The Future Saints is a beautifully written and thought-provoking story that lingered with me long after I finished it. The writing is lyrical and atmospheric, pulling me deep into its world and characters. I loved the blend of raw emotion, mystery, and the exploration of faith and identity—it felt unique compared to anything else I’ve read lately. The characters were layered and complex, flawed in ways that made them deeply human. There were moments that felt almost haunting in their quiet power. Overall, this was a stunning, memorable read that I truly loved.

The buzz about this book is so real!! The last 10% had me sobbing. It’s a mix of romance and rock n roll fiction heavy on the latter but the romance will keep you in your feels. I love the dual POV (my baby Theo!!! A literal golden retriever)

This heartfelt novel follows a famous band through the highs and lows of fame, but its true power lies in the emotional journey—love, friendship, sisterhood, grief, and healing. It’s a raw, moving story about rediscovering yourself when everything else falls apart. Highly recommend everyone check this out and I have a feeling this is going to be a fantastic audiobook that I definitely will listen to!

Books about musicians often are a hard sell for me. On one hand, being a musician myself I love them. I love the takes on fame and star power and celebrity status and everything that goes with it. However, on the other hand I can't stand them. I've read so many over the years and they all seem to focus on one aspect, almost making something of a spectacle out of their main protagonists. Every character is a stereotype even when they're not intended to be. You get hit over the head by the heavy handed implications behind why people do things the way they do. At the end of the day, you're left with something akin to more of a tabloid story than a true tale of human beings that is reflected and amplified through celebrity status.

This book not only touches on that celebrity status, but it navigates it with the precision and grace of a surgeon. Grief is a central theme here and what is done within these pages is something I rarely have seen done in any form of literature. The take on grief isn't your traditional "self destructive protagonist going off the rails" as it's much deeper and nuanced than that. Each character has their own back stories, each character breathes life into the narrative and instead of letting the plot dictate what they do, they often work against what the plot demands of them.

What I adored most about this book is that it didn't seem to have been written to immerse the reader in this glamourous--often tortured--lifestyle with these swoon worthy characters. Even Daisy Jones seemed to try too hard with that, painting the characters as "perfect" even when it tried too hard to say they were flawed. The true themes were of grief, of big business, of letting go of our pasts to move forward. THe music was simply the medium with which to tell it.

If I could rate this book higher than 5 stars, I absolutely would.

The Future Saints is a raw portrait of grief and ambition. It delivers an emotionally charged exploration of loss, music, and the messy path to healing that will resonate with many.

Hannah Cortland emerges as one of the most authentically flawed protagonists I've encountered recently. Her struggle to lead The Future Saints while drowning in unprocessed grief over her sister Ginny's death creates a compelling tension. The author doesn't shy away from Hannah's self-destructive tendencies or her toxic patterns. Instead, they're woven into the book with honesty that makes her journey feel real.

Each member of the band carries the weight of their own relationship to both the music and to Ginny's memory. The contrast between their disastrous early performances and their gradual climb toward viral success mirrors Hannah's internal arc beautifully. The introduction of Theo as the new manager adds welcome stability to the chaos, but he (they call him suit) is a little formulaic.

Highly recommended for readers who loved Daisy Jones & The Six.

Thank you, Atria, for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love, love, L-O-V-E Ashley Winstead books!! This was such a fun new concept for her and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

I will be first in line to grab a signed copy of Future Saints—this book absolutely blew me away. While many novels advertised as “for fans of Daisy Jones & the Six” have let me down, Future Saints is the rare exception that truly earns that comparison. Imagine if Almost Famous and Daisy Jones had a modern-day, social media–infused baby in 2024—that’s exactly the energy this book captures.
Ashley Winstead uses the influence of social media brilliantly, weaving it into the story in a way that feels authentic and enhances the narrative rather than distracting from it. The fictional rock band at the heart of the story is unforgettable. Theo stole my heart, Hannah radiated effortless cool, and Kenny and Ripper brought wit, confidence, and depth. I never wanted their journey to end.
The book is filled with surreal, cinematic moments that linger long after the last page, making it not just memorable but one of my all-time favorites. Winstead has crafted a story that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly modern—a true standout in the rock band fiction genre.
Highest praise from me. Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved it! Okay, more like completely obsessed first the cover is stunning. Second, the story just took me on a such an emotional journey I was captivated. This read like a long extended version of a track five on a Taylor Swift album— the emotional, vulnerable, heartbreaking, and deeply personal songs we all can connect to in some way.

