Betrayal and revenge – now that’s something rather different for this series, isn’t it? But it’s a story with a central romance I entirely loved, plenty of fun and laughs along the way, emotional moments, wonderfully drawn locations, great characters, and a story that kept me turning the pages into the early hours, hopeful for a happy ending.

With the help of a matchmaking agency, Kate has found the relationship she’s been looking for. Jon is an airline pilot, travelling the world – and they’ve recently become engaged, although the blingy ring he presented her with might not have been quite the one she’d hoped for. Wedding planning is underway, but his job means she often finds herself home alone – and one Friday her quiet night in is interrupted by a visit from a (particularly hot…) stranger. He’s Willem, from Amsterdam, a bit of an IT whiz who’s been looking into Jon’s background – but only because his sister has just become engaged to the very same man.

Willem’s sister won’t believe her new partner is two-timing her – and the only way he can think of convincing her is by introducing her to Kate who can tell her the painful truth. Egged on by friend and cousin Margot, she’s started to thinking about revenge – and she’s already been in touch with matchmaker Poppy, hoping the Ever After agency can help while also perhaps righting some of the wrongs committed by the other agency that matched them.

Perhaps it’s a bit soon to be thinking about another romance – and maybe her growing feelings for Willem are only lust (my goodness, he’s gorgeous – and a rather lovely man too…). But when they discover Jon might also be stringing along another woman – this time in Italy – they jointly decide that they really must intervene. With a bit of forced proximity, Kate realises that she might just have found the perfect partner after all – although it’s a bit of a rocky road before that happy ending I wanted – and then there’s the small matter of getting even with the toad who’s behaved so very badly.

Yes, you do need to suspend your disbelief a little – all the jet-setting and travelling on a whim is something few of us could afford, but the Ever After agency does only engage with high-end clients. I loved Poppy’s undercover involvement – uncomfortable to say the least – but also loved the direction her personal story took, just perfect for the last book in the series. All the friends we’ve made in previous books in the series are here – colleagues too, and I particularly adore unconventional sleuth Marie, always effortlessly one step ahead of everyone else. And Margot’s a great – if sometimes bloodthirsty – addition to the cast, one of those close female friendships that the author always excels at, but also with a rather lovely relationship storyline all of her own.

And does Jon get his comeuppance in a suitably uncomfortable way? Ah well, you’ll need to read the book to find out – but it certainly worked well for me. This really was the perfect book to end this lovely series – I’ll miss Poppy, her lovely partner and Saffy the cat, her circle of friends, and I’m sad to say goodbye to the Ever After agency – but I’m very much looking forward to seeing what the author does next… .

It's another enjoyable book in the Ever After Agency series with familiar characters, some new ones, and a different slant on the matchmaking agency. Kate finds that her fiancé is not who he seems and discovers she is not the only woman in their engagement. Willem is the other fianceé 's brother and the deliverer of the devastating news. Kate meets Willem's sister, the other woman at his behest, and finds that she feels a sense of sisterly solidarity with her. Kate's attraction to Willem is a surprising complication, making this an engaging story with a delicious slow-burn romance between Kate and Willem. It's an escapist read with evocative visits to Amsterdam, Verona, and London, with complex and likeable female protagonists and a sizzling and satisfying romance.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This wasn't the book for me, I really struggled to get through this book. The double POV was really confusing, I'd rather read the POV of the FMC and MMC instead of FMC and side character. The FMC, Kate, annoyed me alot. I couldn't get myself to like her.
Besides that it bothered me that the Dutch word for the disease cancer (Kanker) was used as a swear word.

Thanks so much to Netgally and Boldwood books for giving me the opportunity to read this in advance and give my honest opinion about it.

The book “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Sandy Baker is my first foray into the Ever After Agency series. It is the fifth book of the series and it checked a lot of my favourite book tropes off in the storyline. Kate is a project manager that finds out that her fiancé is actively dating or engaged to multiple other women from one of those woman’s brother, Willem. She flies with him to Amsterdam to break the news to his sister. Thus begins her healing, her hunt for revenge as well as other women he is dating and the possibility of a spicy new connection with Willem. Question is whether she is ready to start something new so soon after her fiancé deceived her?

