Having read and enjoyed a few of Nicola Marsh books, she is now permanently on my list of to be read whenever she releases a new book.

Her latest book The Ex Between Us has been a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining story, quite a rollercoaster of a ride full of lots of twisty turns, by which I mean the story has you guessing throughout as to which characters are being honest, which are lying and which are up to no got. As I got to know all of the characters, I literally did not know who to trust, which is the prefect combo for a good story as it means there was nothing predictable about it. There were a few bits at the end which I was surprised by and which I liked very much.

So overall, this is a very well written story, with a intricate and clever plot that had me captivated from start to finish.

Abigail and Jo have been best friends since high school. Even when Abigail made a mistake that hurt Jo. Jo is godmother to Abigail's son, Robbie. They are always there for each other.
Abigail's son just moved away to college and things have been over for Abigail and Cal, Robbie's father, for quite some time.
Abi now has a new boyfriend but is it as it seems? Jo is wanting Cal's friend Tom and thinks maybe there could be something between them.
But then someone starts targeting Abi and Jo. Leaving things at both of their doorsteps. Who would want to hurt both of them? It seems that 2 women they went to school with are in town and one was the mean girl from high school.
Just when I thought I had an idea what was going on then something would happen to change my mind.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the book to review.

The plot of this novel is insane and so fast-paced, the timeline pacing took some getting used to but the plot was fantastic. The characters all had their own motive and not always good ones. The book has great 3 dimensional characters with varying personalities. I love how it shows that people can hold on to simmering resentment and it can have terrible consequences. I thought I knew the ending but I was so wrong, I still haven't got my breath back if I'm honest,

I want to thank Net Galley for the privilege of finding another great thriller author
#Netgalley #TheExBetweenUs

Cal was "the one who got away". And only because Jo's best friend made the awful decision to sleep with him the night of his party. Jo is so furious she can't even talk to Abi until Cal intercedes. But when Jo sees Abi and Cal's baby, she goes from love to hate in an instant.

There were so many things that didn't add up for me. Jo is chosen as Rob's godmother and decides to move three hours away from home just to be near him. We find out later in the book there were probably ulterior motives but still..... Two of this author's previous books were 5 stars for me, but the inconsistencies and flow of this book (lots of repetition about what a flirty guy Cal was) made me constantly have to go back and check what I read. It was also hard to imagine that Jo was able to hide her crazy obsessions for 18 years!

Despite my reservations, this was a quick read, and the ending was taut. Since I enjoyed Marsh's other books so much. I look forward to reading her next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance reader's copy.

More of a slow-burn domestic suspense, this book packed the twists in the ending! If you’re a fan of romance and suspense novels, this one is definitely right up your alley!

🅂🅈🄽🄾🄿🅂🄸🅂:

Abi and Jo have been friends since high school. When Abi gets pregnant Senior year, Jo is happy to be the godmother and move with Abi and Cal two hours from home. Fast forward to the day Rob (Abi and Cal’s son) moves off to college. Jo does what every best friend would do and takes Abi out to get her mind off of her sadness. Abi bumps into a handsome man and, without warning, falls head over heels. Jo is again left to be the third wheel as Abi starts a new chapter of her perfect life. Soon, things start going wrong for Abi and Jo: missing items at work, spray painted messages on back doors, and ruined rose bushes. Who has it out for them and why?

🅃🄷🄾🅄🄶🄷🅃🅂:

The first two-thirds of this book could absolutely be a romance novel with added suspense. The relationships Jo and Abby have with Cal, Tom, and Noah are toxic to say the least.

The ending is what did it for me! Once the twists started, they just kept coming until the epic conclusion! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was a nice break from darker thrillers I’ve been reading lately. Definitely pick up a copy to add to your list!

