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The Last Housewife
From the author of the acclaimed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife comes a pitch-black thriller about a woman determined to destroy a powerful cult and avenge the deaths of the women taken in by it, no matter the cost.
While in college in upstate New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tiny Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death—delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader—she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.
Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend's life, she's pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay's obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning. But in a world built for men to rule it—both inside the cult and outside of it—is justice even possible, and if so, how far will Shay go to get it?
While in college in upstate New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tiny Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death—delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader—she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.
Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend's life, she's pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay's obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning. But in a world built for men to rule it—both inside the cult and outside of it—is justice even possible, and if so, how far will Shay go to get it?
385 pages, Hardcover
First published August 16, 2022
About the author
Ashley Winstead
6 books3,959 followersAshley Winstead is a chameleon writing across as many genres as she can get away with. Her critically-acclaimed books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, optioned for television, named Library Read, Loan Star, and Amazon Editor picks, and covered everywhere from the New York Times to People magazine. She's a former academic who lives in Houston with her husband, three cats, and beloved wine fridge.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,965 reviews
November 17, 2023
One sentence review: Please say sike
SYNOPSIS
Stupid ass Shay decides to leave her rich housewife life in the dust and jet off to New York so she can team up with Captain Save a Hoe aka Jamie the Podcast Man to figure out if her old college bestie Laurel really k!lled herself or was murdered.
MY OPINION
L M F A O. Buckle TF in, I'm about to light it up. This will be a long one. Trigger warnings galore plus I'll add a few of my own: total absence of logic, appalling levels of stupidity, cringeworthy attempts to be Shakespearian. BTW this is FULL OF SPOILERS so if you haven't read it, please come back when you do. But I'll leave you with some quotes so you can see what kinda fun you're in for:
Up close, the [house] was somehow larger than how it had looked from the road. Are you being dead ass with this?
The water was intoxicatingly warm, like silk against my skin. Silk.... isn't warm???? I think you meant "The water felt intoxicatingly warm and silky against my skin." Good try though.
His footsteps made a quick patter on the street – or maybe that was the sand rushing through the hour glass, the sound of time moving fast. Ok, step away from the computer. That's enough play time for you.
Also why TF did the author use italics to denote Shay's thoughts WHEN THE WHOLE STORY IS TOLD IN FIRST PERSON???????? Where TF was the editor. And shit like "Move. I told myself. Run ." Bro you literally could've just written "Move. Run." and we would've been knowing that's what she said to herself because once again THIS IS FIRST PERSON NARRATION!!!!!!
NOW FOR THE SPOILIES
Ight so where do I even start with this shitshow? Let's begin with Shay. Holy. Shit. I though Sheriff Kate Fox from Exit Wounds was a certified dummy, but Shay really kicked the door down Koolaid Man style and said hold my mfn beer!!! So Miss Texas hasn't spoken to her friend in twice the number of years she actually knew Laurel, but becomes obsessed with her death and does the absolute most to "avenge" it. Every time Shay said something like "that doesn't sound like Laurel" I wanted to scream. HOW TF WOULD YOU KNOW???? You literally haven't spoken to hear in almost a DECADE.
Shay happened to be as lucky as she was daft. Every person she needed info from seemed to sing like a canary despite the super secretive nature of this 50 shades of r@pe club. Of course there was an open window at the event for her to casually slip through!!! And of course she was able to escape each meeting untouched AND get invited to the next one even though she was obviously not down to clown. BAH OUAIS!!!!
And now, let's get to the meat of this book. If Miss Winstead had teed this up as a popcorn thriller, perhaps it wouldn't have given me five ulcers. BUT miss phd presented this as a deep dive/scathing commentary into victimhood, feminism, and whatever tf else she tossed into this hot mess. So ofc I was expecting a book like My Dark Vanessa which beautifully encapsulated the grooming experience and a victim's not-so-straightforward mindset. Welp, a hoe could dream. What I got instead was a melodramatic, banal, OTT intro to creative writing "book."
Everyone and their sister knows how cult leaders psychologically manipulate and groom their victim. Except for Winstead. Instead she skipped steps 1-10 of indoctrination so she could writing about violent r@pe and try to shell shock her audience into tossing her a lil 5 star rating.
Step 1: identify vulnerable persons and appeal to their insecurities. So WHY would you paint Clem, Laurel, and Shay as "hardcore feminists" attending a "commie/lesbian/feminazi" college who joined a cult AFTER THREE meetings with Don because he tossed them some lines from the misogyny manifesto. The shit that Don spouted was NOTHING women haven't heard and tuned out — whether you're a feminist or not. So because homebody added Socrates and Aristotle into his lil Incel Ted Talk, these "hardcore feminists" were suddenly submissive queens??? Literally how is THAT their weakness? Why didn't Winstead write about how Don love bombed them and pretended to be their surrogate father (given their fraught familial relationships) for AT LEAST a month before flipping the switch? If a guy told me "there's freedom in submission" and I'm that much of a feminist, I would literally laugh HIM into submission.
Also, why were they so quick to believe Don could enlighten them? Usually the cult leader sends his best-of-breed-believers into the field to recruit. Would you be enticed to enter Abercrombie if instead of Zac Efron's eight pack at the door, it was a bloated possum carcass? NAH. So then WHY did you join when the only "proof" of his work was Rachel, who the girls all described as a certified freakazoid. Why would you want to be like Rachel!? This literally makes ZERO sense. He literally gave them no good reasons to submit to being his daughters (btw Freud would have a fking field day with this book). I know that people join cults everyday after being groomed and manipulated, but homeboy didn't even have to try. They literally went from 0-100 for what?? Oh I know, for shock value.
JFC this is a long one. My apologies if you've made it this far. Okay so in general, Winstead was all about the telling NOT showing. The podcast format was so laughably lazy; it was clear she didn't want to put the effort into fully writing the flashbacks so she's like here's your lil podcast transcript so I can just rattle off the events to you with zero emotional impact. The author spoon fed info more than a mother spoon feeds a newborn. She was practically choking me to death the way she kept shoving that flimsy ass wolves metaphor down my throat.
This book provoked zero thoughts; someone in a vegetative state could've clocked the theme and the twisty twists from a mile away. Oh surprise surprise, the detective that is omitting critical details from police reports is involved in the r@pe club?? WOWZERS!!!!!! /s The ending made zero sense. So you're leveraging a progressive democratic gov official to rollback woman's rights? I think Trump is free if that's your plan. Seems like an uphill battle tryna convince democratic voters why Alex Barry's new policy package is baller. But I guess in this fantasyland, anything can happen just for funsies.
Okay I'm gonna try to wrap this up. Essentially, this book STANK. It read like a Ted Talk by Boss Babes. Shay is definitely a prime target for pyramid schemes.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: I found some great bookstagrammers via the buddy read
Cons: did I stutter above? 😂
___
Check out my YouTube
SYNOPSIS
Stupid ass Shay decides to leave her rich housewife life in the dust and jet off to New York so she can team up with Captain Save a Hoe aka Jamie the Podcast Man to figure out if her old college bestie Laurel really k!lled herself or was murdered.
MY OPINION
L M F A O. Buckle TF in, I'm about to light it up. This will be a long one. Trigger warnings galore plus I'll add a few of my own: total absence of logic, appalling levels of stupidity, cringeworthy attempts to be Shakespearian. BTW this is FULL OF SPOILERS so if you haven't read it, please come back when you do. But I'll leave you with some quotes so you can see what kinda fun you're in for:
Up close, the [house] was somehow larger than how it had looked from the road. Are you being dead ass with this?
The water was intoxicatingly warm, like silk against my skin. Silk.... isn't warm???? I think you meant "The water felt intoxicatingly warm and silky against my skin." Good try though.
His footsteps made a quick patter on the street – or maybe that was the sand rushing through the hour glass, the sound of time moving fast. Ok, step away from the computer. That's enough play time for you.
Also why TF did the author use italics to denote Shay's thoughts WHEN THE WHOLE STORY IS TOLD IN FIRST PERSON???????? Where TF was the editor. And shit like "Move. I told myself. Run ." Bro you literally could've just written "Move. Run." and we would've been knowing that's what she said to herself because once again THIS IS FIRST PERSON NARRATION!!!!!!
NOW FOR THE SPOILIES
Ight so where do I even start with this shitshow? Let's begin with Shay. Holy. Shit. I though Sheriff Kate Fox from Exit Wounds was a certified dummy, but Shay really kicked the door down Koolaid Man style and said hold my mfn beer!!! So Miss Texas hasn't spoken to her friend in twice the number of years she actually knew Laurel, but becomes obsessed with her death and does the absolute most to "avenge" it. Every time Shay said something like "that doesn't sound like Laurel" I wanted to scream. HOW TF WOULD YOU KNOW???? You literally haven't spoken to hear in almost a DECADE.
Shay happened to be as lucky as she was daft. Every person she needed info from seemed to sing like a canary despite the super secretive nature of this 50 shades of r@pe club. Of course there was an open window at the event for her to casually slip through!!! And of course she was able to escape each meeting untouched AND get invited to the next one even though she was obviously not down to clown. BAH OUAIS!!!!
And now, let's get to the meat of this book. If Miss Winstead had teed this up as a popcorn thriller, perhaps it wouldn't have given me five ulcers. BUT miss phd presented this as a deep dive/scathing commentary into victimhood, feminism, and whatever tf else she tossed into this hot mess. So ofc I was expecting a book like My Dark Vanessa which beautifully encapsulated the grooming experience and a victim's not-so-straightforward mindset. Welp, a hoe could dream. What I got instead was a melodramatic, banal, OTT intro to creative writing "book."
Everyone and their sister knows how cult leaders psychologically manipulate and groom their victim. Except for Winstead. Instead she skipped steps 1-10 of indoctrination so she could writing about violent r@pe and try to shell shock her audience into tossing her a lil 5 star rating.
Step 1: identify vulnerable persons and appeal to their insecurities. So WHY would you paint Clem, Laurel, and Shay as "hardcore feminists" attending a "commie/lesbian/feminazi" college who joined a cult AFTER THREE meetings with Don because he tossed them some lines from the misogyny manifesto. The shit that Don spouted was NOTHING women haven't heard and tuned out — whether you're a feminist or not. So because homebody added Socrates and Aristotle into his lil Incel Ted Talk, these "hardcore feminists" were suddenly submissive queens??? Literally how is THAT their weakness? Why didn't Winstead write about how Don love bombed them and pretended to be their surrogate father (given their fraught familial relationships) for AT LEAST a month before flipping the switch? If a guy told me "there's freedom in submission" and I'm that much of a feminist, I would literally laugh HIM into submission.
Also, why were they so quick to believe Don could enlighten them? Usually the cult leader sends his best-of-breed-believers into the field to recruit. Would you be enticed to enter Abercrombie if instead of Zac Efron's eight pack at the door, it was a bloated possum carcass? NAH. So then WHY did you join when the only "proof" of his work was Rachel, who the girls all described as a certified freakazoid. Why would you want to be like Rachel!? This literally makes ZERO sense. He literally gave them no good reasons to submit to being his daughters (btw Freud would have a fking field day with this book). I know that people join cults everyday after being groomed and manipulated, but homeboy didn't even have to try. They literally went from 0-100 for what?? Oh I know, for shock value.
JFC this is a long one. My apologies if you've made it this far. Okay so in general, Winstead was all about the telling NOT showing. The podcast format was so laughably lazy; it was clear she didn't want to put the effort into fully writing the flashbacks so she's like here's your lil podcast transcript so I can just rattle off the events to you with zero emotional impact. The author spoon fed info more than a mother spoon feeds a newborn. She was practically choking me to death the way she kept shoving that flimsy ass wolves metaphor down my throat.
This book provoked zero thoughts; someone in a vegetative state could've clocked the theme and the twisty twists from a mile away. Oh surprise surprise, the detective that is omitting critical details from police reports is involved in the r@pe club?? WOWZERS!!!!!! /s The ending made zero sense. So you're leveraging a progressive democratic gov official to rollback woman's rights? I think Trump is free if that's your plan. Seems like an uphill battle tryna convince democratic voters why Alex Barry's new policy package is baller. But I guess in this fantasyland, anything can happen just for funsies.
Okay I'm gonna try to wrap this up. Essentially, this book STANK. It read like a Ted Talk by Boss Babes. Shay is definitely a prime target for pyramid schemes.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: I found some great bookstagrammers via the buddy read
Cons: did I stutter above? 😂
___
Check out my YouTube
May 26, 2023
Aaaaaaahhhhh! Can you hear my shriek? If you didn’t, at least my entire neighborhood absolutely heard. The polite and old couple at next door super nicely advised me stop reading the most exciting parts of the book aloud and shut the freak out! ( of course they didn’t choose the freak word to emphasize their situation but I still think they are nice people! )
This book was one of the most intense, dark, bleak, absolute eyes popper- nail biter- soul crusher- mind blower- nightmare caller- jaw dropper!
It added a special meaning to those spooky cult novels by scaring the living daylights of me!
This amazing author: Ashley Winstead can write a hell of amazing romcom and she can also create the darkest thriller story which could give me real nightmares at the same time!
I’m hooked up from the beginning of the story as soon as I’m introduced to Shay, a new housewife after quitting her writing job, living in Texan suburb, still listening to the podcasts as guilty pleasure.
Then we found out the podcast called transgressions is hosted by her childhood friend Jamie: they have a complicated relationship. Shay left her past behind, living under the radar, using pen name for her writing gigs, lost connection with her old friends!
But her past is about to catch her: Jamie’s last podcast episode is about Laurel’s suicide: her best friend and partners in crime who ran away from a cult 8 years ago! The same year their close friend Clem also took her life! The same year Shay realized she couldn’t keep her promises to her friends and best way to stay safe was disappearing into thin air!
Now she has to face her dark past, not only avenging her best friends but also finding out what happened to those missing girls, she returns back to New York to flip the bird to the same misogynistic, tempting, enigmatic cult leader who tried to seduce them with his brainwashing tactics!
She finds herself getting attracted of that dark, dangerous life style. She has to find a way of her freedom in expanse losing the old self behind! But how? Let the darkest mind games begin!
Of course there’s no chance for me to give this book less than five stars! This is one of the best thriller reads of the year I highly recommend it!
Special thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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This book was one of the most intense, dark, bleak, absolute eyes popper- nail biter- soul crusher- mind blower- nightmare caller- jaw dropper!
It added a special meaning to those spooky cult novels by scaring the living daylights of me!
This amazing author: Ashley Winstead can write a hell of amazing romcom and she can also create the darkest thriller story which could give me real nightmares at the same time!
I’m hooked up from the beginning of the story as soon as I’m introduced to Shay, a new housewife after quitting her writing job, living in Texan suburb, still listening to the podcasts as guilty pleasure.
Then we found out the podcast called transgressions is hosted by her childhood friend Jamie: they have a complicated relationship. Shay left her past behind, living under the radar, using pen name for her writing gigs, lost connection with her old friends!
But her past is about to catch her: Jamie’s last podcast episode is about Laurel’s suicide: her best friend and partners in crime who ran away from a cult 8 years ago! The same year their close friend Clem also took her life! The same year Shay realized she couldn’t keep her promises to her friends and best way to stay safe was disappearing into thin air!
