I have read all of Ashley's books and adore her super sweet rom coms and Ashley continues to flaunt her range and breadth with these wild gothic Southern thrillers!

Synopsis: In her small hometown of Bottom Springs, Louisiana, Ruth Cornier has always felt like an outsider. This is a God-fearing town and there are myths that haunt the area, including the story of the Low Man, a vampiric figure said to steal into sinners' bedrooms and kill them on moonless nights. When a skull is found deep in the swamp next to mysterious carved symbols, Bottom Springs is thrown into uproar—and Ruth realizes only she and Everett, an old friend with a dark past, have the power to comb the town's secret underbelly in search of true evil.

Review: This is a very dark story and once again, Ashley challenges us on how we view love, religion, stories that save us, what it means to be a woman in this world, and shifting back the power from those that abuse it. This story is gripping and powerful and truly makes you think. This story is triggering (Fundamentalism, child abuse, sexual assault, etc) but not as much as The Last Housewife. And that ending!!! What a wild ride to end their story on!

Recommend if you enjoy:
Twisty, dark, gothic and Southern thrillers
Twilight inspired stories
Fundamentalism / religious cult type stories
Morally gray characters
Dual timelines

Unfortunately this wasn't for me. I feel too old to enjoy this book but I'm sure it appeals to young people. I think the blurb didn't sell it properly, otherwise I wouldn't have requested it.

Though I usually read a lot of romance/fantasy books, I do pick up thrillers from time to time especially if they're written by Ashley Winstead! I've been a fan of hers since I read her debut - In My Dreams I Hold A Knife in '21 and I loved her writing. All of her books are amazing - both the romcoms & the thrillers!

So, I was quite excited to read the ARC of Midnight Is The Darkest Hour(out on 10/3) which is a southern gothic thriller set in a Louisiana small town dominated by Christian fundamentalism. We follow Ruth Cornier, a librarian who has lived in Bottom Springs her whole life but never fit in despite being the preacher's daughter. Though she's been the quintessential good girl, she seems to be the odd one out, while her father is revered by everyone. He rules the whole town along with the other church elders and the only thing that scares the townsfolk more than god would probably be the myth of the Low Man. And if Ruth's father is the town's beloved then the opposite is the drunkard Mr. Duncan and his son Everett. An unexpected event during her teens brings Ruth and Everett together that sparks an unlikely friendship between two outcasts. But years later when a skull is found in the swamp, Ruth and Everett might have to face their past again and digging through everything brings up more secrets to the surface that could throw the whole town into upheaval.

I loved everything from the characters to the eerie atmosphere and mystery in this one! We have such flawed characters with questionable morals that undergo so much character development, especially Ruth - as she breaks free from the rules that have been caging her. But at the same time we do notice that though Ruth follows the rules, she has always broken them when she needs to - especially when it came to Everett. Ever might be her opposite in some ways, but they're also cut from the same cloth with their shared love of literature and families that they love and hate at the same time. And what has always remained the same between them is the bond that they share and that was really beautiful! I loved how they had each other's backs through everything and the lengths that they were willing to go for each other.

One of Ruth's obsessions is the book Twilight and there are quite a few references to it which I enjoyed, as I had also discovered Twilight during my teens. But what's different is the way the book played a pivotal role in her life and if you look deeper you can see that this isn't just about her romanticizing the text but also represents her desire to break free from everything that's been holding her back. It's her escape portal and perhaps what she desires more than a love like Bella and Edward's, is the power that one could possess through the transformation.

Another aspect of this book that had me thinking about a lot of things was religion and how it influences each and every sphere of life. Ashley is a talented writer and she explores so many things in this book from religion to its influence on women and how morality varies from person to person.

Honestly, this book was unputdownable and had me turning the pages wanting to know what would happen next. I had guessed some of the twists correctly(that always makes me happy lol) but many other surprises were still waiting for me and that was really exciting! The only thing that might create mixed feelings is probably the ending which was totally unexpected. And this is very uncharacteristic of me to say this but I personally think that this ending suits the book and the characters(though others may feel differently). The author's note after that also gives a lot more insights and I loved every bit of it!

