Interesting book, I didn't like the main character, and didn't know if she was written to be unlikable, or if it was just me.It didn't stop me from wanting to find out what was going on though, and as I read more I discovered more characters that I didn't like as well, for me it was that sort of book. I have never read a book before where the characters drunk so much tea! As the book went on and I began to dislike more characters I did wonder if I wanted to carry on reading, but I had to as I wanted to find out who was doing what, because I had no idea, and I liked that. The book kept me impatiently reading to the end eager to see what was going to happen. I was somewhat surprised although i had some ideas.Not giving anything away, but overall I did enjoy reading this book, and would like to read more by the same author.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Ex-Boyfriend’ by Rona Halsall in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ten years ago when Becca was in Australia her life with ex-boyfriend Connor was exciting. Nowadays, her husband Dean, who’s the father to their three-year-old daughter Mia, is so wrapped up in his business that he’s often away and Becca gets lonely. Did she pick the wrong man to spend her life with? Mia has started having bouts of sickness and diarrhoea and despite visits to her doctor and hospital nobody will take her seriously. They think Becca is responsible but she knows she would never do anything to harm her much-loved daughter. Is there someone who’s trying to destroy her life?

From page one ‘The Ex-Boyfriend’ has had me gripped and unable to stop reading. It’s a psychological thriller with an ingenious plot, drama, suspense, twists and turns, and characters so devious that I couldn’t decide who to trust. It touches on mental health issues and the problems that arise when the authorities get involved. Yet again Rona Halsall has written an exciting and suspenseful thriller that’s easy to read and impossible to put down and I can definitely recommend it.

Unputdownable tense chilling a book that kept me reading late into the night..So well written so many twists and turns kept me guessing till the last pages.#netgalley #bookouture

Becca'sfirst love, Connor shows up on her social media feed. He has always held a special place in her heart. He sends her a message. He's happy and still living in Australia. Becca can't tell him the truth. Her husband is a workaholic, her job is stressful and she has to care for her father and daughter Mia. Then Mia starts getting bouts of sickness as events from her past are being used against her.

I was gripped by this story from the first page. The pace us well set and steady. It's told from Becca's perspective. There's so many twists that I found myself second guessing everything. Becca thinks her daughters illness isn't a virus, she thinks that something else is going on. Things soon spiral out of control. There's a mixed bunch of likeable and unlikable characters. This is an addictive page turner. Rona Halsall writes chilling and thrilling books. Each book is better than the previous one.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #RonaHalsall for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Becca has a marriage that under strain when her ex- boyfriend shows up on her twitter feed. She has always regretted the way their relationship ended and so she begins messaging him. She thinks it is a way to clear the air, explain what happened and indulge in a little harmless flirtation.
Her husband Nick is always gone, trying to build up his business and when her daughter Mia starts suffering bouts of diarrhea and vomiting that keep Becca up throughout the night it adds to the strain. As she starts looking fir the cause of Mias’ illness she questions everyone around her and becomes the object of scrutiny herself.
Who would want to poison a child? And who knows about Beccas’ past and is using it to drive her from her home?
I struggled with this book and o can’t put my finger on why. It may be a case of too many real life distractions but a good story will usually suck me in. I didn’t really connect with the characters, Becca was too rash and went careening from one bad decision to the next, Ruth had a strange obsession with Mia as her child carer, Kate the sister is just awful. I saw who was the culprit so there was no big reveal snd I think most readers of this genre will see it coming as well.
I would read other books by this author but when I need a get lost in the story book this would not be my first choice.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for the asvanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This is due out on September 30.

Rona has struck again with a wonderfully twisted psychological novel. , i was totally fooled as to who i thought the stalker was and when the revelation was revealed wow. Keep the thriller coming they are addictive and as a reader of many years it’s a great to be fooled into the wrong conclusion

I find books about young families to be quite emotive and this certainly lives up to that expectation. Rona Halsall has taken every mum's biggest fear and made it the focus of her latest heart rending novel: Becca's young daughter's health is causing concern and nobody can explain what is making her ill. As a district nurse Becca has a fairly broad knowledge of medical conditions and there's only one thing she can think her daughter's symptoms point to but she can't understand why or how this could be happening. Then when she approaches the experts for support her world is flipped on its head and she ends up on the wrong side of the authorities.

