The Ex Factor

by Eva Woods

Is it possible to freecycle love?

Modern dating is hard, especially when all you meet are liars, oddballs, men who wear Superman pants and men who live with their mums.

So why not date someone who already comes pre-approved? Just because your friend’s ex wasn’t right for her doesn’t mean that he won’t be right for you. That’s Marnie’s new plan for herself and her three best friends, perennially single Helen, recently divorced Rosa and cynical lawyer Ani.

Through bad dates and good, the four friends begin to realise that there are advantages to dating pre-screened men…but there can be some serious pitfalls to falling for your friend's ex.

Genres: Chick Lit, Contemporary

364 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2016

About the author

Eva Woods lives in London, where she writes and teaches creative writing. She likes wine, pop music, and holidays, and thinks online dating is like the worst board game ever invented.

Reviews

[Bethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a light-hearted and witty outlook on modern dating. Have you ever fancied your friend’s ex? I bet you have, even if you are ashamed to admit it. It was an unusual outlook on chick-lit and it made for good reading. The story revolved around four friends, Marnie, Helen, Ani and Rosa. Helen and Marnie have been friends since primary school and they met Ani and Rosa at a university. It’s definitely a laugh out loud, if you were a fan of Bridget Jones – you will love this. There are however some serious sides to it. Like the issues that prevail if you actually ‘went there’ with your friend’s ex – wouldn’t you be slightly jealous?

I loved how the story revolved around four women and reading the different voices of each one. The Ex Factor by Eva Woods was definitely an entertaining light read that I recommend if you are sitting poolside, sipping a Sex on The Beach.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Mira UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Gem ~ZeroShelfControl~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 3*
Writing skill : 4*
Plot: 3*
Pace: 2*
Characters: 4*

I knew going into this, dating exes was going to be a dangerous game! We have 4 main characters who decide to set each other up with their exes, and I’m still shook as to how anyone could think that’s a good idea. And yes I realise this is fiction.
However the writing style was great, the characters good and the ending was fine if not predictable. This was really slow to get into but it did pick up after the half way mark. Overall glad I read it- a good, funny chic-lit.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on This Chick Reads

*Copy provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

'The Ex Factor' is Eva Woods' second novel and though I haven't read her debut, The Thirty List, I was very much looking forward to reading this one. The beautiful cover and the intriguing blurb were more than enough to make me want to read it. While I wasn't exactly disappointed in the book, I have to say I was expecting something bit different.

Marnie, Helen, Rosa and Ani have been friends for years. Two years ago, Marnie leaves London, without saying proper good bye to her friends. She sends the odd postcard now and then, from some exotic places, but she doesn't exactly keep in touch with her friends. After two years away, she's back in London and ready to continue with her friends exactly as if nothing happened, as if she never left. A lot of things have changed during those two years, all three of her friends are single and mostly miserable when it comes to relationships, but despite the hard times they've remained close friends. Now Marnie's back, they're slightly confused and at the same time excited to rekindle their friendship with Marnie and make up for the lost time. Not only they welcome her arms stretched, never even daring to ask why Marnie left in the first place, but they agree to Marnie's bizarre dating project. Marnie has a proposal for them, each of them suggests an ex they've went out with and sets them up with a friend. Project Love, as Marnie calls it comes down to basically recycling exes.

Interesting concept, right? A very bold one too, knowing most women/readers in their 20s or 30s (or even older) wouldn't agree in taking part in such a project and might even criticize this book (and the characters) strongly. I said most, not all. So where do I stand? Being in my late 30s I just found it silly. Would I ever set up a friend with an ex? I don't think so. Not because I'm jealous, there's a good reason for them being out of my life right now. But because I believe none of my friends would actually want to date my ex. I mean, girl code and all that! It's kind of uncomfortable, even the idea to be intimate with someone my friend shared time/hugs/bed with. The more I talk about it, the more I just want to say 'yuck!'. But hold on... I have to admit, I salute Eva Woods' courage to write about this topic, to be genuine in a genre which is swamped in cliches. Now, I love chick lit, and sometimes I love books which are full of cliches, because I just like the author's narration or can easily connect to their characters. But 'The Ex Factor' once again stands out.