Anyway, I should probably stop gushing about this one now but you'll surely love this one too if you've read this author's books before. And if you haven't read them you can give them a try as her writing is amazing - either the thrillers or the romcoms - depending on what you're in the mood for!❣️✨

My twilight loving heart is so happy.

This was an interesting read. I loved the cult references. The pacing felt off sometimes though.

The last third of the book was so, so good! Very unique story!

I totally applaud Ashley Winstead’s diversity as an author and how she writes cleverly crafted stories with unique plots. Her newest thriller is a Twilight inspired religious cult read that makes for an awesome buddy read!

What I liked:
-How unique and original the story was
-The dual timelines
-The dark and gothic southern atmosphere
-The morally grey main characters
-The last 25%

What wasn’t for me:
-Parts of the story dragged and plot points were repetitive
-It was easy to predict the twists
-The cult vibe felt too similar to her last book
-I found there to be just a little too much Twilight

Thank you Sourcebooks for the ARC! Pub date 10/3/23

Ashley Winstead is an auto buy author for me. In My Dreams I Hold A Knife and The Last Housewife were ubputdownable thrillers so I knew this would be a wild ride.

From the beginning the dark overtones sucked me in. Ruth Cornier, the preacher’s daughter, has watched her father’s control of the town has gotten more extreme over the years yet she is unable or unwilling to break free. Her only open rebellion is her relationship with Everett (Ever), the town outcast and bad boy.

As we explore their history and the secrets that bind them together are now coming to the forefront and they must face the past and present together if they are going to keep their secrets safely buried.

This is part romance, part religious fervor and part thriller and I was here for ever piece to unravel in her usual jaw dropping fashion. And that ending!! Whoa.

Fans of Ashley Winstead will not be disappointed.

In my dreams I hold a knife is one of my top thrillers. I really liked the last housewife too. This one though… left me feeling mixed emotions. On one hand, the twilight references were spot on and a fun add. On the other hand, this book took me so long to get into. I guessed some of the ending but not all. The last 25% was very action packed. There were a few things that seemed glazed over that I would’ve preferred some polishing on. I like the cult aspect because that always interests me. The religious aspect was unique and at times made me so sad to see females being degraded into submission since they are here to serve their husbands, but it’s not lying about the past and things that happen in the south. I’m giving this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. This is my first Ashley Winstead that didn’t completely hit the mark. I will still read her books though!

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review.

wow! I finished this one at like 1am last night and I cannot stop thinking about all of the research and pain-staking horribleness ashley had to do and read about in order to get the detail in this book perfectly - and let me tell you, boy, did she get it perfect 😮‍💨

the queen of thrillers and romance is BACK!!! this time with a twilight-inspired religious cult fic! it was as creepy and icky as I would have thought, but with the beautiful prose and detail as ashley usually does! I had to keep chanting to myself “it’s fiction, it’s just a book” because I was physically getting irate about the brainwashed town 😅 that’s how you know you’re sucked into a setting folks

ruth is just as inspired by bella from twilight as you would expect, forever longing for an escape from her world and into a fantasy creature romance 🖤 her muse, none other than the town “devil” everett, is definitely no edward cullen - but she desperately wants him to be

ruth’s decisions in this one is 100% influenced by her abusive pastor father and her ideals of a world outside of her religious cult town - and while I loved her infatuation with solving mysteries and getting out of town, her reasons were a bit cringe at times

and the dark romance elements were so out of field I was honestly shocked - but in a good way??? ashley just knows how to throw me in the best way possible

I will continue to praise this woman from the rooftop thx

thank you to ashley, netgalley and sourcebooks for the best spooky book of the year! pre-order this one now!!!

rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: paso robles cabernet sauvignon

I’ve been drawn in A LOT by books claiming to be reminiscent of Where the Crawdads Sing and I am disappointed every time. This is the first time I’ve been like…. Yes, I see it! The imagery, Ruth’s life, the murder mystery AND romance? Mhmm. But this story is far from Crawdads. Don’t worry though, it’s just as good.


