It’s been a while since I read this and the more time passes the more I dislike this book. Sad to say this was one of the warst books I have read this year. Like the constant twilight reverences, like I kidd you not. There was a scene where our main character thinks the H is a vampire and we essentially get the “ I know what you are” scene from twilight. Early on the H sucks venom out of the h leg. This felt like a twilight fan fiction. So if you loved that book this might actually be more enjoyable for you.

The characters were annoying and I just didn’t root for them.

The plot was boring, there was not a single thing I actually cared about.

I read In my dreams I hold a knife and wasn’t a huge fan, still gave it 3 Stars. After reading this it will probably be awhile if I even pick up another book from this Author.

I received a Arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to be approved for an advanced copy of this audiobook by Tantor Audio via NetGalley the day before it was published in exchange for my honest opinion.… and that meant I could give up my library hold spot so others could get to it sooner! Since this was one of my most anticipated thrillers, I started it right away, back in October, listening as I went for a nice long walk on the path shown here. But by the time I was about halfway through the audio, I wasn’t engaged enough to finish it - until over two months later.
When I went back to it, I remembered almost everything that had happened, but I still struggled to stay interested enough to finish it, which is a bummer. The narrator uses a southern accent which seems perfect for this Louisiana-based story, but the many references to Twilight wore on me, though I admit I did not enjoy the book or movie so references probably don't hold the strength they do for others who are younger than I am. The last about 15% were a bit better than what came before it, and I appreciated some of the unseen twists, but the end didn't justify the means for me. Perhaps if you're a Twilight fan you'll be able to see and enjoy the connections a bit more.
I loved Winstead’s first thriller, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, but I’ve been disappointed in her thrillers (and romances) since. I forced myself to finish this one to be able to check it off my NetGalley queue - and I'm glad I felt the end was a bit redeeming.

This wasn't for me. I should have dnf'd.

Some things I didn't like:
- waaayyyy to many twilight references wtf
- the pacing was really off and super slow
- the story didn't really start until like 30% in
- the narrators god-awful southern accent

"From the critically acclaimed author of In My Dreams I Hold A Knife and The Last Housewife comes Midnight is the Darkest Hour, a gothic Southern thriller about a killer haunting a small Louisiana town, where two outcasts—the preacher's daughter and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks—hold the key to uncovering the truth."

What a fun and interesting read! Told in alternating timelines, we follow librarian Ruth in present day as a young adult and flash back to her teenage years as well. The story begins with the discovery of human skull and as it builds, gets a bit crazy with motorcycle gangs, drug dealing, and the occult. This book was not at all what I had expected, but it kept me interested throughout.
The ending of this book though, that ending alone gave my rating an extra star, I absolutely loved it! With Ruth's prayer to "God, the devil or whoever's listening" it seemed like she was speaking directly to the reader about her fate. It felt like she pulled me right into the page and made me a part of the story. I thought this was brilliantly done and it turned a good story into a great one for me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.5)

Thank you to @netgalley and @tantoraudio for the gifted copy of this book.

i really wanted to read my first ashley winstead because so many of my friends have absolutely loved in my dreams i hold a knife, but i really think i did myself a disservice making this the one i picked up. i don't want to be overly negative, because i do think this book is important for some people who grew up with abuse under the guise of religion, and they were able to find escapism and safety and happiness in literature, like twilight. and i just really don’t want to downplay the importance of that safe place for kids and teens, especially when you can just tell this story feels very personal to the author.

but i think this was just so completely different than what i was anticipating, that it felt like a really big disappointment to me. this felt like a literary romance with some suspenseful elements, not a mystery thriller in the slightest. you will truly know from the first 10% of this book what is going to happen, and the rest is just a lot of twilight comparisons. now, i will also give this book credit because it made me rewatch twilight, and i did miss that blue filter more than i realized. i will also say i liked the very end, which i know will be an unpopular opinion, but it was a definite risk i do not think many authors would take, and i respect that. i will still for sure read in my dreams i hold a knife and report back!

trigger + content warnings: death, murder, violence, blood, cults, religious abuse, talk of suicide, gun violence, animal injury + death, talk of animal sacrifice, extreme child abuse in past, child captivity in past, talk of domestic abuse in past, mention of bullying in past, power imbalances, sexual assault (attempted rape), depression, panic attacks, hospital setting, talk of forced abortion, ableism (always in a negative light), implied pedophilia, implied human trafficking, trauma, grief, death of a mother during child birth in past, alcoholism mentions, drugs, misogyny, fire, snakes

This was a book that left me with more questions than answers. Firstly, what was the main storyline? There's too much going on there: Vampire story? Murder mystery? Girl from a zealot Christian background? Where was our focus supposed to be centered?

I DNF'd this book twice before I finally finished it. The ending was it's saving grace because it was completely unexpected.

2.5 Rounded up

Dark, eerily gothic and deeply atmospheric.

