Thank you so much to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this ARC of The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club. Highly, highly recommend reading this one!

I enjoyed this book so much! It definitely kept you guessing the entire time at who the killer was. I like how we got to see the murderer’s perspective at the very end.

I loved all the quirky parts and the found family. The glitter flying through the air as they found him in the closet made me actually laugh out loud.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did such a great job!

This was light frothy girl power fun. There were a few points that were a little eye roll inducing, but it was twisty fun that didn’t take itself too seriously.

Three women discover they are dating the same man. Instead of turning on each other, they band together to get their revenge. Petty revenge, like the type made popular by a podcast. But when their ex turns up dead, all signs point to them. Can they solve the crime before the police and clear their names?
Clever, and surprisingly introspective at times. A solid feminist revenge tale. Give to fans of Misha Popp and Elle Cosimano.

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up!

Kathrine Who is a chemistry scientist who has been dating Tucker Jones for the last several months. Kat has never fit in with the cool kids and has always been "socially awkward." She hasn't dated much and was beyond shocked she was able to score a guy like Tucker. There may have been some red flags, like only being able to see him on Wednesdays and Sundays, and not being able to leave ANYTHING at his house, but she may have blissfully ignored them. It wasn't until, one night, Kat goes over to Tucker's house to surprise him on one of their unscheduled nights that she realizes Tucker Jones isn't the loving boyfriend he pretends he is. Kat ends up nakedly interrupting a romantic proposal.... for SOME OTHER WOMAN???! Olivia is Tucker's OTHER girlfriend, a gorgeous, badass lawyer. Instead of Olivia hating on Kat, the other woman, they decide to come together to GET EVEN! The two of them come together to create a plan to get revenge when they stumble across another scorned woman Tucker also had sex with, Elle. The three of them plan to break into Tucker's house to release amphibians, destroy some of Tucker's stuff, and smear human feces everywhere. However, they were shocked to find Tucker was waiting for them when they broke in.... but he was already dead.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book! I thought it was going to be more of a YA mystery story, but it ended up with some twists and turns that kept me sooooo interested. I did not guess the final plot twist at the end! This reminded me of the movie, "John Tucker Must Die," but with actual murder and crime. With the added chemistry element to determine the cause of death, this book was right up my alley. It had a little bit of romance in the beginning, murder mystery, and overarching themes of feminism and supporting best friends.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

I would like to personally thank Gloria Chao for writing a book that feels like watching a slightly more unhinged, adult version of "John Tucker Must Die" while sipping three margaritas and stress-baking cookies during a true crime binge. "The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club" is pure chaotic delight with a side of murder, friendship, and truly questionable life choices that I fully support.

Let’s set the scene: Kathryn Hu (resident chemist, socially awkward overachiever, and prime candidate for a follow-up book that is just a string of disastrous Hinge dates) thinks she’s finally found the one. Spoiler alert, she has not. Instead, she accidentally walks in on her boyfriend, Tucker Jones, proposing to another woman, Olivia. Yikes doesn’t even begin to cover it. But wait, because this man was running the full polyamorous grift without consent, there’s also Elle, girlfriend number three, floating around in this swamp of betrayal. Instead of turning on each other, these women do what any self-respecting, emotionally wrecked women would do, they team up for revenge.

And when I say vengeance, I mean vengeance. We’re talking frogs, poop, glitter bombs, the kind of unhinged chaos that makes you question if the plan was designed by a group of middle schoolers or very angry women who watched "The Other Woman" one too many times. But then... plot twist. While they’re executing this prank, they find Tucker less than alive in his closet. In fact, he’s about as dead as his commitment to monogamy.

Now we shift into full-on cozy mystery territory. They’re covered in DNA, have airtight motives, and look as guilty as a cat next to a broken vase. But they didn’t do it, promise. Enter the amateur sleuthing phase, complete with lying to law enforcement, going on a podcast (because of course someone’s capitalizing on this mess), and investigating Tucker’s many, many enemies. I mean, this man had a Rolodex of people who wanted him dead. Frankly, it’s a miracle he lasted this long. And just when you think things can’t get messier, the unhinged podcast host keeps circling like a vulture, getting way too close to blowing everything up before the girls even know what hit them.

The real star power here is the friendship between Kat, Olivia, and Elle. These women start as strangers bound by one man's stupidity but evolve into this hilarious, chaotic found family that I absolutely adored. Their personalities bounce off each other like a drunk game of "Clue." You’ve got Kat’s neurodivergent charm and her obsession with weird phrase origins (an absolute gem), Olivia’s fierce pragmatism, and Elle’s savvy writer’s brain trying to script their way out of a murder charge.

Also, can we take a moment for Detective Birch? The man’s practically exhaling romantic tension every time he shows up. He tries to stay professional while clearly developing feelings for Kat, who is over here accidentally incriminating herself while explaining the etymology of "dead ringer." The man deserves hazard pay.