Now she has to face her dark past, not only avenging her best friends but also finding out what happened to those missing girls, she returns back to New York to flip the bird to the same misogynistic, tempting, enigmatic cult leader who tried to seduce them with his brainwashing tactics!
She finds herself getting attracted of that dark, dangerous life style. She has to find a way of her freedom in expanse losing the old self behind! But how? Let the darkest mind games begin!
Of course there’s no chance for me to give this book less than five stars! This is one of the best thriller reads of the year I highly recommend it!
Special thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
medium.com
August 18, 2022
this is a great mystery/thriller and im a big fan of its narrative structure. its a mix between prose and podcast transcripts. it has an interactive/multi-media feel that some recent mystery/thrillers have used and i think it works really well, especially as it all ties together right at the end of the book.
and while the content is actually quite infuriating, its very intriguing. its the kind of subject that you cant help but have a morbid curiosity about, yet enrages you at the same time. the writing has good pacing, so add in the content and its easy to get hooked on this.
where this missed the mark for me is the MC. i could not stand her and, if she was a real person, i would never want to interact with her. ever. and while i think thats the point, to show she is a product of her past traumas and so she treats others at collateral damage, its done so well that i just did not care for her.
overall, another good mystery by AW, which further cements my opinion that she should stick to this genre and forget the blip that was her attempt at contemporary romance.
↠ 4 stars
and while the content is actually quite infuriating, its very intriguing. its the kind of subject that you cant help but have a morbid curiosity about, yet enrages you at the same time. the writing has good pacing, so add in the content and its easy to get hooked on this.
where this missed the mark for me is the MC. i could not stand her and, if she was a real person, i would never want to interact with her. ever. and while i think thats the point, to show she is a product of her past traumas and so she treats others at collateral damage, its done so well that i just did not care for her.
overall, another good mystery by AW, which further cements my opinion that she should stick to this genre and forget the blip that was her attempt at contemporary romance.
↠ 4 stars
August 23, 2022
After reading and really liking In My Dreams I Hold a Knife last year, I was very excited to read Winstead's latest. Unfortunately, I didn't like it nearly as well as I had hoped.
If you have ANY triggers then you don't want to read this book, because they are all here. It centers around women involved with a cult with sex and torture. Three college friends were drawn in by a charismatic man and only two made it out alive. One of the survivors supposedly recently committed suicide, but Shay, the one remaining, doesn't believe it, she thinks it was murder. She joins forces with her childhood friend Jamie, who runs a podcast, and they dive deep into the dark world to figure out what happened.
This book went too far, and yet not far enough. The subject matter is dark and unpalatable, but also when it gets very tense--somehow Shay always seems to manage to walk away unscathed and things fade to black and she is back talking to Jamie about her past again. The narrative alternates between what happened to Shay in the past and their investigation into the present day case. The characters are never fully developed and there is a LOT of telling "let me tell you a story" ad nauseum. I think that's why I didn't connect with the story like I should have, the action is lost with so much telling, and the parts that are in the present just paint caricatures of people, none of them seemed real or as frightening as they were supposed to. So much of the action, even at the end, occurs off the page and we never experience the full impact of it. Yet...there's so much brutality and ALL of it is towards women. I think if I had known truly what this book was about I never would have chosen to read it in the first place. It never takes me a full week to get through a book, but I had to keep putting this one down because it bothered me so much.
I know that some people will connect with this story because overall there's a thread about female empowerment, but I felt it got completely lost within the abuse. An element that puzzled me throughout was Shay's marriage. It's such a non-issue in the first place, we never really meet her husband or get any sense of their marriage except through Shay's eyes, and it seems as if she enjoys his control. And yet, she cheats on him at the first possible moment and then breaks things off. I thought her marriage could have been left out and it would have had zero impact on the story.
I feel like the author wanted to create a story that promotes female empowerment, but in my eyes, she accomplishes the exact opposite. It was over and over Shay feeling drawn back into the abuse and men treating women horribly. I guess the ending was supposed to make up for all of that but it was too little too late.
I need a sweet romance story to cleanse my palate after this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
If you have ANY triggers then you don't want to read this book, because they are all here. It centers around women involved with a cult with sex and torture. Three college friends were drawn in by a charismatic man and only two made it out alive. One of the survivors supposedly recently committed suicide, but Shay, the one remaining, doesn't believe it, she thinks it was murder. She joins forces with her childhood friend Jamie, who runs a podcast, and they dive deep into the dark world to figure out what happened.
This book went too far, and yet not far enough. The subject matter is dark and unpalatable, but also when it gets very tense--somehow Shay always seems to manage to walk away unscathed and things fade to black and she is back talking to Jamie about her past again. The narrative alternates between what happened to Shay in the past and their investigation into the present day case. The characters are never fully developed and there is a LOT of telling "let me tell you a story" ad nauseum. I think that's why I didn't connect with the story like I should have, the action is lost with so much telling, and the parts that are in the present just paint caricatures of people, none of them seemed real or as frightening as they were supposed to. So much of the action, even at the end, occurs off the page and we never experience the full impact of it. Yet...there's so much brutality and ALL of it is towards women. I think if I had known truly what this book was about I never would have chosen to read it in the first place. It never takes me a full week to get through a book, but I had to keep putting this one down because it bothered me so much.
I know that some people will connect with this story because overall there's a thread about female empowerment, but I felt it got completely lost within the abuse. An element that puzzled me throughout was Shay's marriage. It's such a non-issue in the first place, we never really meet her husband or get any sense of their marriage except through Shay's eyes, and it seems as if she enjoys his control. And yet, she cheats on him at the first possible moment and then breaks things off. I thought her marriage could have been left out and it would have had zero impact on the story.
I feel like the author wanted to create a story that promotes female empowerment, but in my eyes, she accomplishes the exact opposite. It was over and over Shay feeling drawn back into the abuse and men treating women horribly. I guess the ending was supposed to make up for all of that but it was too little too late.
I need a sweet romance story to cleanse my palate after this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
August 23, 2022
now THATS how you do a thriller!!
November 29, 2022
As a massive fan of Winstead's 2021 debut "In My Dreams I Hold a Knife", her newest thriller "The Last Housewife" was easily my most anticipated read of 2022! Ashley truly has a gift in storytelling, and her characters, setting, and plot progression are commendable. While this wasn't an immediate favorite like her previous novel, I did enjoy the drama and salacious nature of the narrative.
I think my main let down was the promise of a "pitch black thriller" that felt a little more "fade-to-black" compared to many others I've read. I wanted the gritty details on all the scenarios, but I understand why the author had to choose carefully what to include and what not to. Admittedly, my dark-o-meter is not as sensitive as some (or most), so while the overall content is unnerving and disturbing, I found it to be dealt out in a telling more than showing sort of way. Some wonderful twists and turns, with a clearly heavy inspiration by , so if you've watched any documentaries on the subject you'll see many extremely similar details. Overall an enjoyable read, and I look forward to what the author brings to the table next.
I think my main let down was the promise of a "pitch black thriller" that felt a little more "fade-to-black" compared to many others I've read. I wanted the gritty details on all the scenarios, but I understand why the author had to choose carefully what to include and what not to. Admittedly, my dark-o-meter is not as sensitive as some (or most), so while the overall content is unnerving and disturbing, I found it to be dealt out in a telling more than showing sort of way. Some wonderful twists and turns, with a clearly heavy inspiration by , so if you've watched any documentaries on the subject you'll see many extremely similar details. Overall an enjoyable read, and I look forward to what the author brings to the table next.
