This was my first book by this author and I was NOT disappointed!

Leah FINALLY gets away from her abusive ex-husband, just to have him end up living next door to her, continuing to make her life hell. When the ex goes missing and a dead body is burning in the garden…there are clearly some concerns!

What a truly awful ex-husband! To me, he is a clearly-ill narcissist who will stop at nothing to tarnish his ex’s name and make himself look like a King.

I even found it hard on occasion to side with our main character, Leah. I found myself feeling frustrated, mad, and triggered with a lot of her decisions (or lack thereof). But that’s the beauty of this writing…it’s domestic abuse trauma.

I would add a trigger warning for anyone who has suffered domestic abuse, since I found certain parts more difficult than I expected, due to the chilling accuracy of the writing.

Overall this book was GREAT. I will absolutely be reading more books by this author!! Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy!

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I’d hoped to. It took a while to draw me into the plot and I felt it meandered along at quite a slow pace. I really didn’t like Leah as a character and became quite frustrated with her. There were a couple of plot twists but not enough to move it up from 2.5 stars although for the purpose of this review I’ve rounded it up to 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

This is a very readable book, a story with a few twists and turns, some of which I definitely did not see coming!

Kudos to the author for coming up with a very original storyline - who could have predicted that on escaping from her abusive husband, Leah discovers that he has moved in right next door to her?! This is a story-line I don't feel I can share much of, (so as to avoid spoilers), but very early on we learn that a body is found in very suspicious circumstances....

There are likeable characters, and some we are destined to loathe, but I felt the author did a good job of developing the characters and unfolding the plot.

Overall, this is a book I would recommend to readers of the psychological fiction genre.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

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

Leah has finally managed to extricate herself from her marriage to Craig and together with their children Zoey and Henry she’s happy in her new cottage. The expensive house next door has been sold to a new couple called Rex and Gillian and Leah is happy to be invited in for drinks and food but is shocked to discover that ‘Rex’ is her ex-husband. Leah’s told that having Craig living next door can only be good for the children but she’s positive he’s making things as difficult for her as he possibly can.

‘The Ex-Husband’ is an enjoyable thriller which I’ve been unable to put down from the first page. Although I like Leah I’ve found her annoying at times as she’s come over as too ready to succumb to Craig’s ‘charms’ and I’ve wanted to give her a shake to remind her of why she divorced him in the first place. The further I’ve got into the story the more tense the plot becomes until the final chapters that appear somewhat implausible, especially where her mother is involved. Also, the ending strikes me as being so incredible that it feels as if the author has wanted to add something, anything, to give it a shocking conclusion. Nevertheless, I’ve enjoyed the story despite the ending which I thought was over the top.

Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC.

3.50 The Ex-Husband was a fun ride. Leah and her two children have new neighbors. Leah befriends Gillian, the new neighbor and soon they get together for drinks and when everyone meets things take a turn. I felt the beginning of the book dragged on a bit without enough character development. There is predictability as to who Gillians husband is and I felt the mystery of that dragged on a little too long. Once the story started picking up speed I was highly entertained. Issues that arose were not so far fetched that it was unbelievable, which made it easy to get pulled into the story. But then the story started to drag on a bit and there were a couple of chapters that did not quite fit or needed more development. I enjoyed that this book had some predictability but also kept me guessing. When I read psychological thrillers I love a good ending that brings a smile to my face because of that last twist. The epilogue did just that and I loved that it took a turn that I didn't see coming.

Great story but there were a few parts that dragged on a little too long and I almost gave up on the book. I am so glad I didn't do that.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a nail-biting read. Loved it-had me hooked all the way through. A recommended read.

DNF at 30% sadly!

The story sees the main character Leah, having just moved into her dream little house with her 2 children following a messy divorce with ex husband Craig.

Things are looking up for Leah, a nice new house, fresh start, and a nice new neighbour Gillian who moves in shortly after Leah to the bigger house next door.

Predictable enough, Gillian’s partner is none other than Craig, the ex husband.
Leah then turns into this victimised weak character and Craig’s narcissistic behaviour is just pathetic.

