“ The Ex Between Us” by Nicola Marsh

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an Arc of this book!

“The Ex between Us” is a riveting story between best friends with a sordid history that follows through to adulthood. Jo and Abi were best friends since high school until a terrible secret tore them apart, but that same secret brought them back together in such a profound way. However, that very same secret (personified) has followed them throughout their lives and ultimately causes the story to take a deadly path.
This book is filled with a lot of plot twists, turns and nefarious characters. Based upon the book’s description, I thought that it would have been a single POV. However, it was dual, and we were allowed to see both friends’ point of view or at least what they wanted us to see. It was clear that even though the women had a long friendship that currents of treachery from the past harbored resentment many years later. From a psychological perspective, you were able to identify the character with terrible intentions by seeing through their actions. There were some parts of the book that were a bit repetitive, therefore lengthening the overall book, however, it was easy to follow the author’s writing and it is always refreshing to read a book where all the storylines align.

This was a light and intriguing read that will keep you enthralled until the end!

I’ve read many wonderful books published by Bookouture, but, I’m sad to say that this is not one of them. I did read through to the end, as sometimes novels get better as they go along, but this one only compounded my original feelings. There are several areas in which I found it lacking.

Brief summary: four friends, (and a couple of significant others) interacting since high school, stay in close contact- until unexplained vandalism makes them question their relationships. Supposed to be a taut gripping psychological thriller.

Firstly, The author did not reflect an American tone to my way of thinking. Several terms and expressions - like singlet for tank top - identified the author as Australian or British. There was no sense of the California coast in the novel, either. The setting was generic, and Fort Chester didn’t come alive, not truly reflecting some of the great towns that are in that area. I might have enjoyed this more if it were set in Australia.

Jo is quite unpleasant as a main character, and I could see why, but I do want to root for main characters if possible. Both of the main characters repeated thoughts, especially Jo, and it created unnecessary clutter to my mind. Trust the reader to remember important episodes and feelings! In addition, the shifting times frames ceased to work after a while. Too much of the same thing and then, when changed in the last section, is confusing.

Lastly, these characters are “girls”, though they are in their mid thirties. Their behaviour and thoughts are still stuck in high school, which makes it hard to take seriously. When they call things “complicated”, they really mean “drama” in the teenage way. Many of the red herrings thrown into the mix would have been more interesting to follow.

So, unfortunately, we have a two star read here, but it may be the book for you if you want something light this summer.

Thank you to Bookouture Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4✨

Y’all I can’t even lie, this psychological thriller kept me going till the last page!

Best friends: one who seems to have it all, looks, friendly, great family, popular, guys, sweet, && everyone loves her. One who doesn’t have it all, black sheep, not many friends, && not popular. They become best friends when Abi helps Jo when someone is picking on her! Inseparable until Abi gets pregnant by Jo’s crush by mistake. They make up when the baby is born && Abi asks Jo to be his godmother but Abi doesn’t know that Jo still has feelings for Cal.

This books is so crazy with all the twists && the lengths Jo goes to get what she wants. I love Abi but Jo definitely has some mental health problems! Cal is a player && definitely not dad of the year but he stepped up when he needed to. Love my baby Rob. I called a couple things but the rest has my mind blown especially the last 50 pages!

All in all, this was a good psychological thriller from the first to the last page. Definitely worth the read && would recommend to anyone looking for a good thriller to read!

*Thank you the NetGalley, Nicola Marsh, && Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

This is a psychological thriller about a love triangle that has taken shape over the course of 18+ years - two best friends, one man and a tragedy waiting to happen. I did see the 'twist' (or who did it) coming, but it was an enjoyable read nontheless and I thought the characters were really well-formed.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A story of a friendship between enemies who loved each other--to an extent.

This was a good book. I highly recommend it. It was a bit long and drawn out but overall I really liked it and liked the ending a lot. It was a good suspense.

The Ex Between Us was an entertaining read, but I found it to be fairly predictable and the narrating part of it to be a bit maddening. In my opinion, Jo is unlikeable from the beginning. It’s hard to have any empathy for her when it’s clear that she’s pining after Abi’s life and not taking any initiative to make her own way in the world. She is bitter and resentful and I find it completely impractical to harbor a grudge about a one night stand for 18 years, even if the result of that was a child.

I think the narrative could’ve been a bit more compelling if the friendship could’ve been more solidified. If the reader could believe that Jo and Abi were genuine, that Jo truly did stop lusting after Cal… or, conversely, if this would’ve been a mental health issue for Jo. Instead, it felt like a crazy best friend and a normal friend that was aware of some instability, but never did anything about it.

I enjoyed reading it, but ultimately I felt a bit underwhelmed.

This is such a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you awake and keep you at the edge of the seat!

Jo and Abi are best friends and despite the fact that Abi had once betrayed her, the two remained firm friends. However, as Abi is building a perfect life with Noah and is seeing her son going off to college. However, recently, Abi has been getting threats and someone has been sabotaging her at work. And it all related to a guy that Jo and Abi used to date back when they were in high school--Cal.

The story is told from Jo's and Abi's points of view so it was itneresting to read what they are really thinking about each other. You could see that clearly, the two girls used to be closest friends but eventually they seemed to be drifting apartment, thanks to an incident that got Abi pregnant. There were some twists and turns in the story and the author has managed to grab the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are also a part of the story as well. The twisted end was completely unexpected and it actually made my day! Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book--it felt like a love traingle and a person who is obsessed with what she wants!

If you are looking for a thriller that will keep you on the edge, then this book is one for you--worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgally and Bookouture for the ARC. The reveiw is based on my honest opinion only.

Jo and Abi. Best friends since high school. Best friends still after 20 years. When Abi gives birth to a son, Jo is named his godmother. They are more like sisters than best friends.
But are they?
Jo has been jealous of Abi her entire life, envying her family life as a kid, and wanting the boy who fathered Abi’s son. Everyone loves Abi, and Jo is consumed with envy.
Then, all the lies begin to unfold.
Jo will not continue to watch Abi win every time!

This book was engaging and enjoyable. I read it in one day, unable to put it down. Each chapter vacillated between Abi and Jo, both then and now. It was a story filled with lies, deceit, friendship and hatred.

I rated it 5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Book Outure for the advanced copy.

I did enjoy reading this and liked the twists but honestly felt it could have been half as long the structure much tighter, especially in the first half.

An amazing, fast paced piece of writing. Excellent character development and an immersive unfolding, storyline.
I really enjoyed this kick-ass read, a must for everyone’s TBR this summer.

This was such a good read that gave me a bingeworthy drama netflix series in a book and I was totally here for it. A domestic thriller full of secrets and twists and I couldn't put it dpwn, it kept me guessing until the end.

Title: The Ex Between Us
Author: Nicola Marsh
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: November 22, 2020
My Rating: 3 Stars

Joelle (Jo) and Abigail (Abi) have been best friends since childhood. Despite different backgrounds, ups and downs their friendship remains strong. Recently, they have both begun noticing strange occurrences and receiving disturbing threats. Why would anyone wish to harm two close friends?
Story is told in alternate chapters of past and present and narrated by the main characters.
It was a quick read. I am a fan of these types of stories and read many. I love to try to figure out whodunit and pride myself on doing so ~ have to admit this wasn’t too difficult to figure out.

I always enjoy reading the author’s note and or Acknowledgements.
In this case “A Letter from Nicola”, our author tells us that this she is humbled that she is able to provide us an escape with her convoluted plot domestic suspense novels. States this story flew from her finger tips in eighteen days!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 12, 2022

Reading this domestic thriller was like watching a juicy soap opera that centres on friendship, relationships, and secrets!

Abigail and Jo have been the best of friends ever since junior high despite vast differences in their personalities and backgrounds. Come senior high, there has been an unexpected setback in their relationship but they managed to get over this when Abi gave birth to a baby boy and asked Jo to be her son’s godmother. When Abi and her partner, Cal, moved from San Francisco to Fort Chester with their baby, Jo showed her commitment to her best friend and her godson by uprooting her entire life in San Francisco and moving close to Abi and her family.

More than a decade has passed, and Abigail’s worst fear finally comes since her son’s going off to college means that she will become an empty nester - potentially sad and alone. Luckily, Abi meets a new man, Noah, and falls head over heels for him. Along with these recent developments, things also started taking a strange turn for both Abi and Jo. Someone is doing little, nasty things to sabotage Abi’s work and personal life, and Jo starts receiving spray-painted threats in her home. Who could the perpetrator be? Could it be one of the girls in high school who has been holding a grudge for both Abi and Jo? Could it be Noah, who came to Abi’s life at the same time these bizarre events started occurring?

Shifting between Abi’s and Jo’s perspectives, we will see the progression of their friendship that spans decades, as well as the relationships they make along the way. Their narratives are sometimes unreliable but I believe that this was done on purpose, and contributes to the mystery of the novel. I definitely enjoyed this dramatic thriller; there were unexpected surprises that made this a satisfying read!

Not to mention, the cover art is beautifully done and the author’s writing style is 🌟!

4.5 stars rounded to 5!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me access to an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

In The Ex Between Us, Nicola Marsh gives us a story about friends since Junior High. Some back and forth in time. Jo and Abi had a falling out in high school. Although it seems like Jo has forgiven Abi for how she feels she betrayed her, some sabotaging incidents still occur years later. Now with both women in their 30's it seems like they are best friends, but are they really? I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an early copy to review.

This was a real page-turner from the very first page of this quick easy read with lots of twists and turns. Abigail (Abi) and Joelle (Jo) became best friends the first day of junior high when Abi stood up to the mean girls that were bullying Jo. They remained besties for years until Abi starts to notice a dark side to Jo. This book has a number of those characters that you love to hate!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

Thank you, NetGalley, Bookouture, and Nicola Marsh for the ARC of The Ex Between Us.
I'm so glad I got the chance to read this book. The Ex Between Us grips you from the very first page to the very last. I liked how the perspective changed between two best friends, Jo and Abi. It gives a lot of insight into what each character was thinking and feeling. The plot is fast-paced with many twists, and it was fun trying to figure them out. The end was perfect and unexpected. I am so glad that I discovered Nicola Marsh and I cannot wait to read more of her books. I highly recommend reading The Ex Between Us.

An uncomfortable but compelling dive into the toxicity of a friendship. Whilst I wouldn't describe this as a thriller as such it's very pacey and engaging with beautifully plotted suspense.

Just a quick fun read that I couldn’t get enough of and finished it in one sitting. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the complementary copy I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

I wouldn't necessarily categorize The Ex Between Us as a thriller. While it had plenty of drama, there weren't any real unknowns, twists, turns, or reveals. The story focuses on Abi and Jo and their friendship. The two have known each other since junior high and have been through a lot together. The story is told through three POVs: Abi (present), Jo (present), and Jo (past). I thought the division of chapters was well-done and helped a bit with the pacing; however, overall, it was a slow read. And the fact that the entire story is quite predictable didn't help. I definitely think there are readers who will enjoy this book; however, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone looking for a gripping, can't-put-down thriller.