This one is so good, I’m not even sure where to start. I was expecting dark romance but this is something else entirely: obsession, sick and twisted that will never be anything else, can never be reciprocated. Beau Devereaux is a sick, sick boy. He puts up a great front as the star quarterback, excellent student and most popular guy in town but he’s hiding an evil so deep and depraved that nobody would ever suspect. Except for Leslie. She sees right through his façade and knows exactly what he is, even if nobody else believes it.

He's biding his time until he can have Leslie and will do whatever it takes to get close to her. He’s been dating her twin for months, hoping to quell some of his urges with her lookalike, but Dawn isn’t what he wants, not at all. His twisted plan has worked well, driving a wedge between the sisters that both keeps them apart while giving him access to stalk Leslie’s life from nearby.

She knows he’s no good and Leslie’s determined to unmask him for all to see, but even she underestimates the monster inside of him. As Dawn becomes disillusioned with her boyfriend’s wandering eye and gaslighting to hide his cheating, the girls grow closer once again but only Dawn realizes how Beau orchestrated their estrangement. But why does he want to keep her from her own twin?

This story is amazing in every way. The twists at the end (yes, twists plural) made my week. There was one I expected but two I never saw coming and the last few chapters had my mind reeling. This is book one of a duet and for once, I have absolutely no idea what to expect from the next book. The story could have ended right here so I don’t know where we go from this point but I can’t wait to find out. The heartfelt note at the end from one of the authors gives it an additional dimension that’s both painful and hopeful. We need more writers like Weis and Astor.

First, I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book. I am leaving this honest review of my own will.

Loved it!

📖 𝕖𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 📖

· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·
𝙏𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚: 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴
𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢 𝘞𝘦𝘪𝘴 - 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘴 𝘈𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳
𝙋𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨: 355
𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 & 𝘚𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯 - 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘨

· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·


___________💭𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜💭_____________

“‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩. 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳.’”

𝙍𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙊𝙛 𝘼𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨 is the first instalment in Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor YA, contemporary, ST. BENEDICT'S thriller that follows high school seniors (and twins) Leslie and Dawn Moore, and high school quarterback Beau Devereaux.

River of Ashes by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor is told from the psychopath’s point of view, at some ponts in the book, and honestly I loved this new perspective. I loved seeing the world through his twisted eyes.

This one is not a quick read, with almost 400 pages BUT it is worth your time and would be a great read.

⚠️ 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦, 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳. ⚠️

Book review :
This book is a psychological thriller. The first book in the St. Benedict series is an absolute gripping read. The kind of skin-crawling, queasy-feeling-in-the-pit-of-your-stomach story that needs to be told and demands to be read. The type of cautionary tale that keeps you alive by reminding you that sometimes the biggest horrors aren’t the monsters hiding under the bed but the ones hiding in plain sight.

The story revolves around the only child of a powerful family, Beau who can do nothing wrong, Star quarterback, Handsome, Charming and the “prince” of St. Benedict . But he is also a psychopath.

A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the haunted abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. But in senior year when he eyes on Leslie while dating her twin sister Dawn , the story takes a huge twist.

I was quite intrigued to know will Leslie be able to face Beau and how the survival of a girl after such torturous fate takes place . The way the whole plot was crafted was really elusive. Though a dark and dangerous things but need guidance and awareness nowadays as the world is progressing and girls need to fight back.

The writing and storyline is exceptional. Though creepy at times and disturbing but still a thought provoking book. I would recommend this book to all girls to give it a read once.I am thankful to netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this book in return of an honest review.

Happy Reading!

Beau has it all. Literally. His father, Gage Devereaux owns the town & most of the people work for him. He's football captain, handsome, and he's wealthy. To his girlfriend Dawn, he's perfect. To her twin sister Leslie, he's despicable-often making lewd comments to her after she turned down his advances.