August 22, 2022
Sex cult meets true crime in this disturbing sophomore thriller.
I decided to give Ashley Winstead another shot, after being one of the few who didn’t gush over her debut.
Well, let’s just say I’m not drooling over this one either.
Let me explain…
While The Last Housewife claims to shock readers with ALL of the trigger warnings imaginable, I found this book to be very average.
Here’s why:
The plot is told mostly through telling rather than showing, which led me to feel disconnected from the characters.
As soon as the plot got to the really dark sections, Winstead switches gears. I was expecting this book to really go there, since the reader is forewarned. However, if you are trigger sensitive, I definitively suggest you pay close attention to them.
The podcast sections that detail Shay’s life BEFORE are very long, which keep the reader in passive action, rather than moving the plot forward.
However, Alexis Van Aiken’s narration of the audiobook is very well done and there are a few decent twists at the end.
Overall, I think this is a case of the author’s books not being a good fit for me. Please check out other reviews, as many have really enjoyed it.
3.5/5 stars rounded down
I decided to give Ashley Winstead another shot, after being one of the few who didn’t gush over her debut.
Well, let’s just say I’m not drooling over this one either.
Let me explain…
While The Last Housewife claims to shock readers with ALL of the trigger warnings imaginable, I found this book to be very average.
Here’s why:
The plot is told mostly through telling rather than showing, which led me to feel disconnected from the characters.
As soon as the plot got to the really dark sections, Winstead switches gears. I was expecting this book to really go there, since the reader is forewarned. However, if you are trigger sensitive, I definitively suggest you pay close attention to them.
The podcast sections that detail Shay’s life BEFORE are very long, which keep the reader in passive action, rather than moving the plot forward.
However, Alexis Van Aiken’s narration of the audiobook is very well done and there are a few decent twists at the end.
Overall, I think this is a case of the author’s books not being a good fit for me. Please check out other reviews, as many have really enjoyed it.
3.5/5 stars rounded down
February 17, 2022
Disclaimer: This book has about every single trigger you could possibly imagine.
Now that I said that disclaimer, let's talk about one of the best books that I've read in years, shall we? Ashley Winstead has won readers over last summer with her debut thriller, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, so I was really excited to be given the opportunity to read her upcoming psychological thriller, The Last Housewife ! Wow, I need time to think carefully how to write this review and give this book justice. First and foremost, I am exhausted. I read this book in one sitting, which is a rarity for me. The Last Housewife is the most bingeworthy book I've ever read in my life.
The story focuses on Shay Deroy, a 30 year old married woman living in Texas with her successful husband Cal. Shay loves true crime podcasts, especially one created by an old childhood friend of hers, Jamie. While listening to the true crime podcast, Shay finds out that one of her high school best friends, Laurel, has died and the police are calling it a suicide. The facts don't line up with a suicide and Shay wants to avenge Laurel's death. Shay and Laurel had a very dark past that Shay would like forgotten, but when Shay and Jamie dive into her college BFF's life to find out the truth, Shay realizes that sometimes the past just won't go away.
UGH, I wish I can say more, but I won't. I actually didn't even read the synopsis of this book before picking it up. I just love the author so much, that I just picked it up on a whim. Whoa, this book has like scarred me. Without going into detail, because it's nobody's business, I related to some of the traumatic experiences in this book. I just was hypnotized by the compelling and powerful themes throughout this book, but this book won't be for everybody so join the adventure if you can handle triggers. Ashley Winstead really goes into a world that I never expected a book could be, but The Last Housewife is the golden standard moving forward. It's a must read.
Now that I said that disclaimer, let's talk about one of the best books that I've read in years, shall we? Ashley Winstead has won readers over last summer with her debut thriller, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, so I was really excited to be given the opportunity to read her upcoming psychological thriller, The Last Housewife ! Wow, I need time to think carefully how to write this review and give this book justice. First and foremost, I am exhausted. I read this book in one sitting, which is a rarity for me. The Last Housewife is the most bingeworthy book I've ever read in my life.
The story focuses on Shay Deroy, a 30 year old married woman living in Texas with her successful husband Cal. Shay loves true crime podcasts, especially one created by an old childhood friend of hers, Jamie. While listening to the true crime podcast, Shay finds out that one of her high school best friends, Laurel, has died and the police are calling it a suicide. The facts don't line up with a suicide and Shay wants to avenge Laurel's death. Shay and Laurel had a very dark past that Shay would like forgotten, but when Shay and Jamie dive into her college BFF's life to find out the truth, Shay realizes that sometimes the past just won't go away.
UGH, I wish I can say more, but I won't. I actually didn't even read the synopsis of this book before picking it up. I just love the author so much, that I just picked it up on a whim. Whoa, this book has like scarred me. Without going into detail, because it's nobody's business, I related to some of the traumatic experiences in this book. I just was hypnotized by the compelling and powerful themes throughout this book, but this book won't be for everybody so join the adventure if you can handle triggers. Ashley Winstead really goes into a world that I never expected a book could be, but The Last Housewife is the golden standard moving forward. It's a must read.
August 30, 2023
There are thrillers.. and there are books that peel back the horrific parts of humanity for the world to see... The Last Housewife is the latter of those options.
THOUGHTS:
I think when I read the synopsis of this book.. what I thought I would be reading and what I got were two very different things. I read this in approximately 24 hours, and my mind still can't handle exactly what happened.
The opening paragraphs... wild. The ending of the book.... unhinged.
Pretty sure that I formed new neural pathways while reading and trying to absorb everything that happened!
Cults and governmental corruption have been going on for a long time, and what people don't really talk about is that men usually run them from places of privilege and power. This was the first time I really read about a cult from the perspective of an *groomed?* female participator. If you take a look at Hollywood, you'll see a ton of actresses and actors who are linked to cults, but it's not often we get their side of the story. I don't know what kind of research Winstead did to write this book - but her story was so well told - I feel like she must have done some extensive interviewing!!
***Side Note: The Epstein files. WHERE ARE THEY? There's STILL so much controversy surrounding what when on at that private island.. and it's disgusting. Somehow reading The Last Housewife almost made me feel better - like maybe one day all of the criminals on that list will all be taken down in one fell swoop? But I still look at basically every politician like they're slimy. We see it too often in the news that from both sides of the aisle, people are found out to be deviants of some sort.
Beyond the disturbing content, loathing the main character and basically everything about her actions... When an author can bring out such strong emotions like revulsion, anger, and make you want to quit/read every page real quick... she deserves a high rating. (Even if I'll have to read sweet romances for weeks to get that disturbing book out of my mind!) In discussing why I took off half a star - @paperbackbish made a point that she would only give a book 5 stars if she'd re-read it, and I def wouldn't re-read this one. It's too grotesque.
NOTES:
- This book has so many content warnings.. the author actively listed them in the front of the book. I didn't realize that when I started and wasn't looking for it and when I got to a certain point of the book I went back to read the book blurb on the inside of the front dust jacket and noticed the CWs list. r4pe, murd3r, s3xual ass4ult, cults, and government corruption are some of the major issues in this book.
***Buddy Read with @paperbackbish***
THOUGHTS:
I think when I read the synopsis of this book.. what I thought I would be reading and what I got were two very different things. I read this in approximately 24 hours, and my mind still can't handle exactly what happened.
The opening paragraphs... wild. The ending of the book.... unhinged.
Pretty sure that I formed new neural pathways while reading and trying to absorb everything that happened!
Cults and governmental corruption have been going on for a long time, and what people don't really talk about is that men usually run them from places of privilege and power. This was the first time I really read about a cult from the perspective of an *groomed?* female participator. If you take a look at Hollywood, you'll see a ton of actresses and actors who are linked to cults, but it's not often we get their side of the story. I don't know what kind of research Winstead did to write this book - but her story was so well told - I feel like she must have done some extensive interviewing!!
