Please read the content warning for this book - there are a lot as this book is dark, disturbing, and complex.
Shay Evans (now Shay Deroy) returns to upstate NY to investigate the suicide of her college friend Laurel. There are too many coincidences between Laurel's death and the suicide of their college roommate Clem and it brings up memories Shay has been trying to forget for the past 8 years. But when she returns to her college town, they all come flooding back.
She found out about Laurel's death from her high school classmate Jamie who is doing a podcast about it and the two of them set out to find out what really happened.
Without revealing too much, this is a dark cult thriller that will leave you mesmerized. It's about patriarchy, misogyny, desire, victimhood, power, and trauma. An edgy, thought-provoking book!

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead Fast forwarded through many parts of the book. While I recognize some people like to be dominated, scene after scene of this brutality seemed totally pointless. Too many triggers in this dark, distrubing novel, Ishould have read the content warnings. Not my kind of book. Reading other reviews, there are many fans that will enjoy it. The Ms Winstead does have a flowing, descriptive writing style that brings the book to life.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I’m not 100% sure how I feel after reading The Last Housewife. My heart is still racing and I’m shooketh to my core.

Part true crime podcast, part cultish nightmare, part patriarchal oppression - all the fucking stars. I don’t honestly know how Ashley Winstead is cranking out all of these incredible books so quickly but all I can say is - don’t fucking stop!

Such a fast-paced domestic thriller full of suspense. “The last housewife” will stand out in a very competitive genre.

This book needs all those TW in the beginning. It's a very very difficult read for a lot of reasons. But mostly bc there's the undercurrent that the cult/society is the extreme of ideals that already are on the surface of society now. Be told you're worthless enough times and what you seek to have worth will often be your undoing.

The themes boiled my blood, as I imagine they are made to. It also balanced the notions of consensual sexual acts (ie BDSM) and that which is torture and sexual slavery. The distinction was really important to understand, empathize and be invested in Shay, the narrator.

This book will not be for everyone. What The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt made light of is uncovered in graphic detail here. The beginning of the book (with it's unnecessary descriptions and odd pacing) doesn't do the rest of the novel justice when it starts to come in to its own.

I received an eGalley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Spoilers likely ahead*

First: Winstead has an authors note/small interview at the end of the book that you MUST read. She delves into the reasoning behind many aspects of the story and I find her mind and how she looked at this world fascinating and brilliant. Now on with the show...

WHAT THE ACTUALL EFF DID I JUST READ.

Look, I went into this book knowing it was going to be heavy. I was intrigued by the comments and commentary around it on bookstagram, and did I immediately go forth and request a copy from NetGalley, even when I read how disturbing it could be? You bet your damn self I did. And I'm glad.

I had not read In My Dreams I Hold a Knife (but did rapidly press purchase when it was on sale through Kindle) so I was not aware of Winstead as an author other than seeing her name on bookstagram and the very lovely cover for the Knife book. I will now read all she ever writes.

I DIGRESS. The Last Housewife is disturbing on many, MANY levels. The first of which is the depth of violence and pure psychological terror that the characters experience. This book begins with a content warning for MANY things readers might find disturbing, triggering, or just un-stomachable. Heed. This. Warning. Let me repeat that. HEED THE CONTENT WARNING. I know the heavier subject matter might make some readers stay away from this book, and I understand that, but I believe knowing, going into it, that its going to get deep, and heavy, and dark, allows you to prepare. Its uncomfortable, I'm not going to sugar coat that. There are parts that make your skin crawl and your mind scream out HOW ON EARTH, but Winstead treats every SINGLE aspect of those dark parts with extreme care. They are in this story for a reason. They are not for any sort of gratification (well, more on that...). They are not there for shock value. They are a part of this story because the story, and the the large implications that surround it, actually CALL FOR this darkness.

