So, here I am again, broken and bereft, left in a million shattered pieces, wondering how on earth I can write a review that will do justice to SE Lynes latest book, The Ex.
Eleven books in and Susie Lynes still manages to blow me away every single time. The Ex is a toxic tale of dark and twisted relationships in the backdrop of the latter stages of the pandemic. The virus doesn’t really feature as such but hovers in the background as a dark and stark reminder of the loneliness and isolation that filled our lives and how easy it might have been for things to go horribly wrong.
Sam has picked himself up and dusted himself down after a relationship breakup, he’s living with Joyce, his gran and has a good life with some good friends and then his ex, Naomi, comes back into his life and their dreams collide.
When I pick up a book by SE Lynes, I am conflicted, part of me wants to hide away in a room and devour every page in one sitting but I also want to take my time and drink in and savour every word. Her writing is poetic, it’s elegant, powerful and brutally honest and raw. In the Ex she has created a cast of characters that creep under your skin and stay there. I felt as though I was inhabiting each of their lives as I read. Narrated by Miranda, Sam’s colleague and friend, it was easy to get inside her head and really experience her deep feelings for Sam, her feeling of powerlessness as she watched a tragic car accident play out in front of her eyes. I really felt for Miranda, to be in that position where you love someone so much you can’t actually bring yourself to tell them you think they are making a big mistake, it was heart-breaking to be in her head.
Now let’s talk about Naomi, what a delightfully complex character, the author has created in her. She will really screw with your head, has she changed, is she the love of Sam’s life or is she trying to trap him, and just what the hell is she up to. I was totally invested in this dark and twisted relationship, shouting at the pages, NOOOOOOOOOOO don’t do this all the way through. I wanted to feel for Naomi and I found myself wondering about her background, her family relationships and what led her to behave the way that she did at times. The author cleverly weaves in little snippets of the background and leaves you wondering whether you should take this woman and look after her or despise her. Oh so delightfully clever.
Sam, oh Sam, I kind of fell in love with him a little, his close relationship with his gran, Joyce and his need to do the right thing really lead to dark and turbulent times for this character.
It’s a psychological thriller and of course there are twists and turns, and SE Lynes is so very cruel to her characters in parts of this book. Some might call it a slow burner but please don’t mistake this for a criticism. It isn’t a wham bam thank you mam kind of read, rather the suspense is slowly drip fed throughout the book, leaving you with a mounting sense of uneasiness, and you so desperately want to reach into the pages and rescue the characters from the hell that you know awaits them.
Once again, SE Lynes takes us on a rollercoaster ride of a read, her observations of society and those who walk among us, makes for a relatable and authentic read. It is so easy to become invested and engaged in the lives of the characters she has created and to find yourself thinking…”what if…” and “what would I do...” Her characters are multi-layered and she takes great delight in slowly peeling back each layer to expose what lies beneath; dysfunctional and toxic relationships, narcissism and emotional abuse leave you with a creeping sense of discomfort and fear that things are always just waiting to collapse around the characters she has created.
I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again, Susie Lynes, you are a genius! The Ex ticked every single box for me. Deliciously dark, tantalizingly toxic and completely compelling. Do NOT miss this!
All that is left for me to do is sit patiently and wait to see what you bring!
I wish I was allowed to rate this way more than five stars!

I loved this book as much as I love all this authors other books. I liked how the narrator was somewhat on the edge of the action and that kept me second guessing. Clever writing as always

This book had so much potential. I enjoyed some parts, but others were predictable and a bit flat for me

I should know this author by now, but yet again I was lured into a sense of false security only to be blown away by the final pages! There is such a sense of normality and humanity in SE Lynes' characters ... she creates people that I'm invested in ..... I feel I know them ...they are in my life ...so I feel for them when things inevitably dont go to plan.
Wickedly twisted wonderful read!

4 stars.
Solid. Great story. May have given it a 4.5 but the ending left me a bit flat. The author hit it out of the park with the character development. The human emotion aspect of the main female character was spot on! It could have been a memoir of the complicated thoughts and feelings we sometimes have as women. Will read this author again.

I'm a big fan of the author so was keen to get stuck into this one but it really did just disappoint.

