Ashley Winstead knows how to “give me pumpkin to talk about,” and this was my first eerie and thrilling encounter with her stories. The story weaves together a tapestry of eeriness, cleverness, and layers of exciting twisted twists. The pacing is spot on, building tension steadily to the story’s climax, and I was turning the pages as fast as I could as the danger increased for our main characters. Even if my room was filled with vampires thirsting for my blood—nothing could deter me from finishing this read.

“The church bells toll, and secrets whisper in the shadows.”

Ashley Winstead takes the familiar small-town, God-fearing community trope and spins it into a clever, exciting narrative that delves into themes of feminism and religious oppression. She weaves in themes of friendship, love, and vengeance, giving the story an exciting, unique feel.

Throughout the story, I experienced and enjoyed a variety of vibes from other books and movies that added depth and intrigue, with one minor exception—the references to Twilight felt a bit overdone. It sometimes verged on the cheesy, leaving me uncertain about the author’s direction. Nonetheless, Ashley Winstead masterfully weaves it all together, culminating in a heart-stopping and gratifying ending. It’s in the conclusion that this story truly pays off.

I read this with my Traveling Witches, and we had a wickedly good time reading this one!

Bonny and Clide meet a horror story.
A great thriller with so many levels.
A story that depicts how your role in society can make or break. The more powerful you are shows how much power you hold. But be careful cause one wrong move can change everything

Midnight Is The Darkest Hour was one of my most anticipated thrillers of 2023, and in true Ashley Winstead fashion, I couldn’t put it down, Ruth and Everett were a modern day Bonnie & Clyde!
But also, what an ending! 🤯

Thank you so much to Harper Collins Canada for sending me an advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for review

Midnight Is The Darkest Hour is a very atmospheric read that relies heavily on the setting which almost is as much a character in this book as are the narrators. This book is a southern gothic mystery with elements of romance and a creepy small town setting. The book alternates back and forth in time between when Ruth and Everett were younger and when they are older.

There was a small section of the book that didn't hold my interest as much as the rest around the middle or second half of the book, but it was short-lived and then I was back to the interesting writing again.

The author chose to write the novel in a different format than the typical then and now alternate time periods, instead we read several chapters of the past and then several chapters of the now time period. It was interesting that the author chose this writing style and I feel the writing still flowed smoothly and didn't affect how easily I got swept up in this page-turning novel. This felt very different from In My Dreams I Hold A Knife by this author and I didn’t want to stop reading. I definitely look forward to reading other books by this author including her rom-com genre books.

4.5/5

Thanks to Killer Crime Club and NetGalley for my ARC. Wow, what a twisty-turny book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ruth and Everett's journey to find the truth about their little Louisiana town. Secrets, mysteries, murder and a bit of the paranormal mixed in made this a very exciting read!

“𝑾𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔.”

If Ashley Winstead writes it, I’m going to read it. Mentioned as “love letter to Twilight,” mixed with small town drama how could I not be intrigued?!

Once again, Winstead‘s writing is the perfect mix of beautifully poetic, page-turning and enthralling. She has a perfect way of setting up the claustrophobic feel of the town and people of Bottom Springs, contrasted with the beauty and nature of the very same place, including Ruth herself. Both of Winstead’s 2023 published novels show her love of books with passionate characters who use books to help them cope with tough moments in their world. She also tackles themes that are relevant to females: how they are watched and judged closely, their “place” in especially Southern society, the narratives they are fed and the power males wield. Bottom Springs is the perfect confined setting with both its people and surroundings feeling like they are always watching; the judgement of the townspeople (especially of Ever and Sam) angered me greatly, yet sadly feels so timely in a world that seems like it has forgotten how to love others. I absolutely loved Ruth and Everett, best friends bonded by their shared uniqueness and trauma, who became protectors for each other. They aren’t perfect though, true ‘anti-heroes’ and like Taylor Swift sings, sometimes it is exhausting rooting for them, yet ultimately worth it as they question the idea of what is good and how sometimes perception has so much to do with the answers we find.

Midnight Is The Darkest Hour is story of vengeance, resistance, friendship, secrets, justice, and protection. It is gripping, powerful and is a worthy addition to Winstead’s work. Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book had me constantly guessing what was going to happen next. Dark and atmospheric and I’m obsessed with the culty vibes Ashley Winstead’s books bring to the table. Sprinkle in a vampiric figure killing sinners on moonless nights and a big bad reverend controlling the town and it’s a win in my books.