This closed door romance included a really nice chemistry between Willem and Kate. There was some good banter, some tension but also some longing between the characters. The tropes were well done with an only one bed scenario, some forced proximity as Willem insists on helping Kate through the process of handling her fiancé’s deception. The matchmaking agency and the role they played in the revenge plot was an interesting addition. I found it a good book that I enjoyed overall. Having said that there was nothing that really stood out and called my attention, it wasn’t a book that hooked me and made it so I couldn’t put it down and I think that is because of the slow burn between the characters and also a fairly slow paced plot line. Overall a decent read.

Whilst I’d not read the other books in this series, I have to say I did enjoy it and thought that the plot was very engaging.

Kate was an interesting protagonist and I cared about her immediately. It was a pacy start to things and I had to know how Kate would deal with her situation.
I thought the settings were well written and it made me want to go back and read the others from the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood for this ARC copy. All opinions are my own.

"I Knew You Were Trouble" tells the story of Kate, a woman engaged to the love of her life. However, after meeting Willem she finds out her fiance is a no good cheating liar who has multiple fiancé's.

Overall, this book was okay. It reminded me a bit of the movie "The Other Woman". I was unaware that this book was part of a series, which is probably why the Poppy chapters didn't make sense to me. To be honest, the Poppy chapters took me out of the story. I would have loved a traditional dual POV between the FMC AND MMC.

The story itself was a great idea, but I felt like there was so much going on that I couldn't focus on the main characters.
I did highly appreciated the John Cleese mention.

Thanks NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity!
It can have spoilers !!

Is it a very nice book, at first the story sounded rare, was it like: Seriously 2 parallel lives? A man (Willem) who appears this way in your department and you go to a bar to listen to what he means?
But in the end I really liked the development of history, that each one can have its happy ending.
I would have liked what that first night of Willem and Kate (The Spicy One) But it’s okay! I really enjoy even without that part.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My mistake for not realizing this was the fifth book in the series. I absolutely loved the setting of the book, but I wasn’t as fond of the characters. I think I would’ve connected more with them if I had the context from the earlier books, especially since there were several references to characters from previous installments that I didn’t fully understand.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood books for providing an advanced reader’s copy 🤎

This book had me hooked from the very first page. Kate Whitaker’s journey felt so real—her heartbreak, anger, and eventual empowerment were so relatable. When she learns about her fiancé’s betrayal (from another *fiancée* no less!), I was right there with her, feeling the shock and outrage.
And then Willem enters the scene. Can we talk about how perfectly mysterious and charming he is? Their chemistry is just *chef’s kiss*! The way their revenge plan turns into something so much deeper and unexpected made my heart flutter. I couldn’t stop rooting for them the entire way.
What I really loved, though, was how the book balances the humor of their antics with such a strong message of resilience. It reminded me that even in life’s messiest moments, there’s always room for growth, adventure, and maybe even a little romance.

Kate Whitaker’s world is turned upside down when she learns her fiancé is engaged to someone else. Instead of drowning in heartbreak, she teams up with Willem—the man who broke the news—to expose the truth to his sister, who is also engaged to the same man. Their journey from London to Amsterdam and Verona, initially fueled by revenge, soon sparks unexpected romance.

The novel is lighthearted and entertaining, with humor, strong female friendships, and engaging interactions. However, Kate’s reaction to betrayal feels oddly muted, and the revenge-driven plot lacks depth. While the pacing and underwhelming Amsterdam storyline could have been stronger, the likable characters—especially Willem—keep the story enjoyable.

I found this book ok.

Although probably not one I'd pick up again. It wasn't for me.

I didn't realise it was book 5 in a series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable revenge plot with destinations around Europe. A good end to the series.

Did not realise this was book 5 and you do need to read the others first because the characters are very interconnected.

