At first I was confused with the then and now aspects of the story but once I figured this out, it turned out to be an excellent book with lots of twists.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the Ex-Wife by Jess Ryder.
A married woman whose husband still hangs around with his ex-wife, who doesn't seem to be too smart, can't drive a car and have a bank account of her own, finds out that her husband and child are missing. So she goes to the ex-wife to try to find her family.
Unfortuntaley this is too far fetched for me and it was difficult to believe that a woman likes this exists in today's world.
Not for me.

True to its genre, The Ex-Wife is full of lies and deceit, as well as confusion. Starting with a flash-forward style prologue, we see the first-person narrator intubated in hospital. By her bedside is an ‘angel’ who the narrator believes to be Emily (Natasha’s daughter) as an adult. I love prologues that give snapshots of what’s to come and this one is exceptionally clever. With no indication as to who the narrator is for this section of the book, this is something that will really make the reader think about who the protagonist actually is.

When Natasha’s husband (Nick) and Emily, go missing she has nobody to turn to. Her in-laws looked on his first wife (Jen) as their own daughter and Natasha as the evil witch who stole Nick away from her. They say they don’t know where he is but are they telling the truth? With Natasha and Nick still being married and Nick having joint parental responsibility, the police won’t help either. The only other person Natasha has is her own mother, who she has a strained relationship with. Until unexpected help comes in the form of Jen. Natasha isn’t sure she can trust her but is left with little choice. Jen is her only chance of getting Emily back.

With a dual first-person narrative we gradually see past and present time-lines converge to reveal what happened in this love triangle. The past timeline is narrated from Natasha’s perspective, and the present is narrated from Anna’s perspective. Anna is hiding something from her past and is in grave danger; but just who is Anna? When I discovered who this was I was left gasping. I didn’t see that clever twist coming.

This domestic noir type psychological thriller is just my cup of tea and I whizzed through it in just a few sittings. Under Literature Love’s rating scheme, this book has been awarded 5 out of 5 stars.

Holy cow! This book is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Packed with suspense, heart pounding fear, hatred for the bad guy, and emotions ready to tear you to shreds. I can’t say enough good things about this one. I finished it in just a few hours and couldn’t put it down. A must read!

Good.. not great. Not something i would rave on about. I'm in such a reading slump at the moment. I've been reading 'mystery thrillers' for a good while now and there just doesn't seem to be anything fresh and exciting right now. Sorry for the rant and particularly on this book - it was an interesting premise that turned into a not so exciting middle and end.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a great read! I love a book that you think you have it all figured out ..... then you don’t! Little bit confusing at the beginning, getting to know who everyone is, but once I had that all sorted I was fine!
Great book, excited to see Jess Ryder’s other work!
I’m a new fan!

Wow! The love story turns bad quickly in this exciting story of a mother's fight for her baby. There were many times I thought I had figured out what came next only to be shocked! at the next twist. This author is now on my must read list. She should be on yours.

This book gripped me from the very first sentence. With twists and turns on every page, it kept me guessing until the very end.

Written from different perspectives, past and present, it was a little bit confusing at first. Once I caught on to who everyone was, or who I thought everyone was, it was a little easier to follow. That was one of the intriguing aspects of the book…just when you think you have it all figured out, the author throws you for a loop and you’re left scratching you head.

Brilliantly written, I highly recommend this fast-paced book.

Natasha - a London barista whose 'coffee art' is first rate - is on her way to work when she's knocked off her bike by a Range Rover. The car's driver - a handsome, wealthy media distributor named Nick - jumps out of his vehicle to help the girl.....and both their lives are changed forever.

Nick offers up first-aid and 500 pounds for damages, and the following days include dinner in a posh restaurant and trysts in a luxury boutique hotel. Nick and Natasha fall madly in love, but there's a hitch. Nick is still married to his childhood sweetheart Jen, an interior designer who's completely devoted to her husband.

