Thank you to Netgalley, Gloria Chao, and the publisher for an ALC of this book.

One of my favorites is Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series and this was very similar. Three young women discover that they are all dating the deceptive Tucker at the same time and that he was playing each one for different reasons. When they cook up a plan for revenge, they don't expect to discover him dead!

Definitely a fun, summer must read. Quick and easy, finished in one sitting.

You find out you are one of three women dating one guy. What do you do? You all get revenge. Except after putting your DNA all over his bathroom, smearing poop in his office, and letting frogs go in his bedroom you find him...dead.

Kathryn Hu has finally found a guy who gets her. Except when she finds out that he has two other girlfriends, Olivia and Elle. The three decide that they need to take revenge. Unfortunately that was before they found him dead in the closet. The work together to find out who the real killer is to clear their names. But Tucker Jones is not who they think he is.

Built in is a petty revenge turned true crime podcast. The interludes added a depth to the story and made me question some of the true crime podcasts I listen to. The entire story was adorable and I enjoyed the play on John Tucker Must Die. As a chemist, I always get so excited when main characters are also chemists that are accurately portrayed. Generally when I read murder mysteries I read them because they're cleaver and I like trying to figure out who did it as the characters do. But there were so many inconsistencies about how a real investigation would actually happen. Why would a real cop ask people involved in the case to investigate? If they found any evidence there is no way it could be used in court. Though I will be totally honest I only had small inclinations about who the actual murderer was.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Links will be updated as posts go up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of the book as well as the audiobook
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This was really fun and perfect for fans of Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series. Several young women discover what they all have in common is dating the deceptive Tucker. When they discover him DEAD, they have to prove that they didn't kill him (and make sure each other are telling the truth about that!) Definitely a fun, summer must read.

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is a fast-paced, entertaining read that blends dark humor, relationship drama, and murder mystery with an often laugh-out-loud funny tone. The opening gave strong The Other Woman vibes—exes bonding over a shared past and shady behavior from the same guy—but the story quickly veers into darker, more twisty territory.

One of the biggest surprises? Elle/"L" is actually the wife and the murderer. I had my suspicions toward the end, but Gloria Chao still planted enough doubt to keep me second-guessing. That balance between suspense and surprise was well executed and kept the pages turning.

I listened to the audiobook version and thought the narration was fantastic. The narrator’s voice was smooth and easy to listen to, and I was especially impressed with how she differentiated between the female characters—subtly but clearly enough that I could always tell who was speaking. It added a lot to the overall experience.

While it wasn’t my favorite book ever, I genuinely enjoyed it and would definitely pick up more from this series. Fans of the Finlay Donovan series will likely love this one—darkly funny, chaotic, and full of unexpected turns. It’s the kind of mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still delivers on drama and twists.

3.5 stars - I was hooked from the beginning of this book because it was giving "John Tucker Must Die" and "The Other Woman" vibes—and the boyfriend's name was even Tucker! I really enjoyed the quirks of Kat, the female main character, who brings an Asian-American perspective that you don't often see as the lead in this genre. Usually, Asian characters are relegated to minor roles as token representation, so this felt refreshing.
There were some aspects that felt stereotypical, but they also rang true in their nuances, which made them feel authentic rather than problematic. The combination of solving a murder through podcasting really interested me—it was done in a light-hearted way that spoke to the true-crime podcast lover in me, while also incorporating reality TV references.
The narrator was excellent—clear and engaging, with a voice that felt like listening to a friend tell you a story. Kat's character development was highly relatable, and all the women involved felt like real people you could actually know or encounter in your own life. What made them feel so authentic was their honesty about themselves after their relationships imploded—the vulnerability they showed about something they truly cared about. I appreciated that there was minimal focus on the women's bodies or their worth being tied to physical appearance. Instead, the story centered on their character and personalities. Even small moments, like when they gushed over a cute guy, felt genuine and relatable.
While some of the background problems felt less accessible to the average reader, they weren't the main focus anyway. The heart of the story lies in how these women come together—initially to pull pranks on a cheating boyfriend, but ultimately forming a found family built on acceptance and judgment-free friendship.
This book seems perfectly targeted toward a specific audience: women who exist in that sweet spot of loving Taylor Swift while also being brainy and intelligent, who are fierce friends and bond over commiserating about romantic relationships. If that's your vibe, you'll absolutely enjoy this.

I loved this book, the characters were genuinely delightful even when they were making terrible decisions, and I honestly wished it was longer. I would read a million more books about this squad.

The Ex-Girlfriends Murder Club

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Harlequin Audio and Mira for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book genuinely surprised me. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did. It was very cute, funny, engaging and entertaining. I went back and forth between audio and ebook and really enjoyed the audio production and narration as well and would recommend either reading physically or via audio. There was a good twist and reveal at the end and lots of humour throughout. I also enjoyed hearing about the origin story for different idioms.

For those that loved the movies The Other Women and John Tucker Must Die - this is the book for you.

📖 Kat surprises her boyfriend at his condo mid proposal - to someone else! The next time she’s at his condo, she arrives with his nearly-fiancée and another girlfriend they’ve met along the way to seek harmless revenge and they discover his dead body.

3.5

Kathryn Hu thought he was proposing to her, but turns out it was for one of his OTHER girlfriends that she didn't know he had. Olivia got the proposal, but turned him down. Tucker Jones is not the great guy they thought he was and as Kat and Olivia team up for a little revenge, they stumble into another girlfriend, Elle, who also joins forces with them. The trio of exs head to Tucker's apartment to leave him some surprises but get much more than they bargained for when they shockingly find Tucker dead, hidden in a closet. They need to find out who else had a reason to want Tucker dead and actually went through with it before they are on the hook for the murder.

This book was a solid, funny, cozy mystery read. John Tucker Must Die meets Finlay Donovan is the vibe it was giving. The story was a little twisty, gave humorous chaos, and added a bit of character growth for the ladies as they discover themselves more without the loser cheating ex-boyfriend. Great for a fun and silly murder dark comedy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook for review.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 💫

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is a hilarious, cozy mystery spin on John Tucker Must Die. Kathryn finds out that the guy she is falling for her has not one, but two other girlfriends. When the three women team up to exact revenge, they get caught up in a murder investigation.

I loved this one! It was so fun and fresh. I am loving this trend of more modern, edgier cozy mysteries with a dash of romance. This is one of my favorites. Highly recommend.

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.