The Ex-Husband

Charlotte and Sam were in a toxic relationship. They were con artists, he was very much in the driving seat and Charlotte went along for the ride. Told over two different timelines, then and now. I found most of the book quite entertaining. It was well written and I enjoyed the flawed characters. The reveal was a bit unrealistic but I loved the ending.

I listened to this on audiobook and I enjoyed the narrator.

This book will transport you to a super yacht in the Caribbean. Charlotte is an event planner working on the trip. Whilst abroad she starts receiving messages and clues alluding to her past life. Her life now is in danger.

In flash backs we hear about her life with Sam. A man she met whilst working as a travel agent on a cruise trip. He lured her away from her job to spend her life at sea and with him. Between them they build up a lucrative career. But not in the way you would think.

Flash backs happen throughout the book to bring you up to speed. The story will leave you wondering if Charlotte could ever leave her past truly behind her especially when her ex husband goes missing. The narrator was able to bring the story to life and led to many enjoyable hours listening.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to hear a copy of the audiobook.

Rich characterizations, realistic emotions, and a lovely story make for a can't-put-it-down emotional read. Oh my GOSH!!!!!! I read this emotionally charged, compellingbook in one sitting. Whoa,my emotions are ALL over the place!!! Wow!!! Wow!!! Wow!!! This book is a total page-turner and will keep you guessing with every page.

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline Audio and Karen Hamilton for an audio ARC in return for an honest review.

Con-artist couple Charlotte and Sam have been living the high-life for years. Until they separate and go their separate ways. Months later Charlotte receive cryptic messages from Sam and the words ‘Bon Voyage’, their code work for ‘it’s hit the fan”. Sam has disappeared and Charlotte gets a “too good to miss opportunity” on a super yacht.

‘The Ex-Husband’ is similar to so many other books I’ve read but also, so different. The beginning felt a little slow due to setting the scene. However, this was a very pleasant read! It goes from sexy to one hundred in minutes. It is dark, gritting and a little spooky!
The perfect thriller to escape with this year. It is narrated by Nathalie Buscombe which simply adds even more horror
.

I am a huge fan of Karen Hamilton and was so excited to be given the chance to review this by Headline.
This was the perfect escape to a tropical climate while stuck in the dreary rain! Sam and Charlotte, the perfect couple working on cruise ships and scamming everyone they meet. After realising that Sam was only out to look after himself Charlotte now on her own tries to turn her life around. Out of the blue Sam starts to text Charlotte and then a sinister message arrives saying that “I know what you did” Charlotte worries that her past might just catch up with her. An opportunity to work on a luxury yacht in the Caribbean seems to be the escape that Charlotte needs. Set in both present day and the past this audio book was a fun suspense filled read. Everyone was a suspect, and no one could be trusted. The development of the character Charlotte had me hating her and then cheering her on. This was a fantastic easy read

The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton
Narrated by Nathalie Buscombe

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and I am leaving this review voluntarily

It’s an offer she can’t refuse…and might not survive.

Charlotte has an unsavory past, but she’s on the straight and narrow these days. She was so young then—she married the wrong man, falling for Sam’s sweet-talking charm and charisma, and got caught up in his con artist games.

If only she’d left him before things went too far.

Now Sam is missing. But before he disappeared, he left urgent, cryptic messages about someone threatening him—someone who has been threatening Charlotte, too.
So Charlotte takes a job as a personal assistant for an engagement party aboard a private luxury cruise ship, the Cleobella, to get far away from anyone who means her harm.

I found this such a gripping read, as the reader we are taken on a journey through Charlotte's life both before and after Sam goes missing. Full of twists and turns this book will take you on a journey of excitement and tension. I had my suspicions about who was playing games with Charlotte but even the reveal took me by surprise.

A very enjoyable read, brought to life by Nathalie in a way that just managed to add more humour to the situation.

Rating 4/5

I really really enjoyed this! The narrator for the audiobook I enjoyed and my only pet peeve with the audiobook was that the narrator did seem to speak pretty slowly throughout it but I simply increased the listening speed to x1.25 and that solved the issue.
The story itself was interesting and kept me hooked. We follow Charlotte and it starts with alternating between 'then' and 'now' until the 'then' catches up with the start of the story. I really enjoyed hearing the story that way as we got to see the events which lead to Charlotte meeting her husband, Sam and everything that went on between them to lead to the position she's in now. It was a great story which built throughout and definitely kept me hooked and wanting to find out what was going to happen next. I also didn't see the twists that came at the end which was a pleasant surprise!
I've read this and also 'The Perfect Girlfriend' which I loved by Karen Hamilton and I'd definitely recommend picking this up in the you're looking for a slow building thriller.

Yeah, I'm not happy at all that that's finished! If there isn't a sequel to The Ex Husband then I am going to hunt down Karen Hamilton and hold her hostage until it is complete. Joke! Nah, seriously, there has to be one there is SO so so much unfinished business here and the appeal is just too great.

The Ex Husband is a fast-paced, intelligent multi level read. It's fun and extravagant and totally moreish. This would be an amazing beach read this summer for sure. I absolutely fell into the debauchery with the greed of Charlotte “Lotte" Wilson and became enthralled with the chase danger of what happens next.

5/5

Reading other reviews they say it’s a slow burn and it is. I love an audiobook and a good one is in my ears all day round the house. The only disappointment is that it finished to soon. I want to know what happen next. More!

Fast-paced and gripping.

Charlotte meets croupier Sam on a cruise and, caught up in their whirlwind romance, she begins working on the same ships so they can be together. Before long, the novelty begins to wear off. The reality is a lot less glamorous than Charlotte had envisioned. She begrudges the stark comparison with the wealth and entitlement of the holidaymakers, and the amount of time and attention Sam lavishes on the female guests instead of spending his spare time with her. Their relationship starts to crumble and they part ways.

Out of the blue, Charlotte receives a message from Sam, followed by a series of anonymous threats, and her world is thrown upside-down all over again. Needing to escape the threats and blackmail before her whole life unravels, she takes a job aboard a luxury super yacht, but danger seems to follow her at every turn