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The Ex-Wives Murder Club
Ever want to kill your partner? Join the club! Three ex-wives band together to murder their evil husband and wind up in the business of killing the worst of humanity. A darkly humorous suspense, with a heartwarming LGBTQ+ romance, perfect for fans of Elle Cosimano, Joanna Wallace, and Katy Brent.
What do you do when you realize you married a horrible man?
Kill him of course!
For Meg (wife #1), Jenny (#2), and Amelia (#3), the term ‘a woman scorned’ isn’t strong enough. They want more than revenge for the years of their life they wasted with their pitiful excuse for a husband. They want him dead.
As they carry out their lethal plan, they soon realize they’re thinking too small. What about all the other men (and women) who cause immeasurable suffering and get away with it?
Thus ‘the business’ is born. A dazzling new female-owned venture that will change the course of their lives—and shorten many others! And, for Meg and Jenny, it could allow them to experience a love they never thought possible . . .
A laugh out loud, feminist revenge story with horror elements. Readers will be clamoring for more from Mette Ivie Harrison.
What do you do when you realize you married a horrible man?
Kill him of course!
For Meg (wife #1), Jenny (#2), and Amelia (#3), the term ‘a woman scorned’ isn’t strong enough. They want more than revenge for the years of their life they wasted with their pitiful excuse for a husband. They want him dead.
As they carry out their lethal plan, they soon realize they’re thinking too small. What about all the other men (and women) who cause immeasurable suffering and get away with it?
Thus ‘the business’ is born. A dazzling new female-owned venture that will change the course of their lives—and shorten many others! And, for Meg and Jenny, it could allow them to experience a love they never thought possible . . .
A laugh out loud, feminist revenge story with horror elements. Readers will be clamoring for more from Mette Ivie Harrison.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2026
About the author
Mette Ivie Harrison
70 books442 followersMy name is pronounced "Metty" like my mother's "Betty." It is Danish, and we were all named after ancestors. I guess by the time they got to number nine (out of eleven), it was getting tricky. So I got the funny Danish name no one knew how to prounounce. In Denmark, it should be "meta" like "metaphysical." It's from the Greek for "pearl." And no, it's not short for anything. Not even Mediterannean.
My first book, THE MONSTER IN ME was accepted for publication in 1999 and was published in 2002. My second book, MIRA, MIRROR was published in 2004. The latest book, THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND , was published in 2007. A sequel, THE PRINCESS AND THE BEAR, came out in April of 2009.
I now live in Utah with my husband and 5 children, ages 5 to 14. I write during nap time, or at 4 in the morning, or while the broccoli for dinner is burning. Whenever I get a chance. I love to write the kind of books that I love to read. And I love to discover what is going to happen next, just like a reader would. I also do some racing in triathlon.
from http://www.metteivieharrison.com/myli...
My first book, THE MONSTER IN ME was accepted for publication in 1999 and was published in 2002. My second book, MIRA, MIRROR was published in 2004. The latest book, THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND , was published in 2007. A sequel, THE PRINCESS AND THE BEAR, came out in April of 2009.
I now live in Utah with my husband and 5 children, ages 5 to 14. I write during nap time, or at 4 in the morning, or while the broccoli for dinner is burning. Whenever I get a chance. I love to write the kind of books that I love to read. And I love to discover what is going to happen next, just like a reader would. I also do some racing in triathlon.
from http://www.metteivieharrison.com/myli...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
July 9, 2026
Another interesting concept, excuted limply
I tend to agree with the other reviews of this book. Great concept, executed badly. The plotting was all off and the murders were too gory for the genre. The main plot as described in the blurb was more of a side plot, delivered non-linearly. There were many other murders that were not explained with enough depth and not in a way that made the reader root for the main characters, which is essential for this type of Dexter serial killer/cozy thriller.
The side romance between to two main characters was toxic and I did not want them together. You have to have some kind of redeeming qualities for characters in this genre, yes they are serial murderers for hire but that doesn’t mean they can’t be likeable. Also I do agree with other reviewers that the animal cruelty was unnecessary and treated badly. Also, the murders weren’t clever and I don’t get how they were never caught, just because the murder victims were bad people doesn’t mean cops just automatically don’t bother to investigate. Thats beyond believable and an excuse for not writing a well planned murder.
This author needs to read some Katy Brent (as the publisher described this book as like that author, it isn’t) and learn how to develop sympathetic characters and extremely unsympathetic murder victims. This one was lacking both, combined with bad, non linear plotting, overall a mediocre story.
Update: upon reflection I’ve figured out what this book really lacked; cleverness. The murders weren’t clever, the dialogue wasn’t clever, the characters weren’t clever. This genre works because of the cleverness of all of those things. This wasn’t clever.
Notes on narration: the narration of these book was fine.
I tend to agree with the other reviews of this book. Great concept, executed badly. The plotting was all off and the murders were too gory for the genre. The main plot as described in the blurb was more of a side plot, delivered non-linearly. There were many other murders that were not explained with enough depth and not in a way that made the reader root for the main characters, which is essential for this type of Dexter serial killer/cozy thriller.
The side romance between to two main characters was toxic and I did not want them together. You have to have some kind of redeeming qualities for characters in this genre, yes they are serial murderers for hire but that doesn’t mean they can’t be likeable. Also I do agree with other reviewers that the animal cruelty was unnecessary and treated badly. Also, the murders weren’t clever and I don’t get how they were never caught, just because the murder victims were bad people doesn’t mean cops just automatically don’t bother to investigate. Thats beyond believable and an excuse for not writing a well planned murder.
This author needs to read some Katy Brent (as the publisher described this book as like that author, it isn’t) and learn how to develop sympathetic characters and extremely unsympathetic murder victims. This one was lacking both, combined with bad, non linear plotting, overall a mediocre story.
Update: upon reflection I’ve figured out what this book really lacked; cleverness. The murders weren’t clever, the dialogue wasn’t clever, the characters weren’t clever. This genre works because of the cleverness of all of those things. This wasn’t clever.
Notes on narration: the narration of these book was fine.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really did love the sound of this book but it didn’t live up to my expectations.
It was funny at times and a quick read. The constant jumping around back and forth in time was hard to follow. There was no cohesion and I got confused as to where each part fit into the story. The romance didn’t feel very real to me, I couldn’t see that they even liked each other let alone love.
Now I like a dark and messed up crime book but this overly gruesome and graphic scenes in this were just too much. It wasn’t necessary for the story at all. And the animal abuse turned me right off.
Just not for me at all. I will remember it for all the wrong reasons.
Thanks to Severn House for the early copy to read.
It was funny at times and a quick read. The constant jumping around back and forth in time was hard to follow. There was no cohesion and I got confused as to where each part fit into the story. The romance didn’t feel very real to me, I couldn’t see that they even liked each other let alone love.
Now I like a dark and messed up crime book but this overly gruesome and graphic scenes in this were just too much. It wasn’t necessary for the story at all. And the animal abuse turned me right off.
Just not for me at all. I will remember it for all the wrong reasons.
Thanks to Severn House for the early copy to read.
February 22, 2026
Thank you to publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Two ex-wives that fall in love and recruit the third ex-wife to get revenger and kill their ex-husband? I’ve never requested so fast before. I was excited for the plot but I did have some issues with this book.
The non-chronological order of the book did throw me off as I would have to double check when an event happened in the timeline, and despite the vignettes through the years of the ex-wives’ relationships, I could not care less for any of them.
At various points in the novel, a woman’s physical features would be described in such a way I would have to reread the sentence just to make sure I read it right. It was off-putting to read about women who are dedicating their lives to ridding the world of bad men, only for Meg to call a woman “horse-like” and say another women was too thin but beautiful in spite of her figure.
You’re telling me that the trio painstakingly planned for weeks to create the perfect murder and *that* is what they go with? You must be joking. The random animal abuse was unpleasant and unnecessary.
Maybe I read Meg and Jenny’s relationship wrong but it seems toxic to me. They never really seemed “in love” with each other. The couple were only together due to their mutual hatred and disgust of their ex husband and due to how they both had similar murderiois tendencies. Everything Meg does is to either please Jenny or to stay with her even though Meg doesn’t want to or it goes against her beliefs and morals.