One of the reasons, and its so twisted, that this story works is because when you really think about it, when you really look at the world around us, its not so far from the truth. The fiction that Winstead creates is anchored in a very real truth: Society is fractured. Society is fractured and the events that take place in this book stem from that fracture. Look at the politics of today. Look at how many MEN in power seek to subtly, or not so subtly, remove women's rights in the name of religion or progressiveness. Look at the rhetoric used by politicians and pastors and law enforcement. Look at how, even in 2022, women are afraid to come forward in cases of rape and abuse because of the (false) narrative that they're asking for it. For all the ways women have stepped forward in this world, there will always be men, and even women, who long for a simpler life. Winstead cites NXIVM and the Sarah Lawrence cult/scandal as inspiration for her story. These things happened RECENTLY. So how far have we really come?

The situations Winstead creates surrounding Shay and her friends, and later the Pater Society, are chilling. Even before the girls get in deeply, there is something so unsettling about their interactions with Don, but you're compelled to keep reading because even if you see where its going, you need to see it, because you need to know you're right. I can only describe the feelings Shay had toward Don as icky. Because she's a young college student, completely enthralled by this older man, a young college student who thinks she has the power because of her beauty. She wants Don to want her, she simply doesn't know or understand what that actually means. As Shay's story unfolds, as she explains what she and Clem and Laurel went through, its scarily easy to understand why they would have stayed, why it took Clem's suicide to break through the obvious brainwashing. Its scarily easy to understand how nice it might have been to have someone dote on you, to tell you what to do, to exist for them and to believe that they exist for you.

In the psychological lens of Shay, its also scarily easy to understand how she could be pulled back into that world, to understand that a part of her never truly left. Shay is a person who definitely needs therapy and it doesnt seem like she ever received it after she left Don the first time, she simply ran from something that was intrinsic to her nature, tried to create a new version of herself, and ultimately found herself in another relationship that, when push came to shove, wasn't all that dissimilar to the one she had with Don.

Throughout the story i found myself appalled by Shay's choices, that she could ever want the type of punishment that Don and later the Paters gave out. Yet I was intrigued, and that intrigue truly pulls you into the heart of the story and keeps you turning the pages even if you find yourself incredulous by what these men put these women through, by what these men, powerful men, actually think about women. Its intriguing because, again, while it might be fiction, I think any woman reading it might have the thought in her mind but is it really that far off from the truth many men hold in their hearts?

This book also ends with what I can only call satisfaction *If you have read this far but have not read the book, do not read further*
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Shay taking her agency into her own hands and ending Don's life was the only way this book could have ended. She had him on his knees. She had him in fear of HER for the first time. If she had relented and done what Jamie and the FBI wanted, if she had let him live to spin his lies another day, it would have done the entire story, her whole journey, a disservice. I wanted her to show mercy because that is what we've come to expect in moments like this. but i was found myself so glad that she did not. because while don drew breath, she would never truly be free. by destroying him the way he sought to destroy her, she took back her own power. Now her fate rests in the hands of others.

I think plenty of readers will love this but ultimately I had some problems with the narrative structure of the book and believability was a real stretch for me here. Which is disappointing because I loved the debut from this author! I will still recommend this to readers who like dark, edgy thrillers with lots of twists and are looking for mysteries from an outsider (i.e., not law enforcement) perspective. I hope this book finds its audience, it just wasn't me!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked Winsteads first book and was very excited to read this one. I’m so happy I it was so good. I loved the hook with the true crime podcast and I really loved the chunks of the story that were told through Shays interviews with Jamie. The way the past unfolded was really interesting and I loved all the twists.

WOW! My jaw is literally on the floor. There is so much to digest after this one. This book is not for the faint of heart and is VERY dark. Be sure to read the content warnings beforehand.

After learning of her college friend's suicide from the true crime podcast of her childhood best friend, Shay abandons the comfort of her normal life and returns to a dangerous world she thought she escaped. With the help of the podcast host, she searches for answers surrounding her friend's death. As Shay finds herself lured into the rabbit hole of her past, she struggles to differentiate between her desire for justice and her dark desire in an underground world of power and privilege. Can she uncover the truth? Or will she be captivated by the man who once seduced her to return to her old ways?

Let me start by saying that Ashley Winstead's writing is mesmerizing. I found myself out of sync with reality and transported completely into the story. The idea of a misogynistic, violent cult is both equally seductive and disturbing. As wild as this concept seems and as unique as Shay's situation is, it's not totally unbelievable. When it comes to power and money in a male dominated world, anything is possible. It also explores the notion on whether or not sexualizing women gives them power over men and the perceived importance of beauty.

Told from Shay's POV and alternating to interview transcripts for the podcast, this story is alluring, unsettling and chilling. The subject matter is so carefully crafted and well-researched which I really appreciated. It touches on the idea of double standards and a woman's role in society - further supported by philosophies from foundational thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato and Socrates. The way the men in the Pater Society twisted the ideology of feminism to their advantage to manipulate the women was insane! Yet, at times I felt like I could relate with certain convictions, which made it all the more terrifying. It wasn't difficult to empathize with Shay's struggle from her trauma and guilt and I found myself cheering her on as she battled the voice in her head.

I was thinking about this book when I wasn't reading it. I had dreams about it. It stayed with me even when I'd put it down for the night and haunted me once I turned the final page. I love that this book WENT THERE, it was dark in a sophisticated way that resonated with me and wasn't just for the shock factor. The Last Housewife was twisted and brilliant, like nothing I've ever read before.

"Maybe I'd performed for so long I wasn't capable of recognizing my real feelings. Were there even such things, or was everyone always reacting in ways we understood we were supposed to? When did the performance ever end?"

**Thank you NetGalley, Ashley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinion**I will post on my instagram page in the near future and send a link when I do!

Please, please, please see the content warnings for this book before going into it. Be safe and make sure you're in a good place becuase this book is DARK!

When Shay Evans attended a college in New York, her and her best friends were seduced by a man who made them believe a web of lies about themselves, while also making them do horrible things. Two of them escaped, vowing never to return back to New York. But then eight years later, podcast host Jaime, declares that her friend has died. So Shay goes back to uncover her so-calles suicide, only to find herself in pushed back in a dangerous and patriarchal cult, that has only gotten worse since she left.

Holy cow, this book was WILD! Dark, seductive, twisty, uncomfortable, but most of all important. Ashley (who I am proud to call a very dear friend of mine) has crafted a wonderful blend of a psychological, domestic, dark academic, cult thriller that can only be called one thing. A masterpiece. Oh the web her sweet and twisted mind weaves. It's emotionally taxing, raw, visceral, honest and bold.

We follow Shay as she tries to uncover the death of her best friend, Laurel, along with the help of her old friend, Jamie. The book is told completely from her point of view, and we hear about the horrific past in the format of a podcast (which I loved!!!). Shay's character is so fascinating to read and if you've read Ashley's debut novel, you will see some similarities between her and Jessica. It was so much fun to delve into her twisted and dark mind as we see her past experiences from her voice.

This book is a feminist thriller in every way. It is about a patriarchal sex cult, but the male patriarchy doesn't end in the cult, it seeps into our society today. With topics of female agency, desire, victimhood, autonomy, and most of all power, Ashley's commentary about women in today's world is at the forefront of this story.

Overall, if you're looking for an amazingly pitch-black and twisty thriller, this is the book for you. I think this is a book everyone should read, but only if you can stomach its disturbing content. This one is perfect for book clubs and it will create such interesting discussions. Another brilliant novel from Ashley Winstead, and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

There is so much to say about The Last Housewife. This book was so dark and twisted. It brought up so many questions and thoughts about men and women and our defined and undefined "roles" in society, how we see ourselves and how the opposite sex sees us. It did it in an entertaining way that made this book unable to put down.

Grateful for the content warning at the start of the book, so that i had some idea as to what was coming. Really well-paced plot but disturbingly creepy. Think 50 shades of gray as a psychological thriller. Some characters are well fleshed-out and some (think Cal and Clem) could use more back story. If BDSM is your jam, you may like this novel. If not, you may want to skip it.

THIS BOOK. I haven’t read a book in a long time that I couldn’t put down and when I had to I would count down the minutes until I could read it again. Let me preface this by saying PLEASE read the content warnings. This book has really dark content and has many scenes with violence against women depicted.

This book is best to go blind with regards to the plot (but again please read CW) so I won’t say much about the plot. The story is sexy, dark, disturbing, and just a perfect thriller. The twist at the end will shock you. And the writing is just incredible. I’m an Ashley Winstead fan girl and will read literally anything she writes from here on out. Plus, she is the nicest human.

But, on top of all that, I am obsessed with this book because of how it resonated with me as a woman. I knew I would love it from the first Scheherazade reference (I have loved One Thousand and One Nights since middle school and the way her story relates to this book is just chef’s kiss).

The way these men in the Pater Society were able to use feminism and intellectual ideas to manipulate women into giving away their power was insane. But it happens every day (obviously to a lesser extent). I have seen it in college classes as a chemistry major and in STEM academia - the way that women are treated as if they are inherently less intelligent and inferior. AND men are able to get away with these behaviors due to the “understanding” between powerful men that keeps abuse towards women under wraps (I know you can all think of well known instances where this was the case).

The message we are taught as women is that the ultimate goal is to have people like you. Shay really grapples with the fact that the way for her to gain power is to play by the men’s rules but in the process she is giving up her agency. The story also explores whether sexualization of women gives them power over men or the other way around. Truly so much to think about and I think it would be a perfect book to buddy read and discuss with friends.

Also the true crime podcast element - perfection. Especially the way it was used at the end 👀 I really enjoyed reading transcripts of interviews interspersed between the story.

Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebookslandmark for the eARC.

wow wow wow! I absolutely loved this dark and twisty soul!

I was super impressed with ashley’s first debut novel, in my dreams I hold a knife, so I literally screamed when I received the arc for this one. and I screamed the whole way through.

while her first novel was dark academia, it’s so unfair to compare the two because they’re completely different beasts!! the last housewife has it ALL: cults, best friends going missing, possible serial killers, grooming, brainwashing, you name it.

the way ashley was able to write such a heavy and difficult story was such ease and beauty was REMARKABLE. and those plot twists? hoo boy, I did not see coming.

writing the book in a single POV (which usually isn’t my favorite) was perfect, due to the fact that it was split between podcast transcripts and first person narrative. the transcripts were a wonderful way to see more into the main character’s head as she was interviewed - asking the questions flat out instead of beating around the bush.

yes, this book is not for the faint of heart, but if you’re a fan of the maidens and the collective, you DEFINITELY need to pick this one up. (but even if you’re not, still preorder this one because it will shock you to your core)

thank you to netgalley, ashley, and sourcebooks for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. august cannot come soon enough!!!

rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: napa cabernet sauvignon

A soaring, sweeping, satisfying novel that kept me up late all night!
Ashley Winstead's writing is hypnotic and totally immersive. You forget where you are reading her work, and just become a part of her mesmerizing and horrifying world. It sucks you in and holds you there.
The characters are superbly fleshed out and real.
The setting is so creepy and atmospheric, I was on pins and needles.
This phenomenal author weaves her stories with a deft hand, turning up the heat with every page.
A gripping page-turner that held me captive until the shocking end.
This girl does the damn thing again! And I look forward to reading many more amazing books from such a remarkable talented author.

Sourcebooks Landmark,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.





Sourcebooks Landmark,
Thank you for this thrilling eARC!
I will post my review close to pub date!

This is my third Ashley Winstead novel, and my second thriller by her and once again I am left speechless. Ashley’s ability to research, craft, create, weave together, connect and write is what makes her books a standout and this one completely blew me away. The premise was fascinating, the characters were so profound and the depth on this book that went far beyond a thriller made it my favorite yet. The entire story was so grounded in research with layers upon layers that begs you to analyze how women are viewed in our culture, how they identifying themselves in the roles “set” for them, and the lengths that our MC will go to, to break free of the toxic molds set for us, even if that means exposing a sexual cult in a male dominated society. This book is dark so please read the trigger warnings before reading but it only made for a deeper understanding of what the women in these books went through mentally, physically and emotionally. This one deserves all of the stars and will leave a lasting and memorable impression on me! Highly recommend!

Ho.Ly.CraP this book. Dark, intense, twisty, compulsively readable - ALL THE CONTENT WARNINGS, yeesh, it is much much darker than I generally read but once I started I couldn't stop. Wow.

After learning of her college best friend's suicide (maybe murder?) from the podcast of her childhood best friend, disaffected writer Shay abandons all the trappings of her normal life and returns to the scene of... so much trauma. Determined to find the truth and get justice for Laurel, Shay delves into a dark underbelly of sex clubs, secret societies, and a rotten, insidious philosophy creeping everywhere. Can she get justice? Or will the man who once controlled her take her back?

AAAAAAGH!

Aaaaaaahhhhh! Can you hear my shriek? If you didn’t, at least my entire neighborhood absolutely heard. The polite and old couple at next door super nicely advised me stop reading the most exciting parts of the book aloud and shut the freak out! ( of course they didn’t choose the freak word to emphasize their situation but I still think they are nice people! )

This book was one of the most intense, dark, bleak, absolute eyes popper- nail biter- soul crusher- mind blower- nightmare caller- jaw dropper!

It added a special meaning to those spooky cult novels by scaring the living daylights of me!

This amazing author: Ashley Winstead can write a hell of amazing romcom and she can also create the darkest thriller story which could give me real nightmares at the same time!

I’m hooked up from the beginning of the story as soon as I’m introduced to Shay, a new housewife after quitting her writing job, living in Texan suburb, still listening to the podcasts as guilty pleasure.

Then we found out the podcast called transgressions is hosted by her childhood friend Jamie: they have a complicated relationship. Shay left her past behind, living under the radar, using pen name for her writing gigs, lost connection with her old friends!

But her past is about to catch her: Jamie’s last podcast episode is about Laurel’s suicide: her best friend and partners in crime who ran away from a cult 8 years ago! The same year their close friend Clem also took her life! The same year Shay realized she couldn’t keep her promises to her friends and best way to stay safe was disappearing into thin air!

Now she has to face her dark past, not only avenging her best friends but also finding out what happened to those missing girls, she returns back to New York to flip the bird to the same misogynistic, tempting, enigmatic cult leader who tried to seduce them with his brainwashing tactics!

She finds herself getting attracted of that dark, dangerous life style. She has to find a way of her freedom in expanse losing the old self behind! But how? Let the darkest mind games begin!

Of course there’s no chance for me to give this book less than five stars! This is one of the best thriller reads of the year I highly recommend it!

Special thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

I was so excited to read this book and I was right to be excited. An absolutely unparalleled thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. I could absolutely relate to the characters in that made it all the more terrifying. Highly recommend!

Ashley Winstead's THE LAST HOUSEWIFE was a 24-hour fever dream of a reading experience. When Shay Evans (now Deroy), a bored, wealthy housewife in Dallas, learns of the suspicious death of her college best friend, Laurel, on a podcast hosted by her childhood best friend, Jamie, she abandons the safe life she's created for herself in order to investigate--and possibly avenge--the alleged suicide. Shay's return to New York plunges her back into the past, when she, Laurel, and their third friend, Clem--also dead by suicide, years ago--were seduced into a misogynistic, sadistic cult. If this sounds far-fetched, that's part of the point: misogyny falls on a spectrum, and while Shay's experience is rare, it's perhaps not as rare as we'd like to believe; and further, it's only an extension of what most women experience every day. THE LAST HOUSEWIFE explores fraught, complex issues of victimhood and power, agency and desire, asking what it takes to free ourselves when the voice controlling us is inside our own minds. Dark, seductive, troubling, and beautiful, an essential read for fans of MY DARK VANESSA and A PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN.