Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book!

I love the idea of Cozy Mysteries but I never can seem to get into them. Until The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club!
I loved this book and couldn’t wait to find out what happened. The relationship between the women in this group is so well written (along with their own personal struggles). I love that the story builds in such a way that you almost forget theirs a murderer on the loose and you’re more invested in their friendship. Ending definitely didn’t disappoint. Read this book!

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This was a really fun and fast paced read. I laughed out loud so many times as I was reading this. It’s a bit silly but definitely one of those heartwarming story’s that just makes you smile. I could tell the author just had fun with this one. It felt simultaneously nostalgic and fresh. Definitely perfect for fans of Dial A for Aunties and The Other Woman. I really enjoyed the main characters. Kat, Olivia and Elle were hilarious as a trio. I loved the found family / sisterhood moments between the three women. They were all quite different personality wise but they really worked well together. The pacing was done really well and I thought the different layers of clues and mystery kept me on my toes. I did appreciate the small bits of romance that were included but Im glad it didn’t shift the focus of the story. I will say my one complaint was I wanted an epilogue. Just a brief glimpse into the future of what happened afterwards but that’s just me.

Overall this was a really funny and enjoyable mystery that was lighthearted at times while also being an actual mystery. The found family and girlfriend bonds were wonderfully written and had me rooting for the characters.

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I loved the main characters in this book and highly recommend to anyone that will listen. Go and pick up this book.

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This book is pure fun! It's a humorous murder mystery with an unlikely group of gals! I liked the premise and the three main characters, Kat, Olivia, and Elle! This is a fun adventure with the ladies and I liked how they worked together to find who killed Tucker (an ex-boyfriend of all of them!). This just had fun situations and humor and was an overall enjoyable read for those looking for a fun read! Thank you HTP books and Netgalley for an early e-copy of this book!

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As a fan of the Finlay Donovan series, this book was a super fun read! I was thoroughly entertained and definitely laughed out loud several times. The ending was a bit rushed but overall I highly recommend reading this is you like Finlay Donovan and Dial A For Aunties.

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This was your average funny comedia girly pop thriller book- I had a fun time reading it, just nothing uniquely memorable

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LOVED. This was very John Tucker Must Die but with a murder mystery twist.. side note: if you're not watching Grosse Pointe Garden Society I highly recommend as this book has similar undertones; very How to Get Away With Murder if you will.

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3.75 rounded up to 4 stars! This was a super fun read and I loved the girl gang that formed. Fans of the Finlay Donovan series will love this one! This one started off great and enjoyed the podcast being incorporated. The ended felt a little rushed to me, and the romantic interest with the cop seemed a little strange/wasn't 100% feeling the chemistry there.

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This was a laugh out loud, cozy mystery that is very entertaining. Three women find out they have all been charmed into dating the same man. Tucker has lead them all to believe that he loved them. They vow to get revenge on him with pranks. They go to his condo armed with poop, glitter and frogs when they discover him deceased in the closet.

Now, they must find out who the real killer is to clear their names. Tucker wasn’t at all what he appeared to be.

I enjoyed the fierce female friendships and their sleuthing skills with plenty of laughter along the way.

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Wow! This book is very different from what I normally read but I really really enjoyed it. The cover and the title are the first things that caught my attention. Let me tell you, those two things live up to what I was expecting. This really was a laugh out loud murder mystery. I loved the writing style of this book, how the girls band together to not only hate the ex but also figure out his murder, and it was funny. Through out the whole book there were many twists and turns they left me guessing at what would happen next. I honestly did not figure out who the murderer was until it was revealed. Overall, this was a fantastic read and I definitely recommend it. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for letting me read this ARC!

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“The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club” is what I’d call a cozyish mystery by Gloria Chao. First - the cover -how stinking adorable is that cover? I must admit that the cover initially attracted me to wanting to read this book. In this book, the reader follows Kathryn Hu, as she discovers that her boyfriend has two additional girlfriends. Together the women plot together to prank (rather childish pranks - glitter, adding things to liquids, etc.) their shared boyfriend - only for them to discover him dead in his apartment. This was a rather fun read - for the most part. I’m a sucker for bad chemistry jokes (though, like the deceased boyfriend, I had to look some of them up), along with origins of sayings - though after a while they did get to be a bit too much. I found the parallel bit with the podcast to be a bit, well, distracting. I think this book had a really strong beginning - the scene where two of the women meet was a bit over the top, but Ms. Chao played it well. The sorta-romance with the cop I found a bit (okay a lot) weird. It became rather obvious who had done the murder, but it was a rather interesting ride to unmask the murderer … and find out the reason why. Overall, a fast entertaining read. For me, a 3.5 read, but I’ll round it up to 4 stars because I did laugh aloud a few times (Kathryn’s parents were adorable!) and chemistry jokes - always a plus.

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I loved this book! Off the bat I was interested in the cover and title and once I began reading, I was immediately hooked. It's hilarious (I genuinely laughed out loud multiple times), incredibly fast paced (if I could have, I would have read the entire book in one sitting), and I instantly fell in love with the characters (except for gross Tucker, of course). Kat, Elle, and Olivia were the best girl gang and I would do anything to be able to hang out with them! They're resilient, spunky, passionate, and such beautiful dynamic forces of nature. I loved joining them on their journey of getting revenge on their lying, cheating ex Tucker to eventually solving his murder. It's a fun journey full of surprises, laughter, heartfelt moments, suspense, and twists and turns. This story also highlights that even in the darkest, most bleak situations, light and love can and do still shine through. The power of friendship and sisterhood is such an amazing, powerful thing. This was seriously such a fun read. I genuinely cannot recommend this one enough!

