Thank you LibroFm / Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Atria Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of The Future Saints in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Atria Books / Simon & Schuster ALC
Published: January 20, 2026
Summary:
Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and In Five Years—a beautiful, powerful, and transportive new novel about a music executive desperately trying to bring a rock band back from the brink, from bestselling author Ashley Winstead.
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).
My thoughts:
Is there any genre Ashley Winstead can’t write and can’t write well? I’ve read just about everything she has written and enjoyed every single one of them…and can say without fail, she always delivers.
I loved that while this story might appear at first look to be all about the music industry, it is also a story about grief, as well as a love story – both the romantic kind and the love we have for our siblings. It’s hard not to have all the feels while reading this, to reflect on your own relationships in your life. Winstead does such a fantastic job drawing out the messy, complicated relationships between sisters, how ambition both drives us and hurts us, and how grief can sometimes consume our entire lives at times. It is all relatable and entirely consuming as you are reading this.
Ashley can write just about anything and I would read it. She has proven over and over again that she is one talented author and I cannot wait to see what she gives us next!
Audio thoughts:
This was narrated by a full cast — Ali Andre Ali, Brittany Pressley, Vikas Adam and Tayla Collier — and it was fantastic! Each narrator brought an emotional depth to the story that enhanced the overall listening experience.
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