This book is different. It has a unique plot and being a chick lit/romance book I didn't expect it to be so though provoking. You see, through the acts of the four friends, Marnie's coming back and all their miserable dates, you start asking yourself, what is friendship? Would you date your friends' ex? Could you fall in love with someone who was intimate with your BFF? You've grown up valuing the girl code and here it is, a book that's against all you believe about friendship. I'm telling you, it might seem like just another fluffy chick lit, but it's actually one that will make you think a lot. Might even get you angry, confused, sad, but there are also some funny and enjoyable moments with the girls.

Speaking of the girls, they can't be any more different. I didn't connect to any of them, to be frank, but I liked them. Marnie, not too much not because she comes up with her silly dating plan, but because she's back after two years in her friends' lives and she expects things to continue the way they were. Which is kind of cruel in my book. I assume Marnie will be least likable of the characters for many readers, but she's definitely the most mysterious one, and I've been dying to find out more about her.

While I would never start my own Project Love with my friends, I have to say I found the concept of this book very original. It doesn't matter if I agree with these girls, I love how the book surprised me with everything that's been going on. However, the reason for my rating is the great number of characters Eva Woods introduces. I couldn't distinguish them all, couldn't remember their names, what they add to the plot, I just... felt confused and slightly lost.

Overall, this is definitely an interesting read. It's not your usual chick lit but a big plus for the originality. I would definitely read more by this author. It's certain Eva Woods is a bold author who has no problem with writing about some topics most women would rather not write about.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a different take on a dating fiction, I think this is the first time I've ever seen a group of friends encourage each other to date their exes, possibly due to all the issues that such a possibly radical idea would bring up.

The Ex Factor, focuses on a set of four friends, who are all approaching the dating scene from very different angles, there is Rosa who is just in the process of being divorced and barely dated before meeting her husband, Ani who is a lawyer, who is sick of internet dating, but has very strict rules and criteria, Helen who works from home on a controversial dating site and hasn't so much as looked at a man for over to years, and then there is Marnie.

Marnie has been awol for two years and now she is back, this exes dating each other plan is her idea, and in the past she has been an indiscriminate serial dater. However will she really fit back into her friendship group after upping and leaving without so much as a word for two years.

The Ex Factor is as much about female friendships as it is about dating, and yes there are some hilariously bad dates in the mix of the book. At times I found the story a bit confusing, just as soon as you are introduced to the four ladies, you are then being not only introduced and given back story on how they met the ex they are setting a friend up with, but you also have to keep track of who is currently dating who.

Once that is sorted in your mind, it becomes a pleasure to read. It is a wonderfully light hearted story, great for when you don't want anything too deep and meaningful. Of the various men there is one that I found myself most attracted too, and he wasn't the most obvious of them, not the best looking, just the one that talks to my inner geek!

Personally I wouldn't want to set a friend up with an ex, let alone still be in contact with one, but as I think it was Charlotte in Sex and the City says - "one girl's trash is another girl's treasure!" so its clearly an idea that could work. I also loved reading about the various jobs the girls dd, from the tricky boss Rosa has, to the gorgeous man working in law with Ani.

If you want to read some chick lit that has a clear dating and friendship angle, and don't mind jumping straight in with a lot of characters you need to be able to follow, then this is a great book to read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and MIRA for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a little while since I have read a contemporary romance/ "chick-lit" book and I have to say that it was really refreshing. This book especially was refreshing due to the fact that finding romance is the catalyst for the book and not really the end game. Also, the fact that all four female characters are in there 30's, I found it relatable. The two characters I had particular empathy for were Ami and Helen.

It was nice to read a book where the characters were slightly older that the usual 20's share. At times funny and others ripping your heart out, The Ex-Factor has it all.

[Charanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book - this was very different and I liked that the theme of this book was friendship with just a dash of romance. There are a lot of characters whom you have to remember and keep track of the respective stories, it might not interest people who don't like multiple POVs. But if you stick with the characters you will find yourself pleasantly surprised!

There are a lot of twists and turns and you are deliberately made to make some assumptions which are proved wrong over the course of the book- some are happy ones as in the case of Marnie's redemption. I am still not convinced that I like her character totally - there was just too much flakiness for my liking and some are less than happy as in the case of Ani's hinted love interest!

