This book was a very slow read for me, it kind of felt like feet dragging through mud. I do prefer more dialog, there was a lot of prose. The characters were not well developed and honestly not that likeable. There are parts of the story that are underdeveloped as well. I was able to read to the finish, but it was slow going.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I gave Anna Bailey's debut five stars which is a rarity for me. When I began reading her sophomore book, Our Last Wild Days, I was unimpressed or possibly not interested in the setting. A desolate Louisiana swamp setting where accents were abundant and painful, personalities were of little intrigue, and I couldn't connect to the characters' plight. But little by little, each story won me over, and halfway thru, I was suddenly so immersed in the book, I thought... she's done it again... this is gonna be five stars. By the time I got to the end, it was well above 4.5, so yes, it happened again. Bailey is amazing and slow-burn growth for people where you invest in their personal tragedies and outcome. I wish there were another few chapters to share what happened post the murderer's discovery. Big fan now!

A small town slow burn whodunit that didn’t quite pick up for me, but I appreciated the lyrical descriptions of the setting of the Louisiana Bayou. I felt the humidity in the air, the mosquito itch of the tall grass and swamp waters, transporting me there amongst the locals.

New author for me and she blew me away. Looking forward to reading more of her books. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

"No one hates a women like a man who thinks he owns her."

A dark mystery that started as a slow burn and then completely hooked me in. Loyal has come back to town because her mom is showing troubling behavior - forgetting things, found out wandering at night. Loyal hasn't been back in this town for a while - after she fought with her best friend, was attacked and then did an unforgiveable act. The longer she was gone, the easier it was to not face it and not come back.

But within days of her arrival, her old best friend is discovered floating in the swamp. There's speculation and assumption, there's whispered words like "suicide" and "troubled family." But all Loyal knows is that she let her friend down once, she won't do it again.

This is a very deep, dark look into family, poverty, addiction, and small town rural America. We get a few POV, Loyal, Sasha, Dan and Dewall. All these POV round out the story, giving us a look into what's happening town, out of town, what the police are doing and just how things are tied together when the town is so small, everyone's known each other since elementary school.

And Anna Bailey did an amazing thing - they really made me love these flawed, terrible, human characters. I nearly wept at Cutter's funeral when they were down one. Tears in my eyes as I read about the hand on a jawline. All these little things, the little pieces, made me love this town and feel for those in it. Loyal was an insider who was now on the outside looking in because she'd left. But this story was about all of them, this town that held each other up, protected their own, and failed some in the most fundamental ways. It was a beautiful, horrible, dark story and I loved it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

This was VERY good. And it’s one of those stories where it’s not just that I liked it but I think that it’s objectively very good too.

The writing is very vivid and beautiful. The story is beautiful in its own way too. There’s a sadness to it but also hopefulness at the end. I loved the dynamics between the characters. They’re so well developed, you really get a sense of who they are.

The focus isn’t as much on the what happened (though it does wrap in a satisfying way) but more on how people handle the aftermath.

I really can’t say enough good things about it.

5 ⭐️
Expected publication date - May 20, 2025

WHAT I LOVED - The atmospheric, creepy vibe. It takes a lot for me to be truly creeped out, but the figures wearing masks in the woods and the whistling at night was very unsettling to me.

WHAT I LIKED - The slow burn. The current story also had snippets of the characters' pasts, without an overwhelming amount of information thrown out there.

WHAT I DISLIKED - I would have liked to see where everyone was a year or so later, but with that being said, I was not disappointed with the ending.

WOULD I RECOMMEND? Absolutely. If you have ever wanted to feel like you were deep in the swamps of Louisianna, this book will take you there! Take some bug spray! And probably a weapon

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗗 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 Is perfect for readers who enjoy:
- Atmospheric, rural bayou setting with secrets
- Southern gothic novels
- Flawed characters
- Slow burn
- Multiple POV
- Crime fiction/mysterious death
- Corruption/abuse of power

A gorgeously written, emotionally raw story about broken lives and deep secrets in a remote mountain town. The prose is beautiful and melancholic, and the characters linger long after the final page. The pacing is slow, but purposeful. If you’re looking for a quiet, impactful read with themes of identity and loss, this one hits the mark.

4 stars

This is my first book by this author, and I will make it a point to not let it be my last.

The central characters of this novel are named Loyal and Cutter, and if that fact alone also makes you want to read this, you are in the right place. Bailey takes readers right into the belly of the Louisiana swamps - wide jawed predators and all! - and creates an environment that is instantly riveting and unsettling. This was one of those books that I was thinking about often when I wasn't able to be actually reading it.

Loyal and Cutter were best friends, but when they were 18, they parted ways in all the ways. Loyal is back in town for tough personal reasons, and things get harder when Cutter's body is found. While this is immediately determined to be the result of a self-induced situation, those who really know Cutter can't imagine that's possible. Cutter's death also closely precedes another town tragedy, and this pattern fully unsettles the whole community, but no one more so than Loyal.