Two ex-wives that fall in love and recruit the third ex-wife to get revenger and kill their ex-husband? I’ve never requested so fast before. I was excited for the plot but I did have some issues with this book.
The non-chronological order of the book did throw me off as I would have to double check when an event happened in the timeline, and despite the vignettes through the years of the ex-wives’ relationships, I could not care less for any of them.
At various points in the novel, a woman’s physical features would be described in such a way I would have to reread the sentence just to make sure I read it right. It was off-putting to read about women who are dedicating their lives to ridding the world of bad men, only for Meg to call a woman “horse-like” and say another women was too thin but beautiful in spite of her figure.
You’re telling me that the trio painstakingly planned for weeks to create the perfect murder and *that* is what they go with? You must be joking. The random animal abuse was unpleasant and unnecessary.
Maybe I read Meg and Jenny’s relationship wrong but it seems toxic to me. They never really seemed “in love” with each other. The couple were only together due to their mutual hatred and disgust of their ex husband and due to how they both had similar murderiois tendencies. Everything Meg does is to either please Jenny or to stay with her even though Meg doesn’t want to or it goes against her beliefs and morals.
Did Not Finish
January 10, 2026DNF at 26%
I try really hard not to DNF ARCs, but I couldn't find anything redeemable about this book 😬
The time jumps were painful to sit through; the chapters jumped around way too much and I didn't feel like I could properly connect with the storyline or any of the characters as a result.
The romance between two of the ex-wives was introduced from the very beginning, so there was no opportunity to build up to it and I didn't care that much about them because of it. I also felt like the author was trying too hard to cultivate this quirky, 'crazy' image for their relationship, and their first date being a fake art heist was so ridiculous that I was rolling my eyes hard throughout the whole scene 😭
This definitely feels like a book that should have had a few more edits before being released as an ARC.
I try really hard not to DNF ARCs, but I couldn't find anything redeemable about this book 😬
The time jumps were painful to sit through; the chapters jumped around way too much and I didn't feel like I could properly connect with the storyline or any of the characters as a result.
The romance between two of the ex-wives was introduced from the very beginning, so there was no opportunity to build up to it and I didn't care that much about them because of it. I also felt like the author was trying too hard to cultivate this quirky, 'crazy' image for their relationship, and their first date being a fake art heist was so ridiculous that I was rolling my eyes hard throughout the whole scene 😭
This definitely feels like a book that should have had a few more edits before being released as an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
You know your girl loves herself a novel about serial killing women. So I had to read this! 👀 This has been a wild ride. Let me give you a review! 🩷
The Ex-wives Murder Club by Mette Ivie Harrison is about three women who all have the same ex-husband and they hate him. They hate him so much that they might want to kill him... Nobody would miss him, so why not? Meg, Jenny and Amelia are starting a murder club together, which turnes into a businessmodel. The three of them are killing that awfull men but they won't stop there. Their business has been born and people can come with requests to murder people.
Meg is the main character and I like her. She hates people and genuinely likes killing them but she does have a consience. The other two don't really have that I'm afraid. 😂 I also love the idea of the women starting a business together but I must say it got a little repetitive eventually. They went to kill over and over again and even for me it was a bit of an overkill (pun intended 🤭). What I didn't really appreciate is how sexual and graphic the killings became. It made me a bit uncomfortable. A trigger warning would be nice...
Then there is an certain romance I didn't really feel. I didn't feel the chemistry and that's sad because I do like the idea of them being together. 🥲❤️ The ending had me intrigued but this book just didn't blow me away.
The Ex-wives Murder Club by Mette Ivie Harrison is about three women who all have the same ex-husband and they hate him. They hate him so much that they might want to kill him... Nobody would miss him, so why not? Meg, Jenny and Amelia are starting a murder club together, which turnes into a businessmodel. The three of them are killing that awfull men but they won't stop there. Their business has been born and people can come with requests to murder people.
Meg is the main character and I like her. She hates people and genuinely likes killing them but she does have a consience. The other two don't really have that I'm afraid. 😂 I also love the idea of the women starting a business together but I must say it got a little repetitive eventually. They went to kill over and over again and even for me it was a bit of an overkill (pun intended 🤭). What I didn't really appreciate is how sexual and graphic the killings became. It made me a bit uncomfortable. A trigger warning would be nice...
Then there is an certain romance I didn't really feel. I didn't feel the chemistry and that's sad because I do like the idea of them being together. 🥲❤️ The ending had me intrigued but this book just didn't blow me away.
July 13, 2026
I still think current goodreads average (2,64) is a bit harsh but also, I get it.
What in the world was this book supposed to be about? I don’t know.
I couldn’t tell you the genre it should be categorized as.
I thought it would be fun and unhinged (in a fun way) read. While it started off quite promising, it very soon lost the appeal. It was a very quick listen (the whole audio lasts 7,5h) and the narration was very good, but it’s the story and its execution that lost me.
Three ex wives want to kill their ex husband so they start a whole business of being paid assassins. It could be fun and/or hilarious if it went either in the direction of action comedy or psychological thriller. Sadly that’s not where it went. I don’t know where it went other than… it was weird. They had some rules about which job to take but all of it was a lot of murders, described like it’s nothing special and just like a regular job. Some scenes were extremely unrealistic.
I don’t mind time jumps but the way it was done in this book made no sense and served no purpose other than confuse the reader. It was jumping between different years.
Killing the ex husband or even the romantic storylines were not main plotline. I can’t tell you what was the main plotline here, I don’t think there was one to begin with.
The romance felt extremely insta. Then it was quickly obvious how toxic Jenny is. Same when it comes to Emily - it was clear from her first appearance how crazy psychopathic she was.
The audio narration and the length of the whole thing is what saved this book for me. The narrator - Janelle Tedesco - did a very good job. I was able to listen with my usual speed - 2.0x - and had no trouble following the story or the dialogues. If I was to rate just the narration, it would be solid 4, maybe even 4.5.
You may think why am I going with 3 stars, not lower. While this book was weird, I still can’t tell you what was the story to tell, the writing itself was not bad. Or maybe it’s the audiobook that saved it enough for me to go with 3.
What in the world was this book supposed to be about? I don’t know.
I couldn’t tell you the genre it should be categorized as.
I thought it would be fun and unhinged (in a fun way) read. While it started off quite promising, it very soon lost the appeal. It was a very quick listen (the whole audio lasts 7,5h) and the narration was very good, but it’s the story and its execution that lost me.
Three ex wives want to kill their ex husband so they start a whole business of being paid assassins. It could be fun and/or hilarious if it went either in the direction of action comedy or psychological thriller. Sadly that’s not where it went. I don’t know where it went other than… it was weird. They had some rules about which job to take but all of it was a lot of murders, described like it’s nothing special and just like a regular job. Some scenes were extremely unrealistic.
I don’t mind time jumps but the way it was done in this book made no sense and served no purpose other than confuse the reader. It was jumping between different years.
Killing the ex husband or even the romantic storylines were not main plotline. I can’t tell you what was the main plotline here, I don’t think there was one to begin with.
The romance felt extremely insta. Then it was quickly obvious how toxic Jenny is. Same when it comes to Emily - it was clear from her first appearance how crazy psychopathic she was.
The audio narration and the length of the whole thing is what saved this book for me. The narrator - Janelle Tedesco - did a very good job. I was able to listen with my usual speed - 2.0x - and had no trouble following the story or the dialogues. If I was to rate just the narration, it would be solid 4, maybe even 4.5.
You may think why am I going with 3 stars, not lower. While this book was weird, I still can’t tell you what was the story to tell, the writing itself was not bad. Or maybe it’s the audiobook that saved it enough for me to go with 3.
Did Not Finish
July 15, 2026DNF at 70%
The Ex Wives Club has a promising premise: Three ex-wives ganging up on their mutual ex-husband, with a sapphic romance between two of the wives on the side.Alas, the execution was a failure. The first thing that disappointed me was the romance—or lack thereof. The relationship between the two wives wasn’t even slightly believable. Their only motives for getting together were their shared hatred for their asshole ex-husband and horniness. Additionally, the characters were irredeemably bad. They had this superiority complex and claimed moral high ground, all while being just as problematic as the people they killed. Those so-called “feminists” had no problem using insulting and dehumanising language to refer to other women’s bodies. The characters of the three wives were flat and indistinguishable from each other.
The author’s writing was too plain and unimaginative. The pacing was a disastrous mess. Following the plot proved to be impossible because the timeline jumped backward and forward with every chapter. It didn’t add intrigue to the story as I assumed was intended; it just made it confusing.
My reason for abandoning this book despite having very little left to read was the “torture scene” that involves mistreatment of animals. I have no desire to read about dogs being used in the torture of a man. The characters sexually exploit the dogs by making them lick syrup off of the man’s genitalia before they mutilate him. It was disturbing and unnecessary.
Thanks to Netgalley and RBmedia for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review!
The Ex Wives Club has a promising premise: Three ex-wives ganging up on their mutual ex-husband, with a sapphic romance between two of the wives on the side.Alas, the execution was a failure. The first thing that disappointed me was the romance—or lack thereof. The relationship between the two wives wasn’t even slightly believable. Their only motives for getting together were their shared hatred for their asshole ex-husband and horniness. Additionally, the characters were irredeemably bad. They had this superiority complex and claimed moral high ground, all while being just as problematic as the people they killed. Those so-called “feminists” had no problem using insulting and dehumanising language to refer to other women’s bodies. The characters of the three wives were flat and indistinguishable from each other.
The author’s writing was too plain and unimaginative. The pacing was a disastrous mess. Following the plot proved to be impossible because the timeline jumped backward and forward with every chapter. It didn’t add intrigue to the story as I assumed was intended; it just made it confusing.
My reason for abandoning this book despite having very little left to read was the “torture scene” that involves mistreatment of animals. I have no desire to read about dogs being used in the torture of a man. The characters sexually exploit the dogs by making them lick syrup off of the man’s genitalia before they mutilate him. It was disturbing and unnecessary.
Thanks to Netgalley and RBmedia for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2026
Meg (wife #1), Jenny (wife #2), and Amelia (wife #3) spent years wasted on their good-for-nothing ex husband who left one wife for the other just because he could. He took years of their lives, so naturally they want to take his life. Why stop at just him though? Why not also the other horrible people in the world who cause pain and suffering and are never punished for it? In lies the Ex-Wives Murder Club (not actually particularly called that, though). This female-led group will change and end lives while also bringing unexpected love.
3/5 stars.
This was hilarious and I loved the overall concept/idea. I also LOVE a good "good for her" moment and seeing bad people get their just desserts. I think this could have been a little better executed (no pun intended) though. The jumping out of chronological order threw me off at times. It didn't take away from the story, but it made the lead up to them killing their husband almost anticlimactic. And the actual ending felt a little rushed and kind of uneventful. It wrapped up the story decently, but I think it didn't finish the book out strong.
Overall, I enjoyed this.
3/5 stars.
This was hilarious and I loved the overall concept/idea. I also LOVE a good "good for her" moment and seeing bad people get their just desserts. I think this could have been a little better executed (no pun intended) though. The jumping out of chronological order threw me off at times. It didn't take away from the story, but it made the lead up to them killing their husband almost anticlimactic. And the actual ending felt a little rushed and kind of uneventful. It wrapped up the story decently, but I think it didn't finish the book out strong.
Overall, I enjoyed this.
July 8, 2026
I was really hoping to love this book because the premise seemed fantastic. It sounded like a fun yet dark read.
Unfortunately, I found the execution lacked. The plot felt repetitive and I never felt invested in any of the storylines. I found there was an overall lack of chemistry as well.
Some of the violence was a bit graphic for how much of a fun read this felt like it was supposed to be. It felt like it was just trying to produce shock value.
Overall, I saw the potential of the story, but by the end, it just didn’t come together.
Thank you NetGalley for the early access to this read!
Unfortunately, I found the execution lacked. The plot felt repetitive and I never felt invested in any of the storylines. I found there was an overall lack of chemistry as well.
Some of the violence was a bit graphic for how much of a fun read this felt like it was supposed to be. It felt like it was just trying to produce shock value.
Overall, I saw the potential of the story, but by the end, it just didn’t come together.
Thank you NetGalley for the early access to this read!
September 13, 2026
Thank you for an advanced listening copy of this novel NetGalley and RB media. I honestly usually love any satirical take on amateurs planning murders of those who have done them wrong. I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but I started feeling myself losing interest in the second half. The narration was great, but I unfortunately found myself struggling to get to the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2026
First off, I want to thank the author, NetGalley, and Severn House for the opportunity to read this advance copy. It’s much appreciated.
Unfortunately, this book just didn’t land for me. The premise was interesting and I’m all about some feminine rage/revenge as a trope but the execution was lacking.
I enjoy a good sapphic romance but the way it was set up and developed just wasn’t at all engaging for me and honestly didn’t make a ton of sense from the get go. Calling it heartwarming in the synopsis was certainly a choice!
The characters never seemed fully developed or fleshed out and very little background was given in them so it’s hard to understand who they are and feel invested in what’s happening to them.
Additionally, the way the book shifted timelines was so haphazard that it was distracting.
I think there is so much premise in this story. It’s a quick read and will definitely fulfill some revenge fantasies that’s for sure!
Be aware of triggers for animal abuse, sexual assault, and abuse of minors.
Unfortunately, this book just didn’t land for me. The premise was interesting and I’m all about some feminine rage/revenge as a trope but the execution was lacking.
I enjoy a good sapphic romance but the way it was set up and developed just wasn’t at all engaging for me and honestly didn’t make a ton of sense from the get go. Calling it heartwarming in the synopsis was certainly a choice!
The characters never seemed fully developed or fleshed out and very little background was given in them so it’s hard to understand who they are and feel invested in what’s happening to them.
Additionally, the way the book shifted timelines was so haphazard that it was distracting.
I think there is so much premise in this story. It’s a quick read and will definitely fulfill some revenge fantasies that’s for sure!
Be aware of triggers for animal abuse, sexual assault, and abuse of minors.
July 12, 2026
4 stars
First of all, thank you & Netgalley so much for sending me a copy of this book. I had a fun time listening to the audiobook!
The ex-wives murder club is a Sapphic Thriller with hints of comedy, about 3 ex-wives who start to work together to kill their ex-husband and it becomes their job. We follow along how they build this company and how a romance blooms. It’s a murderous book that to me was the perfect pallet cleanser!
The book had the perfect length. I liked the characters (for as much as we can like them), the plot hit exactly right for what I needed and I had many laughs. It’s a book that you shouldn’t take seriously at all, if you do you won’t like it. I also liked the romance between two of the characters. It felt very fitting compared to their characteristics. I get why other reviewers say it didn’t feel realistic, but this book isn’t all realistic.
Now, there were definitely bad parts. The animal abuse was super unnecessary. I understand wanting to make it more gruesome, but it just was cruel (I am not talking about the victim). It seriously threw me off. I also don’t mind gore, but this book was very detailed at times. It often didn’t feel too realistic which is why I didn’t mind it. But don’t pick up this book if you don’t like reading about people being tortured.
First of all, thank you & Netgalley so much for sending me a copy of this book. I had a fun time listening to the audiobook!
The ex-wives murder club is a Sapphic Thriller with hints of comedy, about 3 ex-wives who start to work together to kill their ex-husband and it becomes their job. We follow along how they build this company and how a romance blooms. It’s a murderous book that to me was the perfect pallet cleanser!
The book had the perfect length. I liked the characters (for as much as we can like them), the plot hit exactly right for what I needed and I had many laughs. It’s a book that you shouldn’t take seriously at all, if you do you won’t like it. I also liked the romance between two of the characters. It felt very fitting compared to their characteristics. I get why other reviewers say it didn’t feel realistic, but this book isn’t all realistic.