Is it a little over-the-top? Yes. Does the plot occasionally stretch the limits of plausibility? Absolutely. Did I care? Not even a little bit. This book knows exactly what it is, popcorn thriller meets cozy mystery with a dash of heartfelt growth. And the ending? It took me out. I was blindsided like a raccoon caught in a flashlight beam.

This was a 4-star ride for me. It’s silly, fast-paced, sneakily emotional, and exactly the kind of unhinged, murder-adjacent escapism I crave when real life feels too serious. And yes, I too want book two IMMEDIATELY.

Whodunity Award: For Turning Frog-Based Revenge Into Felony Charges With Style

Huge thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for the early access to both the ARC and audiobook. Extra love to Carolyn Kang for absolutely nailing the narration. She brought so much heart and humor to Kat that I now fully want to be best friends with a fictional character. This book is easily one of my favorite reads of the summer, but the audiobook? Next level.

4.5✨.
The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club — what a funny, suspenseful, twisty, and thoroughly entertaining read! This was exactly what I needed — something light-hearted, but still layered and intriguing.

We start off on one path and then take a hard left — in the best, most clever way possible. The twists were smart and unexpected, but what really hooked me was how the story seamlessly wove in genuine, sweet, and complex moments of female friendship and personal growth. I absolutely adored our three main characters, and even the detective’s side storyline brought something special to the narrative.

That final twist? I did not see it coming, but I thought it was genius. It completely elevated the book for me.

I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator nailed it — I felt truly invested in her delivery and voice throughout the story.

All in all, such a great read! Highly recommend if you want something smart, sharp, and unexpectedly heartwarming.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gloria Chao, and Harlequin Audio for this ALC.

4 stars, Gave me John Tucker Must Die vibes in the beginning, then started giving Finley Donavon vibes. I was laughing though most of it. Easy to follow story; didn't figure out the twist until the end. First book from this author and would be happy to read more by her.

The audio was fantastic for this book and I really enjoyed the narrator as well!
This book was such a fun exploration of found friendship in the worst of circumstances and I really enjoyed all of the hijinks the girls ended up in. There was a lot go growth for Kat throughout the book and learning to faces her issues. Overall, this was a fun cozy mystery that had me chucking during my morning commute. I also thoroughly enjoyed learning the meaning to a lot of common phrases.
My one negative takeaway is that our main FMC, Kat reads as younger than she is and very naive to the world which was slightly annoying to me, however, I did enjoy that the chapter headers featured her unlucky or lucky "stats".

Thank you to netgalley, Harlequin Audio, Harlequin trade publishing and the author for the E-arc and ALC.

There are not many books that could ever make me absolutely cackle at full volume in a take out restaurant, but this one is it. Let me tell you that when that girl named the Frogs #1, #2, and #4, I was done. Overcooked. I am a fan for life of this author. Kat is an incredible protagonist, and I am in love with her quirk of always knowing and writing the origin of phrases off the top of her head. All together this book is billed completely accurately: laugh out loud hilarious. It is going in my list of top comedy/mystery books in the last few years! I can’t get enough of this trio!
A massive massive thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review! I will 100% be buying my own copy in a few short months!

Would absolutely recommend to fans of "The Other Woman" but love that this adds the aspect of finding the ex dead! I was totally in on the whodunit and definitely didn't suspect the ending!
Love it and really want a book two for the love story or the trial!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ — The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is a twisty, fast-paced read perfect for fans of Finlay Donovan and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. With a fresh blend of dark humor and amateur sleuthing, it delivers a fun, if slightly over-the-top, ride through murder and messy relationships.

While the premise was intriguing and the characters had great banter, some of the plot points stretched believability, and a few twists felt more chaotic than clever. Still, it’s an entertaining pick if you’re in the mood for a sassy, crime-filled romp with bite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Revenge on ex boyfriend gone murderously wrong is what you'll find in Gloria Chao's The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club. Three women who are wronged by Tucker Jones, plot their revenge prank to only discover his dead body in one of his closets. The three of them come together and somehow try to solve his murder kind of/sort of with the help of the police. Throw in some misleading and condemning red herrings that puts the one scorned lover as the main suspect, and a revenge podcast which seems to make things worse.

My first critique is the ex boyfriend's name... Tucker Jones? Way too similar to the name John Tucker, which was a clear reminder of the comedy movie "John Tucker Must Die" with a plot of three scorned ex-girlfriends who plot against him for screwing them simultaneously. We couldn't come up with a more original name that this? One should have just named him John Smith at that point. What also threw me off was the one main character and her family dynamic. I am not sure if that was completely necessary, but I guess it was for character development. Sometimes the integration of the podcast threw me off a little, too. And the one romantic relationship felt a bit forced and could have done without. I guess it was created for the further development of the character and for future books of the series.

