This was definitely a good read with underlying messages that I really liked. Twisty and creepy just like I like. I didn't know where this was going throughout the whole book, but it didn't disappoint. The ending was great - I love endings like this one (no spoilers mwah-haha).

Whoa. I just finished my ARC audiobook of Midnight is the Darkest Hour and I can say it was quite a trip. Ruth and Ever were the lead characters in this Southern cult-ish thriller. Ruth is a young woman raised in a deep south Lousiana town that is run on fundamentalist religion, the head of which is her father. Ever is the son of a "heathen" couple, and who is outcast by everyone in town for his ungodliness. Its difficult to even say what the mystery was in the book, but as I was listening, there was a strong sense of mystery, foreboding, and danger throughout. I found myself looking at the time left on the novel over and over, not because I was bored, but rather because I wanted to check and see how long until I would be relieved of the tension I was feeling non-stop. The townfolk are zealots, proven not to think for themselves, but only follow what their church leader tells them to think and do. The chosen people in power were, of course, only men, and they were prone to speaking to women in mysterious, vaguely threatening ways. Ruth is idealistic, coveting a romance like Bella and Edward of Twilight. As an older teen, Ever swoops in to save her from a would-be rapist, thereby solidifying a bond that holds them together through thick and thin, though their family backgrounds make them more like the Montagues and Capulets.

Most thrillers have a beginning that has rising action until the climax then the tension falls at the conclusion. Somehow, most of Midnight Is The Darkest Hour felt like a climax to me, which threw off the balance a bit. I enjoyed it. The ending was wild. The book seems like it was written with a movie adaptation in mind and I believe it would translate well for a large audience.

I did not care for the southern accent the narrator of this book chose to use. It sounded inauthentic and pulled me out of the story more often than it should. However, she certainly voiced Ruth otherwise very well.

If you’re looking for a good spooky thriller for October this is it! Ashley Winstead never misses- whether it’s romance or thrillers she creates these incredibly woven stories.⁣
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This was so eerie and almost cult like I couldn’t get enough and binged it in two days. Weaving the corruption in a small town with religion, satanism, and witch craft. Monsters that go bump in the night. Following a leader in a town. Drug addiction. Men having power and making women meek and quiet. ⁣
⁣
She knocked this out of the park with the dark, twisted corruption. ⁣
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And added a little bit of romance that I ate right up too. ⁣
⁣
Ruth is the daughter of the Reverend who has made “his town” a “God Fearing” town and all she wants to do is obey her father and be the good girl he expects her and her mother to fall in line to be, but Ruth likes to push the limits and has a mind that craves learning and craves the dark and the woods.⁣
⁣
When she befriends Ever, the small town cast out, whose father is known as a drunk and a Satan worshipper in town. He’s treated like garbage, but him and Ruth find a kinship in each other that grows to be filled with dark secrets and friendship and a love so huge that they aren’t even sure they can call it that.⁣
⁣
And that ending. Mind blown. Didn’t see it coming at all. I loved this one.⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The town of Bottom Springs, Louisiana has never felt like home for Ruth Cornier. Her father is the local minister at Holy Fire Baptist church. Her only solace has been her best friend Everett and the books she was able to sneak growing up. But even her relationship with Ever has been difficult due to his dark past. The town is thrown into turmoil when a skull is discovered in the swamp. The town seems determined to blame a mythic vampire figure they call the Low Man. Ruth is drawn into investigating as her father spins fire and brimstone threats from the pulpit.

Whew, this book! This book is so dark and it really pulls you into the story so quickly. I loved the mix of danger from fundamentalism and potential fear of the unknown. Ruth and Ever are great characters. I have yet to read a book from Ashley where she didn't deliver! She is defiantly an auto buy author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB media for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth is a preacher's daughter in small town Louisiana, where trouble is brewing when a beaten skull is discovered in the swamp. Long in love with Everett, Ruth has many secrets including her fantasies of leaving Bottom Springs and falling madly in love with a handsome man. Oh, and she's got lots of ideas in her head from reading purloined copies of Twilight as a teenager- needless to say it's a book that would not be tolerated in her evangelic household and town. And are there vampires? What's the source of the true evil?

The story of Midnight is the Darkest Hour begins quickly and Ruth narrates so well what it feels like to be a lonely teenager in a strict home with little affection. But soon, more terrors are found in the swamp and Ruth feels obligated to find answers before the authorities. I think Winstead does a great job moving this story along at a steady and engaging pace, and while the end didn't surprise me I loved how she got us there.

Read this if you love isolated Southern settings, Twilight (or you did love it long ago), and a wicked fun thriller that plays with the edge between reality and superstition. I thought this was delightfully fun and that it played with dark themes in a humorous way. The audiobook narration captures the Southern affectation so well, I think my only complaint is when I couldn't tell if the narrator said "evangelism" or "a vandalism." ;)

The last book I read by Ashley Winstead was a cheery romcom so I was NOT prepared for this atmospheric, twisty, creepy story! It’s a perfect October read and just published yesterday so check it out if you haven’t already!

This story is a great mix of present time murder mystery with flashbacks of the past that might just explain the bodies currently turning up. Plus there’s still some romance. The vampire vibes and references to Twilight are perfect for October. Vampires are somehow simultaneously dreamy, and Ever definitely gives those vibes, but also dangerous and evil as the town has a whole story about the Low Man who gives bad vamp vibes. The whole town sounds just AWFUL and crazy to be honest and I’d only want to be friends with Ruth & Ever. The setting is in a very religious small Southern town and the way Ruth — and women in general — are treated is very frustrating. Anyone who is different is *evil* and shunned or even completely run out of town. As the daughter of the town Reverend, there are tons of expectations placed on Ruth and her friendship with Ever, who is seen as the bad seed who is corrupting the innocent Ruth, is not to her parents' or the town's approval. But a lot ties the two together: secrets, feelings, neglect, friendship, love. Their story twists and turns; it is fast=paced but the flashbacks slow it down a bit, taking it's time to uncover the mysteries of the town and the murders.

I don’t even know what else to say without giving things away but yes read this book. You’ll get through it so fast because you have to find out what’s going on, especially if you do the audio version🎧

Recommended if you like:
- Secrets
- Intrigue
- Cover-Ups
- Murder
- Protective MMC

OH and the librarian aspect always gets me(: Books are absolutely a means of escape and windows into different lives/dreams/futures so I love the portrayal of the library as a safe place for our FMC.

Thanks NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ARC!

P.S. The author does list content warnings: religious fundamentalism, substance abuse, ableism, colonialism, familial violence, sexual violence, child abuse, murder. If any of these are triggers for you this may not be your next read.

A big thank you to Ashley Winstead, Sourcebooks Landmark, NetGalley & RB Media for the gifted digital and audio ARC of this book.

Okay, the thriller queen is AT 👏🏼 IT 👏🏼 AGAIN 👏🏼
& I am, as always, here for it! 😍

This atmospheric & haunting thriller examines religious extremism and its impact on the town of Bottom Springs. Even in making that simple statement, I feel like I’m not scratching the surface of this book - as it is complex in the best of ways, always bringing me to a deeper understanding of pressing sociological issues & the impact they have on the world. I don’t want to give too much away, but just know that- YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!

With themes of Twilight and a setting likened to Where The Crawdads Sing, you won’t be able to put this one down! When I tell you I was able to full on picture myself in Bottom Springs - I mean it! Ashley’s writing is top notch and somehow seems to be getting even better?! How does she do it?!

In addition to being the thriller queen, I think Ashley deserves another title - the queen of badass female characters - written by the badass she is her self! 🤯🙌🏼 I am consistently impressed by the depth, strength and complexities that Ashley brings to her characters & I consistently finish her books with a sense of female empowerment - which is simply phenomenal.

Snag this book ASAP! You won’t regret it! 😍

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to listen to an early copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Midnight Is The Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead is released on October 3rd, 2023.