Now, there were definitely bad parts. The animal abuse was super unnecessary. I understand wanting to make it more gruesome, but it just was cruel (I am not talking about the victim). It seriously threw me off. I also don’t mind gore, but this book was very detailed at times. It often didn’t feel too realistic which is why I didn’t mind it. But don’t pick up this book if you don’t like reading about people being tortured.
July 11, 2026
I enjoyed this book. It delivered a mix of suspense, humor (I found myself laughing out loud a couple of times), and plenty of interpersonal drama. The premise hooked me right away, and I found myself wanting to know how everything would come together.
The mystery kept me engaged without feeling overly complicated. The dynamic between the main characters and their relationship felt authentic, and the dialogue made them easy to root for—even when they made frustrating decisions.
That said, there were a few moments where the pacing slowed down, a couple of parts I found myself listening again to so that I could make sure I understood what was happening, and I guessed part of the twist before the reveal. Even so, the journey was entertaining enough that it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.
Edit to add- Some may appreciate a language warning. Use of the word c**t is probably the most offensive.
The mystery kept me engaged without feeling overly complicated. The dynamic between the main characters and their relationship felt authentic, and the dialogue made them easy to root for—even when they made frustrating decisions.
That said, there were a few moments where the pacing slowed down, a couple of parts I found myself listening again to so that I could make sure I understood what was happening, and I guessed part of the twist before the reveal. Even so, the journey was entertaining enough that it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.
Edit to add- Some may appreciate a language warning. Use of the word c**t is probably the most offensive.
July 23, 2026
Note: 0,5/5
Lecture insipide et d’un ennui profond du début à la fin. Si je devais décrire ce livre en quelques mots, ça serait "bonne idée mais mauvaise exécution". Les 3 femmes qui se vengent et qui forment un club de tueuses en série donnait envie mais, malheureusement, les meurtres sont mal exécutés (on se demande comment elles ont pas été attrapées), les personnages sont des red flag ambulants et leur relation est juste toxique. La fin m’a donné envie de balancer quelque chose tellement elle est bidon et décevante.
Bref, évitez à tout prix cette lecture, elle n'en vaut pas la peine.
Lecture insipide et d’un ennui profond du début à la fin. Si je devais décrire ce livre en quelques mots, ça serait "bonne idée mais mauvaise exécution". Les 3 femmes qui se vengent et qui forment un club de tueuses en série donnait envie mais, malheureusement, les meurtres sont mal exécutés (on se demande comment elles ont pas été attrapées), les personnages sont des red flag ambulants et leur relation est juste toxique. La fin m’a donné envie de balancer quelque chose tellement elle est bidon et décevante.
Bref, évitez à tout prix cette lecture, elle n'en vaut pas la peine.
July 17, 2026
This was really an interesting concept. Ex wife’s getting together and starting a murder club. The narration was great and it was a fairly quick fun read. I thought it was interesting with lots of things going on. I recommend it for a fun different read about murdering. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an Audio arc in Exchange for my honest review.
June 29, 2026
Messy, intriguing, wild, chaotic & entertaining.
This was unserious at times but I couldn't stop reading it lol
I appreciated that different domestic & social issues were highlighted.
Thanks Netgalley, RBmedia, Tantor Media & Mette Ivie Harrison for giving me the ALC for review.
This was unserious at times but I couldn't stop reading it lol
I appreciated that different domestic & social issues were highlighted.
Thanks Netgalley, RBmedia, Tantor Media & Mette Ivie Harrison for giving me the ALC for review.
July 1, 2026
this book was so fast paced that it was easy to devour! now i do think the pacing could’ve actually slowed down a little to develop a little more attachment to characters and build a bit more suspense, however it did have some fun plot twists that i didn’t see coming. very unique!
Thanks NetGalley!
Thanks NetGalley!
July 17, 2026
Fans of Finlay Donovan and Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer, meet your next favorite tongue-in-cheek revenge thriller. Intricately structured and featuring unflinching action, The Ex-Wives Murder Club follows three women who unite to off their terrible ex...and realize he isn’t the only one deserving of punishment. What happens next? You’ll be dying to find out.
July 12, 2026
This was pretty mid. I liked the thought behind it, but the execution was ok. It was a pretty fast listen, I will give them that! The narration was good at least!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC for exchange of my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC for exchange of my honest opinion.
April 26, 2026
Rounded up from 2.5
September 11, 2026
Book Review – Darkly Humorous Mystery / Revenge Thriller
Title: The Ex-Wives Murder Club by Mette Ivie Harrison
⭐⭐⭐ Star Rating: 3
Vibe Check: came for the murder club... stayed for the absolutely unhinged idea that maybe killing your terrible ex-husband could be the beginning of a thriving new business venture.
Well.
That escalated quickly.
Meg, Jenny, and Amelia have one thing in common: they all married the same absolutely terrible man.
And after years of dealing with him, they decide that divorce simply isn't satisfying enough.
So naturally...
They murder him.
Because apparently that's what happens when three ex-wives get together and decide they've had enough.
And honestly?
I respect the commitment to the bit.
The premise of The Ex-Wives Murder Club immediately caught my attention because COME ON.
Three women.
One horrible ex-husband.
A murder.
And then the realization that maybe they could turn this whole killing-terrible-people thing into an actual business.
I mean...
What could possibly go wrong?
Apparently quite a lot.
The idea behind this book is fantastic. I loved the feminist revenge angle, the dark humor, and the concept of these women taking their rage and turning it into something completely unhinged.
There were definitely moments where I was sitting there thinking, Okay, this is ridiculous.
But in the best possible way.
The relationship between the women was probably one of my favorite parts. Watching them go from three women connected by one awful man to becoming this weird little murder-business family was entertaining.
And the LGBTQ+ romance element added another layer that I really enjoyed.
There is something incredibly satisfying about watching women who have been underestimated decide that they are absolutely done taking everyone's shit.
The problem?
I wanted to love this one more than I actually did.
There were parts where the pacing felt uneven for me, and while I enjoyed the premise, I didn't always feel as invested in the execution as I wanted to be.
The concept is so damn good that I kept waiting for the story to completely grab me by the throat and drag me along.
Instead, I found myself enjoying it in pieces.
There were definitely funny moments.
There were definitely WTF moments.
And there were definitely moments where I thought, Okay, these women are completely insane and I am here for it.
But it didn't quite hit the five-star level for me.
And that's the frustrating part.
Because this is EXACTLY the kind of ridiculous dark humor that should have had me screaming from the rooftops.
Tropes / themes included: feminist revenge, murder club, dark humor, female friendship, LGBTQ+ romance, serial-killer-adjacent chaos, morally questionable women, horror elements, and turning your rage into a business plan.
Did they deliver?
Mostly.
I liked the premise.
I liked the characters.
I liked the dark humor.
I liked the revenge fantasy.
But I wanted more.
More chaos.
More bite.
More of the women absolutely losing their minds.
More moments where I had to put the book down because I was laughing at how ridiculous everything had become.
Instead, it stayed in that weird middle ground where I was entertained but never completely obsessed.
And for a book with "Murder Club" in the title, I wanted to be OBSESSED.
This book made me feel: entertained, amused, occasionally horrified, mildly invested, and slightly disappointed that the murder-business portion of my life has yet to materialize.
Petty Complaint: If you're going to give me three ex-wives who decide to murder their horrible husband and then start a business killing awful people...
I NEED THE CHAOS.
I need the women sitting around a table like they're planning a bake sale except instead of cupcakes they're discussing murder logistics.
I need spreadsheets.
I need branding.
I need business cards.
I need someone to say, Ladies, we have expanded our services.
That is the level of nonsense I was emotionally prepared for.
Overall, The Ex-Wives Murder Club was a fun and very original premise with a great feminist revenge angle, entertaining characters, dark humor, and an LGBTQ+ romance that added some heart to the chaos.
I just didn't connect with it as strongly as I wanted to.
Three stars.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, especially if you like darkly funny revenge stories, morally questionable women, feminist rage, murder plots, and books where the solution to a terrible marriage is apparently starting a homicide business.
I just wanted this one to go a little more completely off the rails.
And honestly?
