heart wrenching story which had me totally absorbed.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a subject I find very fascinating. The idea that someone could be so charismatic that one person can convince thousands of people to follow that person blindly. I feel sympathy for the children because either they were too young to understand what it going on or they were born into it; and that is all they know. I was interested in the MC because she not only escaped but went on to create a safe place for other escapees to go and become acclimated to their new world. The only issue it seemed was that she had no closure with Sullivan. Their love story was heartbreaking. The things that happened to Sullivan essentially was him trading one control group for another. I felt their relationship was doomed from the beginning. I cannot imagine being in Brynn’s place. She experienced more in her life than most people deal within a lifetime. I was really glad Brynn was able to get a better life than she began with.

[Hailee Vandale · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don't even know where to begin with Chasing Devotion. This was one of those books that completely consumed me while I was reading it and left me emotionally recovering long after I finished. The kind of book you keep thinking about days later because the characters and their story refuse to leave your mind.
London Clarke has a gift for storytelling. Her writing is immersive, emotional, and incredibly vivid. Every scene felt so real. The emotions, the struggles, the triumphs, and the heartbreak all felt authentic and deeply impactful.
Brynn and Sullivan will be staying with me for a very long time. Their journey was beautiful, messy, emotional, and unforgettable.

If you're considering picking this one up, do yourself a favor and read it. Just be prepared to need a little time to recover afterward.
Absolutely 5 stars and another reminder of why London Clarke is an auto-buy author for me.

[Esme Journell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has been fascinated with cults for a very long time, I have to say that London Clark did an amazing job covering the subject with accuracy and sensitivity. There are so many misconceptions about how a person ends up in a cult, and not nearly enough awareness for what it’s like to recover from living in that kind of environment.

The way the tension built across two different times in our main character’s life, watching her realize her world was not what it seemed at the same time as she was going through the normal coming-of-age thoughts and experiences, was very well done. All in all there was enough detail for a believable world and characters you care about right away.

Without giving anything away, the ending was not what I had been expecting! But it was well executed and left me with a lot to think about.

Chasing Devotion was one of those books that I had to recover from, there were so many powerful themes and things you experience alongside the characters. This one is going to stay with me for a long time.

[Hannah Behler · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of rock music, concerts, and stories centered around cults and extreme beliefs, this book was an absolute hit for me! London Clarke delivered intensity and rich storytelling with real emotional weight.

The pull of a first love is something most readers can relate to, and this story captured that feeling perfectly. The writing was so vivid that it felt like I was watching a biopic unfold while reading. I completely binged this book because I needed to know what would happen next. The timeline jumps kept the momentum strong throughout. By the end, I felt completely immersed in the world and characters of Chasing Devotion. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a gripping, emotionally charged story they won’t want to put down.

[Brenda Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brynn at the young age remembers being romanced by the director of a cult where they meet on a yacht with her mother trying to just make ends meet. From there Brynn takes us through her memories and her meeting Sullivan her new neighbor within the town and some of the best and worst moments of living in this community cult-ure, until she is able to escape. Be prepared to go through this journey of Brynn of her past and current situation and how she still has to cope with the aftermath of living through this life. I was on this roller coaster with her and I hope many readers will find it as spellbinding as I did.

[Elaine Stock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another strong and suspenseful novel by London Clarke. What I enjoyed most were the vivid characters that packed an emotional punch. Definitely recommend.