A wife learns her husband had two ex-wives that he didn't mention. And, each of them had a daughter that disappeared. Should she worry? Her husband has given her a good life, so she buries her concern, feeling grateful that she's out of debt and has nice things. Will it come back to haunt her? And, what lengths will she do to protect her daughter.

Maybe it's just because I read lots of books with similar plots, but I found it a bit hard to empathize with this woman. She seems either so naive or in denial about her husband controlling all of her life. How could she miss the signs? I found it a bit hard to get to the end of the book--it seemed to drag on with little hope of her escaping this mental prison. And, the epilogue seemed a bit too rosy/unrealistic for my tastes.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I tried to listen to this audio book several times and give it a go but eventually I gave up with it. It’s a good plot and well-written, especially the exploration of how a relationship can move from perfect to terrifying, but it was just too long and I felt like nothing new was happening. Eventually the chapters felt like more of the same. I’m questioning whether if I had a hard copy to red rather than the idiot I’d glide through it more easily.

very interesting plot, not what I thought at all and I really was convinced i had the measure of this one. Some of the scenarios were a little far fetched however they portrayed the terror and fear someone in an abusive relationship goes through. Thank you #NetGalley fro the audiobook to review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
Elana is a widow with a young daughter. She’s swimming in debt and is swept away by a wealthy older man Jackson. Jackson is controlling and manipulative and also has two ex wives that Elena never knew.

Frustrating to listen to as Jackson is so awful.

Narration was enjoyable.

The Ex-Wives, at the end of the day, is a story of how far a mother will go for her child. Its a mild paced story, with lots of trigger warnings to be considered.

The ex-wives

The narrator sounded bored and so the story didn’t really do it for me, I’m sorry she put me off wanting to finish reading.

The Ex-Wives by Jenna Kernan.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Jenna Kernan for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Although the audiobook was an easy listen, I did find myself getting very frustrated with the characters and their decision. However, that being said it is a great domestic thriller. A little hard to review without giving the plot away but I think most will find it enjoyable.

Elana thought she had met Jackson, the man of her dreams, who would be the perfect loving husband and stepdad to her daughter Phoebe after the tragic death of her first husband. Jackson was handsome, wealthy and just so happened to be the mayor of the small town of Bald Cypress, Florida. As the saying goes, when something seems to be too good to be true.... Jackson lives up to this with his fair share of secrets and is not at all who he appears to be. With ex-wives warning her, but maybe not quite soon enough, Elana finds herself in a horrific situation especially when she realizes not one but two daughters have both mysteriously gone missing after his previous relationships fell apart and Jackson is not at all the man she thought she married.

The story pulled me in from the very beginning. Told beautifully from a perspective of "now" versus "then" Kernan is able to almost too painfully and realistically weave the story of manipulation and abuse while tugging at the heart of any mom willing to go to any lengths to protect her child. This one had me gasping out loud "no no no no no" at times and rooting for Elana! Parts of the story were hard to read at times but I think that is what speaks to the truth of what many women endure in mentally/physically abusive relationships. This psychological thriller was unlike any story I've read and seemed to stand out with an original plot that kept me guessing. For fans of "Behind Closed Doors" (B A Paris), "The Last Mrs. Parrish" (Liv Constantine) and "My Lovely Wife" (Samantha Downing) this will be another one you can't put down. You will want to know what happens to both Elana and Jackson! It did NOT disappoint from the first page all the way to the last word! This will not be my last book by Jenna Kernan.

Also, for fans of audiobooks the narrator did a wonderful job. Many times the narrator can make or break the story for me and Stephanie Cannon definitely did this one justice!!

Thank you, NetGalley, Bookouture Audio and Jenna Kernan for the opportunity to listen to this ARC!!

I listened to this Audio book over a couple of days which is always a sign of a good listen to me
When Alana meets Jackson, he sweeps her off her feet coming from a wealthy background Alana and her daughter will want for nothing.
And her first husbands tragic death. he seems to good to be true , Once they are married Alana realises her Prince Charming is well tarnished and his 2 Ex wives daughters have both gone missing since they left is he responsible
Alana realises she needs to get away to protect not only herself but most definitely Phoebe her daughter then the suspense and twists kick in making you not want to put this down.
Jackson makes me grateful I have never met my Prince Charming

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me the chance to listen to this book

This one was good, but not great...kind of just fine. I found the main character and her poor decision-making to be a bit frustrating. The overall story was interesting, but not spectacular. Again, it was just fine.

Wow, this one was a wild ride! I love domestic thrillers, although parts of them are all the same. However, this one kept me interested to see how Elena would get back at her husband. I was not expecting the twist, although Faith always gave me weird vibes. I would have liked to hear more about the other wives afterward. I was hoping that they would all join Elena somehow to take down Jackson. Overall, a very good read and I loved the narrator! I will definitely read another Jenna Kernan book in the future. Thank you: NetGalley, Jenna Kernan, and Bookouture Audio for the chance to read this one in exchange for an honest review.

This book is good but not great. I never felt super creeped out by it or scared about the outcome. I did think the main character was incredibly naive and could have saved herself a lot of trouble but maybe that was the author’s point. I didn’t really feel for her because I honestly just thought she was making bad decisions the whole time. It was a quick listen but I wouldn’t jump for another book by this author immediately. It was entertaining and good but the themes were a little were (the first wife?) and overall, just kind of a strange book.