It's written from multiple character pov but it's never noted where that change is happening or who is currently narrating. Initially it reads like this mysterious 3rd character is introduced but then you realise all the povs are left up to you to work out by reading through the 1st few chapters, working it out and then starting over with that character in mind.

It's so abruptly ended that it's like a smack in the face. You're literally at the big dramatic ending and then it just goes "5 days later it was all solved, everyone got cake, Jesus was resurrected, main character bought a goat, noone was ever sad again and they all took a nap and lived happily ever after. It was insane!

And the polar opposite to the start of the bookk whoch drags on for about half the book with the most mundane and boring events ever. It really does start off feeling like a drama or some chick lit and when it does pick up, there's about 20% that's a thriller and then it's jist the end, bye!

Plus, I know it's fiction but the events are just impossible. What happens with the estate etc..... clearly were not familiar with British inheritance laws or dealing with estates and how achingly long the govt takes to sign it to next of kin.

By all means, definitely check out the author but best start with one of their other books and skip this one

And what wad the relevance of all that detail and focus jn tbe underground tunnel?! Just for the one line at the end?!

Also.....what kind of best friend hits on someone at a time like that?! Then again, theres also no reply timeliness for this one. Was it over 2 wks or 9 months all this happened?!

It's just confusing. Sorry

Well well. This book was just so good. I think I've read on other book by this author and didn't love it that much. This was something I can get my brain behind. I thought it was really fast paced and hard to put down. Although the ending wasnt my favorite(Seems to be a common theme for me). Still would recommend this book and author and will be picking up more from her in the future.

I really enjoyed this book! It was an easy read that kept me interested from the beginning. I like how it is told as a narrative from a key character. The plot is not new, but it was written well, and I read it quickly. I also enjoyed the ending. It was fulfilling. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an enjoyable read that while, somewhat predictable, is worth taking you away on a fun journey!

This psychological thriller had me gripped from the first page. It was a great page-turner and really had me hooked after page 30 or so. The first half of the book appears very typical and sweet, but you get a strange feeling that all is not-quite-right and that something bad is going to happen.

What I didn’t enjoy was the overwhelming reference to COVID-19 and the pandemic. I think it is personally too early to be reading about something that is so present and I almost wish that books would actually gloss over it and pretend it didn’t exist. In this book it actually felt overdone, as if the author had to mention it on every page at least once. It almost felt cringey.

Despite the pandemic I really enjoyed the West Country setting as I am from Cornwall, and it felt like it worked well for the story. The characters were developed well, although I’m not sure how I feel about Miranda being the MC, this grew on me throughout the novel. I like that it adds another device to the book, which is the question of how reliable a narrator Miranda is.

The book reminded me of how much I love thrillers, as I haven’t read any in a long while. The author did a great job of invoking so many emotions throughout reading: anger, compassion, empathy and sadness. And a little bit of fear!

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The Ex is another brilliant book by S.E. Lynes. Sam is such a lovely character, whereas Naomi is, well I will say no more. The book started quite slowly but as it went on it got more and more thrilling. I loved it.

Sadly I couldn't get into this, I found it very confusing, which is a shame as I have read other books from this author and really liked them.

A solid thriller. Took a while to get going but once it did the tension ramped up with every chapter. Some great twists and shocking revelations. I mostly predicted the ending but it was still satisfying. Great read.

Huge thanks to #netgalley and S. E. Lynes for the ARC of this amazing book. Lynes does not cease to astonish me with her utterly brilliant stories. Again, a bunch of truly believable characters - some quite lovable, some not as much - and a storyline that surprises the most experienced reader, even when we think we’re seeing what’s coming. Here’s a hint: you don’t have a clue.
After the first covid lockdown, Sam accidentally sees his ex, Naomi, who’s got news. Or has she. They see each other a couple of times and she seems to have truly changed. Really? Having read all of Lynes’s previous books, I knew better than to trust all of it.
But.
Could I imagine what awaited me? No way. No way!
But what I like about Lynes is more than her ability to twist a storyline into something totally unexpected. What I love about her is that she is a great writer. A truly good one. I’ve read all of her and I know.
If you’re into psychological thrillers, this is your go-to author. Seriously.