This book was chaos in the best way. I loved Kates character and the pacing of the book kept me hooked from the start. I was confused by some POVs from other books but it didn't stop me enjoying the book. Quick fun read.

Even though I did not read the first books in this series, I was able to keep up with the premise.

Kate is engaged, living her life, loving her best friend and cousin. That is until Willem shows up.
Now, Kate knows she isn’t the only fiance. Her life that she knew and loved is looking almost boring, and she is hard on herself.

Having Poppy’s POV was great for the plot. She wasn’t prepared for the role she would be playing for Kate but she handled it well. I enjoyed seeing snippets of her and her husband's relationship.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
3.75 stars!
This was a fun and quick read! It was ridiculous, but in a good way. It gave me the Other Woman vibes and I loved how they banded together to take down our villain. I enjoyed Kate falling for her fiancé’s fiancé’s brother.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

When a charming Dutch man turns up on Kate’s door and informs her that he has something important to tell her, and that is, her fiancé is also engaged to his sister, and not only that, he asks her to come to Amsterdam to personally tell his sister, and prove that he does exist, she’s left reeling.

But then, they find out that it’s just not them two engaged to said fiancé, there’s another one.

So, with Poppy’s help they plan to get their revenge and to ensure he’s paying the price for his deceit.

The story was emotional, it makes you laugh.

I loved Kate’s hatching of the plot and how to see it through.
I also loved the way they become friends.

I highly recommend this book.

Engaging and intriguing. Justice well served but poorly executed. Jet-setting, whirlwind closed door romance to fill your time.

Plot Summary
Kate has an unexpected stranger reveal that her fiance is leading a double life as his sister's fiance. In the bid for revenge, she sets about Europe uncovering the dubious life of the fiance while falling for her travel companion, the stranger.

General Thoughts
> Character development
Kate is written accurately with strong research on her job, being in sync with her personality and emotions. Willen is aimed to be the ideal contrast to the cheating fiance, and this emphasis restricts us from understanding his character beyond his role as love interest. Margot stands out as the backbone of this story who offers support and encourages Kate to go out of her comfort zone.

> Pacing
The story hooks you from page one. The author takes you along on this ride and it is smooth and cruising journey as Kate embarks on the self realisation journey.

> Tropes
I picked this up for its unique plot and I'm not disappointed. There's rebound romance angle which ends before it starts. Also, you will find one bed situation more than once which is an experiment that works for this book.

> Setting
I did not know this is the book 5 of a series. So I was lost on the cameo characters during Poppy's POV. If you are looking to visit Amsterdam or Verona, this book will up your excitement for your holiday.

Who Is This Book For?
You would love it if you have read the other books from Ever After Agency series. As a standalone, it is still enjoyable for its unique plot.

I was very excited for this book but unfortunately for me I was confused throughout most of the story because I did not know it was book 5 in a series. While usually some books can be read as a stand alone this one was interconnected and had dual POV from characters in the other book. I love a good revenge love plot but if it’s going to be a dual POV please make it the main characters in this book. I can usually connect pieces with other interconnected books but the side characters having a POV threw me. I’m definitely going to add this to my list to reread but I’m going to read the first four books before!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I haven't read any of the other books in this series so in some parts of the books I felt like I was missing context, but this is my fault.

I also felt that the main characters don't have enough of a leading role (if that makes sense) so I didn't quite connect with their story.

That said, I really liked the author's writing style, the book reads in a very enjoyable and fluid way and at no point does it feel like it's going around in circles all the time, plus I quite enjoyed the mentions of pop culture elements.

This had a gorgeous way of writing all different type of emotional happening. It was refreshing in it plot. Refreshing in its character portrayal aswell as how the romance side of it happens. It's told in a fun way but also somehow is sensitive and wholesome. It manages I think to add depth because of how real these points in the books feel .but it treads a careful tightrope between adding nuance and sensitivity to the characters and what they do and feel. So the ending feel real,true and you care for it a whole lot more. I really really liked this book. More so than I thought going in.