In exchange for my honest review, thank you for allow me a ARC.

A hilarious murder mystery, "The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club" follows three women—Kathryn, Olivia, and Elle—who seek revenge on their cheating ex, Tucker Jones, only to find him dead. Accused of murder, they team up to uncover the real killer while navigating chaos and humor. Chao’s witty writing and engaging plot make this a fun read if you’re a fan of lighthearted mysteries.

Kat is down on her luck—she isn’t happy at work, her parents are pressuring her to marry, and she finds out her boyfriend is a two (and three) timing scum. When the girls meet, it doesn’t take them long before they’re planning out their revenge. The only problem? Tucker’s been murdered. As the number one suspects, they must band together to solve the murder before they go down for it.

This was a fun, quick, and easily enjoyable read. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. The characters are likable, and Tucker was equally hatable. The book wasn’t anything profound, and it read pretty immature. The plot was a little sloppy, and the podcast aspect was weird and unnecessary, taking away from the book. However, I still found myself reaching for this book over others. A little quirky and a whole lot of fun—an easy must read for the summer.

This ARC was generously provided to me in exchange for my honest review via the publisher and NetGalley.

Thank you #NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC of #TheExGirlfriendMurderClub

Gloria Chao delivers an absolute delight with The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club! This book is clever, quirky, and will have you laughing out loud. It is a fast-paced murder mystery filled with sharp wit, nerd-isms, and a trio of scorned women trying to clear their names before they go down for the murder of their ex.

The dynamic between Kat, Olivia, and Elle is fantastic. Their journey from plotting revenge to stumbling into a full-blown murder investigation is both absurdly funny and surprisingly heartwarming.

Chao masterfully blends comedy with suspense, much like my favorite movie as a teen "John Tucker Must Die", with its own fresh and unique energy. The twists kept me engaged, and the humor never overshadowed the mystery.

The only reason I’m holding back half a star is that some moments felt a little over-the-top, but honestly, that’s part of the charm.

The Ex-girlfriend murder club is a fast pace comical book! I definitely enjoyed the friendship aspect and how all the girlfriends got to bond. The main character fell a little flat for me at times her dialogue or thoughts were just out of the ordinary. Would’ve loved to see multiple POVs to help connect me to the other characters more. Super cute, fun concept, can’t wait to read more!

As a cozy mystery the plot of the book is wrapped around whodunit, but for me, the real pleasure was getting to know the characters as their friendship evolves. The main protagonist, Kat, is the smart, quirky chemist. Liv is the beautiful, confident lawyer. And Elle is the fun, gorgeous want-to-be-writer. Together, they are the ex-girlfriend murder club.
After realizing they have all been dating the same man, Kat, Liv and Elle band together to get revenge. What starts as silly pranks, gets much darker and much, much more serious when they discover Tucker’s dead body. When Kat becomes one of the lead suspects, the other ex-girlfriends make it their mission to find the real killer, so they can prove Kat’s innocence.
This entertaining page-turner managed a perfect balance of suspense and humor.
I only have one negative comment. I did not care for the podcaster plotline. While the podcast laid the groundwork for the pranks that led to the discovery of the body, that’s where I would have liked it to end. I cringed every time another podcast excerpt came up.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery or enjoys books about budding friendships. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this novel; the characters felt real, and the well-paced plot kept me engaged from start to finish.

I definitely adore reading any cozy mystery novels. They are just a joy to read. Plus, I always get sucked in on who did it or why they did it. It was no different when I started reading The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club. 

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club gives off John Tucker Must Die with bits of The Other Woman movie vibes. It was such a fun time reading the endless chaos between the three women. Each one of them had something to say or something to learn. And I don’t mind the romance subplot. I found it adorable.

I won’t go into details because it will spoil the mystery. Just expect messy yet adorable women finding out that they have been cheated on. Furthermore, expect a bit of revenge before discovering murder upon them. That’s when the investigation starts and gets more tricky when they discover endless secrets.

This was a fun and chaotic mystery! It was slower in parts, but that ending really took me by surprise!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!
ARC Review:
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Gloria Chao for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Ex-Girlfriend Murder club is a mystery novel following three women as they prank their ex who was cheating on them, only to discover a dead body as the scene. Olivia, Elle, and Kat are now caught up in the middle of a murder investigation and unraveling many secrets about a man they thought they knew.

This mystery/thriller also gave me, oddly enough, rom-com vibes and I loved that about it! While this is a book about ex-girlfriends who are out for revenge, the friendships developed along the way is the biggest highlight. Each woman's careers also lend a hand to the story; a great touch if you ask me. The podcast portion of the novel was my least favorite, just because I would have liked to see it developed more I think.

Overall, this is a fun mystery book!

Such is the life of reading a cozy mystery - sometimes it's a joyful romp, sometimes it is utterly predictable and the humor feels stale. This book fell into the latter category. The podcast was poorly written, and the murderer was someone I guessed immediately. But Kathryn and Olivia in particular were SUCH fun characters, and the development of their friendship was the best part of the book. I also loved reading Kathryn's experiences as a child of immigrants - some of the best humor came from her interactions with her mom.

Maybe I just have read some fun cozy mystery series, like Finlay Donovan and Tita Rosie's Kitchen, that I expect more fun twists and more humor than this one offered?

Spoiler alert: did a pivotal part of the book really have to be based on someone named Lauren? Lol.

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was a bit confused when I began to read this as it seemed more targeted to a young adult audience due to the dialogue and jokes. Based on the cover I thought this book would be a bit different. I came back to check this was categorized in general or adult, rather than young adult.

I was not a fan of the Botox references either. I kept trying to love this one and it just was not for me.

That being said, I will likely purchase this one if I see it in stores, as I might be in the mood for a humorous mystery in the future. That time is not now for me though, and I want to make sure I provide honest feedback on this read. I heavily appreciated it being formatted properly so I could read and access it in advance!

Thank you for the opportunity to sample this eARC! I appreciate the opportunity to provide honest feedback.

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club was such a fun murder mystery story. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more by Gloria Chao.

I thought this book was fun and entertaining! I read it within 2 days. I fun twist of mystery but also some comedy aspects.

This book was gave me so much nostalgia! I loved the movie “John Tucker must die” growing up, and this was a more adult and higher stakes version of that amazing early 2000s movie!! The best part of this was the friendship that came out of the 3 women finding out they were all with the same man. Realizing they have to solve the murder of the man they wanted revenge on, just to prove they didn’t do it, was the most epic way to bond. The journey was sweet and the ending was the best kind of sour. A really fun and twisty read!

This was a very fun, funny murder mystery! I didn’t want to put it down. The ending was great! I never would have guessed the ending! I definitely recommend this book for w fun, easy read!

** TikTok review coming end of March

I received an arc from Netgalley for an honest review. It's definitely a comedy crime mystery as the three ladies try to solve their cheating ex's murder. They were funny and I love their friendship. The ending was great! I did feel like the ladies were a bit immature especially since one has a chemistry PhD and the other is a lawyer. I was screaming when they were being stupid with the crime scene. Other than that, I felt the book was enjoyable.

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club was a nice and quick lighthearted read. While I enjoyed the character development and theme of gaining confidence, I do feel like the end was a little rushed. The relationship between the main character and the detective was a little odd to me as well. The little twist at the end was quite a surprise. Overall, I enjoyed the story regardless of a few plot holes.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read and review this ARC!

Murder Club by Gloria Chao

Gloria Chao delivers a laugh-out-loud mystery rom-com with The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club. Kat, Liv, and Elle unknowingly share the same boyfriend—Tucker. When they discover his deception, they team up for revenge, pulling pranks inspired by a podcast. But their antics take a dark turn when they find Tucker dead in his closet.

Now prime suspects, the trio scrambles to solve the murder before the cops—or a nosy podcast host—pin it on them. With sharp humor, clever twists, and a wildly entertaining premise, this book is a must-read for fans of Stephanie Plum. Here’s hoping for a spin-off!

This was a well-written and fast-paced drama that had me immediately immersed in all that was happening on the page. The author did a great job in staging this with a solidly wicked plot filled with suspense, intrigue, and hilarity. This book was so much fun with its witty dialogue and eclectic cast of characters. The mystery was nicely executed with a small suspect pool and clues yet to be discovered and those plot twists…kept me glued to the pages as I had to know what was going to happen next. The tension between Kat, Liv and the detective were palpable, but the shocking twist was the revelation of the killer’s identity and how it was exposed. Well done, well done. Overall, this was delightfully engaging.

Oooo this was a fun one!

4.25/5⭐️

“Three women dating the same man band together to get revenge, but when they discover his body, they'll need to solve his murder before they go down for it. The body in the closet was going to be a problem. Kathryn Hu knew it.
Yes, Tucker Jones was a cheating scumbag, and yes, she'd agreed to meet Olivia and Elle-Tucker's other girlfriends-to exact revenge for all he'd put them through... But then they found him. Dead.”

This was a fun, fast paced mystery with lots of laugh out loud moments. The characters took a shitty situation, and created a great friendship/ sisterhood out of it. I really enjoyed reading this one!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!