- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Penguin (31 Oct. 2019)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1405937432
- ISBN-13: 978-1405937436
Synopsis
SHE WANTS HIM BACK. SHE WANTS YOU GONE.
Finally, Georgia has found the one. Luke is kind, handsome, and makes her feel safe – which is what she needs after everything she’s been through.
The only problem is his ex-girlfriend.
Luke says Cadence just can’t accept the breakup, and that explains the texts, the emails, the notes…
But then things start to go very wrong – will Cadence really do whatever it takes to get what she wants?
Review
The Ex Girlfriend is the new book from thriller writer Nicola Moriarty, whose previous books The Fifth Letter and Those Other Women I have previously reviewed. Georgia is a nurse and looking for love, via Tinder. When she goes to meet Brett at a bar she is embarrassed when he stands her up with no notice. Whilst at the bar she meets Luke, who is handsome and charming and they hit it off straight away. It really does seem like fate but Luke comes with excess baggage in the form of ex girlfriend Cadence. Cadence wont accept Luke has moved on and as Georgia’s personal and professional life suffer and threats are made, Georgia’s life spirals out of control. How far will Cadence go to get Luke back.
The Ex Girlfriend is a slow burner that builds tension and fear up until the last quarter where the pace quickens and the plot goes in a different direction. Throughout the book Nicola Morarty makes references to a darkness in Georgia’s past, clues are drip fed as we learn more about her life. What we do know is that was an important event in her life, one she doesn’t talk about not even with friends, but one that shapes her future as well. As the book follows Georgia and Luke as their relationship develops, Cadence is always lurking in the background, adding a darkness and sense of malevolence to contrast their happiness. Poison pen letters, email messages, photos on facebook all add to the tension and fear that builds throughout the book.
The story is told from Georgia’s point of view. Georgia is a nurse and well liked by her colleagues and patients alike. She is a pretty normal thirty four year old, likes going out with her work colleagues but doesn’t have many friends. Luke seems perfect for her, and obviously makes her happy and they have the same life goals. As the relationship develops Cadence becomes more threatening in her messages, and Georgia feels she is being watched. As a reader seeing Georgia become paranoid as her life spirals out of control, is really hard as she is such a lovely, personable character and is in love with Luke and not willing to give him up. I really wanted her to to be happy.
The Ex Girlfriend is a tense psychological thriller that has a slow start before racing to a startling and brilliant conclusion. Cadence is the antithesis to Georgia, nasty as she is nice, blonde to her brunette and dark to her light, and Luke is the common denominator. Full of drama, thrills and with complex characters this is an intelligent and compelling read.
I would like to thank Penguin Books for inviting me to read this book as part of the blog tour.
