This started out slow and I wasn't really into it, but as it got to about halfway it really picked up. I did find it a bit predictable though, and a little far fetched. May have given it a 4.5 but the ending left me a bit flat.
Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

The was a slow burn thriller with some dark humor. It was too slow for my liking. A typical story like about about Sam the ex. There were some twists that kept my interest. I didn’t relate to any of the characters. Sam was a character that stood out to me, however he wasn’t as strong as anticipated. I appreciate Net Galley allowing me to read an ARC!

I am not new to books written by S.E. Lynes. And the Ex did not disappoint. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night trying to get some reading in. The whole time I was waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. Sam Moore runs into his ex Naomi Harper and baby Tommy. They broke up right before the pandemic hit with Sam leaving Naomi to go live with his Grandmother. Seeing Naomi rekindles something in Sam. Maybe he should not hVe left her. I do like the way the story is written. Sam's friend Miranda tells the story in her eye emphasizing on how trusting Sam was. I recommend reading this book. I look forward to reading more from S.E. Lynes.

Thank you Net galley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. #TheEx #NetGalley

I thoroughly enjoyed this taught domestic thriller. Sam is riding out the Covid lockdown with his grandmother at her sprawling home. When he runs into his ex girlfriend, who was difficult and controlling, he has second thoughts about their breakup. Was the breakup mostly his fault or was it hers with her jealousy, extreme anger issues, and all around dysfunction. Sam’s confusion about their relationship and the fact that she mysteriously has a child that may be his causes him to give their relationship another chance. Sam has no idea the dire consequences that this choice will cause. Excellent, fast paced thriller.

The Ex is a decent thriller. The first half is somewhat slow but it does pick up speed. The story was somewhat predictable but it didn’t draw away from the likability of it. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for an easier quick read.

Sam and Naomi split up at the beginning of lockdown with Sam moving in with his elderly gran. They ended on bad terms and it was a toxic relationship. 1 year later he bumps in to her out walking a baby. She claims its her friends baby but then says it's actually Sam's baby. So they get back together and quickly plan a future. Needless to say, things are never that easy and a leopard doesn't change its spots.

I loved The Baby Shower by this author and this one is just as good. Solid 5 stars

The Ex
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 8/26/22
Author: S.E. Lynes
Publisher: Bookouture
Pages: 341
Goodreads Rating: 4.15

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Bookouture and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: The love of your life… or your biggest mistake? It’s hard, meeting your ex after so much time apart. You remember the hurt, the tears and accusations, but you try not to show it. You smile politely, even while your heart beats faster.

My Thoughts: Sam is living with his grandmother when he sees his ex, Naomi, on the beach with her child. He walks up to ask her if he is the father, while she concedes to the notion, she is very manipulative. The story is narrated by Sam, Joyce (Sam’s grandmother), Miranda (former colleague), and letters from Naomi; it also switches to third person perspective and sometimes, it gets a little confusing on who is narrating the chapter. The first half if is a slower burn novel, but it does pick up in the second half of the story. The trope of the story is greed, manipulation, deceit, with a splash of love and devotion. Sam should have been the person you like and can relate to from the story, however, I felt he was spineless and didn’t stand in his truth. The characters were well written and characterized to the extent that you could feel like you was there with them. The author’s writing style is complex, dark humor, suspenseful, twisty, and creatively written. While some of the twists were predictable, this was still a good, fast paced, quick read that I enjoyed. This book releases next week.

When Sam sees his ex, Naomi, pushing a pram it doesn’t take him long to start thinking that perhaps she is hiding something.
Sam lives with his grandmother Joyce who holds no good thoughts for Naomi and is concerned that she may hurt Sam.
As always S E Lynes writes characters that’s hook you in and for the record I never wanted to punch a character as much as I did Naomi.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wowzers!!
Definitely a page turner a book you don't want to put down.
I loved and hated the characters but that's how this book should feel I think.
Put this one on your too read this today!!!

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and S. E. Lynes for my ARC of The Ex in return for an honest review.

I have read other novels by this author so was really looking forward to reading The Ex and it did not disappoint.

Sam accidentally bumps into his ex, Naomi, one day when he is out walking. She has a baby with her and tells him it is her friend’s son. Sam is not convinced as it has the same colouring as him and the age would fit in with the timescale of when he was with her. Their relationship was not only toxic but ended badly just before the Covid lockdown.

Sam has been living with his gran, Joyce, during lockdown and as soon as he gets home, he tells her about the meeting. Joyce was never a fan of Naomi and warns him to be careful, however Sam is determined to find out the truth.

This was excellent in the way it was told from different aspects and kept me on the edge of my seat right until the end.

Brilliant read and highly recommended.

Naomi and Sam's relationship had ended on rocky terms. The toxicity of their past made me interested to see what was going to happen with them since Sam runs into Naomi and she has a baby in tow that he assumes is his. This book had me intrigued the entire time. I really liked the writing style and having every main character's point of view. I thought I had figured out what was going to happen and I was wrong! I do feel like it took a while for any excitement to happen in the book however, the build up to that point was enough to keep me reading to see what happened next. I really enjoyed this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me a chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

DNF - I was unable to connect with this book. I found the writing style to be messy. It began as a narration by Sam's friend but after a while, it felt like it was written as Sam's POV. The letters from Naomi, while it was meant to be manipulative, was boring and I found myself skipping them.

Overall, this story was not for me. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Ex was written in a different way than I have read before and I absolutely loved the style. Wrote from a storytellers point of view as if telling the story to us direct. I thought this was incredible especially since the storyteller was involved in the story herself. Genius!

The story follows Sam, who accidentally bumps into his ex Naomi a year after leaving her. In that moment he knows his world has changed in a heartbeat and before he knows it he can feel himself falling deeply back in love with her.

I was 💯 invested in this romance, although I found Naomi’s character to be, well a bitch from the start I was rooting for them. The love I could feel building through the pages was inspiring. But, well, no it didn’t last very long and before I knew it that twists came whirling in one after the other and I felt as heartbroken as Sam himself.

The Ex is one hell of a psychological thriller that will definitely keep you turning those pages.

This is only the second book I have read by the incredible author SE Lynes but it certainly won’t be the last I will definitely be adding her backlog to my TBR.

The Ex is published later this month, and I definitely recommend a preorder for this one!

I have absolutely loved SE Lynes' most recent releases and she quickly became an auto-buy author for me, so I was very excited to read her latest.

An absorbing and intriguing thriller, The Ex is another brilliantly-written story with striking characters and a refreshing twist.

Lynes' characters always get into my head and the same can be said for The Ex I was wary of both characters as Sam comes across as a little too gullible, although I did admire his hopefulness, and it's obvious that Naomi is hiding something, but I still really enjoyed being in their company and seeing how their story played out.

I usually find Lynes' books more jaw-dropping whereas I found The Ex a little more domestic. It's not a predictable story but you know that Naomi isn't trustworthy so this does take away some of the shock when the truth finally comes out.

The story is also one that some readers may have read similar to before, but there was still a lot that surprised me and the last section is really exhilarating. I especially enjoyed how lockdown played into the story. I know a lot of people don't like books that address the pandemic but it felt relevant here and gave a plausible reason for these characters to not have seen each other in so long.

Lynes will always be an author I recommend so whether you've read something by her before or not, she's definitely a thriller writer than needs to be on your radar.

I'm on the blog tour for this book on 2nd September so my reviews will be live then.