This book made me mad, about the way that religion plays such a big part in it. Not because of religion, but because of how accurate the way that small towns twist religion in order to control people - it's basically a cult. The book itself was good, the narrator was awesome, and once again Ashley Winstead had me captivated with the story.

BUT THE RELIGION. I don't think I can explain how infuriating it is to listen to the way that Ruth's father controlled the entire town, the way that he and her mom controlled Ruth. And it's because of the accuracy - the cult-like environment, the CONTROL.

Also Twilight - we all knew someone who came from a religious family and saw them be told they couldn't read Twilight, but they snuck and read it anyway, right?


All of that aside, the book was good. I'm rounding the rating from 3.5 to 4 because, despite some of the infuriating material, the book is well-written and a good attention-keeper. If you have religious trauma, I would say to avoid this book.

I felt this was going to be more of a mystery but found it had too much religion and gave away the most interesting mystery away too quickly into the novel.

I was excited to listen to this as I keep hearing positive reviews about this book, but it sadly fell flat for me.

I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. I felt for Ruth with her strict upbringing, but I didn't find myself caring about her. I wanted to like Everett but he didn't feel very developed as a character for me.

There were some surprising twists but I found that I wasn't invested enough in the characters to care that much about them. And I didn't care for the last bits or the ending. The pace of the book felt off to me as well -- it felt like not a lot happened in the first 2/3 and then too much towards the end. I found myself enjoying the beginning, and then feeling like too much was thrown in toward the end.

The sense of place was well done, I did have a very good feel for the town and how remote and isolated it felt for Ruth.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

After seeing a lot of buzz on Instagram for this book, I was so excited to get the arc. Well folks, don’t believe the hype for this one and go ahead and skip it.

It started off completely FINE. I even described it that way to my friend I was doing my buddy read with. I didn’t really like any of the characters and for a thriller not much was happening. I also found that Ruth’s actions didn’t make a lot of sense which bothered me. But it was still FINE and tolerable to read.

But then the last 30% or so completely lost me. The book got straight unhinged and just was so random and the ending was pure garbage. The pace was slow until the end which was just very abrupt. The more I think about the ending the more annoyed I am about it.

This author is just not for me. I don’t mind her writing style but the stories she tells are just ridiculous and not enjoyable. This will be the last one of hers I try.

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

3.5-4⭐️ Ashley Winstead is a phenomenal writer, whether she is writing cult thrillers or political romcoms. While there was quite a bit I enjoyed about this one, including the atmospheric setting, love story, and a book loving MC, the shifting timelines felt jarring at times and prevented me from ever fully connecting. That said, I will forever and always read anything Winstead writes.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and Tantor Audio for the gifted copies.

4 stars

This was fantastic.
The story and the narration were atmospheric. Dark. Gritty.
The twists and turns were amazing.
The characters felt real and flawed, and I loved that.
The writing was immaculate and gripping.
Overall, this is my favorite thriller by Ashley Winstead.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Well I am really torn on this book. I really enjoyed the previous books I have read by this author. I really liked the storyline, but there were just too many Twilight references for me. I enjoyed the fast pace and the book was suspenseful, so I stuck with it. I really was invested and wanted to find out how everything came together. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio & Ashley Winstead for an audio ARC of Midnight is the Darkest Hour in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

Ashley outdid herself with this one! Everything she writes is pure gold, but this has to be my favorite book she's written to date.

Imagine Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass meets Bonnie & Clyde. To say that this book is phenomenal is an understatement.

I fell in love with Everett. Easily the most likeable character in the entire book. He is charming, loyal, protective, smart & witty. I liked Ruth & was rooting for her the entire book, but there were times I just wanted to shake her & ask “What in the hell are you doing?!”

Ashley doesn’t waste any time hooking you. You’re going to be invested from the start. All I can say is settle in somewhere comfy because you won’t be leaving it until you turn the last page. It is incredibly atmospheric & haunting.

