The Replacement

by Jacqueline Ward

What do you do when the woman who destroyed your marriage asks for your help?

Lauren Wade hates Jem Carter, and Jem hates her. So, when Lauren gets a message from Jem asking for help, she suspects it’s some sort of attention-seeking stunt by the woman she caught in bed with her husband. Lauren decides to simply alert her ex, Daniel, who thinks Lauren is the one trying to cause trouble.

However, when Jem’s car is found abandoned on a bridge, the police become involved . . . and Lauren finds herself panicking. She is sure they will find out about a secret she has been hiding.

Lauren knows she’s been a bit erratic. She’s acted in fits of jealousy at times. But she hasn’t harmed Jem. With DS Bekah Bradley closing in, Lauren must make a desperate attempt to find out what happened to Jem—before she becomes a missing person herself . . .

Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Fiction

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 20, 2023

About the author

Jacqueline Ward MBE is a UK-based author and narrative psychologist. She writes emotionally driven, psychologically rich fiction about women’s lives, identity, and the stories families tell themselves. Her work spans psychological suspense and contemporary book-club fiction, always with a keen eye on power, secrets, and the quiet revolutions that happen behind closed doors.

Jacqueline holds a PhD in narrative and storytelling, where her research produced a new model of identity construction. She has worked with victims of domestic violence and the families of missing people, and received an MBE for services to vulnerable people in 2013.

Jacqueline is represented by Danielle Marshall at Jane Rotrosen Agency, New York

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

ready for a novel repeating the same sentiments over and over? Then look no further, this novel blossoms with the same ‘wisdom’ every second page (it felt like). There was a lot of ‘I try to remind myself that a lot of people feel this way’ and ‘I will put the past behind me’. I have nothing against those ways of thinking of course, but why did the author think I didn’t get it after the first, second or hundredth time? Tighten the plot, girl!

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren is obsessed with her ex-husband, Daniel. Reeling from their break-up, which took her totally unawares, she takes actions that she’s not proud of.

Daniel is a controlling misogynist with Mummy issues.

Jem, Lauren’s ‘replacement’, is in trouble. She has gone missing without a trace but has she left of her own accord?

This is a fast paced, “just one more chapter”, psychological thriller that has lots of twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the story and was hooked from the start.

[Sarah Westfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you bloodhound books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 1st book I’ve read by this author and I will certainly be looking into her other ones.

The story gripped me right from the start. The characters are mostly likeable apart from Daniel who thinks he’s gods gift to women and plays them off one another in order to get what he wants.

I really liked how the story came together and especially the ending.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Replacement by Jacqueline Ward.
Lauren Wade hates Jem Carter, and Jem hates her. So, when Lauren gets a message from Jem asking for help, she suspects it’s some sort of attention-seeking stunt by the woman she caught in bed with her husband. Lauren decides to simply alert her ex, Daniel, who thinks Lauren is the one trying to cause trouble.
I really enjoyed this book. Twisty and gripping and unforseening. 5*

[Helga Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed reading this book.This is the first book I have read by Jaqueline Ward, but won’t be the last .I found the first few chapters a little hard to get into but once I was in I was hooked. There was so much going on and lots of twist, ,turns and surprises . I highly recommend this book 📕

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
I really enjoyed this domestic thriller from an author I’ve never read before. There’s a lot of tension between the old wife and the new wife with this one. There are some twists in the end and I like the way this one was wrapped up in the epilogue.

This definitely has a man-hating vibe, so it may not be for every reader, but I enjoyed it!

[mandy sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review is my honest opinion in return for an ARC from Bloodhound books.
Lauren is the spurned ex wife who is struggling to move on with her life and remain a positive and healthy role model for her children. Much is made of the psychological trauma she has experienced as a result of her now ex husband’s affair and there are many hints at dark deeds she has done in revenge. Then one day she gets her message from her ex husbands new love interest Jem asking for help.. none is forthcoming and then Jem disappears.
Lauren quickly becomes suspect number one due to her past behaviour. However she has a strong alibi as she was with her new love interest Tim. Much of what we learn about Lauren makes her a hard character to like or sympathise with, but there are some decent twists and turns in the second half of the book making it a quick and easy read.

[Heather Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It grabbed my attention from the very first chapter and I had anxiety all the way through not knowing what was going to happen next! It’s very relatable and a well written gripping story. 5 stars from me!

[Emily Rutks · Rating 5 out of 5]

New author that I really enjoyed! Lauren’s husband cheated on her and leaves her for the much younger Jem. Lauren goes through her psycho period, which a lot of cheated spouses go through. But suddenly Jem needs Lauren’s help. Can she help her? Is she really guilty of kidnapping her? Along comes her ex who starts to blame her, as well as fishy things with her new boyfriend. Who is really guilty?

[Ashley Ableson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good twisty read with a happy ending! I felt the female empowerment between Lauren and Jem.

I kinda wish Daniel had gotten some retribution for being a dog of a character.

