REVIEW: The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

 OUR REVIEW:

I really really really enjoyed this novel. Having never heard of or read anything by Ashley Winstead I was not expecting much and I enjoyed reading this so much that I am now in search of her backlist. As it states in the blurb, this novel is a love story but it's not heavy on romance, instead it's focused on the depths of love and grief and how those things can be a controlling narrative in your life when they collide and explode and you're left to figure out how to move on with your life. In The Future Saints, not only is that happening, but this young band is struggling to figure out success and fame while grappling with the remains of grief. Can you even imagine how confusing and chaotic it would be to attain so much of what you've wanted while feeling the worst you've ever felt? And then on top of that, to have the world follow your every move? Then you have a new guy, Theo, there to 'handle' you so that things stay on track for your record company. So many moving parts.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. While there are romantic bits, those aren't the driving force of this novel...they're just icing on the cake. A messy, chaotic, flavorful cake. Definitely check this one out.

BUY IT:https://amzn.to/3IXtY6R

SYNOPSIS:
This is a love story, but not the one you’re expecting.

When record executive Theo meets the Future Saints, they’re bombing at a dive bar in their hometown. Since the tragic death of their manager, the band has been in a downward spiral and Theo has been dispatched to coax a new—and successful—album out of them, or else let them go.

Immediately, Theo is struck by Hannah, the group’s impetuous lead singer, who’s gone off script by debuting a whole new sound, replacing their California pop with gut-wrenching rock. When this new music goes viral, striking an unexpected chord with fans, Theo puts his career on the line to give the Saints one last shot at success with a new tour, new record, and new start.

But Hannah’s grief has larger consequences for the group, and her increasingly destructive antics become a distraction as she and her sister Ginny—her lifelong partner in crime—undermine Theo at every turn. Hannah isn’t ready to move on or prepared for the fame she’s been chasing, and the weight of her problems jeopardize the band, her growing closeness with Theo, and, worst of all, her relationship with her sister—all while the world watches closely. The Future Saints’s big break is here—if only they can survive it.

A novel about sisterhood, friendship, and the ghosts that haunt us, The Future Saints is “a mesmerizing look at grief, love, and the music industry that's so raw and emotional, you’ll want to play it on repeat.” (Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance).