This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

Oh wow! This cozy and funny mystery packed quite the shocking twist! I think my jaw is still on the floor. This book was fast paced. Our lovable girl gang bumbles their way through this in a way that will keep you laughing. You can’t help but to root for them! I loved the found family themes, and how the characters learned how to be comfortable in their own skin. And once again, that ending!!!

Thank you to Harlequin Publishing and the HTP Hive for providing me access to this ebook! My review is voluntary and my honest opinion

The title and the cover clue the reader in to the idea that these Exes are working together to solve a murder...of a guy they were all dating! Very humorous story as the main characters first try to get revenge, and then try to get out of trouble.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read this book in advance in exchange for my honest opinion.
"The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club" by Gloria Chao (out June 24, 2025) is a fast-paced, darkly humorous thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story kicks off with Kathryn, Olivia, and Elle, three women who discover the body of their cheating ex, Tucker Jones, dead in a closet. The catch? They’re all on the list of women he’s wronged, and while they had plenty of reasons to wish him gone, they certainly didn’t expect to find him murdered. The vibe is definetly Finlay Donova, and who am i to say no to that? Count me in!
With a crime scene full of their DNA and a mountain of evidence against them, they have no choice but to team up and find the real killer before they get blamed for Tucker’s death. As they dig deeper, they uncover a web of lies, deceit, and hidden motives from everyone in Tucker’s life, including a surprisingly attractive detective who complicates things even further. Chao’s writing is full of twists, making this an engaging read for fans of quirky mysteries. It’s got the right balance of humor and suspense to keep you entertained, even when the story veers into darker territory. If you’re a fan of clever crime thrillers with sharp humor, this book is definitely worth a read!

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. A nod to and play on the famous 2006 movie, “John Tucker Must Die,” Gloria Chao’s The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club even features a version of the iconic line stating, “Tucker Jones must die… metaphorically, of course.” The story focuses on our 3 ex-girlfriends: Kathryn, a postdoc chemist at Harvard, Olivia, a big-time lawyer, and Elle, an aspiring romance writer. When all three girls find out about each other, they decide to get revenge on the man who broke all 3 of their hearts in the span of 3 days. The only problem is, and where it breaks off from the iconic movie, when they go to enact their nonfatal revenge, they find Tucker Jones is already dead…not metaphorically, and while they know they didn’t do it, they are the most likely suspects, and now it’s up to them to find out who really killed Tucker Jones before its too late and their lives come tumbling down. While reveal at the end is fun and has you questioning how you didn’t figure it out sooner, the last 3 chapters of the book feel slightly rushed almost like the ending of a police procedural tv show. I thought the slow burn between Kat and Adrian was really cute though!

I loved this book! For those who love the movies "John Tucker Must Die" and "The Other Woman" or if you read "Dial A for Aunties" or "Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers" this book is for you! This book is a hilarious ode to female friendships. I devoured this book and cannot wait for the sequel. It was such a fun and fast-paced murder mystery with hilarious elements thrown in. I'm actually disappointed it's over. If you love murder mysteries, unlikely trios, revenge podcasts, female friendships, frogs and glitter (IYKYK) then you'll love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for access to this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! This publishes 6/24!

When I saw that this book was being compared to the FINLAY DONOVAN series, I was so excited to read it! And it’s true - this had very similar humor, antics, plot elements, and character tropes (a hot detective, for example).

Our FMC, Kathryn, discovers that her boyfriend, Tucker, has been cheating on her with not one, but TWO other women. They join forces to enact revenge (the nonviolent kind, such as pouring glitter into his dryer). However, when Tucker is found dead, they find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation. They look guilty, but they’re completely innocent. The three women band together to try to solve Tucker’s murder - and prove their innocence.

One thing I did really enjoy about this book was the female friendships that the three women formed. After such a life-altering discovery, they find a sense of camaraderie and trust among them as they dig into Tucker’s past and learn his secrets. However, I almost felt like their friendship was described in a superficial way?? I only half-believed that they were actually friends; there was a lot of “tell” and not enough “show,” in my opinion. I also felt like the implied tension between Kathryn and the detective was not very evident in the writing.

There is a plot twist, though - one in which I did NOT see coming!! It made me want to go back and reread the whole book to figure out what I missed! 🤯

I’d give this book 3/3.5 stars. Unfortunately for me, if you compare something to FINLAY DONOVAN, it better live up to the hype. And, while I did like this book, it just didn’t do that for me. This publishes 6/24!

I am a sucker for murder mystery stories so when I saw this book I was immediately drawn to it.

It was cute, fun, and quirky book. I finished it super quick!

It is definitely a light read that can be used to pass time. I also kind of love the fact that the chapters were shorter. It made me want to put it down. I had the "one more chapter" mentality, and with short chapters.. it was never just one more chapter haha.

Would recommend!

Kathryn Hu’s last name makes her a walking question, but that’s the least of her problems considering she hates her job at the chem lab and has no friends. Things get worse when she learns the man of her dreams has been stealthily cheating on her with multiple women, a trope that never ceases to befuddle me because a) I married a good guy and b) if said guy wanted to cheat on me, I would literally have to organize it for him. Nonetheless, the incredulity begets a fun story where the jilted lovers unite to exact revenge on the philanderer, and are largely successful until he’s found dead in a closet.

The only thing Tucker Jones cares more for than cheating is the comfort of his balls, evidenced by his significant financial investment in a men’s underwear brand that boasts a separate pouch for his sack. Unfortunately, the invested funds weren’t his, so his girlfriends aren’t the only ones who want his head on a stick. When Kathryn appears guilty of murder, she finds solace and protection in her newfound girl-gang as well as a hot detective who we discern isn’t great at his job since he’s relying on 3 cuckqueans to dig up clues. There’s a deranged podcaster on a tirade that didn’t add much to the plot, but reminded me why I don’t like podcasts, so I still appreciated the bit. Meanwhile, Kathryn loves rabbits and metaphors, which made this an unexpectedly educational reading experience, where I learned what a mini lop is and that the saying “all eggs in one basket” hails from Don Quixote.

It's giving Finlay Donovan meets The Other Woman, with a sprinkling of Lessons in Chemistry. 4-stars for the campy murder mystery, girl power vibes, and horse dildo newsletters.

Murder, mayhem, and messy exes—The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is an absolute blast from page one. Gloria Chao delivers a hilarious, fast-paced whodunnit with heart, sass, and just enough chaos to keep you glued to the pages.

When Kat Hu shows up to confront her cheating ex with his two other girlfriends, she expects some cathartic girl-bonding over revenge fantasies. What she doesn’t expect? A literal dead body in the closet. And unfortunately for Kat, Olivia, and Elle, they look super guilty—DNA everywhere, solid motive, and a shared alibi that sounds more like a setup.

But what starts as a classic “we’ve been framed” mystery quickly turns into a wild undercover operation. The trio of wronged women band together (Reluctantly? Absolutely. Hilariously? Also yes.) to track down the real killer. Along the way, they face a tangled web of suspects, secrets, and one suspiciously attractive detective who might just make Kat's life more complicated than it already is.

This book is everything you want in a modern murder romp: sharp dialogue, absurdly entertaining twists, and female friendships that evolve from awkward alliances into genuine ride-or-die loyalty. Think Finlay Donovan Is Killing It meets John Tucker Must Die, with a sprinkle of Clue-level chaos.

Gloria Chao has a knack for blending humor with heart, and while the plot zips along at a near breakneck pace, she still gives space for moments of real emotional depth—especially as the women come to terms with the emotional fallout of their toxic relationship with Tucker.

If you love your thrillers with a side of comedy and characters who feel like your slightly unhinged but lovable best friends, The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is your next must-read.

Such a fun and entertaining read!! I found it so funny and hilarious and the mystery elements were really good. The short chapters made it so I couldn’t put it down!!

Loved this book! Murder mystery and make it funny? This was a fun, page turner of a read, and I learned a lot of fun idiom origins, too 😂

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review. I loved this one even though it took me a minute to finish. Perfect for fans of Finlay Donovan and Stephanie Plum my fave two characters in the literary world. Love it.

This book was hard for me to finish. It was funny and has some twists and turns. Loved that aspect of girls coming together to have eachothers backs but felt that it drug on and didn't hold my interest.

I am always down for a fun book with a strong theme of female friendship. Throw in a murder mystery and a ton of hilarious moments and I’m game! This one was laugh out loud funny with overly ridiculous plot points and major chicks before dicks / women empowering women vibes. And when I say overly ridiculous I mean it. You gotta be ok with it being over the top. Like so many unbelievable things and a few plot holes, and for me it was pretty predictable, but still a fun time. If you like the movie John Tucker Must Die, you’ll likely enjoy this book. I thought the banter between the girls was great, and I really enjoyed their characters. I also thought Kat was well written with her quirkiness, and loved how the relationship with her parents was kind of sprinkled in there every so often. It did remind me of the Finlay Donovan books which I loved. Did anyone else think of Grey’s Anatomy a lot while reading this? The name Tucker Jones had me thinking of Bailey’s first husband and the McNickname def gave off the Grey’s vibes.

Read if you like
- Unlikely friendship
- Found family
- Mysteries
- John Tucker Must Die movie
- Revenge plot
- Taylor Swift
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Finlay Donovan books
- Lighthearted reads

This was such a great book and the ending had me completely surprised. The storyline was outrageous, but fun and funny. Also full of heart. I loved the growth of the three ladies and how they grew close to each other. I loved the detective side of the story too. Overall it was a really nice read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.

This book is not at all what I was expecting! It's got hijinks galore and really excellent girl power. I have to admit, I was a little iffy at the beginning, but it really comes together in the end.

3.75 🌟 this was cute, funny at parts. Good message. While I can appreciate the education, the little snips throuhghout on the history of sayings was distracting.

I must have laughed out loud reading this, because my husband asked, "what?" So I explained the part I was reading, but for it to make sense I had to explain another equally ridiculous part, and then something else, and he started laughing too.

This is a fun escapist read that's silly in the best ways. I always love a book about friendship. These women are busy getting to the bottom of their connection and the body they wind up investigating.

Kathryn Hu's love of chemistry and wordplay was consistent through the book making her funny and likeable. She does some weird things for her investigation, and I liked that there were natural, and funny, consequences. Her complicated relationship with quirky parents had a nice story arc. I'm so glad this book gets a sequel. I'd like to see more with Kathryn and her parents.

This is very much a popcorn mystery. It's a bit ridiculous, a little immature, but funny and entertaining. However some of the more serious inner dialogue was kind of thrown in randomly and it felt like the story couldn't stay on one path. The big plot twist isnt difficult to figure out early on, if you read a lot of thrillers . But I like I said, this was a fun time and especially if you're a fan of the movie John Tucker Must Die, I think you will enjoy this.