***Side Note: The Epstein files. WHERE ARE THEY? There's STILL so much controversy surrounding what when on at that private island.. and it's disgusting. Somehow reading The Last Housewife almost made me feel better - like maybe one day all of the criminals on that list will all be taken down in one fell swoop? But I still look at basically every politician like they're slimy. We see it too often in the news that from both sides of the aisle, people are found out to be deviants of some sort.
Beyond the disturbing content, loathing the main character and basically everything about her actions... When an author can bring out such strong emotions like revulsion, anger, and make you want to quit/read every page real quick... she deserves a high rating. (Even if I'll have to read sweet romances for weeks to get that disturbing book out of my mind!) In discussing why I took off half a star - @paperbackbish made a point that she would only give a book 5 stars if she'd re-read it, and I def wouldn't re-read this one. It's too grotesque.
NOTES:
- This book has so many content warnings.. the author actively listed them in the front of the book. I didn't realize that when I started and wasn't looking for it and when I got to a certain point of the book I went back to read the book blurb on the inside of the front dust jacket and noticed the CWs list. r4pe, murd3r, s3xual ass4ult, cults, and government corruption are some of the major issues in this book.
***Buddy Read with @paperbackbish***
May 17, 2022
It’s not every day I finish a novel and decide right then and there that the author is now an auto-buy. While I was anticipating a great story from Winstead, I wasn’t expecting to inhale her new book in one breathless read. THE LAST HOUSEWIFE is a propulsive, unputdownable thriller with a dark, beating heart. It chilled me to the bone, and I’m still recovering. Ashley Winstead, I bow down.
October 3, 2022
The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead is an intensely dark and sinister thriller that I could not put down.
Since the traumatic events of her college days, Shay Evans has built a quiet suburban life with her husband in Texas. Her one guilty pleasure is listening to a true crime podcast called Transgressions. One night, Shay learns via the podcast that Laurel, her best friend from college, has passed away on campus under suspicious circumstances.
Shay and the host of the true-crime podcast team up and try to find the truth behind her death. But the more they investigate, the more bewildering and terrifying the situation becomes, and they see what’s beneath the polished surface of upper-crust society.
This compelling thriller follows Shay’s POV with podcast transcripts mixed in.
From the title, I thought this would be something like a neighbourhood drama or the typical unreliable housewife who self-medicates. But then I remembered this is an Ashley Winstead book, and she doesn’t do typical. Sure, this book may start in the suburbs, but the overall scope of it is huge. It even gets a bit cinematic. I’d love for this to get adapted to the big or small screen.
The ending was literal perfection. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it worked for me.
As I mentioned, this book dives into some dark topics, which may be triggering for some readers. There’s a whole list of content warnings at the beginning of the book.
The author’s debut In My Dreams I Hold a Knife was one of my top thrillers of last year. I think it’s safe to say that The Last Housewife is my favourite thriller this year. AW has fast become an auto-read author for me, whether that’s romance or thriller, I will eat it up.
If you enjoy dramatic twists and don’t mind suspending disbelief once in a while, then you’ll likely love this as much as I did.
I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
Since the traumatic events of her college days, Shay Evans has built a quiet suburban life with her husband in Texas. Her one guilty pleasure is listening to a true crime podcast called Transgressions. One night, Shay learns via the podcast that Laurel, her best friend from college, has passed away on campus under suspicious circumstances.
Shay and the host of the true-crime podcast team up and try to find the truth behind her death. But the more they investigate, the more bewildering and terrifying the situation becomes, and they see what’s beneath the polished surface of upper-crust society.
This compelling thriller follows Shay’s POV with podcast transcripts mixed in.
From the title, I thought this would be something like a neighbourhood drama or the typical unreliable housewife who self-medicates. But then I remembered this is an Ashley Winstead book, and she doesn’t do typical. Sure, this book may start in the suburbs, but the overall scope of it is huge. It even gets a bit cinematic. I’d love for this to get adapted to the big or small screen.
The ending was literal perfection. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it worked for me.
As I mentioned, this book dives into some dark topics, which may be triggering for some readers. There’s a whole list of content warnings at the beginning of the book.
The author’s debut In My Dreams I Hold a Knife was one of my top thrillers of last year. I think it’s safe to say that The Last Housewife is my favourite thriller this year. AW has fast become an auto-read author for me, whether that’s romance or thriller, I will eat it up.
If you enjoy dramatic twists and don’t mind suspending disbelief once in a while, then you’ll likely love this as much as I did.
I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
October 12, 2023
Domestic Terror.
Ashley Winstead became a must read author after I loved In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, a favorite from 2021. So I knew that I had to read this.
The story begins somewhat innocuously but propels quickly to deeper and demented territories the further I read.
The author skillfully combined psychologically disturbing content without being gratuitous as each element fits within the story. It was exhilarating, electric, deranged, and beautifully repulsive - all simultaneously. I was transfixed with a perfectly flawed main character.
In addition, I loved the four passages referencing Scheherazade cleverly threading the famous tale into an ubiquitous underlying theme. Most know of the bride in One Thousand and One Nights who becomes the Sultan’s wife to save other women from execution after one night of marriage with him.
If you want a safe book, this isn’t it. In addition to the trigger warnings thoughtfully given by the publisher, this also contains BDSM and cults.
However, I highly recommend it if choosing the literal version of death drops or spinning rides at the amusement park appeals to you. This took my breath away.
Just don’t drink the Kool aid.
Hardback copy purchased at Barnes and Noble.
Ashley Winstead became a must read author after I loved In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, a favorite from 2021. So I knew that I had to read this.
The story begins somewhat innocuously but propels quickly to deeper and demented territories the further I read.
The author skillfully combined psychologically disturbing content without being gratuitous as each element fits within the story. It was exhilarating, electric, deranged, and beautifully repulsive - all simultaneously. I was transfixed with a perfectly flawed main character.
In addition, I loved the four passages referencing Scheherazade cleverly threading the famous tale into an ubiquitous underlying theme. Most know of the bride in One Thousand and One Nights who becomes the Sultan’s wife to save other women from execution after one night of marriage with him.
If you want a safe book, this isn’t it. In addition to the trigger warnings thoughtfully given by the publisher, this also contains BDSM and cults.
However, I highly recommend it if choosing the literal version of death drops or spinning rides at the amusement park appeals to you. This took my breath away.
Just don’t drink the Kool aid.
Hardback copy purchased at Barnes and Noble.
August 20, 2022
WOW!
I honestly do not know how to review The Last Housewife and do it the justice that it deserves. It went straight onto my favourites of 2022 list in February, and it is not out until August! I could not wait any longer to read it, and there was squealing involved when I got approved for an early copy on Edelweiss by Sourcebooks Landmark - thank you, thank you thank you!! I still can't believe I was approved.
So, in 2021, In My Dreams I Hold A Knife was everywhere, and I mean everywhere but Australia! I finally did get my hands on a copy of it and I flew through it, absolutely devouring it. It was amazing. The Last Housewife is brilliant too, and a very different kettle of fish. It is a heavy read, which did leave me emotionally drained. The research that must have gone into writing this book just boggles the mind. It is such a dark subject and yet I could not stop turning the pages.
Add to all that a podcast! I love books that incorporate podcasts, and I think this will make a great audiobook. It is all told from Shay's point of view and it worked so well. She wants to be a writer but has found herself married to a rich man and being a housewife. We learn so much about her and her friends from college, years that changed them all forever.
Ashley Winstead has another hit book on her hands and you all need to read it come August. I will be telling anybody who will listen to me how good this book is for a long time.