This story DIGS on so many counts. Ashley covers many topics in this beautiful book but she goes for the throat with religious extremism.

“It’s funny what you can see for other people that you can’t see for yourself.”

Set in a devoutly religious small town of Louisiana we meet Ruth, who is the preacher’s daughter of the Southern Baptist church. Where it seems her father reigns higher than the law itself. Ruth makes an unlikely friend in Everett, the town’s biggest misfit. Their friendship is a result of a traumatic experience. What they didn’t know is that in the future, what they thought they left in the bayou, was bigger than they could have imagined.

The writing was compulsive and thought provoking. Being from a bible belt, I’ve seen the roles religion can play and the way it can be twisted to fit a certain view. Our main characters, Ruth and Everett are raw and gritty. The way that Ashley uses imagery to describe the woods they escape to, beautiful and vivid.

One thing you might not see coming…. Twilight references. You’ll either love it or hate it. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

If you have religious trauma, I would skip this. I could see in being very triggering. Other triggers include, physical abuse, alcohol abuse, attempted r@pe,

📚Review: Midnight Is The Darkest Hour 🌙
I was SO excited to receive this ARC from @netgalley @ashleywinsteadbooks and @bookmarked. I can’t remember being that happy about getting an ARC I literally put my current read aside so I could start this immediately. 😂
A few of us on here, were granted the ARC the same day, so we decided to do a buddy read together for it. (I was a little behind everyone else and I apologize for that 😔) But it was still fun reading it together as a group.
To just give a brief summary, this book is set in a small town called Spring Bottom in Louisiana. It kind of gives off Crawdad vibes. Very cool. Our MC is Ruth, the daughter of the town’s preacher at Holy Fire Baptist Church. She has a close friendship with Everett. Everett is the son of one of the town’s, baddest men. Their families couldn’t be more different from one another, yet Ruth and Everett still build a close relationship. Yet, something happens to them that bonds then for life. It’s their secret. But yet everyone at Spring Bottom all have their own secrets and lies to keep. But when these secrets and lies start to be revealed, all hell breaks loose in the town. This story has it all! That’s all I am going to say. I’m afraid I’ll give things away if I say more. Plus you can all read the synopsis anyway.😉 Oh and there are a LOT of Twilight references, so if you love those movies, you will definitely love that aspect of this book. It was so great! I loved it. Feel so lucky to have read it early. Again, loved buddy reading this with @simonesaysreadthis @alialwaysreading @pageslovedbyali and @poetry.and.plot.twists. So fun discussing with you girls. I can’t wait to get the physical copy when it comes out this fall. 🙌🏻
I highly recommend this book to any thriller lover. It’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 stars for me!
Again, a special thank you to Ashley Winstead and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
So grateful! 🙏🏻

You need to get this book!
Pub Date: October 3, 2023

Which is your favorite Ashley Winstead book?

This book was dark and creepy. It dealt with religious fundamentalism, family problems and murder. I didn’t love this one as much as her other books.

The beginning was so interesting, at no point did I know how the book was going to end. This book had the old witch hunting town feel but was set in modern times. It was a really good story that showed the hypocrisy of this stereotypical Deep South Christian with things to hide. I would say TW there is some mention of rape, abuse, and violence but it’s all tactfully done. Nothing in this book made me feel uncomfortable but rather intrigued on what was next. I would have liked for the ending to have a little bit more time and conclusion, it leaves it up to some interpretation but I thought this book had overwhelmingly good qualities. My biggest critic, outside of the ending, is that the chapter structures are a bit odd to me. They really just continue what the other page/chapter was saying without missing a beat. Anyway, this was a great book and I loved reading and reviewing this. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was quite unexpected. It’s very different than some of her other books. For example, this is a completely different book and style than In My Dreams. I would never have guessed they came from the same author. So if you didn’t like her previous mystery, you might enjoy this more. But anyways, wow! I really enjoyed this book. It’s definitely my favorite by Ashley. The mystery and intrigue! The will they or won’t they?! The did they or didn’t they?! I experienced so many what the heck moments.

