Becca is married to Dean and they have a toddler Mia
Becca and Deans marriage isn't great so when Connor , Becca's first love appears on social media and he lives in Australia Becca opens up to him about her problems and her life.
Becca' s daughter Mia suddenly starts getting ill and found to be poisoned . Is Becca poisoning her or is someone else trying to harm this family.?
Thanks NetGalleg

Wow! Halsall has been one of those authors that are a miss for me, with an occasionally hit, but this one was absolutely captivating and twisty as heck to me! This book was well written, fast paced, and realistic! It was very suspenseful and had me on edge for most of my reading it! The book absolutely grabbed me from page one and didn’t let go until I finished! Full of shocks, twists & turns, chills, thrills, and suspense! I highly recommend, even if you’re not a fan of the authors previous work, because she definitely nailed it on this one.

I’ll buzz around and use lower Amazon reviewer number!

Oh my!! What a curvy path the author took me on with this book. And the twists hit me hard when I banged into them unexpectedly. Author Rona Halsall is becoming quite a wicked queen of suspense. A dark plotter.

Story seemed simple, a good life with family and with husband being busy, Becca’s mind wandered to the past and voila. There came a message from the ex. Before she could act on it, daughter Mia became ill with no concrete diagnosis. Later she found out that her daughter was being poisoned, and the blame was shifted on Becca along with restraining order. Who was the puppet master and why was she being played?

Omg! When I started the book, all I could think was – This was a lull before the storm. And sure enough, the author caused the winds of circumstances to swirl around the main character. And I soon found myself right in the eye of the storm, not knowing what to believe and whom to trust. Well plotted scenes with a fluidity in the prose, this was Rona at her best.

With an unreliable narrator and many suspects, I was led down the merry path, though my thriller antenna kept twitching. I was sure the author had something up her sleeve. With great subplots which brought to light different motives, I was completely engrossed, trying to solve the mystery. Becca being occasionally irritating, I knew I couldn’t trust her. I needed to get to the bottom of things. Where was Rona going to take me in this family drama? And I had a few suspicions, wondered if I would be proved right.

The story moved like a sniper’s bullet, and the last few pages left me completely enthralled where the sting of bullet could be clearly felt with the twist. Oh my!! I was right!! Go me!!

One of my favorites by this author, I started this at midnight to get the complete feel of the book. And stayed up till 4 to finish it. A fantastic midnight read. Get the book today. Well recommended for thriller and mystery loving fans.

Wow what a page Turner. This book had me gripped from the first page lots of twists that kept you guessing and made me ask the question who can you really trust when things start going wrong. A fabulous read

The Ex-Boyfriend is an excellent, edge of your seat domestic thriller. This book hooks you from the very first page, and keeps you tight it’s in grip throughout the entirety of your reading experience. I was glued to the pages, eagerly trying to figure out what was going on with each flip of the page.

The author’s writing style and immaculately woven plot made this an easy read to follow and kept me on the edge of my seat. I finished this book rather quickly, as the suspense kept me frantically turning the pages.

The storyline is dark, alluring, and intriguing. Everyone has secrets, everyone is a suspect, and the twists and turns keep you guessing until the very end.

This book revolves around a woman named Becca, who’s three year old daughter, Mia, is being poisoned. Becca is the prime suspect, but proclaims her innocence and is both determined and frantic to find out who the real culprit is, if only to save her daughter and clear her name. She knows that the culprit has to be someone close to her, but who? And why?

Further complicating matters and darkening the plot, Becca is having marriage problems as well as issues with an ex-boyfriend. Could this have something to do with what is happening to her daughter?

Compelling, twisty, and filled to the brim with suspense, this thriller is an excellent read for anybody who enjoys reading domestic thrillers filled with drama and secrets.

When you open this book, be prepared for a wild ride. You will be second guessing everything you think you know. This is a riveting story & the writing style is fantastic! You won't be disappointed when you read this one!

