It got off to a slow start! But I stayed with it. Drama with a few twists and turns. Very entertaining. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review

I completely enjoyed this story. Even though you know at the beginning exactly where it ends up (it starts with the husband's funeral), you don't know how they all got to that point - and that's the fun (???) of the story. We have the abusive (verbally and physically) ex-husband, hippie ex-wife number 1, down-trodden soon to be ex-wife number 2, and the girlfriend. They all come together and things slowly spiral out of control and take on a life of their own. This isn't a thriller where you don't know who dun it...but rather a slow unraveling of the story of how these lives intermingle and the beauty of an Exes' Revenge.

A good solid thriller! Kept me engaged and I enjoyed learning about the characters. Definitely recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Imogen is walking on eggshells. She's going through a divorce with the most vial and evil man she could have ever encountered. One wrong move and she fears that he will take the one thing that means the most to her, their son.

When an opportunity arises, Imogen leaps at the chance to make things go her way. What she doesn't count on is a surprise visit from not one, but two of her husband's present and past loves. Needing them to understand where she is coming from, Imogen tries to head off a call to the police that would ruin everything.

Can these three very different women unite against this evil force? Are they all in this together or is there a mole on the inside, feeding information to the man they all despise.

An intriguing and thrilling read, with secrets being revealed around every corner.

This story is just a little dark for me and deals with domestic violence. Three women who were all involved with the same man band together to help each other. One to save her son, one to save her sanity and one to save her future. Phillip is very cruel and demanding. As a police officer he is controlling and threatening to all those he meets. The story starts with his funeral and backtracks to how he died through the stories of Imogene, Ruby and Naomi. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I thought the exes revenge would make a very interesting made for TV movie or Netflix series. it’s one of those folks that you don’t want to put down because it’s very far out there but works really well. It was definitely a bit over-the-top but I like how things seemed to fall right where they should have. It definitely had an unrealistic unpredictable plotline but I can’t say how many times that actually worked for this one.

I liked that it showed how sometimes people don’t change as much as you would like them to it’s just not gonna happen. It also shows how some people are extremely manipulative and others are very naïve and seem to fall for it time and time again.

This book really gives the quote “revenge is the best medicine” a new take. At some point I kind of laughed out loud and how this could really never happen into life. But overall I really enjoyed this one and took it with a grain of salt.

This is a book about one man and his relationship with three women. Phillip Rochester is truly one of the most despicable characters in modern fiction. This sadistic abusive man is a cop and his brothers in blue have turned the other way and ignored his behavior. I wanted to jump in the bok and kil him myself. The woman are Ruby, the ex-wife who still loves him, Imogen the current but soon to be ex-wife who bore his son, and Naomi, the hot young thing and current girlfriend who thinks she will be the next wife. These women who have nothing in common except Philip band together to seek revenge. The book starts with Philip's funeral but we are left to find out the who and how. We know the why. The chapters move among the characters and from present to past. In this way the characters are well developed. It should be noted that there is explicit dometic abuse in this book. This book kept me reading into the night and I wish to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review it.

The title of the book pretty much describes the plot of the book. Our despicable husband/ex Phillip is a master manipulator and police officer whose ex wives and current fling all band together to seek revenge for all the terrible things he has done to them. While there is a lot of action and suspense in the book, I feel like it dragged on just a little in the middle section. I also wasn't a huge fan of one of the exes, but it probably helps describe how a woman could manipulated and treated so poorly by her husband. Lastly, I felt like the extent of Phillip's awfulness was laid on just a bit too thick and therefore made it more unlikely these women wouldn't have gotten some protection from him somewhere down the line. Overlooking those slight flaws, it was an interesting read and quite suspenseful in some places.

A psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge as three women decide to take matters in hand when they are all systemically abused by the same man. Edged with dark wit and tense simmering violence, Jakeman addresses domestic violence and the stereotypes that continue to revolve around it with a solid compelling voice and a well-plotted storyline. My only qualm was the flashbacks didn't mesh well every time and at times I became confused as to where and who was speaking.

Thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel by Jo Jakeman! The book opens at Phillip's funeral and throughout the book the reader is introduced to Phillip's three "Exes" and the type of life each of them lived with Phillip ... The book has mystery, intrigue, darkness, good versus evil, some humor and definitely checks the box on revenge by an ex! If this book is any indication of the type of author Jo Jakeman is, I can't wait to read her future books!

I loved the idea of a book about exes getting revenge on a truly sadistic man. We know from the start that the husband, Phillip is dead. What we don't know is how it happened. The book kept me in suspense from the start up until about the middle. The revenge portion was really not something that could happen in real life, but Jo Jakeman's writing is so good and so engaging that it hooked me back in to the very satisfying ending. I would read more by this author.

Three stars: A dark thriller that shows what happen when women strike back.

Imogen tries to muster up some emotion at her ex husband’s funeral. Technically, she and Phillip are still married since the divorce was never finalized, so she should be the grieving widow, but she’s not. Imogen knows first hand how controlling, manipulative and cruel Phillip really was, and she is glad to finally be rid of him. Surprisingly, over the last couple of weeks, Imogen gained two new allies, Rebecca and Naomi also exes of Phil. Were the three women responsible for his death?
What I Liked:
*The Exes’ Revenge is a dark tale of domestic abuse and revenge. This is what happens when women take control over a vile man. I enjoyed this twisted tale. I couldn’t put it down as I had to know what happened to Phil.
*The book opens with Phillip’s funeral, so the reader immediately knows that Phil is dead. The book then moves back in time, uncovering key events that led up to Phil’s death. I liked the way the author incorporated the movements in time, it worked for this story.
*The book revolves around three women: Imogen, Naomi and Rebecca, who were all involved with Phil. Imogen is the main focus of the story. At first, she is meek and mild after living with Phil for so long. As the story goes on, she digs deep and finds her inner strength. I enjoyed watching her find her voice and seeing her stand up to Phil. Her transformation is impressive.
*I was surprised by the formation of friendship between the three exes. The three women are very different, and they don’t have anything in common except for Phil. It takes awhile, but eventually, the form bonds. Girl Power!
*Phil is an absolute bastard. I liked that he was so vile and that I completely hated him. He is one of those villains you love to hate, which made the story even more appealing. I must admit, I was shocked a time or two at how low he stooped.
*The book builds and builds with suspense, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. Was Phil murdered, and if so did the women do it? I had to know!
*The ending is terrific. After the dust settles, all the story lines are completed. No unanswered questions or dangling story threads. It ends in a good spot, and I was pleased with the way it all played out.
And The Not So Much:
*I was expecting more twists and turns. This one doesn’t have them. It reads fairly straight forward with no big surprises.
*This was an interesting read, but not one that was mind blowing or original. It ended up being a rather ordinary read. I wanted more.
*I struggled a time or two with the decisions made by the women and wondered why the authorities weren’t called.

The Exes’ Revenge is an interesting book, but it isn’t a thriller by any means. This one doesn’t have any mind blowing twists or turns, and the big secret that the villain is dead is revealed from the get go, the only question left to uncover is how he died. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t anything unique or mind blowing.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Fun, Dark, and Twisted!

What do three women who have all been involved with the same man have in common... Revenge against him!

And what a revenge story we have here. Jo Jakeman takes us on a wild ride with this one. Can Ruby, Imogen, and Naomi work together to bring down their ex, Phillip? Or will Phillip manage to manipulate one of the women and foil the entire revenge plot?

This is a good solid domestic thriller that will keep you engaged. I can't wait to see what Jakeman writes next!

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For any man who cheats on his wife and mistreats her, belittles her, and deceives her, what happens in this book is his worst nightmare. For any woman unfortunate enough to be married to a man like this, it is the story of how Imogen deals with her obnoxious ex and banishes him from her life forever.

