I am a huge fan of Ashley Winstead, but I must begin this review by saying that this book will absolutely not be for everyone. I was personally not prepared for the content despite having seen the warnings. Therefore, I will join with many other reviewers and insist that you take the content warnings seriously. Here are the big ones: suicide, rape, physical and sexual violence, trauma, self-harm, misogyny.

Obviously, this was an extremely dark and shocking read, but this author is a truly gifted writer. I would like to live in her head for just five minutes. She can write everything from a feel-good rom com to a dark academia thriller to this absolutely shocking sex cult meets true crime podcast meets coming of age story from which I still haven’t recovered. Do you hear me? I still have not recovered! I have never read anything like this in my life.

I’m a little scared of you and a lot in awe of you, Ashley Winstead. You can write any dang thing you want to, and I will read it. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark @bookmarked and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book before its publication date.

When Shay hears her best friend from college died, she suspects it has to do with their dark past they escaped. Together with a podcast investigator, they delve into a dark and seductive inner-world.

I wasn’t a huge fan of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife but boy, did I like this one! It is dark, deep and speaks to some intense psychology. I loved the inner investigation and how we learn a bit more of the past through a combination of interview and story. The story itself was so entertaining and shocking, I wasn’t expecting to be shocked with twists as well.

“After all, names like yours are never etched into the books unless men like him allow it.“

The Last Housewife comes out 8/16.

When Shay hears of her college roommate Laurel’s death, she flees to the place she vowed never to return eight years prior-their college campus in upstate New York. The police are deeming Laurel’s death a suicide, but Shay believes there is more to the story, and begins to investigate with the help of her childhood friend Jamie, host of a true crime podcast.

I kept my synopsis somewhat vague, because I feel it’s best to go into the story fairly blind, but I will say this—this is one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. It is an extremely trigger-heavy novel, but there is a content warning listed at the beginning of the book which is incredibly helpful. That being said, as dark, twisted, and infuriating as this book is, its also completely unputdownable. If you are up for a wild ride, and can handle the unsettling content, I would definitely recommend! If you are unsure, check out the trigger warnings, or read more thorough summaries/reviews.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my gifted e-ARC!

WOW. Wow. Okay. This was soooo much darker than I thought it was going to be and I loved every minute of it (not sure what that says about me, but I digress). In My Dreams I Hold a Knife was one of my favorite thrillers of 2021 so my expectations were high going into this one. We’ve got a deeply unsettling and high-stakes plot, phenomenal writing, excellent pacing, and a rabbit-hole of darkness that I just couldn’t get enough of. Definitely be sure to note the content/trigger warnings at the beginning of the book because there are quite a few, and they are warranted. This book hooked me from page 1 and didn’t let me go until that final shocking twist, no doubt securing Ashley Winstead as one of my favorite thriller authors of all time.

This book is DARK y’all! There were many times I had to put it down and give myself a break and watch my bravo shows (hi southern charm)

The reality is, it covers so many dark topics but that’s our world! It’s hard to read about some of the concepts talked about, but so many people have experienced what the main character, Shay has whether it’s to that extreme or not.

I’ve read a few books about cults before, but this one goes above and beyond anything I have ever read! I want to thank the author, Ashley Winstead, for doing such an amazing job with this writing because it truly makes you feel and brings light to what’s going on with the issues discussed in the book.

I don’t want to say too much so I don’t give anything away because I truly believe going into this book blind will give you the best reading experience! But what I DO have to say is this is a nail freaking bitter and my mind is absolutely blown after reading this!

I absolutely loved “In My Dreams I Hold A Knife” and was so excited for this one, but let me tell you, it’s completely different and like nothing I have ever read before (but in a great freaking way) I feel like only the absolute best authors can write such a wide variety of work and they all be amazing!

I highly recommend this book, but before you decide to read this, I really do suggest looking up the trigger warnings because there are SO many this book covers.

Also need to give a moment for this cover… everything about it is gorgeous!!!

🥳This book comes out August 16/2022

Thank you so much for my advanced copy!

Thank you so much to the publisher and Ashley Winstead for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Housewife was an extremely powerful and disturbing read (seriously it has pretty much every trigger imaginable) and had a very different tone to it than In My Dreams I Hold A Knife which was one of my favorite reads last year.

This books deals with so many traumatic situations involving grooming, sexual violence, sexism (and more) that were extremely difficult for me to read. This book is in no way a popcorn thriller. Even though In My Dreams I Hold A Knife was dark, it does not come close to where this one goes.

I did find this book to be rather repetitive in the narrative however, I do understand why this was the case. A lot of the book was a character study more than a plot driven story (some may disagree and find this one fast paced but for me personally, it was slower). This book explores questions like: What is the process of grooming? How does one who has such a strong independent personality get manipulated to join a cult? I also know that a lot of people will not be satisfied with the ending of this book.

I really enjoyed reading the conversation with Ashely Winstead at the end of the book where she explains the story's meaning and how it relates to her personally. I find her to be such a unique person and skilled author. The conversation about beauty was fascinating and my favorite quote was, “Beauty is always a two-way street. So who holds the true power: the beautiful person or the person looking?”.

I think this book opens up a lot of discussions. Was my experience reading this enjoyable? That’s difficult to say because some of it was personally triggering. It left me thinking deeply about real world situations which is something thrillers rarely do to me. The Last Housewife is phenomenally written and is certainly worth checking out if you can handle the content in it.

I will definitely be looking forward to whatever Ashley Winstead writes next. She’s definitely an auto-buy author for me!

This forthcoming release from the author of “In My Dreams I Hold a Knife” comes with many, many trigger warnings — there are descriptions of rape, self-harm, misogyny and suicide. For those who will still pick the novel up, strap in for a terrifying tale of revenge. The main character, Shay Evan, has returned to her New York university after years of attempting to escape the trauma she endured; she and her two best friends were held captive and abused by a powerful, manipulative man. Shay has returned to the scene of this horrifying experience after learning on a true-crime podcast that Laurel, her friend who she escaped with all those years ago, has died by suicide. But that story isn’t adding up to Shay. And she’s determined to find out what truly happened. Not-so-spoiler alert: These ongoings have to do with an NXIVM-type cult.

Ashley Winstead continues to stun me with her plots, character depth, and overall story tone. After rating her previous thriller (In My Dreams I Hold a Knife) five stars, I couldn’t wait to read The Last Housewife.

Shay is a morally gray character who has tried to outrun her troubling past but when her former college roommate and best friend Laurel is found dead, Shay’s world comes crashing down. As Shay and her childhood friend and true crime podcaster Jamie investigate Laurel’s death, connections with Shay’s past come to light.

The Last Housewife is a psychological thriller with very dark themes: cults, abuse, misogyny, domination, gender essentialism, among others. Certain scenes were difficult to read and this book is not for the faint of heart. Edgy, thought provoking, and unputdownable, I recommend this to thriller enthusiasts!

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Ashley Winstead for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted on Instagram @book_grams and Goodreads

Rating: 4 stars
Pub Date: August 16

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 🪡

🧵🧵🧵🧵🪡

𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: August 16th 2022

𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 💭:
This book is dark and twisty and I couldn't put it down. I have read a lot of books about cults but this one really captivated my interest.
🧵
This story will not be for everyone, there are a lot Trigger Warnings — But for me this was BEAUTIFULLY written and the story really pulled me in ✨
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The Last Housewife definitely is one of my most binge worthy books this year!
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The story follows Shay Deroy, a married woman living in Texas with her wealthy husband. Shay loves true crime podcasts, especially one by her childhood friend, Jamie. While listening to Jamie’s podcast, Shay finds out that one of her high school best friends, Laurel, has died by suicide. The facts don't line up with a suicide and Shay wants to avenge Laurel's death. Shay teams up with Jamie to piece together Laurels murder. However, Shay and Laurel shared a dark and secretive past that can’t be kept a secret much longer.

I was hooked on all the twists and turns! AND by the end I was left speechless 😶. I decided to sit on my thoughts but the verdict is in: I really enjoyed this one. I’m still thinking about this haunting story.
🪡
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 & 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

This book was dark and grim and I couldn’t put it down. I read late into the night, needing to know what twisted scenario would arise next. Heed the trigger warnings, but if you think you can handle it, grab this book and start reading!

review ✨

This book was absolutely bonkers and unhinged in the best way!!! Parts were so difficult to read because of the horrific trauma — this has just about every content warning you could imagine. This was so sharp and well done and *just* on the nose enough to leave me 🤯

I’ve been really enjoying reading and watching docs/shows about cults, and this was one of the best fictional cultish books I’ve read. This is not going to be for everyone as it was an extremely dark read but Ashley Winstead went THERE.

Thank you NetGalley and sourcebook landmarks for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

🗓 pub date: August 16, 2022
📖 400 pages
🌟 my rating: 4.75⭐️
💜 read if you liked The Vow on HBO or Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

Shay is living her best life in Texas with her rich husband. She goes to parties at night and lounges by the pool during the day. She also loves podcasts so when she learns that her best friend from college, Laurel, was found hanging from a tree during her favorite podcasts the curtains are drawn back and we see what Shay’s life was really like before her marriage.

In college Shay and her friends, Clem and Laurel, were swept up by a charismatic older man and seduced by his lifestyle. Soon the girls are living in his house and don’t got to class much. After Clem commits suicide, Laurel and Shay escape and never look back. The news of Laurel’s death sends Shay on a wild goose chase where nothing is as it seems and one’s desires can get you killed.

I thought it was hot outside but man oh man this book had some steamy parts while also diving deep into toxic masculinity. I don’t want to give a lot away but it took me into corners of the world I knew nothing about. The way this book slowly stripped away the layers of the story had me reading well past my bedtime and wanting more. There is a lot of sexual violence in this book so if you are sensitive to that be warned. It does have a solid plot and a twist I did not see coming.

I guess it’s not good to start reading a book with such high expectations because it can set you up to be disappointed. Unfortunately that’s what happened with this one for me. The writing was good and the descriptions were definitely evocative. I liked that there was an unforeseen twist near the end. The plot reminded me so much of other movies/books, namely the Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison, so I didn’t find it very original. I also was never really hooked by the plot and was, therefore, never invested in the lives of the characters or the outcome. It was all a bit surreal and not much to my taste. Others have raved about this so I urge other readers to give it a go and decide for themselves.

Give me dark complicated storylines that slowly unravel layers of mysteries and I’ll be stuck to the pages like honey. This book was incredibly addictive.

What I love: Winstead is AMAZING with words. I love her writing so much. Also, it involves a cult. I’m always game for books pertaining to that type of storyline.

What I did not love: the characters were unlikable and a bit flat. I had a hard time investing in them. It began to feel repetitive toward the end.

I am hoping that Shay gets the therapy she needs and deserves…because, damn!

Terrifying and captivating, I couldn’t put this book down! A dark and twisted tale of misogyny, patriarchy and abuse of power it hits close to home given the current political climate. This book is a must read for anyone who loves a deep thriller n

I am still processing this novel. It has elements of “Eyes Wide Shut” and “The Handmaids Tale.”
🎭
Shay and her friends attend Whitney college in upstate New York. They meet one of their friends dad. He slowly introduces them to a whole new world and his views about the roles of men vs women and leads them down a different path. They are seduced by his intentions, but quickly involved in ways that affect them forever.
🎭
A women comes up dead and only Shay and her friend Laurel manage to break away.
🎭
Eight years later Shay hears a podcast by her childhood friend and finds out Laurel has died. Shay has built a new life in another state and really does not want to go back to Whitney college, but is compelled to return.
🕵️‍♀️
Shay and her childhood friend start investigating Laurels death and secrets come out involving the girls. Shay wanted them hidden, but soon she becomes involved in an underground, and crazy world.

Triggers: Suicide , Rape, Violence, Self-harm, Gender Essentialism, Misogyny

This book is due out August 16, 2022. Thank you @netgalley, @sourcebookslandmark and author @ashleywinstead for this advanced copy. #netgalley, #ashleywinstead, #sourcebookslandmark, #bookstagram, #bookreview, #stamperlady50, #booksconnectus

Wow. What did I just read?!?!

I honestly don't even know how to rate this book because I will be processing it for a long time.

The Last Housewife is DARK and twisted. It's a psychosexual thriller that had me furiously flipping pages. This story revolves around badass heroine Shay Evans, who returns to her New York college town to avenge the deaths of her two friends by trying to infiltrate a violent sex cult.

I am not going to say much more about this book - just a warning. PLEASE read the trigger warnings before jumping into this one. It's not for everyone. I am not typically bothered by much in books, but this one has been in my head for the last 2 weeks. I will say one more thing- I will continue to read any book that Ashley Winstead writes.

THE LAST HOUSEWIFE is a tough one for me to rate and review. On one hand, Ashley Winstead's writing is solid and the initial mystery is intriguing, but ultimately I've decided that this book isn't for me. In all fairness, there were a multitude of trigger warnings listed at the beginning of the book giving readers forewarning about the explicit content. I typically enjoy heavy/dark reads and don't experience triggers as other readers may but this book was next level DARK. I felt very uncomfortable with the prevalent and sadistic portrayal of sexual abuse. The cult-like communal sexual experiences and S&M and violent rape/sex depicted are not aspects of the story I enjoyed. I felt deeply unsettled and disgusted while reading this story and couldn't wait to get it out of my thoughts. I truly hope the author has a good therapist that can help her in the aftermath of having this story in her mind for a prolonged period of time.

A big thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. I don’t know what I was expecting from this novel, but this certainly wasn’t it - and I mean that in the best possible way!! I had been dying for Winstead’s sophomore thriller after loving In My Dreams I Hold A Knife so much, and this one certainly did not disappoint.

The Last Housewife is beyond dark and twisty. You’re going to have no clue where this thing is going to go. I found myself screaming at the main character the whole time because of the situations she placed herself in, but the danger made the ride all the more fun. This book is loaded with every trigger warning possible (which, thanks for listing this at the beginning of the book), so be aware going in, but if you’re a fan of dark novels, than this is for you.

All in all I absolutely loved this and couldn’t have been more in love with the cult aspect. Sign me up for anything that Winstead writes in the future.

🔪VERDICT: 4.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to @netgalley and @bookmarked for an ARC of this one! It publishes August 16!

I don’t know how to review this one. It was certainly dark. Probably one of the darkest books I have ever read. But I can’t pinpoint how I feel about it. This is one I need some time to sit with.