I honestly do not know how to review The Last Housewife and do it the justice that it deserves. It went straight onto my favourites of 2022 list in February, and it is not out until August! I could not wait any longer to read it, and there was squealing involved when I got approved for an early copy on Edelweiss by Sourcebooks Landmark - thank you, thank you thank you!! I still can't believe I was approved.
So, in 2021, In My Dreams I Hold A Knife was everywhere, and I mean everywhere but Australia! I finally did get my hands on a copy of it and I flew through it, absolutely devouring it. It was amazing. The Last Housewife is brilliant too, and a very different kettle of fish. It is a heavy read, which did leave me emotionally drained. The research that must have gone into writing this book just boggles the mind. It is such a dark subject and yet I could not stop turning the pages.
Add to all that a podcast! I love books that incorporate podcasts, and I think this will make a great audiobook. It is all told from Shay's point of view and it worked so well. She wants to be a writer but has found herself married to a rich man and being a housewife. We learn so much about her and her friends from college, years that changed them all forever.
Ashley Winstead has another hit book on her hands and you all need to read it come August. I will be telling anybody who will listen to me how good this book is for a long time.
February 22, 2022
I know I'm going against the grain here, but this one is really a steaming pile for me. Look, I know the evil misogynists are evil, but I'm not buying that there wasn't some hard core glorification going on in there *shivers skeevily*. Combine that with the MC being an unpalatable moron with exactly zero sense of self preservation or ability to read a room and...just no.
March 8, 2023
Have you ever been driving down a highway and then suddenly see a bad accident has taken place? You know you should look away and keep driving, but you don’t. You slow down and stare and take in whatever information you can get. Yeah well… that’s what this book was for me. I knew I should stop reading as some of the content was so disturbing, but I just couldn’t look away.
This story is about Shay Evans (Deroy), who is finally living a normal life with a wealthy husband. Shay one day hears over a true crime podcast that one of her best friends from college had committed suicide (or did she?). Shay then leaves her home and travels to New York to work with her friend Jamie Knight, who runs the podcast.
While in New York, Shay’s past starts coming back to haunt her. In trying to find the missing pieces as to what happened to her friend Laurel, who was found dead- things start to unravel quickly.
Shay begins to stitch her life story together for Jamie on his podcast. Through this we get a better understanding of Shay and her choices. We see how she was controlled by men in the past, and also present day by her husband- although the situations are very different.
Through this book we learn how corrupt our government, politicians, police officers, and educators are. There was/is no one left to trust anymore-especially for the women in this book.
This is a dark book with a lot of disturbing content in it, especially sexual violence against women. However, the story kept me glued to the pages as it was done in such a suspenseful and professional way. I loved ‘In My Dreams I Hold a Knife’ by this author, as well as this book, and I will definitely be watching for her next book to come out!
This story is about Shay Evans (Deroy), who is finally living a normal life with a wealthy husband. Shay one day hears over a true crime podcast that one of her best friends from college had committed suicide (or did she?). Shay then leaves her home and travels to New York to work with her friend Jamie Knight, who runs the podcast.
While in New York, Shay’s past starts coming back to haunt her. In trying to find the missing pieces as to what happened to her friend Laurel, who was found dead- things start to unravel quickly.
Shay begins to stitch her life story together for Jamie on his podcast. Through this we get a better understanding of Shay and her choices. We see how she was controlled by men in the past, and also present day by her husband- although the situations are very different.
Through this book we learn how corrupt our government, politicians, police officers, and educators are. There was/is no one left to trust anymore-especially for the women in this book.
This is a dark book with a lot of disturbing content in it, especially sexual violence against women. However, the story kept me glued to the pages as it was done in such a suspenseful and professional way. I loved ‘In My Dreams I Hold a Knife’ by this author, as well as this book, and I will definitely be watching for her next book to come out!
August 10, 2022
Damn this was dark.
May 29, 2022
I did not enjoy this at all. If you liked watching that series about the abusive sex cult, maybe you could appreciate this, but I found it to be all kinds of awful, and the marketing copy did not do a good enough job warning how horrific this whole thing is. The only character I found likeable was the male journalist with his podcast. I think it’s possible we were supposed to like the protagonist, but she married a wealthy man, and I don’t remember her ever indicating she might have married him because she might have loved or even liked him. When she runs off because she learns about the death of her college friend, she does her best to avoid his calls while enjoying using his credit cards to pay for everything.
NetGalley provided an advance reader copy. It will release August 16, 2022.
NetGalley provided an advance reader copy. It will release August 16, 2022.
September 8, 2022
Am I super fucked up?
I read and watched several spoiler free reviews for this book and yall was talking about how dark this book is. How you gotta be in the right headspace for this. How this is so messed up.
So I was ready...I was hyped...let's get dark!
Why yall claiming this vanilla, MAGA, manosphere shit is dark?
We have very different opinions on what dark is. So I'm asking again...
Am I super fucked up?
The Last Housewife is a thriller about a woman who escaped a cult with an old friend sets out to investigation the death of a former cult member.It started out great but then the middle was boring and I didn't care about anyone by the end.
Once again another super hyped book has let me down. But I won't give up because I'm on a hyped books tear. I'm reading another hyped book currently with 2 more on deck.
Pray for me.
No rec because yall gonna read this anyway.
I read and watched several spoiler free reviews for this book and yall was talking about how dark this book is. How you gotta be in the right headspace for this. How this is so messed up.
So I was ready...I was hyped...let's get dark!
Why yall claiming this vanilla, MAGA, manosphere shit is dark?
We have very different opinions on what dark is. So I'm asking again...
Am I super fucked up?
The Last Housewife is a thriller about a woman who escaped a cult with an old friend sets out to investigation the death of a former cult member.It started out great but then the middle was boring and I didn't care about anyone by the end.
Once again another super hyped book has let me down. But I won't give up because I'm on a hyped books tear. I'm reading another hyped book currently with 2 more on deck.
Pray for me.
No rec because yall gonna read this anyway.
November 20, 2022
*3.5 stars💫
December 18, 2022
QUICK TAKE: THE LAST HOUSEWIFE is extremely dark and twisted (and dare I say, entertaining) pschosexual thriller. It's 50 SHADES meets EYES WIDE SHUT meets NXIUM: a ripped-from-the-headlines book that explores the dark world of a violent, sadomasochistic cult in a New York college town. The story unfolds through the eyes of Shay Evans, who returns to avenge the deaths of two college friends by infiltrating the cult to take it down from the inside and ultimately save the women who are still in danger.
At its core, this is a badass female revenge story that also tackles complicated issues of gender and power dynamics, coercion and agency. It’s propulsive and unputdownable. The author, Ashley Winstead, is a popular romcom author who released a thriller last summer (IN MY DREAMS I HOLD A KNIFE) that gave us a peek into the dark territory she was willing to explore. I've read all her books and this one left me stunned and clutching my pearls. It’s not perfect -the back half is a bit of a mess and over the top (and I'm annoyed there was an epilogue because the page is brutal and amazing)- but I haven’t stopped thinking about the book since I finished a few weeks ago.
Buyer beware before jumping into this one: pay attention to the content warnings, this is not for the feint of heart.
At its core, this is a badass female revenge story that also tackles complicated issues of gender and power dynamics, coercion and agency. It’s propulsive and unputdownable. The author, Ashley Winstead, is a popular romcom author who released a thriller last summer (IN MY DREAMS I HOLD A KNIFE) that gave us a peek into the dark territory she was willing to explore. I've read all her books and this one left me stunned and clutching my pearls. It’s not perfect -the back half is a bit of a mess and over the top (and I'm annoyed there was an epilogue because the page is brutal and amazing)- but I haven’t stopped thinking about the book since I finished a few weeks ago.