Moving on to the characters - I have established that I was not a fan of Marnie - although she does get it together in the end, in her own way. I loved the other three women, maybe Helen a little more than others - although I wondered if her past really is the reason she doesn't have a backbone or if it was the fact that she was overweight - several issues were hinted for her possible self-imposed lifestyle and the really terrible job. If that terrible job was what it took to meet Karl, then I will take it- since he was delightful - he was the perfect complement and if the entire book was about him I would have still read it :)

Ani learns there's no such thing as a perfect partner and Rose's trying to get over her husband's affair - these are fairly known tropes but I liked how each realized where their own happiness lie in. Their respective love interests play their parts well although they didn't quite leave an impression as Karl. The biggest takeaway for me was how this was not really about friends dating the others' exes but so much more about the hidden misgivings, the insecurity, self-doubt about taking such a decision and how it keeps playing on all of their heads and their friendships in a way that was not really obvious (read: possible catfights) - I think this was what kept the book interesting and surprising.

Overally, a very good read and my first of the author and would love to read more from her.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

It's been a while since I read a 'chick-lit' romance but I'm bored of the usual style of book I've been reading for the past few years (full of sex scenes and an alpha male hero) as they now come across as 'same old, same old', so when I saw this on Netgalley, I decided to give it a go and I'm glad I did.

It was an enjoyable read and had some witty dialogue. The story is about four friends all in their early 30's who have been unsuccessful in dating and in Rosa's case, marriage. Their friend Marnie has been living abroad for two years and has now returned to London. During her absence, Rosa's husband was unfaithful with a younger woman and their marriage has ended. Helen has been working from home for the last two years but her friends do not know what she really does for a living. Helen spends a lot of time at home and doesn't date but is pining for the lost love of her life. Ani is a cynical lawyer but also a cynical dater! She dates constantly, but never has any luck in finding a suitable man.

Marnie decides that they should all date an ex of each other. Although the other three women are not so keen, they soon agree to try it and Rosa will write an article about it called the 'Ex Factor'. They each get in touch with an ex although none of the exes were long term boyfriends, more like 'first dates'! It was predictable who each women would end up with apart from Marnie. I found Marnie intriguing and was interested to learn what she had been upto the last two years as it's obvious, it wasn't travelling as her friends thought.

Of the four women, I liked Helen and Rosa the best and the men they ended up with were the best of the bunch! I'm used to reading about Alpha Males, so I must admit, I didn't relate to any of the men as romantic interests! They were either geeky or had OCD and other quirks that to me, did not come across as particularly attractive or what I like to read about in a hero. However, they did appear to be well sutied to each heroine and I understood the moral of the story.

There were certain aspects of the plot that whilst amusing, I felt weren't needed. I would rather have read more about the romances as the conclusion to each romance came right at the very end and appeared slightly rushed.

I read this book in one sitting which is unusual for me of late as most books are boring me. I would read more from this author and recommend this if you like chick-lit or Bridget Jones type books.

ARC provided by Netgalley

[Kaisha (The Writing Garnet) · Rating 3 out of 5]

All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com

TWG would like to thank the lovely Cara from HQStories for squeezing me on this tour and allowing me an ARC.

‘The Ex-Factor’, what a title! As soon as I saw the title I thought ‘uh-oh’, what could possibly go wrong!! Your best friend dating your ex, well, one of. The ex that may have been sent packing by yours truly, yet gets a chance with YOUR best friend? Totally not weird at all, waste not want not!

I may be a cynic, but recycling a sister from another mister’s ex-lover just screams ‘MAYHEM!’ That my friends, is exactly why I wanted to read the book. I mean, who wouldn’t want to read about that sort of thing? Can you imagine the amount of secrets that could come spilling out? Four best friends choosing four exes to give to one of their friends to date and have a chance of getting their happy ending. Intriguing.

Well! All four ladies stand out in their own ways, completely different personalities each with their own fair share of heartbreak. Although, some of that heartbreak remains hidden, it is only a matter of time before it erupts, and it won’t be pretty.

I have to admit, it did take me a while to get into the swing of the book (pardon the pun), there was a lot of too-ing and fro-ing between characters and their emotions. I did warm up to the storyline though and found a couple of the ladies (Rosa & Ani) to be quite endearing and memorable; they quickly became my favourite characters after that!

I know it is good for the environment to recycle, but I definitely would not give any of my exes to my friends to date! Because of my own personal opinion on the matter, I loved how different this book was. A topic that will divide the readers and will definitely keep them talking.
Eva Woods has taken such a diverse topic and put her own signature twist on it that makes the book stand out from the rest. Not only was there romance, there were plenty of giggles throughout the book (aside from the men in superman pants obviously).

Despite my initial reservations, I enjoyed the concept of the story and the way that Eva brought it to life. Such a cleverly written book that will definitely spark many different opinions!
Eva Woods has the X – Factor in the book world for me, but she most certainly is not getting one of my exes, I’m not that mean!!!

[MetLineReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light hearted look at dating -- ever fancied your friend's ex?
Personally I've never been tempted but have been on a couple of blind dates which *shudder* were worse... Thankfully now 20+ years ago but it didn't take long for the memories to come flooding back.

Marnie and Helen have been friends since primary school and would do anything (really?!) for each other. Ani and Rosa met at Uni, and the four have been inseparable ever since.

Marnie returns from an overseas trip - she's been away for 2 years -- and suggests they date one of the other's ex-boyfriends....

The story, bittersweet in places and slapstick silly in others, develops from here -- particularly as Rosa, a journalist on a magazine, ends up having to write about the experience....

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helen, Marnie, Ani and Rosa have been friends for years.

Helen hasn't dated for two years, Ani can't seem to get past the first date, Rosa has just been dumped by her husband for a twenty year old intern and Marnie has just returned from South America. As they are all single Marnie comes up with the idea of them all setting each other up with one of their exes: Project Ex Factor.

This book is a lighthearted look at the perils and pitfalls of the dating world and the potential advantages of dating pre-screened men.

This is a good concept for a book and it is relatively easy to read, I actually read it in a couple of days. It's a very entertaining read and I'm sure everyone will be able to associate with some of the 'dates' the girls go on.

I would give his book 3.5 stars.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book by Eva Woods. I liked it a lot and found the writing and plot really captivating. I wanted to keep reading yet had to go back to real life. Marine was such an annoying character, it seemed as though she thought the world and everyone around her owed her everything. I wish we could of heard more the males and if more happened that would of been cool too.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Olivia kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this but couldn’t warm to the character of Marnie at all.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the fresh, original concept in The Ex Factor. Four single women – all aware, at least, that dating a friend’s ex is against all kinds of girl code – get caught up in a somewhat crazy scheme where each friend picks an ex of theirs for their chosen friend to date. What ensues is a frantic, whirlwind tale of chaos, drama, friendship, disastrous dates and maybe just a bit of romance.

Helen, Rosa and Ani are all single but at very different stages in that aspect of their lives. Helen is basically married to her cat – who, yes, does share her surname on his very own Facebook profile – and she is quite comfortable sat in her very tidy home watching boxsets. That is, when she’s not working, and her job entails a dating site specifically for people who are already married. Rosa is separated from her husband David after he cheated on her with a twenty year old intern at their workplace, called Daisy. She can barely bring herself to think about that without crying, and dating again is definitely not something on her agenda. Ani, though, has been dating. In fact she’s had more first dates in a year than most people would have in a lifetime. But Ani, fairly cynical towards romance due to being a divorce lawyer, is very particular towards men and doesn’t really ever agree to a second date unless the first one went perfectly, which also never happens.

But when Marnie, their friend who’d disappeared for a couple of years, returns back to London, Helen, Rosa and Ani know they cannot avoid the chaos that comes with Marnie’s character. Though reluctant at first, they soon all agree to the Ex Factor idea, and the madness begins…

I really enjoyed this book. It was an entertaining read and at times had a very comical outlook on friendship and dating and what happens when those lines are blurred and you enter that typical no-go area of dating your friend’s ex. There were lots of laugh-out-loud moments and giggles provided by a group of friends and their dating woes. If you are currently settled in a happy relationship, this book will make you very pleased about that, and if you are currently dating, maybe online, or you just find yourself fancying the ex of one of your friends, The Ex Factor will probably fill you with a bit of dread and fear and attempt to put you off for life, whilst also showing that maybe some of these dating stories do have a happy ending after all.

There are a lot of characters in this book and that’s maybe a bit of an understatement. There’s Marnie, Ani, Rosa and Helen. And their exes. And their current crushes. And their bosses and colleagues and in some cases, family. Then when you think that they are also swapping exes, it was for a large amount of this book fairly tricky to keep up and to remember which character Tom was relevant to, or who Simon has been seeing etc etc. This was, I suppose, always going to be the case but that didn’t make it any easier to keep up. For the most part I really enjoyed this book but there were times I felt it was dragging – not really the story, which had a good pace throughout – but more the time I spent trying to remember the importance of each character. About two thirds through, I gave up trying to remember and found I flew through the rest of the book that way, caught up in the light-hearted, witty story without needing to try and remember who everyone was.

