Ahhh!! I’m still giddy after reading this Daisy Jones and the Six/Fleetwood Mac type novel about The Future Saints, a band struggling in a world after losing their manager (and sister to lead singer Hannah). After new manager Theo swoops in by the record execs to save the day, we get a first look into tension between babd members as they navigate trying to build back a successful comeback. Of course it wouldn’t be the same without sparks also flying between Theo and Hannah along the way. Loved this one!

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for this ARC! Ashley Winstead’s The Future Saints is a deeply moving and immersive novel about a once‑promising band in freefall and the unexpected chance at redemption through music and love. When record executive Theo meets the Future Saints in a struggling dive bar, he’s immediately drawn to lead singer Hannah—whose grief‑driven reinvention of the band’s sound sparks a raw, emotional transformation. As their connection deepens, the novel explores sisterhood, fame’s costs, and the resilience needed to rebuild identity in the wake of loss. Richly atmospheric and emotionally rich, this story blends the allure of music’s magic with the hard truths of healing, making it both heartbreakingly real and hopeful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Future Saints is a dual-POV novel following Hannah, singer-songwriter of a mess of a rock group, and Theo, the band manager brought in to fix them. What follows is a journey about grief, sisterhood, family, and the machine of the music industry.

This book’s premise immediately pulled me in, and kept me reading until I finished the book on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Hannah as a lead character is compelling. She is raw, feminist; self-destructive, grief-stricken, and messy, which makes her journey through the book fascinating to read through. I loved the dynamic of the bandmates and that Hannah, Ripper, and Kenny all had very distinct personalities and the clear family vibe between the three of them. The side characters in this novel were developed and clear, we knew who they were.

Theo’s internal conflict of wanting to do a good job and wanting to be a good guy made for a compelling arc in his POV. I understand the Theo/Hannah romance, but it was the least interesting part of the book for me personally.

Overall, I was also pleased with the plot and how things played out. I was hooked throughout the book, and it delivered. Brilliant story that moved me. As a big sister and eldest daughter, this broke my heart and had me ugly crying. Would recommend.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book! While I did finish, and very much impressed by the detailed music of the band, something was missing for me.
I felt it was similar to Daisy Jones and the Six, with a rogue romance thrown in to deviate. However, I felt no chemistry between these characters.
There was a lot of articles and social media posts and comments, and it does add to the public perception, it was a bit telling rather than telling.
The story had a slow build (or an even paced one?) that left me wondering when it was going to ramp up, and it sadly never did. It went exactly how I thought it would with a quickly wrapped ending that didn’t feel satisfying after over 80% contention and drama building.

This was an amazing story. I was hooked. For everyone comparing it to Daisy Jones, just stop. This was incredible! The depth of feelings, the connection, wow. It was so good!!!!

Overall I did enjoy this book, but it felt familiar- almost as if I had read the story already. Maybe it’s just a similar storyline to other books? Either way, the story did capture my attention and keep me reading. However, the romance aspect didn’t fit. I felt no chemistry between Hannah and Theo and wish the story focused more on her relationship with her family and the band.

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead is unflinchingly raw - Hannah’s journey of moving through her grief while experiencing career highs and then bottom falling out is done spectacularly well. The “fixer” Theo, navigating the grief and desires of the band as well as his self, is done only slightly less well. Winstead’s debut novel knocked it out of the park and I’ll be adding it to my physical collection to share upon release!

Special thanks to Atria Books via NetGalley for early access in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was very easy to get absorbed into. I loved the personalities of the main characters. I felt like I could be present in the room while the events were unfolding. The trauma of the was very well written

Theo, a burnt-out record exec, arrives at a dive‑bar gig to save the Future Saints from fading into oblivion. The band’s lead singer, Hannah, is reeling from grief—stripped of her manager (and greatest love)—and pouring raw pain into her music. Her new sound isn’t just an experiment; it’s a revolution.
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What follows is a story of reinvention, sisterhood, and second chances. Hannah meets resistance at every turn—especially from her own protective sister Ginny—but her fearless passion sparks something real in Theo. What began as a PR rescue becomes an emotional reckoning: love that won’t bail, grief that refuses to fade, and art that demands authenticity.
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If you live for character‑driven stories full of heartbreak and hope, immersion in the music world, and an ending that feels like the perfect encore… you’re going to want this on repeat. Can’t wait to devour it when it drops January 20, 2026. 🎶💔✨

This book was basically an exploration in grief, done in a way that is fun, exciting, unique and fast paced. Ashley Winstead is a great storyteller, her writing is descriptive and keeps me wanting to read. I loved that she included multiple different media sources like podcasts, tiktoks, news paper articles. This book is just so creative! It reminds me a great deal of TJR, mainly Daisy Jones. While the characters are flawed, you also see beneath their facade to their internal struggles. This book is a great message for dealing with grief and the process/thoughts involved after losing someone close to you.

I have loved Ashley Winstead’s thrillers and enjoyed her romances but The Future Saints is a whole new genre for Winstead: Contemporary Fiction. The premise of this book was intriguing to me and she did not disappoint.
The Future Saints chronicles the band of the same name that has been on a downward spiral since the death of their manager. Record executive Theo Ford is tasked with getting band to record their final contracted album and then cut them from the label. Instead Theo becomes enthralled with Hannah Cortland, the group’s lead singer and their new rock sound. When their new music goes viral, the band’s big break is here but Hannah’s grief and destructive antics could derail it.

This book has been compared to Daisy Jones and the Six and while they are both books about bands, The Future Saints is really a portrait of grief and a beautiful love story, but not the one you expect. Hannah broke my heart and while her story was painful, it’s one many can relate to. The cast of characters around her were fantastic and I found myself laughing out loud one minute and reading the rough tears the next. Ashley Winstead has outdone herself with this book and I hope she continues to try new things.

4.5 stars! So good. Reminded me of Daisy Jones and the Six & was also so interesting in how the music industry is portrayed. Inclusion of the “articles” and “press releases” took it up a notch for me. The grief of Hannah over her sister and band manager Ginny was also beautiful and hard and raw. Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the e-ARC!

4.2. This was so fun, entertaining, and juicy. Record executive, Theo checks out the future saints in their hometown bombing their concert. Since the death of their manager Ginny, aka the main character Hannah’s sister, they have been on a grief spiral. Theo is there to try and help them fix what they started and get another album out or if he can’t, let them go. Theo is immediately mesmerized by Hannah, the lead singer of the band. She unexpectedly pulls out a new song to perform and it ends up going viral on the internet leading to a boost in popularity. Do the future saints still have a chance of making it? Fun story involving dealing with grief, new found fame, friendship, and sisterhood. As always, thank you Atria Books for the earc.

I am perhaps a most unlikely person to have been chosen to read and review this novel. I am a senior who knows opera and classical music but nothing about rock bands and Grammy awards. Surprise! I enjoyed this book immensely. It was filled with many inside stories about the music industry and how social media can send a band into the explosive reaction on the internet that could either make or destroy talent.

Hannah is the lead singer whose beloved younger sister has recently died by drowning. Hannah is part of a three-man group with the book title name. The other two members are Ripper (whom I kept misreading as "Zipper") guitarist and Kenny, on drums. Hannah is off the rails, drinking and using drugs, who finally breaks down on stage while introducing her new song. She falls to her knees, almost off the stage, but someone has recorded the performance, and it goes viral, getting raves. The music is raw with grief and touches many people. Enter the other main character, a Suit, or corporate Fixer for a major record company. Much of the story bounces between Hannah and Theo Ford, an insecure young man who does the dirty job of cutting groups from the label who are not making it.

It's a wonderfully written book, though perhaps a bit too much emphasis on the ghost haunting Hannah. It's often moving and always interesting
Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for letting me read an early copy.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the Arc! This was my first arc ever, so thank you for kicking off my experience!

This book does live up to its description; it soothes the itch that daisy jones and the six left! This wasn’t my first Ashley Winstead book was certainly my favorite. I think she is coming into her own style and stylizing her books better and better with each new title.

This book was poignant and hard to put down.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and the author for access to this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Ooh this book is a heartbreaker! The rise of The Future Saints career is nearly destroyed by the tragic death of their manager (and the lead singer’s sister) Ginny. Hannah, Ripper, and Kenny are trying to piece themselves back together after losing Ginny and their label sends Theo “the fixer” to manage them less than a year after Ginny’s untimely death. Hannah is a complicated main character; there were times that her behavior and her lack of self control felt a bit one dimensional but I really connected with her love and grief for her sister. I did not totally connect with Theo and Hannah’s love story and felt they lacked chemistry; I wish that the author hadn’t chosen to include this subplot, as it felt a bit forced to me. I loved the found family vibes between the bandmates and the California setting was the perfect sun-kissed setting. I enjoyed many elements of the plot and the awards show moments at the end (no spoilers!) made me tear up. I wish we’d gotten more of Ginny and Hannah as kids, like maybe some backstory chapters, but overall this was a great read.
3.75 stars rounded up to 4⭐️!

4.25 ⭐️

If you loved Daisy Jones & The Six, you’ll be hooked on The Future. It’s a raw, emotional ride about a music exec betting his career on a broken band, a lead singer haunted by grief, and the messy beauty of sisterhood, love, and second chances.

This was my first Ashley Winstead book and it certainly will not be my last! I savored every page. I really enjoyed the nostalgic band vibes of Almost Famous and Daisy Jones and the Six. The author did a great job mixing together all of the with gut-punch themes of grief, mental health, messy family ties, found family and resilience. Hannah is a beautiful, chaotic contradiction, and Theo? A corporate suit with the patience of a saint. Their slow-burn love story? Perfection. I was never bored while reading this and could have continued for another 200 pages. I thought this was beautifully written and enjoyed every second.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC.

Thank you so much for the arc!

Wow! I can’t stop thinking about this book. Ashley Winstead blows me away. She’s becoming so dynamic as an author. No cookie-cutter path for her! Each of her books are so different and so well done.

The Future Saints definitely gives Daisy Jones & the Six vibes. We meet “The Future Saints” which is a struggling rock band when they’re at a low. Theo Ford has been assigned to help fix them enough to finish their contract with Manifest records. What he doesn’t know is that they’re coming off the loss of their manager, who happens to be the lead singers sister.

Hannah, the lead singer, is a beautiful disaster. She can not cope with the loss of her sister. Surprisingly though her raw lyrics and wild antics seem to resonate with the tik tok community which helps to ignite success. Theo simultaneously has to keep the band from safe and develop a new record.

This story followed the band through their success and struggles while also letting us get to know Theo. It was heavy. Watching these people become famous while their hearts were broken was so sad. Hannah was so wrapped up in her sister, Ginny.

I couldn’t get enough of this- but also sometimes struggled to enjoy it as Hannah was crawling through the heaviness of grief. This was so well written with interviews, different POVs, texts, etc. I could see this entire story as a movie. This book will linger with readers long after they’ve finished.

This is a modern day Daisy Jones where the lead singer — Hannah — suffers from a traumatic past, avoiding her feelings and numbing the grief in different ways — booze, drugs, partying, and writing music. She also has been communicating with her dead sister. What a wild ride this story was! But I loved every minute of it!

I loved the live videos and Tik toks added in to the storyline to make it show how viral The Future Saints were becoming throughout the story.

Theo — who the band at first calls “The Grim Reaper” but is known by his record company as “The Fixer” — is tasked with getting The Future Saints to record one more album to fulfill their contract obligations.

Theo is the new producer for The Future Saints. The band he’s in charge of rips on him and think of him as an outsider until a stolen moment between Theo and Hannah changes things. He’s bringing her back to life and giving her happiness again. (Insert swooning here.)

Roger, the music executive and Theo’s, boss is a MAJOR tool and I couldn’t stand him. He gave me the ick feeling the entire time he was in the story.

Theo, coming in to save the day (err, album)! I love how passionate the band and Theo were to get this album — their heart and it being for Ginny — out, Roger be damned. (Insert middle fingers here.)

This is a story of what’s it’s like to be famous, a woman in a rock band, where everyone wants a piece of you and sees everything she does as a performance they are deserved to spectate.

The Saints stuck to their guns and said f the man and wrote from their hearts and experiences with grief to give their fans an album they loved and wanted. I loved the addition to the storyline when Theo and Saints fans made some noise against the record company and got the album released. I also really liked the added articles giving more insight into what’s going on with the band outside of Hannah and Theo’s POV.

I loved how at the end, Kenny, Ripper and Hannah were all credited for being amazing parts of the whole and not just Hannah as the front runner/lead.

The slow burn love story between Theo and Hannah was an added bonus. Both Theo and Hannah had baggage and past trauma affecting them but I was rooting for them!

“All because of love.” Five stars from me!

I really really really enjoyed this novel. Having never heard of or read anything by Ashley Winstead I was not expecting much and I enjoyed reading this so much that I am now in search of her backlist. As it states in the blurb, this novel is a love story but it's not heavy on romance, instead it's focused on the depths of love and grief and how those things can be a controlling narrative in your life when they collide and explode and you're left to figure out how to move on with your life. In The Future Saints, not only is that happening, but this young band is struggling to figure out success and fame while grappling with the remains of grief. Can you even imagine how confusing and chaotic it would be to attain so much of what you've wanted while feeling the worst you've ever felt? And then on top of that, to have the world follow your every move? Then you have a new guy, Theo, there to 'handle' you so that things stay on track for your record company. So many moving parts.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. While there are romantic bits, those aren't the driving force of this novel...they're just icing on the cake. A messy, chaotic, flavorful cake. Definitely check this one out.