When parties at the river take a deadly turn the town is shaken up & it takes an apparition & wild dogs to make amends & stop a killer.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Unfortunately this was a miss for me. I loved the cover and the synopsis sounded interesting, but none of the characters read as real to me. They were all off or caricatures of what type of person they were supposed to be. I love horror and love reading books in the mind of a killer or whatever, but this one didn't work. Beau didn't work. It didn't seem like these were real people, real characters, so I couldn't get into it. That and there was a lot of bullying, sexual assault and rape and I decided to dnf this one.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Firstly, I need to say, this cover is gorgeous!

This is a fast paced psychological horror that I will stay with me for a long time. Set in New Orleans it has so many twists and turns, and a dose of violence I was not expecting. A unique and captivating story, that had me gripped from the onset and held my attention throughout. Such an eerie, tense and atmospheric setting.
Wonderful writing form both authors. Totally bingable and one I would highly recommend.

I do have to add - trigger warnings of graphic violence and sexual abuse.

Many thanks to NetGalley for my e-arc.

Holy shit. What did I just read?!? River of Ashes is a thriller you won't forget anytime soon. Beau Deveraeux is an all American boy, or so you would think. He's a star quarterback, comes from a wealthy, prominent family, and is dating Dawn Morris, the bubbly, gorgeous, head cheerleader. But Dawn's twin Leslie isn't having it. Leslie has been tormented by Beau all throughout high school, not to mention previously rejected by him. So there is a major wedge now between the twins. This book is twisted, crazy, creepy, and a wild ride that's for sure. I absolutely needed to know more and could not put this book down.

Warnings: Sexual abuse, Rape and Murder

Story has been narrated by multiple spokesperson, Leslie, Dawn, Derek and Beau.
Story revolves around a small town, St.Benedicts and its high school. Leslie & Dawn are twins who have been competing with each other from childhood. Even though they are identical twins but they are poles apart. Dawn is gullible, sweet and looking for attention, whereas Leslie doesn't care what people think about her, her priority is her future and Derek. Dawn's boyfriend Beau comes from a wealthy family who have been donating and working towards town's welfare to keep up their family name "Devereaux".

Beau is suffering from narcissistic personality disorder and superiority complex. Beau's lust for Leslie always gets him in a fight with Derek, Dawn who is blinded by charm of Beau's family and money keeps hating her sister and blaming her for his outburst. Dawn keeps on believing that other girls including Leslie are jealous of her as she is the cheerleading captain and girlfriend of Beau.

Beau keeps flirting with other girls untill one day he spirals and give in to his true psychosis of being invincible and rapes a schoolmate. He enjoys the high and find another victim.

Will someone ever stop Beau or the victims will stand up for themselves and get Beau the punishment he deserves??

This book has mix of tropes: Sibling Rivalry, Rich Brat, Mental Health, Parental Guidance, Influence of Money and Revenge.

“The scariest monsters are the ones that lurk within our souls." - Edgar Allan Poe

The abandoned St. Francis Seminary is creepy, falling apart, and houses so many secrets as it sits beside the river. The river that hosts weekend parties for the highschoolers in the area, but the river belongs to Beau Devereaux. A talented quarterback, handsome, charming, and the beloved only child of a powerful family. He can really do no wrong. Or can he? Oh yeah, I forgot... he's also a raging psychopath who's evil has spiraled out of control, (this following part from goodreads) In the shadows of the haunted abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize.

As the victim toll mounts, it becomes clear that someone must stop Beau Devereaux.
And that someone will pay with their life.
Thank you so much to @katieandbreypa & @alexandreaweis @lucasastorauthor for sharing this book with me. I also appreciate you being very transparent about the trigger warnings to everyone on the team, seeing the genuine concern that you didn't want people to read something they are possibly sensitive to really stood out to me! I really really enjoyed this book!! The authors have an amazing writing style and have a talent in describing a horrific thing but in a way to also raise awareness to the horrible situation. This book was creepy in all the right places, and i absolutely loved the ending. Also!!! Look at those incredible graphics! I don't think I've ever seen graphics so pretty!!

I give River of Ash by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had really high expectations from this book. Not only did the synopsis sound good but the COVER ! wow... I will just say, the cover is probably the best thing about the book.

This book is told in alternating POV, one of which is the psychopath. You would thing these chapters would be the most interesting, but they feel flat for me. While the content of this book Is very heavy, I also really did not like the fact that it was written in an immature kind of way (not really sure how to explain it)

It was a quick read, but the last 25% of the book was the best part. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me.

NOTE: please check triggers before reading.

“I am the master of control.”

Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor’s first novel in the St Benedict series is about the St. Francis Seminary which lays beside the river. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river. Beau Devereaux is the only child to a powerful family and he can do no wrong. As charming as he is he is also a psycopath. A family secret that has been buried for years threatens to surface as Beau’s evil continues to grow. Using the abbey he commits his most vile acts upon his victims there. Beau has set his sights on someone, the twin sister of his girlfriend and he will not rest until he gets what he wants.

This is a deeply disturbing look into the mind of a master manipulator and what lengths his obsession will take him to get what he wants. The character of Beau is a unsettling window into the notion of being the product of your surroundings. His ties with his family’s past and what is expected of him is ever present in all of his actions. Although there are several characters in this novel, the dynamic between them adds to the unsettling outcome that will shock you.

The way in which this story is told is both unnerving and explicit. The narrative from character to character is telling and does not shy away from being as transparent as possible. There are trigger warnings that need applied here, the story does contain descriptions of rape, violence and psychopath pov which may be difficult for some readers.

The story itself was quite intense and gripping. It is graphic and will be disturbing for a lot of readers. I can see why it was written this way in order to tell the story of the psychopath and the journey of his victims.

One word. Excellent. This book filled me with rage at times, and when a book has you expressing emotions as harshly as this one did make me, you know its worth it,
The author and the book addressed social issues that are so relevant right now like bullying and sexual harassment, in every sphere of live, and is some thing we can relate to in real life. I feel like I connected with the characters, whether that was through love or hate, or both. And when you do so, you it shows how good the author is because even us libing beings has both good and bad sides. The antagonist Beau made me want to throw my phone away though.. If you like a teen based (but definitely adult) thriller with a whole load of twists and turns then this is it.

Please check trigger warnings.

☠️Some Truths are better kept secret. Some secrets are better off Dead☠️

Author - Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Trigger Warnings- Rape, Torture, assault, violence, psycho killing

Let me start by saying This is my first time reading a psycho thriller and surprisingly I liked reading it.

Hiding under a good boy cloak, is a rich brat, a star high school quarterback but also is a sadist, psychopath beneath. 👽He inflicts unbearable pain to his preys in his hiding place by the Bogue Falaya River. The dark cells have witnessed his atrocities. There were times when i felt pity on him because he was ignored in the home which only let his evil grow unchecked exponentially.

☠️
I missed the horror part a bit in that it did not send chills up my spine and at the end I was expecting that to be clarified a bit but i guess that is for future books in this series

I make sure to read the author’s note wherever there is any to know the personal views and inspiration behind the fiction piece. In this book it was so touching to read that. Make sure not to miss that

Looking forward to read the entire series 🫶

I really thought this book was interesting, but I would definitely recommend checking the trigger warnings prior to reading this, as it does deal with some heavy stuff. With that being said, this book seamlessly switches from the deranged POV of Beau to those around him coming to terms with his monstrosities. I think the author did a wonderful job writing Beau's POV and didn't shy away from some of the more unsavory parts of his mind. The writing and overall story made it pretty hard to put this book down at times.

There was just the right balance between grieving the atrocities committed against the victims and feeling the need for them to seek revenge and get justice for themselves and those around them. This is a delicate balance to maintain, so I appreciate that the author was able to include both. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Dawn and Leslie. It started off rocky with feuding sisters, but eventually evolved into understanding and support, which was a nice touch. I'm interested to see where the next book in the series goes with the story.

