Remember the comedy movies FIRST WIVES CLUB in which three women seek revenge on their respective husbands who left them for younger women or NINE TO FIVE where the women take their abusive boss prisoner. Well Jo Jakeman’s THE EXES’ REVENGE is that type of novel…….with the comedy removed and replaced with a lot of brutality and spousal violence.

The story opens with the funeral of Philip Rochester, a brutal domineering cop who enjoyed deceiving , controlling and abusing the women in his life…. so the reader knows how the tale will end and it’s just a matter of the how’s and why’s.

He had threatened and physically abused his previous wife Ruby as well as his current spouse Imogen and his most current girlfriend Naomi was yet another woman he used for his own selfish ends while safely ensconced behind a police “blue wall of silence and protection”. When the three women team up in an attempt to outwit and outmaneuver the slimy Phil a lot of action ensues (some of it a little far-fetched) that results in his receiving his just desserts.

The narrative moves back and forth in time giving the reader a lot of background information about the women involved as well as that of their abuser.

Overall, not a bad read, but for this reader the “funny revenge” of the aforementioned movies is more enjoyable.

P. S. Just checked out other books by this author and found one called Sticks and Stones. When I read the synopsis I discovered it is this book with a different title, so be aware and don’t buy it twice.

This was a quick fun read. I pretty much unrealistic scenario but fun. The book starts off with Philip's funeral, so we already know how the story will end, but not how we get there. At his funeral three women from his part/current life are present - Ruby, the ex wife, Imogene the current wife and mother of his child, and then Naomi the current girlfriend.

All had their own issues with Philip but none had every really spoken with each other. When Philip tells Imogene she needs to get out of the family home immediately all hell breaks lose. Then while at the hospital visiting with her mother, Imogene, bumps into Naomi who has had a "fall" at home and needed treatment for a gash on her head.

The three ex's somehow come together an realize Philip is not who they all thought he was an one thing leads to another.

This is all I will say as anything more will give the fun of reading this away.

Wow!! This book. Definitely a book that stays with you! Could not put it down!

Highly recommended if you enjoy suspense genre! Thank you for my review copy, which I received through Net Galley.

I loved this book! The suspense, the three very distinct women, and the twists. I was taken on a ride with Imogen and I loved it.

Imogen was the main narrator, with other main players (the other exes and Phillip) getting their own bits of screen time. Jakeman feeds readers perfect bits of each of them. I really came to like Imogen. Ruby may have been smart and Naomi may have been hot, but despite how Phillip liked to put Imogen down, she was really the heart of the revenge plan. She was special in the fact that she gained courage and became willing to face Phillip when no one else would and despite the fact that she knew what he was capable of. There was enough of a peek through the other's POVs to solidify characterization and for another, spoilery reason. The choice was rather crafty on Jakeman's part.

Oh, and Phillip - who was so, so terrible that I couldn't help but hate him, but was crafted so well that he never came across as an exaggerated caricature, pulled everything together. There were so many reveals with him that he made the mind boggle.

Overall, a great novel about a woman finding her own strength, forming new friendships under fire, and terrible, terrible Phillip finally getting what he deserved. I highly recommend.

An easy read about a man who finally gets what he has coming from his exes. It was actually a fun read, and you were cheering all the exes on!

I loved this book! The suspense, the three very distinct women, and the twists. I was taken on a ride with Imogen and I loved it.

Imogen was the main narrator, with other main players (the other exes and Phillip) getting their own bits of screen time. Jakeman feeds readers perfect bits of each of them. I really came to like Imogen. Ruby may have been smart and Naomi may have been hot, but despite how Phillip liked to put Imogen down, she was really the heart of the revenge plan. She was special in the fact that she gained courage and became willing to face Phillip when no one else would and despite the fact that she knew what he was capable of. There was enough of a peek through the other's POVs to solidify characterization and for another, spoilery reason. The choice was rather crafty on Jakeman's part.

Oh, and Phillip - who was so, so terrible that I couldn't help but hate him, but was crafted so well that he never came across as an exaggerated caricature, pulled everything together. There were so many reveals with him that he made the mind boggle.

Overall, a great novel about a woman finding her own strength, forming new friendships under fire, and terrible, terrible Phillip finally getting what he deserved. I highly recommend.

I received a review copy.