He promised to love her until her dying day…

When Becca’s first love shows up on her social media feed, she can’t help but smile fondly. Once upon a time Connor was the love of her life, and though it was over ten years ago, he’s always held a place in her heart.

Then he sends her a message. He sounds happy – still kind and funny, still living across the world in Australia. But he wants to know everything about her life now. How can Becca tell him the truth? About her workaholic husband, her stressful job, and the challenges of caring for her elderly father and her longed-for, adorable but exhausting three-year-old daughter Mia?

Becca hesitates, knowing she shouldn’t even reply. But Connor lives on the other side of the world. Just how dangerous can becoming friends again be?

It feels harmless. Until Mia gets sick – in a way that no one can explain. And it starts to become clear – someone will do absolutely anything to make sure Becca never escapes her past…

I'm a big fan of Rona Halsall so was really happy to recieve this one.

The synopsis was strong, the cover was bold, so straight away I was intrigued to get stuck in... unfortunately it just did not quite hit the spot.

As I've come to expect from Rona its brilliantly written, I just felt that the story wasnt that strong. I purely think that there was only so far the storyline could be taken *no spoilers*. Don't get me wrong, the author used every opportunity, it just didn't feel as powerful as her previous books.

Personally I didn't really like the lead character Becca, I couldn't connect with her and found her quite 'silly' and self centred. The other characters were just as unlikeable in my opinion but I think that's how they were portrayed to be, especially Kate.

The ending was tied up like a nice neat present and I liked the epilogue (I do love an epilogue).

Overall it was an enjoyable read but not one I'd recommend unfortunately.

Thank you to netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

This is my first Rona Halsall book, and it will not be my last! I, like other reviewers, began this book thinking it was about one thing only to learn the betrayal is much deeper. Becca and Dean are married and after years of trying to have a child and multiple miscarriages, they have Mia.

Dean meanwhile is doing everything he can to build his business and create a future of financial freedom which leaves Dean extraordinarily little time to truly talk to his wife. Becca meanwhile is overwhelmed with balancing her career while essentially being a single mom.

Becca's life to the outside world appears perfect until someone awfully close to her decides to use her past against her and her world begins crumbling around her.

When out of the blue, Connor, Becca's flame with unfinished business prior to Dean contacts her via social media. Feeling a bit nostalgic for life before becoming a wife and mother she thinks, what harm is there catching up? Quickly Connor, the commitment-averse man, becomes needy. Sensing this is not the Connor she knew; Becca reaches out to him and finds out he is not on social media. If he is not on social media, who has been contacting her? The plot thickens.

To avoid giving any spoilers away, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a solid psychological thriller. The book was a little slow for me toward the middle but not so much that I disengaged. There were so many twists and turns, I found myself needing to know how this story ended and who was responsible for turning Becca's world upside down. I can honestly say, I did not anticipate who the culprit(s) were.

Overall Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you, Net Galley and Bookouture for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

While overall good, The Ex Boyfriend just did not work for me. I felt that the story had too much going on - Becca's illness, her daughter's symptoms, the husband's disinterest, the father's loneliness, the nasty sister, the over-familiar nanny, and of course, the ex boyfriend - for any one of the plot lines to really touch me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

So I did enjoy this - Becca is a nurse with a bit of a shady past, married to Dean and they have a daughter Mia. When Mia keeps being ill - Becca tries to discover who has been deliberately hurting her and quickly.
It was well written but the characters were very flawed and really annoying which spoilt it at times! Becca clutching at straws to try and find out who was hurting Mia was very random - I think at one point she might have tried to pin it on me!!
Worth a read - but some issues

Becca and Dean are married with a little girl. Their marriage is very strained. He is married more to his work than his wife. Becca starts to wonder about her Ex Conner who lives in Australia so she figured contacting him online would do no harm. Then her daughter Mia who is three starts getting sick. The doctors say it's a virus but is it? Someone is poisoning her daughter and she starts to wonder if Conner is really in Australia or is he trying to sabatoge her marriage.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

"How well do you know the ones you love?"

