"Imogen’s husband is a bad man. His ex-wife and his new mistress might have different perspectives but Imogen thinks she knows the truth. And now he’s given her an ultimatum: get out of the family home in the next fortnight or I’ll fight you for custody of our son.

In a moment of madness, Imogen does something unthinkable: she locks her husband in the cellar. Now she’s in control. But how far will she go to protect her son and punish her husband? And what will happen when his ex and his girlfriend get tangled up in her plans?"

I had high hopes for this book, but the storyline failed to reach my expectations. I found it very slow going at first as we got to know all of Phil's ex partners and wives and his current ones, and once I did I was expecting some lovely drama. Instead I got a totally implausible plot line and the book became very drab and I lost interest in it enough to not even finish it.

Interesting book, strangely funny. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommend. Definitely be reading more by the author.

An interesting opening is an immediate hook into this unusually entertaining, tale of two wives, a lover and the one horrible and abusive man that links them all. With some dark humour thrown in for balance, it's a good way to pass a few hours.

Interesting and fresh concept on a daily drama. Kept me interested and story moved along well. Enjoyable 4 star read!

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Also released under the title of The Ex's Revenge this is a tale of narcissism, gaslighting and abuse, both psychological and physical. Imogen is the second unfortunate wife of Phillip Rochester, his first wife Ruby still feels that there could be the chance of rekindling their relationship, especially once she finds out Phillip has asked for a divorce from Imogen. New girlfriend Naomi could well have something to say about that though as she's not backward in voicing her opinion.

The opening chapter is set at Phillip's funeral and it doesn't take many paragraphs to get the general feel of just how much bad feeling there is towards Phillip from the various women who have populated his life. Surprisingly, they're all present at the funeral which kind of spoils the overall story as you know where you're going to end up but that's not to say it's not full of tension and feelings of dread. It most certainly is and there are times when you wonder just how the scenario at the start of the book is going to even happen. The chapters are headed with a timeframe relating to how far ahead of the funeral events happened with a couple of flashback chapters which add to the reader's dislike of Phillip.

The three women involved soon come to realise that they're stronger working together than as individuals despite them being so completely different personality-wise and understandably full of mistrust of one another. Ruby seems quite hippy-ish and 'new age', something Imogen struggles to deal with, and Naomi is much younger but has been through experiences which make her tougher than her years. Imogen is quite average in comparison to them both - something Phillip uses as a put-down (amongst many other things) to make Imogen feel useless and that now he doesn't want her nobody else will either: washed up, middle aged and unwanted. I was delighted to find there was still fire in her belly even if she had to dig deep for it.

By the end of the book I was rooting so strongly for the three women although the author did have me wondering right to the conclusion whether Phillip had persuaded one of the three to take his side or not. Very cleverly written, there is a constant worry as to just who you can trust when life has made you question everyone and everything around you. There was even one part where I had to go back a few pages and check my facts myself!

This book should definitely come with trigger warnings but that said I did find it a very engaging read.

My thanks to the publisher for allowing me access to this title through the NetGalley platform however my review is based on a finalised paperback copy. My apologies to both author and publisher for the delay in reviewing this book.

Sticks and Stones has a very interesting plot but I got to say, I was immediately let down from the beginning since it gave away the outcome of the story so early on. Still, I gave it a chance. But since I already know what's about to happen, there's not much mystery to unravel anymore. It doesn't help that I can't seem to like any of the characters. And so, it was a bit of a struggle for me to finish it. But finish it, I did. Did I love it? No. But I guess I like it enough to stick to it and be able to get through till the end. If anything, it is well-written. It wasn't bad at all, don't get me wrong. Maybe I prematurely judged it so early in the story and it gets hard for me to get past it. But that's just me. I'm sure there'll be plenty of readers who'll enjoy this novel a lot more than I did.

I didn't expect this to be quite so good, let alone so weirdly hilarious! Yes, it shines a light on domestic violence, police corruption, and the difficulty of being an ex. But I did like how the characters developed, and became stronger. The ending is not in doubt, as we are given the result at the start of the novel, yet quite how it gets to that position is in doubt for a long time. Great fun, nice and twisty.

Wow. What a story. Kept me hooked right to the end. Really enjoyed the way that the relationships between the characters developed.

Sticks and Stones
by Jo Jakeman
Sticks and Stones is a compelling tale of revenge against a controlling and abusive husband. Imogen is married to Phillip, but he left her for another woman, Naomi. Younger, slimmer, firmer, Naomi. Imogen isn’t Phillip’s first wife either. He left Ruby behind for Imogen. Phillip, it seems, is never satisfied, and seems to think women are his to own and mould into whatever suits him. He’s arrogant enough to think he will always have the upper hand too. He’s a police officer and considers himself untouchable. However, he is keeping a secret.
Only Imogen shares a child with Phillip and when he pushes her too far, she takes drastic action to protect hers and her son’s future. I can understand how she feels she has no other choice. She’s a brave lady who has been through hell and has well and truly had enough. She’s not alone either as unlikely friendships are formed.
Phillip is a particularly unpleasant character. It’s hard to see how he managed to attract any woman, although men like him do tend to know how to be charming when they need to be. Domestic abuse makes me feel quite sick and I felt a genuine hatred for his character which intensified as the story progressed. I was rooting for Imogen the whole time and praying for her freedom from him. My heart broke for her as I learned more of what she had been through.
Ruby and Naomi grew on me as the story progressed. They have both been through their own trauma’s. Their experiences added depth to the story and truly highlighted Phillip’s true colours.
This book is very cleverly written. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I very much recommend.

**Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley**

Holy frogs what a book! The master of manipulation and a thrilling but nail-biting ride too! I mean I read the blurb but it didn’t really sink in too much but boy I blitz through the audiobook. The narrator was on point and the story just sucked me in!

I mean wow! Starting with three women connected by one man, all polar opposites of each other, all duped by him and all there when the dust settles. It is a humdinger for sure. When things all kick-off at the beginning for Imogen I really did not know how this story would end. So many lies are told, all to get out of the situations they are in but at the end who is going to believe anyone. I began to doubt a lot of things I heard that was for sure!

I must admit, despite reservations you begin to admire and respect the 3 ladies. Ruby, the original wife with the seemingly amicable breakup, Imogen, wife number 2 suffering too long at her husband’s hands and Naomi, the woman that Philip, the husband, left Imogen for. They all play a strong role in this book, all had abuse in different ways dealt with them but all have their moments. The story unfolds from Imogen’s eyes, so at times you could be forgiven to think it is all slightly biased but the flashbacks allow us to see the stories from other fresh eyes which makes it ever so much more intense!

I loved the flashbacks to the lives before the big day and I love the present day, all building this bigger picture for you. Like I said a lot of squealing when you knew what was coming!

I must admit I was cheering at some points in this book when you could see that some characters were going to get what they deserved, it was a cherry on a cake, but what I was not expecting was the discovery at the end. The person at the funeral, that is all I will say! You do find yourself thinking up new candid ways to torture Philip the same way he has tortured the women, but you also sit back and enjoy the chaos that is happening around you!

Jo has created some truly memorable characters here, not just through the abuse, but from the way they all change and grow from the beginning of the book because of what they went through. These are 3 extremely strong and powerful women and I wouldn’t want to mess with them!

Tense and twisting, Sticks and Stones is an unsettling psychological thriller bound to keep you up at night!

The story focuses on Imogen, a woman currently in the process of divorcing her cheating, manipulative ex-husband. Immie is a bit of a loner; her relationship with her mother is strained and she only has one good friend she can truly rely on. However, Imogen's world really revolves around her young son, Alistair - whose father seems determined to bring their world crashing down.

Phillip is a self-centred cop who cares about little else other than his reputation and getting his own way. He really is a nasty piece of work yet as is sadly the case with so many domestic abusers, few people ever see beyond the public facade. However, as the story progresses, things escalate and it isn't long before Phillip is forced to show his true colours.

Phillip's current girlfriend and first ex-wife, Naomi and Ruby, are also intriguing characters added to the mix. All three women have striking differences yet also clear similarities. Their attitudes towards Phillip and their reactions to the unfolding events vary greatly, but the trio is forced to work together when they come up against Phillip. It's tense, thrilling, and suspenseful.

Although the character-driven elements of this book are great, sadly some parts of the plot are unrelatable and rather over-the-top. It's hard to believe that certain things would happen if this were a real situation, which leaves a bit of a disconnect between the reader and the story. Luckily, though, this doesn't detract from the creeping tension and gripping suspense of the book.

Sticks and Stones is a domestic psychological thriller packed with twists and turns around every corner!

A good, gripping story on a n interesting topic and I loved the element of revenge. Pretty much perfect for a debut, there's nothing I would fault. Thank you for the digital copy in exchange for my review. I'll look out for more from this author.

Woop to Jo; she is such an awesome writer. She really keeps her readers needing more with the tense moments, a wonderfully written plot and a deadly array of characters. I loved it.

Ok so I absolutely loved this book. Yes it may not be realistic, and a little over the top, BUT isn’t that why we read anyways? To be entertained. I always love the mom doing anything for her child and ex being an asshole and getting what he deserves story line. This definitely kept me interested and engaged and entertained the entire time!

I thought this was an ok book. The odd page gripped me but I skim read a lot of it. Nothing much to the story and the outcome was predictable. I would look out for her next book but unfortunately this was nothing special. Thank you for accepting my request for a review.

*thank you to Netgalley, Jo Jakeman and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


4 stars.

This was a wonderful surprise. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It wasn't a full on, fast paced, suspenseful story but it was really enjoyable. It is written in 2 time frames with a couple of 'Years ago' scenes added in. It begins with the funeral where the dead guys girlfriend, wife and ex-wife are all present. Then it jumps back in time and that's when the real story begins. This definitely has a strong female vibe to it and for that I gave it extra bonus points. I'm so glad I received a copy of this from the publisher after reading another of theirs. Would definitely recommend.

Sticks and Stones was a great read (despite the rather dark plot) I I enjoyed this revenge with a twist thriller a lot. The idea is a little implausable but then its a fiction book so that is allowed and for me it really worked.

One of the reviews of this book is: "Sticks and Stones is a deliciously twisting psychological thriller from an exciting new voice." Now I must say, first and foremost, that I strongly disagree with this feedback. The 'twisting' psychological thriller was more than a little predictable, and left me wanting so much more from the book. What started out with a very promising plot, resulted in a very flat ending. The topic of domestic violence is certainly one that could do with a lot more awareness, so I had high hopes for what Jo Jakeman could do for the topic. It's just a shame the book itself did not hold my interest all that well. I like a little less predictability in books and like to feel like I'm on an emotional rollercoaster throughout, and sadly this book just did not hit the spot for me.

This was a very entertaining book! It starts off with a funeral, but its actually a hilarious situation. The deceased's current wife, ex-wife and girlfriend are all in attendance. Then the book jumps back in time and then things start getting interesting!
I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to read some more by this author.