The Ex-Husband

Book Review

The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton

Rating: 3 out of 5.

It’s an offer she can’t refuse… and can’t escape.

Charlotte is an ex-con. But her past is catching up with her. And when she’s invited aboard a luxury yacht to act as a personal assistant, she realizes that someone else on board knows what she’s done. And they won’t be happy until they make her pay. (Keep reading for the full summary.)

Reader’s Thoughts:

The Ex-Husband is definitely a slow burn sort of story. The book starts out slowly, flashing back and forth between the present day and Charlotte’s past history as a con artist. Truthfully, it took me a little while to get through the initial few chapters. However, about a third of the way in, Charlotte starts working on a private luxury ship. The pressure intensifies as she realizes her mysterious stalker is onboard too. It’s then that the story started to pick up pace.

The main character, Charlotte, is a former con who now desires to be honest. Because of this, she’s constantly worried about her past catching up. I found her character quite selfish and lacking any true repentance for her past. Unfortunately, I neither loved nor hated her for that. She just kind of was. I wish I could have connected with her character deeper as the characters fell a bit flat for me.

The setting, however, was fun. I’m always down for a thriller set aboard a form of luxury transportation! While I had my suspicions as to who was behind it all, there were a few surprises there too! The ending was definitely a bit over the top but it felt like it wrapped up all the unanswered questions without feeling rushed.

Overall, a quick read. Recommended for those who enjoy slow burn thrillers.

(You can find the full book summary below!)

This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. eArc provided courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Ex-Husband:

(From the publisher) True: Charlotte has an unsavory past. She married the wrong man, got caught up in his con artist games, took what wasn’t hers. She got out, though: divorced Sam, started fresh.

False: She left him before things went too far. Nothing bad happened.

True: Sam is missing, and before he disappeared, he left cryptic messages about someone threatening him—someone who has been threatening Charlotte, too.

True: She’s on the straight and narrow, has accepted a job as a personal assistant for an engagement party on board a private luxury cruise ship, the Cleobella.

False: No one on board knows about her past, and she’s far away from anyone who means her harm.

As the Cleobella sails through its glittering destinations—the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago—increasingly sinister events haunt the guests, and the turquoise waves and sun-drenched beaches give way to something darker. Someone knows what Charlotte did. Is it the blushing bride? The seemingly placid mother-in-law? Or the mysterious heiress?

Someone knows, and someone wants revenge—before the ship reaches its final port.

True: If you love heart-pounding suspense and twists you won’t see coming, this is one you won’t want to miss!

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