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.

#ARC #netgalley #theperfectexwife #bookstagram #booktok #booksbooksbooks #thriller #psychological

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC copy. Fantastic thriller. Fun guessing all the way to the end. I gave this books 5 stars and recommend it.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

2.5 stars rounded up

There were a couple of pretty out there twists that had me surprised for sure. This was definitely more drama-ish than thriller, I would say. Some parts were very repetitive and some of the dialogue felt a little drawn out and sort of spelling out what was happening a bit too much. Overall, a fun mystery but not my favorite.

Ramona wants to be the perfect step-mother to Allison, and a perfect ex-wife to her husband Bradley. But Bradley's ex-wife, Natasha, is missing. She disappeared twelve years ago. The police arrive and tell Bradley they have found the remains of a body, and it could be Natasha.

The story is told from Natasha in the past, and Ramona in the present day. The pace is fast in this twisted read. The plot is intriguing. My opinion on the characters kept changing, but most of the time they were unlikable. The last twist was really good. This is my first read by the author, but it won't be my last.

Published 17th November 2024

I would like to thank #NetGalley #CelestialBearPublishing and the author #WinterKWillis for my ARC of #The\PerfectExWife in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for the free ARC! This book was entertaining with lots of drama, All the characters were unrelatable and unlikable, but still engaging. I would give it 3 and a half stars. I would recommend. I received this review copy for free; and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This writing duo is AMAZING. The Perfect Ex-Wife is exactly what the title implies. The story is told between a "prior wife" and the "new wife." The tale is gripping, intense, and profoundly addictive as the writer's weave a web of strife in both of their marriages to the same man. I can't wait to read more books by Winter Willis.

I really enjoyed this exciting thriller and kept me not wanting to,stop reading it.
Romana has been married for 12 years to Bradley, he was married before to Natasha and has a daughter from her called Allison.
Romans will do anything to protect her family she knows both Bradley and Allison cannot forget about Natasha and romana will never be good enough.
Romana has decided to take matters into her own hands and find out all about Natasha and find out why she was so perfect.
I never guessed the conclusion of this book.

Ramona Naylor has been with her husband Bradley and his daughter, Allison, for twelve years. She loves her life being a wife and stepmother - growing up in foster care, all she ever wanted was a family, and now she has one. Sure, it hurts that her stepdaughter doesn’t consider her a mother, and that she isn’t the love of her husband’s life, but she’s learned to be okay playing second fiddle to Natasha, Bradley’s ex-wife.

Natasha is still revered in the house, and Bradley and Allison have never stopped hoping she’s alive. She was everything Ramona is not: a great cook, a gorgeous lawyer providing for her family, and from the sound of it, a saint. Ramona and Bradley sleep in the basement, because the master bedroom hasn’t been touched since Natasha disappeared. Her dirty clothes are still in the hamper, her jewelry remains in its place. Ramona has to live with this shrine in her home, but again - she has a family now. That’s what matters.

Over a decade later, the police come to the house and change everything. A body is found, and it turns out to be Natasha. Now Allison knows her mom is truly dead, and the police are focusing on Bradley. Ramona knows he’s not capable of murdering this woman he worshiped, though. She’s going to do everything she can to find out what really happened to Natasha and keep her family together.

This book started off as a solid four star book, then towards the middle is started to lag and I became mildly annoyed with how nobody curses in this thriller. Everything is “what the heck” and “dang it”, and both phrases are repeated soooo many times. Also, all of the characters were, for lack of better words, stupid and immature. I was getting closer to giving this three stars as the book went on, but then the ending really surprised me. The big twist/reveal was something I never considered, and it was bonkers but impressive. That ending has me rounding up from a 3.5 to

The Perfect Ex-Wife by Winter K. Willis is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers guessing from start to finish. The story follows Ramona, a woman desperately trying to be the ideal wife and stepmother to her husband Bradley and his teenage daughter, Allison. But despite her best efforts, Ramona constantly finds herself living in the shadow of Bradley's missing ex-wife, Natasha, whose sudden disappearance twelve years ago left a lingering mystery. Ramona’s struggle to win the love and acceptance she craves is turned upside down when police arrive with shocking news—remains have been found that may belong to Natasha, sparking a series of twists that reveal unsettling secrets about the family.

Told from alternating perspectives between Natasha’s past and Ramona’s present, Willis expertly crafts two unreliable narrators who draw readers into their flawed perceptions and complicated motivations. The book explores themes of obsession, jealousy, and the deceptive nature of memory, giving readers a fascinating look at how far people will go to preserve or escape their realities. Willis’s characters are complex and deeply flawed, which makes them both fascinating and, at times, hard to root for. Ramona’s desperation and Bradley's lingering fixation on his "perfect" ex-wife add layers of tension, leaving readers to wonder who can truly be trusted.

Fast-paced and filled with unexpected turns, The Perfect Ex-Wife is both unsettling and engrossing, with a surprise ending that lingers. Fans of domestic thrillers with unreliable narrators will find this novel a captivating read. Thank you to NetGalley and Celestial Bear Publishing for the ARC!

This book definitely gives some Verity by Colleen Hoover vibes: a take on the new mother stepping in where there is a mysterious tragedy surrounding the previous wife/mother. I love a good domestic thriller.

I quite liked reading the book, I didn't want to put it down the whole way through. But then I found the ending to be quite anti climactic. There was no crazy jaw dropping twist, it was just such a casual ending.

A well written fun thriller- however it got too out of touch with reality for me. And as much as I enjoyed it - I also was super ready for it to be over. The mystery surrounding the missing first wife kind of felt overdone. Again, when I finished I thought “DANG!” And realized as annoyed as I was I actually did like and enjoy the book.. and the author has this fun, flowy and super interesting way of keeping you engaged. Enjoyable, worth read and definitely worth the recommendation!

This story is told from Ramona’s present and Natasha’s past. I was confused at first by this, but once I got into the story more, it was easy to go back and forth.

Natasha goes back and forth frequently explaining her trials over her relationships. I understood these points she was making and how it made her confused, but I feel like it wasn’t necessary to continue to do that so often.

Overall, this story is a quick mystery read. I enjoyed the twist at the end of the story and my thoughts about Allison ended up being accurate.

I want to thank NetGalley and Celestial Bear Publishing for the advanced copy.