This was a great fun thriller, which managed to be genuinely surprising at points. There are some ludicrous elements, I’m not sure that anyone without a lifejacket would survive 12 hours swimming in storm even in Florida! But it all part of the slightly schlocky charm of this book. I would have liked a little more explanation on the motivation of the villain but otherwise I was engaged and entertained throughout!

I listened to this in a day. IN A DAY!! And I’m not sure who needs to hear this…but the more intense this book got, the faster I folded my laundry. (I got a LOT of laundry done.)

The build up, the character development, the lying, the deception, the family drama and backstory, ESP the believability of the situations… it was all made real in my mind. Sometimes in domestic psychological thriller books, there’s always a clear way out to me. There’s a decision I, as a reader, would’ve made that the character did not which annoys me! But in this book? Situations left me wondering what I really would’ve done. Would I have had the strength? Would I have had the courage? Would I have thought straight and properly to make a right decision given the circumstances?

I could not put it down until it was over. I devoured it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book!

The Ex Wives was a truly captivating book. Elana lost her first husband and it was just her and her daughter Phoebe. They didn’t have much but they got by. Then Elana meets who she felt was the perfect man, Jackson. Only Jackson is not as perfect as he first seems.

Jackson was married twice before Elana, and both of his ex-wives had daughters that went missing. Discovering that she and her daughter are in danger Elana plans how to expose Jackson and escape. Jackson always seems to be a step ahead of her. It also doesn’t help that he controls everything, from her car and electronics all the way to the small town they live in.

This was a fun game of cat and mouse and watching Elana try to outwit Jackson was enthralling. When she was snooping around I found myself leaning forward in my chair getting nervous for Elana.

I honestly could not look away from this book. It had some twists and turns I did not expect and I liked where it ended up. I highly recommend this one.

I was new to Jenna Kernan when I requested this but I am so glad I did.
it's a dark, explosive thriller, with a shocking ending. The two timelines do a great job of illustrating how the MC was in the situation.she is.
The storyline is so tense and enthralling, I couldn't stop listening way into the night. I also think the fact this was audio meant I was pulled even deeper into the narrative. If you like a dark, domestic thriller then this is must read of 2022.
#TheExWives #NetGalley.

I thought this was a really solid book. The narration was done really well and was a quick listen. It had a lot of twists and turns and some I did not see coming at all especially towards the end. All in all I thought this was pretty good thriller and would recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the arc of this audiobook.

oh wow what a grande finale!
this is my first book by jenna kernan and honestly sometimes it dragged on a bit but the further I went into the story the more obsessed I got.
I particularly enjoyed the ending. would not have thought it come like this.
basically it is about a woman who is rather a prisoner than a wife. I could understand why Phoebe acted like she did altough it seemed unrealstic. but all facts considered, she did not have any choise!

the narration by Stephanie Cannon was perfect!

thanks #NetGalley #Bookouture Audio for this advanced listening copy

This book is full of twists and turns. Aside from the plot it also provides an in depth picture of mental and physical abuse which is stirring.

Alana is over the moon when she meets and marries Jackson, a wealthy man who takes Elana and her daughter Phoebe from struggling to get by to a beautiful house and extremely comfortable life. Despite many red flags from Jackson, including strict rules regarding what Elana and Phoebe are allowed to wear and spend money on, E lana believes she is living a dream at first. Until she starts to put some pieces together about Jacksons past. Jackson has two ex-wives, and each of those ex-wives who have daughters who went messing. Is Phoebe in danger? Alana will do whatever it takes to protect her daughter.

The first half of the story is told through dual timelines which meet as the present story line in the second half. I think the story would have been better off without the two timelines as they really ended up making the story more clunky and repetetive. Overall, despite being pretty farfetched and ridiculous, and Elana making a lot of extremely poor choices, the story was entertaining and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. The audiobook was great and the narrator did a perfect job!

The Ex-Wives is a solid thriller, with a good audio narrator. The plot was great and there was a decent twist that I hadn't seen coming; however the writing was a little awkward and repetitive, which slowed the pace a bit.

This is a very well written book about a woman caught in an abusive marriage and wants out but discovers that her husband is more than just abuse. He's a monster.
She has to devise a way to show the FBI and people outside of the little town that his family runs what he's really like and to get herself and her daughter out.
I enjoyed the story and thought it was well written and definitely held my interest throughout.

Domestic Thriller lovers need to add this to their reading lists NOW.

I will say the icing starts a little slow to build the plot and backstory for the rest of the novel. The chapters flip between ‘then’ and ‘now’ to give us a glimpse into just how Elana managed to find herself in the position she’s in. We see charming, caring Jackson and how he set his trap for Elana and then in the now we see what is happening in the hell that is the relationship today. We follow elana as she uncovers unfathomable things about Jackson and his past and her race to get herself and her daughter out of the relationship and to safety. The pace picked up quickly and I was hooked! This is a fast read and there are some twists throughout to draw you in even further. While some aspects (without spoilers *cough* the broken arm) seem not particularly well thought out overall this book is a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion

Characters who draw you in and keep you guessing. A truly enjoyable listen. Don’t pass on this one, you might just regret it.

This is an engrossing mystery thriller. From the get go you feel something is majorly amiss. I really felt for Elaina and her daughter living with a two faced abusive husband. You probably realise the subject matter is dark. Made me think about what do we really know about the people we meet and what would we do to protect our children. Exciting from beginning to end. Thank you to Bookouture Publishing and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

The Ex-Wives by Jenna Kernan starts out with instant drama and doesn't stop. I thoroughly enjoyed that. I experienced hope and sadness right alongside Elena, waiting to see what the next moves would be.