Natasha feels guilty about seeing a married man, and feels even worse when she discovers she's pregnant. The barista frets about telling Nick, expecting him to offer up stacks of cash for an abortion. Instead, Nick is THRILLED. He promptly divorces Jen and marries Natasha, and the new couple are soon ensconced in Nick's beautiful mansion with baby Emily. 👶

The only fly in the ointment.....the ex-wife is still hanging around. Nick's mother and sister always invite Jen to family events, and the former spouse continues to maintain friendly relations with Nick. Thus Jen frequently calls Nick, visits Nick, and even brings gifts for little Emily. To top it off, Nick's sister makes Nick and Jen the godparents to her newborn son, which leaves Natasha out in the cold vis a vis the extended family. All this drives Natasha crazy, but there's not much she can do.

In fact Natasha can't seem to do much about anything. She doesn't drive, has no income of her own, and is totally dependent on Nick for everything. Natasha's mother tells her she's foolish and should be more self-sufficient, but Natasha pooh poohs her mom's concerns. This soon comes back to bite Natasha in the butt! 🤢

One morning Nick brings Natasha her morning coffee, and offers to drop Emily off at daycare before he leaves for his business trip to Toronto. Nick then kisses Natasha goodbye and leaves with the baby. Later, when Natasha goes to pick Emily up from the nursery, the child's not there. And she hasn't been there all morning! A frantic Natasha stumbles home and discovers that ALL of Emily's toys and clothes are gone, including her favorite Gemma Giraffe 🦒 . Nick has absconded with the child.

Thus begins Natasha's nightmare. She's desperate to get the baby back, but can't get in touch with Nick. Moreover, after an errand away from the house, Natasha returns to find all the locks changed. She can't even get her phone charger, much less her clothing and other possessions. And the police can't help.

Natasha goes to stay with her mum, who says "I told you so" and offers Natasha her retirement savings to get a lawyer. Natasha refuses, though, not wanting to take her mom's nest egg, and afraid she can't prevail against Nick - who's too rich and clever. So Natasha sinks into depression, takes to her bed, and broods. Oddly enough, ex-wife Jen offers to help Natasha find Nick, apparently feeling sympathy for the young mother's plight.

And that's all I can say without spoilers.

The book is written in a NOW and THEN format. It's clear that something happened that led to a flight and a name change, so the NOW sections are narrated by 'Anna' and the THEN sections are related by 'Natasha.' The chapters alternate back and forth, so we see what led up to Emily's abduction, and what happens afterwards.

On the positive side, the story is suspenseful, well-constructed, and easy to follow - and I was very curious to find out what happened and why.

On the negative side, Natasha is a painfully annoying woman. There seems to be a trend lately (which I deplore) to construct female characters who are helpless doormats, and Natasha is a prime example. In fact Natasha is so fatuous that she strains credulity to the breaking point (IMO).

Here are some of Natasha's behaviors that are foolish and/or not believable: 😏
-- Natasha can't drive. An adult woman in London who can't drive? I don't think so. Natasha's mother drives and has a car.
-- Natasha is a university graduate, but allows her husband to COMPLETELY control the money; she has no joint account with him and doesn't even know how much he makes. Really??
-- Natasha lets Nick hobnob with Jess to his heart's content. A normal woman would put her foot down at some point.
-- When Nick runs off with the baby, Natasha doesn't even think about getting a lawyer. Wouldn't this be the VERY FIRST THING an intelligent person would do?

I could go on, but it would reveal too much of the plot.

The novel has interesting twists and I like the ending. So, taking into account the story's virtues and faults, I'd say it's an average psychological thriller.

**Authors - especially female authors - I implore you.....please give us smart women characters!!**

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Jess Ryder) and the publisher (Bookouture) for a copy of the 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 couldn't put this book down. I felt I really knew the characters. The ending was disappointing for me. I would still recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense, mystery or thrillers.

