Becca is overwhelmed with her non-stop duties of being a working mom and wife to a husband who is always busy with his work and doesn't seem to have time to talk or work on their problems.   Suddenly, Becca's old love Connor shows up on her social media stirring up some of those old happy and warm memories when she felt so free and alive.   Well since Connor lives in Australia maybe it couldn't hurt to make contact with her old dear friend and lover because she really needs someone to talk things over.   Then her precious three year old Mia starts getting sick and Becca is suspicious that someone might be trying to make Mia sick even though the doctors keep say it is just a tummy virus.   What is going on?   Mia's illness only started after Becca reconnected with Connor.   Could Connor be trying to destroy her marriage?   That's not possible if he is in Australia or is he?

I really enjoyed this fast paced story.   There were so many twists and turns.   (Love when that happens).   Everytime I thought I had solved the puzzle I would find out I was wrong, and sometimes I just love being wrong.   This was a fun (not light in any way) and suspenseful read.   I can't wait to read more books by Rona Halsall.

I want to thank the publisher "Bookouture" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I highly recommend this thrilling book to any mystery or psychological suspense loved and have given a rating of 4 Sinister 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

Publication Date is September 30, 2020

Becca is a district nurse, wife to Dean and mother to three year old Mia, Dean is a workaholic, she's struggling with her stressful job, looking after Mia and tending to her elderly father who has never got over the loss of his wife, Becca's mom. Ten years ago Becca returned home from Australia, leaving behind Connor, a man who adored her but wasn't the settling down type, she promised she would return but never did. Now she receives a message from Connor on social media, he wants to get in touch, she's tempted and it makes her question her life now, is she happy? There's no doubt she adores Mia and would do anything to protect her, and being friends with someone on the other side of the world wouldn't hurt would it? Then Mia starts getting ill and nobody seems to know why, until all fingers point towards Becca, and she realises her past is coming back to haunt her.

This is the third book I've read by this author and once again she got me hooked, Halsall drip feeds the plot to her readers slowly like a spider draws prey into its web, constantly encouraging you to believe you've worked out what's going on, then throws a curveball, sending you off in a completely different direction, I was convinced on a number of occasions that I knew who the culprit was but no, she wasn't having any of that was she, and off I went again, back to square one, but that final twist was where my chin hit the floor, I did not see that coming! The characters are well written, some likeable, others not so, and it's a very authentic plot with a great ending. If you like a thriller that surrounds you with intrigue and twists, you'll love this one.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

This book was a trip.  I'll be posting my review for the book tour under my assigned date, but couldn't wait to give publisher feedback on this one.  What happens to Becca is a mother's worst fear-her daughter Mia starts to get sick and the doctors accuse her of poisoning Mia.  Becca's marriage is falling apart, and she can't help but think what might have been when the past love of her life contacts her on social media.  This book was full of twists and turns, and I enjoyed it despite guessing the ending 1/3 of the way through the book.  For anyone looking to read a quick thriller, this book is perfect.

Feeds mentioned below are where I will cover the book on my assigned tour date.

OH MY DAYS!! I mean seriously OH MY DAYS! Yes, I have to shout this! This book has blown me completely away. It is so compelling and it is a story which will chill you to the core. It is a story that had me panicked, not quite sure how I would act in Becca’s situation.

My mind kept changing to who was behind everything! Who doesn’t love a book where you question the main character too, I mean can we even trust what Becca is saying? I can’t tell you who I specifically suspected, but it was everyone but the person I should have suspected, but on reflection, it made perfect bloody sense. It’s just well so sad.

Rona has definitely left me flying down the motorway at over 100mph. As soon as you open the book you are hurtling so fast that you need a minute to take a breath. She does this for you occasionally while we reflect on the past with Becca but don’t get comfortable because it does not last long. I sped through the last 20% because I needed to know how everything would play out. It was just mental! I don’t know how else to explain it, she can write a goddamn twist in the tale. This was a sharp sting and it will leave a mark!

With the theme an actual ex boyfriend in The Ex Boyfriend hovering too, well it makes you question everything you know on social media. I mean do you know who is behind the computer! Now that’s a chilling thought!

I think I can say this so easily but it’s my favourite so far of Rona’s. It’s a story that would have most mums panicking about what they would do. It made me nervous at how easy it would all be and that is a scary situation to be in. I really was gripped from the first page, I mean I need to remember not to read a book by Rona late at night and start it in the daytime because I always lose my nights to her book. It a taut thriller, it takes a look into a seemingly normal family and the dark secrets that lie beneath. Teasing information out so slowly, but enough to make you flick the pages quickly to find out what is going on and then everything just spirals out of control so quickly.