Thank you to @netgalley @nicolamarshauthor and @bookouture for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Ex Between Us by Nicola Marsh is a psychological thriller of two best friends with the deadliest secrets. Abi and Jo have been best friends since junior high school, ever since Abi came to Jo’s rescue from a bully. They went through everything together. They’ve hit their rough spots especially when Abi committed a terrible mistake and betrayed Jo. But she found a way to forgive Abi and they became closer than ever. After Abi’s son goes off to college and Abi tries to find a new life as an empty-nester, a strange series of events start to unravel. Abi and Jo begin to experience terrifying events that lead them to believe someone is out to harm them. And they seem to be escalating. From property destruction to threatening messages, who could be behind it all? Is it someone watching from the shadows? Or is it someone a little closer to home?
The Ex Between Us is a slow burn thriller that turns into a fiery inferno toward the end. The story will leave the reader guessing with characters who aren’t what they seem. With no shortage of suspects from high school frenemies back in town to the exes that never seem to let go. At one point, Abi has a new man in her life and Jo is not pleased. But is he who he says he is? Like the moving pieces on a chessboard, no one knows who’s playing who. Both Abi and Jo were likable and unlikable at times as the reader tries to figure out who was after who and who was only acting as a friend. The characters’ motives and secrets kept me guessing and I wasn’t sure who was after who until the last third of the book. A great mystery with building suspense and tension. I highly recommend The Ex Between Us.

The Ex Between Us is available in paperback and eBook

3.5 stars

I liked it, but didn’t love it.

The Ex Between Us is a Thriller about two best friends, who start getting threats and (obviously) want to find out who they are from. Could the person, that’s sending the threats, be closer than you think?

I really enjoyed the second half of the book! Finding out how the events connected to each other was very satisfying and questions you developed during the first half were answered quite nicely.
Plus I love an unreliable narrator!

I found the pacing to be a bit off.
On one hand, the beginning was a little slow, since a lot of characters with backstories were introduced. But the story really picked up in the second half.
On the other hand, the ending was a little too fast. A certain character appearing "seemingly out of nowhere", seemed a little convenient. And the Trap at the end was working a little too smoothly for my liking.

Overall it was a nice and fast read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

The Ex Between Us by Nicola Marsh is a very good suspenseful thriller. Told in dual timelines and point of views, this one will keep you guessing and thinking throughout the book. The characters are very real and you will feel that maybe they are someone you know. A story of friendships that have many secrets, lies, obsessions and twist and turns. A fast paced book that will keep you reading and you will be shocked with that ending. I highly recommend reading this great book!!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Nicola Marsh for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this intriguing book in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley #bookouture #nicolamarsh. #theexbetweenus. #arc. #nicolamarshreadersroom

The Ex Between Us is another great story by Nicola Marsh. It was a bit of a slow burner to start with but once the twists and turns started there was no stopping it. It kept me hooked all the way to the surprising ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Wow! Why have I never read Nicola before? I am so glad bookouture and netgalley gave me this Arc. Thank you so much. I really enjoyed it.

Two best friends and how they have grown over the years. But something is happening to both of them? Who is leaving them messages and messing with their lives ? Do they have a stalker? Someone who watches in the night? Who is doing this and why?

I loved seeing what was going on in Abi and Jo's life. I did guess at the twist but I so enjoy a crazy character. I was desperate to get to the end and see what happened!!

Pick this novel up today! I'm off to find some other reads by this author!

Do mean girls ever grow up? Interesting domestic drama/thriller that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. There are so many twists and turns it will have your head spinning trying to find out who's who and whodunnit!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

This was a good book but it was a bit drawn out. As soon as it got to the good part it was almost over. Although I figured out the where the story was going I still enjoyed reading this.

Best friends, boyfriends, pregnancy, jealousy, murder.
This book has so many twists and turns keeps you guessing I did not see the big reveal coming!
Quick read, excellent story
Thank you to the author and publisher for my advance copy for an honest review.

