The Ex is the latest gripping psychological thriller by bestselling author S.E. Lynes. As a huge fan of this author’s previous work I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her new novel and I must say it did not disappoint! Well paced and original, The Ex is a dark and twisty thriller that’s as shocking as it is gripping. Full of twists and turns that will keep you reading long into the night, this is a thrilling page turner of a read that had me enthralled from beginning to end.

Sam broke up with Naomi just as the country went into lockdown during the pandemic. Now, just as the world is beginning to open up again, he’s living with his Grandmother and trying to put his life back together again. But then he bumps into Naomi and his whole world is thrown into turmoil once again. Can he put his trust in this woman who he used to share his life with? Or is he just opening himself up to a whole new world of pain?

Told from several different points of view, The Ex is a shocking tale of secrets and lies that keeps the twists and turns coming throughout. And just when you think you have everything worked out, the author throws in a curveball that I can honestly say I did not see coming. Fast paced and thrilling, The Ex is a fabulously dark and twisty read, with S.E. Lynes proving once again that she is an author at the top of her game, delivering a thriller that had me gripped from beginning to end.

To say much more would give too much away, so all I will say is that The Ex is a brilliantly plotted, dark and fascinating psychological thriller that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. S.E. Lynes has written yet another outstanding character driven story that I thoroughly enjoyed and I can’t wait to read whatever she comes up with next!

Second chances? Who doesn’t love them! Sam and Naomi broke up just before lockdown and realize they possibly made a mistake. Both seem to have grown during li known. Or have they? As we read their second journey, we are happy to see Silent Sam become Sensitive Sam and Nasty Naomi becomes Nice Naomi and even readers overlook a couple of bad signals because we are as invested as they are in a true love and family. Then we realize there is a unreliable narrator, oh no! Even though the prologue promised a different ending I rooted for them, darn it. Excellent read, unputdownable once you start. Lynes does it again - another five star book.

I loved this book - It was a roller coaster of a read - Sam was a really likeable character who I was rooting through all the way through. Naomi was a great wicked witch of a character. I think this author is so good at creating believable people that you can equally fight for or hate. The story follows what you want to see may be different from reality - The ending was very well written and tidied up all of the loose endings. I can't wait to read the next book!

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

I enjoyed this book, although I did find it a little predictable in places. A recommended read.

As mentioned I do really enjoy a good domestic thriller and this one was a fantastic, gripping and at times an emotional read.

It makes you realise that men can also suffer from emotional abuse. It really does touch your heart and emotions.

If you're looking for a gripping page Turner then is is the one for you.

A big thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this book. Well written and kept me turning the pages. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.

This book was awesome, I loved the fact you chose a plot that I haven’t seen in a lot of books. I loved how it kept you guessing because you sure didn’t know what this girl was going to do next. Amazing book!

This book was extremely predictable but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I mean you could literally see what was going to happen from almost the very beginning so how Sam couldn't is beyond me.

This is one of only a handful of books that mention COVID and the pandemic and I did enjoy that to an extent but it did get all a bit much towards the end.

I didn't think there were any overally likeable characters in the story, well maybe Miranda but that's about it. I actually would have liked to have seen more at the end as it fell a bit short for me.

The only other negative for this book for me was the way it was written, it seemed to jump about in perspectives, to the point the perspective seemingly changed multiple times in several chapters which got a bit confusing.

On the whole an enjoyable read.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and S. E. Lynes for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

Wow, really enjoyed reading this book. A very dark story with a surprising twist at the end....like really how crazy are some people 😳 definitely recommend it to anyone that likes dark twisted books.

Ooòooooh my SE Lynes did it again. I love her. She keeps getting better!! This phenomenal book is unputdownable. I stayed up all night to finish it. Yes, it's that good.
So twisty I thought I had it figured out many times but nooòooo!! It will blow you away.

With a slow start to this book, I really struggled to feel connected to the story. Whilst I did finish the book, I believe the first half was a bit of a let down and wasn't enough to carry the story through. Hope to read more by this author as she definitely has promise.

I have never come across a book by S.E Lynes that I didn’t enjoy. This is why I couldn’t pass up on this one despite the fact that I haven’t read a psychological thriller in quite a while. Luckily, this turned out to be another captivating, fast-paced read.

