The Future Saints

Well, I didn't expect a story set in the music biz to make me cry, but here we are.

Ok, with the obvious (and admitted) similarities to Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones and the Six aside, yes, this is a story set in the music industry with a female lead, but this contemporary story holds its own and is much more of an emotional journey than I expected. 

This page-turner of a read centres around The Future Saints, an up-and-coming musical group and through the experiences of Hannah, Ripper, Kenny (and music exec Theo), readers get a behind-the-scenes look at the competitive music industry and its impact on the characters. We witness their highest of highs (literally and figuratively) and their lowest of lows when the trio finds sudden fame after going viral. 

But this is more than a rags to riches story. Winstead blends well-defined characters (I particularly loved Kenny and Ripper as secondary characters) and humour within a story that deep dives into the harsh realities of mental illness and the long-lasting effects of grief with a poignancy that made this reader tear up.

Through the dual POVs of lead singer Hannah and music exec/manager Theo, as well as social media posts, magazine articles and interviews, Winstead gives readers a raw and compelling look at fame, complicated familial bonds and the devastating impact of grief. It's a story about resiliency, family and finding out what happens when you get the dream you thought you wanted. 

This book, which I finished on my younger sister's birthday (today! - HBD Jennifer!), gave my tearducts a good workout and is my first five star read of 2026. I look forward to rereading this book in audiobook form in the future.  

Recommended for fans of:

- sibling bonds

- music industry

- poignant reads

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for the complimentary digital advanced copy that was given to me in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Ashley Winstead

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Atria Books

First Published: Jan 20, 2026

Read: Jan 16-20, 2026

Book Description from GoodReads: 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).