Book Review | The Exes’ Revenge by Jo Jakeman

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Book Description: A wickedly dark debut thriller about three women who’ve all been involved with the same man and realize the one thing they have in common is that they all want revenge against him…

Divorces are often messy, and Imogen’s is no exception. Phillip Rochester is controlling, abusive, and determined to make things as difficult as possible. When he shows up without warning demanding that Imogen move out of their house by the end of the month or he’ll sue for sole custody of their young son, Imogen is ready to snap.

In a moment of madness, Imogen does something unthinkable–something that puts her in control for the first time in years. She’s desperate to protect her son and to claim authority over her own life.

But she wasn’t expecting both Phillip’s ex-wife and new girlfriend to get tangled up in her plans. These three very different women–and unlikely allies–reluctantly team up to take revenge against a man who has wronged them all.

The book opens with a funeral for Phillip Rochester. And among the attendees are Imogen, Phillip’s wife on paper, Ruby, Phillip’s first wife, and Naomi, Phillip’s newest girlfriend who caused Imogen and Phillip to split. The contrast between these women gets revealed as the story unravels. Phillip is a very well known decorated policeman, but has a very dark side of him. And in his controlling demeanor, he is physically and verbally abusive to these women. As more and more women seem to fall for him, the worse he becomes. Imogen is the only one of the three women to have a child with Phillip, so Allistair becomes her saving grace and focus of protection. Unfortunately, she is unable to go to the police, so she weathers much of what happens on her own.

Without revealing too much, the three of them end up in a situation where they all have to go up against Phillip in order to save their lives, and it’s absolutely insane! Slowly over the course of the book, manipulation and control seethes from Phillip, pinning these women down and taking away their confidence. It’s easy to dislike certain characters and then agree with others. And much of the dialogue was believable, especially in certain conversations where emotions could hinder full on thinking. I enjoyed the book and felt like it drew me in. I read it fairly quickly and there’s a wonderful feeling of satisfaction at the end. If physical or emotional abuse is a trigger for you, you may tread with caution or avoid. If you can skip over parts that may be uncomfortable, I say go for the ride…

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Berkley  Publishing Group and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I appreciate the opportunity to receive an advanced reader copy to do so. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review | Dysfunction Interrupted by Audrey Sherman, PhD

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The title for this book may sound like a quick self-help book, but let me assure you, Dr. Sherman goes very in-depth.  For those struggling with anxiety and depression, this book is all-inclusive and a vital asset to the sufferer.

She breaks the book down into three parts.

Part One concisely breaks down common dysfunctional home scenarios (namely parenting types that include: violence/abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, substance abuse, depressive, histrionic, abandoning, invalidating, perfectionistic, controlling, and non-disciplinarians) and she presents case studies of clients who exhibit symptomatic manifestations as a result of upbringing.

Part Two deals with symptom sets and explains in detail where they stem from (namely anxiety, attachment problems, attention and focus problems, boundary issues, caretaking, codependency, chronic anger, depression, hypervigilance, learned helplessness, locus of control, low self-esteem, personality disorders, poor coping strategies, relationship and trust issues, and underachievement).  These are quite concise and explanatory.

Part Three gets to the meat of the situation and shows how to address the issues found in parts one and two, and where to go from there.  This is an amazingly comprehensive book that doesn’t beat around the bush.  Dr. Sherman is straight-forward, and compassionate about helping those who struggle with anxiety and depression.  To get a better handle on your own symptoms, check this book out and see if it doesn’t get you on the road to healing.

I was given this book for free by Netgalley and Concord Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  Many thanks for the gift and opportunity to present my opinion.