This was another excellent chewing-gum-for-the-brain book. It didn’t require much thought; you could just sit back, see where it would take you, and enjoy it.
Luckily, I am in the mood for these types of books at the moment. I think it’s the heat; I just don’t want to have to put much thought into what I’m reading while I’m literally melting! This was perfect for this weather, especially as there were a few sections I could almost gloss over when Sam was taking care of the baby. It got a little monotonous, and I was hoping it wouldn’t be all the book was about.
You could tell straight away that it wouldn’t be as it seemed. Naomi was definitely building up to something, and she was being way too sweet compared to how you were lead to believe she was before he left her. No one changes that much in such a short space of time. So it was exciting to see how the story would develop.
The book’s second half is definitely the best and starts to pick up the pace. The ending was just brilliant. It all unfolded so fast that I found myself rereading a few pages just to ensure I took it all in (again, the heat was probably slowing my brain down too). Everything that had happened leading up to Joyce and the big finale had been so subtle that it felt more of a shocker when everything was revealed. Even though you know something will be shocking, it had me gripped to the edges of the pages.
The very very end (so the last few pages) was a little unnecessary, and changed the book from a psych thriller to a more romantic one, and I just don’t think it was needed; just the prospect of it would have been enough.
I do need to address the COVID/lockdown element. When I first started reading, I inwardly groaned as I really don’t like to be reminded of lockdown. I don’t like it to creep into my escapism moments of reading. However, it was all relevant to the story. Without lockdown, a lot of the story wouldn’t have been plausible, so it was integrated well, and I didn’t mind it being there in the end. I did tear up at a funeral in the book where everyone lines the street; this is precisely how it was for my father-in-law’s in September 2020; all of his workmates stood outside as we drove past. This was beautifully written about and portrayed real-life perfectly.
Overall, a good read and a solid four stars.

This book kept me on edge throughout and I absolutely devoured it! Imagine being out walking around town and seeing someone familiar across the street. Could that be her? Yes, Sam sees what he think is his ex, Naomi, and crosses the street to make sure it's her. Once he gets closer, he knows her hair is different, but that it's definitely her! There's only one thing off, she's pushing a stroller. She never wanted kids when Sam and she dated, didn't even like kids. She looks up and sees him and they stop and have a chat. Things didn't end well in their relationship about a year ago now, as Sam walked out and went to live with his grandmother. Sam and his gran had a very special bond as she's the woman that raised him. Sam looks at the baby boy in the stroller and notices the blond hair and blue eyes that he thinks are very similar to his own. Naomi is quick to tell him that she's babysitting her friend Cheryl's baby for the afternoon. They part after a brief chat and say that maybe they'll have a drink or tea sometime to catch up.

Sam gets home and his gran Joyce can tell immediately that something is wrong. It reminds her of the way Sam was. when Sam and Naomi were together. Naomi was. always upset with Sam and always causing him stress. He finally had let it go and found happiness again living with her and working. Sam tells Joyce that he had run into Naomi and that they'd had a chat. He then tells her about the baby and the way the boy had similar coloring to Sam. The timing is right for the baby to possible be his. Could the boy be Sam's? Why wouldn't Naomi have told him? Is Naomi really as together as she seemed? Sam decides to call Naomi and ask her to meet him for a drink in a couple of days. Naomi agrees and the story takes off from there!

If you love reading books that keep you on edge and that you can't put down, this is the book for you! Reading the different POV's will give you insights into Sam, Naomi, and Joyce. Will we get a happy ending or is something quite off about this relationship? You'll have to read the book to find out! S.E. Lynes does a masterful job of building the suspense to the point that the last third of the book will fly by. The Ex comes out on August 30, 2022 and I highly recommend that you get it! I give it 5 stars!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of The Ex in exchange for a fair review. #TheEx #NetGalley #Bookouture

I enjoyed this, but feel it needed something more to really stand out as a thriller. The story was quite slow to begin with and while there were some good twists, it didn't have any 'wow' moments for me personally. I think partly that's down to me not being particularly invested in the characters. I loved Joyce the gran, but Sam was quite a dull main character. If I'd felt more connection to them, the events would have packed more of a punch. The writing was good and the story wasn't bad by any means, but the book isn't one I would rush to recommend.

