The Exes by Leodora Darlington
on February 12, 2026
Genres: Fiction / Literary, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths, Fiction / Thrillers / Domestic, Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
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Natalie has only ever wanted to find “the one.” The perfect man, the happy family she never had. But each time she thinks she is finally getting somewhere, she’s bitterly disappointed. Another red line through a list of exes. And that was before the night of the Big Fallout that left her even more alone. Then along comes James—wonderful, handsome James—and Natalie thinks her luck has finally turned. Maybe he’s the one for her. Maybe he’s the one she’s been waiting for all along. Maybe he won’t wind up dead. But the harder Natalie tries to be a “normal” wife, the more world-upending truths are brought to her door, leaving her unsure of who she really is, and much less what she’ll do . . . leaving her to question whether there is a monster within her or whether there is a villain toying with her from the outside.
This one was a little hard for me to review, but it took a completely different turn that I wasn’t expecting. Story-wise, there are a lot of reveals. One of them I saw coming, but many others genuinely shocked me. At first, I wasn’t sure how her sister, therapist, and husband would all connect, but it eventually came together in a way that made sense. That said, nearly every character in this book is dealing with intense family trauma, which felt a bit overwhelming at times. Still, I really enjoyed this book overall. It’s far more than a run-of-the-mill thriller. Rather than relying solely on twists, it focuses on the emotional fallout of trauma and the long-lasting effects of strained relationships. It tackles a lot, but ultimately manages to pull everything together in a satisfying way by the end.
Four stars for this debut. This thriller is relentless, it grabs hold of you and doesn’t let you breathe until the very end. The twists and turns come thick and fast, and at times my mouth was agape. Sure there were some eye rolling moments, there were a few twists and turns that defy belief, but this is a solid debut thriller, and I promise you that you won’t see some of those twists coming.
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