I would recommend this as a read. I was given this book as an advanced reader copy for an honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this book as a ARC. It was a great read! Loved the twists and turns in psychological thrillers. I have never read this author before but it will not be the last book of hers I will read. Very enjoyable and quick read.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about revenge and the harm it can cause to not just the person or person it is aimed toward, but also the person who feels the need for it to be done. But sometimes, there are others caught in the crossfire. It is also about moving on. I never expected the ending to be the way it was. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Judy Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a book. I loved it she is a new author to me. I read it in one day so unbelievable good book

It was a very interesting book. How the author can weave a story like this one.
I like a book that sucks you in one the first page and keeps you a prisoner until the very end. Great job

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lauren is struggling to put her life back together after her husband Danielleaves her for another woman. He had been seeing Jem for months and now she has finally replaced Lauren completely.

It's fair to say Lauren didn't handle the situation very well and her erratic behaviour may well come back to haunt her, because Jem is missing and wouldn't that suit Lauren just fine? However, Lauren has received a message from Jem asking for her help, even though surely Lauren is the last person she'd turn to for support.

This had the promise of a great story - a missing woman, the jealous ex-wife as a potentially unreliable narrator and suspicions surrounding the husband.

However, the continual stream of Lauren's internal monologue began to grate after a while. I understand that she is recovering from a messy breakup and we need to see the setbacks in her progress, but the repetitive nature of these sections of the book did disrupt the flow of the story.

It's worth a read, but, due to the slower pace, didn't have me gripped. Thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for the eARC of this book.

[Vicky Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's got a good, fast pace. For me, I found it hard to warm to any of the characters and the downright daft decisions they were making - I was seeing red flags all over the place. It does keep you guessing. For me it was a 3/maybe 3.5 star read.
Thanks to bloodhound books for the arc ebook for an honest review.

[HB · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read from this author so not sure if this is their usual style or is specific to this book but I found it tricky to get in to and struggled to retain my interest. This was mostly because the lead character just really annoyed me and a lot of the time I wanted to yell at her for her ridiculous behaviour. However I do know that in the circumstances she found herself in, it can be a challenge to take a rational view as it is such an emotional journey which was why I persevered to see if she grew through the novel.

She did have some light bulb moments thankfully and there were a few plot twists but her inability to spot all the red flags added to my frustration, but again, I know this is not always easy to do when you're in amongst a situation, so I forgave her.

I usually love a psychological thriller but there were several times where I wanted to stop reading but I didn't and it did improve as the book progressed, which is why I think it's probably good for a holiday read where you can just chill out as you flick the pages.

[Chic Thrills · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm surprised at all the 4 and 5 stars review, but I'm happy this book was enjoyable to most. I didn't care for any of the characters. I mean yes, I get the scorned woman wants revenge and can't let go. They've been wronged and feel insecure and angry, but this was just too far for me to emphasize. The MC, Lauren is basically a criminal who feels validated by her actions. It was frustrating to see her take accountability in one sentence then blame the actions of her husband drove her to it on the next. No. Its not his fault you did those things. Yes. He is a jerk, but these "crimes of passion" were ridiculous. Then, we are to believe she allowed herself to be with Tim, even though the signs that something were amiss was there from jump. Lastly, Jem was just awful and we are supposed to feel sorry for her? She knowingly dated a married man, so I don't emphasize with her at all.
This entire story was exhausting. The inner-dialog was contradictory and often times validated her very poor and immoral behavior.
I finished this book, but I just could not like these characters.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Replacement by Jacqueline Ward was a brilliant psychological thriller that I found hard to put down once I started to read it, especially as it was full of great twists and turns throughout that made this book an excellent read.

Now, What do you do when the woman who destroyed your marriage asks for your help?

Would you help her or run a mile?

Lauren Wade hates Jem Carter, and Jem hates her. So, when Lauren gets a message from Jem asking for help, she suspects its some sort of attention........seeking stunt by the woman she caught in bed with her husband.
But, Lauren decides to simply alert her ex, Daniel, who thinks Lauren is the one trying to cause trouble again.

However, when Jem’s car is found abandoned on a bridge, the police become involved. Lauren finds herself panicking. She is sure they will find out about her big secret she has been hiding from everyone!

WoW......This is a book that will keep you on your toes from start to finish! I loved it

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

If only women were not raised to believe that their lives were incomplete without a man…..this comment is mine, and I have been married for 48 years! First, I am living proof that there are decent, monogamous men in this world. I keep thinking that I would have known, even as a young person, if I was dating someone who was narcissistic, arrogant, a serial philanderer. I know that is arrogance on my part. I raised two daughters to be independent women who earn their own income. There are those today, in 2025, that want to go back to the days when women did nothing but reproduce and take care of babies. This makes it easier for men like the two depicted in the novel to get away with their shenanigans. It is much better for both partners to be equals. I have a hard time believing that I would engage in the kinds of behavior that the wronged women did here. I also know that it would be hard for another woman to be taking care of my children, every other weekend.