If you're going to start a murder club, don't half-ass it.
Title: The Ex-Wives Murder Club by Mette Ivie Harrison
⭐⭐⭐ Star Rating: 3
Vibe Check: came for the murder club... stayed for the absolutely unhinged idea that maybe killing your terrible ex-husband could be the beginning of a thriving new business venture.
Well.
That escalated quickly.
Meg, Jenny, and Amelia have one thing in common: they all married the same absolutely terrible man.
And after years of dealing with him, they decide that divorce simply isn't satisfying enough.
So naturally...
They murder him.
Because apparently that's what happens when three ex-wives get together and decide they've had enough.
And honestly?
I respect the commitment to the bit.
The premise of The Ex-Wives Murder Club immediately caught my attention because COME ON.
Three women.
One horrible ex-husband.
A murder.
And then the realization that maybe they could turn this whole killing-terrible-people thing into an actual business.
I mean...
What could possibly go wrong?
Apparently quite a lot.
The idea behind this book is fantastic. I loved the feminist revenge angle, the dark humor, and the concept of these women taking their rage and turning it into something completely unhinged.
There were definitely moments where I was sitting there thinking, Okay, this is ridiculous.
But in the best possible way.
The relationship between the women was probably one of my favorite parts. Watching them go from three women connected by one awful man to becoming this weird little murder-business family was entertaining.
And the LGBTQ+ romance element added another layer that I really enjoyed.
There is something incredibly satisfying about watching women who have been underestimated decide that they are absolutely done taking everyone's shit.
The problem?
I wanted to love this one more than I actually did.
There were parts where the pacing felt uneven for me, and while I enjoyed the premise, I didn't always feel as invested in the execution as I wanted to be.
The concept is so damn good that I kept waiting for the story to completely grab me by the throat and drag me along.
Instead, I found myself enjoying it in pieces.
There were definitely funny moments.
There were definitely WTF moments.
And there were definitely moments where I thought, Okay, these women are completely insane and I am here for it.
But it didn't quite hit the five-star level for me.
And that's the frustrating part.
Because this is EXACTLY the kind of ridiculous dark humor that should have had me screaming from the rooftops.
Tropes / themes included: feminist revenge, murder club, dark humor, female friendship, LGBTQ+ romance, serial-killer-adjacent chaos, morally questionable women, horror elements, and turning your rage into a business plan.
Did they deliver?
Mostly.
I liked the premise.
I liked the characters.
I liked the dark humor.
I liked the revenge fantasy.
But I wanted more.
More chaos.
More bite.
More of the women absolutely losing their minds.
More moments where I had to put the book down because I was laughing at how ridiculous everything had become.
Instead, it stayed in that weird middle ground where I was entertained but never completely obsessed.
And for a book with "Murder Club" in the title, I wanted to be OBSESSED.
This book made me feel: entertained, amused, occasionally horrified, mildly invested, and slightly disappointed that the murder-business portion of my life has yet to materialize.
Petty Complaint: If you're going to give me three ex-wives who decide to murder their horrible husband and then start a business killing awful people...
I NEED THE CHAOS.
I need the women sitting around a table like they're planning a bake sale except instead of cupcakes they're discussing murder logistics.
I need spreadsheets.
I need branding.
I need business cards.
I need someone to say, Ladies, we have expanded our services.
That is the level of nonsense I was emotionally prepared for.
Overall, The Ex-Wives Murder Club was a fun and very original premise with a great feminist revenge angle, entertaining characters, dark humor, and an LGBTQ+ romance that added some heart to the chaos.
I just didn't connect with it as strongly as I wanted to.
Three stars.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, especially if you like darkly funny revenge stories, morally questionable women, feminist rage, murder plots, and books where the solution to a terrible marriage is apparently starting a homicide business.
I just wanted this one to go a little more completely off the rails.
And honestly?
If you're going to start a murder club, don't half-ass it.
July 13, 2026
Genuinely one of the most boring books I have ever read.
Now if you give me a concept that is three Ex-Wives and two of them are bisexual and get together and the three of them form a business all so that they can kill their crappy ex-husband I am of course on board. The concept is great but the execution is shit.
I don't know that I've ever experienced a more tell versus show book. There's not one thing that happens in this book that happens in real time. It is all the narrator jumping back and forth between timelines and explaining what happened on a certain case. And calling it a case is generous but I don't know what else to call it.
Basically you have his first ex-wife Meg who is the most level-headed but definitely still fucking insane. Then you have Jenny who is his second ex-wife who gets joy out of violence. Meg and Jenny get together almost immediately at the start of this book. There's no lead up there's no romance there's no nothing and their whole relationship is toxic toxic toxic. Lastly the third ex-wife is Amelia and she is genuinely a psychopath.
And don't get me wrong their ex-husband sounds like he belongs in the fiery pits of hell to have his dick ripped off for eternity but when you have your three main characters also be intensely horrible people it makes it really hard to feel any sort of thing for them. They're all so bad and none of the characters are interesting. This is like a cut out pin the tail on a murder book.
Part of my problem with this book is the timeline and the fact that it jumps from year one to year 20 of them forming this little collective club business thing. We don't really hear any information on how they formed the club just when they started killing people. There's no logistical or logical information about the elements of how they don't get caught or how they learn to do violent things or how they came across the poison or how they put up a facade for so long or how they got so wealthy etc. There is nothing being shown here it's all just told to you like some magical fairy appeared and made it so they don't leave any evidence.
As someone who really likes criminal minds-esque shows and crime documentaries and stuff I didn't know that it was possible to write such boring murder scenes. There's no nuance to this book which is another problem I have with it. Everybody is just horrendously evil. There's no will they or won't they or do they deserve it or don't they that would lead to some sort of anticipation or moral conundrum. Quite literally everybody just sucks.
I usually save my one star reviews for books that are like way way problematic. And this book isn't not problematic but it's also not as bad as I've seen before. It was just so fucking boring. And like the queer representation is horrible and there are some discussions about animal abuse and human trafficking and it's all very blase and everybody in this book is white and those are things that are problematic and maybe the bar is in hell because for some reason I feel like I need to justify my one star review after saying all of that.
This is also a netgalley title for me and I almost never give one star reviews for netgalley here we are because when a book is genuinely this bad it deserves it.
Anyways, probably the worst book I've read this year by far. Congrats.
Now if you give me a concept that is three Ex-Wives and two of them are bisexual and get together and the three of them form a business all so that they can kill their crappy ex-husband I am of course on board. The concept is great but the execution is shit.
I don't know that I've ever experienced a more tell versus show book. There's not one thing that happens in this book that happens in real time. It is all the narrator jumping back and forth between timelines and explaining what happened on a certain case. And calling it a case is generous but I don't know what else to call it.
Basically you have his first ex-wife Meg who is the most level-headed but definitely still fucking insane. Then you have Jenny who is his second ex-wife who gets joy out of violence. Meg and Jenny get together almost immediately at the start of this book. There's no lead up there's no romance there's no nothing and their whole relationship is toxic toxic toxic. Lastly the third ex-wife is Amelia and she is genuinely a psychopath.
And don't get me wrong their ex-husband sounds like he belongs in the fiery pits of hell to have his dick ripped off for eternity but when you have your three main characters also be intensely horrible people it makes it really hard to feel any sort of thing for them. They're all so bad and none of the characters are interesting. This is like a cut out pin the tail on a murder book.
Part of my problem with this book is the timeline and the fact that it jumps from year one to year 20 of them forming this little collective club business thing. We don't really hear any information on how they formed the club just when they started killing people. There's no logistical or logical information about the elements of how they don't get caught or how they learn to do violent things or how they came across the poison or how they put up a facade for so long or how they got so wealthy etc. There is nothing being shown here it's all just told to you like some magical fairy appeared and made it so they don't leave any evidence.
As someone who really likes criminal minds-esque shows and crime documentaries and stuff I didn't know that it was possible to write such boring murder scenes. There's no nuance to this book which is another problem I have with it. Everybody is just horrendously evil. There's no will they or won't they or do they deserve it or don't they that would lead to some sort of anticipation or moral conundrum. Quite literally everybody just sucks.
