Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows Ramona, a wife and stepmother who is trying to maintain a happy relationship in the shadow of her husband’s missing wife. When a body is found, Ramona works to keep her husband from being the prime suspect.

This book had a great plot and mystery. I loved the twist at the end. Overall, a great read!

Even though she's constantly living in the shadow of Natasha, her husband's first wife who went missing more than a decade ago, Ramona is a fantastic spouse and stepmother. She's there for her new family, living in a basement bedroom without complaint while the house's original master suite sits as an empty shrine. Then the plot switches to Natasha and she seems to be an equally likeable character. What happened and how did things go so tragically wrong? I enjoyed this domestic thriller. The plot structure felt a little different than most and even though it's a slow burn, it kept me turning pages. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about the ending.

This was a hard read for me. It started off good but I quickly started to hate the main character. She was a complete doormat for her husband and he clearly didn’t love her and was stuck in the past. His wife was dead 10 years and he had her bedroom completely untouched? The new bedroom for the couple for 10 years is in the basement? Seems so bizarre. And he constantly talked about the love of his life being his dead wife and not the current one.
About halfway through I started to dislike the other main character in the flashbacks. She was a horrible wife and mother and extremely selfish. I didn’t at all feel bad about what happened to her. The ending of the book saved it from a 2 star. I love a crazy twist and a wild ending. If you don’t mind unlikable/naive characters the ending is amazing.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. I found this one to start off good but then got slow and was kind of repetitive. Overall a good plot, but just not for me.

Ramona Naylor has been married to Bradley for 12 years. She has strived to be a good wife to him and a good mother to his daughter Alison. You see, it was many years ago that Bradley’s wife, Natasha, disappeared. Police have searched but she has never been found. Father and daughter grieve the loss of the woman to the extent that her bedroom is left like a shrine. Ramona has worked so hard to help Alison with her grief and anger but the girl is often very ugly to her.

Today, the police stop by and ask Bradley to accompany them to the station for questioning as they have found a woman’s body in the woods and pending DNA testing, they are certain that it’s Natasha. Now, Alison is beside herself wondering why her father is taking so long at the station. She refuses any comfort from Ramona. When he returns, he and Alison disappear into the shrine room leaving Ramona behind. That’s when she again notices a small blue car parked out front and it’s the same one that has followed her several times. Who is it and why are they there?

This book seemed to be a bit repetitive at times. I didn’t like Natasha and I didn’t care much for Bradley either. Ramona seemed to be a bit of a ditz without much realness to her. These things made me feel like the book was a drag - that is until the end. Wow. That was very surprising and made me realize how all of the characters appeared to be to the way I saw them. Hope that’s not too confusing. Do give this book a read. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

From almost the moment I started this, I just couldn't out it down. It's fast paced with short chapters and the alternating pov and dual timeline just made it one of those stories you get completely lost in. The characters are so vividly Brough to life and given such human traits that I was obsessed! I could not finish it fast enough to find out how it all ended and the twists.... just amazing!

This was told by both Ramona in the present, and Natasha in the past. I was more intrigued by Natasha’s perspective, as I found Ramona to be too people pleasing, and didn’t stick up for herself. At first Bradley didn’t seem that much of a catch to me through Natasha’s perspective, and with Ramona he wasn’t really around. Now Allison the daughter, she was just a brat and I tried to sympathize with her losing her mom, but the disrespect towards Ramona irritated me to no end.

I flew through this book, and I wanted to see what happened to Natasha. As the book went on, I didn’t see the reveal coming. The issues I had were the repetitive at times dialogue. I also preferred Natasha’s voice over Ramona’s. Overall, the story was just okay to me, and the ending was kind of underwhelming.

The Perfect Ex-Wife by Winter K. Willis is a psychological thriller that centers around Ramona, a woman who has spent twelve years eclipsed by the shadow of her husband Bradley's missing ex-wife, Natasha. Despite her affection for both Bradley and his teenage daughter, Allison, Ramona finds it challenging to earn their acceptance, as they remain deeply affected by Natasha's unresolved disappearance. The narrative takes a pivotal turn when authorities uncover remains believed to belong to Natasha, plunging the family into a state of upheaval and revealing long-buried secrets and acts of betrayal.

The story's structure alternates between Natasha’s past experiences and Ramona’s current struggles, delving into themes of obsession, jealousy, and the intricacies of human perception. As the plot advances, characters confront their flawed understandings, resulting in unreliable narratives that compels the reader to question the nature of truth and reality. Ramona’s yearning for familial connection contrasts sharply with Allison’s animosity, intensifying the tension as they each grapple with their grief and unresolved emotions. The storyline is further complicated by unforeseen twists, culminating in a startling conclusion that redefines the relationships and motivations of the characters involved. This captivating and suspenseful narrative engages you, ultimately illuminating the profound impact of obsession and the lengths individuals will go to safeguard their loved ones.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Disclosure: Thank you to Celestial Bear Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
I quickly read "The Perfect Ex-Wife" and was eager to uncover who was truly responsible for Natasha's murder. I noticed that the book had more repetition than I felt was necessary, which is a trend in many thrillers I've read this year. However, by the final chapters, you can appreciate the purpose of that repetition. Just when you think you've figured out who killed Natasha, the truth is revealed, and it comes as a shocking surprise.