Sam and Naomi broke up during the first lockdown. Their relationship wasn’t working out. However, the timing of the breakup seemed to be what Naomi took hardest about the ordeal. She felt that Sam was inhuman for leaving her and letting her go through the lockdown alone. After the lockdown, the 2 bump into each other. Sam is surprised to see Naomi with a little boy. She first says he belongs to a friend but a date later, she finally admits that the baby is Sam’s. This is where everything changed for Sam.

The story is mainly narrated by Miranda, Sam’s friend and employer. Through the chapters, we also get POVs from Sam, his grandmother, Joyce and Naomi whose narration is through letters to Sam. Right from the beginning, there was a dark cloud, a sense of foreboding that implied that things weren’t quite as rosy as they first seemed. Naomi seemed much different than the mean, manipulator that Sam walked out on. Had she really changed though?

The first half of the story moved a little slowly. However, things got dark pretty soon and the twists started dropping, each one more shocking. I fly through the second half of the book and was excited to find myself thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it. I actually got up early and finished it before work today. It felt good to be excited about a book after such a long reading slump.

I love S.E. Lynes’ books and this is another title that I highly recommend. What an exciting, gipping thrilling!

Wow! This book completely blew me away!

Where to start?! The story is about Sam who unexpectedly bumps into his ex girlfriend, Naomi,one day after a painful breakup. Naomi has a child with her who strongly resembles Sam, which sets the wheels in motion for a twisted, expertly woven tale of betrayal, heartbreak and revenge.

I love the author's writing and how she seems to set scenes and paint pictures so cleverly. The characters were vividly captured, as was the complex, insidious relationship between Sam and Naomi. This paragraph perfectly summed it up "mistletoe isn't romantic at all. It's a parasite that sucks all the nutrients from its host tree, weakening it slowly over time".

From the outset, there is a sense of unease and underlying menace that slowly escalates as the story progresses. Parts were almost like witnessing a car crash, not wanting to see what happens, but being unable to look away. I literally couldn't put it down!

Parts of the book were letters written by Miranda, Sam's close friend and work colleague. I loved Miranda and her relationship with Sam and her letters gave everything another perspective. I also loved Joyce and her fierce devotion to Sam.

This is another taut, twisty, chilling read from this author, which I highly recommend if you already love her books. And if you've never tried one, start with this one!

Thanks to author, S E Lynes, publishers Bookouture and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Really good psychological thriller that was very well written and interesting.
Definitely enjoyed this one.
If you like domestic or psychological thrillers don’t miss out on this one!

The Ex by S. E. Lynes was an excellent psychological thriller I was gripped from the beginning till the end. I just love the way she has written all her books. She has a way of pulling you into the book and once you start you do not want to out it down. This was no different. I loved it and I could relate to it as well.

I highly recommend The Ex.....Brilliant!

Big Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This is so beautifully written, I was drawn in by the lovely descriptions, and it starts just as it should - immediate tension. A wonderful read, I devoured it in a couple of days while on holiday.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and S.E. Lynes for an ARC of The Ex. This book was such an amazing read. The plot was interesting and fast paced and the characters were well developed. I like that the story is told from multiple perspectives. It was easy to see where the story was going and there were times where I wanted to shake some sense into the main character. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend reading The Ex. I look forward to reading more books by S.E. Lynes.

I received an ARC of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. This is the second book recently where I feel rather ambivalent. This started out extremely slowly. It took me a long time to get through the first half, and I definitely considered not finishing. I also was mystified why Miranda was narrating.

Around halfway, wow - big reveal. It was foreshadowed for sure, but I did not expect the exact details. At this point I didn't want to put the book down. I was actually shocked at one part (one of the later portions revealed). But then I thought the ending was very rushed and neatly tied up, which didn't seem to fit with the reveals and the complexity of the situations.

So this is a tough one to rate for me - the first half is maybe 1 star, the middle is 5, and then the ending is 3.

This is the first time reading anything by this author and it won't be the last. Fast paced with plenty to keep you wanting to read on. Highly recommend reading it.

I honestly thought I could figure this book out. The writing style was great and just when I thought I was right, I was wrong. I really enjoyed the story and any book that can stump me on the ending gets a thumbs up from me.