As a staunch fan of the author, I was thrilled to receive a copy of her latest. My first read set during the pandemic, although the virus lingers in the background. Taking centre stage is a fractured relationship, torn asunder by cruel words and cutting looks.
We first meet Sam as he encounters his ex, Naomi. She's walking a baby, an innocuous act but one that sets in motion a chain of events that gather momentum as the tale unfolds. Because baby Tommy — eyelids red-thread like chard leaves, mouth a tiny pink cyclamen — might just be…
There were many times I wanted to scream with frustration at Sam, whose marshmallow heart is ripe for toasting. However, his inherent kindness shines through, particularly in the scenes with his beloved gran, Joyce, who is beautifully drawn.
She lifts her own mug to her lips and slurps the top layer of tea with the asbestos-tongued prowess of octogenarians everywhere.
Parts of the story are narrated by Miranda, Sam's colleague and friend. Someone who cares deeply for him, but how often are we guilty of only seeing and hearing what we want to believe? Sometimes it's easier to get dragged along in an undercurrent of emotions, unable (or unwilling) to face the ones valiantly trying to bubble their way to the surface.
This is a book that didn't necessarily surprise me, but it's so well-written I finished it in a couple of days. Even without a 'crash, bang' shock element, it gripped like tenacious ivy. Packed full of delicious lines, smatterings of dark humour and the author's trademark way with words — scratch of sarcasm; she sees through him as if he were made of glass; the bad stuff is fading like tail lights in fog.
Highly recommended.

in a toxic relationship. He was absent, she was angry. During the COVID pandemic of 2020, they spend the time separated. After running into Naomi at the park one day, he meets a stunning baby boy named Tommy. Tommy has a striking resemblance to Sam. The dates line up. Could it be possible that this is his child?

I though the twist in this novel was excellent. I honestly did not see it coming until the moment before the reveal, when you’re intended to start questioning it. I did think something was weird with the times they were able to see each other, I knew something was up there. I really enjoyed Joyce’s character. She was a pleasing character to follow.

My main concern with this book was when the tenses seemed to change. We’re reading as if Miranda is telling us the story, where she repeatedly refers to herself as ”I”, ”me” etc. In some instances though, she switches up saying ”Sam tells Miranda” instead of ”Sam tells me”. I also thought the pace was extremely slow up until about 50%. After that isn’t even quicker so much as it gets more interesting and suspenseful.

I give this novel three out of five stars. I think it could’ve been better, but it’s still an enjoyable read.

This surprised me. It started out slow and I didn't like it too much. But as it got going it was really getting good! I was able to figure out what was going on pretty soon sadly but it didn't ruin it for me

Brilliant page turner, had me hooked to the end, already recommending it to friends. Really well written book 😉

I am a fan of S.E. Lynes' "The Baby Shower" so this was a must-read for me. Great characters, realistic presentation of unhealthy relationships. It is a slow-building burn until the twist of an explosion. I enjoy books with multiple character's points of view. so I appreciated this one stylistically as well. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

A slow starter but it begins to have more twists as the story continues, Sam is definitely the weakest link in this book and seems unable to think for himself, I wasn’t too sure about Miranda’s role in his life and still have my doubts in how much she was involved in. The ending for me was rushed and tied up too conveniently for me , A four star read for me

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture, and S.E. Lynes for my gifted copy!

Synopsis:
It's been a while since Sam and his ex, Naomi, split up. They haven't seen each other since. So when Sam meets her on one of his walks, carrying a baby with her, he asks himself if the little boy couold possibly be his - and if he could or should repair his relationship.

My thoughts:
I hate to say this because I usually love S.E. Lynes's books, but this one just wasn't it. The constant switch of perspectives without it being announced was confusing, and, tbh, a bit annoying because I had to keep re-reading whole paragraphs as I got the person talking all wrong. I did not like any of the characters: Sam was just naive and delusional, and I wanted to scream at Miranda to speak up, and at Naomi to shut up! I did love one of the twists, and I am still looking forward to S.E. Lynes's next novel, but unfortunately, this one was a huge miss for me.

This was my fifth book by this author, and my favorite is Can You See Her