I really liked all four of the main characters, although my favourite character was actually one of their dates. Marnie was maybe the most difficult to like but she was quite mysterious and intriguing and I liked how I never really knew what to expect from her. Ani was quite cynical but I liked her – and I loved the way the story ended for her. Rosa seemed to be the most honest and down-to-earth of the friends and I found that I cared for her character the most out of the friends, although she was closely followed by Helen, who never seemed to shy away from her true self – being anxious and a bit of a geek were actually pretty relatable traits.

One of my favourite aspects of this book was its unpredictability – there were so many dates involved that for a couple of the friends I was guessing at how things would work out for them right until the end. Overall, I found The Ex Factor to be a fun and escapist book – ideal for a lazy weekend or a holiday read on the beach. I’m looking forward to reading more from the author.

[Babs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich habe "Gib mir deinen Ex, ich geb dir meinen" im Rahmen einer Büchertauschrunde gelesen und muss gestehen, dass dieser Roman nicht so ganz das gehalten hat, was ich mir von diesem Roman erhofft hatte. Ich hatte mir einen turbulenten Roman rund um verzwickte Liebesgeschichten erhofft. Turbulent ist dieser Roman in jedem Fall, jedoch leider so sehr, dass man spätestens in der Mitte des Romans nicht mehr durchblickt, wer grad mit wem anbandelt bzw. wer ursprünglich mal zusammenkommen sollte. Das minderte bei mir sehr das Lesevergnügen.

Anfänglich war ich sogar noch optimistisch, da der Roman damit beginnt die vier Frauen vorzustellen, wodurch man ein gutes Bild von den Freundinnen bekam. Stück für Stück konnte man sie genau kennenlernen und ihren Wesen erfassen.
Als dann die Exfreunde der Freundinnen auf dem Plan traten, wurde es aber irgendwann total verworren, so dass ich sogar irgendwann auch ein wenig bei den Frauen durcheinander kam. Insbesondere bei Ani und Rosa bin ich zwischendurch durcheinandergekommen. Insgesamt hatte man ein wenig das Gefühl, dass irgendwann beinahe jeder Ex mit jeder Freundin etwas anfängt?! Hinzu kommt, dass die Exfreunde gefühlt fast alle ziemlich farblos sind und nicht wirklich hervorstechen. Wer kann da noch durchblicken???

Der Schreibstil der Autorin konnte mich zunächst fesseln, als es jedoch immer verworrener wurde und ich nur noch schwer durchblicken konnte, empfand ich ihn eher anstrengend!
Dieser Roman hätte um gut die Hälfte gekürzt werden können, wenn die Autorin sich mehr aufs wesentliche zu fokussiert hätte. Leider ufert sie stellenweise immer wieder zu sehr aus, wahrscheinlich um die Dreiecksgeschichten zu verdeutlichen. Allerdings wird dies alles irgendwann zu viel.
Mit einem stärkeren Fokus aufs Wesentliche hätte man die Handlung besser genießen können. So bleibt man am Ende leider sehr verwirrend zurück, als sich die Probleme der Freundin gefühlt in Wohlgefallen auflösen.
Ich war zwischendurch drauf und dran diesen Roman abzubrechen, habe dann jedoch weitergelesen in der Hoffnung, dass der Roman zumindest noch eine positive Botschaft vermittelt. Allerdings wartete ich darauf vergeblich.

Fazit:
Meiner Ansicht nach kann man darauf verzichten "Gib mir deinen Ex, ich geb dir meinen" zu lesen, da dieser Roman zu verworren ist, um wirkliche Lesensfreude zu wecken. Der Handlungsstrang ist einfach zu unstet, als das man ihm folgen möchte.

Note: 4- (💗💗)

[Leni singing a Bookish Lullaby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kurz zum Inhalt
Helen, sie datet seit dem Fiasko vor 2 Jahren nicht mehr - nie wieder.
Ani erlebt tagtäglich die Folgen einer gescheiterten großen Liebe auf der Arbeit.
Rosas Mann hat sie für ein Mädchen verlassen. Seitdem ist sie am Boden zerstört.
Und die wilde vor Leben sprühende Marnie ist wieder da. Marnie, die vor 2 Jahren spurlos verschwunden ist.
Die vier schließen einen Pakt: Jeder besorgt einer anderen einen Mann und zwar muss dieser ein Ex-Freund sein.

