Happy Release Day!
Congrats Kay
on the release today of
Working Class Hero!
Published July 8, 2026 by Red Thread Publishing Group
Because in Hart’s Ridge, justice is personal.
In Hart’s Ridge, people look after their own. So when a late-night emergency shakes the town, everyone is quick to rally around the firefighters who risk everything to protect it, especially Fire Chief Alex Mercer, a man known for showing up when things fall apart.
Taylor Gray has learned that stories formed too quickly rarely hold the whole truth.
Small details begin to surface. Quiet fears. Secrets kept behind closed doors. A woman who may have been trying to change the course of her life. As Taylor pulls at loose threads, she finds herself standing against a tide of loyalty and silence that runs deeper than she expected.
Because some fires burn long after the flames are gone.
And sometimes uncovering the truth means questioning the people everyone else trusts.
My thoughts about Working Class Hero ~~
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)
First lines—"The laundry had been folded twice already."
Working Class Hero is another page turning, thrilling read by Kay Bratt! I don't know how she does it.
A devastating house fire destroys so much. Taylor investigates, trying to determine if it was a horrible accident or if there was something more sinister and intentional going on. As she works the case and tires to prove her suspicions, she also has to look at the facts. The solving of this case took me to a place I did not see coming. I love when that happens!
One of the things I love about this series, along with each interesting case that needs to be solved, is the family dynamics that are covered in each story. The Gray family and their friends are a complicated bunch and each story gives us more of a glimpse into their lives. I've come to think of this group as my friends. I am fully invested in the lives of Taylor and her family members.
The Hart's Ridge series is an amazing set of stories, with memorable characters and interesting plotlines. I highly recommend Working Class Hero, as well as this whole series—it just keeps getting better and better.
And the author just keeps writing this series. Yay for us!!
Book #17, It's Only Love, is expected to be released on September 29, 2026!
I received an ARC of Working Class Hero from the author and this is my honest opinion.
***********************
Read my thoughts about Hart's Ridge, Lucy in the Sky, In My Life, Borrowed Time, Instant Karma, Nobody Told Me, Hello Goodbye, Starting Over, Blackbird, Hello Little Girl, So This is Christmas, Every Little Thing, Now and Then, Tell Me Why and Ticket to Ride.
**************************
About the author
Kay Bratt; Writer, Rescuer, Wanderer
As a writer, Kay used writing to help her navigate a tumultuous childhood, followed by a decade of abuse as an adult. After working her way through the hard years, Kay emerged a survivor and a pursuer of peace--and finally found the courage to share her stories. She is the author of more than a dozen full length books, with ten of those published by Lake Union Publishing. Kay writes women's fiction and historical fiction, and her books have fueled many exciting book club discussions. Her works have been translated into German, Korean, Chinese, Czechoslovakian, and Estonian.
As a rescuer, Kay currently focuses her efforts on animal rescue and is the Director of Advocacy for Yorkie Rescue of the Carolinas. As a child advocate, she spent a number of years volunteering in a Chinese orphanage, as well as provided assistance for several nonprofit organizations that support children in China, including An Orphan's Wish (AOW), Pearl River Outreach, and Love Without Boundaries. In the USA, she actively served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in Georgia, and spear-headed numerous outreach programs for underprivileged children in the South Carolina area.
As a wanderer, Kay has lived in nearly three dozen different homes, on two continents and in states from coast to coast in the USA. She's traveled to Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Philippines, Central America, Bahamas, and Australia. Currently she and her soulmate of more than 25 years enjoy life in their forever home on the banks of Lake Hartwell in Georgia, USA.
Kay has been described as southern, spicy, and a little sassy. Social media forces her to overshare and you don't want to miss some of the antics that goes on with her and the Bratt Pack.
As a writer, Kay used writing to help her navigate a tumultuous childhood, followed by a decade of abuse as an adult. After working her way through the hard years, Kay emerged a survivor and a pursuer of peace--and finally found the courage to share her stories. She is the author of more than a dozen full length books, with ten of those published by Lake Union Publishing. Kay writes women's fiction and historical fiction, and her books have fueled many exciting book club discussions. Her works have been translated into German, Korean, Chinese, Czechoslovakian, and Estonian.
As a rescuer, Kay currently focuses her efforts on animal rescue and is the Director of Advocacy for Yorkie Rescue of the Carolinas. As a child advocate, she spent a number of years volunteering in a Chinese orphanage, as well as provided assistance for several nonprofit organizations that support children in China, including An Orphan's Wish (AOW), Pearl River Outreach, and Love Without Boundaries. In the USA, she actively served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in Georgia, and spear-headed numerous outreach programs for underprivileged children in the South Carolina area.
As a wanderer, Kay has lived in nearly three dozen different homes, on two continents and in states from coast to coast in the USA. She's traveled to Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Philippines, Central America, Bahamas, and Australia. Currently she and her soulmate of more than 25 years enjoy life in their forever home on the banks of Lake Hartwell in Georgia, USA.
Kay has been described as southern, spicy, and a little sassy. Social media forces her to overshare and you don't want to miss some of the antics that goes on with her and the Bratt Pack.
Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and then buckle up and enjoy the ride. You can find a full list of her published works at www.kaybratt.com -- To be notified when new books are released, please sign up for my monthly email newsletter at www.kaybratt.com ~ Goodreads