Whoa, does this book have a lot of venom in it. Abi and Jo have been friends for years. It hasn’t been all sunshine and roses, however. Jo forgave Abi fir a major transgression years before or did she.
I found Jo to be very delusional and deranged. Her thinking is very flawed and any rational she possessed is not evident.
Cal is a flighty lothario who thinks his charm can get him anything he wants.
I thought Abi was a little dense, so I was quite surprised at her depths and how she could turn the screws.
The book will make you stop and think and perhaps even reevaluate the friends in your life.

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Nicola Marsh's tense domestic thriller THE EX BETWEEN US.

I absolutely love domestic thrillers that are a little twisted and maybe even a tad deliciously disturbing with psycho toxic narrators. THE EX BETWEEN US is all this and more complete with unreliability, secrets and plenty of lies going on that the reader doesn't know who to believe. But I saw through the facade and managed to figure out who was doing what...and pretty much why. But this didn't deter my enjoyment one bit...I mean, this was like a Jerry Springer show! A car crash from which you couldn't look away. There were so many lies told that no one knows what to believe. Who is lying? And who is telling the truth? Or is anyone?

The story centres on Jo and Abi who have been best friends since high school and throughout the ensuing years they have been through a lot together, with a betrayal testing their friendship in the biggest possible way. But then after seven months of "coventry", their friendship is once again back on track when Abi gives birth to Robbie and asks Jo to be godmother, who falls in love with the scrunched up little baby as soon as she sees him. Their lives become intertwined as Jo follows Abi, Cal and Rob to Fort Chester three hours out of where they grew up in San Francisco. Jo becomes a fixture in their little family - a place where at last she is needed.

Eighteen years later and Rob is going off to college and Abi is fearing her nest becoming empty but knows she won't be for long with Jo to around to cheer her up. And then Abi meets Noah...and he's everything Cal's not. And soon she finds herself falling for him, and he her. When the time comes to introduce Jo to Noah, Abi can only hope she approves because Noah is everything she never knew she wanted or missed. He is kind, attentive, considerate, a gentleman even and loves her for who she is. But when Abi introduces them, Jo doesn't appear to be happy. Surely she can see he is practically perfect, can't she? But then she's also always been very protective of her...and maybe she fears Abi's relationship with Noah is moving too fast too soon.

But it's not until later that Jo confides in Abi that she has been the victim of vandals and someone has been threatening her, leaving her fearing for her safety. And then Abi begins receiving threats too. Her roses are destroyed, garden gnomes decapitated, a scorpion in her mailbox...but they don't stop there. Some strange things have also been taking place at her work for which she has been lumbered the blame. And then, a note arrives stating "I want your life" and Abi is terrified.

When Abi discovers one of "mean girls" from high school is in town, she begins to wonder if she's not the cause of the threats and unrest...after all, it only seemed to begin since she arrived. But Mandy isn't the only one from high school also in town. Abi's former friend Lara is also sniffing around and Abi is suspicious when she begins asking about Cal.

But the question is...who is out to harm Jo and Abi? And what is it that they want?

What a delightfully delicious toxic tale THE EX BETWEEN US is! It reminds me just why I hated high school (though I needed no reminding on that score). The gossip, the cliques, the lies, the pettiness and all the horrid things that teenagers do to each other in the name of popularity. Eighteen years later and it seems some of those haven't changed at all! The bitterness, the need for revenge, the bitchiness...thirty-six year old women are seriously old enough to know better. But oh, what a read!

This story played out like a bad soap opera with plenty of twists and tales of revenge. Or even the Jerry Springer show while we just sat back with the popcorn and watched it all play out.

Told through the alternating narratives of Jo and Abi, we get a glimpse into their worlds and how different they were but remained friends. I genuinely felt sorry for the hand that Jo had been dealt as a teenager - emotionally absent parents, bullied at school, friendless and alone. But then she meets Abi who sticks up for her against the bitchy bully Mandy and the two become best friends. But Jo also has a secret; one she keeps from everyone, including Abi. For this is something just for her that no one else can take away. She treasures it throughout the years and continues to keep it secret.

