The Ex by Freida McFadden is a psychological and suspense novel about love, obsession, and revenge. The story centers around Joel, a charming doctor, and the two women in his life, Cassie, his new girlfriend, and Francesca, his ex about which we will learn more. If you like to read such Romance thriller be sure to checkout our latest Daydream by Hannah Grace.
About the Author:
Freida McFadden is No.1 New York Times bestselling author along with USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly bestselling too. Freida McFadden is a practicing physician (specializing in brain) and she has written popular thriller like The Housemaid, Never Lie etc.
The Ex Freida McFadden Summary
Now, in the story, Cassie is a 28-year-old woman who has inherited her grandparents’ struggling bookstore. She leads a quiet and peaceful life and doesn’t date much. One day, Joel, a 38-year-old doctor, walks into her store to buy a copy of Wuthering Heights for his mother’s birthday. They hit it off and soon start dating.
But as their relationship grows, Cassie can’t escape the shadow of Francesca. Joel’s friends constantly remind her of how perfect Francesca was: a beautiful chef with a successful Italian restaurant. Everyone believed Joel and Francesca would get married. Then, Cassie begins receiving threats. Red paint is thrown at her bookstore. Her apartment is broken into, and she finds threats. At first, it seems like Francesca is behind it all. But Cassie soon learns Francesca committed suicide two weeks after her breakup with Joel. So who is disturbing her?
The mystery deepens when Lydia, one of Joel’s friends, admits she did some of the things to scare Cassie. She was angry with Joel for breaking up with Francesca, whom she loved dearly. But Lydia insists she didn’t do everything. Cassie discovers more secrets when she finds a burner phone in Anna’s house—Joel’s ex before Francesca.
Anna takes the charges that she set up Lydia and manipulated events to get revenge on Joel. She still blames him for their breakup and for her difficult pregnancy, which ended in an emergency C-section and a hysterectomy. She admits she will never forgive him and she had murdered Francesca, drugging her and making her death look like a suicide. Anna threatens Cassie, telling her to leave Joel or she will expose Cassie’s family for selling fake first edition books.
Cassie soon after all this, breaks up with Joel, realizing their love isn’t what she dreamt of. The story ends with Joel facing the fallout of these revelations, leaving readers to wonder if he ever truly understood the women in his life. The Ex is a story of jealousy, betrayal, and how love can turn into something dangerous.
Also Read: Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Ex by Freida McFadden Book Review
The Ex is an interesting suspense novel that shows the cruel nature of love, obsession, and revenge. Told from the 2 different perspectives of Cassie and Francesca, the tale is filled with unexpected twists (dark secrets). Cassie starts a new relation with Joel, and very soon find herself in the middle of increasingly disturbing harassment. As the tension and narration builds up, the novel keeps readers guessing, who is behind the events—Francesca, Lydia, or someone else entirely?
The book is quite fast-paced read with no. of suspense points and likable or unlikeable turns, although some plot points feel unresolved by the end. The characters are complex, with ambiguous motivations that keep readers on their toes. However, some readers may find the resolution unsatisfying, particularly in understanding the true depths of each character’s actions.
Despite a few loose ends, The Ex is a compelling read of the dark side of relationships, making it a ⭐⭐⭐ 3 stars out of 5.
Similar Read: The Malazan Series Ranked
Quotes from “The Ex” by Freida McFadden
“Revenge is a poison you drink yourself, hoping the other person will die.”
“There’s a thin line between love and obsession, but you never see it until it’s too late.”
“Trust is a fragile thing; once broken, it leaves behind a crack that never fully heals.”
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