"The Ex-Wife" by Jess Ryder was a quick, "can't put this book down" read. I'd strongly recommend this book to those that enjoyed "The Last Mrs. Parrish" and "The Wife Between Us." A similar storyline, but twists and turns along the way, some of which I expected, and some of which totally threw me off. This story catches you from the first chapter, in which you meet one of the characters waking up in a hospital room.

Natasha and Nick are happily married with an almost two-year old daughter, Emily. From the outside, everything looks perfect, but inside, Natasha is fuming because Nick's ex-wife Jen won't leave them alone. This story goes back-and-forth in time, and you learn what happened to Nick and Jen's marriage, inside the secrets of Nick and Natasha's marriage, and future implications of all the decisions that are made.

At times, it was difficult to actually "like" any of the characters in this novel. But as you get to know them and their reasoning for doing things, you actually gain some empathy for the characters.

Again, for readers and fans of "The Wife Between Us" or "The Last Mrs. Parrish" I think you'll enjoy the pace of this book and the overall subject/theme. Sometimes I found myself thinking "boy this would NEVER happen" but I think honestly that comes up in every book I read, specifically the psychological thrillers. . I'd give this 4/5 stars.

*I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

Newly-married Natasha has the perfect life with the husband and little girl. It just so happens that the ex-wife is still on the scene, given that Natasha effectively stole her husband from his wife at the time. Natasha returns home one day to find that her daughter, Emily, is missing, and there is no trace of her husband. What unfolds is a battle between the current wife and the ex-wife, and the manipulation of Natasha’s husband. This had all the basics of a good storyline, however this was yet another book which culminated in a ridiculously far-fetched storyline which required suspension of disbelief to actually get through it. I wouldn’t say there was much that set this book apart from other psychological thrillers unfortunately.

I really enjoyed this book - there were some twists I didn’t see coming and some I guessed before they happened! Well written and very current - there seems to be a vast amount of books out there with similar themes and I for one can’t get enough of them. Would read more from Jess Ryder!

One of the best books I've read in a long time. Absolutely fantastic. It keeps you gripped and guessing from beginning to ned. Loved it!

This is a really good read. I read this book in one sitting. I could not put it down. I guessed some of the plot but it was still a really good read. There is a lot packed into the plot and a few really good twists thrown in. I would definitely read more books by Jess Ryder.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Brilliant twists & turns. Unusual plot. Those you thought you’d nerver rust, you do, then you don’t then you do again. This book certainly keeps you on your toes

Wow fabulous book full of twists and turns. I genuinely did not know what to expect or how it would end. It certainly didn’t disappoint. One of my top books this year.

<b> A fun and thrilling page turning novel with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.</b>
I really enjoyed this one by Jess Ryder, A gripping psychological thriller that kept me guessing and a great summer / beach read.

<i> Newly married Natasha has the perfect house, a loving husband and a beautiful little girl called Emily. She’d have it all if it wasn’t for Jen, her husband’s ex-wife who just won’t leave them alone …

Then Natasha returns home one day to find her husband and Emily gone without trace. Desperate to get her daughter back, Natasha will do anything even if it means accepting an offer of help from Jen. But can she trust her? And do either of them really know the man they married?</i>

I enjoy the odd Psychological Thiller as you tend to know what you are getting, so yeah you may have to suspend disbelief at some of story but I expect that with Psychological thrillers (to an extent) and this book works really well as the plot and the characters are clever and I enjoyed the suspense.
I read this one over a couple of hot sunny (heat wave) evenings in the garden and really enjoyed the drama.

Recomend this one to readers who enjoyed books like [bookcover:Something in the Water|36388243][bookcover:The Memory Watcher|33828876] [bookcover:The Wife Between Us|34189556]

<i>My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one in return for an honest review</i>

The Ex-Wife was a great psychological thriller that I struggled to put down. Full of twists and turns and keeps you guessing until the end.