I usually save my one star reviews for books that are like way way problematic. And this book isn't not problematic but it's also not as bad as I've seen before. It was just so fucking boring. And like the queer representation is horrible and there are some discussions about animal abuse and human trafficking and it's all very blase and everybody in this book is white and those are things that are problematic and maybe the bar is in hell because for some reason I feel like I need to justify my one star review after saying all of that.
This is also a netgalley title for me and I almost never give one star reviews for netgalley here we are because when a book is genuinely this bad it deserves it.
Anyways, probably the worst book I've read this year by far. Congrats.
July 7, 2026
I really enjoyed the premise of The Ex-Wives' Murder Club. It's fun, dark, chaotic, and exactly the kind of story that immediately grabs your attention. I'm also a sucker for books about women getting revenge, so this was always going to have a lot going for it.
The plot itself was engaging, and I found it to be a really easy read. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the different characters to life. I never struggled to tell them apart, and the narration kept me invested throughout.
One thing I liked was the way the story jumped around the timeline. It was an interesting way of revealing what the ex-wives had done and gradually piecing together the bigger picture. That said, I don't think it always worked quite as smoothly as it could have. Just as I was getting invested in one part of the story, we'd jump backwards or forwards again. Sometimes it added to the suspense, but other times it left me wanting more from the moment we'd just left rather than feeling excited about where we were going next.
The biggest thing that didn't quite work for me was the romance between the first two ex-wives. It felt very instant, and I never really understood why these two people fell for each other beyond physical attraction. I wanted more emotional development because I never fully bought into that relationship, and it meant that side of the story didn't land as strongly as it could have.
I also found myself wishing we'd spent more time with some of the supporting characters. There were hints of really interesting backstories throughout the book, but they never felt fully explored. I kept expecting those little glimpses to lead somewhere, and instead they mostly stayed in the background. I think giving those characters a bit more depth would have added so much colour to the story.
The ending was probably my biggest disappointment. It felt like the book was building towards something huge, but when we finally got there, it all seemed to wrap up very quickly. I was left with quite a few unanswered questions, and if I'm being honest, I wasn't entirely sure I'd understood everything that had happened. It wasn't a bad ending, it just didn't feel as satisfying as the rest of the book had promised.
Overall, though, I had a really enjoyable time with this one. It's messy, entertaining, darkly funny, and full of chaos, with a premise that's hard not to love. It just fell a little short in a few key areas, particularly the character development and the ending, which knocked a couple of stars off for me. If you enjoy revenge stories, morally questionable women, and murder mysteries with a slightly quirky edge, I'd still say it's worth picking up.
⭐️3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and RBmedia for the advance review copy
The plot itself was engaging, and I found it to be a really easy read. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the different characters to life. I never struggled to tell them apart, and the narration kept me invested throughout.
One thing I liked was the way the story jumped around the timeline. It was an interesting way of revealing what the ex-wives had done and gradually piecing together the bigger picture. That said, I don't think it always worked quite as smoothly as it could have. Just as I was getting invested in one part of the story, we'd jump backwards or forwards again. Sometimes it added to the suspense, but other times it left me wanting more from the moment we'd just left rather than feeling excited about where we were going next.
The biggest thing that didn't quite work for me was the romance between the first two ex-wives. It felt very instant, and I never really understood why these two people fell for each other beyond physical attraction. I wanted more emotional development because I never fully bought into that relationship, and it meant that side of the story didn't land as strongly as it could have.
I also found myself wishing we'd spent more time with some of the supporting characters. There were hints of really interesting backstories throughout the book, but they never felt fully explored. I kept expecting those little glimpses to lead somewhere, and instead they mostly stayed in the background. I think giving those characters a bit more depth would have added so much colour to the story.
The ending was probably my biggest disappointment. It felt like the book was building towards something huge, but when we finally got there, it all seemed to wrap up very quickly. I was left with quite a few unanswered questions, and if I'm being honest, I wasn't entirely sure I'd understood everything that had happened. It wasn't a bad ending, it just didn't feel as satisfying as the rest of the book had promised.
Overall, though, I had a really enjoyable time with this one. It's messy, entertaining, darkly funny, and full of chaos, with a premise that's hard not to love. It just fell a little short in a few key areas, particularly the character development and the ending, which knocked a couple of stars off for me. If you enjoy revenge stories, morally questionable women, and murder mysteries with a slightly quirky edge, I'd still say it's worth picking up.
⭐️3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and RBmedia for the advance review copy
July 7, 2026
✨ALC Review✨ - 2 ⭐️
DNF @27%
I’m so bummed because this premise sounded incredible, and I was genuinely excited to read it. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me, and by 27% I realized I was more confused and bored than invested.
From the very beginning, I struggled with the way the story was told. Instead of letting the plot unfold naturally, the reader is given large information dumps that explain everything outright. Rather than helping me understand the story, it made it harder to follow because I was constantly trying to sort through new information instead of getting immersed in the moment. I kept wishing the author would trust the reader more and let us experience these moments through flashbacks or conversations instead of simply telling us what happened.
The timeline also became increasingly difficult to follow. Between the jumps in time and the amount of backstory being dropped into the narrative, I often found myself trying to figure out when things were happening instead of paying attention to what was happening. It kept pulling me out of the story, and I never felt fully grounded in the characters or the plot.
Because of that, I had a hard time connecting with anyone. Major relationship developments seemed to happen off the page, and I never felt like I had enough context to become emotionally invested. She goes from hating Jenny to loving her after what feels like a single phone call, and then we skip past the beginning of their relationship entirely. It made everything feel rushed and unearned.
There were also moments that felt awkward or forced, like, “It’s time now. You want me to kiss you, don’t you?” It came without much buildup, so instead of feeling romantic, it just felt random. Even small details, like describing the kiss as “loud and squishy,” pulled me out of the scene instead of drawing me in.
By the time Jenny started repeating some of the same unhealthy behaviors that Mark had shown earlier in the story, I realized I wasn’t enjoying any aspect of the book anymore. I wasn’t invested in the characters, I wasn’t following the timeline very easily, and I wasn’t curious enough about what would happen next to keep reading.
It’s disappointing because I really loved the premise and wanted this to work for me. Sadly, the confusing storytelling and lack of immersion made it too difficult to stay engaged, so this ended up being an easy DNF.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for letting me listen to this one early.
DNF @27%
I’m so bummed because this premise sounded incredible, and I was genuinely excited to read it. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me, and by 27% I realized I was more confused and bored than invested.
From the very beginning, I struggled with the way the story was told. Instead of letting the plot unfold naturally, the reader is given large information dumps that explain everything outright. Rather than helping me understand the story, it made it harder to follow because I was constantly trying to sort through new information instead of getting immersed in the moment. I kept wishing the author would trust the reader more and let us experience these moments through flashbacks or conversations instead of simply telling us what happened.
The timeline also became increasingly difficult to follow. Between the jumps in time and the amount of backstory being dropped into the narrative, I often found myself trying to figure out when things were happening instead of paying attention to what was happening. It kept pulling me out of the story, and I never felt fully grounded in the characters or the plot.
Because of that, I had a hard time connecting with anyone. Major relationship developments seemed to happen off the page, and I never felt like I had enough context to become emotionally invested. She goes from hating Jenny to loving her after what feels like a single phone call, and then we skip past the beginning of their relationship entirely. It made everything feel rushed and unearned.
There were also moments that felt awkward or forced, like, “It’s time now. You want me to kiss you, don’t you?” It came without much buildup, so instead of feeling romantic, it just felt random. Even small details, like describing the kiss as “loud and squishy,” pulled me out of the scene instead of drawing me in.
By the time Jenny started repeating some of the same unhealthy behaviors that Mark had shown earlier in the story, I realized I wasn’t enjoying any aspect of the book anymore. I wasn’t invested in the characters, I wasn’t following the timeline very easily, and I wasn’t curious enough about what would happen next to keep reading.
It’s disappointing because I really loved the premise and wanted this to work for me. Sadly, the confusing storytelling and lack of immersion made it too difficult to stay engaged, so this ended up being an easy DNF.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for letting me listen to this one early.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Meg was not expecting at all to get a call from Jenny, the woman her ex-husband married just a few days after their divorce, and she clearly expected even less from her proposal: killing him together.
This book was super promising, but I found myself not fully connecting from the beginning. We don't get enough information about Meg or Jenny to care about them; their love story appears from nowhere, and it is full of red flags. There are jumps from the future to the past, and I found myself lost in a storyline with, apparently, no purpose. Is there an objective? Are they just unconnected stories about their murders? In my opinion, it would have been better for my understanding to have more chapters about how Meg and Jenny fell in love, or some chapters about how Meg and Mark met, and some background on their relationship, to get the stakes and the reasoning behind wanting to proceed with the killing and get more hooked with the storyline.
Also, Amelia, as a character, felt non-sense. She appeared in some chapters but only when needed for Meg and Jenny. It felt like a disposable character being there only to be used by them for the sake of the plot. She should have appeared more throughout the book to get to know her full personality from experience rather than hearsay. The same thing happened with the murders; they are supposed to be super planned and really thought out, but there is just a chapter for murder (except the Mark one), so there is no time to get a complete vision of how the organization works (and how they get the ideas).
On the other hand, we have Mark's murder. I don't know how it is possible, but I think we got too much information about this exact "Business" (I didn't need that much explicitness), and at the same time, none. It was too explicit on the murder, per se, but we got to see nothing about the planning, or Mark's past with any of his ex-wives (which is important given that they are killing him for something don’t they?)
To sum up, fast book to read, but I missed some cohesion between the chapters and getting to know the characters more in-depth. It felt kind of superficial, but again it’s my experience, and maybe yours is other, so don’t hesitate to give it a chance if you want to.
Finally, I want to thank Severn House, Netgalley, and Mete Ivie Harrison for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
This book was super promising, but I found myself not fully connecting from the beginning. We don't get enough information about Meg or Jenny to care about them; their love story appears from nowhere, and it is full of red flags. There are jumps from the future to the past, and I found myself lost in a storyline with, apparently, no purpose. Is there an objective? Are they just unconnected stories about their murders? In my opinion, it would have been better for my understanding to have more chapters about how Meg and Jenny fell in love, or some chapters about how Meg and Mark met, and some background on their relationship, to get the stakes and the reasoning behind wanting to proceed with the killing and get more hooked with the storyline.
Also, Amelia, as a character, felt non-sense. She appeared in some chapters but only when needed for Meg and Jenny. It felt like a disposable character being there only to be used by them for the sake of the plot. She should have appeared more throughout the book to get to know her full personality from experience rather than hearsay. The same thing happened with the murders; they are supposed to be super planned and really thought out, but there is just a chapter for murder (except the Mark one), so there is no time to get a complete vision of how the organization works (and how they get the ideas).
On the other hand, we have Mark's murder. I don't know how it is possible, but I think we got too much information about this exact "Business" (I didn't need that much explicitness), and at the same time, none. It was too explicit on the murder, per se, but we got to see nothing about the planning, or Mark's past with any of his ex-wives (which is important given that they are killing him for something don’t they?)
To sum up, fast book to read, but I missed some cohesion between the chapters and getting to know the characters more in-depth. It felt kind of superficial, but again it’s my experience, and maybe yours is other, so don’t hesitate to give it a chance if you want to.
Finally, I want to thank Severn House, Netgalley, and Mete Ivie Harrison for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
July 7, 2026
The premise for this book is very interesting and had a lot of potential, but the execution was a little confusing. Right off the bat, the romance between Meg and Jenny was set upon the basis of instalove. I am more a slowburn girl myself, but instalove can be done well. This was just odd. There was absolutely no basis for their relationship other than physical attraction? and shared trauma. They were both giving: “I need therapy and definitely should not be in a relationship right now.” The whole pranking/date situation being so elaborate to the point of self-detriment, just didn’t make sense to me. Then there was the cheating/jealousy with the secretary and the solution for that was just so not what I would expect a FMC written by a woman to make.
Overall, they made a lot of stupid mistakes that I found it hard to believe wouldn’t have got them caught. Which would have been fine if it was just to be funny, but it wasn’t really funny. There was also the issue of justification for murder in the first place. The story wasn’t written in a way that made me sympathetic towards the people who were wronged nor like the murder victims were deserving of their fate. There was also a surprising number of women who were targets and I feel like that didn’t really fit the narrative. It lacked the depth and emotion to make me care. Overall, majority of the characters were kind of terrible and had ulterior motives.
Mark’s death was particularly gruesome, but the use of animals just gave me the ick. The rest of the book after his death, was a little all over the place. The ending was also just odd. Five years?
I got a few good laughs in the beginning in regards to the honesty around the poor integrity of men, but ultimately I didn’t enjoy how the FMCs were portrayed. Instead of being a feminist forward revenge story, it was leaning towards the women are crazy narrative. I wanted to see the FMCs portrayed as cunning, vindictive and so smart you are going to regret ever messing with them, within a setting of dark humor/horror. Ultimately this fell flat for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for this aARC!
Overall, they made a lot of stupid mistakes that I found it hard to believe wouldn’t have got them caught. Which would have been fine if it was just to be funny, but it wasn’t really funny. There was also the issue of justification for murder in the first place. The story wasn’t written in a way that made me sympathetic towards the people who were wronged nor like the murder victims were deserving of their fate. There was also a surprising number of women who were targets and I feel like that didn’t really fit the narrative. It lacked the depth and emotion to make me care. Overall, majority of the characters were kind of terrible and had ulterior motives.
Mark’s death was particularly gruesome, but the use of animals just gave me the ick. The rest of the book after his death, was a little all over the place. The ending was also just odd. Five years?
I got a few good laughs in the beginning in regards to the honesty around the poor integrity of men, but ultimately I didn’t enjoy how the FMCs were portrayed. Instead of being a feminist forward revenge story, it was leaning towards the women are crazy narrative. I wanted to see the FMCs portrayed as cunning, vindictive and so smart you are going to regret ever messing with them, within a setting of dark humor/horror. Ultimately this fell flat for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for this aARC!
July 1, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oof. I really wanted to give this one a chance for the queer romance and the revenge plots, but from the very beginning it was hard to read. The dialogue was very stilted to me and I didn’t feel any character had a distinct personality. There was a lot of “telling not showing” and it felt like we were just supposed to take the author’s word for it that they were in love at all. I think the audiobook version helped slightly since the narrator’s character voices helped me to differentiate and added some feeling into the story that I don’t think is truly there just on the page.
I hoped that even with the strange dialogue and flat characters, the plot would keep me intrigued. Sadly, I was bored much of the time. Even though there’s a lot of action, it’s told in such a flat manner that there was no excitement or sense of urgency. The jumping around in years felt like it was supposed to add suspense while we wait to hear about their most personal kill: their ex husband. However, I think it made it even harder to understand any character development arcs and were plopped into different murder plots that truly felt like they could have occurred at any time in the characters’ lives and it wouldn’t have made a difference. Since both the actual killing of the ex husband and the reveal of why he’s so horrible are spread out in between the random other murders they were hired for, I think it lost a lot of the potency it could have had if I felt like I was really in the room for it all. I also wish I knew all the reasons they wanted him dead before the murder; I think the method would have made more sense and I might have cared more?
I don’t want to give spoilers, but the ending also just made no sense to me? It seemed like a prolonged dwindling of action after ex husband’s murder that it all felt quite dull despite being the text trying to convince me their last job was the climax.
Oof. I really wanted to give this one a chance for the queer romance and the revenge plots, but from the very beginning it was hard to read. The dialogue was very stilted to me and I didn’t feel any character had a distinct personality. There was a lot of “telling not showing” and it felt like we were just supposed to take the author’s word for it that they were in love at all. I think the audiobook version helped slightly since the narrator’s character voices helped me to differentiate and added some feeling into the story that I don’t think is truly there just on the page.