I loved switching back and forth between Natasha's and Ramona's lives. It was so well done that I was reading about Ramona and Bradley's married life and then seeing a glimpse into Natasha and Bradley's marriage. As the author wanted, I was angry at Natasha and how she treated Bradley.

I strongly believe in loyalty in marriage, and it was hard to read about Natasha's affair. Yet, without it, I also don't see this storyline working.

This book was fun to read and kept me on my toes. Once I finally got the chance to start it, it didn't take long for me to read it.

The Perfect Ex-Wife
By Winter K. Willis
Released on 12/02/2024

In this psychological thriller, Ramona believes she has the perfect nuclear family. True there may be few tiny cracks in her marriage. And, it’s true her stepdaughter may disrespect her and often times seem to hate her. Even though haunted by the daily reminders of the perfect ex-wife and mother that she can never compete with she is steadfast in her vow to love and protect them. How far will she go when decades old secrets are revealed that threaten to destroy her family? I recommend this to everyone wanting a good whodunnit with characters that make you want to know them and a gripping storyline that lures you in from the start and keeps you engaged until the shocking end. #ThePerfectExWife. #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I liked the dual POV between Ramona and Natasha. We got to see the perspective of both women and how they connect in each other’s lives. The first few chapters established a good foundation for the progression of the story, including the relationship between Ramona and Allison, Ramona’s marriage with Bradley, and the background for Natasha’s disappearance.

This story, although fast-paced with its short chapters, didn’t meet my expectations. The beginning was intriguing which made me super curious to see what would happen next, but then the more I began reading, the more I disliked all the characters and I’m not sure if the author meant for the characters to be this unlikeable. There wasn’t much motive for the characters to do what they did, except for maybe Bradley, and the ending was really unrealistic. There were also a lot of repetitiveness, such as Natasha’s back and forth between Bradley and David, and the expression “in the recesses”; the constant mention of these became annoying to read.

However, if you enjoy unreliable narrators and a very fast-paced read with short chapters, this book is for you!

Winter K. Willis' The Perfect Wife is a masterful psychological thriller that gripped me from the first page. The book a very nice paced plot and good development of characters. It's a total must read for the thriller book fan. I promise you you'll enjoy every minute of this book. I gave this book a 5/5 star rating. It blew my mind and kept me interested from the very beginning.

Ramona has spent the last twelve years trying to build the perfect family with her husband and stepdaughter. In their picture-perfect home and neighborhood, she thought she'd finally found the life she always dreamed of. But one thing still haunts her every day: the shadow of her husband’s missing ex-wife. No matter how hard she tries, neither her husband nor stepdaughter can let go of the past.

Ramona has quietly hoped that time would help her replace the memory of the woman who disappeared without a trace. But when the police show up at her doorstep with new evidence, everything changes. As buried secrets resurface, Ramona is forced to confront the truth about the woman who came before her—and just how far she'll go to protect the perfect life she's built.

Page-turner from the beginning! This was a fun, fast read that kept me engaged from the beginning and didn't let me go until the last. Excellent story!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. This is my honest opinion of the book.

I was hooked from the beginning of this psychological thriller/mystery! This was a first for me from this writer team/duo and I can't wait to read more from them! This was a page-turner from the beginning to end and yet was really clean (no swearing and closed door). TW include: murder, loss of parent, cheating on spouse, mental health, grief complicated family/foster care. Told in dual timelines in dual POV yet still very easy to follow: two women who married the same man (over a decade apart). Ramona's present and Natasha's past, trying to solve the death of Natasha throughout the book. This was a 5/5 for me. *I received a complimentary ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I found some parts of the story a bit repetitive, but overall, this book was really entertaining! I feel for Ramona since it’s tough to see her let her husband and step-daughter treat her that way. Natasha and David's actions came across as quite selfish, and I honestly expected them to face some consequences for all the cheating. The ending really surprised me—it was a total twist!

Thank you, NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Great book! Ramona who is Bradley's 2nd wife feels that she lives in the shadow of Natasha, Bradley's first wife who disappeared several years ago. When her body was found and Bradley became a person of interest Ramona did everything in her power to protect him.
I don't want to give anything away but the ending is a big surprise. I definitely recommend this as it is a wonderful read.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC.

I read this book very quickly but it wasn’t one I can honestly recommend. If you’re a fan of unreliable characters then this is absolute the tale for you. I don’t mind being blind sided by someone in a story in fact a clever twist is good but in this book it’s everyone who is not as they seem and just too unbelievable to make it work.

The Perfect EX Wife by Winter K. Willis
Publication date set for the 2nd of December.
This is a story that flips from past and present POVs.
I enjoyed this book and there's a good twist that i liked.

This kept me guessing
And I love it when thrillers with twists and turns still manage to do this! It's gladly a theme and trope that kept popularity. And I'm in awe of authors who manage to find new ways to write it time and time again.
This was thrilling. And full of drama. And I certainly was shocked and surprised at some of the ending conclusion.
Loved it.

Speechless. 😵‍💫 This book was soooo good! I kept going back and forth with who was guilty the entire book, just for the last 5% to reveal it all, and it was NOT what I expected. The author did a great job at keeping you guessing.
The story was well written and unique, so I would highly suggest this upcoming release as a read.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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