The author leads us sensitively through all the emotions the lead character experiences then gives us a background to Becca which doesn't seem to reflect the person we have seen her demonstrate in her every day life. She's a caring person who is meticulous in caring for her daughter and her many patients in the local community. It's not long before she finds herself completely isolated from everything she holds dear and seeks refuge back with her widowed father who is delighted to be on hand to support her. Her sister however is a different kettle of fish, seemingly full of sympathy one minute then more interested in her own agenda the next.

I really enjoyed how the story switches focus to Becca's younger days; a trip across the world to relieve the stress of work-related issues and the whirlwind romance she had with Connor, a young surf-dude and free spirit who captured her heart many years ago. But why would her two worlds collide all of a sudden? I did kind of work out the plotline regarding the two story threads but the book is about so much more than the two individual time frames. Some of the characters will shock you, some you will find reassuringly comforting - and not always those you expect as you try to work out what is happening to Becca's family and who is responsible.

I'm reluctant to say too much more regarding the relatively small cast of characters in case it helps you work out what's going on, but suffice to say they're not a very nice bunch of folks - with the odd exception.
I will be interested to know what other readers thought with regards to the conclusion of the book as I was in two minds over a couple of issues. My thanks to bookouture for the opportunity to read this novel prior to publication and I look forward to being able to discuss it with other readers soon.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

The story is centred around Becca, her husband Dean, and their 3 year old daughter Mia. Mia has episodes of becoming really unwell, and the first words in the book point to the authorities blaming Becca. The story then goes back two weeks previously and the lead up to the point where she becomes accused. Then the story follows on the aftermath from the accusations towards Becca. The story focuses on the perspective of Becca, and whilst I really enjoyed this book, I would have enjoyed seeing other characters perspectives, in particular Frank (Becca’s father) and Kate’s (Becca’s sister). The characters were all relatable, but I found Frank quite needy and annoying, which made the story more believable.
It’s a domestic psychological thriller, with lots of secrets. It’s a family who can’t trust each other, and it was a brilliant read.

This was the first Rona Halsall book I’ve read, and I can’t wait to get my hands on her previous work.

Brilliantly written, was never a dull moment, and I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. A real page turner!! Would highly recommend this book to all fans of the psychological thriller genre.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was the first book I’ve read by Rona Halsall, but definitely won’t be my last. She has written a well crafted thriller that will keep you reading late into the night. I literally couldn’t put it down! Becca’s world is turned upside down when an ex-boyfriend sends her a message on Twitter. Old memories start to surface along with the question, “What if?” When her daughter, Mia, suddenly becomes violently ill with no explanation, her life continues to spiral down a path of mystery, deception and doubt. Who can she trust when betrayal and danger may be closer than she could ever imagine. Shocking conclusion that I didn’t see coming! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a slow burner which built to a roaring fire which I couldn't put down, it had lots of twists and turns and had me guessing until the end.

I would recommend it to readers who enjoy creepy and suspenseful domestic noir/ psychological thrillers

A twisty thriller that has you questioning literally everyone involved. This book is fast paced and hooks you from the start.

New to me author and so happy that I’ve chosen this story. From the cover and title, you would think that this is actually a domestic suspenseful story where the ex-boyfriend is actually a stalker and gives a hard time to the heroine but there’s absolutely nothing like that in here and I loved every single chapter of it.
The writing was great and easy to read as well as the story overall was interesting and great to follow.
The author managed to keep me guessing who was the culprit all along with each page and each new secret unveiled and I must admit that I didn’t see that resolution coming my way.
I’m all in for a second chance at love and life and I love a great suspenseful story that takes me on a new ride along with the characters and their bumpy road to find the truth and their well-deserved happiness.

This is an excellent Psychological thriller mixed with domestic thriller. It is well written and easy to pick up and read for a couple of hours at a time. This is my first from this author but definitely one I will look out for in the future.

Genuinely gripping and exciting story that makes you wonder how you’d ever prove your own sanity and innocence in such a scary situation. And who is giving your child sweets? Recommend.