I also want to praise how relevant the issues Ruth & Ever face are to current issues. I can’t say more without giving anything away.

This is a MILLION STAR read & you absolutely need to read ASAP!

"Midnight is the Darkest Hour" was twisty, and that's putting it mildly! The book, set in swampy, Bottom Springs, Louisiana, follows Ruth, an initially naive preacher's daughter, as she navigates her way out of a very oppressed childhood. She uses the "Twilight" series as her north star, which shapes the way she's viewing the events that are unfolding around her. While I found myself rooting for the presence of real-life vampires in this story, the reality of her situation is even darker. The pacing was quick, keeping the book engaging. For me, personally, I think there may have been one-too-many plot twists, which made the ending feel a bit frenetic, but as a whole, I enjoyed the book. Thanks to the publisher for an advanced reader/audio copy of this book.

I was really excited to get this ARC in October. I’d heard about this months ago, especially that this was a perfect October read! Jumped right into Ruth’s story with a dark tone lingering overhead! It’s so disheartening to read about how people manipulate God into their evil and hatred. Slow burn but I couldn’t stop listening! .

♥️ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook ARC.

Synopsis: A small Louisiana town is plagued by a serial killer, and maybe something even darker lurking in the swamp. Two unlikely friends, the preacher’s daughter and the outcast from the wrong side of the tracks, are the only ones who can uncover the truth.

Thoughts: That ending was wild!! Ok, I’ll back up. This book was a dark, twisty, incredibly atmospheric thriller that kept me guessing all the way to the end. I loved the way Ashley weaves together the alternating timelines to build up the suspense and mystery - it was a slow burn but super well paced. I’m not usually into romance in my thrillers, but it was so good in this one! I can’t wait to discuss the ending in book club! I will say - check the trigger warnings. As a religious person, it was a little tough to read as it came across very anti-religion BUT I think the overall theme was more about the corruptive nature of power rather than religion itself. And a note on the audio - I loved it! The narrator had the perfect southern accent that transported me straight into the story.

Read this if you like:
🌙 dual timelines
🌙 morally gray main characters
🌙 atmospheric swampy settings
🌙 cults
🌙 Twilight

This book was dark and atmospheric, it takes place in a small town in Louisana with an extreme religion and occult. There is a lot of Twilight and Bella/Edward references, which I enjoyed a lot. I have to say that this story was very interesting and unique - there were some creepy and mysterious scenes that kept me wanting to continue with it, but overall it was too slowburn for me... I wouldn’t consider this a thriller. It was an okey read perfect for October.

🌛𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨🌜

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Midnight is the Darkest Hour
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Ashley Winstead
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: October 3
4⭐️

Thank you so much to @tantoraudio and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

🌛 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨🌜
This audiobook brought to life the little town of Bottom Springs, Louisiana where we meet Ruth Cornier and Everett Duncan. Ruth’s father basically runs this town, as the local pastor of the Baptist church. The town is thrown into an uproar when a skull is found in a local swamp with some mysterious carved symbols nearby. The townspeople fear a local legend called the Low Man may be behind the killings, and it seems to be up to Ruth and Everett to decipher what evil is lurking around their hometown.

The description of this book having a Where The Crawdads Sing vibe mixed with elements of Twilight is definitely on point! The way the atmosphere around the swamp and town is described reminds me of the marsh in Where The Crawdads Sing. The Twilight elements amused me and some parts were a little weird, but overall the Gothic Southern vibe was described really well. This book is definitely a good one to read for a spooky vibe in October! 💀

🎧 Sarah Welborn did an excellent job of narrating and bringing Ruth Cornier to life! Her southern accent, her ferociousness, her innocence, her naiveness… all captured perfectly. The voices of the side characters in this book were played very well by her, making you feel the emotions Ruth felt being around her hometown folks.

💀 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🌛 Southern Gothic Mysteries
🌛 Complicated Family Dynamics
🌛 Vampire-ish Folklore
🌛 Multiple, Interweaving Timelines