"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!!

The author pleasantly surprised me with this book, especially since it was my first time reading their work.

Set in the intricate backdrop of a Louisiana small town, the story draws you in with its richly detailed, dark, and atmospheric narrative. It's teeming with eerie elements and unsettling occurrences.

The tale revolves around an unlikely friendship, delving deep into unbelievable family drama and exposing networks entrenched in old-fashioned beliefs and sinister activities, including the occult and murder. Winstead adeptly escalates the tension and maintains a compelling pace throughout.

This novel is refreshingly different and keeps you on your toes with its continuous twists and turns. The characters are captivating, and the overall experience is quite the rollercoaster.

Without giving away too much, if you enjoy unexpected characters, unique settings, gripping plots, and a relentless sense of suspense, this is a book you should definitely explore.

I know a lot of people loved this one, so I think I'm just the odd one out. Unfortunately I just couldn't get into the story and struggled to keep picking it back up.

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc!

This is the first novel I've read by Ashley Winstead. While I thought it was beautifully written and extremely atmospheric, there was a lot about this book I couldn't connect with as well.

Ruth was such a complex character. For the most part, I really liked her point of view and I thought some of her thoughts and emotions were haunting. I could fully understand how lost and beaten down she felt in her situation, but there was a naivety to her that I thought was extremely exaggerated. I also didn't love the main love interest, Everett and the relationship they had together. I found Ever extremely unlikeable.

My biggest problem with this book consisted of the plot. At a certain point, this book turns from an atmospheric, tense mystery to something completely ridiculous. It was overdramatic and there were many plot choices that didn't feel authentic to me. However, I did like the ending.

Overall, the small town oppressiveness and religious fervor are depicted in a really dynamic way which creates a fantastic atmosphere but the plot is just not as strong.

Great novel! This novel has everything. A murder wrapped up in a love story, wrapped up in power struggles in a small town. Great writing, great story, great characters!

I loved the synopsis and was immediately drawn in to reading this book. Also, it seemed like the perfect read for fall, full of mystery, town folklore, unsolved murders. Plus I really enjoy Ashley Winstead’s writing. Unfortunately I found the pacing for the first 3/4 of the book to be incredibly slow, it lost my interest. So, when things finally started picking up I wasn’t as invested as I could have been in the story or characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Winstead and HarperCollins Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn’t my favourite of Winstead’s novels. I did enjoy it, but it wasn’t the pacing that I was looking for. I liked the main characters and the little love story. And overall, I would recommend if you like Winstead’s writing.

4.5 stars

Holy moly!! Ashley Winstead does it again 👏

Her writing is phenomenal. I couldn't put this book down. I loved the FMC and MMC, Ruthie & Everett.

The religious aspect and small town worked so well. And let me tell you that ending 🤯

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins Canada & Sourcebooks Landmark for advance copies in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book ! It's gripping, atmospheric and thought-provoking. I stayed up past midnight several nights because I just couldn't put it down. At first I wasn't sure about the ambiguous ending, but I really appreciated her explanation for it in the author Q&A, and now 100% agree with her choice. I highly recommend this book !

TOTALLY SPEECHLESS 5 ⭐️ READ: “Midnight is the Darkest Hour” by Ashley Winstead! WOW just WOW!!!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Where do I even begin with this review?? I will be thinking about this southern gothic thriller for a LONG LONG time! Key word: GOTHIC!

This story takes place in a small southern town in Bottom Springs, Louisiana where religion is the heartbeat of all of its residents and women know their “place”.

There are several myths that haunt the town, but the most feared of all is that of the Low Man. He is said to sneak into the bedrooms of sinners on moonless nights to kill them! So when TWO skulls are discovered in the black swamp, the town thinks that the Low Man is back at it again. And if not him … then perhaps there is another serial killer in their midst 🔪

This book is A LOT of things and I absolutely LOVED it! It is dark, claustrophobic, chilling, sinister, evil and twisted in the best of ways!!!