This story centers around a reverends daughter and her best friend and their relationship to their super religious small town. Like literally, the town is fully engulfed in the local church. The church controls the town. Suddenly some stuff is found near the local swamp that sets off a mystery in town. There is more going on than meets the surface. Big secrets are always found in small towns. It also centers on morality and justice. This is much more mystery than thriller. And there is some romance!

Twilight is brought up a lot in the book. As a matter of fact, I think people who have read twilight will have an advantage when it comes to understanding the overall message of this story. I’m not saying twilight is a prerequisite, I’m just saying it’s helpful.

Now the synopsis alludes to a supernatural being. This was very exaggerated and inaccurate. To be clear, there is mention of a mythical supernatural being but it’s not actually real- as in, it’s not a character in the book, and it’s not responsible for anything that happens.

Okay... that was what the book was about. It gave more promises than the story ever lived up to be. It fell flat given it did not hook on to the supernatural elements there was not much to keep me going thru the book it was lagged between confused and dull characters, I was given rituals or cults or swampy atmosphere but none of them gave the kick as much as THE LAST HOUSE WIFE did I would not go in with higher expectations especially with the name ASHLEY WINSTEAD on the covers it was a Meh book, it definitely had shades of WHERE CRAWDADS SING and VERITY element was just an undertone. I wouldn't call it a thriller. There was no depth in the story especially with the tease of an urban legend and ominous ritualistic symbols carved on the trees where a skull was pulled from. I would say not a masterpiece just a decent effort.

Thank you NETGALLEY AND SOURCEBOOKS for letting me review.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing the eARC for me to read and review. This is the second book I have read by Ashley Winstead and have truly enjoyed both books. Midnight is the Darkest Hour was not what I expected at all…but in a great way. This book takes place in Bottom Springs, a small town in Louisiana where Holy Fire Church is located…its name alone screams cult! The story surrounds Rose, the priest's daughter and Everett, named the devil's son by townspeople. Their friendship develops from a terrible secret they share. The book is told in dual timelines that adds suspense to the story. Winstead does a great job developing the characters and you can’t help wanting everything to turn out in their favour. The last 50 pages are phenomenal and I never saw the end coming!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#MidnightIsTheDarkestHour
#netgalley

Ashley Winstead is the queen of genre-crossing. I have never read another author that branches out and dabbles into so many different genres. I went into this one not really knowing what to expect. This was definitely one of the more unique books I have ever read. It was a slow burn with some suspense, Twilight/vampire vibes, centered in a dark religious realm. I had no idea where the book was going until the last 15% or so. I did enjoy this one, but found it was sort of like a big mix of a bunch of genres/storylines that at times felt a bit confusing/like they didn't relate or go together. I did like the ambiguous ending, and that the author commented on that at the end! Overall, I liked it. Full review on my bookstagram coming soon.

The constant Twilight references were nauseating, the characters were dull, and the open-for-interpretation ending provides no closure that I wanted

Loved this morally ambiguous, religious fervour, small town secrets narrative where the good guys and the bad guys blend into one melting pot of hellfire, brimstone and murder.

If you like stories all wrapped up and finished with a pretty bow on top be aware that Ashley Winstead will force you to engage your brain instead.

Right and wrong are not the mainstays of this story and you will be haunted by all the shades of grey that exist in the world..fantastic.

Recommended

Thank you to SourceBooks for the arc!


This was so slow and I got so bored to the point where I had to skim the end.

This is an excellent novel, and a pretty solid thriller, but do take the content warnings seriously--this is an intense book and can be particularly heavy if you have any kinds of fundamentalist religious trauma.