The only beef I have with this one was the ending. I love a good Bonnie & Clyde story but if you’ve read this one then you’ll understand.

Thank you to Netgalley & HarperCollins Canada for the chance to read this one in advance in exchange for an honest review!

Ashley Winstead you've done it again.

We start off with a skull being found in a swamp. And the small town believes it to be the Low Man, who is out to punish sinners. Then there's another skull. Grounded in both cultish fantasy but the real world, Winstead has you questioning what exactly is real.
It was dark and immersive and truly messed up at times. The slow spiral of seeing these two characters at their beginnings only to see how they end up. Every character in this book is some shade of screwed up just with varying degrees. I loved the non-linear format of the book, jumping between now and Ruth's younger years to see how things ended up to where they are now. If there's anything I love most about Winstead's thrillers, is that you can never really trust her characters to be telling you the full and whole truth, and the non-linear storyline plays into that so well.
Finally, special recognition to the romance in the book, the subtle slow burn and corruption of Ruth and Ever?? 10/10, they're perfectly screwed up together.

Thank you to Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Midnight Is The Darkest Hour is a Southern Gothic thriller set in a creepy small town. Ruth is the preacher’s daughter and Everett is the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. They form an unlikely friendship and their lives are turned upside down when a dead body is pulled from Starry Swamp.

Told in alternating chapters set in the present and the past, we delve deep into Ruth and Everett’s friendship and the mystery surrounding the newly discovered corpse. The setting is very atmospheric and it felt very insular. I liked the way Starry Swamp was personified. It felt like I was reading a darker and Gothic version of Where the Crawdads Sing.

There are many allusions to Twilight because it’s an important text to Ruth. There’s a perfectly valid explanation for the Twilight and Edward Cullen references, but I personally couldn’t take them seriously. They made me laugh out loud. These references are supposed to reinforce the characterization of Ruth, but all they did was take me out of the story. No offence to Ruth 💀 There was this one specific Twilight allusion that killed me with laughter (iykyk).

Another issue I had with this book is the flashback technique. The flashbacks are not told in chronological order and it gets really confusing once you’re well into the story. I had to start making notes to keep track of what happened and when. And that was just annoying.

Lastly, the ending is left open. I read the author’s note on that and I’m sorry…but no 😂 That’s all I’m gonna say.

P.S. Why does this author keep writing about librarian characters who don’t have the requisite schooling? Please educate yourself before you start writing about careers you know nothing about.

After loving The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead, I was thrilled when I heard about the release of Midnight is the Darkest Hour. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to the hype for me personally.

This book definitely had pieces that I truly enjoyed. The Library graduate in me loved the library aspects (libraries are life savers for so many, literally). The young adult fiction lover in me loved the nostalgia of the teen romance/forbidden love. I also thoroughly enjoy books set in small towns, even though this town was farm from charming.

The misses for me including the nods to Twilight, I was just never a fan, but I could absolutely see Twihards eating this up. Hints at supernatural beings, monsters, etc. are also just generally not my taste either. With a heavy focus religion, I did appreciate Winstead unearthing of the dark sides it has, however as someone who didn't grow up or have any relation to religion, I didn't personally connect with the main characters religious struggles.

I 100% think that the average reader of thrillers would devour this book, it just wasn't my typical taste and that is not the author or her writing styles fault! If you like a Southern Gothic vibe, vampire-esque romance/horror/thriller, definitely check this one out!

*Check trigger warnings before reading*

3.25/5

This book is for you if you’re living for the Twilight Renaissance. And I am. Also if you’re interested in religious cults and murder and revenge, read this. Just read this.

This is a dark story about two teens being raised in a small town where many practice an extremely fundamental religion and the girls only aspirations should be to become good wives and mothers and follow their religion. It is told in two time lines, six years apart. I thoroughly enjoyed it and had a lot of sympathy for both Ruth and Ever. The story is one of abuse, power, young love, and revenge and has some good twists along the way. Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC. 4/5

Ashley Winstead has done it again!! I did not expect the romance between Ruth and Everett to blossom the way it did. Two flawed characters who also warmed my heart, which is rare in thrillers. There were moments that shocked me but I also enjoyed the sprinkle of lighthearted humour and the dynamic relationship between the characters. If you enjoyed Winstead’s other thrillers or simply want a page turner, I highly recommend this!

Found that 5 star feeling with this one!

I’ll admit, if I just read the synopsis of this, I might not have picked it up. The religious themes had me unsure, but I was a fan of In My Dreams I Hold A Knife and yes, I judge a book by its cover, and this one is fire!

Speaking of fire, I am glad this was the book that kicked off my fall reading! Ruth’s whole world is turned upside down when a skull is found in the swamp of her small Louisiana town. The God fearing residents are convinced the Low Man, a vampiric figure of legend, is responsible. Ruth has always felt like an outsider, but as the Preacher’s daughter, she’s torn between the life she knows and uncovering the mystery with Everett, a friend with his own secrets and darkness.

Winstead wove an incredible, page flipping story about tragic love, power and oppression, religion, mystery, Twilight references and paranormal themes. I’m sure I’m missing more, this book had a lot but I thought she wove it together well!

And that ending! No spoilers, but just like the rest of this book, something that normally wouldn’t be for me, worked. I think this book will be polarizing but could be a great bookclub discussion.

Thank you HarperCollins Canada for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, for me, the best part of MIDNIGHT IS THE DARKEST HOUR is the potential I saw in the synopsis. This one does not live upto any of it and instead it was more a grimace and bear it and hope there’s some good around the corner kind of reading experience.

Spoiler alert, there was not.

But who am I to say? The feed is flooded with early praise so maybe I’m, once again, an outlier.

If you are into a meandering, flashbacks and present day timeline, kind of slowburn unfurling of.. something, this may work for you. There are so many elements that appeal between the southern setting, the small town, the outcasts from two different sides of town banding together, but it’s the rest that frustrated me. Winstead again uses the back and forth jumping around of events to set her scenes, which seems to be her shtick for her darker books, but the cult-y religious narrative was just.. tired. Ruth as a character had all the elements to make her a sympathetic character and yet her characterization felt so.. flimsy — and don’t get me started on the Twilight obsession. It definitely crossed the line into Too Much territory. As for Everett, well. That was just obsession full stop but he, too, had reasons for the reader to feel sympathetic towards him but I could never really take him seriously. He ended up feeling something of a caricature and it was not swoony or enthralling.

Ultimately, what really worked against this for me, this just took too long to get going. The teasing and unveiling of secrets that were supposed to keep us on the hook for this slow pace just didn’t do it for me and because we are trapped in Ruth’s obliviousness for literally 85% of the book, there were only a few moments where Winsetad could really bust out some beautiful and heartbreaking observational points about the world around her characters and, especially, the double-edged sword of being a teenage girl.

So where does that leave us? Not with a thrilling or spooky atmosphere (if you, like me, saw the horror tag, disregard it. it isn’t accurate; and I would use thriller only loosely). Not with characters to get behind. Not with a plot that is anything new. And certainly not with a satisfying ending. So.. yeah, not much at all.

I definitely had really high hopes for this after THE LAST HOUSEWIFE and because nothing spoopy-season related has been satisfying so far. And here we are again still lacking that win. But, hey, again, maybe this’ll do the trick for you. I guess I just have to hope the next Winstead fits the bill for me.. otherwise the aforementioned title might be the outlier and we’re just not meant to be.

"What is it about us teenage girls that claws so deeply under people’s skin? We’re reviled and desired in equal measure; cringed at, laughed at, then lunged at."

Well, I’m glad I gave Ashley Winstead another go. This southern gothic horror/thriller was SO compelling.

Ruth is the pastor’s daughter in a town that fears god almost as much as they fear the local legend of the Low Man. Her past is brought to light when a skull is pulled from the swamp, and they only person who can help Ruth is her misfit friend Everett.

I had a blast reading this, the obsessive relationship between Everett and Ruth, the Midnight Mass-esque small town with a religious fervour… it was all good! It has such a dark, twisted atmosphere to it and I couldn’t help but feel like I was in Bottom Springs myself.

The Twilight references threw me for a loop at first to be honest, and sometimes it was a little cringy but I tried to think of how sheltered Ruth was and continued to be. I also wanted something different from the ending. Without spoiling anything, it just felt like a departure from the feel of the rest of the book.

As always, I love that Winstead approaches issues of patriarchy, toxic masculinity, and corruption of wealth and power. I think Midnight is the Darkest Hour broached those subjects much better than The Last Housewife. Pick this up for a dark, creepy, fall read!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Available October 3, 2023.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Canada for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 stars. After reading The Last Housewife, I should know that when it comes to Ashley Winstead to expect the unexpected. Ashley writes about the struggles women face, the oppressive forces and people we can come up against but in such a creative way. This book was giving me vibes of Where the Crawdads Sing, Bonnie and Clyde, Twilight mixed in there but was also inherently original. This book takes the topics of religious fundamentalism, morality, revenge, friendship and love but completely turns them on their heads. This book will have you questioning what you believe is right and wrong, where your morals lie. I will be thinking about this one for a while.

I’ll be honest Ashley Winstead is hit or miss for me. This one isn’t quite as dark as her last but still could be quite triggering for some readers so please be careful. I really enjoyed her writing style in this one but it’s told in dual timelines and the past perspective chapters were really boring. I get that they made up the characters depth and justified their decisions in their present perspective but as a piece of fiction I was struggling with them. That being said, the present day mystery was so captivating and I couldn't trust anybody! This does center around the church, religion and cults, therefore there were times it felt way too preachy and anti religion but it all tied together in the end. It made you uncomfortable but I believe that’s what the author set out to do so bravo. And the ending!! Such a genius way to do it and I cannot wait to see others thoughts.
Overall, it’s not my fav thriller but glad I got to read it.

Midnight Is the Darkest Hour- Ashley Winstead

Star rating - 4

Midnight Is the Darkest Hour was unlike any of Ashley’s previous books, but the grip this book had on me was intense. This book was filled with mystery, suspense, cults, and little witchcraft. I had to sit and think about this book after I finished it because I had so many feelings about everything that happened, and it took a while to unpack it all. Not only was this book a great thriller, but it really explored the themes of family duty and societal duty, especially among religious communities. Overall, this was a powerful and emotional book that will keep you up.

Synopsis:

This book was so atmospheric set in the rural town of Bottom Springs, Louisiana. Ruth Cornier is the shy preachers daughter who dreams of escaping and creating a new path for herself. Suddenly Ruth’s life is flipped upside down when some strange symbols appear the same day a skull washes up. This is a god-fearing town and they now believe that the Low Man has come back to haunt the men in the community. Now Ruth must untangle the web of secrets surrounding everyone and everything in this small town.

Like Ashley’s last book please check her trigger warnings! It's not as dark as her last book, but still important.

Thank you, NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, HarperCollins Publishers, and HarperCollins Canada for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Three words: Twilight Fan Fiction (and not the good kind).

If the (now incredibly popular) author's name isn't enough to intrigue you to pick up this book, then your nostalgic love for all things Bella and Edward might. This narrative reads like the fever dream of an older, extremely delusional Twilight fan growing up in a small, dangerously pious town in the deep backwoods of the south. I just...I don't have the right words to describe how cringe-worthy this book is; I don't know how to properly, and without snark, describe how intensely I wanted to boot this book off the cliff of the highest mountain on the planet. I want to be able to KINDLY tell you how much I wish I could bury this book in the densest sand of the deepest ocean. I want to UNREAD this book, oh my good GOD.

DID WE ALL READ THE SAME BOOK !?!?!

Okay, okay let me give you a proper review. Let me attempt this, hang on:

It starts with the discovery of a skull, as all of the best and juiciest thrillers do (or any body part, you pick). Then we meet Ruth, and then we meet Everett, and then we discover that together they did some naughty things and quite possibly want to do naughty things to each other (but we don't have this confirmed until you're forced to read an entire 300+ pages of absolute eye-gouging paragraphs about the town's culty religious extremities and fear of the occult and Ruth running around like an innocent and doe-eyed headless chicken playing super sleuth), and then we get to a conclusion that may or not be the most infuriating culmination of events I've ever read in my 37 years on this Earth.

Listen, this is my own fault. I got about 10 pages into In My Dreams I Hold A Knife and I immediately returned it to the library because....no thank you. Winstead's writing has an appeal, and I can totally understand and appreciate that, but for me, it feels like reading what someone THOUGHT a thriller should sound like, and not what actually works (collectively) to make it strike hard but cut deep. I wasn't moved at all by any of the things that, I suspect, were written to move me. I hated the plot, I LOATHED the romance, I wanted each character to somehow find their way to the bottom of a lake, and if you tried to pay me to read this again I would probably have to call the cops, sorry.

All of that to say, I am 1000% in the minority with all of the above opinions. This book has a freakin 4+ average rating overall for god's sake (which is also why I vowed this year to not trust ratings anymore--books are so subjective!) so don't take my word for it. This one may absolutely be for you!!