Thank you kindly to @ashleywinsteadbooks @bookmarked @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on October 3, 2023!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! The writing style, the character development, and the atmospheric quality was everything I needed. I love a good thriller but I feel like this gave me so much more.

Something isn’t quite right in Botton Springs but can Ruth figure it out and trust herself to face the truth? This is a story like noon I have read before. Two unlikely friends become more connected as the story goes on and inconcievable truths become reality. The road through the story is filled with many twists and turns as Ruth and Ever look for answers. Personally, I enjoyed the book. I liked that it was quite different than anything I had read before and kept me engaged throughout. If you are looking for a unique yet engaging story that will keep you on your toes this is one to try.

Claustrophobic, macabre, and dark dark dark. The thriller plot across both timelines is engaging enough, but the stifling atmosphere is the real selling feature for me. I was often frustrated by Ruth’s stasis, but that made her feel more real to me than the rest of the characters. And I was a big fan of the final moments!

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada and NetGalley for the chance to read another one by Ashley Winstead, who’s quickly become an auto-buy and auto-recommend author for me!

This book is a chilling symphony of dread that orchestrates the murkiest depths of human darkness. Winstead's mastery over the macabre was a siren's call that beckoned me into a world where shadows dance with secrets, and the malevolent tendrils of the unknown wrap themselves around your heart, squeezing tighter with every turn of the page.

In the somber tapestry of Bottom Springs, Louisiana, the preacher's daughter, Ruth Cornier, emerges as a lone figure, a solitary candle struggling to illuminate the encroaching abyss. The prose in this book weaves a disquieting melody, capturing the torment of an outcast within the suffocating embrace of religious fervor. The Holy Fire Baptist's sermons cast a hellish glow upon the townsfolk, inciting fear of both deity and demon. Amidst this purgatorial landscape, the tales of the Low Man, whispered like curses in the dark, converge with reality in a haunting mixture of folklore & fear.

When the secrets of the town are unearthed, a skull in the swamp, accompanied with enigmatic symbols carved on the trees, it becomes the axis upon which the town's equilibrium teeters, setting in motion a grim ballet of revelation & ruin. Ruth & her best friend Everett, unearth the cryptic underbelly of Bottom Springs, unraveling it piece by piece until my head was spinning.

I absolutely loved the gothic atmosphere as thick as Southern humidity, draping every page in a shroud of impending doom. Deep-seated triggers of fundamentalism, abuse, and darkness lurk beneath every sentence, woven together in a way that’s both bewitching and terrifying while exposing the sinister shades of spirituality.

If you love your stomach being twisted into knots and exploring the chilling, dark secrets of an evangelist cult with a bit of Twilight for good measure then I suggest you pre-order a copy of "Midnight is the Darkest Hour’, out October 3rd.

Thank you to Ashley Winstead & NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead absolutely blew me away! This is a complex, gripping, and sometimes disturbing tale of a young woman struggling to get out from under her fanatical evangelical parents and the townspeople who follow them blindly, even when dark and evil things are being done under their noses by those in power. She finds emotional refuge in another misfit, whose support buoys her throughout her teen and early adult years; but the relationship between the two has its own darkness in response to that done in the name of god.
This book is powerful, made even more so by the slow meting out of details through non-linear timelines. It addresses issues of religion, morality, love, power, and abuse in its many forms, in a way few other books do. It is sad and uplifting at the same time, and the reader is left to ask who to root for, when the choices are between different levels of evil.
This is an extremely well-written book that I couldn't put down. The cover is absolutely stunning as well.
I consider myself lucky to have received an ARC of #MidnightIstheDarkestHour from #NetGalley.

This was my first Ashley Winstead novel but I will be reading her other ones. Midnight is the Darkest Hour follows Ruth along with her best friend Everett as they try to find the killer of a body discovered in the swamp. They also learn some things about each other and their town along the way This novel kept me wondering what was going to be revealed next and I just had to keep reading to find out. There were some twists I didn't see coming. I recommend giving this a read.