10./10!!!!!! So good, so creepy, so unique, so disturbing, I LOVED IT! It was so twisted while still being a commentary on real issues. I loved the main character. I did not know what to expect from this one but I really enjoyed it and will definitely be on my top 10 of the year.

5,000 stars for this one. Coming in at my favorite read of the year, Ashley Winstead crafts a story of power, misogyny, manipulation, abuse (see trigger warnings), and my personal favorite - revenge.

I know this is a work of fiction, but with recent events (insidious & powerful men trying to gain control of women) this story felt scarily close to home. Which made me that much more invested!! This was a perfect thriller, twisty, layered, and truly shocking. Do not miss out!!
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Synopsis- While in college in upstate 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.

Thank you to netgalley, sourcebooks, and ashleywinsteadbooks for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review! ♡︎♡︎♡︎

An interesting, twisty thriller for fans of the NXIUM podcast or psychological, domestic cult thrillers. The premise is buzzy, with true crime podcasts and college town murder. If you're at all sensitive to sexual assault or abuse, I would definitely check the TWs before reading, but if you're prepared for some dark, serious cult mystery, this is one not to miss.

The author starts with the true story of the Sarah Lawrence mini-cult, and takes it way over the top. Imagine a big dollop of 50 Shades of Grey BDSM, a string of Eyes Wide Shut mansion orgies, and some NXIVM style branding, plus a massive patriarchal conspiracy, a whole lot of psychopaths and some serial killing to top it all off.. It's... a lot. The psychological analysis of masochism and sadism is interesting, and the author is perceptive about why some women choose to stay with abusers, but this book really throws the entire kitchen sink of thriller tropes at you. If you prefer thrillers that stay within the realm of plausibility, this will not be your cup of tea.

Too dark for me. This one wasn't for me but will still check out more by this author. Upsetting but an intriguing premise.

Cover: 5 Stars - I would absolutely grab this up because of the eye catching cover.

Book: 3.5 Stars - I've never read a book with a content warning like the Last Housewife. Going into it I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was drawn into the story wanting to know more about the girls in the podcast, their connection to Shay, and as the story progressed, the strange world that Shay had gotten tangled in during those college years..

Honestly, it's hard to say if I liked this book or not, parts I read out of morbid fascination and parts I just wanted to see what would happen. There were a few good twists near the end. For those that are interested, I would take the content warning seriously.

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

Wow. Wow. Wow.

I have sat on my thoughts for this review for quite some time, but what I keep coming back to is that I am still thinking about this book. And will probably be for some time.

This is another one where you probably won't hear me gushing oh my gosh I loooooved this book, merely because of the content and triggers, but I could not physically put it down. I think that @ashleywinsteadbooks is a master at thrillers. I devoured In My Dreams I Hold a Knife when it came out last year, and this was no different.

I have always been into anything about cults. I find them disturbing, yet fascinating. The Last Housewife explores them in such a way that you cannot pull your eyes from the page. It is extremely dark, immersive, disturbing, polarizing, and a million more things.

I liked how the story was broken up with interviews from a podcast telling things that happened in the past. I feel like it broke up the intensity of present day, even though the past was equally as intense.

Lastly, the ending. To me it was a slam dunk. You will not see it coming, and as much as you want to just shake the MC, Shay, throughout the novel I found myself being glad with how it ended. It wasn't predictable. I appreciated that.

If you're thinking about picking this up, you need to look up triggers, and maybe read a review or two because it is 10000% not for everyone.

5 ⭐️

Holy cow. What did I just read!

I literally gasped multiple times while reading this book (in public too!)

Jaw completely dropped. Shocked face. Breaks to digest what I was reading. The total experience.

I went in blind- which maybe I wouldn’t recommend for everyone. There’s a ton of sensitive content that I had no idea was coming. But that almost added to the shock value. I wasn’t expecting almost any of what I read!

Winsteads writing is *chefs kiss.* In My Dreams has been on my list for a long time and it just skipped to the head of the line. This book was told in a mix of ways- from our main character to podcast interviews. Such a cool way to set up a book. And the epilogue!!! My jaw dropped once again. It wrapped everything up in a shocking bow.

Shay (current housewife) is listening to her old friends true crime podcast when she learns of the death of her college best friend. She is totally floored. She packs her bags and goes back to her college town to see if she can put together the pieces with the podcaster, Jamie.

