I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Starter Ex by Mia Sosa Published by Headline on March 10, 2026
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 336
Format: E-Arc
Source: Netgalley
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Meet Vanessa Cordero. A cynic with a colorful past. You see, in college, Vanessa devised a profitable side gig: For a reasonable fee, she’d date your latest crush...and make his life miserable. Too clingy? Check. Jealous? Check. A mother's worst nightmare? Check, check, check. By the time Vanessa was done with him, your guy would be ready for...YOU.
Meet Jason Torres. A certified commitment-phobe. Jason doesn't plan on getting married anytime soon (if ever), much to his mother’s dismay. What he needs is a temporary girlfriend. A totally inappropriate girlfriend. Someone his mother will hate. So she'll abandon her hopes of getting Jason to the altar—for a while at least.
Enter Lisa, Vanessa's younger sister. She's got her eye on Jason and convinces Vanessa to come out of retirement for one last starter ex engagement. The rules are simple: no touching, no fooling around, and definitely no falling in love. But nothing's going according to plan. Because Vanessa can't ditch Jason no matter how hard she tries. And the longer these two are around each other, the more neither of them wants to be apart.
I was excited to read The Starter Ex. The blurb suggested that I was in for a fun contemporary romance: an entertaining premise, plenty of chemistry, and Mia Sosa’s signature easy-to-read writing style. While I enjoyed parts this overall was a disappointing read for me.
The strongest aspect of the novel is definitely the banter between everyone. I felt like the dialogue was sharp and natural, and the interactions between the Jason and Vanessa were very amusing and provided for laugh out loud moments.
The premise itself is also promising. Second chances and complicated past relationships can make for compelling romance. And there are moments where the emotional tension really works. However, I never fully connected with the relationship in the way I wanted to. I think I was little put off by the reason for the starter ex and how the whole relationship between Jason and Vanessa started. For me, it just made the book unappealing and it was difficult to completely invest in the romance.
I also felt that the pacing was slightly uneven. I was completely drawn in at the beginning, but there it did stretch a bit much in the middle, with the will they won’t they drama taking longer than strictly necessary. At the same time, a few of the more emotional moments could have used a little more depth to make the payoff stronger.
That being said, the book still has plenty of charm. Mia Sosa writes engaging, likable characters, and there’s enough humour and warmth here to keep the story enjoyable. Even when I wasn’t fully invested, it remained an entertaining read. One that was easy to pick up and fall back into.
Overall, The Starter Ex is a solid contemporary romance with strong dialogue and an appealing premise. But sadly for me it didn’t completely land for me emotionally unfortunately.
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