Published 22nd January 2026 by Aria.
From the cover of the book:
A band on the brink. A love worth playing for.
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.
Theo is struck right away by Hannah, the group's impetuous lead singer, who has gone off script in debuting a new song-and, in fact, a whole new sound. Theo's supposed to get the band back on track, but when their new music garners an even wider fan base than before, the plans begin to change-new tour, new record, new start.
But Hannah's descent into grief has larger consequences for the group, and she's not willing to let go yet. not for fame or love.
***********
Record executive Theo Ford is sent on a mission by Manifest Records to see the Future Saints play their latest gig, at a dive bar in their home town. Once an up-and-coming, shiny West Coast trio, the Future Saints have not only failed to meet their potential, but are falling apart at the seams - especially since the tragic death of their manager.
Theo's job, as Manifest's 'fixer', is to try to coax another album out of the band before the label drops them back into obscurity, and he is more than aware that he is facing an uphill task - until he sees a glimmer of hope in a surprising change of direction at the end of a lack-lustre gig.
Affecting new songs bring the Future Saints new fans, a new tour, and a new start, but can their change in fortunes save the group's singer Hannah from spiralling into a pit of despair?
Meet the Future Saints: Kenny Lovins on the drums; Tarak 'Ripper' Ravishankar on the bass; and charismatic lead singer and guitarist, Hannah Cortland. Their story unfolds through two compelling narratives from heart-broken Hannah, and Theo, the man sent to squeeze one more album from the band - with a sprinkling of social media posts, and transcripts from interviews with the band members, that chart the dramas around their fortunes.
Winstead delves nicely into the dynamics of a band struggling with the pressures of performing when their lives have hit rock-bottom, especially Hannah, whose answer to a loss she cannot even begin to deal with is to submerge herself in a self-destructive cycle of drink, drugs and partying. Enter Theo, who after a difficult start, is able to see beyond the bitter shell Hannah has built-up between herself and everyone around her to the hurt that lies within - the hurt she has poured into new songs tinged with sadness that connect with a wider audience than the Future Saints could ever imagine.
Weaving around the ups and downs of the music business, cynical corporate machinations, the dark side of fame, and the way social media makes people exploit the tragedy of those in the public eye, Winstead has written the most beautiful love story wreathed in messy lives struggling with loss and family dysfunction.
I came to adore both Hannah and Theo as they learn to open up to each other and face their demons. Winstead brings so much to this story in terms of shattered souls, tender emotion, kinship, and healing (particularly through the medium of music). Poignant reflections on the relationships between siblings, coming to terms with painful feelings from childhood that carry over into family estrangement, and moving on from wrenching heart-ache had me reaching for the tissues throughout. And a thinly veiled dig at celebrities that love to indulge in a little drama in front of the media for their own ends gave me more than a few wry smiles.
If you are looking for a novel that evokes Daisy Jones and the Six, but with characters you can genuinely fall in love with, and an ending that leaves you with a full heart and eyes brimming with tears, then this is the book for you. I adored it.
The Future Saints is available to buy now in paperback, ebook, and audio formats.
Thank you to Aria for sending me a copy of this book, in returnfor an honest review.
About the author:
Ashley Winstead is the author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, The Last Housewife, Midnight is the Darkest Hour, This Book Will Bury Me, Fool Me Once, The Boyfriend Candidate and The Future Saints. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages worldwide and optioned for film/television. Ashley holds a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature and lives in Houston.
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