If 5 Stars and 5 Thumbs-Up aren’t enough to tell you how much I loved this book, I’ll add 5 hearts and an A+! It’s that good! I loved it, and I’ll admit that I was skeptical. Three women with a beef against the same man? Really? I think I’ve seen the movie...or movies. But they were comedies, and this one...is...not. I’ll also admit that the first two or three chapters was a little slow, and I thought Imogen was just another spineless woman with a grievance. However, I always cut a little more slack for a debut novelist than I would for an established author, so I kept going. What a treat!

Honest to Pete, even when I first thought the story was a little slow...it didn’t last long...I was already captured by Ms. Jakeman’s beautiful, flawless style. There are some flashbacks from the main characters, and they were perfectly placed to enhance, instead of interrupting, the flow of the story. Very well done.

If I have one beef with the book, it’s that it was touted as a mystery/thriller. I disagree. There are elements of that, but I would have called it women’s fiction with psychological mind games. And the mind games are plentiful!

Imogen is the heroine of this story. A shy and introverted woman, Immy put up with years of emotional and physical abuse from her husband, Phillip. She knew he was having affairs, he lied, hid things and made every bad thing in his life Immy’s fault. He made her feel useless and unlovable, a fairly common method abusive men use to control women, and he hurt her.

Strangely, the new girlfriend, Naomi, has Immy’s sympathy. Naomi has only just begun to realize the trouble she may have walked into and Immy tries to warn her that things will get worse. And they do. Both women are confused and concerned about the close bond that still exists between Phillip and his first wife, Ruby.

Things spiral out of control when Phillip shows up at Immy’s house, wanting to see their son, Alastair, and demanding that Immy move out of her home and sign the divorce papers within a month. When Immy refuses, Phillip is furious. He hits Immy, and being fed up, Immy pushes back....resulting in Phillip falling down the cellar steps where Immy locks him up!! You go girl! That’s very early in the book, so not too spoilerish. When Naomi and then Ruby show up at Immy’s looking for Phillip the secrets and lies begin to unfold. And that, my friends, is when the story really begins.

However much praise this book receives, it’s not enough. Pick up your copy as soon as possible, and...

Enjoy!

Tense thriller that examines the effects of domestic violence on the victims. Three women - divorced wife, current wife, and girlfriend - realize the antagonist's behavior is escalating and none are safe. Finding and unlikely friendship and bond with each other, they plot to escape the mental, emotional, and physical abuse that has been perpetrated on all of them. Fairly predictable, but the message that escaping the clutches of an abuser are more difficult than it seems is loud and clear.

Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege of reading this prior to release. Great first book from this author. I was really hooked on this one right from the start. I enjoyed the way it was written, leading up to the end but at the same time giving us background on each of the characters. And boy are they some doozies. A cop who thinks he’s above the law, an adoring ex-wife, a soon to be ex-wife and her son and a girlfriend. An unlikely alliance of three women that comes out of fear of and the need for revenge against one man. I will definitely be looking for more from Jo Jakeman.

Batman needs to shut his judgey mouth. But yes, I probably have been. This book totally would rock the movie of the week though.

Imogene is about to be the ex-wife. If her wanker husband Phillip will ever agree to just sign the papers. He has himself a brand new home and new woman friend that Imogene has to get along with for the sake of her child.


But one day when she is over at their house she notices something that makes her realize that she is not alone in the way that her ex-husband treated her.

Now before you even start..this book is NOT a mystery. The very first chapter of the book gives away what is going to happen. But it still was totally potato chip reading. (You know the kind...where you veg out on the coach and eat a whole bag of Doritos and wake up with crumbs in your parts that didn't need crumbs in them...but it's all good)

Ex Phillip is a real winner. He ends up in a tricky situation with all his women.



Oh wait...that part was in my head. sorry

Is this book groundbreaking? No
Is it even believable at times? No
I still read the dang thing and didn't completely hate it. If nothing else there is a ton of day drinking and venting.


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

I received this book "The Exe's Revenge" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. This book was a hard book to read. I wanted to quit reading it. The words seemed to drag on. I didn't connect to the characters. I did finish it because I hate DNF - just not for me I guess.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

What a rollercoaster! Three very different women with very different experiences are brought together by one awful man. This is pure drama. Although sometimes a little unbelievable (but hey, in their situation, you just never know!), you can't help but feel empathy for these women and the manipulation and violence they are faced with.

