I just finished this book and I’m already annoyed at the week I spent reading it.

At first I appreciated the Twilight references and then they grew tiresome. It made the story feel very YA at times and the miscommunication trope grew old.

This felt too drawn out and predictable and that ending had my eyes rolling.

I finished it and enjoyed the small town setting so I’ll settle on 3 stars.

Ashley has quickly become one of my favorite thriller authors, so I was super excited to get to her newest. One thing I love about all her stories is the unique storytelling approach she takes. Midnight is the Darkest Hour is unlike any other thriller I've read in the sense that we kind of know what happens all along, but the eerie/thrilling elements are the atmosphere and the religious cult-like following that keep you turning pages. I loved the romantic sub-plot and the past/present chapters of Ruth and Everett. I did feel like the ending 10% lacked little bit of wow-factor compared to what I've felt with her last two, but then the very last page really shocked me. It isn't my favorite of hers, but I still really enjoyed and will recommend!

I tried this book 4 times. I have previously loved The last housewife but this book wasn’t at the same level for me. I ended up reading 54% before officially giving up. I’m quite bored and have no interest in what’s happening - which just doesn’t feel like a lot. The vibe of the book is great but the story is just pretty lacking

The brilliantly talented author of THE LAST HOUSEWIFE is back with another powerful, engaging thriller! Her writing is so FRESH and creative that it absolutely shines here. While this storyline is not as dark as The Last Housewife, it still possesses EVIL undertones. *swipe for synopsis 👉🏽

In this gothic, Southern thriller we get a glimpse into a small Louisiana town occupied by God-fearing Christians haunted by legends of a vampire and the occult. Rich in atmospheric imagery, it was easy to imagine wading through the eerie, swampy landscapes. The story is so CREATIVE, unique and powerful, with forbidden relationships in a town filled with secrets galore. There was a certain point in it where I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough because I was so hooked!

I don’t know how Ashley manages to write such a wide variety of themes + depth and NEVER misses! There’s usually an underlying message that really drives the story home!

And don’t get me started on THAT. ENDING. I held my breath, tapped my Kindle for the next page…and said WHAAAT?! 😲🫣 SO. SATISFYING. I immediately messaged her after reading it because my jaw was on the floor.

For fans of:

•Twilight
•Bonnie & Clyde
•Sons of Anarchy

Midnight Is The Darkest Hour (ARC)
Ashley Winstead @ashleywinsteadbooks
5⭐️

Pub Date: 10/3/2023

⚠️ TW: Religious fundamentalism, sexual and familial abuse, murder (among other things)

In the midst of God-fearing Bottom Springs, where nobody leaves, Ruth has always felt like an outsider, even when her beloved pastor father and family are well known and is the center of their community. When a human skull and mysterious runes were found in the swamp, the whole town went into panic, believed it to be the work of the devil, and have all turned to their religion. To the extreme. And with Ruth's own panic from her dark past, she discovers the true evil lurking within their small town.

I cannot even express how captivating this one was! My reading slump had no power over this book!

Immediately, the plot was gripping. I sensed how twisted and messed up the whole situation was from the very beginning. Religious, gender and class extremism were all very prominent topics throught this book. Winstead painted a vivid image of the setting and how religion can be brought to its extremes and shape or warp the community. The main characters were morally gray but I understood the desperation in their case. There were secrets on top of more secrets, dark mysteries from the main characters and from the whole town. The author slowly peeling the layers of the mystery quite masterfully! The plot was solid, the writing style was fantastic. The ending was left ambiguous, open to interpretation, and I have made some of my conclusion theories.

What a great fall read! Definitely recommending this to everybody when it comes out! Easily one of my top reads this year.

Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebooks for an e-ARC of this book for an honest review!