I didn’t finish this book as I found the storyline and plot so petty and actually annoying? I don’t enjoy “weak woman” characters and Leah should have stood up to that asshole from the beginning. But maybe that’s me! 🤷🏼‍♀️

At the beginning I flew through the first 20% of the book, I loved the style of writing, the story flowed and I thought I’d really enjoy it. But when the storyline with Leah and Craig started to unfold, that’s when unfortunately I switched off!

Thankyou for NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Leah is excited to meet her new neighbors and quickly becomes Gillian’s new friend. When Leah is invited over to Gillian’s, imagine her shock when she finds out that Gillian’s partner is none other than her ex-husband Craig. Her abusive ex-husband. Leah and Craig have two children together.

Now he is her new next-door neighbor. Gillian does not sense the tension at first. Leah is beside herself. Is Craig going to torment her as he did when they were married now that they are living so close side-by-side? Imagine her shock when she also discovers that he opened a branch of his business very close to her hair salon.

Now that Leah is living in her dream home, she must figure out how to deal with the fact that Craig is living so close to her and the children. Navigating split custody has just become more complicated. Forced to put up a false façade in front of her children, sharing space with her ex so close is definitely going to be a trial. Ignore Craig, or get rid of him. Leah is certain that she will come up with a plan.

When Leah was married to Craig, not only was he an incessant cheater, he was controlling. He gaslighted her. She was filled with despair and fear. She thought she got away from all that and now she feels like she is back at square one.

The Ex-Husband is the fourth thrilling book I have had the pleasure of reading by Samantha Hayes. This intense domestic thriller filled me with angst as I read this book with bated breath. Impossible to put down, there was no doubt that something would happen, and with exciting twists and turns, culminating in a very satisfying ending, this is a book that I highly recommend.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Insidious.
Manipulative.
Terrifying.
Leah moves into a new place and is finakjy free if her ex. Until he moves in next door and begins wreaking all sorts of havoc in her life. I was aghast at all the occurrences. But the biggest surprise even shocked me.
If you think your ex is bad, read The Ex-Husband and compare.

A fantastic thrilling read!! From the very beginning when you get a glimpse of the future I was hooked. Then to be thrown back in time for the events to unravel was a clever and gripping technique.
I really felt the terror that lead was feeling from her ex! I felt so much tension as she was violated in her home and every aspect of her life suffered. I felt like she was unravelling and it built so much suspense as you were cringing wondering how far he'd push!
I did not expect or guess where the plot was going and I was really pleased to see this was unique original and therfore kept my interest, so much so I read it very quickly!
I look forward to reading more by this author!

WoW...........and breathe! The Ex-Husband by Samantha Hayes was another excellent book by Samantha. This book starts with a prologue, then bang.........the book becomes a bumpy rollercoaster ride with all the twists and turns.............its so good! so buckle up, So, find a quiet comfy spot, turn your phone off and open your kindle. You will not regret it. But you will shout out aloud at your kindle (Kindle rage!!) like I did, several times as I got annoyed with one of the main characters Leah, I wanted to shake her so many times over her ex husband Craig. Then, I wanted to punch Craig! I had so much kindle rage over this book!!! lol But, I loved it from the beginning till the end.

This book is a 5 star read and I highly recommend it.

Big thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my ARC for a honest review. I loved this book.

This was a mixed bag!
I felt it took a while to suck me in- there was a little too much unnecessary 'house talk' for me, and I much prefer books that go straight into the drama!
We find out straight away that Leah is starting out anew after her divorce, only to find that her horrid ex-husband Craig is moving in next door!
Craig is a vile character, which certainly proves Hayes' talent to write such people so well, and it really helps adds to the tension throughout.
The story kept me engaged to the end and I did enjoy the twists as they played out.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Samantha Hayes has done it again! The Ex-Husband is an absolutely amazing domestic thriller that will leave you hungry for more. The story revolves around Leah, who is happily living with her two children after her divorce. Unfortunately, when she meets her new neighbor, she realizes that her abusive ex-husband Craig has moved in next door. What is he up to? Is this all just a coincidence or something more sinister?

Here is a captivating excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Leah grabbed the top of the stepladder with one hand, holding the wallpaper stripper in the other. The machine sighed its final breaths as the water tank ran out again, though that wasn’t the reason for pausing. No, she’d heard something outside.
An unfamiliar noise. Rumbling.
A slight vibration of the walls and floor that she’d not experienced yet. Having only lived there a few weeks, she was still learning the old house’s many groans and creaks and foibles – as well as being in tune with the comings and goings of her various neighbours, getting to know who they were, which car belonged to which house, who had children and who went out to work or was home-based."