Make sure to add this to your TBR's, it releases on June 24th!

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishing (and The Hive), Gloria Chao, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book! All opinions are my own.

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Thank you #NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC of #TheExGirlfriendMurderClub

4.5 Stars!

Gloria Chao delivers an absolute delight with The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club! This book is clever, quirky, and will have you laughing out loud. It is a fast-paced murder mystery filled with sharp wit, nerd-isms, and a trio of scorned women trying to clear their names before they go down for the murder of their ex.

The dynamic between Kat, Olivia, and Elle is fantastic. Their journey from plotting revenge to stumbling into a full-blown murder investigation is both absurdly funny and surprisingly heartwarming.

Chao masterfully blends comedy with suspense, much like my favorite movie as a teen "John Tucker Must Die", with its own fresh and unique energy. The twists kept me engaged, and the humor never overshadowed the mystery.

The only reason I’m holding back half a star is that some moments felt a little over-the-top, but honestly, that’s part of the charm.

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This was such a fun book! It was a fairly quick read but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Didn’t expect the ending at all, but I loved it so much. I really appreciate this ARC! Thank you, and can’t wait to read more from this author!

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I had such a fun time reading The Ex-Girlfriends Murder Club! It gave me total John Tucker Must Die vibes - except with a twisty murder mystery thrown in. The premise hooked me right away: three women find out they’ve all been dating the same guy, and then he turns up dead… and they have to work together to prove they had nothing to do with it.

I really loved the dynamic between the three women. Each had such a distinct personality, and their banter made me laugh out loud more than once! It was entertaining from start to finish, and I found myself flying through it because I needed to know how it ended.

That said, I do have a couple of little things I wish were different. The name “Tucker Jones” threw me off in the beginning because it made me think of John Tucker Must Die on repeat - maybe a different name would’ve helped it stand apart more. Also, while the malaphors were fun at first, by the end they felt a little overdone. And there were a few moments where the language felt a bit too juvenile for me (like the use of “doo-doo”), which pulled me out of the story a bit. Oh, and the podcast element felt kind of random—it didn’t really click with the rest of the story for me.

But overall, this was a really fun, light read with a great mix of humor, mystery, and friendship. If you’re looking for something that feels like a playful murder mystery, definitely check this one out!

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Kat thinks she has the perfect relationship, until it comes crashing down as she realizes she is the “other woman.” Together they hatch a plot to deal with the man who ruined their lives, and it takes them down a shockingly hilarious path. With a podcast, huge plot twists and interesting story lines, this is a must read!

The ex-girlfriend murder club was deliciously funny while still edging into being a mystery with no gore. The main character was fun, quirky and riveting. You can’t help but root for her success. Highly recommend!

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I really wanted to like this book. It has a fun nod to John Tucker Must Die and I think the author brought interesting characters to the table. The novel felt too rushed for me. I couldn't understand how the love interest relationship went from zero to sixty so quickly. It was difficult to follow. I also think there were several things going on that it was hard to focus. There was Kat's phrase quirk, the dialogue from the podcast, and the Kat's laws of lucks - it was very distracting. I think the book has a great concept and I loved the theme of female friendships throughout. Thank you netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!


2.5 stars

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4.25 ⭐️

What a ride! The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club was such a fun read and my first read by Gloria Chao & definitely not my last! As someone who loved the movie John Tucker Must Die, the premise of the book immediately drew me in!

In this mystery murder, we follow three women-Kathryn, Olivia, and Elle who have recently discovered that the man they are in love with was cheating on all three of them! When I tell you, the cheater in question, Tucker Jones was definitely an unhinged man who was ruthless and terrible!

Naturally and understandably, the three female characters want to get revenge, and unfortunately, their revenge comes with a side of finding Tucker dead! Throughout the book, we follow them working together to uncover the truth behind who murdered Tucker and to clear their names. When I tell you, I was shocked by that plot twist!!

Not only did I enjoy the murder mystery plot, but I really enjoyed how, in this book, we see the three women find themselves and discover what brings them joy in their personal and professional lives. The relationship they build with each other throughout the book is truly special, despite the terrible experience they went through!

I can’t wait for everyone to read it when it’s published in June 2025! Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

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This is for sure a “book club pick” for the summer! I can’t wait for yall to read this. It’s so funny. I was howling and cackling during certain scenes.
✨✨✨
Three women dating the same man band together to get revenge, but when they discover his body, they'll need to solve his murder before they go down for it.
✨✨✨
-cheating bf
-3 ex gf’s
-murder mystery
-podcast
-laugh out loud moments
-adventure
-cute detective
-whodunnit

Thank you so much for the advanced copy.

Goodreads (Brenda (jadore_2read))

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This is a fun adult version of John Tucker Must Die. It's a funny and witty cozy mystery. Highly recommend for anyone who loves the Finlay Donovan series or funny mysteries.

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