Summary:

One man.  Charming, when needed; but behind closed doors he could be cold, brooding and abusive- physically and mentally.  Three very different women tied to his life.

The ex-wife:  Ruby.  Smart, but a bit too flighty and forgiving.  She and Phillip have been over for ages, but she obviously still loves him and they have a good relationship.

The wife:  Imogen.  Mother of his child and soon to be ex wife if he would only sign the papers... the only thing is, he is having fun stringing this along and making unreasonable demands.

The girlfriend: Naomi.  Over a decade younger and "hot" as he would say.  Had a bad start to life- foster care and constantly in trouble.  Phillip seemed to be ready to save her, at first.  They were going to start a life together.

When each of the three reaches their breaking point due to violence, lies or threats, they decide to wrest control and take revenge.  But what will three women with only one thing in common do when forced to band together once it all gets out of hand?

My thoughts:

  I loved and hated this book.  It got severely jumpy at times, going from one narrator to another- and one timeline to another- sometimes without a logical reason.  It was hard to keep up with what we knew at which point- this is a literary device used a lot for supposed mysteries..... if done well it can move the story along and add a bit of intrigue.  Here, it was sometimes helpful; but mostly it drew me away from the story.  

I loved these characters even as I wanted to scream at them for their weaknesses.  Imogen especially- I loved how fiercely she loved Alistair, and how she always wanted to be fair to Phillip even when he didn't deserve it- that she could still feel compassion and worry over her son knowing his father.  I understood her pains- the loss of her first child, the depression and the feelings toward her father's death.

Ruby was harder for me. I loved how smart she was, and how much she loved her dogs.... but sometimes her need to help and heal Phillip wore on me.  She allowed herself to be so gullible!  

Then there's Naomi.  Half the time I was asking myself what she was doing there.  She's strong willed in her own right, a bit wild and gorgeous.  But being made to feel like you had no where to go, that no one wanted you, for so long.... I can see how that would shape a person.

I am not even going to get into how much I hated Phillip- lying, manipulative megalomaniac that he his.... yeah, he's the perfect villain for this piece.  My favorite character, though?  Imogen's BFF.  Loud mouth, swearing, fiercely loyal and fun.  She broke the crazy up a bit.

The premise was wildly over the top and convoluted- but it made perfect sense with these characters.  It was an intense, interesting read that kept me turning pages.  Four stars!

On the adult content scale, there was a lot of violence and language.  Also a good amount of drinking.... but the violence was intense.  If domestic violence is a trigger, this book is not for you.  I give it a seven.

I was lucky enough to receive and eARC of this book from Netgalley and Berkley publishing group in exchange for an honest review.  My thanks!

Calling a book a page turner my be cliche, but The Exe's Revenge is exactly that. With a unique structure which starts at the end and then jumps back in time, this book compels you forward with increasing intensity as everything spirals out of control. When Imogene's soon to be ex-husband starts making outrageous demands before he'll grant a divorce, Imogene is forced to confront truths she's spent her adult life attempting to bury. After her exe unexpectedly breaks into her house to demand she move out with their son and threaten her, Imogene snaps. Then his girlfriend comes looking for him. Then his first ex-wife. Together these three women, who only have one awful man in common, must band together or risk none of them making it out alive.

Dark humor and entertaining plot / Just add popcorn

Phillip is a master manipulator and he has been at it for awhile, but when his girlfriend and former wives band together to plot their revenge, he is in for a heavy dose of his own medicine! Really? They did what to him? Oh no they didn't....oh yes, they did!

This was super entertaining and lets just say Phillip (who was quite the evil narcissist ) wasn't a sympathetic character at all. In fact, I can't think of any redeeming qualities for him. The character we all love to hate .
As the women plot his demise, Phillip proves to be more dangerous than ever. He has his own plan and doesn't like to lose. Someone is getting ready to face the music. Who will it be?

I'm not going to lie, this is a crazy and quite ludicrous ride, but such fun. Beware of Phillip!

This story started out slow for me, I think because you are told the ending at the beginning of the book and then the events that led up to it. I’m glad I kept on reading. An abusive man, his ex wife, soon to be ex wife and current girlfriend who all combine to try and get through to this man by showing him the error of his ways and getting the upper hand. The abuse and certain other things are believable while certain aspects are a little far fetched but still very entertaining. Altogether is was a great weekend red for me.

Wow! Crazy story but quite good! 4.5 Stars
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I have to say this book is loaded with triggers and raw description of those affected by domestic violence. However, the book is also about revenge and that brings strange bedfellows in and of itself. So if you are in the mood for a little payback, check out my review...

The story started out with a bang and really never let up. I was not expecting a lot of the dark graphic detail, however I understand that in order to get the response from plot you have to include rich and dramatic detail.