Thanks NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC in exchange of an honest review.

This was an exceptional audiobook narrated by the amazing Sarah Welborn. She really breathed life into every character, created the right moods and vibes – her voice with the southern lilt was tailor made for the protagonist.

Synopsis –

Bottom Springs, Louisiana is a small town full of religiously devout folks, God fearing and conservative in their ways. Ruth Cornier, the daughter of the church preacher has never felt at home in this town and has great many ambitions in her life. When a skull is found in the swamps along with some mysterious occult related symbols, Bottom Springs is set for an upheaval as Ruth and her friend Everett begin to discover the dark, evil truths lurking behind the holy façade of the town.

Review -

Winstead can be thought of as the queen of dark thrillers with the most unusual plot and complexly woven layers. She combines a lot of eclectic elements here – vampiric themes with references to Twilight, love that borders obsession, eerie occult vibes, dark pasts of the MCs, religious aspects with small town politics and dirty self-serving secrets.

The narrative shifts between Ruth’s teenage years and the present. In my view, this felt muddled and a bit all over the place as it got harder to track and differentiate between them.

Unfortunately, I also found it hard to connect with Ruth. Although she is wise and pragmatic beyond her years, she lacked judgement and it got on my nerves at times. I wanted to shake her and talk some practical sense into her - as well as help her point out what was blatantly obvious.

However, what stood out was the atmospheric evocation and world building. There were several threads to be unearthed - enough to make us gasp out loud with horrified shock, utter disgust and ballistic anger.

The ending was quite satisfying, despite seeming as though Ruth suddenly turned into someone with unbelievably inhuman powers and mental strength to pull off what she did.

I am yet to find a winner with Winstead. But I am sure her next one with work for me!

5 stars for all of the LSU talk! It's about time we get some love down here:)

Unfortunately so much of this book was a miss for me. I really enjoyed the first third, but found myself confused for the remainder of it. I think it tried to do a little too much in a short amount of time.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this audiobook so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must listen for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Ruth Cornier has always felt like an outsider in her small hometown. As the daughter of the town’s preacher, she has spent her whole life under pressure to behave a certain way. That includes hiding the books she enjoys reading, because according to her father, they are full of sin. The only person she can be herself with is the town’s outcast, Everett, who she met when she was in high school. Everett has long ago left their little town but he returns home every summer to visit her. When a skull is discovered in the swamp, along with strange symbols carved into trees, Ruth and Everett set out for the truth about what secrets lie in their town.

“Midnight is the Darkest Hour” is deliciously spooky, with the eerieness of the woods radiating off the pages. The people in Bottom Springs considered themselves God-fearing Christians, while tiptoeing around the folklore of “the low man” who haunted the woods. Winstead took a unique approach in fusing the themes of Christianity and the Occult throughout this story. Each belief system was presented respectfully, with Ruth drawing certain parallels between the two and forging her own path as she and Everett searched for truth. The twists in what they uncovered just kept coming, and I was on the edge of my seat by the end! I related a lot to Ruth, in how she was quiet and found such joy in books! In particular, she loved Twilight and that took me back to my college days. Everett was like a boy from a fairy tale, a loner who didn’t care what people thought of him and would do anything for Ruth; he may possibly be my new favorite book boyfriend!

This was my second Ashley Winstead book and I cannot wait to read the other two on my shelf (I read the Boyfriend Candidate first and LOVED it)

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the complimentary audiobook.

Unpopular Opinion Ahead?

I know Ashley Winstead is a very popular author in the world of Bookstagram - I remember the hype around In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and I absolutely own a copy of the audiobook (and look forward to reading it) but this one wasn’t a big hit for me. That said, I absolutely read it very quickly in a couple few sittings.

What didn’t work for me: the narrator. Her voice went back and forth between a thick southern drawl and a crisp over-annunciated style of pronunciation within the same sentence…over and over.

I have very exacting ears and a picky brain because I’m AuDHD. However, I have seen other reviews talk about issues with the narrator from neurotypical readers, so I know it isn’t JUST me. I would have enjoyed the audiobook book a great deal more with the narrator who could stay in character. I would’ve especially enjoyed an actually Louisiana-local voice actor.

Story-wise this felt a bit like it was aimed at a YA audience and a soapy one…almost like a True Blood Lite? Very heavy on the bayou vibes and so much yearning.

Let me be clear: I LOVE YA, but here I mean that this book was written a style that brings to mind what I imagine that people who *don’t* read YA yet judge it, THINK YA is: overwrought, hormonal, and lacking authentic depth.

However, some of those adjectives may apply to the performance - it’s hard to untangle the writing from the narration here.

But also? Twilight is mentioned a WHOLE lot by the female protagonist for this being a book for adults.

The first ending was a little more chaotic than cinematic. After a lot of slow burning…we needed and deserved a well plotted and dramatic scene that wasn’t so rushed.

The second open-ended “ending”…no.