This is a story about a famous band that is dealing with a lot. At the heart of the story it is about love, friendship, sisterhood, healing, grief, pain and finding yourself again. The story is gripping, poetic, sharp and the characters are messy but you can’t help but love them. The whole band was such a personality. I loved the in depth look at the music industry. You will want to add this one to your TBR.

This book follows Theo, “the fixer,” as he attempts to save the rock band the Future Saints. We meet them after their manager has passed away and watch as Theo attempts to stop the spiral and make them successful.

This book isn’t just a story about a spiraling musicians, though there is plenty of that, it features sisterhood, love, and grief. It’s deeply emotional and covers the topics of mental health and substance abuse very well. I was immediately invested in Hannah, the lead singer’s, story. I found myself rooting for her and wanting her to succeed, while also completely understanding why she made the decisions she did.

If you’ve enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Six or any other book following musicians, you’ll enjoy this one. In fact, this is easily my favorite book in this genre. It blows the others out of the water, at least in my opinion.

I loved the use of different formatting, including interview transcripts, articles, social media posts, etc.

With this book Ashley Winstead cements herself as an auto-buy author for me. I will read anything she writes. I HIGHLY recommend picking this one up. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my eARC!

I was so excited to read this one based on its description and it did not disappoint! Looking forward to reading more titles by this author

Former groupie here so of course I love a novel about a band. The Future Saints goes way beyond the music as it digs into grief, sisterhood, art and the messy ways we put ourselves back together. It’s emotional and feels like living backstage with the band. This one may not make it to Daisy Jones status, but still fun enough!

I saw Ashley Winstead and “For fans of Daisy Jones” and was immediately sold. Beyond that I went in blind and this book easily solidified Ashley Winstead as an auto buy author for me!

The Future Saints was a beautiful balance of friendship, romance, and navigating grief. The way that Hannah spoke about loss was so raw and relatable. She really stood out in this story but all of the main characters managed to come across as likable while also being realistically flawed. This book truly takes you on a journey and I strongly recommend it!

Hannah was a true talent, a singer that others wanted to emulate as she brought up emotions that often aren't expressed or wanted to be talked about. People identified with her sorrow and loss. However, whatever people perceived her to be, she was set on being her own worst enemy and therefore believed she was not worthy of love and happiness. She wanted to destroy all she could create through her music because she was so lost in her despair. The one person who truly knew her, loved her unconditionally and believed in her was Ginny, her sister that was never coming back. It was understandable that she talked to Ginny in her head and used her as guidance as to how she should live. However, as her music along with Ripper and Kenny led them to greater success than they ever could have imagined, was that Ginny would never have supported her path of self destruction. Her path full of substance abuse to the point she was physically destroying her body and mind. Theo was the light in the tunnel that constantly supported her regardless of how much she pushed him away. He refused to leave. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending when the band got the accolades that they deserved before they realized that it needed to end. When Theo stepped outside at the end and saw a person moving towards him, it gave the reader hope that even in self destruction, all people are worthy of a second chance.

(3.5 rounded up) Yes, this is about a band, but it’s also about family and romance and grief and passion and all the parts that make a person who they are. The story is told from alternating perspectives - Hannah, the lead singer of a flailing indie rock band, and Theo, the record exec tasked with getting Hannah’s band to record a new album, with a bit of mixed media thrown in as well. The author and publisher had to know that this will 100% be continually compared to “Daisy Jones and the Six,” (as will any fiction that focuses on the trials and tribulations of musicians),but it absolutely is it’s own story. The focus isn’t so much on the toxicity that comes from achieving fame too fast, but more on the characters and their individual journeys. There is romance in this, but that was actually the part I was least interested in. I think Winstead writes all kinds of relationships with compassion and humanity. I liked this! I have a feeling I’ll have liked it less than a lot of other readers when it releases, but I did like it. Sometimes I struggle with sentimentality in my novels, but that is a me problem and not an author or other reader problem.