I hoped that even with the strange dialogue and flat characters, the plot would keep me intrigued. Sadly, I was bored much of the time. Even though there’s a lot of action, it’s told in such a flat manner that there was no excitement or sense of urgency. The jumping around in years felt like it was supposed to add suspense while we wait to hear about their most personal kill: their ex husband. However, I think it made it even harder to understand any character development arcs and were plopped into different murder plots that truly felt like they could have occurred at any time in the characters’ lives and it wouldn’t have made a difference. Since both the actual killing of the ex husband and the reveal of why he’s so horrible are spread out in between the random other murders they were hired for, I think it lost a lot of the potency it could have had if I felt like I was really in the room for it all. I also wish I knew all the reasons they wanted him dead before the murder; I think the method would have made more sense and I might have cared more?
I don’t want to give spoilers, but the ending also just made no sense to me? It seemed like a prolonged dwindling of action after ex husband’s murder that it all felt quite dull despite being the text trying to convince me their last job was the climax.
August 28, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for providing me with an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5 Stars)
I listened to The Ex-Wives Murder Club as an audiobook. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable listen. The narrator did a really good job and brought the book to life the best she could.
The idea behind the story was interesting, and I liked seeing the different characters come together. They had a purpose and a reason behind what they wanted to do, but other than that, there wasn't much else to them. There were some parts that kept me listening because I wanted to know what was going to happen next, but it didn't keep my interest enough to be a story I could binge in one sitting like I have with others in the past.
My biggest issue was the character development. I didn't feel like I got to know the characters as well as I would have liked. I wanted to know more about their backstories and why they had such a strong desire to kill the ex-husband. Instead, it just felt like a case of "he did me wrong, so now I want him dead."
If I could summarize the premise in my own words, it feels like: "I want to kill my ex-husband, so let's practice by killing other people to make sure we do it right—because they say if you put 2,000 hours into anything, you become a pro at it."
Not being connected to the main characters made it harder for me to become properly invested in them or the story being told.
That said, the audiobook itself was easy to listen to and kept me entertained. I didn't have any problems following the plot, and it was an okay book to put on when I just wanted something playing in the background.
Overall, it's a decent audiobook that gave me an enjoyable few hours, but the lack of strong character development stopped it from being more than 3 stars for me. It's a mid story at best.
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5 Stars)
I listened to The Ex-Wives Murder Club as an audiobook. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable listen. The narrator did a really good job and brought the book to life the best she could.
The idea behind the story was interesting, and I liked seeing the different characters come together. They had a purpose and a reason behind what they wanted to do, but other than that, there wasn't much else to them. There were some parts that kept me listening because I wanted to know what was going to happen next, but it didn't keep my interest enough to be a story I could binge in one sitting like I have with others in the past.
My biggest issue was the character development. I didn't feel like I got to know the characters as well as I would have liked. I wanted to know more about their backstories and why they had such a strong desire to kill the ex-husband. Instead, it just felt like a case of "he did me wrong, so now I want him dead."
If I could summarize the premise in my own words, it feels like: "I want to kill my ex-husband, so let's practice by killing other people to make sure we do it right—because they say if you put 2,000 hours into anything, you become a pro at it."
Not being connected to the main characters made it harder for me to become properly invested in them or the story being told.
That said, the audiobook itself was easy to listen to and kept me entertained. I didn't have any problems following the plot, and it was an okay book to put on when I just wanted something playing in the background.
Overall, it's a decent audiobook that gave me an enjoyable few hours, but the lack of strong character development stopped it from being more than 3 stars for me. It's a mid story at best.
July 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review.
I had such a great time with this book. I was hooked from Chapter 1 and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Despite dealing with some surprisingly dark subject matter, the story approaches it with a sharp sense of humour that keeps the tone entertaining without taking away from the emotional stakes.
I really liked following Meg, Jenny and Amelia's stories. Their characters felt distinct, their relationships were enjoyable to follow, and I found myself becoming more invested in each new revelation. The mystery unfolded at a satisfying pace, balancing suspense with plenty of witty moments that made me smile.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narration was absolutely exquisite. The narrator captured each character brilliantly, and the delivery matched the book's tone perfectly, making it an incredibly enjoyable listening experience.
My only minor criticism is that the story frequently jumps between different timelines. As an audiobook listener, I occasionally found it a little difficult to keep track of where I was in the chronology, and I sometimes needed a moment to reorient myself. I don't think this would be nearly as noticeable when reading a physical copy, where it's much easier to flick back or visually register chapter headings.
Overall, this was a thoroughly entertaining mystery with plenty of humour, engaging characters, and an excellent audiobook performance. I'd happily recommend it to readers who enjoy clever mysteries with a darkly comic edge, and I'll definitely be looking out for more from this author.
I had such a great time with this book. I was hooked from Chapter 1 and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Despite dealing with some surprisingly dark subject matter, the story approaches it with a sharp sense of humour that keeps the tone entertaining without taking away from the emotional stakes.
I really liked following Meg, Jenny and Amelia's stories. Their characters felt distinct, their relationships were enjoyable to follow, and I found myself becoming more invested in each new revelation. The mystery unfolded at a satisfying pace, balancing suspense with plenty of witty moments that made me smile.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narration was absolutely exquisite. The narrator captured each character brilliantly, and the delivery matched the book's tone perfectly, making it an incredibly enjoyable listening experience.
My only minor criticism is that the story frequently jumps between different timelines. As an audiobook listener, I occasionally found it a little difficult to keep track of where I was in the chronology, and I sometimes needed a moment to reorient myself. I don't think this would be nearly as noticeable when reading a physical copy, where it's much easier to flick back or visually register chapter headings.
Overall, this was a thoroughly entertaining mystery with plenty of humour, engaging characters, and an excellent audiobook performance. I'd happily recommend it to readers who enjoy clever mysteries with a darkly comic edge, and I'll definitely be looking out for more from this author.
February 4, 2026
✨2 stars✨
I went into this book somewhat blind (and it’s the first book that I have read by this author) as the title sounded intriguing and I saw that it had been compared to Katy Brent’s books which I have really enjoyed.
I thought the first two chapters really encapsulated this as I highlighted parts that actually made me laugh out loud. However, personally it went downhill from there. I think my main issue was the time jumps from chapter to chapter made for an incredibly disjointed reading experience. At one point we jumped from year 12 to year 2 and back again. I didn’t feel like these jumps added much to the narrative and I ended up feeling more frustrated than anything else!
Furthermore, I also thought more time and emphasis on Mark’s murder as this is what connected the three women. I expected it to be like “The Other Woman” movie but with murder but sadly it just didn’t live up to my own hype and expectations.
Finally, I didn’t really care about any of the characters and I think the execution of the relationship between Meg and Jenny would have worked better if we actually saw the connection and development between them. Instead, it was introduced early on and then we are just supposed to believe that it’s this great love story which just didn’t work for me.
Maybe if this book was longer there would have been more room for the author to develop more of the plot points. However, my main issue was with the narrative structure so perhaps it’s a blessing that it was only around 220 pages.
I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I went into this book somewhat blind (and it’s the first book that I have read by this author) as the title sounded intriguing and I saw that it had been compared to Katy Brent’s books which I have really enjoyed.
I thought the first two chapters really encapsulated this as I highlighted parts that actually made me laugh out loud. However, personally it went downhill from there. I think my main issue was the time jumps from chapter to chapter made for an incredibly disjointed reading experience. At one point we jumped from year 12 to year 2 and back again. I didn’t feel like these jumps added much to the narrative and I ended up feeling more frustrated than anything else!
Furthermore, I also thought more time and emphasis on Mark’s murder as this is what connected the three women. I expected it to be like “The Other Woman” movie but with murder but sadly it just didn’t live up to my own hype and expectations.
Finally, I didn’t really care about any of the characters and I think the execution of the relationship between Meg and Jenny would have worked better if we actually saw the connection and development between them. Instead, it was introduced early on and then we are just supposed to believe that it’s this great love story which just didn’t work for me.
Maybe if this book was longer there would have been more room for the author to develop more of the plot points. However, my main issue was with the narrative structure so perhaps it’s a blessing that it was only around 220 pages.
I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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