What worked: I liked the mystery surrounding and revelations about: Ever’s mother.

Cults and fanatic religion are always pretty interesting. And honestly the soapy True Blood Lite vibes did make for a fun binge…

…and would’ve been much less frustrating with better narration (and this pains me because I *LOVE* audiobooks and I adore so many talented narrators, truly) but this was a super bad fit/casting and I wish somebody in production had caught onto the narrator’s drastic shifts in and out of two distinct accents and nipped that in the bud.

Ashley Winstead is an automatic read for me, no matter the genre. However, “Midnight is the Darkest Hour” was not my favorite but this is completely personal. I have never been a fan of Twilight and references were too much for me. Again, this review is personal and not a reflection of the author.

Thank you NetGalley for my audiobook arc in exchange for my review.

Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead
3.5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

•••Spoiler free review below•••

I will be the first to admit that this is not my usual genre. That being said, I started reading and literally couldn't stop! I was sucked into to this southern small-town story. Told in present day scenes and flashbacks, I constantly wanted to know what would happen next and how this story would come together. I loved the ending and will definitely be checking out the author's other books!

Read this book if you like:
- stories told in past and present
- multilayered mysteries
- twilight when you were in middle school and now read mystery
- small town settings

Midnight is the Darkest Hour was released in October and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Tantor for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

i hate leaving reviews like this but i honestly have nothing good to say about this book.

i can't stress enough that i literally don't know what the point of this book was??? it was so frustrating. and nothing happened until about 85% -- it was too long, didn't make sense, and the narrator didn't work for me.

i don't know why but the characters didn't feel real (like why couldn't the FMC just call the police??? why did she need to ask her "BFF" where he was all summer? "he left" -- did they not have phones???) i think this author needs to steer away from the religious cult sub-genre for awhile. it feels like that's her only lane and that a lot of what she writes is just for shock value instead of actually being relevant to the plot.

i knew i was going to get "politics' in this book because i've read the author's previous novels but it was way too much and stuffed down my throat.

nothing made sense. it dragged on and on with literally nothing happening and it was entirely too far-fetched.

as far as the audiobook, the narrator's voice was too cringey and southern (and this is coming from a southern girl). not a great listening experience.

I put this off for too long.
I LOVED the narrator of the audiobook. Her voice was the perfect addition to the story. It was innocence and calm all in the audiobook when the book was about a chaotic town.

I can see how some would not like the ending to this story but I really enjoyed it.

Can't wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC Audiobook.

I have had Ashley Winstead's premiere novel on my TBR list since it came out, but haven't gotten around to it. That's why I requested this one. Unfortunately, I was sadly disappointed by this audiobook. It felt like a Twilight fanfiction. I also had a very hard time with the narrator's fake southern accent. I feel like this really took away from the book itself.

Not a fan, it was a very boring thriller in my opinion. I also was not a fan of the narrator. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher & Tantor Audio for gifting me the audiobook!
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I want to preface by saying Ashley Winstead is one of my favorite authors and her two previous books were solid 5 stars for me. But sometimes a book from your favorite author doesn’t resonate with you and I feel that’s what’s happened here.

I found the story to be all over the place with a lot of heavy themes, religious extremism, toxic relationships and YA romance all mashed together into this one book. I’m not even sure which genre this book tried to be. Thriller? Horror? Literary fiction? YA Horror/Romance? I love me a genre bender but I felt this book didn’t fit anywhere although tried to fit into a mold.

I get the feeling the reader was supposed to appreciate Ruth and Everett’s friendship but I found them both to be somewhat toxic, if not downright weird with each other. And the Twilight obsession mix added in was just…awkward. That scene where Ruth thinks Everett is possibly supernatural? Huh?

I think the audiobook was the redeeming factor that allowed me to finish the book faster than I would have, had I only read it in physical format.

All this being said, you know damn well I’m going to hit that request button when Ashley’s next book shows up. My opinion of this book is in the minority so I hope my review doesn’t detract you from picking up Midnight Is The Darkest Hour.

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife was one of my favorite books last year so I was very excited to get my hands on this title. It had also been touted for fans of Verity - which is one of my all-time favs! I see absolutely no connection between this book and Verity - I'm not even sure where the Goodread Gods even made that connection?!?! This book was just not for me though I waffled between liking it and disliking it (mostly because the middle was long and boring and the ending was much more interesting). I found that it read very YA which isn't really my preferred read. I think it reads that way because Ruth is very naive but also because there is just too much discussion of Twilight - there was one Twilight-esque exchange between Ruth and Ever that gave me STRONG second-hand embarrassment. My opinion is that this is a mash-up of Twilight, Where the Crawdads Sing, and Bonnie and Clyde.

As far as the audiobook, the narrator did an excellent job - I enjoyed her southern accent :)

I wanted to like it so bad. I had to keep putting it down because it didn't keep me locked in. I wanted so much more from it. I wanted more thriller and captivating characters but it lacked everything.