Gah this book!! I need to find some decent words to get you to read it but I don’t know any! It’s a book that I have come to expect from Rona and then some! She has completely upped her game with this tale, my head is still spinning from it all! Blinding!

This was a true suspense novel! Kept me turning the pages to find out what happens next. Loved that there were so many twists. I am a huge fan of twists, and I loved the writing style. Thanks netgalley and the author for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Rona Halsall for the copy of this incredible story.

She couldn’t understand how everything had fallen apart so quickly.
Is a huge understatement! Becca's life gets torn from her when her little girl Mia starts getting Ill sporadically.
Events from Becca's past all play a role in a manipulation game that will twist your thoughts as a reader.

By the time he’d finished, she felt like a worn-out rag, wrung out so many times she was tattered and frayed, no substance left in her threadbare fibres.
This book had layers upon layers upon layers of shocking events, twists and turns and ever single page had me wondering what the hell was going on!
I was on the edge if every seat I took to read this! And Rona Halsall should be on the edge of glory with that incredible woven masterpiece.


Absolutely beautifully written! Fantastic characters!

I found the story a bit slow moving. At 55% Mia is still having episodes but we are no closer to the truth. By then I was getting kind of bored and I really didn't like Becca. She seems a little self-centered for instance when her childminder had a breast cancer scare Becca seemed more concerned about how it would effect her. She seems to have a lot of secrets, well they all do, but she is very impulsive in her actions and sometimes I just wanted to slap her. Her sister, Kate, was a bossy personality and I don't think we are supposed to like her. Connor isn't very well developed and I wished to know more about him. If they all would have shared their past instead of keeping secrets things would have been a lot different.

I loved it! 
  
Well written and well developed storyline. Interesting characters, good pace, good suspense.  Captivating well told story. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book.  This is my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

A good read which is full of suspense. What is wrong with Mia? Overall this storyline is good. At times it is all over the place and seems a bit lost but the plot ideas made the book worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Interesting book, I didn't like the main character, and didn't know if she was written to be unlikable, or if it was just me.It didn't stop me from wanting to find out what was going on though, and as I read more I discovered more characters that I didn't like as well, for me it was that sort of book. I have never read a book before where the characters drunk so much tea! As the book went on and I began to dislike more characters I did wonder if I wanted to carry on reading, but I had to as I wanted to find out who was doing what, because I had no idea, and I liked that. The book kept me impatiently reading to the end eager to see what was going to happen. I was somewhat surprised although i had some ideas.Not giving anything away, but overall I did enjoy reading this book, and would like to read more by the same author.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Ex-Boyfriend’ by Rona Halsall in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ten years ago when Becca was in Australia her life with ex-boyfriend Connor was exciting.  Nowadays, her husband Dean, who’s the father to their three-year-old daughter Mia, is so wrapped up in his business that he’s often away and Becca gets lonely.  Did she pick the wrong man to spend her life with?  Mia has started having bouts of sickness and diarrhoea and despite visits to her doctor and hospital nobody will take her seriously.  They think Becca is responsible but she knows she would never do anything to harm her much-loved daughter.  Is there someone who’s trying to destroy her life?

From page one ‘The Ex-Boyfriend’ has had me gripped and unable to stop reading.  It’s a psychological thriller with an ingenious plot, drama, suspense, twists and turns, and characters so devious that I couldn’t decide who to trust.  It touches on mental health issues and the problems that arise when the authorities get involved.  Yet again Rona Halsall has written an exciting and suspenseful thriller that’s easy to read and impossible to put down and I can definitely recommend it.

Unputdownable tense chilling a book that kept me reading late into the night..So well written so many twists and turns kept me guessing till the last pages.#netgalley #bookouture

Becca'sfirst love, Connor shows up on her social media feed. He has always held a special place in her heart. He sends her a message. He's happy and still living in Australia.  Becca can't tell him the truth. Her husband is a workaholic, her job is stressful and she has to care for her father and daughter Mia. Then Mia starts getting bouts of sickness as events from her past are being used against her.