[Susan Blissett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story had an interesting start, pulling you in, with good character development as well as a good writing style. It was however, a little slow in places with some annoying moments, where alarm bells ring and it was difficult for me to fully understand the characters’ decisions at times. There were also some heartwarming moments, but not many of the main characters were very likeable. I did enjoy the text messages throughout the story which added interest and some of the more thrilling moments were gripping to read about. Overall, I did enjoy the story, but more twists and turns, as well as some more likeable characters would have made it a little more exciting for me.

I received an ARC from BloodHound Books for an honest review, thank you, and all thoughts are my own.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren is reeling over the breakup of her marriage to Daniel. Jem (the other woman) is living with Daniel and acting as stepmother to Ben and Angel. This has devastated Lauren. She stalks their lives to “make sure the kids are okay” when they are with Daniel. She is obsessed with their lives. Lauren thinks she has moved on with her life. She is dating Tim and having a wonderful time. But Tim has secrets that he doesn’t share with her. One evening Lauren gets a text from Jem asking for help. Buy why would Jem ask Lauren for help. They hate each other. Suddenly Lauren’s life gets turned upside down and inside out. The story line kept me interested. I gave it 4 stars because I do feel Lauren couldn’t see the clues that were right in front of her.

[Arvin Dhillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a debut thriller. However, I found it a very claustrophobic read. When a story is told from the prospective of only one and the main character, there is overemoting and going over the same thing over and over again. I could tnot wait to finish it. But on the plus side, the book does hightlight the fact, that women are wired in different way to men. Men can easily move on to a new relationship even with kids involved, but women always find it harder to do so, and in the end they always remain bitter (despite having other rleationships) to the end of thier life. However, in the end the losers are the childern of the broken families.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so the characters are not likeable and I wanted to shake them but that is good it got me involved in the story. It just took me a while to get involved in the story and understand why certain actions would happen. Would try more by this author to see if I can engage more. But well written just not for me. From the blurb this should be right up my wheelhouse.

However given that it was a pleasant way of spending the afternoon.

I was given an advance copy by Bloodhound books but the review is entirely my own.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a twisty roller coaster. Was it bitter revenge or jealousy? Couple had a divorce after wife caught husband having an affair in their own home. Ex-Wife received a random text from mistress asking for help. She didn’t think anything by it until she asked her ex-husband about it. Ex-Husband accused ex-wife of jealousy because mistress went on a “trip”. It was a good story, some parts were slow but quickly picked up. The ending was shocking that I didn’t see it coming. Definitely need popcorn for sure.

[Sandra Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story comes out April 3,2023, March20, 2023. This s a storyline about love, betrayal, not able to let the past go of a relationship, when someone stop loving you. These are women hurt by a man. Hurts of emotion, revenge is served as an opportunity to get even, You have to read this compelling book. Lauren Wade hates Jem Carters. Daniël Wade is a ex of Lauren Wade they are not together, they two kids together, Ben & Angel. You have to read to find the situation of each character. Enjoyed the novel,

[Cayti Costello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Characters - 6
Atmosphere/Setting - 6
Writing Style - 5
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 8
Logic/Relationships - 3
Enjoyment - 7

The only thing I can really say about this book is I just wanted to know what happened. SPOILER I knew Tim was married, I knew Jem was alive and we were going to find her but omg the writing was so repetitive. I’m still giving it three stars because I was intrigued and kept wanting to read on. But it could’ve been half a long if all the repetitive parts were take out. And it already was a pretty short book.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Revenge Stars

The first part of this book had me glued to the pages, then it stalls.
Oh we do have the mystery, the intrigue and victim, however the scorned wife becomes so repetitive that any sympathy I had for her was slowly dwindling. She’s better than this, every thing she’s gone through justifies her actions and feelings, until it stunts the story. We finally get back to the mystery and the aftermath which was satisfying. As with most disasters, it’s women and children first.

[CammieOH · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good story. There are far too many pages of introspection by the main character, Laura. She is a counselor for people who can’t move ahead from trauma, but she can’t get past her own. I found that hard to get past?and quite boring.

Laura walks in on her husband in bed with another woman, Jem. He moves out with Jem into a beautiful home and Laura wants revenge. She wants her husband back and she resorts to crazy methods to ruin Jem. Then Jem goes missing.

The plot is good and if you can get past Laura’s whining it’s enjoyable.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is bat crap crazy

I think that the first time anyone did or said anything that made any sense at all was about 3/4 of the way through this book. It seems to be a modern trend to pen characters who are thoroughly unlikeable. I don’t necessarily mind it, but I do think authors are trudging uphill trying to get readers to care about people who are truly awful. I can’t say it worked here, but the story was engaging enough for me to finish. If you like melodrama, you might enjoy this more than I did. I found it merely okay.

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok 3 star read.
It took me a while to get into this novel and I was in 2 minds whether to continue or to mark as DNF. It's possibly me but something was missing. I found all of the characters unlikeable and self obsessed not just Daniel but Lauren, Jem, Tim - the list goes on.
I didn't see the perpetrator but knew it wouldn't be obvious.
Thank you to Bloodhound books for my ARC copy of this novel