The Exes’ Revenge opens with the funeral of Philip Rochester, a man who spent his life fooling others into believing he was something he wasn’t. Philip was a man who enjoyed being in control, especially when it came to the women in his life.

When Philip shows up at Imogen’s house to demand she vacate the house, she is shocked. But when he also demands custody of their young son, Alistair, it drives her to do something that she never dreamed she was capable of doing. She shoves him down the cellar stairs and takes him prisoner. Her unplanned actions work take a turn for the worse when people start showing up looking for Philip.

Philip’s ex-wife Ruby and his new girlfriend Naomi team up with Imogen, and things really begin to get interesting. They are now all part of this uncomfortable alliance, but can she trust either of them?

The nail-biting suspense—will Imogen succeed in what she is doing—will keep you turning the pages. The lies and secrets you discover will horrify you. And you will learn that if you are involved with a man who is even remotely like Philip, you need to get away from him now.

I could not put this book down. The main character Imogene and her separated husband CID Phillip are in a battle for their son and home. It eventually turns into a story about three women battling for their sanity and lives against a sociopath.

I hope the author Jo Jakeman writes more books as her first one is definitely a winner.

Not the worse, nor the best. It did have some funny places, but overall this read just isn't on my top books to have read list. I didn't feel enthused about any of the characters, but I tried.

My copy came from Net Galley. My review is my own, left of my own choosing.

Actions have consequences.

Phillip Rochester is abusive, manipulative and controlling. There are three women who know just how much of a nightmare he can be. One decision acts as a catalyst to start a battle in motion. Three women against one man. If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned....what about three women?

This book is disturbing, action-packed and suspenseful. I usually find at least one redeeming quality in characters, even villains...and I tried. But Phillip Rochester is just a total wanker. Not that the three women he wronged are much better. Imogen, Naomi and Ruby all have their faults and have all made huge mistakes in judgement. And normally they wouldn't have allied with each other for any reason, given their former attachments to Mr. Wanker. But.....adversity makes strange bedfellows.

I usually avoid books that center around abusive relationships, divorce, kids stuck in the middle, etc.....but this one sounded different. Revenge. Powerful emotions. And dark decisions. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop.....wow....just wow. The story is just incredi-disturbing, scary and wrong....but I couldn't stop myself wanting to finish...to find out what happened.

This story is heavy....emotional and dark. I think I might just have to watch 2 Disney movies and binge a season of Gilmore Girls to clear out my head. But, a book that can bring me on a emotional roller-coaster ride is well-written. This story moves along at a perfect pace....has plenty of unexpected twists along the way....and is stellar at building suspense and just feelings of dread, disgust, anger, sadness....

Not for the faint of heart or for those who just can't handle stories about abusive (mental and physical) relationships.

Kudos to Jo Jakeman for totally creeping me the hell out. By halfway through the book, even I was afraid of Philip Rochester! Total wanker!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This was a great read! I had never read anything by Jo Jakeman, so for a first title, this was exciting!

Who doesn't like a good revenge story?

The title alone was all I needed to make sure I got my hands on a copy of this and I went in with high expectations.

Where they met? I'd say yes, for the most part.

Highlights:
-The many layers to the story and how it all unfolded.
-I may not have liked all the characters, but the author did a nice job creating a core group of women, each with their own strengths and weaknesses that made this story work. That ties in with showcasing Philip's ability to manipulate these woman because of them.
-Philip! He's a very, very, bad man, and not ashamed to show it.

What could have been better:
-The story dragged a bit for me, especially in the middle. The ending was solid though.
-This would NEVER happen in real life. And I'm not just referring to these women coming together.

This is a solid debut effort and I will definitely be looking for what's next from this author!

ARC provided by NetGalley

Thank you to the publishers for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised with where this story ended up. At first it seems like the typical novel of jealousy...or is it? Without giving too much away, I really enjoyed how the ladies come together and pieces of the past are put together to make sense of everything.