This is one of my go to authors. I was attracted to the plot straight away. I love the way Samantha writes and I couldnt put this book down. Great ending , great characters. Well done.

This book was good, and I HATED the ex-husband so the author was doing it right!! I can't imagine going through what this poor woman went thru! Can't wait to read more books by this author!

#TheExHusband
#NetGalley

This was a great twisty read and kept me glued to the very last page.
Leah is trying to make a new start with her children after an acrimonious divorce. When new neighbours move in she is first to greet them only to discover that her ex husband is now the neighbour. What follows is twists and turns where you are not 100% sure if Leah is imagining the upsets in her world or not.
Although there are other characters the whole story centres around Leah and her interactions with the others.
Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#ExHusband #NetGalley

Mixed feelings!

The Plot:
Leah has gone through a messy divorce and just wants to escape. She gets an old fixer-upper, far away from her abusive ah husband and hopes to build a good life with her children.

Imagine her surprise when her husband and his new girlfriend move in next door!

Craig, her ex-husband, is loud-mouthed, threatening, and manipulative. He goes to great lengths to make life extremely difficult for Leah. But one day, he is dead, and everyone is looking for someone to blame. What lies will come out and will Leah's carefully built-up new life come crashing down?

What I Liked:
1. The writing is good. Easy to breeze through in a couple of days.

2. The twists were quite unexpected. Every thriller has some twists and this was no different. These twists were believable too.

What I Disliked:
1. The plot took far too long to pull me in. It rambled on quite a bit before getting into the story.

2. The overused tropes irritated me. Why would Leah's friends think Leah was lying? Why is this trope even a thing? I expect friends to stick together even if they don't believe each other, not turn their backs on their friends and join forces with the enemy at the slightest provocation.

Final Thoughts:
This is my first Samantha Hayes book and I liked her writing. I was so angry with Craig at a point that I wanted to reach into the pages and punch him. When an author writes such a realistic character, I am happy.

I will read her other books and be happy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The Ex-Husband starts out from the prospective of DI Carla Nelson, who is inspecting a case of likely murder when a man’s body shows up somewhat charred in an outdoor fire. We get to know DI Carla pretty well before the chapter is over, and it really sucked me in!

The book then flashed two months to the past, following Leah, who is newly divorced with two children. It is clear that Leah has fled an emotionally and mentally abusive marriage at the least. She is settling into a new home, far away from her ex-husband.

Until he moves in next door.

Though I didn’t care as much for the way Leah’s personality is written for some reason, I did really enjoy the entire novel. It also demonstrates through fiction what an abusive partner can be like after a divorce or break-up.

Thank you Samantha Hayes, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Ex-Husband by Samantha Hayes is a solid psych thriller that turned into a much deeper exploration of character than I could have imagined. To be fair, I was in the middle of a Crime and Mental Disorders class and learning about the real definitions of sadism while reading this book gave me a whole different level on it. But that background isn’t needed to enjoy this cracking good psych thriller. You’ll squirm at Craig and feel for Leah. And prepare yourself for a literal jaw-dropping twist, one of the best in recent memory. For more details, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Bookouture.

This was a very quick and entertaining read. It was full of gossip and drama and gave me soap opera vibes. Some of the actions of the characters were mind boggling, but that's how things have to be to progress the story. Overall this was just too over the top for me and VERY messy.

The Ex Husband was a good thriller, one that would fit all tastes. It was a quick read for me, but almost like filler between heavy reads. I did enjoy it.

I hate not giving good reviews so here’s the warning beforehand- I feel like I’ve read this book many many times before. This concept is a bit overdone and then done some more. Find out for yourself-

Unfortunately, I have been locked out of my netgalley account for a few months and was not able to see which books I had on my list or even know to check if they downloaded properly, in order to properly read and review. I do apologize and am doing a 3 for neutral. Will update once I’m able to obtain a copy and read!

This really affected me! I was so anxious as I was reading and so angry with everyone, and it even spilled into my real life! It was so well written and I could see how easily people were duped. I would definitely recommend this, but be warned, it is not a nice read

Great engrossing story from Samantha Hayes.

Leah has finally managed to break free from her abusive ex-husband, Craig, and with her children, Zoey, and Henry, she wants to start afresh and build a life without violence, manipulation, adultery, and mind games. After much searching she finally finds a house that she can make her own and she is very happy to start her life anew. She even meets a new man called Gabe and whilst money is tight and Gabe and her are taking things slowly, she feels happy for the first time in a long time. Then the house attached to hers gets sold and when she meets the new owners, she is shell shocked, her ex Craig is moving in with his new partner Gillian. Unfortunately, although Craig’s behaviour was the reason for their divorce, he is still furious that Leah got the courage to leave him, and he is now determined to make her life as hellish as possible and so the mind games begin. Will Leah mange to keep her happy life despite Craig trying to destroy it? You’ll have to read this to find out.

This was a really good engrossing story, and I enjoyed the fact that we got to know Leah quite well and got a feel for her character before we were introduced to Craig. It was pretty obvious early on that he was a really nasty unpleasant individual. I did like Leah and felt for her but at times especially mainly at the beginning I was frustrated by her actions as although Craig was just out and out nasty, she did react to a few things she should have just ignored, especially considering Craig loved getting a rise out of her and seemed to live for it. Despite this I thought Leah was very brave and a brilliant mother to her children trying to make the best life for herself and them. The twists did shock me, and I didn’t see any of them coming which is the mark of a good psychological thriller. This was my first book by Samantha Hayes, and I am already looking forward to reading more of her books, am excited to see she has another one out early next year, I can’t wait!

Overall, very deserving of 4 stars, very enjoyable and I would recommend this is anyone who enjoys physiological thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Hayes and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

Wow. What a read i flew through this book could not put it down. Fabulous plot, interesting characters and amazing writing.

Wow, what an amazing, addictive read, I literally couldn't put my kindle down I just had to keep reading, and what an ending, amazing!

The Ex Husband by Samantha Hayes was unbelievable!! Leah moves into a new home with her two children. She was ready to be done with her violent ex-husband Craig and ready to make a new life. That is until Craig moves in next door!
A story full of twist and turns I didn't even see coming. Unputdownable!!!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Samantha Hays for the ARC for my review.

The twists in the book was absolutely next level. So bloody good, and it has me reading it on the edge of my seat. I can’t get over how well this was written, bloody amazing.

If you enjoy domestic thrillers then this is the book for you. It’s fast paced and full of twists. It’ll have your anxiety on high alert.

Wow this book was really gripping, made you think you were there in the story l. Love Samantha hayes books and this didn’t disappoint

3 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Whenever I see a new Samantha Hayes book on NetGalley, it’s an instant click to request for me. Her books usually have really good twists and turns that keep me thoroughly entertained and on the edge of my seat. Unfortunately, this book didn’t do that for me.

Leah has moved into a nice new home with her two kids after leaving a controlling, abusive marriage to her
ex-husband Craig. When her new neighbors Gillian and Rex move into the house right next door, she immediately befriends Gillian who spends a lot of time alone since her man Rex travels frequently. One night, they decide to get together and that’s when Leah discovers that Rex is actually her ex-husband Craig.

The beginning of this one grabbed me immediately and I couldn’t wait to read more. However, this was more of a slow burn domestic thriller and that’s not my favorite style. The characters weren’t especially likable - Craig was revolting. The ending was ok.

I think I compare every Hayes book to Date Night, which I LOVED and was my first by her. I have yet to find another of her books as good as that one.

Thank you to Net Galley, Bookcouture and Samantha Hayes for the advanced copy to read and review.

A good read
Did want me to keep reading more and not want to put it down
Plenty twists and turns
Thanks NetGalley