Buyer beware before jumping into this one: pay attention to the content warnings, this is not for the feint of heart.
September 10, 2022
A challenging, thoughtful, pitch-black story that won't be for everyone, but was definitely for me. This is a thought-provoking feminist tour de force.
This book is loosely based on the idea of the NXIUM cult, so the first terrifying point to be made is that this not only could happen here, but has happened here.
In this book, Shay DeRoy is a survivor of a cult which was based on the belief that men are naturally superior to women, and therefore have the right to dominate and abuse women as they saw fit. The cult is run by a dangerous and charismatic man named Don. Shaye escaped, but Don also got away, and now women are dying mysteriously, apparently by suicide. Shaye and her close friend Jamie, who runs a podcast, start to wonder if Don is running a new and even more dangerous cult, and set out to go undercover to investigate.
The book has hugely compelling characters and plot but what I loved most about it was the through-line of important feminist ideas. Really the book is not about a cult, but about our society, and the way many people (including powerful and famous ones) still believe men have to right to dominate women. The book also really skillfully explores why so many women not only participate in the domination but maybe also enjoy it, both sexually and emotionally. A difficult subject for sure but the book handles it extremely thoughtfully and always from a feminist perspective. In the process of reading about this philosophy in the cult, you'll bear witness to a lot of violence and horrible treatment of women, which is not easy. (But then again, if you live in this world and if you are a woman, you've already seen and experienced this yourself on a regular basis.) The content is disturbing and hard to read at times but for me the feminist perspective and the thoughtfulness with which it was presented actually made it an important read. I gave a lot of thought to issues I had never considered before in this way.
So as you may gather, the subject matter is difficult. But if it's interesting to you in any way and particularly if you're a feminist I encourage you to give the book a try. It may not resonate with you but you also might be like me and find it very much something special. I saw another review that says this book does a lot of telling rather than showing and I don't disagree with that; but I liked that tone, because it was able to discuss a lot of interesting philosophical and theoretical ideas and even academic and arts-based theories along with the extremely compelling characterizations, plot and action. I thought there was tons of action and life in the book but there was also some theorizing and philosophy, which I personally also love.
It's been a long time since I've read a thriller and left this impressed with both the plot and the big ideas in the book. And can we talk about the perfect ending? Actually let's not. Please read this book and get to that amazing ending yourself.
Definite five stars and I'm now chasing down all this author's other books. Also, the audiobook performance was riveting.
This book is loosely based on the idea of the NXIUM cult, so the first terrifying point to be made is that this not only could happen here, but has happened here.
In this book, Shay DeRoy is a survivor of a cult which was based on the belief that men are naturally superior to women, and therefore have the right to dominate and abuse women as they saw fit. The cult is run by a dangerous and charismatic man named Don. Shaye escaped, but Don also got away, and now women are dying mysteriously, apparently by suicide. Shaye and her close friend Jamie, who runs a podcast, start to wonder if Don is running a new and even more dangerous cult, and set out to go undercover to investigate.
The book has hugely compelling characters and plot but what I loved most about it was the through-line of important feminist ideas. Really the book is not about a cult, but about our society, and the way many people (including powerful and famous ones) still believe men have to right to dominate women. The book also really skillfully explores why so many women not only participate in the domination but maybe also enjoy it, both sexually and emotionally. A difficult subject for sure but the book handles it extremely thoughtfully and always from a feminist perspective. In the process of reading about this philosophy in the cult, you'll bear witness to a lot of violence and horrible treatment of women, which is not easy. (But then again, if you live in this world and if you are a woman, you've already seen and experienced this yourself on a regular basis.) The content is disturbing and hard to read at times but for me the feminist perspective and the thoughtfulness with which it was presented actually made it an important read. I gave a lot of thought to issues I had never considered before in this way.
So as you may gather, the subject matter is difficult. But if it's interesting to you in any way and particularly if you're a feminist I encourage you to give the book a try. It may not resonate with you but you also might be like me and find it very much something special. I saw another review that says this book does a lot of telling rather than showing and I don't disagree with that; but I liked that tone, because it was able to discuss a lot of interesting philosophical and theoretical ideas and even academic and arts-based theories along with the extremely compelling characterizations, plot and action. I thought there was tons of action and life in the book but there was also some theorizing and philosophy, which I personally also love.
It's been a long time since I've read a thriller and left this impressed with both the plot and the big ideas in the book. And can we talk about the perfect ending? Actually let's not. Please read this book and get to that amazing ending yourself.
Definite five stars and I'm now chasing down all this author's other books. Also, the audiobook performance was riveting.
Read
March 18, 2022DNF-ed at 40%.
Content warning: Suicide, rape, physical violence, sexual violence, trauma, self-harm, misogyny, gender essentialism, drug use.
I think I'm giving up on this one. It's quite disturbing, and I don't wan't to keep doing it to myself.
Content warning: Suicide, rape, physical violence, sexual violence, trauma, self-harm, misogyny, gender essentialism, drug use.
I think I'm giving up on this one. It's quite disturbing, and I don't wan't to keep doing it to myself.
August 24, 2022
Major trigger warnings; 3 stars for topic content; dark and heartbreaking; really difficult topics but the writing is crisp and almost flawless.
October 10, 2022
My TBR is beginning to prove the only thing I enjoy more than stabby thrillers might just be . . . .
The Last Housewife is the story of Shay who has just heard the news that she has lost a second friend from college to suicide. Shay is convinced that something is rotten in Denmark and another college pal Jamie feels the same so they decide to do some poking around.
My reaction to this one???? Hmmmmmmm. Once again here’s a narrative that relies on podcast recordings to complete the story. At this point I’m pretty sure I’m not a fan of that device (but to be honest I’m not always real keen on the wibbly wobbly timeline period). The positive this time around is that at least the podcast host had a journalism background which made the investigation a big more legit and a bit less “Nancy Drew” with the two just magically scoring interviews, etc. That being said, the idea that these two (Shay in particular) could just imbed themselves into these sex club scenarios with nary a question asked (or without being recognized by any of the players) was waaaaaay farfetched. I also had the issue of the “ripped from the headlines” feeling the same I had with All Good People Here. Not only was the branding of the sex cult members taken straight out of the Nxivm playbook, but a literal shout-out by name was given near the end of the book. Do authors just assume we readers live in caves with no access to any true crime programming from the past billion years?????
I’m giving this 2 Stars strictly for the page turnability factor.
The Last Housewife is the story of Shay who has just heard the news that she has lost a second friend from college to suicide. Shay is convinced that something is rotten in Denmark and another college pal Jamie feels the same so they decide to do some poking around.
My reaction to this one???? Hmmmmmmm. Once again here’s a narrative that relies on podcast recordings to complete the story. At this point I’m pretty sure I’m not a fan of that device (but to be honest I’m not always real keen on the wibbly wobbly timeline period). The positive this time around is that at least the podcast host had a journalism background which made the investigation a big more legit and a bit less “Nancy Drew” with the two just magically scoring interviews, etc. That being said, the idea that these two (Shay in particular) could just imbed themselves into these sex club scenarios with nary a question asked (or without being recognized by any of the players) was waaaaaay farfetched. I also had the issue of the “ripped from the headlines” feeling the same I had with All Good People Here. Not only was the branding of the sex cult members taken straight out of the Nxivm playbook, but a literal shout-out by name was given near the end of the book. Do authors just assume we readers live in caves with no access to any true crime programming from the past billion years?????
I’m giving this 2 Stars strictly for the page turnability factor.