I was super excited for this one after reading and loving "The Last Housewife" last year, but unfortunately this one did not work out for me for multiple reasons For this being marketed as a thriller, it does not feel like a thriller at all and feels more like a coming-of-age/family drama combination. I was unable to connect with Ruth, which wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't find her extremely annoying. I also was NOT a fan of the Twilight references and often found myself cringing at them. While there were multiple twists, they all felt obvious by the time they were revealed so there was a lack of shock at the time of the reveals. The end was too ambiguous/open-ended for my taste. It seems like I am definitely in the minority with this one, so don't not pick it up because of this review since so many others seem to love it.

I first want to thank Ashley Winstead and NetGalley for this ARC eBook edition.

LOVED this book! Chalked full of small-town secrets, Edward and Bella Vibes, Bonnie and Clyde vibes. Character development was good. VERY suspenseful. Kept me turning the pages. In my opinion this book is her best to date!

Ruth has always felt like an outsider as the preacher’s daughter. When skulls and weird symbols are found, Ruth and her best friend have power to find the truth.

I liked the characters of this one. For me that was the best part, as well as the extreme religion, which frustrating me but also kept me entertained. The pacing of the story was pretty slow and hard for me to get into. It’s definitely an atmospheric read and many will enjoy it, but I just did not love it as I did the Last Housewife.

“That’s the upside of being the pastor’s daughter and the devil’s son, two outcasts who become friends the way we did. From the start, nothing has been off limits.”

Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes out 10/3.

This book had all the vibes. I loved every moment of this. The spooky fall vibes, the satanic panic, the southern gothic-ness? Absolutely stunning. I flew through this read so quickly--the characters, the plot, and the setting were all so compelling and I just had to keep reading to see where this ride was going. The only thing I wish was slightly different was the ending. Don't get me wrong I didn't necessarily dislike it, but I do wish it was a little more...plausible. I was a bit underwhelmed by the up-for-interpretation-ness of the ending, but that's just me. I think this is going to be a huge hit this fall!

SHE DID IT AGAIN 👏

This book was one of my most anticipated reads this year after reading and loving Ashley’s first two thrillers, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and The Last Housewife. And it did NOT disappoint!!

I went into this book totally blind and very glad I did! It was a wild ride and I love how Ashley doesn’t shy away from dark topics. There was such a creepy, uneasy feeling throughout the whole book that left me so unsettled but still wanting to read more. I finished the book in one day which is not the norm for me, but the storyline was so compelling that I couldn’t put it down!

As much as I loved the thriller portion of this book, the romance sub-plot was GIVING. I love how she merged these two genres together in a way that was fully satisfying! The Twilight references + nods were everything 🧛🏼‍♂️💋

And lastly, that ENDING!! Are you kidding me?! Brilliant. I loved every part of this book!

Midnight is the Darkest Hour | Review 🌙💫

Author: Ashley Winstead aka the thriller queen herself.
Genre: Thriller, Suspense
Pub Date: 10/03/2023
Rating: 5 ⭐️

Holy crap y’all! If this thriller isn’t on your TBR for spooky season… what are you even doing?!?

This book was FANTASTIC! Equal parts, thriller, suspenseful and a little spooky. Ashley Winstead comes up with the craziest/most creative stories and I love them all. I was completely engrossed while reading and dying to pick it up when I wasn’t reading.

In the God fearing small town of Bottom Springs, Louisiana, residents are living in fear as various bodies are pulled out of the swamp.

Liberian Ruth Cornier, and daughter of the towns Reverend finds herself in the center of the investigation along with her childhood friend Everett. Told in a dual timeline, we get snippets of this town and its residents in the present and from Ruth’s childhood. As secrets start to resurface, Ruth and Ever try to dive even deep to investigate these secrets in an attempt to solve the crimes 👀

I don’t care what anyone says, I LOVED Ever 🥲. I also loved Ruth’s character development and how she’s always been a little rebellious. I did guess PART of the ending but regardless I loved it.

Read if you like:
🌙 Small town thrillers
🌙 Churchy brainwashing culty vibes
🌙 Twilight & the Vampire Diaries
🌙 Bonnie & Clyde vibes


⚠️ CW: Religious Fundamentalism, Substance Abuse, Ableism, Colonialism, Familial Violence, Sexual Violence, Chid Abuse, Murder.

Ruth is the daughter of a hellfire and brimstone preacher in small town Louisiana. A few years ago, she befriended Everett after he helped her escape a harrowing situation. Now their past is back to haunt them. As they try to hide the truth, they uncover more nefarious truths about their town.

This one started a little slow for me. I’m glad I read reviews though that it has some good twists. I don’t think the gothic vibes from the synopsis were really present as there wasn’t really many supernatural vibes (just allusions to witchcraft but no real witchcraft). It does leave on a “cliffhanger”/twist but it felt kinda like an ending that people could interpret how they want. Overall, a good read with some good twists and turns. But more of a story of a strong bond and overcoming toxic family than a true gothic mystery.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was bonkers in the best way. I love Ashley Winstead's thrillers and this was no exception. The ending is definitely up for interpretation but I know where my heart lies.

Wooooow! This book gave me all the right vibes. It was a mix of satanic panic based in a Where The Crawdads Sing setting. There was a very southern gothic cult type theme going on and I loved it. This is a perfect spooky, fall read!

The hunt for a serial killer is on. The town of Bottom Springs has discovered a serial killer. Ruth, the daughter of the town’s ‘do no wrong’ preacher and Everett, the son of the devil have an unwavering friendship. Her parents try to stray her from him, but they repent. Are they fighting to discover the answer to The Low Man or fighting to keep their own hidden secrets?

I knocked off one star due to the ending. It just was a little far fetched and underwhelming for me which was a bummer compared to how the rest of the book was written. I was sucked in from the beginning - the kind where you are playing a movie in your head while reading.

Thank you to Net Galley, SOURCEBOOKS, and the author for this ARC copy!
Publication date: October 3, 2023 ☺️

Having read and enjoyed Ashley Winstead's previous two thrillers, I went into this one hoping for another win. Sadly, I didn't love this one, which is a real shame because on the surface, it ticked a lot of my boxes. Set in the swamp land of Louisiana, the atmosphere was automatically spooky a la True Detective, but for me, the plotting in this was just a bit on the weak side. There were times when I was a bit bored and found the flitting back and forward in time (something that I usually enjoy) a bit contrived. The pace did pick up towards the end, but overall, I was pretty disappointed. With that being said, I will still give the author another go and there is definitely an audience for this story - it just didn't work for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

To put it mildly I’m obsessed with Ashley winstead’ books. I’m so happy that I get to live in the same world as hers where I’m able to read and enjoy her books. Because omgg not only this was an addictive, propulsive read that I wasn’t able to put down but also it was engrossing and had me kept on my toes through and through. Undoubtedly one of my top reads of the year!

Midnight Is The Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead is the perfect book to read if you've been fascinated (and horrified) by the Murdaugh scandal. Small Southern town, good-old-boy network, haves and have-nots, secrets hidden for generations. Ruth and Everett are the sweetest couple, and watching them go up against the Reverend Cornier and the entire town of Bottom Springs had me on pins and needles. Highly recommend!!!

This book is a bit of everything. Romance, horror, mystery and thriller. To be honest I didnt think I was going to like it and it went above and beyond my expectations.

In this dark, Southern gothic, Ashley Winstead does a wonderful job of detailing the small, suffocating Louisiana community. Rumors of witchcraft, the local legend of the Low Man, and a controlling local preacher from Holy Fire Baptist Church are all kindling for this close-minded town to ignite with hatred. Her main characters, Ruth and Everett, are social outcasts who build an unlikely friendship from a deeply traumatic shared history. And while the bond between these two friends is perplexing to outsiders, it proves to be unshakable in the face of adversity. Ruth’s devotion to Everett provides her with the strength to stand up against the true demon in town, and it is not the Low Man of local legend.

The Twilight vibes are on-point. I've been going through a bit of a Twilight phase, so this book really hit the spot. The pacing and dual-timelines was done so well. I loved the atmospheric nature of the writing and how dark the book was. This is probably Winstead's best book to date. Plus, the ending was just perfect.