This is a debut novel by this author and I am impressed with her ability to delve into a deep yet touchy subject without it becoming a negative connotation or judgmental. The plot is very intricate and she made it a book that was very difficult to stop reading once you got into it.

With highly developed characters and the ability to create and write scenes that include such high anticipation your heart starts to pound, the author has crafted a story that you will not soon forget. In fact, you will probably get that tingly feeling in the back of your neck like you’re being watched and feel the urgent need to lock the doors.

While some of the parts in the story you cannot actually be called wonderful, you can call the inventiveness, anticipation, and gut-wrenching reality of the story highly addictive. Plenty of dry wit humor too! This is definitely an author to watch and put on your one click list immediately.

I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did. About a quarter of the way in, I was ready to give up, chalk it up to another psychological thriller looking to hit the same buttons as countless other ones before. Then, the plot takes a hard left-hand turn and I found myself no longer in the gray muck of psychological thrillerville, but in the sparkly, colorful, oversaturated world of a pulp revenge story.

After a manner of speaking. The Exes’ Revenge lacks the gratuitous violence of the best pulp, but it is nonetheless a fast-paced story of revenge and unexpected consequences. The story follows the strengths and weaknesses of three very different women. They all have the same problem, but all have different priorities and goals, and all will go about wreaking revenge in their own way. There is something supremely satisfying in seeing a justly deserved revenge story play out.

So psychological thriller lovers will find getting into this story easy as falling down the stairs. But even those who aren’t thrilled with the genre (ha) can enjoy this book. Revenge is sweet, after all.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“putting aside the fact that you’re stalking your ex and are two maybe three steps away from boiling his bunny...I still don’t get it.”

Come on friends, nothing says “I’m a must read” like a saucy reference from a movie as twisted as Fatal Attraction! Am I right? Thought so.

Divorces can be vicious- but some divorces are deadly. Just ask, Phillip - shoot, strike that. Phillip is permanently unavailable - as in he is dead. The Ex’s Revenge is a twisty, dark, tale of retribution. 5stars for this one!❤️

This book was well better than a three-star read on my scale, although maybe not a full 4-star (so, 3.75?) -- and I do grade stiffly: The 5 star ratings are for those rare books I will want to read again and again, and buy extra copies to share with everyone I know.

This is an engaging, well-written thriller. We know from the opening scene that someone named Phillip has died. We quickly learn what an abhorrent creature he has been, to an ex-wife named Ruby, to his current, estranged wife Imogen, and to his mistress Naomi. Of course, since we know Phillip dies and that they all have motive, we suspect each of them in turn. So the mystery becomes who did the deed and not why.

Along the way, the three women forge a fragile, unlikely, intermittent alliance . I liked the fact that each of them evolved and matured during the brief, intense span of the story. I liked Imogen's oddball friendship with her co-worker, and her discoveries about her mother and her deceased father. But for the most part I was urging myself though the pages to find out "Who killed Phillip?"

The tension and suspense were keen, despite our knowledge that Phillip doesn't survive, because there are many turns where he could do great harm to any of the three women or to other characters. Having known many women who've been cowed by malicious men, I found the characters believable and occasionally endearing.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I will definitely watch for Jo Jakeman's books in the future.

This was great thriller, that will keep you wanting more! The plot was intriguing, and suspenseful. This story was full of twists and turns!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

The Exes' Revenge is an excellent who-done-it, and an awesome debut novel. Jo Jakeman brings us solid, strong women, who share the acrimony of the same man, a controlling, angry policeman who knows just what buttons to push to keep his ladies in line. Or does he?

This was an all-nighter. I served sandwiches for supper tonight so I wouldn't have to stop and cook. It's been years since I fed my family sandwiches for our evening meal. They are still in shock.... Jo Jakeman is an excellent author. She is one I will want to follow.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Jo Jakeman, and Berkley Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Interesting plot full of twist and turns. The empowerment achieved by these women was well deserved against the man who abused them. I recommend this book to all.

I loved the first chapter of this book; it sucked me right in. The first person narrator, Imogen, has such a snarky way of describing the funeral that I had to read on and get to know this woman better. This story made me nervous during a lot of it, which mimicked the feelings of Imogen, Naomi, and Ruby. How do you make a malicious manipulator and abuser like Phillip get out of your life? These women are thrown together during a struggle with this very problem and come up with some creative solutions, but Phillip is not easy to get rid of. The story is creepy, compelling, and scary. I enjoyed it, despite being anxious while reading it. I will definitely read another book by this author. I look forward to her next one.
I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Three women with one thing in common, or should I say one person in common - Phillip!

Ruby - the ex-wife who never seemed to move on.

Imogen - the soon to be ex - wife #2, also the mother of his only child

Naomi- current live in girlfriend. Young and beautiful.

