Review: "The Ex" by Freida McFadden

Quick Summary

Type: Novel

Genre: Thriller

Back Cover: "Cassie thinks she has met the perfect man. Joel is sweet, handsome, romantic, and best of all, he's crazy about Cassie. She thinks she's found the guy she'll spend the rest of her life with. Have children with. Grow old with. Yes, she knows about his perfect ex-girlfriend, Francesca. The beautiful, brilliant chef, beloved by all his friends. But she thinks Francesca is out of the picture. She thinks Francesca is gone for good. Think again, Cassie." Read Time: 1 day

Rating: 3 stars

Review

This was a very quick, easy read. As engaging as it was, I was ready to give it just two stars until the twist.

I'll be honest, the twist took me by surprise. In hindsight, it does make some sense, but the way the book is written hides the twist cleverly.

With that being said, there were a few things that kept me from rating this book any higher than 3 stars. First, I wish that we had eventually, finally learned Francesca's deep, dark secret. Yes, she owes money to the mob. But something more sinister is always alluded to, yet never revealed, and that frustrated me a little. Even when the ex's private detective cousin investigates Francesca and learns that secret, we don't get to know what it was. That left me wanting more, and not in a particularly good way.

I also felt the final reveal was a little heavy handed. Cassie's point of view immediately preceding the reveal told me enough - I didn't need the author to confirm it explicitly. Honestly, it was almost insulting that the author didn't trust me (the reader) enough to figure out the implications of Cassie's discovery myself.

Finally, I wish there had been just a little more character growth. Of the two POV characters, the ex certainly showed more growth, only for me to be disappointed at the end because she really hadn't changed at all. Cassie, meanwhile, stayed more or less the same. She learned to love Joel, yes, but that was a given. Personally, I wish her character arc had led to her confessing her own deep, dark secret to Joel, and letting them work through the issue together, strengthening their relationship. The solution to save the bookstore that keeps her from revealing this secret just feels like a cop-out (although it was a no-brainer solution, and I am glad it was included, just not glad it was used as an excuse for Cassie to not confess to Joel).

Overall a fun, easy read, though not the best book I've read this month (or even this week).