Zitat
》Als würde sie langsam leichter werden, wie ein Boot, das von der aufsteigenden Flut emporgehoben wird. Eine Wärme, die aufstieg wie der Dampf von einer schönen heißen Tasse Kräutertee.《

Meine Meinung
Die Idee hinter dem Roman fand ich sehr interessant und ich war gespannt, ob der Pakt wirklich funktionieren kann. Es war wie ein soziale Experiment (pardon, Projekt (wer's gelesen hat, wird's verstehen (; )) zu verfolgen.
Der Roman erinnert mich mit der Clique an zwei Serien. Der Anfang ist wie Gossip Girl. Marnie kommt zurück wie Serena. Die Clique mit all ihren Geheimnissen und Verstrickungen erinnert mich an Pretty Little Liars. Besonders weil sie durch ihre Verheimlichungen, wie immer selber auf die Nase fliegen.
Die Perspektive wechselt innerhalb eines Kapitels. Marnie wird aber deutlich weniger gezeigt als die anderen Frauen. Das macht den Roman viel spannender, weil Marnies Beweggründe so verschwiegen werden. Trotz der 4 Figuren hatte ich immer eine gute Übersicht, wer gerade dran war. Die Passagen waren lang genug, dass man sich hineindenken konnte.
Leider hat dies aber auch eine kleine Schattenseite, denn es dauerte gute 100 Seiten bis es mitreißender wurde. Dennoch blieb es bei einer angenehmen Spannung und dient eher als Unterhaltungslektüre. Es wurde zwischendurch natürlich immer mal wieder spannender, aber es hielt sich eher auf einem gesunden Level.
Auch die Sprache war angenehm und unterhaltsam. Die Figuren wirkten hierdurch sehr authentisch. Außerdem waren die einzelnen Frauen so unterschiedlich in ihrem Sein, eine schöne Diversität. :) Es wirkte dadurch sehr realistisch. Dazu wurden den Figuren immer wieder Steine in den Weg gelegt, die diese erst einmal überwinden mussten - wie im Leben.
"Gib mir deinen Ex, ich geb dir meinen" ist ein schöner Roman darüber, dass wir uns selber akzeptieren und mit uns glücklich sein müssen, bevor wir dies von anderen und unserem Leben erwarten. Der Roman mit dieser schönen Intention bekommt von mir ★★★✯☆ von 5 Sternen.

Eckdaten
Genre: Liebesroman
Seitenanzahl: 448 Seiten
Preis: 9,99 €
Verlag: Blanvalet Taschenbuch Verlag

Klappentext
Ist das Liebe oder kann der Weg?

Die drei Freundinnen Helen, Rosa und Ani sind alle Single - allerdings in unterschiedlichen Stadien: Helen hat es sich mit ihrer Katze gemütlich gemacht und erfreut sich täglich an ihrer makellos geputzten Wohnung. Rosa hat gerade eine schlimme Trennung hinter sich und will eigentlich nur in Ruhe heulen. Und Ani hatte im vergangenen Jahr vermutlich mehr erste Dates, als andere in einem ganzen Leben. Doch dann hat ihre gemeinsame Freundin Marnie eine ebenso witzige wie verrückte Idee: Zeig mir deinen Ex, ich zeig dir meinen - und schon ist es geboren, das Projekt "Ex-Faktor"...

[Karima chermiti · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story revolves around a tight knit group of four female friends the one who disappeared for two years without saying goodbye Marnie, the anxious Helen, the recently divorced Rosa and the one with the miserable dating life Ani.
While meeting together and discussing their love life or the lack of it and how they are not really optimistic about the whole thing because of the miserable reality of the dating scene. So, Marnie comes with a really crazy idea that’s just chaos personification. Every girl picks an ex-boyfriend for one of her friends to date. There are rules to follow but that won’t make the experiment any easy especially when there is a history of hurt and betrayal and awkwardness between two of them.
I specifically loved the parts when one of them is talking about her date and the ex her friend chose for her while that friend is thinking “really is this the same man I went with” and feeling insecure about the fact that he tried more with her friend than her.
“Fun, and a good listener—was this really the same Simon who’d struggled to make small talk with Ani, and taken her to that awful play?”
“Simon, Simon, Simon. He sounded like a different person now. Did he just like Rosa more than her? Think she was prettier? To distract herself, Ani picked up her phone and thumbed through Twitter, curious to see how Marnie had fared on her date with Rosa’s ex. Sure enough, she had live-tweeted the whole thing.”
The four women were different and unique in their own way. They were scared, disappointed and insecure but that’s ok because they were strong and resilient and loyal and real and I really loved that their stories went into different directions that felt right to the characters arcs.