Thank you #StBenedictSeries and #NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

River of Ashes was a disturbing read with strong characters both good and evil. The book was very hard to put down, I was dragged in until the final chapter. A dark psychological thriller with gothic vibes.

The author includes a note at the back of the book explaining the topic of the book and the reason for choosing it.
This book evokes different emotions in the reader, (trigger warnings)

The first book in the St. Benedict series, I'm anxiously waiting for book two!

Beau Devereux is the prince of St. Benedict High. All the boys want to be him, and all the girls want to be with him. The only son of the richest man in town, from a family with a two hundred year long history of secrets, Beau laughs in the face of authority.

But, the abandoned seminary behind the Bogue Falaya Rivers holds its own secrets. How long will Beau be able to keep his hidden?

The first in the St. Benedict series, this book is hauntingly good. It is unlike anything I've read before. While the subject matter is definitely disturbing, the story immediately gripped me, and I couldn't put it down, even though it made me angry and sad. I hated Beau. Which means the authors did their job well.

Twin sisters Dawn and Leslie are experiencing a rough patch, as sisters often are, but what's worse is that Beau is the one driving the wedge between them. Beau is dating Dawn, but torments Leslie when no one is looking. Getting high on the power he has on the girls, and even his friends and family, Beau continues to test his limits.

Being in the mind of a psychopath was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. I hated Beau but also wanted to try and understand him. I couldn't believe how dark this story got at points. I wished we got a deeper glimpse into the secrets that seemed to drive him.

As the first book in the series, I am blown away. The ending is definitely shocking, and leaves me impatient for second book. The author leaves us a note at the end that explains her choice to write such a dark story which I would suggest reading before starting the book.

Thank you to Katie and Brey PA, Netgalley and the authors for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hard to read and enjoy.
Beau Devereaux is not just evil but a true sadist and captain of the high school football team. He’s obsessed with his girlfriend’s sister. He romances her to try to hide his dark side. He takes her on a date and forces her to drink so much alcohol that she passes out.
The story is told from multiple points of view.
It was hard to finish, but I had to know the conclusion once Andrea was killed.
TW: He sexually assaults female classmates in graphic detail on page.

This underwhelming book is not deserving of that gorgeous cover.

Whoever said this was a "fascinating psychological profile" and compared Weis to Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates should be shunned by their professional peers. This is about as subtle as an anvil to the head and about as much fun. From the get-go we're dropped into the villain's head and are made to observe as he obsesses about girls, winning football games, and despising his family. Poor little rich boy syndrome is strong with this one. Beau has no redeeming qualities - he's just a full-out psychopath - and he's not even interesting to read about.

The scenes go from high school to parties at the river and back again; Beau talking to his football teammates; Beau picking up liquor; Beau flirting with girls at river parties; Leslie and Dawn arguing about Beau; Leslie and her milquetoast boyfriend Derek (a character with about as much personality as a tub of yogurt) talk about... something. Interspersed with these titillating vignettes are scenes of Beau hurting women, and escalating his violence. Trigger warnings abound.

Unfortunately, the ~dramatic~ ending didn't make much sense. This is lazy writing for the sake of an explicit rape and murder scene seemingly written for shock value, and the subsequent twist and reveal meant to manipulate the reader. Didn't see that one coming! Except I did, a mile away.

I read about 40% through, then skimmed the rest until the last 10%. Even skimming the last half, I could see how repetitive and mundane the scenes were. From the synopsis and the beautiful cover, I was excited about this book, but unfortunately I was left let down.

River of ashes is probably the best book I have read in a while. The story revolves around a high school boy from a well off family who has violent tendencies. He and his family do everything to cover it up. Ultimately people realize his true colors. I gave this book 5 stars. It was a super engaging reading and I literally did not want to put it down because I had to know what happens next. The ending was amazing and I can’t wait for the next book!

Thanks to the authors, NetGalley, and katieandbreypa for the ARC.