ARC Review: The Ex Wives by Jenna Kernan

Genre ~ domestic thriller

Featuring ~ dual timeline ~ now and then, young widow, manipulation, missing children

Release date ~ October 10, 2022

POV ~ single 3rd person

Page count ~ 376

Audio length ~ 11 hours

My rating ~ 4⭐

My review:

What would you do if your soon to be husband’s ex wife tells you he can’t be trusted and not to marry him? Well, you chose love and marry him of course.

Elena is widowed with a daughter, Phoebe, when she meets Jackson. He seems perfect until a few months into their marriage when she starts to see a darker side to him.

Jackson is the Mayor and another powerful, successful man that feels like he can manipulate people. He has people in his pocket that can make someone’s life hell if you get on his bad side and don’t follow his orders.

There were some times I wanted to knock some sense into Elana and tell her to get the heck outta dodge. I felt so bad for Phoebe’s grandparents and how they were never allowed to see her.

Overall, a solid domestic thriller. I think the dual timeline was a good choice that gave us some edge of the seat moments.

Narrated by Stephanie Cannon for 11 hours, easy to follow at 2x. Overall she did a fine job, but I could have went for more emotion at times, especially when she was in the sea and her life was on the line.

I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy and the audiobook to review. I switched back and forth between them and either way was perfectly fine.

*Thanks to Bookouture & Bookouture Audio, Jenna Kernan and NetGalley for the ARC and advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

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Book blurb:

Two ex-wives. Two missing girls. Will yours be next?

Pulling a batch of my husband’s favourite golden oatmeal cookies from the oven, I smile to hear my daughter Phoebe playing in the treehouse outside. I was once so close to losing everything, but since I married handsome Jackson, I have a perfect life. Jackson might tell me what to wear, but he just likes to buy me nice things. He says I don’t need a job, and why would I want one? I can spend all day taking care of Phoebe and running errands in the fancy car Jackson gave me—he knows everywhere I go, and I love how much he wants to keep me safe.

But my whole world shatters when I find out Jackson is a liar.

He never mentioned he was married before—twice.

I love him so much. But how can I trust him now? Desperate for answers, I search our pristine house top to bottom. I thought Jackson was caring: but is it a way to control me?

When I track down his ex-wives, I see fear in their eyes. Both these women had little girls just like me. And when they left Jackson, their daughters went missing.

Devastated I’ve put Phoebe in danger, I have no choice but to find the truth about those poor girls. To protect Phoebe, I must pretend to still be the perfect wife, even though fear floods through me at Jackson’s touch.

But how far will I have to go? And what will happen to me and my sweet child if my husband finds out?

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