Gripping, dark, sinister and atmospheric, this is another outstanding thriller from Rona Halsall.

The story opens with a worried Becca waiting for news about her three-year-old daughter Mia at the hospital. For weeks she's been telling everyone there's something wrong, but no one would believe her. Who is making little Mia sick? Could Becca really be guilty? And what does the reappearance of her ex-boyfriend Connor have to do with it all?

This book had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The characters and plot felt frighteningly real. Though Becca is an unreliable narrator who makes some bad decisions, it was impossible not to feel sympathy for what she was going through. Her pain, heartache and torture at the thought of someone harming her daughter was palpable, but there was always the nagging question in the back of your mind of whether we could really trust her. I had that doubt in my mind right until the reveal, though my gut was saying she didn't hurt Mia. I'm not going to tell you if I was right because I don't do spoilers.

Ms Halsall has become a must-read author for me and I have loved every one of her books. She sucks you in quickly and is a master at drip feeding the reader little pieces of the puzzle, keeping us on tenterhooks as we try to piece them together. And this book was no exception, keeping me guessing right up until the big reveal. Boy was my jaw on the floor!

The Ex-Boyfriend is a chilling, clever and suspenseful novel. It's perfect for those who like a well-written thriller that is more psychological than gory and will make you question just how well you know those you love.

The Ex-Boyfriend by Rona Halsall is a psychological thriller that plays on every parents weakness, their children. Becca Thornton is married to Dean, they live in Wales and Becca is a District Nurse.They have a three year old daughter, Mia. Becca is at a point in her life where her marriage seems to have seen better days, she feels like her sister, Kate is the one mainly caring for their dad. Their mum passed away years previously, and she is truly letting every role she plays in her life down.
She begins to worry about who she can trust even down to Ruth, Mia's childminder. Ruth usually is her go-to for support, but the doubts Becca has, have made her so vulnerable, she second guesses everything and everyone around her. At this moment an ex gets in touch, from Australia by way of twitter. Becca knows that answering would be wrong and really attempts not to reply. She is so torn between the wonderful possibilities from the past and the emotional marriage she is clearly struggling with.While Becca is having her emotional struggles with her own self, Mia begins to suffer with vomiting and diarrhoea, really bad ones but not for a long period of time, intense and frequent they may be but only brief. This is added to Becca's emotional state. As every parent does, she worries about what it could possibly be, preying on her mind, along with all her other issues.
We are witness to the unravelling of Becca's life from every angle, once it begins she can't stop it, we travel a a breakneck speed watching the threads snap one by one. Rona Halsall, at this point, has created a marvellous piece of writing that causes us as the reader to be as confused amd worried as Becca, still attempting to find the root of Mia's health problem. I was literally dying to know what was wrong with Mia and that is created by an excellent storyteller.
This is a story that has been excellently written. I was pulled into Beccas world with such ease. I admire her skill in creating characters that are relatable and also realistic, Becca was never far from my mind when I couldn't read. The shock at the end of the story was not expected, I can say that definitely.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book for my review today.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Great storytelling
Lots of twists and turns

Drawn in from beginning to end

Would highly recommend

The prologue of The Ex-Boyfriend sets the reader up in anticipation of the answer to the question - is Becca poisoning her 3-year old daughter?

The author's insight into the typical life of a mom and career woman and the avalanche of events that can lead to a person's undoing will have you erasing your search history and throwing out any potential toxins! The story builds in a slow burn that takes us on a journey from Becca's nursing job early in her career when circumstantial evidence and accusations send her spiraling into a breakdown, to her idyllic vacation in Australia where she meets the ex-boyfriend (Connor) of the title. We see the slow unraveling of her marriage and feel her pain as her husband gets more and more distant and her daughter gets sicker and sicker.

Halsall's characters are well developed. Thrown into the mix of Becca's troubles is a father, Frank, who is sweet but needs looking after and Kate, a sister who you will love to hate. I loved the description of Ruth, who Becca employs a "child minder” and who loves Mia maybe a little too much. Maybe she is the one poisoning her daughter. Dean is the ever-absent father, a good dad and provider, but he's been a little distant and maybe wants to get rid of her. Is he poisoning her daughter? And why has her ex-boyfriend gotten in touch with her after ten years?

I loved that I was constantly flipping between suspicion of each of the characters, only to have my final guess be wrong! Halsall had me ping ponging between empathy for Becca, and worry that maybe life was too much and maybe she was suffering from “factitious disorder". This book will have your heart pounding as it comes too close to what could happen when family relations are strained, social media is abused, and the social service system is bound by rules.


Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced reader's copy for review.

Becca is accused of poisoning her daughter – she must find out who is behind this and get her daughter back. Full of second guessing... who is responsible? You are left guessing through out who of her nearest and dearest could possibly be betraying her in such a horrendous manner and why? I was hooked from start to finish and would definitely recommend this book.

Wow this book had me guessing all the way, it’s so twisty, and suspenseful. Things begin to happen once our main character, Becca Thorton, receives a message from a long ago ex boyfriend, Connor. Hearing from Connor awakens her memories of their romance in Australia and questioning if she made the wrong decision. They met ten years ago, Becca returned to the UK when her mom had a stroke with the promise of Becca returning, but that never happen. Becca met Dean, she became pregnant with Mia and they got married. Becca realizes what she has been missing in her marriage to Dean and shares this with Connor. Oh no don’t hit the send button! Well Mia begins to get sick every few days, though blood tests always come back negative Becca is never settled. Becca listens to her motherly instinct and believes Mia is being poisoned but by whom? Who would want to harm a child? So I’ll be reading more from this author! Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a gifted ARC. This is my honest review.

Author: Rona Halsall
Book: The Ex Boyfriend
Publication Day: 30/09/20

Description:

He promised to love her until her dying day…
When Becca’s first love shows up on her social media feed, she can’t help but smile fondly. Once upon a time Connor was the love of her life, and though it was over ten years ago, he’s always held a place in her heart.

Then he sends her a message. He sounds happy – still kind and funny, still living across the world in Australia. But he wants to know everything about her life now. How can Becca tell him the truth? About her workaholic husband, her stressful job, and the challenges of caring for her elderly father and her longed-for, adorable but exhausting three-year-old daughter Mia?

Becca hesitates, knowing she shouldn’t even reply. But Connor lives on the other side of the world. Just how dangerous can becoming friends again be?

It feels harmless. Until Mia gets sick – in a way that no one can explain. And it starts to become clear – someone will do absolutely anything to make sure Becca never escapes her past…

A completely unputdownable psychological thriller – perfect for fans of My Lovely Wife, The Girl on the Train, and The Woman at the Window.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Ex Boyfriend' by Rona Halsall

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 30th September 2020

This is the second book that I have read by this author. The first book I read by her is called 'Her Mother's Lies' which I really enjoyed and Rated 5/5.

I was originally drawn to this book by its intriguing and beautiful cover and interesting sounding blurb. I was also drawn to the fact that I have already read one good book by this author so am hoping this will be just as good I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 40 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so ideal to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Becca. I enjoy books written in third person with several protagonists as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters.

This book is based in Llandudno, Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 . I always enjoy when books are set in the UK and even more so when they are set in Wales as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. In this case I have visited Llandudno so this should make it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times.

Wow!! Well what can I say!!! Well done Rona, you've done it again!!! Another cracking unputdownable psychological thriller!!! The book sucked me straight in from the first gripping chapter to the fantastic finalé. Very well written with fantastic descriptions that really kept me in the pages.

The storyline was scarily realistic and the authour has definitely done her research!! I liked the fact that mental illness cases are being written about more now and that the research is actually going into them. The story was written in both the presebt and had flashbacks from the past which tied in nicely and worked smoothly with the storyline. I LOVED the fact that I thought I knew what was going on just to have that bombshell thrown in. I was not expecting that!! Plenty of red herrings, action, drama, suspense, lies and tension to keep any reader hooked and guessing away. There's nothing worse than guessing what's going on when your not even half way through a book. I thought I had it sussed but not until about 70% and even then I was wrong.

I loved the different range of characters presented and how realistic they all were all with their own personalities, strengths and flaws. I loved watching how Becca's character developed and strengthened throughout the novel and the different relationships she had with friends and family.

This would make an excellent movie and I am looking forward to reading more of this very talented author's books. Well done Rona you have got on my favourite authour list!!

Overall an unputdownable psychological thriller that will keep you hooked and guessing throughout.

Genres covered include , Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Police Noir Fiction and Crime Fiction.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Gone Girl and anyone who loves a good page turner.

297 pages.

This book is 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED IT! ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Author Bio:

Rona lives on the Isle of Man with her husband, two dogs and three guinea pigs. She has been a bookworm since she was a child and now she's actually creating stories of her own, which still feels like a dream come true.

She is an outdoorsy person and loves stomping up a mountain, walking the coastal paths and exploring the wonderful beaches on the Island while she's plotting how to kill off her next victim. She also makes sure she deletes her Google history on a regular basis, because... well, you can't be too careful when you spend your life researching new and ingenious ways for people to die.

She has three children and two step-children who are now grown up and leading varied and interesting lives, which provides plenty of ideas for new stories!

Social Media Links:

To find out more about Rona's novels, go to www.facebook.com/RonaHalsallAuthor or follow @RonaHalsallAuth on Twitter.

Buy Links

Amazon: https://geni.us/OPJI7x

Apple: http://ow.ly/DSAs50AM4Me

Kobo: http://ow.ly/sBYU50AM4IH

Google: http://ow.ly/Yxmw50AM4Pk

First, I want to thank Rona Halsall, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

From the moment I saw the beautifully designed cryptic book cover, the title, and the description The Ex Boyfriend from Rona Halsall NEEDED to be on my TBR list!! If you are a fan of psychological thrillers this is a must read!! I was at the edge of my chair for this thrilling and gripping read!

Rona just jumped right into the story head first and shocked this reader by the turn of events. Whoever would think of hurting that sweet girl?! Not to mention why?! Mind blown and needed to find out what happened to sweet Mia!!

Many of us readers like myself can relate to some aspects. Finding your former flame on social media and catching up. The reminiscing of the good ol days and wondering what could have been. Questioning why now is this person coming back into my life? The taboo aspect if one another is taken or not? Oh I have been there-done that-bought the tshirt.

Mental illness is an important topic that is brought up.

In Rona’s new book we get to learn about Becca’s husband Dean and the famous ex. Oh there are some fun facts we learn about them along the way as well.

Rona shows us in The Ex Boyfriend that she is meant to write in this genre.
Her climatic endings are so intense and mind boggling!

Wow this is some domestic noir, it has enough drama to make a soap opera look like a kiddies programme. Take one frazzled working mum, a workaholic husband, a dad that needs caring for and then just to to topple everything Becca is juggling in the air her daughter Mia gets sick and the hospital are saying she’s being poisoned.

But as if all that isn’t enough to complicate her life add in an ex from years ago who was the love of her life, Ruth the over protective childminder and sister Kate who is bitter at having the majority of the caring duty for their dad. That is a whole cast of suspects for you to enjoy, and if you are like me, you will no doubt suspect all of them at some point as you try to figure who is behind the poisoning.

This has a lot of unlikeable characters and I wasn’t sure how much I could trust Becca either, I have seen a few Münchausen syndrome dramas and read a few books with this in and it was my first thought or was this a cleverly added red herring?

Full of secrets and family tension this is a read that will make you question everything and I would recommend this to readers who love a bit of juicy drama.