I did enjoy the whole murder mystery aspect of the book, especially the little twist at the end. I did enjoy seeing the main FMC grow and find a relationship beyond the one failed romantic one. I think in the view of that this is a mainstream easy book to consume, then this was a good read. Under a different view with a harsher lens, it deserves a bit more refinement. Would recommend for a fun and easy read at the beach or pool!

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

I will post to social IG

I truly loved the vibes from this read! It gives the John Tucker must die movie vibe but with a twist, I truly enjoyed every moment of this read! I loved the mystery twist to this and yes I saw the ending coming however it was still so fun and exciting!! Truly so good!

3.5 stars
Audiobook

Finally allowing herself to fall in love, Kathryn Hu discovers that her too-good-to-be-true boyfriend is not all he seems - he has more women in his life. Angry and hurt, the women bond together and plan revenge. However, funny pranks shockingly turn into murder accusations! Who killed Tucker Jones? How dirty was he? Add in a war with a true crime podcast, and hijinks ensue.

A hilarious cozy mystery novel about revenge and the power of friendship: Chao wrote a story that is fun and filled with HEAs for the ladies - a take on 'John Tucker Must Die' movie but aged up, and with actual murder instead of social suicide. The podcast subplot is the weaker side of the book, but the ending does tie up why it was necessary.

According to Goodreads, a sequel is planned, and I'm eager to see what the ladies get up to next!

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is peak popcorn thriller energy. I was smirking my way through the dialogue and the twisty plot like I was watching a dark comedy unfold. Imagine John Tucker Must Die… but like, he’s actually dead. LMAO.

This story strikes a fun balance between lighthearted chaos and introspective growth. The exes are out for revenge but along the way, they start facing what’s really been holding them back and work toward building something that actually makes them happy. Sure, the main trio could be a little irritating at times, but honestly? I had fun hanging out with them.

Also, random side note: I loved the quirky little sidenotes about phrase origins such a clever touch. And the ending? Totally caught me off guard (in the best way). Overall, a super entertaining read with surprising heart underneath the murder plot.

I listened to the audiobook. It may have impacted my views (no way to know for sure).
Carolyn Kang narrates, and that in itself is fine. Her inflections along with the actual book made it come off a bit too campy and ridiculous for my taste.

Three women discover they were all dating the same man when one accidentally crashed another's proposal. They banded together to play some pranks in order to get revenge- but someone got the ultimate revenge first. When they break into his apartment, they find him deceased. Someone murdered him. They need to figure out who- and quickly- before they get blamed.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I seen this on NetGalley and the title instantly had me intrigued. I just needed to listen to this and boy was I right!
From the start I was absolutely sucked in and couldn’t stop listening. The storyline was captivating and had me needing to know what was gonna happen next.
The characters are loveable and I loved the friendship they formed even though they met in such unfortunate circumstances. It was so much fun learning how the trio was going to get out of their crappy situation (iykyk). The characters were so well written and you get enough back story that they feel real.
The narrator did a great job differentiating between the characters. I was able to clearly tell who was who and it was easy to follow along to. I really enjoyed the audio book of this!
Thank You NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the copy of the ALC. These thoughts and opinions are that of my own.

I’m not the target audience for this book. The content is juvenile, and I had no respect for the characters given their immature and malicious behavior. DNF ~25%. The audiobook narration is well done.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

What a fun, twisty ride! The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club brilliantly blends mystery, comedy, and chaos with just the right dash of true crime satire. I was hooked from the very beginning—three women discover they’ve all been seeing the same man (who, plot twist, is married), only to find themselves at the center of a murder investigation when he turns up dead.

I loved the amateur sleuth vibes and how these exes, despite their differences, team up to clear their names. The true crime podcaster character? Hilariously unhinged and determined to get them locked up—she added so much flavor and tension to the story.

The audiobook narrator was also incredibly engaging, bringing so much personality and humor to each character that I couldn’t stop listening. And the ending? I did not see it coming at all! Full of surprises, this story had me guessing (and laughing) right up to the final reveal.

Highly recommend for fans of comedic mysteries, found-family chaos, and messy ex drama with a murdery twist!

This was very funny and very fun!

The ex-girlfriend murder club forms after Kat finds her bf proposing to another woman, Olivia. When they go on her trip together, they find him with a third woman, Elle. They start plotting for revenge and then when trashing his place discover his dead body. They try to cover up what they did because it sure looks like they murdered him, but are caught in the act. Now they have to solve the murder before they get the blame. Full of cover ups, the power of woman friendship, and lots of laughs - this book was a bit predictable but very fun!

I also was sent an audiobook ARC/ALC and absolutely adored the narrator. She really captured Kat to me and I thought was really engaging and fun. I actually looked up the narrator to see if I knew what else she may have done or could listen to some other ones.