It was OK. I would give it 2.5 stars. I found it hard to get into the book. I knew Becca would be blamed for everything. I wasn't sure who was behind everything. I was suspicious of everyone in Becca's life- her sister, her dad, her husband and the baby-sitter. I can't imagine anyone poisoning a child. So much planning went into it and the reasons behind it were crazy. I wasn't a fan of any of the characters. Becca was extremely neurotic. She only worked four hour shifts and a few days a week. What would she have done if she had to work eight hour shifts, five days a week??? Did Dean even want to be a father? He enjoyed work more than his family. Ruth's attachment to Mia seemed very creepy. Kate was a horrible sister. Actually she was a horrible person all around. Why did Kate and her father keep so many secrets from Becca regarding Dean? I was definitely shocked when everything was revealed. Some people are simply scary. Not sure how I feel about the ending.

Give the book a try, it just wasn't for me. I didn't hate it, just didn't love it. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a gripping book!! it had so many plot twists that it kept you guessing until the very last page! I thoroughly enjoyed it. The beginning was a bit rocky, but it was still really amazing!! the only reason it is a 4.5 star is because of the ending. I feel as though it was rushed and would have like if the ending was explained and elaborate on for more, then just one chapter! But besides that it was creepy, thrilling, mysterious, suspenseful... basically it had everything you’d want in a book! I would totally recommend to all my fellow thriller lovers out there!!

Becca is surprised to suddenly hear from her ex-boyfriend Connor on Twitter after moving on from their relationship and settling down with husband Dean and 3-year-old daughter Mia, leaving Aussie Connor and their care-free life together in the past.

But hearing from him again stirs up memories of happiness and makes her question her relationship with Dean.

Meanwhile more things from the past - that Becca wishes would stay hidden away - start to resurface as she comes to suspect that Mia is being poisoned and the finger of blame starts being pointed at Becca...

Whilst the first half of the book began a little slowly for me, by around 70% of the way through I just could not put it down. I was desperate to know what was going on and was pulled in all directions trying to work out what was happening to Mia, why, and how Becca would sort everything out!

I was kept guessing throughout, and surprised by the twists and turns. I won't spoil but I also loved the ending! A very exciting read!

This booked has kept me hooked for most of the afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did realise pretty early on where this was going but it didn’t take away any enjoyment from the storyline and I really liked how it had been written and easily got into the flow of what was happening.
I like a book that I can immerse myself in and imagine the whole setting and characters within the book, and I love to feel completely satisfied with its ending and this book certainly achieved that.
The only reason I have given this a 4 and not a 5 is purely because I didn’t get that thriller element at all too it, it felt more like a suspense with a little bit of women’s fiction mixed in, and this is not an insult to the book as it is a really good book that I really enjoyed, it just didn’t give me the feeling I’d expect from a thriller.

4 Curiosity Or Manipulation Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
Social Media...Oh, how it has changed so many things. Many for the betterment, many not so much, and many for the way to stir up situations that maybe should have been left alone.

We have a couple going through some distance...he is always busy at the hospital, he is a doctor, after all. She is a nurse, understands but also is in charge of everything else; their daughter, their home, her ailing father, and a sister who resents having to always take care of the dad.

A lot to process. A lot to sometimes resent. So when a past passion, a man who she hasn't heard from, from like forever sends her a DM...the idea of what if...twirls around in her head.

What if her life was with him instead of the marriage she has...What if she followed the passion from so long agao...what, it was 10 years...so much has gone on since then. Well, she has my daughter and this fella is in Australia while she is here in London...so nothing will come of it.

Yet...It would be nice to have a friendly exchange...

The Ex Boyfriend takes this idea, twists it with the start of ugly things happening with her daughter, and goes on from there. Mia starts to become sick all of the time, her relationship with the husband comes into question, and that ailing father more demanding.

Lots going on, twists and turns.

Wow, I didn't see that ending coming! This book definitely has twists and turns in it.

Becca is a nurse who is married to workaholic Dean and they have a 3-year-old daughter, Mia. One day, Becca receives a message from former boyfriend, Connor, who lives in Australia and this begins to complicate things because it stirs up the feelings she previously had for him. At the same time, daughter Mia starts to have mysterious bouts of sickness which are unexplained. Becca is also trying to deal with her widowed father, Frank, and sister Kate.

I enjoyed this book and was surprised with the ending. I did not care for the female protagonist, Becca, because she seemed to let her 3-year-old "call the shots" so to speak.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this very interesting book in exchange for an honest review.