I loved Stephanie Cannon narrating this. Her voice has such range! There were moments when she did speak much too fast, but they were few and far between.

Overall, I rate The Ex-Wives a solid 4 stars.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio for providing me with an ALC.

GREAT BOOK!!! First of all, the narrator did a great job going back and forth between man and woman. The story itself was amazing. The suspense was great and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I listened to this book. My blood just boiled at the entitlement Jackson had. I did not enjoy Jenna's last book near as much, but now will be going back to find her other books. Great story line. Great writing as far as the secrets go in the story and great ending! Cannot recommend this book more!

Ex-Wives starts like a Cinderella Love Story. Elena and her daughter, Phoebe, think they have just entered into the perfect life when Elena married Jackson, a charismatic and rich small town mayor. Then it turns into every woman's nightmare, a husband controlling from what to cook, what to wear to when she is allowed to drive and the money she is allowed to spend. Tracking, tracking and more surveillance leaving Elena feeling like she is trapped. Elena uncovers an even more startling fact her husband forgot to mention... he has been married twice before... and each wife had a young daughter that has gone missing. As tensions rise and Jackson's behavior becomes out of control Elena decides she must leave him but how does she do so and keep Phoebe from succumbing to the same fate as the previous young daughters. The abusive relationship Elena finds herself in keeps her tethered to Jackson for the safety of her daughter. Jackson, and his whole family, are very manipulative and sinister but well thought out in their actions which keep Elena trapped in a cat and mouse game.

This book will raise the tiny hairs on any woman. The suspense has the reader holding their breath until they find out the results of the latest twist, the thrilling pace of the book engages the reader and you are submersed in the story. Well done to the author and if you like suspenseful thrillers check this book out in Oct when it is published!


Thank you to Netgalley, the author Jenna Kernan and the publisher.
Expected publication October 10, 2022

Elana feels like she’s found her white knight after Jackson swoops in to carry her and her little girl away to happily ever after. But there are cracks in their perfect marriage, Jackson is controlling, telling Elana what to wear, insisting she stay home, he isolates her from the world. And then Elana discovers that her husband has been married before – twice. When she tracks down his ex-wives they seem terrified at the mention of Jackson, and most chillingly of all, their daughters disappeared when they left him. While readers might be frustrated at Elana’s acceptance of her husband’s bullying, the sad truth is that many women stay with their abusers, for a myriad of reasons. The fault lies not with the woman, but with the man

"Some actions cannot be reversed. You just have to deal with the consequences."

"The devil didn´t wait until midnight. Any time would do."

The Ex-wives is one of the best books I had the pleasure of reading in 2022. People who read my reviews may know that I have to like the main protagonist to keep interested in the story. The main protagonist is always someone I want to be invested and interested in and Elana was such kind of protagonist to me! I was glued to her the whole time and rooting for her and for her daughter to ...well, you will find out when you read the book! Thank you Netgalley for an Advanced copy. I am so glad to have gone through this "journey" with Elana and with Phoebe.

Summary:

Two ex-wives. Two missing girls. Will yours be next?

Pulling a batch of my husband’s favourite golden oatmeal cookies from the oven, I smile to hear my daughter Phoebe playing in the treehouse outside. I was once so close to losing everything, but since I married handsome Jackson, I have a perfect life. Jackson might tell me what to wear, but he just likes to buy me nice things. He says I don’t need a job, and why would I want one? I can spend all day taking care of Phoebe and running errands in the fancy car Jackson gave me—he knows everywhere I go, and I love how much he wants to keep me safe.

But my whole world shatters when I find out Jackson is a liar.

He never mentioned he was married before—twice.

I love him so much. But how can I trust him now? Desperate for answers, I search our pristine house top to bottom. I thought Jackson was caring: but is it a way to control me?

When I track down his ex-wives, I see fear in their eyes. Both these women had little girls just like me. And when they left Jackson, their daughters went missing.

Devastated I’ve put Phoebe in danger, I have no choice but to find the truth about those poor girls. To protect Phoebe, I must pretend to still be the perfect wife, even though fear floods through me at Jackson’s touch.

But how far will I have to go? And what will happen to me and my sweet child if my husband finds out?

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of The Ex-Wives by Jenna Kernan. What a bone chilling book! I thought this exceptional!

Pub date: 10 Oct 2022

Thank you Bookouture Audio via Netgalley for the early audio copy to read and review.

This was a good psychological thriller.
OH.MY is Jackson INFURIATING. I can (almost, kinda?) see how Elena would fall into his trap; he is portrayed as being quite charming, says all the right things and claims to care about her. When she finds out about the ex wives (yes, ex wives plural), hence the book's title, as well as their missing daughters, she starts to realize his "caring" is more sinister. Like, he's a straight up controlling, abusive a$$hole. Several times during this story I shook my head or facepalmed at Elena's decisions (like SPOILER: don't freaking sign something without reading it while you're in police custody! END SPOILER) but could understand the fear of what impact her actions would have on her daughter. I also like that everything is tied up in a neat bow by the end; I was definitely rooting for her but some things she did....

I thought the narrator did a good job of distinguishing between characters so during a scene it was not difficult to keep straight what was happening. The narrator also put enough emotion and intonation into the reading that I felt it flowed really nicely.