What starts off as a little detective work leads us to unraveling layers and layers of Shay. The other college roommate was also found dead years before. It seems suspicious to the reader but deep down Shay knew there was so much more. It turned out the girls were all groomed and kept as captives by a sex cult leader. WHAT! Three innocent college girls lose their futures, their sanity, their self respect, their egos. I kept attempting to visualize this happening at my college which made it all the more chilling.

Shay & Jamie go on a wild ride to get to the bottom of what happened to their two friends. All the while we learn crazier and crazier things about Shay. Each piece of her story is an important accessory to why Shay is who she is. Each corner they turn more things come out. There’s so much anticipation, anxiety, breath-holding, prayers on the readers rollercoaster.

Could not put this down or stop thinking about it. It is wild to think this kind of thing goes on in our world and how twisted people can be. It was upsetting (especially to realize how many people in power are typically connected.) Highly recommend to thriller readers but of course check the triggers.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Winstead does it again! This is a great mystery/thriller and im a big fan of mixing prose and podcast transcripts. it has an interactive/multi-media feel that some recent mystery/thrillers have used and i think it works really well, especially as it all ties together right at the end of the book. And the content is actually very intriguing! Didn't want to put this one down!

If you have any interest in this book, please read the content warnings. I knew going in this was dark, but this is darker than dark to the point that I was really grossed out. It takes a lot to get me here, but there was a lot about the book that rubbed me the wrong way.

Content warnings: sexual violence, rape, gaslighting, adult/minor relationship, confinement, drugs, infidelity, self harm, bdsm/nxivm

I quickly learned there were three storylines to this book: solving a murder, gender roles in society, and a hush hush sex cult filled with prominent men within a community. Which in learning this, I was game for.

I was not game for how graphic this story was. It took fifty shades of gray mixed with a kidnapping/sex slave vibes to a whole new level. For a lack of better words, this story was trauma porn. Despite having three story lines, each story was backed by sexual violence, which for a 400 page story, was entirely too much.

As I read, I kept telling myself these complicated storylines would shed light on something. But that something was never explained. For a character who said “let me tell you a story” time and time again, she didn’t tell me anything except the same thing over and over again (which was, sexual violence).

I have a few other nitpicky complaints that don’t relate to the storylines and are definite spoilers, so those additional eyerolls did not help this case.

Thank you for Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

I really thought I would like this book. I hoped the characters would be complicated and deep. I hoped the story would have some satisfying moments. I just didn’t get that. There is no one to like here and a very shallow list of characters who fit into two categories. I had a hard time wanting to finish this.

This is a hard book for me to review. I had a difficult time getting through this book and it stayed with me far longer than I wanted it to. There are certainly elements of the book that interest me and much to discuss for those who can read the entire book. What I wanted to get from this book: some strong feminist characters who rebel against the patriarchy and find strength within themselves. What I actually got: Formulaic “bad men” who torture and mistreat women in the extreme and the suggestion that most men would join this cult if they had the means and power to do so. Where are the men who abhor this behavior? The women in the book were not the strong characters I hoped for, but rather so badly damaged victims that they felt they deserved what they got from men. I felt upset, angry, dirty, and dispirited after having read this novel and it took a long while for the dark and disturbing images to dissipate from my mind. Seldom have I read a book that I so wanted to forget. Also disliked the title.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

Wow…I can see some readers avoiding this novel because of content (see trigger warnings in the front of the book) but it is worth it to read the entire story. The protagonist feels like someone easy to know as do her college roommates. There are plenty of issues explored here: the role of physical beauty in a girl’s development, the dynamics of power and control in relationships, corruption in places of power, our moral responsibility to others, the high cost of freedom, even a child’s need of caring parents. Excellently plotted, very suspenseful, scarily reflective of current society.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

“There were so many things you weren’t allowed to do if you wanted to be the right kind of girl.”

Quick Summary: Shay Evans has worked to build a stable life in Texas, far away from the traumas of her college life. With news of her friend Laurel’s death, she is quickly pulled back into the toxicity of her college days. She and her childhood friend Jamie, whose true-crime podcast announced Laurel’s death, work together to unearth what really happened to Laurel. That story, though, is just the beginning of dark, twisted secrets to be revealed.

WHAT A RIDE. I literally cannot stop talking about this book. THE LAST HOUSEWIFE is a dark, unhinged, and oppressive story. It had me staying up wayyyy too late because I could not put it down- a sign of a good book.

I’m not sure that I’ve read anything quite like it. TLH might be one of my most disturbing stories read thus far but also one of my favorite thrillers of the year! It’s told through flashbacks, the present, and podcast snippets. Although it’s 400 pages, this book is completely bingeable.

Now, let’s answer the question most of you are probably asking- is it too disturbing for me? Although I loved it, it probably won’t be for everyone so be sure to read some reviews and check out the content warnings at the bottom. My personal opinion- if you read VERITY by Colleen Hoover and weren’t put off by some of its more disturbing scenes then you can handle this book. However, the abuses in these books are different (child abuse vs. sexual violence) so know your triggers.

I’m completely obsessed with this book and am running to the bookstore today to buy my own copy! I can’t wait to read Winstead’s other books. I recommend this book to people who love thrillers and are interested in cult stories.

THE LAST HOUSEWIFE hits bookstores TODAY 8/16/22. Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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

5 stars

Ashley Winstead is quickly become my new favorite author! Great read, so different from her last two books. Definitely very twisted and dark thriller.

Ashley Winstead has figured out how to perfectly deliver a dark and dynamic thriller. If you thought her last book was exciting, you need to get this one ASAP! This is sure to be a bestseller…and would make a great movie!

When Shay meets the father of a friend, she is immediately hypnotized by his charm, as are her friends. They have no idea just how much this man will influence and change their lives. They begin believing his views on women and the other lies he feeds them.

Shay has always considered herself smart and secure. How did she fall under his spell so easily? And how does she free herself and her friends from the grip this cult leader has on them before someone else dies?

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Ashley Winstead for this gifted ARC. All opinions are my own.

Be warned…this disturbing tale is filled with triggers!

#thelasthousewife #ashleywinstead #netgalley #sourcebooks #honestreview #bookreviewer #bookreviewersofinstagram #disturbingthriller #newrelease #mustreadthriller #favoriteauthor

Very dark, often scary and off-putting and definitely a thriller. Not for the squeamish - not an easy read.

Definitely a book worth reading - especially with the world we live in. It definitely made me think about those in power - and those who's perversions have made headlines in the recent past.

"𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘪𝘵, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧."

I haven't read 𝗜𝗻 𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗜 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗞𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗲 yet but it's on my TBR and after hearing so many raves about it, I was excited for Ashley Winstead's follow up 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗜𝗙𝗘. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me.

This very dark thriller (which includes rape and physical, psychological and sexual abuse among other things - definitely read the trigger warnings at the beginning) revolves around Shay who learns via a podcast run by her childhood friend Jamie (whom she hasn't seen in years) that her college roommate has died of an apparent suicide. Jamie suggests there may be more to the story so he and Shay join forces to uncover the truth which involves a sex cult tied to Shay's past.

The darkness of the book wasn't my issue. I found the storytelling device of the podcast interviews that provide an alternate POV very unrealistic and distracting, and while I'm good at suspending disbelief, some of the plot points and twists were too much (especially the behavior of the police and many of the positions Shay puts herself in). I also didn't care about the characters (and considering what some of them go through, I should have!) but they're so one-dimensional that I couldn't connect with them.

I'm seeing a lot of five star reviews for this one so it may be for you but if you find yourself wondering what all the hype is about, know I didn't get it either.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the copy to review.

Review written for and posted by the Southern Review of Books on August 17, 2002 at the link below. I reviewed an electronic advanced reader’s copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

“The Last Housewife”: A Noir Masterpiece

It doesn’t take long to get hooked by Ashley Winstead’s The Last Housewife. The reader first comes to a quote about women deserving to hold onto their anger. Next comes a content warning, cautioning that scenes of physical and sexual violence, drug use, trauma, and self-harm, among other things, follow. However, Winstead doesn’t need this foreboding prelude to draw you into the story. It only takes two chapters to convince you that she’s a high-caliber noir author.

The novel follows Shay, a married magazine columnist who quits her job to focus on her novel. She listens to a true-crime podcast hosted by Jamie, an old high school friend, and this is how she learns that one of her college roommates, Laurel, died. The host theorizes that the suicide may have been staged to conceal a murder, and Shay immediately flies from her safe Dallas home to New York to solve the mystery.