This review has been added to Goodreads, Literal and Storygraph, as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. This will be posted to my instagram (@busywithmybooks_) within the week.

Thank you for allowing me to listen to this story!!

The title alone made me want to read this book. A domestic thriller that really delivers. Widowed Elana has a daughter, Phoebe, and is desperate to get out of debt and live a normal life again. It is too good to be true when she meets wealthy Jackson who wants to take care of them, She thinks his controlling nature is because he cares for them but that is certainly not the case.

Elana finds out that he has been married before and that both wives had daughters who turned up missing. This obviously means that it will happen to her as well. Now she must investigate but Jackson can not find out or she and Phoebe will be in grave danger. She becomes a Stepford Wife to appear perfect and not lead on that she is investigating Jackson. This is not easy.

The frustrating part of the book is also what is necessary for the thrill of the plot. I wanted to pull Elana right out of the book and talk some sense into her for staying and investigating. All in all this is a great mystery and has a nice storyline. I look forward to the next book by Jenna Kernan. It has a satisfying ending and is written well.

Thanks for NetGalley Bookouture for the ARC of this book.

The Ex-Wives by Jenna Kernan
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Stephanie Cannon. She was absolutely brilliant! 5 stars!
I really enjoyed this book, it was so good! You have to love a gripping domestic thriller. It was a great story that drew me in from the very beginning, and kept my interest throughout its entirety. Intriguing and suspenseful, and kept me on the edge of my seat. I recommend, and will look for other titles by this author. Many many thanks to NetGalley and Bookoutre Audio for the advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.75⭐️
Elana feels like she won the jackpot! Newly married to Jackson the town’s Mayor. She finally has a safe home for her self and her daughter. Ok he might be a bit controlling.💁🏻‍♀️ That’s ok she can handle that…. Until she realizes her life and that of her daughter’s are at stake.

You see she isn’t Jackson’s first wife. And the children of his previous wives have all mysteriously vanished. Will Elana’s daughter be next?

Elana’s character just didn’t ring true. She was portrayed as an innocent young mother who was widowed at a young age. All she has in life was her daughter. Yet when she started to realize the danger she was in she stayed and put her daughter in grave danger. Hmmm… With the FBI nowhere to be found (not even mentioned for the most part) Elena takes on her sadistic husband alone. Didn’t really add up for me.🤷🏻‍♀️

Overall I was disappointed. And left feeling like I just listened to a Hallmark movie rather than a sinister thriller.

I am definitely an outlier as most readers really enjoyed this one. So please read those reviews before making your decision to read or walk away.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media 🎧

Let me tell you, this book was incredibly frustrating to to listen to most of the time. I don’t think I’ve ever been so irritated listening to a women being verbally & emotionally abused and then made to look like a bad guy. I really never thought Elena was going to beat the odds and come out on top, but man I am so glad she did! It really made me feel a lot better when the story was done and over.

I loved this psychological thriller, which is about Elena, who is in an abusive marriage with Jackson. She has a daughter called Phoebe, and she thinks she has a perfect life because she has all the material things she has always dreamed of, but when she finds out what has happened to other women and girls who Jackson has had in his life, she is terrified. She sets out to expose Jackson, but everywhere she turns, there are always people who are protecting him. She must find another way to break free and save herself and Phoebe.

This was a great story, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also loved the audiobook narrator, who was amazing. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, narrator, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Narrated by Stephanie Cannon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Loved this narrator!! Stephanie Cannon was brilliant!

Author Jenna Kernan ⭐⭐⭐ 3.5
I actually really enjoyed this. I didn't realised is was going to be another emotionally abusive husband book and If I did I wouldn't have read it but I'm actually glad that I did because I ended up really enjoying it.

This is the first time I've heard of this author a d after finishing this I brought some more of her books from the kindle store.

The Ex Wives written by Jenna Kernan and narrated by Stephanie Cannon was a solid read that was both uncomfortable but also “page turning”. I listened to this one and enjoyed the narration by Cannon. Her expression kept me interested and engaged for the duration of the book.

Elana is seemingly in a perfect relationship with Jackson, her husband of several years. All is going well until The FBI begins investigating Jackson for several daughters that have gone missing from Jaackson’s previous marriages. Elana begins to second guess her marriage and who Jackson says he is. Is she safe? Is her daughter safe? Can she escape this marriage? Elana tracks down Jackson’s ex wives to really get to the bottom of their marriages and to see if Jackson is really who he is making himself out to be or if he is someone completely different and more dangerous.

Overall I enjoyed this book but also found it uncomfortable. Elana and Jackson had such a cringy relationship that made me feel tense while listening to it. I found the verbal and controlling nature of Jackson made me feel claustrophobic. I think the author did a great job portraying this relationship it just wasn’t my preferred style of book. I did find parts of this book unbelievable and a little too convenient. (Jackson’s ex seeing Elana driving etc). Overall I do recommend this book to someone who enjoys a thriller or a family/ relationship drama. I would rate this book a 4/5 as it was well written and entertaining.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jenna Kernan, and Bookouture Audio for the advanced copy of this book. The book was released this month!

Thank you Bookouture Audio for my gifted audiobook!

If you like domestic suspense, this book is for you. It is intense and twisty as Elana learns that her husband has been married twice before.

Things I loved:
1. Dual timelines - jumps back and forth between then and now.
2. The mother's love - she fought so hard because of her daughter Phoebe.
3. Audiobook was great and easy to follow.