[Jasbr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich gebe zu: Hier hat mich vor allem der Titel neugierig gemacht, weil ich mir nicht vorstellen kann, mit dem Ex einer Freundin verkuppelt zu werden - oder selbst zu verkuppeln. Und die Geschichte zeigt auch, dass das nicht unbedingt eine gute Idee von Marnie war.

Grundsätzlich dreht sich das Buch um die vier Freundinnen Helen, Rosa, Ani und Marnie, die alle irgendwie kein Glück in der Liebe zu haben scheinen. Sie sind alle sehr unterschiedlich und trotzdem fiel es mir während des Lesens schwer, alle auseinanderzuhalten. Zwar werden die Kapitel immer mit dem jeweiligen Namen versehen, aber richtig für sich gewinnen konnte mich keine der Frauen.

Und ich glaube, deshalb habe ich mich bei diesem Buch auch etwas schwer getan. Ich konnte mich mit keiner der Frauen richtig identifizieren, sie und ihre Geschichten haben mich einfach nicht berührt, auch wenn es einige Wendungen gab, die einen schon hätten berühren können. Alle gemeinsam hatten sie für mich, dass sie sich herumschubsen lassen und nicht richtig zu dem stehen, was sie wollen.

Auch die Story an sich ist ziemlich vorhersehbar und ich habe mich über die Naivität an der ein oder anderen Stelle etwas aufgeregt. Es geht hin und her, hier ein Date, da ein bisschen Glück und vor allem Eifersucht. Das musste ja so kommen, war deswegen eben auch nicht überraschend.

Einzig und allein das Ende hat mich dann doch etwas versöhnt. Es ist relativ ernst im Vergleich zum Rest des Buches und vor allem in Bezug auf Marnie anders als erwartet.

Mehr konnte mich das Buch aber nicht überzeugen, deswegen gibt es nur 2 Sterne!

[Jsiashl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich muss sagen ich fande den Einstieg einfach geschrieben. Man springt zwischen vier Perspektiven (die 4 Hauptpersonen) hin und her jedoch ist es nicht verwirrend. Es ist eine fortlaufende Geschichte dafür das in jedem Kapitel sich die Hauptperson, die erzählt ändert.
Die Familienverhältnisse von Anisha also das ihre Mama und Papa Cousine und Cousin 2. Grad sind ebenso das ihre Großmutter gleichzeitig ihre Großtante ist sehr verwirrend. Nach dem ersten viertel des Buches haben sich die vier Frauen sich zu dem Date Experiment entschieden. Sie treffen sich mit dem für Sie eigens ausgewählten Datepartner. Ich finde es gut das die Autorin viele Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen den Datepartner überlegt hat. In der Mitte des Buches passiert ein kleines Chaos, Marnie feiert eine Willkommenparty wo sich die Datepartner und die vier Freundinnen alle treffen. Jedoch merken sie das sie die für ihre Freundin ausgesuchten Datepartner (also ihren Ex) doch nicht so schlimm finden und Kontakt suchen. Am Ende des Buches kommen einige Sachen ans Licht und nichts ist mehr wie vorher. Die Freundinnen scheinen sich nicht mehr so zu kennen wie sie eigentlich dachten...
Für mich war es ein absolutes Jahreshighlight. Ich kann das Buch nur empfehlen.

[Adri266 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obalka vyzerala zaujimavo, anotacia tiez, chcela som si pozicat nieco lahke na zaver prazdnin. Ale s knihou som sa nakniec borila skoro tyzden.
Pribeh 4 roznych kamaratiek, ktore mali problemy so vztahmi a preto sa nakoniec dohodli, ze si medzi sebou dohodia svojich byvalych frajerov, bol miestami chaoticky /prilis vela postav, kazda s kamosiek riesila noveho frajera, ale ja svojich byvalych frajerov, no tiez nove vztahy/, miestami zabavny.

Ale nebolo to take dobre, ako predchadzajuca kniha, ktoru som od nej citala. Skoda.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so funny. I loved this book, couldn't put it down. Really worth reading. I got it as a gift, not something I would normally pick for myself but I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this book to everyone.

[Selena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read about dating in the UK in particular (via Cosmo readers' confessions, etc.), I am shocked at how women can actually endure such "dates". At least one can laugh at that now (not at the women).