Shay reunites with Jamie and together they pursue their suspicions. As Shay gets closer to finding the truth, we learn about Shay’s dark past. While they were in college, Shay, Laurel, and their two other roommates were manipulated by a man named Don, who created a cult of physical, emotional, and mental domination. Don demanded they behave according to traditional gender roles, and when they disobeyed, his punishment escalated from depriving them of his attention to more physical methods. Shay and Laurel managed to escape, but one of the others died under circumstances similar to Laurel’s. Shay recalls the effects of Don’s power over her and realizes that out of a desire to please him, she willingly participated in the events leading to these deaths. In her search for Laurel’s killer, Shay discovers something larger and more sinister.

At times, the reader wonders about her motivation: is she trying to right an old wrong, or does she hunger to submit to the cult leader again? Even though it was eight years ago, Shay hasn’t shaken Don’s hold on her. As she descends back into those depths, she encounters a different man with eerily familiar habits:

He clutched my necklace tighter, knotting it tight against my throat, and I gasped at the way the pearls bit. “I can tell you’re a proud one,” he whispered …. I jerked, but he held tight.

I dropped my head back, letting it hit the wall, struggling to push away the memory… but it was no use. This was what I’d feared the most…. The addiction, waking.

The balance of power between men and women is an important theme in this story. When she was under Don’s control, Shay learned the extremes of what this meant. Don enforced submission by withholding food, affection, and freedom until his demands were met. Although much more subtle, Shay’s husband, Cal, also exerts a form of dominance. When she quit her job, Cal insisted that his money was “their” money, but he checks her credit card purchases while he’s away on business, and texts her his commentary on her choices. Although Cal refuses to acknowledge it, she senses he is using their finances to keep her under control. Now, back among brutal misogynists, Shay resolves never to let anyone else control her again.

Shay’s first-person account is the focus of the text, but Winstead also artfully delegates the storytelling to the supporting cast in the form of flashbacks and transcripts from Jamie’s interviews. These interludes help illustrate the environment, from the perils the women face to the differing perspectives each has on submission. One of the more memorable personalities is Nicole, a streetwise and willing submissive in the society. When Shay implores her to leave, Nicole refuses, saying, “Look at me, in this Gucci dress. These bruises? They’re Gucci bruises. It’s the VIP option, trust me. All the other options are this, but worse.” These characters help the reader explore and understand the complexities of this misogynistic world.

As mentioned before, the author provides a content warning, and Shay’s journeys, both past and present, are littered with these images. While these subjects may be triggering to some, the characters reveal their pain and fear without overly graphic descriptions. The overall effect is an enhanced tension that illustrates Shay’s predicament and increases the credibility and pace of the story.

The Last Housewife has the hallmarks of a great crime story: a flawed hero seeking redemption plunges into a perilous world, doggedly pursuing lead after lead down a path from which she knows she might not return. The tension heightens every time Shay turns a corner, and the pace is breakneck throughout most of the novel. Winstead masterfully weaved Shay’s arc into the story to create a memorable and satisfying piece of noir fiction.

WOW!

I honestly do not know how to review The Last Housewife and do it the justice that it deserves. It went straight onto my favourites of 2022 list in February, and it is not out until August! I could not wait any longer to read it, and there was squealing involved when I got approved for an early copy on Edelweiss by Sourcebooks Landmark - thank you, thank you thank you!! I still can't believe I was approved.

So, in 2021, In My Dreams I Hold A Knife was everywhere, and I mean everywhere but Australia! I finally did get my hands on a copy of it and I flew through it, absolutely devouring it. It was amazing. The Last Housewife is brilliant too, and a very different kettle of fish. It is a heavy read, which did leave me emotionally drained. The research that must have gone into writing this book just boggles the mind. It is such a dark subject and yet I could not stop turning the pages.

Add to all that a podcast! I love books that incorporate podcasts, and I think this will make a great audiobook. It is all told from Shay's point of view and it worked so well. She wants to be a writer but has found herself married to a rich man and being a housewife. We learn so much about her and her friends from college, years that changed them all forever.

Ashley Winstead has another hit book on her hands and you all need to read it come August. I will be telling anybody who will listen to me how good this book is for a long time.