There is so much to like about this book. The pacing is right, the characters are well drawn, and the sense of place is outstanding. Though there is enough backstory, I found myself wanting to know more about the early connections between the characters. Overall, I loved this read and how much I felt like I was sitting in the characters' world right alongside them (though for obvious reasons, I'm glad that was a feeling and not a reality)! A recommended read for sure!

I mostly loved it! The second half was a little slower than the first but overall very good. It was very atmospheric. The setting was very well described. I would definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

First time reading an Anna Bailey book and I was not disappointed. Her storytelling drew me in and I couldn’t get out till the end. Loved the unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing till the end. I want to read Anna’s previous book and jump into that world. This book has definitely stuck with me long after reading it. Thank you Anna Bailey, NetGalley and Atria Books for this digital arc.

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey is a beautifully written novel set in rural Louisiana. The story follows Loyal May, a woman who’s just returned to her hometown and is immediately pulled back into the past. When her childhood friend is found dead in the swamp, the town is ready to shrug it off as a suicide. The guilt and redemption themes allow the tension to stay high from beginning to end. If you like slow burn thrillers, this one will pull you in. It’s sad, yet powerful!

Our Last Wild Days is a beautiful, atmospheric Southern Gothic that I couldn’t put down. The novel follows Loyal May, a young journalist who has returned to her hometown to tend to her ailing mother. Shortly after their arrival, her estranged childhood best friend, Cutter, is found dead, and Loyal believes it wasn’t an accident. She tries to solve the mystery of Cutter’s death and to make amends for her own past mistakes, but quickly realizes that she may have uncovered more danger than she bargained for.

I was surprised to learn that Anna Bailey isn’t a native Southerner because their depiction of Louisiana was so detailed—I could have sworn this book was written by someone born and raised in the South. I loved the vividly described setting and the varied cast of characters. Bailey portrays the denizens of Jacknife, LA with compassion and nuance. The mystery plot had a satisfying and realistic conclusion, though I’d love to revisit Loyal, Sasha, and the other characters if Bailey ever decides to write another book set in this locale. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone whose a fan of well-written thrillers or the Southern Gothic. In fact, I liked it so much that I immediately went and bought Bailey’s first book as well.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

📚 E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

Our Last Wild Days By Anna Bailey
Publication Date: May 20, 2025
Publisher: Atria Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

Our Last Wild Days is a slow-burning Southern Gothic read filled with small town mysteries and atmospheric vibes that will have you captivated until the end.

Our female MC, Loyal, returns to her rural Louisiana hometown, after years of living in Houston, to care for her mom who is showing concerning early signs of dementia. She quit her job at a big city newspaper and was hired by her hometown paper, and after being away for years, she dreads having to face all her old friends and deal with their past relationships. Shortly after she arrives, her estranged friend Cutter is found dead. Since Loyal will now never be able to repair their friendship, she commits herself to solving the mystery about what happened to her. But as she and her new colleagues begin digging, they uncover much more than they expected.

This is a SERIOUSLY slow burn, with mysteries that became more and more layered with every page I turned. I will admit, I struggled a little bit to keep up with each new layer in the story. There were so many characters, there were times it was tough to remember how everybody connected to the plotlines. And some of the characters' storylines just kinda disappeared without resolution, which left a couple unanswered questions for me. However, Bailey's writing is so wonderfully descriptive that you can practically feel the swampy and humid air surrounding you as you read. That atmospheric Southern Gothic vibe never faded and the creepiness of the Louisiana swamps remained palpable throughout the entire book.

This one is for you if you're a fan of Southern Gothic thrillers with atmospheric vibes, small town mysteries, and characters with complex histories. If you love those creepy slow burn thrillers that keep you wondering til the very end, I think you'll love Our Last Wild Days!

#OurLastWildDays #AnnaBailey #AtriaBooks #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARCs #thrillerreads #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #southerngothicthriller #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

Just wow, what an adventure! My first Anna Bailey book but definitely not my last. Filled with secrets, lies and family ties. Excellent setting and storytelling. Dark and creepy.
Thank you NetGalley, Anna Bailey and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book

I really enjoyed how this story unfolded. I liked the alternating points of view and time. The tapestry of the town, on the bayou in Louisiana, was vivid. Bailey perfectly captures small town life. You come to know the characters, the lore, and their way of life so intimately. I appreciate the inclusion of addiction and poverty into the storyline. It made the characters that much more real.

This was a fun and addicting mystery from start to finish.

Our Last Wild Days shines with its vivid Bayou setting, rich Cajun folklore, and a believable yet surprising twist. Though the pacing and style didn’t fully connect with me and some transitions felt jarring, it’s still a strong, atmospheric thriller many readers will enjoy and appreciate.

The first half of the book was very interesting and kept me engaged the whole time. I would give that four stars, but the second half dragged on and was a little different feeling than the first half. I would give the second half two and a half to three stars.

I really liked the setting of this book. It was very interesting and different than the typical settings. It made the mystery that much better.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.