Similar to the movie The Other Woman, but WAY darker. Fast paced and at some times chilling, I highly recommend!

Maybe it's just me, but I have movies I seem to always watch after I've been drinking. Along with Pitch Perfect 2 and a slew of musicals, I always find myself watching The Other Woman starring Cameron Diaz, the epitome of a house wife, boobs, and Jamie Lannister. It's about how 3 women, one being the wife, find out the guy has been cheating on them all and the girls become besties and enact their revenge.

This book is a little like this movie, but for once in a blue moon, the movie was better than the book. We have the ex wife Imogen who is glad to be moving on, the soon to be new wife Naomi who has no clue what she's gotten herself into, and the ex ex wife Ruby who...likes dogs? They band together to get revenge on the worst guy possible...Joffrey...Ramsay...I mean Phillip.

I tried so hard to like this book, because it had its perks, but it seemed to drag on and on. It also seemed so damn unbelievable. I will admit I was grinding my teeth with Phillip(douchey McDoucherton to the max), but everything seemed so predictable. The ending...called it. It's going to drive me NUTS because I feel like I just read another book that ended a bad guy the same way. I am not sure if this a debut or not, the author's other book is the same thing, with a different title. I feel bad rating this so low, but when you are skimming through the end trying not to fall asleep, not good. 2.5 rounded up because I finished it.

This is a book of revenge and how nasty divorces can be. This is the first divorce that Phillip has had as his wife finds out. She teams up with his other exes and then the revenge starts. I found the book to be interesting and funny at the same time. I kept on saying to myself "oh no she didn't".

I really thought this was going to be a psychological thriller, but it was more of the three stooges take on an abusive a-hole. Unfortunately there wasn't much I enjoyed about the story except for Imogen's best friend Rachel. The story could have used a bit more of her.

Three women, the ex, the estranged current spouse and the next, are all intricately joined to the same man. Each is convinced her relationship was damaged by the others. Phillip, the man in their lives, is controlling and manipulative and has managed for many years to keep each of them under his thumb. Finally things reach a boiling point and Phillip dies. The novel consists of flashbacks to what happened in the days prior to his death. It is well written and will captivate most readers. It is dark (he is held prisoner in one’s basement) and the reader will be convinced many things would/should happen and anticipates them. Kudos to the author for creating that. Thanks to Net Galley and Berkeley for an ARC for an honest review.

Totally unrealistic story of 3 exes who need to take revenge on their husband. It was, however, absolutely enjoyable and kept you interested to the last page. You got a real feel for the characters and their problems.
Very fast paced.

The Exes' Revenge is a refreshing new take on an all too familiar story of spousal abuse and the long-lingering effects it has on those who have been abused. The titular exes are Imogen, current wife of Phillip and in the process of divorce, Ruby, the first wife, and Naomi, Phillip's current girlfriend and potential third wife. When the story begins, all three exes are in attendance at the funeral of Phillip.

We don't know much about Phillip at first except that he is on the police force and is heartless. The backstory begins 22 days before Phillip's funeral, with each chapter giving us one more day of insight, culminating in Phillip's death. Phillip has informed Imogen, mother of his only child, that she and her son must vacate their family home within the month. This is quite a blow to a single mother who is just barely eking out a living. Imogen pleads with Phillip, but as is obvious by the title, he has no mercy. Ultimately, she teams with Ruby and Naomi to try to help her make Phillip be reasonable.

What I really enjoyed about this book was how real the three main female characters were portrayed. This is not a slick thriller where three devious women plot out an intricate scheme of revenge. Rather, it is a realistic story of three women who haplessly seek justice. These are not three masterminds! They do not set out for revenge; they aren't after scads of money; they just want to live in peace.

All of the characters are really well defined, and the writing and story development are terrific. I wish I could better articulate how new and exciting a take this book is on the oft-told tale of abuse and revenge. I hope you'll just take a leap of faith and try it for yourself. The Exes' Revenge is a really excellent novel.

I really enjoyed this book and trying to figure out how they ended up at the funeral. I do not scare easily but was freaked out at one point when they thought they were alone in the house but things did not seem as they were. I could see this as a movie.

This was an interesting take on the abusive man theme. Three women, involved or previously involved, with a certain man, inadvertently come together to protect themselves and expose their abuser. Easy summer read.