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In The Beginning (The Blightridge Series Book 1)

J. Wilhelm
4.4 / 5.0
Published: 2026

Description

Everest had it all: a steady job, a comfortable routine, and a life that looked perfect on paper. But beneath the surface, he was drowning in the crushing weight of boredom and a nagging sense of emptiness. When a mysterious invitation to Blightridge arrives, he makes an impulsive, life-altering decision to leave his predictable world behind and step into the unknown. Blightridge is a place that defies description. It is a shadowy, enigmatic world where nothing is quite what it seems and the locals offer only cryptic silence. As Everest settles into this prison-like atmosphere, the lines between his former life and his new, chaotic reality begin to blur. He finds himself caught in an impossible web of secrets, inexplicable coincidences, and inmates whose presence makes no sense. While he laughs, cries, and finds unexpected sparks of connection, the darkness of Blightridge is closing in. He is not a prisoner, yet he feels tethered to a place he refuses to call home. As the mystery deepens, Everest must face the chilling truth: some doors are better left unopened. In Blightridge, people may arrive on their own terms, but once they enter, they rarely truly leave.

Customer Reviews

Top 5 from Amazon
A
Angel
May 15, 2026

You NEED to read this!

This book shocked me in the BEST way! I want to start by saying that the author has said that this book is the 'Prologue' to the series as a whole, In the Beginning is well, the beginning of the Blightridge series. As this is the prologue to the series, not all the answers we want or are looking for are answered in this book, we have to keep reading this series to figure out what secrets Blightridge is hiding. However! Just because we don't get the answers to the secrets of Blightridge, that doesn't mean we don't learn anything about this mysterious place, because we do! We learn that this place is a..getaway of sorts for those that feel broken, or unwanted in the 'regular' outside world of society. Obviously, things aren't all sunshine and rainbows, there IS darkness lurking in the corners and the way this author wrote this book and set up the rest of the series was BRILLIANT! We didn't just get a love story between two people from different worlds, (though their romance was so sweet and beautiful), but this book also provided us with the opportunity to see not only the perks of Blightridge but also got us thinking about what might be lurking behind closed doors and where all the money from Blightridge comes from.. and where it goes.. I really enjoyed reading this book, I thought it was a very intriguing concept, I found it to be very well written, I LOVED the characters, all of them even the side characters! Or well, especially the side characters! I'm so excited for the…
W
Wrencher.
May 11, 2026

Unique Storyline

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I greatly enjoyed it. The concept for not only this story but the entire series, from what I can tell, is extremely unique and like nothing I’ve ever read before. I’m honestly pretty excited for the whole thing. Don’t let the fact that this is a series prequel trick you into thinking this is a shorter novella length book, it is full length. Jett and Everest are perfect for each other. I love how Jett takes care of Everest, no questions asked. I love that they were able to find each other even in a place you wouldn’t think to find your soul mate. Their chemistry was great. There are still a few things I’m confused on but hope as the series progresses those questions will be answered. Most of them are pretty unimportant in the grand scheme but my brain has latched on…… who was the anonymous tip that told them about both the Coordinates house and Blightridge? Why were they paid a ton of money to come investigate Blightridge when they were the ones who asked if they could go investigate? I’m excited to see what answers might be uncovered in future books.
L
Lydia Morton
May 12, 2026

Hanging on to every word.

This is one of my FAVORITE MM books I have read. They way it draws you in and keeps you hanging on. This book kept me on edge and wanting more with every single chapter. I cannot wait for future books ❤️
B
BHB
May 11, 2026

Everest and Jett

I went into this book blind- requested it up because I loved the cover. The book was vague, but that kept me reading. I have a lot of questions, but I’m thinking *hoping* they’ll be answered in upcoming books. Prologues in books aren’t meant to answer questions, but intrigue us- and this being a “prologue novel” did just that. This really is different than anything I’ve read and the premise is neat. I have high hopes for future books!
B
Brit
May 13, 2026

4 stars!

Oh my goodness, I have SO many questions!!!! This book was such a good introduction to what I feel is going to be an amazing series. I wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen throughout the whole book and I loved it 😂 I cannot wait for the next book because I need to know more!!!