I was gripped by this story from the first page. The pace us well set and steady. It's told from Becca's perspective. There's so many twists that I found myself second guessing everything. Becca thinks her daughters illness isn't a virus, she thinks that something else is going on. Things soon spiral out of control. There's a mixed bunch of likeable and unlikable characters. This is an addictive page turner. Rona Halsall writes chilling and thrilling books. Each book is better than the previous one.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #RonaHalsall for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Becca has a marriage that under strain when her ex- boyfriend shows up on her twitter feed. She has always regretted the way their relationship ended and so she begins messaging him. She thinks it is a way to clear the air, explain what happened and indulge in a little harmless flirtation. 
Her husband Nick is always gone, trying to build up his business and when her daughter Mia starts suffering bouts of diarrhea and vomiting that keep Becca up throughout the night it adds to the strain. As she starts looking fir the cause of Mias’ illness she questions everyone around her and becomes the object of scrutiny herself. 
Who would want to poison a child? And who knows about Beccas’ past and is using it to drive her from her home? 
I struggled with this book and o can’t put my finger on why. It may be a case of too many real life distractions but a good story will usually suck me in. I didn’t really connect with the characters, Becca was too rash and went careening from one bad decision to the next, Ruth had a strange obsession with Mia as her child carer, Kate the sister is just awful. I saw who was the culprit so there was no big reveal snd I think most readers of this genre will see it coming as well. 
I would read other books by this author but when I need a get lost in the story book this would not be my first choice. 
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for the asvanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This is due out on September 30.

Rona has struck again with a wonderfully twisted psychological novel. , i was totally fooled as to who i thought the stalker was  and when the revelation was revealed wow. Keep the thriller coming they are addictive and as a reader of many years it’s a great to be fooled into the wrong conclusion

I find books about young families to be quite emotive and this certainly lives up to that expectation.  Rona Halsall has taken every mum's biggest fear and made it the focus of her latest heart rending novel: Becca's young daughter's health is causing concern and nobody can explain what is making her ill. As a district nurse Becca has a fairly broad knowledge of medical conditions and there's only one thing she can think her daughter's symptoms point to but she can't understand why or how this could be happening. Then when she approaches the experts for support her world is flipped on its head and she ends up on the wrong side of the authorities.

The author leads us sensitively through all the emotions the lead character experiences then gives us a background to Becca which doesn't seem to reflect the person we have seen her demonstrate in her every day life. She's a caring person who is meticulous in caring for her daughter and her many patients in the local community. It's not long before she finds herself completely isolated from everything she holds dear and seeks refuge back with her widowed father who is delighted to be on hand to support her. Her sister however is a different kettle of fish, seemingly full of sympathy one minute then more interested in her own agenda the next.

I really enjoyed how the story switches focus to Becca's younger days; a trip across the world to relieve the stress of work-related issues and the whirlwind romance she had with Connor, a young surf-dude and free spirit who captured her heart many years ago. But why would her two worlds collide all of a sudden? I did kind of work out the plotline regarding the two story threads but the book is about so much more than the two individual time frames. Some of the characters will shock you, some you will find reassuringly comforting - and not always those you expect as you try to work out what is happening to Becca's family and who is responsible.

I'm reluctant to say too much more regarding the relatively small cast of characters in case it helps you work out what's going on, but suffice to say they're not a very nice bunch of folks - with the odd exception. 
I will be interested to know what other readers thought with regards to the conclusion of the book as I was in two minds over a couple of issues.  My thanks to bookouture for the opportunity to read this novel prior to publication and I look forward to being able to discuss it with other readers soon.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

The story is centred around Becca, her husband Dean, and their 3 year old daughter Mia. Mia has episodes of becoming really unwell, and the first words in the book point to the authorities blaming Becca. The story then goes back two weeks previously and the lead up to the point where she becomes accused. Then the story follows on the aftermath from the accusations towards Becca. The story focuses on the perspective of Becca, and whilst I really enjoyed this book, I would have enjoyed seeing other characters perspectives, in particular Frank (Becca’s father)  and Kate’s (Becca’s sister). The characters were all relatable, but I found Frank quite needy and annoying, which made the story more believable. 
It’s a domestic psychological thriller, with lots of secrets. It’s a family who can’t trust each other, and it was a brilliant read.

This was the first Rona Halsall book I’ve read, and I can’t wait to get my hands on her previous work. 

Brilliantly written, was never a dull moment, and I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. A real page turner!! Would highly recommend this book to all fans of the psychological thriller genre.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was the first book I’ve read by Rona Halsall, but definitely won’t be my last. She has written a well crafted thriller that will keep you reading late into the night. I literally couldn’t  put it down! Becca’s world is turned upside down when an ex-boyfriend sends her a message on Twitter. Old memories start to surface along with the question, “What if?” When her daughter, Mia, suddenly becomes violently ill with no explanation, her life continues to spiral down a path of mystery, deception and doubt. Who can she trust when betrayal and danger may be closer than she could ever imagine. Shocking conclusion that I didn’t see coming! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a slow burner which built to a roaring fire which I couldn't put down, it had lots of twists and turns and had me guessing until the end.

I would recommend it to readers who enjoy creepy and suspenseful domestic noir/ psychological thrillers

A twisty thriller that has you questioning literally everyone involved. This book is fast paced and hooks you from the start.