This was one of my most anticipated books of the season! I just fell in love with the cover. It wasn’t the five star read I was expecting but it was still pretty entertaining! I think for me personally, the story was more coming of age than thriller and a little too convoluted with a heavy focus on religion but nonetheless I was still invested and curious how it would all come together in the end! I did enjoy the writing, the dual timeline structure and how the story was woven together. It probably was not the best book to introduce me to Ashley Winstead but it was captivating enough that I’ll definitely be reading her previous works!

Title: Midnight Is The Darkest Hour
Author: Ashley Winstead
Narrator: Sarah Welborn
Pub Date: October 3, 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Ashley Winstead! Wow! One of my favorites! I absolutely love how she can flawlessly write both romance and thriller books. Up until now, I had only read her romance books, but I will certainly go back and read her other thrillers! If you are looking for a gothic Southern thriller, this is it!

Set in Bottom Springs, Louisiana, Ruth Cornier has always been an outsider, with her father as the preacher in their small town. Ruth loves reading fiction instead of the Bible, and is friends with Everett, another outcast in town. The community fears the myth of the Low Man, a vampiric figure said to sneak into sinners’ bedrooms and kill them on moonless nights. When a skull is found in a swamp, and the town is thrown into an uproar, only Ruth and Everett have the power to comb the town’s secrets in search of the truth.

Midnight Is The Darkest Hour is dark with unexpected twists, and in my opinion, an amazing ending! I loved the theme of religion and power dynamics. It was such an atmospheric read and is the perfect fall book!

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Sarah Welborn, and I think she did a good job drawing me in and keeping me engaged.

Thank you, Tantor Audio, Ashley Winstead, and NetGalley for a #gifted advanced listening copy of Midnight Is The Darkest Hour!

Posted on Goodreads on October 3, 2023: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- October 5, 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on October 3, 2023
**-will post on designated date

MIDNIGHT IS THE DARKEST HOUR review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

🌘MIDNIGHT IS THE DARKEST HOUR was one of my most anticipated reads this fall so I squeallllled when I got approved for this arc! This beauty publishes today and you’re definitely going to want to add this one to your fall tbr! It’s just the right amount of spooky with cults, vampires, and allll the fall vibes. 🧛🏻

🌘Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Ruth lives in a small Louisiana town where her father is the preacher with very strong opinions about sinners and those who are “not right with the Lord.” Ruth’s best friend is Ever, a boy from the wrong side of town with a rough past. The God-fearing people of this small town are even more afraid of the Low Man, a creature said to be similar to a vampire who kills people out in the swamp. When human remains are found in the swamp next to strange carved symbols, this small Louisiana is in an uproar. Ruth is determined to find out just what dark secrets the powerful men of her small town are hiding. But what she uncovers will be even more terrifying than the Low Man…

🌘I was immediately invested in this one! The story pulled me in from the jump and I was already predicting how I thought this one would end. But that ending… 🤯 I was shooooocked. I still can’t get over it. If you like books with shocking endings add this one to your tbr!

🌘I took off half a star because the vampire/Edward Cullen talk was a bit toooo much for me at one point, but otherwise I really enjoyed this one! If you like Ashley’s other books definitely pick this one up! I’ve read all 3 of her thrillers and this one is my favorite (now I just need to read her two romance books 🥰).

🌘Huuuuuge thank you to @tantoraudio and @netgalley for my advanced copy of this one! It publishes today, October 3rd!

I finally understand the buzz of an Ashley Winstead book after reading Midnight is the Darkest Hour. "Ruth Cornier is a librarian but grew up as the daughter of the pastor of Holy Fire Baptist Church - a man who calls out fire and brimstone on those who don't meet his version of saintly. When a fisherman finds a skull in the swamp the townspeople of Bottom Springs think one thing - that the Low Man, a mythic killer, has come out of the swamp to claim another victim. But Ruth is afraid it's something else. She has a secret. And she and her friend Ever must find a way to keep it quiet." So many layers to the characters here. Ruth is a bit of an antihero. She wants to do good - but is willing to do a little bad to do good. Winstead leaves plenty of clues for who the real villains are. Is is really a surprise to see how far people are willing to go to build and maintain power. There will be plenty of characters that you will yell at and several times you will encourage Ruth hoping that this will be that time she can stand up. This is a book you want to keep reading. The final scenes and reveals are wild and explosive. Lots of "What?!?" moments.
The narrator does a nice job with the emotion. This is not an audio performance where the narrator uses different voices for the characters. And the "southern accent" sounds forced and a little over-the-top.
After the end I was disappointed until reading the author notes and then understanding her reasons. It's a perfect ending. Winstead thanks lots of readers in the acknowledgements. (I see you Dennis @scaredstraightreads) A great read from Winstead. Now excuse me while I go order the first two books.

