Read if you like: domestic thrillers, shady pasts

Sadie wanted the perfect Christmas away in the country with her family. What she didn’t count on was her husband’s ex-girlfriend showing up with her daughter to take over the holiday — and her life.

The author did a good job making the book atmospheric and tense. I feel the setting was the best and most successful part of the book.

However, this book unfortunately just did not work for me. While the protagonist, Sadie, bounced back and forth between extremely unlikeable and tolerable, every other adult was awful. No one acts like an actual human would in this book and the twists did not make any sense. I also felt the pacing was very slow.

The middle twist and ending could not be anticipated as information doesn’t line up at all and the actions don’t make sense.

Where do I begin with this book? I was sucked in from the very beginning. The author did a great job with the characters, except for Ted and I guess the twist was that more shocking because the author didn’t. I think there were a lot of inconsistencies with this book but overall a solid suspense.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy.

So, the book starts of really well. The author did a great job with the eerie setting and building up a mysterious story. I was very intrigued and there were a lot of questions that I wanted answers to and a lot of secrets being kept.

But the last few chapters and the ending really baffled me. There were so many inconsistencies and things just weren't adding up. I had the same issue with The Baby Monitor by the same author. I was hoping this one would have some conclusion in the end that made sense but it didn't. It's a shame because the book was well written and the suspense was definitely there, and it could have been really good if not for that ending.

I give it 2,5 stars

This book is full of holes, inconsistencies, truly unthinkable human reaction and a synopsis that sounded really good.

I think if you like thrillers and you just wanted a bit of fun this would be the book for you.

Dnf at 50%, long chapters, slow, no thriller or twists, unlikable characters. I don’t usually dnf but this book wasn’t it unfortunately

This is my second book by Walker. The first book of hers I read was The Baby Monitor, which was filled with unexpected twists, and I was hooked on her writing.

It only took me a few hours to read this book, but it was so intriguing that I could not put it down. Rosie has a fantastic talent for forming the most vivid pictures in the reader’s mind.

Sadie and Ted made plans to take a holiday trip with their two kids. Out of the blue, there’s a knock on the door, and guess who it is? Ted’s ex! What could be the reason for her unexpected visit? Did Ted invite her?

The way the ending unfolded took me entirely by surprise. I thoroughly enjoy a well-executed plot twist!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

2.5 stars - and **spoiler alert ahead"

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture and Rosie Walker for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. And here’s my honest opinion:

The first chapter uses descriptive words like sinister, craggy, nightmare, harsh and remote to describe a drive in Scotland. Using these types of words sets the reader up to know a dark and twisty story is forthcoming. I was so ready to dive right in.

The female character is a therapist. But there’s something about her that really bothered me. She’s have these instant scenes (like walking in and seeing her husband kissing his ex) and she walks to the kitchen and has like a 10-minute conversation in her head which in all likelihood seems impossible. Her or her husband would instantly say something, right? Another example is when the ex first walks in - the wife has all these millions of questions in her head but neither her or her husband can just simply ask “what are you doing here?” Didn’t seem realistic to me. Instead they have wine and apps and children play board games - all this before she asks “why are you here?”

Another example when the ex says the child is his - the wife immediately thinks well, my two children don’t have a grandfather or cousins so they need all the family they can get? That just seems highly unlikely that this could be one of your first thoughts.

The wife accidentally gets hits by her husband’s elbow in sleep. Leaves enough of a mark that a 14-year old girl asks her what happened? But then the wife’s mother arrives and she says “you look pale”? How does a 14-year old notice what a mother doesn’t? It’s incongruous.

The wife is intent looking at the ex’s daughter, and not seeing the similarities to her husband. But the husband’s parents “randomly run into” the ex and immediately know it’s their granddaughter (after 14 years of never seeing her???). What?

The wife is so worried about the kids and preserving a great Christmas but right in front of the kids the husband’s father brings up the fact that he left his ex girlfriend when she was pregnant! In front of the kids this is said! What? Again inconsistent.

There are just way too many inconsistencies here that made reading this book hard. A man is after the ex and her daughter - but no one asks why? It’s over 24 hours later when someone finally says “tell us why?” It’s like watching a horror movie when they go
into a dark house instead of a running car!

A therapist who thinks that maybe by finding her husband’s secret 14-year old daughter is just what her marriage needs to restart it? Huh? That’s not a therapist I’d ever go to.

The wife gets trapped downstairs in a basement with a locked wooden door. She has axe! Why doesn’t she use it to get thru the door?

There are just way too many inconsistencies and odd thinking in this book. And the ending? What? Huh? Where did all that come from?
This book wasn’t for me. I honestly couldn't connect or root for any person in this book. The best thing to me about this book was the setting - a very remote private house in the Scottish highlands.

This was written really well. Full of suspense! There is a twist that I didn't see coming, and that's really a rare thing for me. I usually can see the twists and bad guys from miles away. I've read another of this author's books, and I will definitely keep reading her books as she writes really good.
I got this as an ARC from Netgalley but these opinions are my own.

I was able to get an ARC of this book. I was unfamiliar with the author, but the description appealed to me. I enjoyed the book. The author did a good job of casting suspicion on characters and creating her plot twist/ending, without revealing too much, so as to leave the reader guessing. This was a quick, easy read that I finished in one sitting. I appreciate the opportunity to read & review this book!

I was fortunate enough to have received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I finished this book in one day because it's just THAT good.