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

even though I thought it was going to be boring it turned out to be completely opposite. It has some cliche storylines but my overall impression was good.
I didn't like Marnie but her character wasn't that important in the novel whatsoever.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic, funny and fresh view on romance. Much better than I expected, the quirky characters really make this such a relatable book. Love love love.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, fun chick lit novel.

[Erika Starkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, light, heart-warming!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow to start but gets better

[Louise Marshall-jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy and enjoyable read . I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and their stories. A very easy read

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - took me forever to read but was a nice story all round

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at a school trip when I was 14 and never read it. Two years ago I picked it up and loved it. I really like cheesy stories ( not too cheesy tho ) so this was a lovely book overall.

[Agi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was desperate to read Eva Woods' story for a long time already, I have her previous novel on my kindle, patiently waiting to be eventually read, so when "The Ex Factor" whizzed its way to me I quickly started reading it. The title had me incredibly intrigued, I love anything about exes, probably because I myself don't have too many of them and am feeling a little inexperienced in that matter :) Nah, but altogether, the book had such a great vibe and I was really excited to start it.

I loved the idea of the book, meeting with your friends' ex and generally speaking, dating - you know me, you know I am such a sucker for dating stories, I always, always hope that the author is going to totally surprise me with exceptionally hilarious date stories. It's not easy, to surprise me with them, as there are so many books about dating, and I am all the time living in hope that one day I'll get such a book in my greedy hands. "The Ex Factor" had some dates throughout the story, sure it did but sadly, same old, my friends, same old... Though the angle was different, of course, as I think I've never read about dating friends' exes. Recycling exes, yes, but not swapping them. But you can be sure that you are in for a story that is full of misunderstandings, mistakes and troubles and as I was prepared for a funny rom - com, I was surprised with the more serious issues that were addressed there as well. It's not bad, not at all, and "The Ex Factor" mostly concentrated on this unique way of meeting The One.

The story is mostly told from Ani, Helen and Rosa points of view with the very occasional word from Marnie and I liked to see how they stories develop and how they cope with the many feelings that were all of a sudden evoked by Marnie and her return and her idea of the ex - experiment. I think that I preferred Helen and Rosa to Ani and, above all, Marnie. The first two were just much more relatable and much more likeable, not as cynical as Ani and Marnie. Sure, they also had some moments when I wanted to bay at the moon, so desperate I was with them but altogether, I'd rather spend time in their company. Helen, even with her light form of OCD, when every work she had to do at home had its own day and time, with her almost never leaving the house and altogether, behaving strangely, I liked her more than Ani who didn't know what she wanted or Marnie that was egoistic and dishonest. But there is something that the girls have in common, and it is the fact that they are, right now, all single: Helen, Ani, Marnie are all unsuccessful dating and Rosa is facing a divorce, as her husband left her for a teenager. OK, for a 20 - year- old intern. After two years of absence Marnie comes home and immediately has this idea of dating your friends' exes. I liked that the girl were so different, that all had their own lives and problems - Helen spends a lot of time at home, well, she's working from home, though she doesn't say what it is that she's working, and she has her reasons for not telling it! Ani is a great divorce lawyer, but she's also great at dating, as long as she doesn't meet the man for more than two dates... The poor Rosa must work with her almost ex - husband, which doesn't help her to forget him... So even though they're not so keen, they all agree to try Marnie's idea and set themselves on dates with their exes. Misunderstandings, disasters, jealousy are guaranteed!

This book started good and it kept me hooked but then, slowly, it just went downhill for me. The storyline didn't seem so original anymore, it dragged on a bit but my main problem, however, was with the number of characters and them mixing with each other. Sure, I do get it, the author needed to introduce us to so many main characters to make this story more colourful and thrilling but then, when the male characters entered the scenes, and there were much more male characters than female ones, I started to lose the track and I had no idea who belongs to who. I just couldn't remember who was dating who before and who are they dating now and to be honest, there came a moment that I stopped to care. Also, I didn't get the Marnie character - she was behaving as if nothing happened, as if everybody was waiting for her to bring light and fun to their boring, sad lives, but in my opinion it was Marnie who brought the problems. Those were the things that spoiled the book for me.

It was a read that was full to brims with action and something was happening all the time, though it is still, in my opinion, on the slow side. The characters had a very modern life approach and the way they talked with each other sounded realistic and genuine and the girls' voices were very different and so distinctive. "The Ex Factor" was a light - hearted story with a darker side to it, as it also deals with some more serious issues, and I liked the balance. Altogether, it was an interesting read and I will be for sure looking for more from Eva Woods.

Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a review.