Nicki's Reviews > The Ex-Wife

OH BOY,Jess Ryder definitely knows how to mess with your head,pull at your heart strings and play with your emotions.Her words flow with ease and you find yourself mesmerized by this twist packed story of two women who find themselves caught up in the mind games,lies and manipulations of a man who is prepared to go to any lengths to get what he wants,no matter who gets hurt or what the consequences of his actions are.

After a prologue that is set in a hospital room,the story progresses in chapters that alternate between Natasha and Jen and flip back and forth between now and then.Natasha is married to Nick and they have a beautiful baby daughter called Emily.Natasha has a beautiful home,no money worries and a loving husband.Her life would be perfect if it wasn't for Nick`s ex wife Jen who won't leave them alone.Then Natasha returns home one day and finds that Nick and Emily have disappeared.She is so desperate to find her beloved daughter that she is willing to do anything,even accept help from Jen.I don't normally feel any sympathy for characters who enter into a relationship with someone who is already in a relationship with another person but it's hard not to sympathize with poor Natasha once Emily disappears.The authors descriptions of Natasha`s despair,grief and feelings of hopelessness were so realistic,you would have to have a heart made out of stone not to feel some sympathy for the poor woman.My feelings about Jen ebbed and flowed like the waves of the sea,swapping and changing as the story unfolded.I would definitely say I liked Natasha a lot more than Jen throughout most of the book.Interspersed throughout the story were chapters voiced by a woman called Anna,a character who is doing all she can to stay under the radar because she is terrified that someone is searching for her.Who is she? and why is she so certain that her life is in danger?

This is a riveting,enthralling psychological thriller that had me hooked in from the very first page,totally gripped by the twists and turns as the story unfolded before my eyes.The characters were vividly drawn and realistic.I absolutely loved this gripping story of deceit,manipulation,relashionships and forgiveness,it is definitely worth more than five stars.Due to some of the issues raised throughout the book,I think the story would cause some interesting discussions if it was read by a book group.

Many thanks to Bookouture for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review