Author Rosie Walker amplifies every person's nightmare in The Ex-Girlfriend. Somewhere in our minds, we've always wondered about the partners that came before us in a relationship, but few have the heart to ask. Until you run into them in public and the illusion is shattered and you can't help but overanalyze every word that is said and every inch of the body language. Does he still love her? Do they still talk?

This book takes that scenario and amps it up to the worst-case scenario. Sadie and her family are retreating to a remote cabin for Christmas. Tensions build when her husband's ex-girlfriend arrives unexpectedly with her daughter in tow. While the three adults try to navigate this tricky visit, here come the in-laws. As the trip draws out, history is leaked, and small truths are revealed that leave the reader questioning everyone in the story.

I loved this book because it truly was suspenseful. Every time I made a guess on a plot twist, I was absolutely wrong. I couldn't have predicted the ending, and I still feel skeptical about it, but that's who I am as a person. I think having the three daughters in the story really adds the element of fear (and I'm not even a mom). I also appreciate that the author left it as a cliffhanger, I would love to see a sequel to this.

This was a page turner, fun read that I found easy to breeze through.

The characters were well-written and the story arch was super intriguing.

The ending was a shock!!! it will definitely leave you speechless.

What a wild read!!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of Ex-Girlfriend. I was sooo happy when I saw Rosie Walker had a new book since The Baby Monitor was an Awesome read but this was dark and had a very weird turn in the book, I don’t know why I kept reading honestly. I didn’t like any of the characters and from about 70% on, I wondered where did that idea come from, I never saw what Sadie and Alice said about Ted. I wasn’t really happy with the plot or how it ended. I’m sorry.

"Ex Girlfriend" is a book about a married couple and their kids, who go to a remote place for Christmas in hope of rekindling their marriage...or so we are led to believe until the doorbell rings and Ted's ex girlfriend stands on the step with her daughter and it all escalates from there...
The story is written well, it had me turning pages long into night as there was always the suspense element of what would happen next and I needed to know! However, the ending to the book was not at all what I expected, it was so much better and so unexpected! A brilliant read with great twists!

This book is a total page-turner and will keep you guessing with every page. I love this incredible thriller. The plot was ingenious and I really like the characters as well. If you’re looking for a fast pace story that you can get swept into fairly quickly this is the book for you.

I enjoyed this thriller! It was definitely a page-turner and a quick read. This is my first read from this author and look forward to reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Bit of a strange one for me. Most of the characters were either extremely irritating, ridiculous or just plain annoying. The story started off ok and then just got bizarre and the ending was just bonkers.
Having said all that i simply got sucked into the madness. Maybe laughed in places i shouldn't have but overall a decent read.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
Four stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Ex-Girlfriend by Rosie Walker due to be published May 3, 2024.
Ted and Sadie and their two children have rented a secluded cabin to spend Christmas with their families. When the doorbell rings and it is Ted’s former girlfriend, Alice, with her daughter, Sadie is shocked. But, not as shocked as when she finds a knife in Alice’s coat pocket. Why is she here? Did Ted know she was coming? Sadie will do everything in her power to protect her family, but will it be enough?
I had read The Baby Monitor not too long ago, so I was thrilled to get this one!
After Alice and her daughter’s surprise visit, the rest of the book is one more surprise after another. It did get a little bogged down in the middle but ended up being an exciting ending!
Another good one by Rosie Walker!
#NetGalley #RosieWalker #Bookouture #ExGirlfriend

* spoiler alert ** This is a difficult book for me to review. It's not very long and I feel more could be edited out of the book. it's very wordy and turns into a very very slow burn. Sadie and Ted's marriage is on the rocks and in a last ditch effort, they book a lodge in the backwoods of Scotland to try to repair their marriage over the Christmas holiday. Their 2 children are with them. No sooner do they get there, than the doorbell rings and a woman and her daughter enter. Sadie doesn't recognize the woman or the daughter, but when the woman says her name is Alice, Sadie knows who she is. Ted's last girlfriend who broke his heart. Ted's parents are arriving as is Sadie's mom. Her brother cannot get through the roads, as there is a huge storm going on.

So, ok. The author did a great job with the setting and the characters. I felt the spooky atmosphere of this horrendous rain storm, the freezing cold, the intense dislike between Alice and Sadie. The story goes on with them basically stuck in the house, with no gas in their car and the river covering the bridge to leave. They can't throw Alice and her daughter out in the storm.

If you don't want the spoilers, stop here. I cannot for the life of me get with this ending. I had to check if I was reading the same book I started. All these things about Ted came up and no where in the story were they ever mentioned. I really was kind of annoyed that I read this entire book and a few bits and pieces were thrown in at the ending and I was just supposed to say, oh ok, great. So on one hand, the book was good, but on the other hand it wasn't due to the ending. This is 2.5 stars rounded up as I still am left with more questions than answers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I greatly appreciate it. I personally don't recommend this book. I'm so sorry.

This is the first book I’ve read by Rosie and it was so good! Sadie and Ted decide to go away for the holidays with their two children. Suddenly there is a knock at the door and it’s Ted’s ex. Why is she here? Did Ted invite her? All Alice wanted was to spend some quality time with her family or that’s what we thought.. I couldn’t believe how good this book was, I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t see the ending happening the way it did. I love a good twist! Thank you NetGalley , Rosie and Bookouture for the ARC! #ExGirlfriend

2.5 stars

I thought this sounded like a book I'd love, but I struggled with it. I never connected with the characters, which made it hard to stay engaged. Ted was downright annoying. The ending was rushed and left a number of questions unanswered. There was ample tension, but something was just missing with the execution. There were a few unexpected twists. Shorter chapters, which is common with this genre, would've helped keep the pace a bit more active.