It’s going to take the help of all three women to take down their one common denominator. Can they all work together? Can they really trust each-other? Or will Phillip come out on top...again!

A good solid thriller that I was able to read in no time at all. I was engaged throughout as the story unfolded from Imogen’s perspective.

This is a book that many will connect with right away and love every minute of it. I enjoyed it and would recommend if you are looking for a quick light thrilling read!

A buddy read with Susanne!🌸

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Jo Jakeman for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley, Jo Jakeman and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a debut thriller!! The story was great, fast paced and you love to hate the villain, Phillip (he is such a jerk!). This was a very enjoyable read, and I look forward to more books by Jo Jakeman.

I was really looking forward to reading this book. From the blurb it really sounded like my kind of book. It is about three women who want to get revenge on the same man that two were married to and one who was supposed to get married.to. The book starts off in the present day at the funeral of Phillip, the husband and then goes back in time so you can see what led up to his death. The three main women are Ruth, imogene and Naomi. Ruth, the first wife was left for Imogene who had a child with Phillip but was separated from him for over a year at the time of his death and was going to marry Phillip.



































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































I was really looking forward to reading this book. From the blurb it really sounded like my kind of book. It is about three women, two who were married to the same man and one who is supposed to get married to the same man, Phillip. Ruth, the first wife was left for Imogene who is the second wife and has one child with Phillip. At the time of his death, they are separated over a year and he is going to marry Naomi. The book starts off at the funeral of Phillip and then goes back in time. The three women team up together because Phillip is a despicable individual and they all hate him. I was about 1/3rd into the book and I find it to be tedious, the chapters were to longr and found myself not enjoying the book. I hate to give bad reviews and maybe for someone else they might enjoy this book. I didn't even care how Phillip met his demise..

This book begins with the ex-wife, current wife he was divorcing, and the girlfriend he was with now attending the funeral of Phillip. Phillip, a CID with the local police department, is physically, verbally and emotionally abusive. Because of his occupation, it is next to impossible to get the justice they deserve. The women, although all different and actively disliking each other, band together to take that revenge into their own hands.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the premise, but the execution of the story was very unrealistic. The storyline was at times unsettling and other times amusing. Overall I enjoyed the book and think it is worth a read.

I received a free copy of The Exes' Revenge from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When the current wife (in the midst of a messy divorce), the first ex-wife and the current live in girlfriend come together to seek revenge on the abusive violent man in the middle a great suspense novel is born.

Imogen has not been happy in her abusive marriage for years and has finally summoned the courage to leave but before she can cut all ties her soon to be ex, Philip, turns even more manipulative and scary, threatening to take full custody of the son he never wanted. He can't let his ego take a hit and let anyone think that Imogen would ever leave him so he quickly moves in with his much younger girlfriend. A chance encounter between Imogen and Naomi proves that Philip has not curbed his violent tendencies with the new lady in his life. At her wits end, Imogen makes a startling move and takes control over Philip and her life. She will need Naomi's help to pull it off especially with Philip's first ex-wife lurking in the background.

Jo Jakeman's debut novel is full of suspense and twists and turns, lies and manipulations. It was fun to see women who had been so traumatized by one man come together to change their lives. I did find myself yelling at them for some of the decisions they make but all in all it is a good read. I could definitely see this story as a Lifetime movie.

I woud like to thank Netgalley and Berkley Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Drama filled until the end!! I couldn’t put this one down.

What do you get when you put an ex wife, current wife and a girlfriend together? The death of a narcissistic, abuser! This is the kind of book that you root for a character to get what is coming to him.

I liked how the book went from modern day to moments of the past. I think it gave the reader a great picture and understanding at how these women could be with him and a look at their relationships. Just as a warning this book does deal with domestic violence and also the death of an unborn child. This book is well written and one I just didn’t want to put down

Phillip Rochester is evil, abusive man. He abused his ex-wife, his current wife who he is in the middle of a divorce, and his girlfriend. Phillip is a police officer so the women can't even rely on the police to help. The story starts with Phillip's funeral and you learn all the details leading up to it. This book was a fast paced and you definitely want to keep reading. This was a great thriller of a book! I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Berkley Books. All opinions are my own.

Imogen is in the middle of divorce with her husband, Phillip. It's messy. He's controlling and abusive, and he's not going to let her get away so easily. They have a small child, which means the stakes are high.

Imogen does the unthinkable in a moment of madness. Somehow, Phillip's exes are also involved to take revenge against this man who had wronged everyone.

Okay, this book doesn't shatter any ceilings. It's not groundbreaking. However, it is fun. I'm not really sure any of the women are likable, but Phillip is a horrible human being who deserves what is being plotted against him. It is a little far fetched, but it's enjoyable in a weird way. I liked it.


Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley.