I enjoyed this book and the narrators played it well. I did lose interested part way through then it picked back up towards the end. It just seemed to be a drawn out plot which didn't need to be so long. I spent the majority of the book hating a character that turned out didn't need hating. I still recommend this book!
3.75 stars

This was a great read! I truly enjoyed this audiobook. I couldn’t stop listening to find out what was gonna happen. It’s a definite must read for anyone who is from a divorced family.

This is my first read from this author, and OMG!! I absolutely love this book. It captured me from the very beginning, and I finished the book in one day.

The Custody Battle tells the story of Greg and Madeline, a couple going through a divorce. At first I found myself feeling sorry for one of the couple more than the other, but by the end of the book I didn't feel so bad for that character.

The plot twist was absolutely amazing. I thought I had things figured out, but boy was I wrong.

I can't wait to read more books by the author. Five stars all the way. Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for this ARC of The Custody Battle!

I received a copy of the audiobook to provide an honest review.
The narrators, David Brooks and Sarah Borges, did a fantastic job in keeping the story interesting and engaging.
A story of a custody battle (as the title suggests). We get dual POV from both husband and wife. Each spouse turns on the other and tries to turn their daughter against each other. I honestly didn’t favor one person over the other and didn’t really like either of them. The person I felt the most for was their daughter! It was entertaining but there was not much suspense and would not call it a thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc of this book.

This was such am interesting read it kept my attention the entire time. I love how it showed how quickly good intentions get twisted. Also the twist that came close to the end was surprising. I didn't see the twist coming at all.

I hated the main character, Madeline throughout the entire book. In my eyes she was at fault for it all. Towards the end the Greg started to show some characteristics that annoyed me. The last 25% of the book I couldn’t out it down, the plot started getting pretty twisted. I did not expect the ending at all, but then it all started to make sense of why it all happened. Loved the twisted plot at the end!!
Trying not to give spoilers haha

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for letting me review this ARC

I have never read a book with a custody dispute before, and this one was done so well! I enjoyed this listen and found it the perfect mix of fast paced and entertaining. I would say that this book is written more as a drama then a domestic thriller. It did have elements of secrets and lies. I would recommend this book to other readers but not quite readers who only read thrillers. I really enjoyed the narrations of this audiobook and felt that it added to the storyline. I downloaded the kindle version of this book and would read while listening. Thank you Netgalley for this arc copy of the audiobook. I rated this book four stars on my Goodreads and social media book accounts.

This book is exactly what it says it is-- a custody battle-- and absolutely nothing else. While the description suggests that each side is desperately trying to keep the other from revealing their deep dark secrets, nothing really super abnormal comes out until the very end of the book. 95% is literally just two sides of a custody battle. Still, I think that had some interesting potential because two people who are divorcing are clearly going to have very different viewpoints.... and that would be interesting except that neither person is especially likeable. Madeline wants a divorce, Greg doesn't. That's it.

There was something about the alternating perspectives and the way the author writes that I really enjoyed. In combination with great narration this was a very quick read, I just think marketing it as a 'thriller' sets you up with this wild expectation and unfortunately it doesn't really deliver.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this audio.

I really enjoyed this book in the beginning but started to get a little bored with it after a while but glad I continued it because u really ended up liking it more than I thought I would. Great story and plot twist.

I enjoyed this book (audio version) but sadly it was a bit predictable and I had figured out the ending. I would have liked to see a little more backstory on Madelines parents. 3 stars :)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Custody Battle by Ellie Monago, an audiobook narrated by Davis Brooks and Sarah Borges is
a gripping and addictive domestic suspense novel! The book caught my attention straight from the beginning and kept me intrigued all the way through! The final twists were unexpected and the ending was worth it!
This is a book about the dark side of divorce. It shows how much people change in the process, how much manipulation goes around, and by some point, it's just a dark game where no one cares who will be hurt in the process.

When Lola asked for a divorce, she wanted things to be nice and easy. When Greg agreed to "nice and easy" he didn't have any intention of keeping it like that as he didn't want to lose his wife!
Things escalate quickly and their life turns into a dark battle.
This book is told from Lola and Greg's point of view so it's a chance to know both characters on a deep level. What I really liked was different narrators narrated the male and female parts so that made it easy to follow the story. Both narrators were brilliant and made this story so enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this copy, I highly recommend it to everyone who loves family/domestic dramas!

Can a divorce ever end amicable? Madeline and Greg are about to find out that it doesn’t. What appears to be a cut and dry divorce soon turned into using their daughter, Lola as a pawn in their messy unraveling union.

This was a quick listen, but I felt at times it kinda dragged on. It was hard to connect to either character, however I felt more for Greg than Madeline yet disliked both characters by the end. It held a little suspense and the narration was good and held my attention. The cover of the book threw me off a bit as the child in the story is older and the cover looks like it’s a younger girl we are about to learn about.

The author hit the mark on what can happen when I child is stuck in the middle of a messy divorce and I appreciated the perspectives from all angles.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Madeline and Greg are in the midst of a bitter divorce and custody battle over their 10-year-old daughter, Lola.

Things have escalated beyond what either could have imagined, and there's no turning back now. The gloves are off, and both exes will stop at nothing to gain custody of their child. Despite the promising premise, I was left wanting more from this story.

Madeline and Greg were unsympathetic, and even Lola wasn't very likable. However, the narration and dual perspectives between Madeline and Greg added an interesting dynamic to the story. It was fascinating to see events unfold from both sides.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my free audio copy.

Not terrible, but I didn't love it. The narration just didn't quite work for me, but I would happily try more from this author

I really liked the beginning of this book but by the middle I was starting to get bored. I was expecting more twists and turns.

Tense divorce drama that hits the mark.

Many of us will have experience of divorce, myself included. None are easy, however hard the parties try to make it so.

And so this novel will feel quite recognisable to a lot of readers. And if it doesn't - count your lucky stars.

Doctor Marilyn has told her architect husband Greg that she wants a divorce - she no longer loves him, there is no way back for them, they can sort this out fairly and easily, keep things smooth for their daughter. She even has paperwork all prepared. All he needs to do is agree to things and they can move on with their lives.

Greg wants to fight for his wife, marriage and family. Surely he can persuade Marilyn the love can be rekindled? That he can make the changes she might need?

Not at all a recipe for acrimonious legal battles and one-upmanship, bringing in friends, lawyers and daughter Lola.

What starts as the ideal 'let's sort this between ourselves' arrangement soon spirals into a bitter and protracted process, and we see both sides of their story, with family history and their own love story spun out from both perspectives.

Couples will see themselves in one, other or even both of these parents - we all self-delude and see ourselves in the right. We all can be less than we would like to be. We can all be selfish, cruel and resentful.

Seeing a divorce from this outside angle certainly made me consider my own.

It was a great audio novel, with both adults vying for our approval even though we see the flaws of all. So messy, so upsetting, with their child involved, but a great, fast-moving family drama that kept bringing out surprises and turns.

Not a relaxing beach read, by any means, but a good hint towards self-examination.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.

This was a wild ride, the use of the unreliable narrators pitted against one another made it more exciting and I had no idea what to expect. Taking an incredibly relatable situation and dialing the drama up to 11, it’s a book I think every fan of domestic thrillers will enjoy.

Read this if you like: Big Little Lies!

Never read a book like this before, kind of like a Frieda Mcfadden book the ending is jaw dropping. Interesting to see this side of a custody battle. Finished this one pretty fast!!

This book...
This book right here...
Was like watching paint dry

Couple wants divorce
Greg doesn't want a divorce
Madeline has found someone else
Couple fights over child
😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴

Ellie is a new author to me and I will be back! Hits all the notes of a custody battle with unflinching authenticity, ramping up to the complexity of the bad guys in all of us, making you ask yourself WHAT WOULD I BE CAPABLE OF IN THE WRONG SITUATION!!! If that doesn't keep you up at night, nothing well. Excellent narration as well.