Until one day, Abi discovers that secret...

THE EX BETWEEN US begins as a slow burn told primarily in the present day with a few past chapters peppered throughout as the story unfolds and the tension builds. Then the twists begin...one after the other...and all the lies that have been told begin to unravel...as do each of their lives.

Who will be left standing at the end of it all? Who will survive? And who won't? And who has lived the biggest lie of all?

THE EX BETWEEN US is an addictive page-turning thrill ride that keeps readers guessing throughout, as we can sense something isn't quite right but can't put our fingers on it. I suspected and guessed and was right but it didn't deter my enjoyment one bit. It's the thrill of the ride that I enjoy, not the predictability or lack thereof. I don't care. I just enjoy a good tale if it is woven just right.

And then that ending. It was delicious, it was twisted and just oh so right!

Perfect for fans of deliciously twisted and toxic tales of domestic suspense.

I would like to thank #NicolaMarsh, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheExBetweenUs in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This book had me hooked from the start! Jo and Abigail have been best friends since forever. Nothing can ever tear them apart, but when Abigail gets a boyfriend, both of them start receiving threats and they eventually get to the bottom of it. I could not stop reading this book. I wanted to know what happened at the end. Most of the book is a bit of background of their friendship, but I think it was worth the read. Once the story picked up towards the end, it was SO good. I want to say it was a bit predictable, but i also did not see the ending coming. 5 stars! Would definitely recommend to any thriller readers out there!

Abi and Jo are best friends since high school until a boy comes between them. Abi gets pregnant by Jo’s crush Cal, but eventually they make up. Cal and Abi co parent and Jo becomes baby Rob’s godmother.
Everyone seems to get along until Abi finds out that someone is trying to sabotage her job and home. This is a roller coaster of a ride that will keep you engaged until the last page! Perfect for a beach read.
I want to thank the Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I liked this book….Jo was more devious than I thought, and Abi was smarter than I thought. Interesting story of a friendship that was based on many lies and deceptions.

Nicola Marsh continues to prove she is one of the best suspense authors out there. Her ability to write such a twisted story is astounding. Told from Abi and Jo's point of views, this book has so many twists and turns that you can't tell the lies from the truth. It does makes you ask the question, how well do you know your best friend? At times Jo's obsession with Abi's life, and her pity parties she had about her own life were quite annoying. I've never wanted to jump into a book and shake a character so bad in my life! This book is not only full of lies, but its full of obsession, back stabbing, guilt, and jealousy. Once you start this book, be prepared to sit awhile, because you're not going to want to put it down.

Buckle up, friends, this is a wild and twisty ride!

Abi and Jo have been best friends since high school. Abi was the more popular of the two and defended Jo against the school bullies and they made an instant connection. That is, until Abi got pregnant from a one night stand with Cal, the school hottie. Jo, and every other girl at school, was crushing hard so when she found out about her betrayal, they didn’t speak for months.

That changed after Robbie was born. Abi missed Jo terribly and sent Cal to try and smooth things over and she asked Jo to be his godmother. Jo fell in love with Robbie immediately and even followed the little family when they moved towns.

Jo, a “pick me,” has sat by and watched long enough. Robbie is heading off to college and even though Cal and Abi co-parent, they are no longer a couple. Never really were. Jo sees this as her opportunity and nothing is off-limits. She’s resented her best friend for the ease in which she’s walked through life and now it’s time for Jo to take what’s hers.

We alternate between Jo and Abi, sometimes going back to the younger years with Jo, to see what she dealt with growing up around a best friend whose shadow she was in and a family who always cheered on her little sister first.

It was interesting to hear the different perceptions of what happened between them and it let us know they didn’t exactly have their fingers on the pulse of exactly how everything went down and would have been easier if they’d communicated with each other. Some of it was less “unreliable narrator” and more “oh did I leave out this important chunk of info?” and I didn’t love that but it was so twisty and good I let it go. The relationships between everyone involved are what made the book so interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!