Hannah Cortland is falling apart, live on stage. Her band the Future Saints is singing for their next meal, trying to hold on to the hope of going big, when the Fixer is sent. Enter Theodore Ford, sent from Manifest Records to get the band under control, squeeze one more album out of them, and toss them aside. Theo never expected the night he found Hannah on the stage floor that the band would be thrust back into the light and become internet sensations. What follows will be their rise to sainthood in the toughest of circumstances. Kenny and Ripper have been holding Hannah together for a long time, this may be her final undoing.

Ashley Winstead nailed it and knocked it out of the park. This book will be the opener of 2026 reads. Ashley created diverse characters with a slew of messy and digestible issues. None of them are perfect, they all struggle with their own demons. When the band is under the media scrutiny they will give it everything just to still feel the weight of success. I laughed, I raged, I cried for these beautifully broken characters. This is a rock star ballad set in the current culture that will eat readers alive. Ashley is no stranger to strong characters but this is a departure from her dark thrillers. The concept is still euphoric and rich. All the classic Winstead traits are present. This takes Daisy Jones and a band tell all and digs deeper. Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for this sensational, advanced copy that's going to explode come January.

THE FUTURE SAINTS

Contemporary fiction — 4.5⭐️

My first 2026 release did not disappoint!

As the Future Saints make their way back into the spotlight, their lead singer’s grief threatens to unravel the band—and the record executive who believes in them.

I went into this expecting another drama-filled band story about the price of fame, which it is, but it’s also an emotional exploration of grief, denial, and moving forward.

At its heart, it’s Hannah’s story: she has the recklessness and desperate need to be heard and seen of Daisy Jones that made me love her. And the slow-burn between her and Theo was just right.

While I teared up throughout, I was an absolute mess by the end. The only thing holding it back from a full 5 stars were two moments that didn’t sit quite right with me. Overall, a powerful story of music, mental health, and sisterhood.

Thank you @atriabooks @netgalley #atriapartner for the #gifted ebook. THE FUTURE SAINTS comes out January 20th

I enjoyed this book and all that went into the story, although I had a difficult time getting through it. Overall it felt really charming and painted complicated grief in a great way. Definitely gave Daisy Jones & The Six vibes (and I loved the nods to Almost Famous too). There were some points where I had a tough time keeping track of who was who, but I was able to figure it out without that impacting the narrative. I think the premise of the story was pretty interesting and liked how the perspectives came from Theo and Hannah but also included things like TikTok videos and magazine articles or interviews. The last 30% were my favorite- that’s where everything really picked up. I would love to see this adapted into a TV show or film one day, it has a lot of potential. Thank you very much to NetGalley for this ARC opportunity.

3.5 Stars. I've always enjoyed a good book about a band and this one is no different. It is predictable with the lead singer, Hannah, trying to process her grief through her music. Life as a rock star, on top of the world, and she still doesn't have what she wants or needs. It's a tale as old as time, but still fun to read nonetheless.

i think i need to stop trying to make ashley winstead happen. i almost never enjoy myself but i keep going and i dont know why

Okay, first off… if it’s isn’t blatantly obvious from the picture, I am a huuuuuuuge Ashley Winstead fan (it’s actually a cute, funny story of why I have multiple copies of her thrillers, but that’s for another day). Admittedly, I have yet to read the romance novels but I definitely will! I greatly enjoyed all of her other books, so I was absolutely ecstatic when Atria approved my request for The Future Saints.

And in pure Ashley Winstead fashion, this book is superbly written, full of lovably flawed characters. I found it to be an ode to siblings, to girlhood, to being messy and complicated, to feeling our feelings, to dreaming big, and to loving with your entire being, even (and especially) when it hurts.

To say I wept at this book is a bit of an understatement, I had tears pouring down my chin… and isn’t that really the goal every time you sit down to read a book??

A huge thank you to @atriabooks + @netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. And thank you, Ashley, for always pulling big emotions out of me and allowing me to escape my own world for a brief moment into a world of your creation.