Overall, The Ex-Husband is an addicting domestic thriller that will appeal to fans of B.A. Paris or Kiersten Modglin. One highlight of this book is how easy it is to read. I devoured this book in one day, and I'm sure many other readers will, too. I already knew going into this book that I would enjoy it, since I loved last year's The Trapped Wife, and I've been hunting down the rest of her books ever since. Another highlight of this book is the reveal, which I wasn't expecting at all. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of domestic thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in June!

"You thought you were safe. Until he moved in next door…"

I've read other books by Samantha Hayes and really enjoyed them. Unfortunately I struggled to push through this book and ended up DNF'ing. This story moved quite slow and I didn't find the characters very engaging. I was waiting for some twists and turns, but they didn't come.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.
Release Date scheduled for June 28, 2022.

I could never understand how a woman could become a victim of psychological abuse until it happened to a close relative. The author here brilliantly shows how the insidious actions of her ex-husband affect both Leah and Gillian.. The early chapters were really frustrating in a way as I wanted to yell at characters for letting him away with so much but I knew this was what the author wanted. It meant we were cheering the women on later on. Even the smallest of the plot twists was as breathtaking as I have come to expect from Samantha Hayes. She really has a talent for shocking her readers and leaving them wanting more. As always I read this book in one sitting so don't expect to be able to read just one or two chapters. Prepare yourself to be pulled into a fantastic story that I strongly recommend.

I can’t... just no. DNF at 5%.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

First I want to say this book was a real page turner. It starts off with a body being found in a bonfire but you do not who it is. Then we go to two months earlier. So if you read the blurb, Leah is thrilled to be divorced from her abusive husband. If you ask me I would say he is more bipolar but she has a boy Henry and an older daughter Zoe. She has found a small home but all she cares about is that she is free of Craig, her ex husband only to find out that he has moved right next door with his latest girlfriend. He harasses her and tortures her. Leah has met a man she likes named Gabe. But not everything is as it seems. Her parents live close by and offer emotional and physical support. All I want to say is this book has more twists and turns that had my mouth hanging open. Some of the things that go on in this book seem a bit far fetched but no spoilers here. Even with some of the far fetched things if you like psychological thrillers read this. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book for an honest review. (less)

The Ex-Husband by Samantha Hayes is a thriller about a divorced couple moving in next to each other. Leah thought she had finally escaped her abusive, cheating ex-husband Craig after the divorce but she was astound when he moves in to the big house next door. She is convinced he is trying to make her life miserable with all the noise and destroying her land. It gets worse when suddenly a dead body is found in her garden.

I gave The Ex-Husband 3 stars because I felt the ending was predictable. The main characters weren't likable at all and seem to lack depth -- including the kids. This book was another one of the couple mystery/thriller plots that have been done one too many times over. However, I like thrillers and it was an enjoyable read for me to unwind.

Thank you to Netgalley, author Samantha Hayes, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Leah is finally free from the control, finally free from the abuse. It may not be much, but it is hers. Leah has finally divorced her ex-husband Craig and can breathe a sigh of relief. She meets her new neighbor and thinks she has a friend, until her neighbors husband is her ex.

This book takes you on a wild turn and keeps you guessing. There were quite a few jaw dropping moments. I wasn't sure were some of it was going, but Hayes did a phenomenal job tying up the loose ends. I devoured this book!

I like many of us ) read many psychological thrillers and the title along with the blurb gave me a good indication of what was to come, for me the first part was good and the second part was very good…..I dont want to say anything about it other than just when I thought it was following ‘protocol’ for these kind of books it took a big ‘twist’ ( I know some object to this word but until we find another it has to do ) and the book took a very unexpected turn, not much surprises me when reading but this did 🤗
It honestly covers all bases as we would want but it goes that extra mile to add even more of a dark tinge to things and the whole thing ended very satisfyingly
Well written with a flurry of good characters and a tense storyline, a must for all lovers of psychological shenanigans

9/10
5 Stars