Holy Trigger warnings! 😳
This book takes you through a twisting ride with fantasy, drama, romance, and a huge thriller/horror vibe! The emotional hits from this book will keep you thinking about it for awhile after.

The characters were well developed for the plot line of the story, so much so that Beau leaves you with the exact feelings you should have about him at every point in the story. The ending was incredibly well done and I am definitely intrigued as to how the next book will continue on with the river.

A gorgeous cover that masks the absolute dark and twisted story inside. River of Ashes is quite possibly one of the most warped and dark stories I’ve read. Beau is one of the most repulsive and scary main characters I’ve encountered, the truth that lies behind how so much darkness can be hidden behind the mask of those “perfect” people we encounter throughout our lives. The mind games and twists throughout the story kept me on edge and begging for anyone else to notice just how evil he was. The dual pov that followed this book gave the reader a true inside look at just how dark our psychotic main character was and the ability to see through the facade in a sense that Leslie had. The frustration of Leslie dealing with tension within her relationship of her sister and mother along with no one taking her seriously got under my skin. I wish we had gotten a bit of a deeper backstory of the issues Beau had as a younger child and I felt the relationship with his mother needed some more attention. Overall, this is a very dark and twisted read that will shock you.

The book comes with a laundry list of trigger warnings so please be kind to yourself while reading and step away if needed.

ARC review!
#booktour

This one is set in Louisiana which is where I am from. I think the author did a great job of accurate depictions of our land and culture without being too aggressive with it which is important when people tend to think a certain way about our area.

I loved the mystery. It is creepy which would be perfect for a Halloween read. I did get into the story from the beginning which is always a great sign.

I hated the main characters. High school snobs with your average ridiculous issues. The football player is by far the worst. Beware of sexual assault/abuse and gaslighting. People always think money can fix everything and it usually can. I just wish there was more character depth.

I think this is a YA horror.

Thank you @katieandbreypa @netgalley @vesuvianmedia @lucasastorauthor for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

#bookstagram #book #arc #bookreview #bitchesbebookin #louisiana #horrorbooks #thriller #mystery #read #riverofashesarctour #riverofashes

I really enjoy horror books especially creepy atmospheric horror and I was excited for this one but honestly a lot of the elements included in it were very disturbing in a not good way. I didn't love how the main character was a rich entitled bully and how that was basically his personality trait at the beginning. I also didn't like how there were so many dark and heavy subjects included such as sexual assault which automatically lowered my rating. Make sure you read the trigger warnings if you can!

River of Ashes was a complete miss, and I am sad about it. Look at that cover. STUNNING!!! Plus, the premise sounded amazing. I have seen several 5-star reviews, so maybe I am in the minority with this one, and you may love it. If you are a fan of Southern Gothic, you may like it.

I had a hard time with the writing style. I am not sure if this is a result of two authors or not, but it was so hard to get through at first. It felt clunky, and I had to re-read several sections. Once I found my footing, it was relatively fast-paced.

I love great characters. It doesn’t matter if they are good or evil; I just love a complex, interesting character. I also love a villain's point of view. River of Ashes follows a few points of view; one of them is the villain, a psychopath no less... and it was utterly boring. I don't know how you make a psychopath boring, but they did. I think it would have been better without the villain’s point of view. Since we know what he plans to do, there is no tension or suspense. Even the twist at the end was super predictable. All of the characters are pretty one-dimensional, and the one character that is interesting and complex is wasted.

I think the reason I found this so boring is that the plot is so repetitive. Step 1: Psychopath talks about how he wants to hurt the female main character; Step 2: Female main character doesn't give him the time of day; Step 3: Psychopath goes to the river; he occasionally sees some dogs and a white form and just hurts someone else instead. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

Further, the paranormal aspect (dogs and white form) of this plot is so underdeveloped that it seems out of place. I have read that this is a trilogy and that it will be further developed in the later books, but I don't care enough to find out.

Please note that there are several trigger warnings in this book, including rape, murder, abuse, stalking, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vesuvian Books for the arc of this book. All of the opinions above are my own.

This is such a difficult book to rate. On one hand, I abhor the intense misogyny and sexual violence against women, but on the other, it's so satisfying to see someone who thinks they're invincible fall and get their comeuppance.

RIVER OF ASHES is the first instalment in Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor YA, contemporary, ST. BENEDICT'S thriller that follows high school seniors (and twins) Leslie and Dawn Moore, and high school quarterback Beau Devereaux.


WARNING: RIVER OF ASHES contains scenes of graphic violence and sexual abuse, and may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from several third person perspectives including Leslie, Dawn and Beau RIVER OF ASHES follows the tumultuous relationship between high school seniors Leslie and Dawn Moore, and Beau Devereaux. Months earlier star quarterback and spoiled rich son of the town’s largest employer, Beau Devereaux found himself attracted to sassy and mouthy Leslie Moore but her rejection sent him into the arms of her identical twin Dawn. Seeking revenge for Leslie’s brush-off, Beau begins to make life miserable for his girlfriend’s sister, while pushing forward with his plans to take what he wants, at all costs.

RIVER OF ASHES is a startling, energetic and dramatic look at a psychopath in action. Long buried secrets come to the surface as Beau’s violent tendencies leave broken bodies and broken souls in its’ wake. There is only one way to stop Beau Devereaux but stopping Beau means, quite possibly, ending another life.

RIVER OF ASHES has most of the hallmarks of a YA story line including jealousy; mean girls; cliques; rich vs poor; semi-oblivious parents ensconced in their own personal hells, as well as a high-school population terrorized by repeated abuse from one of their own.

Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor pull the readers into a haunting nightmare of a psychotic mind. The premise is dark and powerful in its’ presentation as the frenzy and hysteria begin to unfold.



AMAZON COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2MYOM5T8HQD70/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1645480984


BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3155828640


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4783507462

Well, the prize for most hated character in a great book goes to.......Beau Devereaux. It takes skill to write a character that will be so universally disliked, no redeeming acts for this guy.

As the story moves quickly and his followers recognize the evil Beau is spreading, this reader had some very physical reactions to the character. Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor draw some very emotional responses. The story was much more than I expected and will leave you thinking about it long after the end.

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚.


Writing-wise, this is compelling and will keep you wanting more. But I wasn't convinced by the plot.

So, keep in mind that this book addresses relevant issues such as harassment, mental disabilities, rape, and murder when reading it.

Back to the plot, the potential is there, and I was expecting a full-fledged psychopathic villain, but Beau turns out to be much more of this spoiled brat and super entitled kid, I'm sorry, it did appear that way to me.

With that said, it seemed like a fragile plot to me, and I wasn't sold on how the characters dealt with Beau, which was very anti-climatic.

Character-wise, the potential is there once more, but I was disappointed.

I'm excited to see how River of Wrath turns out because it'll be a series, and hopefully the second one will be better.

The cover drew me in from the start. I did enjoy the story but felt like it was work with the flipping back and forth so much it was almost distracting. I really appreciate being able to review this

River of Ashes by authors Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor is the first novel in the St. Benedict series. Beau Devereaux is the small town’s charming, popular, high school quarterback. On the outside he appears to have everything going for him. He’s handsome, rich and polite. But on the inside, he is a psychopath— and his parents know it. Beau is used to getting what he wants and he has his sites on Leslie. He tries to get closer to her by dating her twin sister Dawn. Leslie wants nothing to do with him which keeps fueling his fury. He will do whatever it takes to get her and along the way he pursues other victims.



I must admit, the gorgeous cover of this book is what caught my eye initially (in addition to the mention of similarity to “Lord of the Flies” which I loved). I.Loved.This.Book. 5 WOW stars! It had my rapt attention from start to finish. The building up of Beau’s rage is incredible and scary. Add that to the creepy setting of the river and I didn’t want to put it down. I enjoyed Beau’s perspective because you could see his perverted thoughts and actions growing and unfolding.. The shocking twists were amazing. The telling of this story was great and I plan to read more books from both authors in the future. So glad I happened upon it.

Thank you @AlexandreaWeis, @LucasAstor, @XPressoBookTours, @Vesuvian Books and NetGalley for an ebook ARC. The opinions are mine alone and not biased in any way.
#RiverOfAshes #StBenedictSeries #NetGalley #SouthernGothicLiterature

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me and I actually ended up DNF’ing it. The writing was all over the place and everything seemed to be rushing through without giving any real details, the characters were so underdeveloped I’m not sure what the point of any of them was and there was no depth to anything. Again, these opinions are based off of the first 40% of the book before I just DNFed it.

Thank you to Katie and Brey PA for sending me an ebook for this one.

Inspired in part by true events, River of Ashes by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor is the first book in an adult series debut that follows a pair of twin sisters who unintentionally expose the dark, twisted skeletons of their small town’s premier family. This cinematic, atmospheric Southern gothic/thriller is a cautionary tale, reminding us that real monsters exist—and often hide in plain sight.
Leslie and Dawn Moore might share the same dirty-blond hair and blue eyes, but that’s where their similarities end. Leslie is a sharp-tongued, quick-witted senior at St. Benedict High School who refuses to bend to peer pressure and dates a guy from the wrong side of the tracks. Her twin Dawn is the head of the cheer squad and girlfriend of the high school’s star quarterback, Beau Devereaux. Beau is rich, handsome, and has a family pedigree that makes him royalty in St. Benedict. He’s also a narcissist and a psychopath.
Beau might have won Dawn’s heart, but Leslie is his obsession. When his plan to woo Leslie backfires, Beau’s frustration finds an outlet: punishing other women as replacements for the one girl who doesn’t find him irresistible. Beau’s progression from manipulator to rapist to murderer is a fascinating, harrowing journey that begins with terrorizing his mother and culminates with more than one dead body on the banks of the Bogue Falaya River. The waterway runs near the ruins of the abandoned St. Francis Abbey where students party on the weekends—where wild dogs appear when death is near, and a spectral Lady in White haunts the unsuspecting.
Currently in development for a TV series, River of Ashes is more real-life horror than genre horror, but this doesn’t make it any easier on the heart or any less thrilling for readers interested in soapy, unsettling stories rife with disturbing elements. Sensitive readers should be aware of the trigger warnings that accompany this book and read with caution. Weis and Astor capture Devereaux’s deplorable acts with a delicate grace that makes the story captivating while still coating you in an icky feeling that doesn’t easily wash away in the shower. From his subtle exploitations to his overt sexism, every woman has known a man like Beau Devereaux, making River of Ashes almost required reading—just prepare for fury-inducing vibes alongside queasy guts, because these chills may hit close to home.

First off, I love the cover. It makes me think fantasy, but I guess psychopaths hide behind a mask of their own making, so it fits the story. I love psychological thrillers and find psychopaths fascinating. Because of the very effective blurb, a sense of menace lingers on every page and I am waiting and eager for the bad to begin.

River of Ashes by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor is told from the psychopath’s point of view, at least some of the time. Oh yeah. I love seeing the world through his twisted eyes.

Beau is rich, a psychopath and he wants Leslie, though, for the moment, he’s settled for her sister, Dawn, while Leslie find Derek perfect and wants nothing to do with the ‘off’ Beau. Her intuition is spot on.

Beau hides his anger. His motto: Never lose control. One slip…Once the genie is out of the bottle…All his life, his dad had told him, “Don’t let them see who you really are.”

WOW. So much heartache and evil, twists and turns. I love books that get my emotions bubbling, gripping me, making me read until the wee hours of the morning, having to know…I couldn’t stop.

I always try and figure things out, but it didn’t happen here. I was surprised at the very end and that rarely happens. I can hardly wait to see what’s in store for Book II, River Of Wrath, and I plan to be around for it.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of River Of Ashes by Alexandrea Weiss & Lucas Astor.

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This book is creepy and disturbing in all the best ways. You want to know what happens and what causes the characters to act a certain way. Beau is a character that you love to hate while you can't wait to find out what happens next. Beau takes bullying to a whole new level and gets a sick high off the pain and misery of Leslie, the twin sister of his gf Dawn. Since a lot of the story is told from Beau's POV you don't just assume to know what he is thinking but you actually get to know what he is thinking while he is doing all of the horrid things he does throughout the book. The twists and turns of this book keep coming until the very end. This was a great read. I also enjoyed that Alexandrea Weis includes a note at the back of the book explaining the topic of the book and the reason for choosing it. This is one of those stories that will stay with you long after you read the final words on the last page.

"The River of Ashes" is an extremely dark and deeply unsettling thriller that nails the role of a budding psychopath.
Beau Devereaux is the "Prince" of St. Benedict. He's handsome, charming, and popular. He is also a psychopath. He manipulates and preys on young girls. In his senior year, he finds his ultimate prize, the twin sister of his girlfriend. And someone will have to stop him before the kill count increases drastically.
"The River of Ashes" has an excellent premise and actually delivers on building a devastating psychological thriller. The perspective of Beau has been done extraordinarily well, and the authors handle sensitive topics with grace, The suspense of the novel builds steadily with good pacing and rootable characters.
It is emotionally charged, sinister and the horror elements set the story with an incredibly gothic atmosphere. It's creepy and realistic. Despite the predictability in the end, it is very emotionally satisfying. Instead of merely being a book that captures the horror and the terrors of sexual assault, it portrays the emotions that are tied with it giving it a profound message. I would highly recommend this book to all young girls out there.

Beau Devereaux is attractive, rich and the town's golden boy, but this perfect exterior is hiding a darkness within...

This book is an intense thriller with themes of sexual assault. The vibe is dark and eerie, and half the time whilst reading it, my skin was crawling.

Unfortunately though, there is no real depth to any of the characters. They all felt like caricatures in a morality play, with no nuance. Although the overall message still got across, it wasn't as well done as it could have been.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A deep and twisting dive into the mind of a sexual abuser that glides between POVs expertly. There’s rich world building and that sense of small southern living, complete with the privilege of old money, myth and survival of high school.

While the main bulk of the characters are seniors in high school they are written well and written believably (which is rare). Topics definitely dance more towards new adult and can be jarring when you’re experiencing the book through Beau’s eyes as his mind continues to unravel and his violence escalates. However I feel the authors approached it respectfully and honestly; this is the reality of sexual abuse, this is the mind of an abuser and this is the reality of too many.

The story kept me engaged and moved well keeping my interest throughout. I was surprised when I saw it was a series when nearing the end but quickly realized it got a bit more twisty! I’ll definitely continue on with this series because there’s something downright chilling about this book.

TW: graphic violence, sexual assault, rape, gaslighting

This is probably one of the darkest books I have read in a very long time. The depiction of Beau - the golden boy - and his evolution of psychopathy was done well, albeit a bit juvenile in some aspects. With that said, this was about a bunch of high school students and thus did read a bit YA at times but overly gruesome.
It was a fairly quick read, and although I appreciated the afterward from the author regarding the statistics and more information about sexual assault - which was horrific and unnerving to say the least - I do wish there was a trigger warning at the start of the book due to the graphic nature of events that unfold.
Somehow it being in a high school setting made this story even more disturbing to me.
I do wish we had a bit more in depth character development as they did fall a bit flat for me.
Overall, it was a good concept with trying to bring to light the sheer volume of unreported sexual assaults and will leave your skin crawling.
I will say, the end threw me for a loop and I am interested to read the second instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vesuvian Media for a copy of this ARC eBook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a chilling psychological thriller centering around the popular football player who comes from a very powerful and wealthy local family that basically owns the town. On the outside he’s the perfect friend/son/player always playing his cards right but on the inside he is a psychopath full of evil thoughts, preying on the girls down by the river. Except maybe this time he messed with the wrong ones and maybe someone finally sees his true colors. The scene is set on Bogue Fayala River in Louisiana and a run down old Abby full of ghosts giving this an extra creepy vibe. The ending was well played and totally unexpected! This is a great read if your not scared of a little fear, blood, and psychopaths running wild (check the TWs if you have those first).