Author of "In My Dreams I Hold a Knife" and "Fool Me Once" , Ashley Winstead's latest novel is just as great as the others. Give it a read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, and Sourcebooks for and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. WOW, what a book! I absolutely loved this terrifying and chilling storyline and how vivid the story seemed in my mind as I read. The author did an amazing job with the details and she had me turning the pages as fast as I could. I don't want to give to much away but I will say I loved the crime podcast aspect to this one too! The multiple twists throughout the story had me shook and I think this is a must read for all you thriller lovers out there. This one is definitely not for the faint of heart so I would check out trigger warnings if certain topics are hard for you. This masterpiece is available on 8.16.22!!

Very twisted and disturbing story. This was obviously heavily inspired by NXVIM, and I felt very uncomfortable and anxious while reading this (I think that was the point). There were many twists I did not see coming, but I felt like the ending was kind of sloppy and a bit of a letdown. There was also a content warning at the beginning which I appreciated, but I am not sure if average readers will appreciate that, or if it may potentially turn off some readers. I appreciated the story overall but with all the triggers (rape, violence, self harm) it just was not my cup of tea.

This book had me absolutely SHOOK. I read the whole book in two days and could NOT put it down!

A story about, Shay, a woman determined to destroy a powerful cult and avenge the deaths of the women taken by its power.

While in college, Shay and her best friend meet a captivating man and his daughter who will change their lives forever. 8 years later a podcast host annouces the death of her best friend. Suddently, the past she thought she left behind is beginning to haunt her.

I'm serious, I have not been this obsessed with a book since I read Verity! An absolute must read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me this ARC to review! Be sure to mark your calendars for August 16th 2022 to get your hands on this book!,

Name of Book: The Last Housewife
Author: Ashley Winstead
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Publisher: Sourcebook Landmark
Pub Date: August 16, 2022
My Rating: 3.6 rounded up!

Content warning: Suicide, rape, physical violence, sexual violence, trauma, self-harm, misogyny, gender essentialism, drug use.

This was posted on one of the first pages of this e-galley. I thought Yikes this is every trigger warning I can think of ~ why did I want to read this?.
Oh now I remember ~ it is because I always find escaping from a cult interesting.

Story starts with Shay Evans mid-twenties, married and living the good life in a Texas suburb.
When she hears of the suicide death of Laurel via her favorite true-crime podcast, she fears that her past is back and she is no longer safe.

When Shay and her best friend Laurel started college, Rachel, a college friend’s dad Don invites several of Rachel’s friends out to dinner at an upscale restaurant. Shay in particular is very impressed with this ~ she finds Don very attractive. He introduced them to a new way of thinking about the world ~ e.g. Why in the women’s movements are women taught that in order to be successful you must act and think like a man .. Why is it necessary for women to give up being who they are and act like man?
Hmmm Sure make me think!!!
Soon they were caught in the dark web of a cult. Thankfully by senior year Shay and Laurel were able to escape.

Okay there is more to this story.
But it is enjoyable?.. My Answer ~ No
However, certainly a story that had me thinking.
There is no doubt it will make for an interesting book club discussion!
In fact, there is a great ‘Reading Group Guide’ at the end of this book that certainly adds to a thoughtful experience!!

Additionally at the end of this book …’A Conversation with the Author’ is awesome!
I always enjoy the ‘Acknowledgements’ and/or Author Notes etc. (I understand this is a time consuming and a bit stressful for many authors ~ but something I love to read.)

Want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 16, 2022.

When Shay tunes into a true crime podcast that her childhood friend hosts, she learns that her college roommate is dead. After contacting her friend, Jamie, she learns that her apparent suicide could be a little more sinister. While investigating a possible homicide, Shay dives into her past with her roommate, Laurel, and uncovers some secrets that could lead to the truth.

I wasn’t impressed with this one. It had a lot of promise, but I thought it fell flat. I wasn’t motivated to pick it up and I felt that it was very repetitive. The interviews felt unrealistic and way too narrative. I didn’t feel like this was a true crime podcast at all. The Pater society was intriguing- I love a good cult story - but it was overall very one dimensional. The ending was fairly predictable. I was really thrown off by the fact that Shay was married. I thought that this added nothing to the story and she very well could have been single. I had high hopes for this book, which may be why I was so disappointed.

I liked the premise of this book, however it was a little too dark for me. The writing was great, but the characters lacked some development and it had every trigger imaginable. I'm normally okay with dark books, especially cult-centered ones, but this one missed the mark for me.

The reviews for this book are outstanding. My opinion differs, but while it was just okay for me, I’d recommend it to people I think will enjoy it. I prefer a story that’s a bit more believable. While the premise is very real and possible, so many of the situations and actions by characters just wouldn’t happen. If you are okay with suspending disbelief, the author certainly can write a story.

Than you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. This is my honest review.

I found this to be too long and I ended up getting about 40% in and just skipping to the end. This didn’t hold my attention like the authors previous work did.

"The Last Housewife” by Ashley Winstead should be one of the most talked-about books of the year 🤩
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I do not typically post reviews so far out from publication dates. But I was lucky enough to be gifted an eARC by the publisher and I literally couldn’t wait one more second to read it, and now that I’ve read it I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT 🗣⁣ so I went ahead and posted my review on Bookstagram and Goodreads.
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If you asked me to name my favorite ultra-specific genre, I would say “feminist thrillers,” and that’s exactly what this is. It’s very dark and disturbing — on the level of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and then some. If you liked “The Husbands” by Chandler Baker or “The Boys’ Club” by Erica Katz, you’ll be into this one. ⁣
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“The Last Housewife” is Shay, a privileged Texas housewife who learns of the suspicious death of one of her college friends from a true crime podcast. She heads back to her college town in upstate NY, recruiting the podcast host to help her investigate. But the investigation soon slams directly into Shay’s dark past — namely, a misogynistic sex cult with power far beyond that little college town. ⁣
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There is so much about this book that can’t be communicated through a review, let alone a character-limited review on Instagram. “The Last Housewife” uses an original, engrossing, wild-ride of a plot line to tackle misogyny and the patriarchy head-on. As more review copies are distributed, I expect it to become a bit polarizing. As much as I want everyone to read it and get it, not everyone will, and I want to be careful to manage expectations.
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In her author’s note, Winstead talks about two of the male characters existing on a spectrum of misogyny, and that was a big 💡 moment for me. ⁣
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If you can preorder this one, I highly recommend doing so, because you’re going to want in your hands ASAP on Aug. 16.

A perfectly creepy, unsettling, and yet empowering thriller!

I loved the plot, and the subtleties toward current events in today’s society. I’m a big fan of how the female protagonist in this thriller is complex yet strong and capable. It made me want to keep reading her journey. There’s nothing worse than reading a thriller with a weak/naïve female lead. I definitely felt unsettled and creeped out at times, whilst still at the edge of my seat wanting to keep reading! Without giving anything away, I really liked how everything wrapped up, too.

Jamie, the secondary character was kind of meh, I didn’t love or hate him, he was just kind of there for me. I wish there was more background on her feelings toward him. His podcast was a great detail to the story though!

One of my favorite parts was the ‘Conversation with the Author’ at the end. Ashley’s thoughts, research, and process were so well articulated and truly fascinating to me. I truly appreciated what I just read so much more! It was very clear how much hard work and intention went into this one.

Thank you Net Galley and Source Books for this e-arc! I think this will be a big hit when it hits the shelves!

This is a really brutal book- one that shows the insidious techniques of charismatic cult leaders, and explores why anyone, but especially bright young women would be drawn to the experience. And as a NY state resident I wasn't surprised that the book was set here- there's something about NYS that is cult catnip. There's very much a hyper-patriarchal Eyes Wide Shut vibe. It's hard to review books like this one because it wasn't an enjoyable read, but a compelling one. Just about every possible type of trigger-warning content is included in this novel but there's enough mystery at the heart of it to want to keep reading. There's also a theme about Scheherazade that initially felt arbitrary that actually works really well for the ending.

Content warnings suicide, physical violence, sexual violence, trauma, self-harm, misogyny, gender essentialism, drug use.

Ok y’all, I finished this book a week ago and have just been letting it marinate. I needed to have my feelings about the book and think about it. I also am obsessing over my review so much because I am certain, no matter what, my review will not be able to properly convey how this book affected me! Especially those last 100 pages or so!! I kept so many notes in my notepad for this one. I figured Thriller Thursday would be a perfect time to showcase this one because it is easily my favorite thriller this year.. and I do not see that changing any time soon! I am extremely grateful to Ashley Winstead for getting me an ARC (and responding to my messages almost daily about me not reading the book yet) I had been reading every review she shared and having the worst FOMO! I was so anxious to read this book because I had built it up so much, but it delivered!!
Is everyone sick of me constantly obsessing over The Last Housewife and fangirling over Ashley?? Well after this book, I can tell you the fangirling will not be stopping. I need to make sure everyone reads her books! She is a real one, to be able to switch from thriller, to political romance to this! I do not know how she does it! After reading In My Dreams, I put her on my list to see what she would put out next, when I saw it was Fool Me Once, I was intrigued. That book is so fantastic, I have a review of it on my feed if you want to go back and read it! Then when she shared her upcoming thriller, The Last Housewife, with all the content warnings, I knew I had to read it asap. She could literally write a cookbook and I would read every word!
Thank you for tackling these topics that are difficult and dark, although I have no idea how these ideas come from this sweet soul! While this particular book may not be for everyone, I think it’s one that is going to be hard to beat for me! But definitely read the trigger warnings provided, because there are a lot!
I did not know where this book was going, and every time I thought I finally understood, I did not! It was so provocative, twisted, terrifying, disturbing and propulsive.. all the things!! And I loved it, so I’m not sure what that says about me!
When I finished the book, I was not ready to be done and read all the way through to the acknowledgements and I highly recommend reading the conversation with the author. It was so insightful for me! I love seeing into character development and the authors mindset.
I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have gotten this book early! And you better believe I have it preordered, and honestly will probably reread it when I get my physical copy!

The Last Housewife is one of the most memorable books I have ever read. Shay discovers that her college friend Laurel has died, possibly under suspicious circumstances. She travels to New York to investigate, and buddies up with her childhood friend Jamie who works as a successful investigative reporter. She begins to share with him the trauma she experienced along with her roommates at the fictional Whitney College. There, they were seduced and essentially held captives by a sadistic man named Don. Shay suspects that Don is back on the scene and responsible for women's deaths around town. I'm not usually a fan of thrillers, but this one completely defies and reinvents every trope of the genre: there's mystery, psychological intrigue, social commentary on gender and sexuality, a seething indictment of performative progressive values. I also really appreciated the author's very careful use of violence. Nothing occurs for shock and awe, but helps move the plot forward to demonstrate the grip radical ideology can have on a person.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Did I just find the a top contender for best thriller of the year in *checks calendar* March?! I think so! I honestly had no idea what to expect going into The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead and I can't say I was totally hooked in the first quarter of the story. But then we hit 40% of the way through and from then on I was obsessed with sneaking in every second of my spare time reading this. Be warned: it has many content warnings to be prepared for, many of which have been excellently brought forward by others here on Goodreads.

The way the story is broken up with podcast interviews from time to time was a nice way for the reader to remain engaged and not tired out by the plot. The characters Ashley brings to life in this story were captivating when it came to decisions that you as a reader would probably never choose for yourself. You want to scream through the pages for the character to run and trust nobody. Well done by the author to make me feel that way! This is a book that features too many spoilers to dive into the root of the story but summer book clubs will have plenty to talk about when they could (and should) pick this as their monthly pick!

I was bamboozled by the ending, I should have seen something that twisted coming! While In My Dreams I Hold a Knife was a solid debut for Ashley, I think The Last Housewife really displays what we can expect from her with any future publication. This was a fantastic thriller and I want to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read this ahead of its summer publication date!

The Last Housewife was not what I expected. It's erotica, and was a big ole DNF for me! Be warned, if you don't enjoy erotica this isn't the book for you.

I loved this thriller! It was so twisty, dark and captivating. The perfect thriller to read on a long road trip. Looking forward to what ashley writes next!

✨Unpopular Opinion✨

I was so so excited to read 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑤𝑖𝑓𝑒 by Ashley Winstead, the reviews on goodreads are so hyped up and there’s lots of 5 stars. However, I found this to be super reptitive, boring and to be frank I just didn’t enjoy it.

I finished this up a few days ago and thought after a few days of processing the story it might grow on me, but unfortunately no. There are tons of triggers in this book, which usually dont bother me but the continuous, over and over extreme dominatrix scenes were just too much. It totally dimmed all the really important concepts that the author was trying to portray.

The storyline had potential for sure. I enjoy thrillers revolving around cults but this fell flat. I felt there were loose ends regarding Shays relationships with both her soon to be ex-husband and with podcaster Jamie.

As said before this story holds every trigger possible, so go in prepared. SADLY, one of my main thoughts were I totally could see this actually happening in the real world with all the grimy politicians, especially NY state🤷🏻‍♀️!

SYNOPSIS: “While in college in New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tony Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death—delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader—she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.”

QOTD: did anyone else feel that this was a let down?

Wow, this book was intense. I liked that it was unique, but did feel that a lot of it was unrealistic. I can't imagine a group like this existing without people being checked for wires, for example. I do think the book brought up really interesting questions about one's like and preferences and how they can be fundamentally harmful. As well, bringing up critiques of faux feminism that isn't truly liberatory.

Honestly, cannot decide between 3 and 4 stars.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝.

Stunning, disturbing, dark, and depraved are just a few of the adjectives I've seen to describe this book, and those just barely scratch the surface. Winstead has painted with heartbreaking precision a deeply troubling portrait of casual misogyny that is alive and well in every corner of the world.

When Shay Evans, a Texas housewife, hears on a true crime podcast that her dear friend from college is dead, she is immediately catapulted back to her college years when another friend died in a similar fashion. She is positive the deaths are connected, and with barely a word to her husband, she packs a bag and leaves her comfortable life to face some of the most vile demons that she thought had been long exorcised.

Getting answers is not easy. As a naive college student, Shay thought she was being seduced by an older man, eager to show her the ways of the world. While she thought he was helping her break down her inhibitions and embrace her power as a woman, she had no idea he was destroying her self-confidence and conditioning her to accept humiliation.

This is a powerful exploration into what it means to be a woman and always questioning the roles of predator and prey. When this releases on August 16, 2022, a copy will most definitely have a place on my shelf.