August 13, 2022
I won't read another book from this author. I wanted to stop reading it at multiple points. I felt disgusted throughout most of the book. It has trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, but a lot of books have that now. I don't feel like the warning was enough. Maybe I was expecting an r-rated book and ended up with an x-rated book.
In any case, I don't know what Ashley wanted out of this book. The ending did not offset the sexual violence throughout this book.
I don't understand the 4 and 5 star reviews. Did we read different books?
In any case, I don't know what Ashley wanted out of this book. The ending did not offset the sexual violence throughout this book.
I don't understand the 4 and 5 star reviews. Did we read different books?
September 24, 2022
the overarching message of this book is that (cishet) men are SYSTEMICALLY garbage so it gets four stars from me automatically
August 13, 2022
I knew nothing about this book going in other than Ashley Winstead wrote it so I had to read it. It had a lot of trigger warnings and graphic scenes. I was not prepared for what I read but I liked it. The twist at the end had me shook and I liked the “true crime” podcast element. I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next!
Is The Last Housewife on your tbr? What did you think?
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Is The Last Housewife on your tbr? What did you think?
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August 24, 2022
EXCUSE ME?!?!?! who allowed the author of one of the worst books I’ve ever read to write MY FAVORITE THRILLER OF 2022 SO FAR??? it’s gonna take A LOT to top this 🙌🙌👏👏🤯🤯🤯😍 FIVE. FUCKING. STARS.
February 21, 2022
TW: Suicide, rape, physical violence, sexual violence, trauma, self-harm, misogyny, gender essentialism, drug use.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:While in college in New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tony Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death—delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader—she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend's life, she's pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay's obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning.
Release Date: 08/16/22
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 400
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 3.5
What I Liked:
• The writing is simply beautiful
• The plot is so interesting
• The book reads very fast
• The characters are likeable to a certain point
What I Didn't Like:
• Tongue-cut Sparrow is a terrible name for a club
• Sometimes this book breaks its on rules when it comes to certain characters
• Shay's treatment of Cal
• Shay wanting to go back and save all these women but it ends up getting them killed
• The ending was not good
Overall Thoughts: How stupid was it that she uses her real name and paid with a card to get in?! Here is this secret society and she's just throwing out everything about herself. Once she even suspects that Don is at the top of things she continues to throw her name around. Shay isn't exactly a common name.
I thought you couldn't bring anything into the tongue cut sparrow but how did the Nicole bring her purse into the place.
There's a part where Shay is talking about Don hitting Clam with a belt over his lap. It would be so awkward to hit someone with a belt on that position.
This starts off like Eyes Wide Shut meets The Killing. When we finally get to Shay's life story after she meets Don it takes a turn of a story you've heard before - NXIVM. In case you don't know the story of NXIVM it's about a leader of a cult like Multi Level Marketing scheme. Keith Raniere is the leader. The similarities to this book and that story is;
1. Used other women to recruit women into the group
2. Dominus Obsequious Sororium" (DOS) was the name of the group, which Dominus is mentioned in this book as paying Laurel's rent.
3. Would brand the women with his initial and his second in command (a woman)
4. Forced women to be on strict diets to get so skinny they'd be sick.
5. Believed in dominating them and belittling them
6. Very strict punishments
7. Started a woman empowerment group but was headed by Keith as the only man in power.
I thought it was odd how everytime she got freaked out and managed to leave that she kept getting invited out and no one punished her.
It was never explained how they got her number to text her. They just keep appearing on her phone and she doesn't question it and it's never explained.
You get a lot of times of Shay saying "let me tell you a story. It's mentioned a lot.
I am confused how shay was able to feel empathy for these women stuck in these "relationships" but was so heartless to her own mother being beat up by a man.
The ending is where the story got the weakest. I think its ridiculous that Shay thought that she could go back into the Hilltop house to save Laurel. The fact that they continue to let Shay just in and out of all of these secret areas that are highly protected. Oh and then the FBI just showing up so fast and they happened to already know but didn't do anything - I'm guessing because they didnt have the evidence together, but were able to take James words to get a warrant together. Um okay.
Final Thoughts: The ending is one huge mess. I didn't like that the author didn't mention that she drew some inspiration from NXIVM when clearly there are a lot of similarities throughout.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:While in college in New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tony Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death—delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader—she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend's life, she's pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay's obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning.
Release Date: 08/16/22
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 400
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 3.5
What I Liked:
• The writing is simply beautiful
• The plot is so interesting
• The book reads very fast
• The characters are likeable to a certain point
What I Didn't Like:
• Tongue-cut Sparrow is a terrible name for a club
• Sometimes this book breaks its on rules when it comes to certain characters
• Shay's treatment of Cal
• Shay wanting to go back and save all these women but it ends up getting them killed
• The ending was not good
Overall Thoughts: How stupid was it that she uses her real name and paid with a card to get in?! Here is this secret society and she's just throwing out everything about herself. Once she even suspects that Don is at the top of things she continues to throw her name around. Shay isn't exactly a common name.
I thought you couldn't bring anything into the tongue cut sparrow but how did the Nicole bring her purse into the place.
There's a part where Shay is talking about Don hitting Clam with a belt over his lap. It would be so awkward to hit someone with a belt on that position.
This starts off like Eyes Wide Shut meets The Killing. When we finally get to Shay's life story after she meets Don it takes a turn of a story you've heard before - NXIVM. In case you don't know the story of NXIVM it's about a leader of a cult like Multi Level Marketing scheme. Keith Raniere is the leader. The similarities to this book and that story is;
1. Used other women to recruit women into the group
2. Dominus Obsequious Sororium" (DOS) was the name of the group, which Dominus is mentioned in this book as paying Laurel's rent.
3. Would brand the women with his initial and his second in command (a woman)
4. Forced women to be on strict diets to get so skinny they'd be sick.
5. Believed in dominating them and belittling them
6. Very strict punishments
7. Started a woman empowerment group but was headed by Keith as the only man in power.
I thought it was odd how everytime she got freaked out and managed to leave that she kept getting invited out and no one punished her.
It was never explained how they got her number to text her. They just keep appearing on her phone and she doesn't question it and it's never explained.
You get a lot of times of Shay saying "let me tell you a story. It's mentioned a lot.
I am confused how shay was able to feel empathy for these women stuck in these "relationships" but was so heartless to her own mother being beat up by a man.
The ending is where the story got the weakest. I think its ridiculous that Shay thought that she could go back into the Hilltop house to save Laurel. The fact that they continue to let Shay just in and out of all of these secret areas that are highly protected. Oh and then the FBI just showing up so fast and they happened to already know but didn't do anything - I'm guessing because they didnt have the evidence together, but were able to take James words to get a warrant together. Um okay.
Final Thoughts: The ending is one huge mess. I didn't like that the author didn't mention that she drew some inspiration from NXIVM when clearly there are a lot of similarities throughout.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 26, 2022
I can't even breathe right now....
This book completely blew me away. It is DARK - please check the content warnings if you need them before picking this up. They are right in the front of the book. This had me gasping out loud, wringing my hands, looking up at my surroundings to remind myself that I was safe. I really felt like I was right there with these characters. It was shocking and fast paced and really had me catching my breath. I can't say enough good things about it. This one solidified Ashley Winstead as a favorite author and I will read anything this woman writes. My favorite of the year!
This book completely blew me away. It is DARK - please check the content warnings if you need them before picking this up. They are right in the front of the book. This had me gasping out loud, wringing my hands, looking up at my surroundings to remind myself that I was safe. I really felt like I was right there with these characters. It was shocking and fast paced and really had me catching my breath. I can't say enough good things about it. This one solidified Ashley Winstead as a favorite author and I will read anything this woman writes. My favorite of the year!
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