What a book. For a new author, this is a prize piece of writing to publish as a first work. The main character Nathalie is an absolute mess. She is in therapy, but she is going to need a lot more than that. A series of bad choices have left her scarred; just like her father abused her mother, she allows the men in her life to manipulate and belittle her. Her sister Claire, seems to have survived childhood trauma a little better, but now she is away, following her dream and Nat is alone. Estranged from her mother Nathalie tries to build a new life, with a new man. But the last keeps intruding and her therapist keeps trying to work with her to find out what her subconscious is hiding. Why are there so many episodes she 'can't ' remember?
A complex story filled with so many twists it will make you dizzy.

My god, what a hell of a debut!

While the premise had me hooked, I’ll admit I found the first half quite slow-going and hard to push through; the pacing felt rather slow, and the narrative constantly jumping around in time was a bit off-putting.

BUT. The twist that hit at almost bang-on 50% of the way through had my jaw on the floor and made me devour the rest of the book in one sitting. I’m glad I powered through to that point, because all of the revelations that followed made for an incredibly gripping, thrilling read.

Were some of the twists a bit too far-fetched for my liking? Yeah. But overall, this was a fantastic read and I can’t believe this is Darlington’s debut – she’s set the bar astronomically high.

Thank you so much to Michael Joseph for the ARC!

Consider my flabbers gasted. I cannot believe this is a debut novel.

Bouncing between multiple timelines, The Exes follows our protagonist Natalie who is the literal definition of unlucky in love. Look it up in the dictionary, she’s there. Natalie has always dreamt of finding “the one”, settling down and having a family, but somehow always finds herself at the casket rather than the alter. All her exes end up dead.

This was super well-written with complex characters and a fast-paced narrative, I absolutely devoured this book in one session.

I won’t say too much about the plot for risk of any spoilers, but with a throng of unreliable characters and twists and turns at every corner, you’re going to want to strap in tight because you’re going on a ride.

Endless thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

This is a polished, fast-paced delve into murderous minds. Natalie's world is a taut and tense one where nothing - and no one - can be trusted... least of all her own memories. It's a twisty and addictive read, but sprinkled with exceptional writing and psychological insights. Darlington's descriptions of Natalie as a trauma-scarred child are original and heartbreaking, with her 'little bones clattering against hard wood' and her 'sugar-sick belly'. There's hotness and mess but also nuance and sensitivity. Plus a cracking, layered plot. 2026 is going to be Ex-Obsessed.

I raced through this book. It gripped me from the very first page and I couldn’t stop reading! Wasn't it Stephen King who said that the only thing that should interrupt a reader from a book is life? Well my life went on hold for 48 hours last weekend whilst I read this! Loved it. The writing is razor sharp, the characters are brilliantly crafted and the story is propulsive and pacy. More from this writer please!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc and I would HIGHLY recommend this book.

Firstly, a huge thank you to the guys at Michael Joseph for my early copy of this absolute masterpiece.

Before we get started - let it be known that this is the easiest 5-star review I think I’ve ever written.

I’m writing this seconds after finishing because my brain is still spinning and my pulse has only just returned to normal. I am in total awe of Leodora Darlington – the fact this is her debut novel is wild to me. I feel like I’m reading a book from her extensive back catalogue. I have read so many thrillers and I have never ever read anything like this. Her storytelling is razor-sharp, her characters deliciously complex, her pacing… exquisite. Filled with twists and turns you will never see coming. I feel emotionally tormented and traumatised in equal measure – and honestly? I’d do it all again.

Leodora isn’t just entering the thriller arena – she’s kicking the door clean off its hinges. Thriller royalty, take note: she’s coming for the crown.

This book wow, did it pack a punch which gripped me from the very first page! This was just one of those books I couldn’t stop reading! I was reading it everywhere I just had to know what was going to happen next!

It was amazingly written and it really sucked me in from the start… What an amazing book! This new author has become an automatic one-click favourite for me! It was a phenomenal debut novel and I can’t wait to read more!

It was an explosive page-turner! A mesmerising story filled with unforgettable characters! I’d highly recommend this book! There were so many twists and turns.

All the way through I wanted to get to the end to see the finale but tried to take my time as I didn’t want it to end!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book, I read it in one sitting! This was a roller coaster of twists that - most of them at least - I did not see coming.
I enjoyed a lot, and I'm going to keep reading books by Leodora Darlington from now on.