The Ex by S.E. Lynes

Published: August 26, 2022
Bookouture
Pages: 367
Genre: Thriller
KKECReads Rating:
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

S.E. Lynes is the Amazon #1 best-selling author of THE HOUSEWARMING, VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE, CAN YOU SEE HER? HER SISTER's SECRET and #10 best seller, THE BABY SHOWER. A former BBC Producer, she has lived in France, Spain, Scotland, and Italy and is now settled in Greater London. After completing her MA, S E Lynes taught creative writing at Richmond Adult Community College for ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring, and lecturing in Richmond Borough.

“It’s all been such a mess.”

Sam has spent quarantine with his beloved gran and enjoys taking hikes to calm his mind. He’s spent the last several months trying to heal from his tumultuous relationship with Naomi. Naomi, who Sam thought would be his forever, turned out to be anything but. When Sam unexpectedly sees Naomi while on a hike, he is stunned to see she’s pushing a baby in a stroller. Now, he has to find out the truth, even if it costs him everything.

HOLY. MOLY. BATMAN. This is the best psychological thriller I have read (so far) in 2022. Everything about this novel was beautifully done. I absolutely need more stars, because five is not enough.

I loved how this story was told. It was so freshly done, so different from anything I’ve read before. The narration was an absolute work of art.

The characters were so detailed, so defined, and their personalities so well portrayed. Sam was a beautiful character. Soft-spoken and kind, hardworking and loyal, Sam was someone you would want as a friend. Joyce was the loveliest gran. She captured my heart right away and reminded me of my own beloved Nan. Miranda was the most devoted best friend and someone I think everyone can identify with. I think we have all had feelings for a good friend and had to swallow the hurt of watching them love another.

It takes a lot to make me truly despise a character, but Naomi takes the cake. She was wicked reincarnate. Selfish and cunning, she knew what she had, and boy did she play the game.

I found this story fast-paced and addictive. The deeper you fall into the plot, the harder it is to put the book down. I was captivated, shocked, and left speechless.

The twist in this novel is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Not only was it brilliantly curated and wickedly executed, but it was plausible enough to scare you. The twist comes so fast and so unexpectedly that you will feel the emotions of the characters with them as they realize what is happening.

I devoured this novel, and when it was over felt like I had just run a mile. S.E. Lynes pulls every punch without hesitation. Absolutely one of the best, if not the best, thrillers of the year!

Holy moly this an intense, heart breaking, incredible psychological thriller.

Naomi is taking a stroll and for the first time since their big break up her ex, Sam, runs into her. Sam sees Naomi with a young baby, just the right age to be Sam's son. After a terrible relationship, has the baby changed his ex for the better? Is Naomi a new person? Should he give her another chance and have the family he always dreamed of having? ... There is SO much more to this book that can't be said here without spoilers.

Moving, infuriating, eye opening, jaw dropping, shocking, fast paced and original (for me at least). One of the easiest 5 stars for plot, mystery, thrill, suspense- the whole lot! Loved the depiction of mental health issues, relationship struggles and incorporating difficulties arising from the pandemic too.

However, the style of writing is my most disliked: disjointed sentences, incomplete sentences/missing words (to try explain, to me it was like someone had to reduce a word count for a uni essay at times) and an overuse of unnecessarily large, uncommon words one needs to look up definitions for (also like uni essay)... BUT my word is the story good and it is not even worth reducing the rating over this, which originally nearly had me DNF.

Suspend beliefs is neccesary. Even if the writing style grinded my gears and caused a bad flow at parts, the plot is unreal and gripping. The style is unique in use of POVs and I loved it, particularly the narration of one protagonist talking to the reader and the letters of another.

I definitely recommend this book. Check out TWs online.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Excellent book! Saying too much about it would give it away but wow there are some seriously psychotic characters in this one! Very cleverly written, the reader is fooled into a sense of oh ok things might be working out here then wham! We find out what is really going on. I like how it is set during the covid lockdowns, makes it that wee bit more relatable. I would recommend all the books written by this author, they are brilliant psychological/domestic thrillers.