It's been a while since a thriller had me in this much of a
choke hold. I finished this audiobook in 2 days and found
myself doing more and more housework to have an excuse to
listen and finish this book
One reason I was so immersed in this book, was there was
action and twists from beginning to end. I'm not a big fan of
slow burn thrillers - and this one was entertaining from start
to finish. This is the perfect thriller for spooky season.
The small town of Bottom Springs, Louisiana, is still living in
the past. The Holy Fire Baptist preacher is this backwoods
southern town, basically runs things and the sheriff answers
to him. As preacher's daughter, Ruth Cornier, has lived a
quiet life trying to live within her strict father's rules, but
always seeming to be an outsider. When she and Everett
Duncan become fast friends through tragedy, they make an
unlikely match.
When a skull is found in the swamp along with some strange
symbols, the religious town is sent into upheaval. As Ruth
and Everett dig deeper into the past, they are able to uncover
information that puts them in grave danger. Everett was
always seen as the outcast, but sometimes it's those
standing in the light that exude evil.
I listened to the audio version of this book, and I really
enjoyed it. Thank you @netgalley and @ashleywinsteadbooks

DNF

I don’t usually like southern gothic but applied for this book based on the description “for fans of a flicker in the dark and verity”

Those two books happen to be two of my most favorite books and I can’t for the life of me see what they have in common with this story. I am sure this is a great book for southern gothic fans. I am just not one.

Audiobook review: Ashley Winstead has crafted another Southern Gothic psychological thriller, this time about Ruth, a 23-year old, “Twilight” obsessed preacher’s daughter, trapped in Bottom Springs by her repressive family as well as her own ingrained religious beliefs. Her 6 year friendship with Everett, son of an abusive alcoholic, has kept her in the southern Louisiana area because of a terrible shared secret — one that appears to have finally surfaced in the swamp in the form of a skull.

The book is told entirely from Ruth’s POV and narrator Sarah Welborn imbues the character with a personality I don’t think just the book could convey. With a voice similar to actress Amy Adams (of “Enchanted” and “June Bug”) and a soft Southern accent, you can really hear the character’s initial innocence as a 17 year old and witness her transitions of fear, revelation, frustration, and longing as the timeline switches from present day to points in the previous 6 years. It was an incredible performance by Ms. Welborn and it made a good thriller a terrific one. 5 stars!

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 stars

I was looking forward to listening to this book but was disappointed on a few fronts. The narrator didn’t quite work so it made it harder for me to connect with the main character. The plot moved back and forward in time a lot, which was sometimes pretty confusion. The book straddled genres with a murder mystery wrapped in a potential supernatural thriller. The gothic vibes didn’t quite pan out for me but the tension between good versus evil was pure Winstead until that very shocking last sentence at the end!
*Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the advance audiobook copy for review.

I should have known. I should have known the second I recognized the town from every other southern town I'd ever read about. I should have known when the leads character identified with Bella from Twilight. I should have known. Instead I read on hoping for something more than a stereotypical rehash of an often told story. I cannot believe I remain this optimistic.

3.5⭐️

Ruth Cornier always felt like an outsider on Bottom Springs. As the daughter of a fire and brimstone preacher who essentially ran the town, Ruth has spent her whole life trying to toe the line of what is expected of her by the Lord while still questioning things. She has never had many friends, but following a traumatic event in the woods she finds her best friend in Everett. Ruth and Ever now have a secret that they’ll keep forever.

When a skull is found deep in the swamp with evidence of occult carvings near by, Ruth worries their secret may finally come to light. While the sheriff’s department investigated the skull, it becomes clear that the heads of the town are involved with more than Ruth could have ever guessed.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I was thrilled when I was approved for a last minute audiobook ARC. Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me as much as I had hoped. I did like the southern gothic setting and most of the characters. The storyline was interesting but there were aspects that felt odd.

