Ashley Winstead never disappoints me.

I've been anticipating this book for a while, as I love anything music/band related, so I was overjoyed when I was approved for the ARC and immediately dived right in.

The comparisons to Daisy Jones aren't exactly wrong - here, again, we have a rock band on the brink of success with their personal dynamics and issues threatening to ruin it for them - but Ashley always brings a darker edge to her work, and this is really a book about grief, and what that means, and how to explore a tragedy through art.

There's also a great look at how women are treated by fame - Hannah is going through something very publicly while creating great art and her gender is never something that the men or media around her are able to put aside (even Theo, their new manager, is fairly accused of favouritism towards her by the male members of the band).

I know I'm jumping around here. I waited a few days to write this after finishing the book to try and gather my thoughts and yet the book feels so wide and deep that it's still hard for me to collect them. I loved the members of the band - Hannah, our frontwoman, talented and spiralling. Ripper, a queer South Asian guitarist who is so aware of representation and what he means to people. And Kenny, the drummer and beating heart of the band. I loved these characters' relationships to each other - that even when they fought, they loved each other, and we got to see that unwavering support.

I do think for me, Theo and the romance were the weakest parts. He reminded me a lot of William Miller in Almost Famous pining after Penny Lane - he didn't really understand what was going on with Hannah, and he wanted to save her. I'm glad that Hannah found support in him, but I was more interested in her relationship with grief, with Ginny, and the other members of her band. Still, Theo creates the throughline and our introduction to the band and their journey - but to me, he was the least interesting member of the Future Saints.

I will say, I am more of a fan of her darker work (The Last Housewife is peak, This Book Will Bury Me) and this didn't quite have the same impact or pacing, but it was still fantastic - and I knew that going into it. Everything Ashley Winstead writes has the same kind of sharpness to it, and I really appreciated that here. I know that this is a book I'll be coming back to, and that there'll be something new for me to find here each time.

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria books for the eARC.

I’m a big fan of Ashley Winstead’s books, always something fresh and different.

The Future Saints follows the band The Future Saints, they never quite made it and are on a downward spiral since the death of their manager. Record company fixer Theo has been despatched to see if he can coax out the album they owe the record company.

It’s fresh, contemporary and the character writing is excellent. Chaotic, charismatic lead sister Hannah is grieving and Theo doesn’t know if he’s facing a breakdown or a rebirth.

Thoroughly believable and compelling, Ashley Winstead really captures the rock band dynamic, the creative struggles and the commercial pressure. Hard to define, I wouldn’t exactly call it a romance. Don’t get hung up on the Daisy Jones and the Six comparisons, this is a very different book, ‘now’ instead of nostalgia, though just as great in its own way.

Very moving, involving and highly recommended!

Thanks to Netgalley and Aria & Aries

I didn’t even know this book was coming out until the ARC landed in my hands — and once I started, I couldn’t stop. I didn’t just read about the Future Saints, I felt like I was living with them. The chaos, the music, the heartbreak — it all felt close, like I was standing right there next to them.
Hannah is the heart of everything. She’s that kind of person who draws you in without even trying, but underneath all that presence is so much pain. The loss of her sister is something she carries in every move, every word, every silence. Nothing in this book tries to simplify what she’s feeling, and that’s what made it hit so hard.
And then Theo walks in. A total contrast — sharp, focused, polished — the one the band calls the suit. But he’s not just there to manage the band. He’s steady in a way Hannah doesn’t even realize she needs at first. He sees her — not the version she shows the world, but the one that’s tired and raw and unsure. Their connection builds in the in-between moments, the quiet tension, the space where grief and love start to overlap.
There’s friction. There are setbacks. But it never feels forced — more like watching two people try to figure out how to move forward with all the weight they’re carrying. I loved that about them. It wasn’t just attraction. It was real effort, care, and something that felt earned.
The story got under my skin. There’s so much energy in the band’s world, but the emotion sits just beneath it all — humming, waiting, aching. It’s not just about fame or success. It’s about holding on to people, to yourself, to memory.
Certain moments, lines, and silent exchanges stayed with me long after the last page. They spoke louder than words, carrying everything that needed to be felt — complex, raw, and unforgettable.