Namely, I could never tell what the time setting of this was supposed to be. Ruth being so sheltered by her parents and just the way she looked at the world and spoke in general felt very old fashioned. When Everett leaves town, Ruth has no way of knowing where he is or if he’s okay because they have no way of contacting each other. These things had me thinking this was set in the ‘60s at most. But then they would talk about cell phones and other modern things which just didn’t mesh with everything else.

Also, there’s a Twilight subplot. And not like, paranormal romance subplot but like legitimately she basis her view of love and relationships on Twilight. The story weighed very heavily on if Everett was a vampire or other creature or not for most of the book which was also a wild ride.

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for providing this ARC to me!

I need to be an Ashley Winstead Completionist… requesting two I haven’t read now… with that said. This is the second thriller/horror or just plain spooky book I’ve read by Winstead the other being a Romance which I loved!

I’m 💯 surprised and in awww by how she can write all across the board.

Bits…
Small Louisiana Town
Souther gothic
Preachers daughter
Tales about the “Low Man”
Demonic vibes
An unsuspected love story
A fascination with a beloved nostalgic read… Twilight

How the story started was not how I thought it would go… but in the best way… an investigation into a more sinister happenings of Bottom Springs!

This is Ashley's best book so far! I'm still processing this books and it will take me a while to recover from this book hangover. I will write a better review but for now I's speechless. I loved the twilight comparison because I can definitely see a girl like Ruth clinging to that dream; The plot and characters were well developed and good pacing. The ending? chef's kiss!
4.5 stars

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I ended up really really enjoying it. I felt like it did a really good job of combining thriller/mystery with southern baptist religious lore kinda vibes. I would definitely recommend checking it out and that ending????

DNF. I’ll give it three middling stars because I didn’t finish it and can’t praise or critique it beyond my initial criticisms. It was not a tone or writing style that I enjoyed and after spending a little time on it, I needed to move on. The voices felt way too juvenile and the interaction between the lead characters was odd or offputting. After looking at a few other reviews, I knew it wasn’t the book for me.

This story completely sucked me in. Dark secrets, small southern towns, possible occult goings on, oppressive religious figures, and a compelling group of characters really made this book stand out from a lot of the thrillers I’ve read recently. Ashley Winstead did such a great job with making the characters and the settings come to life in this story. I listened to the whole audiobook within 2 days because I was so invested in the story.

Ruth Cornier was such an interesting character. She started out with a very sheltered life because of being the preacher’s daughter. The journey she goes on in the book is so compelling. She’s having to grapple with her beliefs, try to solve a murder, cover up her own secrets, and figure out who the true evil doers in her town are. Her friendship with Everett and how they work to protect one another was a special part of the story. I enjoyed seeing the parts of the plot with them as teens as well as in their 20s.

I was just so engrossed with the plot in this book, I couldn’t put it down. It’s definitely my new favorite from Ashley Winstead. I definitely recommend checking it out if dark southern gothic thrillers appeal to you.

This book is the love child of Twilight fan fiction, religious cult vibes, anti-feminist beliefs, small town hysteria, a rebellious preachers daughter, small town nosy judgement… and somehow it ended up working for me in the end.

Read if you like:
🪩 Edward from Twilight (were Team Edward)
✝️ Religous Cult Vibes
🏘️ Small Town Gossip
🌲Atmospheric Descriptions
🌚 Morally Grey Characters
⏳Past and Present Timelines
🕵🏻‍♀️ Playing Detective

I have to admit, for the first 35ish percent I wasn’t sure about this one and was having a few pet peeves with the writing and the repeatative descriptors being used, but then I switched to audio for the rest of the book and found myself enjoying the atmospheric writing more and being sucked into the story and needing to know what the heck was going on in the small town with bodies surfacing.

The plot is very much about a small town that does not value the voices of women who is ruled by the forceful and strong hand of the local pastor who has the whole town in his back pocket… who happens to be the father of our rebellious main character Ruth.

The parallels between Everett and Edward from Twilight were very clear, especially where he had the same self loathing and fight between wanting to be with the FMC and also seeing himself as someone that was a monster that is undeserving of affection from the person they were pining after. There were also strong parallels between Ruth and Ever and Bonnie and Clyde in the way they wanted to protect eachother and were willing to get themselves into awful situations in the name of protecting the other person and how at times they did unspeakable things together for the ‘greater good’.

The very conservative religious aspects and anti-feminist narrative from the character in the town melded with the southern small town judgement and gossip and ended up working perfectly with the depictions of the drama and judgement and confines that living in a town that has eyes everywhere as all the information and mystery of what was occurring in the small town continued to be peeled back to expose the truth of the wickedness running rampant in a God fearing small town.

Ruth was an absolutely unhinged and delusional MC and truly had so much female rage built up from a life of being forced to fit in a box that she was never meant to fit in which made her character arc and the reveals so much more satisfying while watching her lean into her unhinged self and having no regrets.

All in all, I wasn’t sure about this one at first, but ended up enjoying it and really appreciate how the book wrapped up even though I know many won’t love the ending we were given as it isn’t necessarily a neat bow depending on how you interpret the ending.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review!

I recently had the pleasure of immersing myself in this mesmerizing tale. Let me tell you, this book has become my absolute favorite this fall. From the moment I started, I was entranced.

The narrative took me on a thrilling emotional ride, delving into a revenge plot that I normally shy away from. Yet, I found myself completely captivated, unable to put it down. The story painted a vivid picture of life in a seemingly ordinary small town, where hidden darkness and secrets shrouded the community. It was both enchanting and unsettling, making me feel the intricate web of human relationships in a profound way.

The characters in the story felt like cherished friends. I laughed with them, cried for them, and celebrated their triumphs as if they were my own. Their journeys became deeply personal, and my heart soared alongside theirs. The book's reference to Twilight added an extra layer of depth, reminding me of the profound impact love can have on our lives—it's both a temptation and a lifeline.

In essence, this book was an emotional whirlwind, a profound exploration of the human condition, and an unforgettable journey that left me profoundly moved. It's not just a must-read; it's a must-feel. I can't stop thinking about it.

And let me not forget the audio version from Tantor Audio—I absolutely LOVED it. The narrators brought the story to life in a way that felt incredibly immersive. Their voices added depth to the characters and made the experience even more enchanting.

In summary, this book, in its audio form, has left an indelible mark on me. A masterpiece that I'll cherish and recommend wholeheartedly. Don't miss out on this extraordinary tale—it's an emotional rollercoaster that you won't want to end.

4.5 stars! Ashley WInstead has once again written a powerful fictional work, where characters aren't perfect, and happy endings aren't guaranteed.
Ruth Cornier is the town librarian in her tiny hamlet of Bottom Springs, LA. Her father is the fire & brimstone preacher that keeps the town in his thrall. (And basically in the 1950s). Anyway, the town is thrown into upheaval when a skull is discovered out in the swamp. Among pagan-like characters carved on the trees. It becomes up to Ruth, and her best friend, Everett, to save the town from their "demons". And can I just say, THIS ENDING!?! Wow.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this audio e-arc.*

In her small hometown of Bottom Springs, Louisiana, librarian Ruth Cornier has always felt like an outsider, even as the daughter of the town's beloved preacher. The only things the people of Bottom Springs fear more than God and the devil are the myths that haunt the area, like the story of the Low Man, a vampiric figure said to kill sinners on moonless nights. When a skull is found deep in the swamp next to mysterious carved symbols, Bottom Springs is thrown into uproar. Ruth realizes that only she and her old friend Everett have the power to comb the town's secret underbelly in search of true evil. Everett, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, has a dark past, and Ruth is warned to stay away from him. But as a killer haunts the small Louisiana town, the two outcasts hold the key to uncovering the truth.

What a perfect way to kick off spooky season! From the very first chapter of this book I was hooked, and I could not not put it down. The small-town setting and the eerie atmosphere made this an enjoyable thriller and a bingeable read. I wasn't sure what to expect, or whether this would be a horror or fantasy novel, but it ended up being more of a gothic thriller. The book was described as "Where The Crawdads Sing" meets "Twilight" meets "Thelma and Louise," which was remarkably accurate. With that being said, I loved "Twilight" as much as the next teenage girl, but I wasn't a fan of Ruth's obsession and the constant references. Aside from that, this was a mysterious and atmospheric read that I highly recommend you add to your October TBR!

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Sarah Welborn. She delivered a captivating story and did a great job setting the tone and pace. Her performance seemed genuine, and I could really feel Ruth's emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.